PBSWISCONSIN.ORG/NEWS.
TURNING TO EDUCATION, AFTER A
DECADE OF UNDERGRADUATE TUITION
FREEZES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN, THE SYSTEM PRESIDENT
IS NOW ASKING TO BE ABLE TO HIKE
THE COST OF ATTENDANCE BY 5%
STARTING NEXT FALL.
CURRENT TUITION RATES VARY AT
THE 13 UNIVERSITIES IN THE U.W.
SYSTEM FROM ABOUT $4,750 PER
YEAR TO JUST UNDER $9,275 AT
U.W. MADISON.
A 5% INCREASE WOULD ADD HUNDREDS
OF DOLLARS TO THAT BILL.
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS' BUDGET
CALLS FOR GIVING THE U.W. SYSTEM
MORE THAN $300 MILLION OVER THE
NEXT TWO YEARS, BUT THAT IS
STILL SHORT TO COVER COSTS,
ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY.
U.W. SYSTEM PRESIDENT JAY
ROTHMAN JOINS US NOW.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, WE SHOULD NOTE
PBS WISCONSIN IS PART OF U.S.
MADISON.
PRESIDENT ROTHMAN, THANKS VERY
MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT'S MY PLEASURE.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
>> YOU DESCRIBED THERE ARE TWO
LEVERS FOR THE UNIVERSITY WHEN
IT COMES TO MEETING COSTS:
STATE GPR, TAX DOLLARS, AND
TUITION.
BUT EVEN THE GOVERNOR'S
EDUCATION-FRIENDLY BUDGET
DOESN'T GET YOU THERE, IS THAT
RIGHT?
>> WELL, I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK
AT IT, AND COMING FROM THE
PRIVATE SECTOR, I LOOK AT IT AND
SAY WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROFIT AND
LOSS STATEMENT THAT BALANCES OUT
AT THE END OF THE DAY.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE VARIOUS
REVENUE LEVERS THAT ARE
AVAILABLE TO US, AND THAT'S --
GPR IS A PRACTICAL MATTER AND
TUITION AND WE HAVE TO LOOK AT
THE EXPENSE SIDE.
IT'S BEEN 10 YEARS SINCE TUITION
HAS BEEN ADJUSTED, AND DURING
THAT PERIOD OF TIME, INFLATION
HAS BEEN THERE, BUT MUCH MORE
ACCELERATE OVER THE LAST COUPLE
OF YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO BALANCE
OFF WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IN
TERMS OF A TUITION INCREASE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO COVER THE COST
OF INFLATION AS A PRACTICAL
MATTER, SO WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO ALSO LOOK AT THOSE EXPENSE
LEVERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN
ACHIEVE THE TWO GOALS THAT WE
REALLY HAVE.
ONE IS TO MAINTAIN THE QUALITY
AND EXCELLENCE THAT THE U.W.
SYSTEM IS KNOWN FOR, AND
SECONDLY, TO ENSURE THE
LONG-TERM FINANCIAL STABILITY
AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR
UNIVERSITIES.
>> WHAT ARE THE MAIN DRIVERS OF
THE INCREASE FOR THE SYSTEM
RIGHT NOW?
>> IN SOME CASES IT'S THE
INFLATIONARY PRESSURE BUT WE
ALSO NEED TO INVEST.
WISCONSIN IS IN A WAR FOR
TALENT.
WE ARE NOT FILLING THE JOBS THAT
ARE NEEDED BY STATE EMPLOYERS.
CERTAINLY COMING OUT OF THE
PRIVATE SECTOR, I KNEW THAT,
BECAUSE I WAS EXPERIENCING THOSE
SAME PRESSURES.
BUT AS I'VE SPENT TIME IN MY
CURRENT ROLE TALKING TO
EMPLOYERS IN THE STATE, THE NEED
FOR ENGINEERS, THE NEED FOR
NURSES, THE NEED FOR TEACHERS,
THE NEED FOR DATA SCIENTISTS,
THAT LIST GOES ON AND ON.
WE NEED TO INVEST IN ENROLLMENT
AND IN INCREASING THE NUMBER OF
STUDENTS WHO ARE GRADUATING.
THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN ADOPTED
BY THE REGENTS IN DECEMBER HAS A
TARGET OF INCREASING OUR
GRADUATES BY ABOUT 10% TO 41,000
ANNUALLY BY 2028.
>> IN YOUR MIND, WHAT HAPPENS IN
WISCONSIN IF THE UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM CANNOT ATTRACT AND RETAIN
THAT TALENT, THOSE WORKERS?
>> I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A
BROADER ISSUE.
IT'S A WISCONSIN ISSUE.
IT'S FOR THE STATE.
IF WE ARE NOT ABLE -- WE ARE THE
BEST TALENT MAGNET IN MY
JUDGMENT THIS STATE HAS IN TERMS
OF RECRUITING, DEVELOPING AND
RETAINING GREAT TALENT IN THE
STATE.
87% OF OUR IN-STATE RESIDENTS
WHO GRADUATE FROM ONE OF THE
SYSTEM SCHOOLS STAY IN THE
STATE.
THAT'S A GREAT MAGNET.
BUT IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, IF WE
AREN'T SUCCESSFUL AND IF
WISCONSIN IS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN
WINNING THAT TALENT WAR, THE
ECONOMIC PROSPECTS FOR THE STATE
DECLINE.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT.
AND I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT
WHAT IS THE STATE GOING TO LOOK
LIKE 10 AND 15 AND 20 YEARS FROM
NOW, AND WE HAVE CHALLENGES.
WE LOOK AT DEMOGRAPHICS, WE LOOK
AT BIRTH RATES, WE LOOK AT NET
OUTWARD MIGRATION, AND WE LOOK
AT THE DECLE DECLINE IN COLLEGE
PARTICIPATION, THE NUMBER OF
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES GOING INTO
COLLEGE.
THOSE ARE CHALLENGES FOR OUR
STATE.
THE U.W. SYSTEM, PARTNERING WITH
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, PARTNERING
WITH THE LEGISLATURE, CAN HELP
ADDRESS THOSE FOR THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN.
>> NOW, AS YOU KNOW, THE
GOVERNOR INCLUDED AN ADDITIONAL
$24.5 MILLION TO FUND YOWRP
TUITION PROMISE PROGRAM, BUT
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATIVE LEADERS
HAVE SAID STATE FUNDING OF THAT
IS UNLIKELY AND SHOULD COME FROM
PRIVATE DONATIONS.
WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
>> A COUPLE FACTORS.
ONE IS, I THINK THAT IS A STEP
IN HELPING US WIN THE WAR FOR
TALENT.
THAT IS AN INVESTMENT IN
STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING FROM
LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC MEANS, AND
THAT IMPACTS ALL 72 COUNTIES IN
OUR STATE.
INCLUDING THE COUNTY THAT I GREW
UP IN, IN NORTH CENTRAL
WISCONSIN.
IT CAN HELP GET MORE STUDENTS IN
BECAUSE IT TAKES TUITION OFF THE
TABLE.
THOSE STUDENTS STILL HAVE A
WHOLE LOT OF SKIN IN THE GAME.
THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF SKIN IN
THE GAME BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE
TO PAY FOR HOUSING, THEY HAVE TO
PAY FOR BOOKS, THEY HAVE TO PAY
FOR TRANSPORTATION, AND THEY ARE
INVESTING FOUR YEARS OF THEIR
LIFE IN THAT COLLEGE EDUCATION,
SO THERE'S A LOT OF SKIN IN THE
GAME THAT ALLOWS FOR SOCIAL
MOBILITY AND ALLOWS US TO TRY TO
ADDRESS THE TALENT WAR.
SO I THINK THAT IS A BIG PIECE
OF TRYING TO RESPOND.
SECONDLY, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE
OPEN.
I'VE WELCOMED THE CONVERSATION
WITH THE LEGISLATORS ABOUT HOW
WE CAN STRUCTURE THAT PROGRAM.
I BELIEVE IN IT, I THINK IT'S
IMPORTANT, I THINK IT HELPS
ACHIEVE SOME GOALS FOR THE
STATE, BUT I ALSO THINK WE HAVE
TO -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE
OPEN TO HAVING THAT CONVERSATION
WITH THEM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO
DOING THAT.
>> WITH LESS THAN A HALF A
MINUTE LEFT, WHAT IS YOUR
MESSAGE TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES
IN WISCONSIN ABOUT THIS TUITION
INCREASE?
>> I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT IT
AND SAY THREE THINGS.
ONE IS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE MAINTAIN THE QUALITY OF
EDUCATION AND IF WE DON'T INVEST
IN IT, WE WON'T MAINTAIN THAT
QUALITY THE SYSTEM IS KNOWN FOR.
SECONDLY, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
OUR UNIVERSITIES ARE
SUSTAINABLE, BUT THIRD, WE DID
AN AFFORDABILITY STUDY LAST
SUMMER.
WE ARE THE MOST AFFORDABLE
PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE
MIDWEST.
THIS TUITION INCREASE IS NOT
GOING TO CHANGE THAT.
WE ARE STILL GOING TO BE THE
MOST AFFORDABLE, BEST VALUE OF
ANY PUBLIC UNIVERSITY IN THE
MIDWEST.
THE VALUE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION
IS, I DON'T THINK THE
ECONOMICS -- THEY ARE
UNATTAINABLE.
IT IS CLEAR THAT STUDENTS CAN
BENEFIT FROM THAT, BOTH
ECONOMICALLY BUT ALSO SOCIALLY.
IT IS A GREAT INVESTMENT IN THE