>> WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF
$6 BILLION, THE UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN 26 CAMPUS SYSTEM IS
AMONG THE LARGEST IN THE
COUNTRY.
THIS WEEK EVEN AS THE SYSTEM
DETERMINES HOW TO SAFELY OPEN
FOR THE FALL SEMESTER, GOVERNOR
TONY EVERS ANNOUNCED
$250 MILLION IN PANDEMIC-RELATED
STATE PENDING CUTS.
THIS AFTER A 70 MILLION
REDUCTION IN MAY.
U.W. SYSTEM PRESIDENT TOMMY
THOMPSON RESPONDED ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY SAYING THE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM ALREADY
ABSORBED MORE THAN ITS FAIR
SHARE OF CUTS LAST SPRING.
THIS DISCLAIMER, PBS WISCONSIN
IS PART OF U.W. MADISON.
LATE THIS WEEK I SPOKE WITH
SYSTEM PRESIDENT THOMPSON ABOUT
THE THREAT OF FURTHER BUDGET
CUTS AND ALSO ASKED HIM HOW THE
SYSTEM WAS PREPARING FOR SAFE
RETURN TO CAMPUS INSTRUCTION FOR
THE FALL TERM.
>> SECRETARY, GOVERNOR, NEW
PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
SYSTEM, THANK YOU FOR BEING
HERE.
>> MY HONOR, FREDERICA, A
PLEASURE TO SEE YOU.
I REMEMBER FONDLY OUR DAYS WHEN
YOU USED TO INTERVIEW ME WHEN I
WAS GOVERNOR, SO VERY HAPPY TO
BE BACK ON YOUR PROGRAM AND
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR
HAVING ME.
>> WELL, THANK YOU.
WELL, JUST TO JUMP IN, CAN K-12
DISTRICTS IN CERTAIN PARTS OF
THE STATE DECIDING TO GO
VIRTUALLY FOR THE START OF THE
SCHOOL YEAR, HOW CAN THE U.W.
SAFELY OPEN TO EVEN A HYBRID OF
REMOTE AND IN-PERSON CLASSES
SAFELY?
>> WE ARE DEDICATED AND
PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE
THAT OUR PROFESSORS, OUR
INSTRUCTORS, OUR EMPLOYEES, AND
ABOVE ALL, OUR STUDENTS ARE
GOING TO BE SAFE.
YOU GOT TO REMEMBER THAT I WAS
SECRETARY OF HEALTH, AND I WOULD
NEVER PUT ANYBODY AT HARM'S WAY
IF I CAN HELP IT AND WE ARE
DOING EVERYTHING, WE ARE
PREPARING OUR CLASSROOMS, MAKING
SURE OUR LARGE CLASSROOMS ARE
NOT UTILIZED, EVERY STUDENT HAS
TO HAVE A MASK ON WHEN THEY ARE
INSIDE.
ALSO ASKING THEM TO WEAR THEIR
MASKS OUTSIDE IF THEY CANNOT
SOCIALLY DISTANCE.
AND ENTRANCE AND EXITS, A LOT OF
THEM ARE ONE WAY.
MAKING SURE OUR CLASSROOMS GOT
THE HIGHEST CLEANING STANDARDS
PUT DOWN BY C.D.C.
WE ARE DEDICATED TO THAT.
WE ARE PUTTING INSTRUCTIONS OUT
DAILY AS TO HOW TO MAKE SURE OUR
CLASSROOMS ARE SAFE.
WE FEEL THAT WE ARE GOING TO
HAVE OUR CLASSES AND CLASSROOMS
AS PUBLICLY SAFE AND AS SAFE FOR
OUR EMPLOYEES AS WE POSSIBLY CAN
AND ABOVE ALL, OUR STUDENTS.
SO I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT.
WE ARE OPENING ON SEPTEMBER 2ND,
AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU I'M
DEDICATED TO MAKE SURE THAT
EVERYBODY WILL BE SAFE.
>> YOUNG ADULTS, AS YOU KNOW,
WERE IN LARGE MEASURE
RESPONSIBLE FOR KIND OF THE MOST
RECENT SURGE.
HOW CAN THE UNIVERSITY MANAGE
THEIR BEHAVIOR ON AND OFF
CAMPUSES?
>> WELL, THERE'S NO WAY THAT YOU
ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO,
FREDERICA, MANAGE STUDENTS OFF
CAMPUS BUT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS
WE ARE ASKING STUDENTS TO WEAR
THEIR MASK, PUTTING OUT A LOT OF
INFORMATION, WE ARE ASKING
STUDENTS TO GET FLU VACCINATED,
AND HAVE THE VACCINE, YOU KNOW,
PURCHASED SO WE CAN HELP
STUDENTS GET VACCINATED.
WE ARE PUTTING OUT A LOT OF
INSTRUCTIONS.
WE ARE TALKING TO A LOT OF
STUDENTS AND WE ARE ENCOURAGING
STUDENTS AND THE MOST IMPORTANT
WAY TO DO IT HAVING STUDENTS
TALK TO OTHER STUDENTS.
LET'S GE SAFE, LET'S BE HEALTHY.
WE ARE GOING TO ENJOY CAMPUS,
BUT WE HAVE TO BE HEALTHY TO
ENJOY IT.
THIS IS THE MESSAGE GOING OUT,
AND USING MY PUBLIC HEALTH DAYS,
MY PUBLIC HEALTH HAT ON, I'M
GOING TO DO EVERYTHING I
POSSIBLY CAN THROUGH SOCIAL
NETWORKING, THROUGH SIGNS,
THROUGH ENCOURAGEMENT, USING
STUDENTS, USING OUR PROFESSORS
TO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS ARE
SAFE BOTH ON AND OFF CAMPUS.
>> NOW, YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY DEEP
INTO THE BOOKS AT THE U.W.
SYSTEM.
WHAT KIND OF FINANCIAL -- WHAT
KIND OF FINANCIAL HIT IS THE
U.W. DEALING WITH BECAUSE OF
CLOSURES LAST SPRING?
>> WELL, HUGE.
AMAZING THING.
WE HAD TO REFUND PRO RATA THE
SHARE OF THE STUDENT DORMS, THE
FOOD WE PURCHASED.
A LOT OF FOOD WE PURCHASED FOR
THE FULL SEMESTER AND HAD TO
GIVE IT AWAY, SO IT WAS A
FINANCIAL REALLY STRONG HIT.
HARDER ON SOME CAMPUSES THAN
OTHERS, BUT OVERALL, IT WAS
REALLY TOUGH FOR THE SYSTEM AND
NOW, AND WE ALSO GOT IN THE
FIRST SEMESTER WE ALSO GOT HIT
BY ABOUT $50 MILLION FROM THE
STATE OF WISCONSIN, WE ARE GOING
TO HAVE TO TAKE ANOTHER HIT.
SO, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN
SYSTEM HAS FINANCIAL PROBLEMS.
BUT I AM CONFIDENT, I AM
CONFIDENT WORKING WITH THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE, WORKING WITH
D.O.A., WORKING WITH MY CONTACTS
IN WASHINGTON THAT WE ARE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO GET ENOUGH STATE
AND FEDERAL DOLLARS WITH THE
HELP OF WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO,
MANAGING THIS PROBLEM AT THE
SYSTEM LEVEL, WE ARE GOING TO
MAKE IT.
WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT AND WE
ARE GOING TO COME OUT STRONGER
NEXT YEAR THAN WE ARE THIS YEAR.
>> BECAUSE AS YOU MENTIONED,
GOVERNOR TONY EVERS HAS
ANNOUNCED ADDITIONAL
$250 MILLION BUDGET CUT TO STATE
AGENCIES AND PRESUMABLY THE U.W.
WOULD HAVE TO TAKE A PORTION OF
THAT.
IS THERE ANY PORTION OF THAT
THAT YOU BELIEVE THE SYSTEM CAN
TAKE AND STILL EMBARK ON
REOPENING AND PROVIDING ALL OF
THE KINDS OF P.P.E., ETC., THAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO DO SO SAFELY?
>> WELL, THERE ARE TWO POTS OF
MONEY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
THE STATE MONEY THAT THE
GOVERNOR IS TALKING ABOUT IS
MONEY THAT CAN BE LAPSED BY THE
GOVERNOR AND HIS OFFICE, AND WE
ARE PUSHING BACK ON THAT, BUT WE
ARE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE THE
GOVERNOR AND THE D.O.A.
WE ARE TRYING TO SHOW HOW
DIFFICULT IT'S GOING TO BE AND
WHY IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE
PROBLEMATIC FOR THE SYSTEM.
BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE
GOVERNOR AND HIS STAFF AND
D.O.A.
WE WANT TO BE -- WE DON'T WANT
TO BE CONFRONTATIONAL, WE WANT
TO BE COOPERATIVE AND WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND
OUR FINANCIAL CONDITIONS.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING IN
WASHINGTON TO GET MORE FEDERAL
DOLLARS.
AND AS YOU KNOW, I'VE ASKED THE
GOVERNOR FOR $110 MILLION FOR
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT,
AS WELL AS FOR TRACKING AND
TRACING.
AND TESTING.
AND WE THINK, YOU KNOW, WITH
THAT MONEY, IF WE COULD GET 100
MILLION, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO
DEFINITELY OPEN, WELL, WE ARE
GOING TO OPEN UP, WE'LL BE SAFE.
BUT WOULD BE MUCH MORE HELPFUL
IF WE HAD THE EXTRA MONEY FOR
TESTING AND TRACING AND FOR
PURCHASING THE PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK THE
LIKELIHOOD IS OF GETTING THAT
KIND OF MONEY?
>> YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS AN
UPHILL BATTLE.
NOTHING IS EASY WHEN YOU ARE
ACTING PRESIDENT OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM,
I'M FINDING OUT.
BUT WE ARE GOING TO DO
EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN.
I AM AGGRESSIVELY SEEKING MONEY
FROM THE STATE AND FEDERAL
LEVELS.
I THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO
BE -- I'M CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC.
I COME FROM ELROY, WISCONSIN.
YOU HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUSLY
OPTIMISTIC JUST WAKING UP IN THE
MORNING, AND SO I FEEL THAT WE
ARE GOING TO DO IT, AND WE ARE
GOING TO BE -- WE ARE GOING TO
GET THROUGH THIS, AND WE ARE
GOING TO BE ABLE TO BE STRONGER
AND HEALTHIER NEXT SPRING THAN
WE ARE TODAY.
I AM CONFIDENT OF THAT.
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
FORMER GOVERNOR TOMMY THOMPSON,
NOW PRESIDENT OF THE U.W.
SYSTEM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING
US.