Wiley outlines impact of cuts

Appearing at a legislative hearing on campus March 26, Chancellor John Wiley outlined a wide range of consequences for university education and research if lawmakers fail to stick with the governor’s budget adjustment plan.

“Although a $40 million reduction appears relatively small against the overall campus budget, it is simply not possible to use funding from our other sources to make up the difference,” Wiley explained to members of the Senate Biennial budget Committee. “A $40 million reduction will directly impact instruction and related student services.”

Wiley warned that as many as 100 faculty and 300 academic staff positions could be lost if deep cuts approved by the state Assembly are not eased by the Senate. The Senate Democrat Caucus is expected to begin meeting Monday, April 1, to put together an alternate budget package. The full Senate is expected to act on the budget adjustment bill by Friday, April 5.

The UW System earlier agreed to reduce its budget by $50 million, a cut that Gov. Scott McCallum included in his version of the budget adjustment bill. UW–Madison would absorb about $20 million in reductions under that scenario, Wiley says.

“The university recognizes that the state is facing a significant budget deficit and that all parts of state government — including the UW System — need to be part of the solution in fixing that deficit,” Wiley says. “We believe we can manage that reduction without scaling back enrollment or significantly harming the quality of education we currently provide our students.

Expecting some reduction in the depth of proposed cuts, the UW System has lifted a suspension on undergraduate admissions, but system administration has instructed chancellors not to fill open jobs.

The Senate Biennial Budget Committee has now completed its series of statewide budget hearings. After Senate action expected next week, Assembly and Senate leaders will likely establish a conference committee to negotiate a compromise bill to send to the governor for his signature.

The UW System has created a “questions and answers” document on the UW budget that addresses topics related to enrollments, administrative costs, state support for the university, salary increases, tuition and the university’s contributions to the state