Budget cuts will hamper instruction, research

Cuts in UW–Madison’s portion of the state budget will have a major negative impact on instruction and student services, statewide public service, and the university’s ability to bolster the economy, says Provost Peter Spear.

Spear has been gathering feedback from academic units about how they would handle the cuts in their own areas. In addition to eliminating 90 positions from all levels of campus administration, Spear says cuts within academic units will likely lead to the elimination of 50-60 faculty positions, up to 300 courses, and several research centers and academic departments. As a result, students will experience increased class size, reduced access to courses and a reduction in student services.

“This is a major concern,” Spear says. “The difference between a great state university and a mediocre state university is having course variety and the ability to attract world-class faculty and staff, both of which will be severely hampered if we receive cuts on top of what the governor has already proposed.”

UW–Madison is planning for a series of spending reductions contained in Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget proposal, which cuts UW System by $250 million during the 2003-05 biennium, but allows it to recoup $150 million through tuition increases. UW–Madison’s share of net cuts would be about $23 million in the first year of the biennium.

Spear, who points out that UW–Madison has the lowest administrative costs among its peer institutions, says current estimates show that about 36.6 percent of UW–Madison’s cuts are being made in campus and unit administration. Options for cutting administration have run out, he says.

“If the legislature approves additional cuts or reduces the amount of tuition the governor’s budget allows for, our ability to remain a world-class institution will be placed in serious jeopardy.” Spear says. “Our elected officials must leave the university strong enough to provide for the needs of our students and the state.”

Spear and College of Letters and Science Dean Phil Certain discussed the consequences of the proposed budget at a Board of Regents public listening session March 31.

Certain says the College of Letters and Science, the largest academic unit on campus with more than 39 departments and five professional schools, will have to eliminate 200 courses, four administrative staff, 15 faculty, 25 short-term instructional staff positions and 20 teaching assistant positions. He says the college will also close the Industrial Relations Research Institute, a program that teaches graduate students about labor management.

“The elimination of positions and courses means higher enrollment in the remaining courses and more difficulty getting into those courses,” Certain says. “The elimination of faculty, combined with the resulting workload increase for remaining positions, will undermine our ability to attract outside research grants.” Certain says L&S faculty have brought in more than $100 million in federal grants during each of the past two years.

A similar situation exists in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, which is expected to eliminate 15 faculty positions under the governor’s proposal. Dean Elton Aberle says in addition to fewer courses and course sections, the cuts will hurt the college’s ability to uncover and share new technology and research with the state and train future industry leaders.

“On average, each CALS faculty member garners about a quarter-million dollars of federal and private research funding per year,” Aberle says. “With anticipated reductions of 15 faculty members, this means that the college will forego opportunities to acquire competitive grant research funding that equals about $3.5 million a year.”