Regents to meet on admissions freeze

UW System leaders have been working with the governor’s office and legislative leadership to open up enrollment opportunities for students this fall.

The UW System currently has frozen admissions and hiring in anticipation of major cuts needed to help erase a state budget deficit topping $1 billion. The Board of Regents executive committee plans to meet Friday, March 22, to review the admissions freeze.

“We’ve had positive conversations with the governor,” says Board of Regents President Jay Smith. “The governor has been consistently committed to his $51 million budget cut proposal, which we have agreed we would manage without enrollment cuts to meet our share of the state’s budget shortfall.”

At the same time, Senate leaders have sent letters to top UW System officials this week pledging to reverse more than $100 million in proposed budget cuts.

“We’re encouraged by the support expressed by Senate Democrats who announced today that they will work for a final budget that provides ‘adequate resources to maintain the quality and accessibility of the University of Wisconsin,’ Smith says.

All 18 Senate Democrats, a majority, say they will support the changes, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala writes in the letter to UW System President Katharine Lyall.

“We appreciate these strong commitments to enrollment opportunities for Wisconsin students and the economic future of the state,” Smith adds. “We all agree that the state’s future economic growth requires more college graduates, not fewer.”