News
Chancellor discusses the Governor’s budget proposal
The Pointer
nmeye177@uwsp.edu
Chancellor Linda Bunnell addressed University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point’s future financial situation at a budget forum on March 3. Bunnell, with Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs Greg Diemer and Provost Mark Nook, explained Governor Doyle’s proposed budget for the 2009-2011 biennium especially as it pertains to the UW System and UW-SP.
Bunnell began the forum explaining why the university decided to wait until now to address budget issues.
“We made the decision as we have in past years not to put out partial information,” said Bunnell. “To wait until we really knew what the governor’s budget was, what the UW Systems budget would be, and until we really understood the full impact on UW-SP before we came to talk to you.”
Governor Doyle’s budget will provide an increase to the UW System’s need-based financial aid of $12 million. It will also provide $24 million in new funds for the Higher Education Aids Board, which will work to offset tuition increases with grants and other programs.
The budget will also cut the amount of state tax support for the UW System by $100 million over the next two years. In the first year, $65 million will be cut and $35 million n the second year. It also calls for an across-the-board equal cut of 1 percent of all non-federal funds.
In addition, the budget as is will include a one time transfer of $25 million from funds previously paid by students and others for residence halls, athletics and other fee services.
“This is by far the largest deduction the UW System has had to deal with,” said Diemer.
The plan, as proposed, will force the UW System to cut up to $174 million in funding over the next two years. UW-SP’s de-allocation will be around $2.7 million, which is about the same as UW-La Crosse. Bunnell conveyed that UW-SP needs to be focused on the long-term rather than a quick fix.
“I want us to take a long horizon look as we make budget reductions and not just ad hoc temporary kinds of things that really will not serve us well in the long run or even in the short run,” said Bunnell.
Nook spoke about budget principles that have been set up to strategically deal with budget issues. He put the actions they are considering into three categories: increasing revenue, making strategic investments and looking for strategic savings.
“We want to look strategically at programs to have as much of a positive impact and as small of a negative impact as possible,” said Nook.
He said they intend to increase revenue by bringing in more students who wouldn’t normally be here, by increasing winter and summer session enrollment as well as adding online programs. The focus is to bring a different class of students to campus.
Strategic savings actions will look at enrollment of all programs as well as making sure unique programs aren’t cut. Programs are going to be looked at for viability in terms of ability to attract students to campus.
Nook conveyed a strong need to keep students coming to campus and keep enrollment up because of the portion of campus funding that is provided by student dollars which now accounts for 52 percent of the budget. Current enrollment is just over 9,100 students.
“I do believe the economy will improve. In the mean time, we will continue to identify the ways that we need to meet our core mission and that is to educate students,” said Bunnell.
In her closing, Bunnell said she will be going after as much as she can of the $160 million given to Wisconsin in the stimulus package.
“We’re going to work to move this campus forward even in the face of these kinds of reduction,” said Bunnell. “Its going to take every one of us working together.”
The entire budget forum was recorded on video and can be viewed on the UW-SP Web site.
