Chancellor's Office
Chancellor's Communiqués
March 14, 2006
To: All UW Colleges and UW-Extension Faculty, Academic Staff and Classified Staff
Fr: Interim Chancellor Marv Van Kekerix
In this Message:
- Board of Regents Discusses Proposed Taxpayer Protection Amendment
- Waukesha Study Report Discussed
- UW System Accountability Report Released
- Program Innovation Fund Proposals Due April 14
- UW System Recognizes Galindo and Holifield
- UW Colleges Students to Participate at Symposium
- Audio Archive of WisLine Available
Colleagues:
The UW System Board of Regents held their monthly meeting in Madison last week. Among their agenda items were several issues that are very important to UW Colleges and UW-Extension.
1. Board of Regents Discusses Proposed Taxpayer Protection Amendment
In a presentation to the Regents on Thursday, UW-Madison Professor Andrew Reschovsky said that a proposed amendment to the state constitution would have left the UW System with an additional $200-million reduction, had it been in effect during the current budget cycle.
Professor Reschovsky, from the La Follette School of Public Affairs, explained how the proposed "Taxpayer Protection Amendment" would limit state spending to a formula based on the consumer price index and population growth. He asserted that such limits would reduce the university's ability to serve state residents. The situation would worsen each year, as costs rise faster than inflation. See more details about this presentation at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2006/r060309b.htm.
On Friday, the Board heard from one of the bill's sponsors, Rep. Glenn Grothman, whose district includes UW-Washington County. He said the amendment would be good for Wisconsin's economy, pointing out that lower taxes correlate to economic growth. He added that the bill, in the form of a constitutional amendment, would protect taxpayers from consequences of state growth.
Regent Charles Pruitt of Shorewood predicted "unintended consequences," cautioning that spending limits would mean less state tax support for the university's educational mission coupled with dramaticÊtuition increases and/or reduced enrollment.
Tim Fiocci, legislative assistant to Rep. Jeff Wood, R-Chippewa Falls, the bill's other sponsor, pointed out that the bill exempts tuition and fees at state colleges and universities from the formula that would be used to determine how much revenue the state could collect and spend. If the university would grow beyond those spending limits, Mr. Fiocci said, the university would be responsible for paying additional costs.
Rep. Grothman acknowledged that the university has not received favorable treatment from the state in recent budgets, but that on the whole, he believes most people in Wisconsin can afford a college education.
"You guys have fared worse than just about anybody has fared in the last few years, but that was largely made up with tuition increases," he said. "Even if we have to up the tuition again, we are a long way away from saying that tuition is unaffordable. Unless their parents kick them out of house, anyone in the state can end up with a four-year degree for a reasonable amount of money. Almost anyone can get a student loan."
Rep. Grothman went on to suggest that students might be more able to afford college if they made different choices, such as to save money, work while they attend school, or attend public universities that are less expensive than private colleges. He said he is troubled by the degree to which students accumulate large amounts of student loans and credit card debt.
"Those loans are not necessarily the result of necessity. Those loans are out there because it's so easy to get those loans," Rep. Grothman said. "It's almost like they have a second mortgage when they get out."
Regent Jesus Salas of Milwaukee said that the highest demand for student loans comes from families who must have the loan assistance to afford college. "Those parents cannot afford to send their child to school in any other manner," Salas said.
Listen to the entire Mar. 10 conversation with Rep. Grothman at: http://www.uwex.edu/ics/stream/regents/meetings/
2. Waukesha Study Report Discussed
In last month's "FYI," I noted that the UW System had released its initial report about efforts to expand higher education opportunities in the Waukesha County area. The report is available at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/waukesha/WaukeshaStudyReport.pdf
On Thursday, UW System Executive Senior Vice President Don Mash presented this report to the Board of Regents Education Committee, discussing the steering group's ongoing work. Although many people assume that the group's primary focus is on a merger of UW campuses, Executive Sr. Vice President Mash emphasized that merging the UW-Waukesha campus with another institution is just one means to an end. The report identifies multiple areas where the university can work with partners to address specific educational needs in the region. Potential efforts fall into five areas:
- Gateway programs to the baccalaureate degree, currently offered by UW-Waukesha and Waukesha County Technical College.
- Non-credit, continuing education training, currently available through diverse providers, including UW-Extension.
- Expanded bachelor's degree offerings, based on high-demand majors, preferred delivery methods, and strategic alignment with the needs of local employers.
- Expanded graduate study opportunities, including improved access to Masters and Doctoral programs.
- The creation of a research center of excellence, as described by the Wisconsin Technology Council in its "Vision 2020" report.
Addressing the Education Committee Thursday, Waukesha County Executive Dan Vrakas noted that UW-Waukesha already cooperates in many respects with UW-Milwaukee, acknowledging a "natural linkage." He expressed concern about the county's ability to continue funding higher education in the area. Currently, the facilities of UW-Waukesha, like other UW Colleges' campuses, are funded by the county. Educational and operating costs are covered by the UW System.
Additional details about Thursday's discussion are available at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2006/r060309b.htm
3. UW System Accountability Report Released
UW System President Kevin Reilly presented the 2006 Accountability Report to the Board of Regents on Thursday. The annual document outlines how the university holds itself accountable annually to students, alumni and Wisconsin citizens.
The UW System met or exceeded 12 of 20 accountability goals, according to the 2005-06 report. These included increasing access for Wisconsin high school students; enrolling more students in precollege programs and distance education courses; improving UW graduation rates; fostering critical thinking skills; and having students exceed state and national averages on exam scores for graduate school and professional fields.
The report outlines mixed results in five areas: academic advising, campus diversity, access to faculty outside of class time, use of electronic media, and maintenance backlogs in classrooms and buildings. In the areas of freshmen retention, study-abroad experiences and access for nontraditional students, the report shows room for improvement.
See the UW Colleges and UW-Extension accountability reports online at: http://www.uwsa.edu/opar/accountability/achieve06/inst06.pdf
4. Program Innovation Fund Proposals Due April 14
Approximately $150,000 is available to support FY 2006-07 innovative projects which foster greater collaborations among and between the UW-Extension divisions, the UW Colleges, and other UW institutions and/or community partners. Eligible applicants are: a) at least two UW-Extension divisions, or b) UW Colleges campus(es) and at least one UW-Extension division. Proposal guidelines are posted at: http://www.uwex.edu/provost/proginnov. For more information, contact Patricia Takemoto at pat.takemoto@uwex.edu.
5. UW System Recognizes Galindo and Holifield
On March 4, the UW System honored 16 recipients of the 2006 Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award, an annual award given to students, faculty and staff to recognize their contributions to diversity and the status of women within the state's public university system.
Speaking to the Regents on Friday, President Reilly congratulated the award recipients, and recognized our former Extension colleague, Vicki Washington, the UW System's nominee for the award. Vicki now serves as interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Diversity and Development at UW System.
Our two institutions were well represented in the awards. Rose Marie Galindo, associate professor in Spanish at UW-Rock County, and Lucy Holifield, former director of the UW-Milwaukee Small Business Development Center, were honored for their important achievements.
See http://www.uwsa.edu/acadaff/womens/events/woc/woc.htm.
6. UW Colleges Students to Participate at the Undergraduate Research Symposium
At the 7th Annual UW System Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity, the UW Colleges will be represented by a record number of students and faculty. Five students will make oral presentations, covering diverse topics ranging from poetry to robotics. Six students will participate in the poster sessions, and two will offer a theater performance. We're proud to be represented by such a strong contingent, and grateful to their faculty advisors for supporting their scholarly endeavors.
See http://www.uwstout.edu/solutions/symposium for more information about May 5 event, to be held at UW-Stout.
7. Audio Archive of WisLine Available
Thanks to everyone who took time to participate in our March 2 all-employee WisLine conversation. I offered a brief update on activities related to our administrative integration process, and we heard an update from Transition Team co-chairs David Giroux and Teri Venker. If you missed the event, we've posted a streaming audio recording of that event, available using RealPlayer or Windows Media Player.
See http://www.uwex.edu/ics/stream/uwex/chancellor/brownbag/index.htm.
Thanks for your attention to these brief updates. Please note that we archive recent "FYI" e-mails and other recent reports at http://www.uwex.edu/chancellor.
Marv Van Kekerix
Interim Chancellor
UW Colleges & UW-Extension
cc:
Chancellor-Designate Wilson
President Reilly
UW-Extension Board of Visitors
UW Colleges Board of Visitors
Marv Van Kekerix, Interim Chancellor
UW Colleges and UW-Extension
432 North Lake Street, Rm. 527
Madison, WI 53706
Telephone: 608-262-3786
Fax: 608-262-6572
E-mail: marv.vankekerix@uwex.edu
This message is being distributed to all UW-Extension faculty, academic staff and classified staff, as well as integrated and collaborative faculty and staff at UW campuses and other locations who do Extension-related work.