The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee faces an estimated $40 million cut in state funding over two years under Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget. The cut would represent a roughly 15 percent reduction in state aid during the first year. Here are some things to know about the budget situation:
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THE LATEST
UWM Chancellor Mark Mone told dozens of faculty and staff members at a Tuesday meeting that across-the-board cuts were unlikely and that efforts would be made to protect programs that promote student success, research and community engagement. Mone acknowledged questions about whether the cuts would be larger or smaller than Walker proposed, when they would hit and what flexibility the university would have to deal with them under a plan to make UW System a public authority.
There is “rampant speculation” but “not a lot of new information” at this point, he said.
The Legislature’s budget-writing committee will hold public hearings and receive agency briefings in March before getting into detailed discussions in April.
Meanwhile, campus units have been asked to prepare scenarios for 5 percent and 10 percent cuts.
Mone said there have been questions about whether campus administration and support services would participate in any cuts, or whether the bulk would fall on UWM’s 14 schools and colleges.
“I can assure you that if sacrifices have to be endured, they will be shared,” he said.
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WALKER’S PROPOSAL
Walker proposed cutting the UW System budget by $300 million over two years to help address a state budget shortfall projected at up to $2 billion over two years. His plan also would spin the UW System off from state government and place it under a public authority overseen by the UW Board of Regents.
Walker has said that creating a public authority would give the UW System flexibility in responding to the budget cuts. But the plan as proposed would not create a public authority until July 1, 2016, a year after the first half of the budget cuts take effect.
Mone said the public authority could give campuses flexibility in such things as purchasing and help them save money, but it’s unlikely it would be enough to offset the proposed cuts – at least in the near term.
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STATE FUNDING FOR UWM
Walker’s proposal follows more than a decade of cuts in state support for the UW System. State taxes cover 18.5 percent of UWM’s budget this school year, compared to 25.1 percent in 2005-2006.
In 2014-15, UWM received $130 million from the state. Its total operating budget is nearly $705 million, with money from tuition, grants, federal student aid and other sources.
Robin Van Harpen, vice chancellor for finance and administrative affairs, said Walker’s proposal would likely mean a 6 percent to 7 percent reduction in operating funds that aren’t restricted to a specific purpose.
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UWM RESPONSE
Mone said he met with six state lawmakers in the past week to advocate for UWM and has met with a dozen legislators since Walker announced his budget plan. He also has made the university’s case in numerous media appearances.
A campus budget task force charged with recommending how any cuts might be implemented also met this week. Van Harpen, who is leading that task force with Provost Johannes Britz, said the scenarios for 5 percent and 10 percent cuts that campus units have been asked to develop are aimed at giving the task force options to consider. Like Mone, she said she did not foresee across-the-board cuts.
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NEXT STEPS
Mone has scheduled three more all-campus budget meetings on Feb. 23, March 3 and March 10.
Updates and additional budget information are being posted daily to UWM’s dedicated Web site, https://uwm.edu/budget/. The site also includes a spot for people to submit questions about the budget situation.
One question asked at Tuesday’s meeting was whether UWM would furlough employees to save money. Mone said furloughs could be an option, but it wasn’t clear whether that would have to be a step taken by UW System, rather than individual campuses.
