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Remarks and EssaysE-mail message to the CampusMarch 2, 2009 Budget UpdateFaculty and staff colleagues,Since I last wrote to you Feb. 18 — the day after Gov. Doyle presented his 2009-11 state budget proposal — campus and UW System budget staff have been carefully reviewing potential budget impacts on our campus, faculty, staff and students. Today, I want to share with you some of what we have learned. As I mentioned in my Feb. 18 message, the Governor’s budget plan reduces the amount of state tax and other support for the UW System by $174 million over two years. It also calls for an across-the-board one-time cut for all state agencies equal to 1 percent of most non-federal funds and additional funding reallocations. Taken together, these actions will lead to a lapse, or one-time budget cut of approximately $2.6 million for UW-Green Bay in the 2009-10 fiscal year and an additional $1.2 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year. We are hopeful that these funding cuts will be restored in the following biennium. I have no intention of trying to sugarcoat these numbers. The cuts are deep, and they will have a significant impact on our enterprise. They exacerbate the cumulative effect of cuts made during the past decade. However, I pledge to you today that we will do everything we can to minimize the impact through prudent fiscal management. We also will make very clear to our state elected officials that cuts of this magnitude will be painful and that restoring some of this revenue is in the best long-term interests of the state of Wisconsin. In fact, campus leaders are meeting today with area legislators to review the Governor’s budget plan and to discuss options for moving forward. I also want to respond to numerous questions heard around campus since Gov. Doyle announced his budget. The first has to do with the Growth Agenda. This important initiative is crucial to the future of Wisconsin and the New North region. We simply must have more college graduates if we are to successfully compete in the 21st century global economy. But we will not grow our enrollment without the resources necessary to support growth. We will have no other choice than to put the Growth Agenda on hold under the current budget scenario. Another question that has been brought to my attention relates to faculty and staff pay and fringe benefits. In his budget address, Gov. Doyle said there will be no general pay increases for state employees during the 2009-11 biennium. He also said state employees should expect to make higher contributions for health insurance and retirement benefits. Although the Governor has not offered a specific plan to increase employee health insurance and retirement contributions, it is unlikely that he would have raised the issue unless he intends to support such a plan. We will emphasize to our elected officials that, while we appreciate the extraordinary nature of the state’s fiscal challenge, this plan would hinder our efforts to recruit and retain high-quality faculty and staff. As citizens of Wisconsin and state employees, you are entitled to make your voices heard on the budget. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee soon will announce its schedule for public budget hearings around the state. And as I said previously, we will work closely with our elected leaders to make sure they understand the importance of UW-Green Bay and the UW System to our state’s economic future. I welcome your questions or comments on the budget and its impact. Feel free to contact me by phone at 465-2207 or by e-mail at wardd@uwgb.edu. Working together, we will address these daunting budget challenges and we will make sure that UW-Green Bay emerges from the economic downturn well-prepared to help lead our region and state to a bright future. Dave |
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 Office of the Chancellor David A. Cofrin Library, Suite 810 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 Phone: 920-465-2207 Comments to: Chancellor's Web Manager Revised 1/28/11 E-mail: wardd@uwgb.edu Remarks and Essays Chancellor Home UW-Green Bay Home |
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