Here & Now

Cross Talks About Impacts Of State Budget On UW System

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ALSO THIS WEEK, THE UW BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED A BUDGET THAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE $250 MILLION CUT INCLUDED IN THE STATE BUDGET. THE UW SYSTEM WILL DRAW DOWN RESERVES AND INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS ARE CUTTING STAFF AND RAISING OUT-OF-STATE TUITION TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. JOINING US NOW IS UW SYSTEM PRESIDENT RAY CROSS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

RAY CROSS:

THANK YOU ZAC.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

YOU TOLD THE UW BOARD OF REGENTS YESTERDAY DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS YOU WERE PLAYING DEFENSE AND NOW YOU PLAN ON GOING ON THE OFFENSIVE TO EXPLAIN THE VALUE OF THE UW SYSTEM. BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO ASK WHY YOU WEREN'T ON THE OFFENSIVE WHILE THE BUDGET WAS STILL UP FOR DEBATE?

RAY CROSS:

WELL, PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO HELP REESTABLISH AND IMPROVE THE PERCEPTION THAT THE PUBLIC HAS OF THE UNIVERSITY. LEGISLATORS REFLECT THAT VALUE, AND IT’S IMPORTANT THAT THE PUBLIC, THE PEOPLE OF WISCONSIN, UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THE UNIVERSITY IS TO THE FUTURE OF THIS STATE AND IN THEIR LIVES. IF YOU WILL, ZAC, I WOULD ARGUE THAT THAT’S THE EMBODIMENT OF THE WISCONSIN IDEA. HOW DO WE IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THE AVERAGE PERSON, THE AVERAGE BUSINESS, THE AVERAGE COMMUNITY AROUND THE STATE? THAT’S THE OFFENSE WE WANT TO BE ON. AND WE’RE STARTING THIS STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS. LISTENING SESSIONS AROUND THE STATE, ENGAGING PEOPLE IN DIALOGUE. WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM US? WHAT ARE THEIR GREATEST NEEDS? HOW MIGHT THE UNIVERSITY INFLUENCE THAT? AND IN ANOTHER SENSE, WE ARE THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. WE EMBODY THOSE DREAMS. THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF THE FUTURE. AND BEING ABLE TO DELIVER ON THAT AND EXPLAINING THAT STORY AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT IS A PART OF OUR OFFENSIVE STRATEGY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

IT’S INTERESTING YOU BRING UP THE WISCONSIN IDEA BECAUSE THERE WERE TWO MOMENTS IN THE BUDGET PROCESS WHERE THE STATE UNIVERSALLY SAID NO, THE OPEN RECORDS CHANGES AND CHANGES TO THE WISCONSIN IDEA. BUT HOW COME PEOPLE WILL STAND UP FOR THE WISCONSIN IDEA, BUT THE SAME OUTCRY ISN’T THERE FOR BUDGET CUTS?

RAY CROSS:

WELL, BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING ME — AND YOU WILL HEAR IT OR READ IT IN COMMENTS ON ARTICLES — THE UNIVERSITY COULD BE OPERATED MORE EFFICIENTLY. AND I THINK THAT PART OF OUR GOAL IS TO TRY TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN DO THAT WELL, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME PRESSING FOR THE RESOURCES TO DO WHAT NOT ONLY WE THINK NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE STATE, BUT HOW DO WE HELP THE STATE POSITION ITSELF FOR THE FUTURE. AND WE ARE SUCH AN IMPORTANT, IF NOT A PRIMARY, DRIVER IN THAT EFFORT. BEING ABLE TO EDUCATE AND COMMUNICATE AND MOVE THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS LEGISLATORS IN THAT FASHION IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

THE BOARD OF REGENTS IS NOW DOMINATED BY WALKER APPOINTEES. WHAT ROLE DO THEY HAVE IN CONVINCING A REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURE THAT THE UW SYSTEM NEEDS MORE FUNDING?

RAY CROSS:

A SIGNIFICANT ROLE. AND THEY HAVE BEEN. THEY’VE BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE AND VERY EFFECTIVE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES AND PUBLICLY. I THINK YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT AT THE BOARD MEETING YESTERDAY. WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE OUR STORY MUCH MORE EFFECTIVELY TO THE AVERAGE PERSON ON MAIN STREET IN THIS STATE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

DO YOU STILL SUPPORT SPLITTING THE SYSTEM OFF FROM THE STATE? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE THE LEGISLATURE TO KEEP LOOKING AT?

RAY CROSS:

WELL, SPLITTING THE SYSTEM OFF FROM THE STATE I’M NOT SURE IS THE RIGHT CHARACTERIZATION, ZAC. I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE AUTHORITY WAS DESIGNED TO GIVE US MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY. AND I THINK THAT HAS MOVED US — THIS BUDGET HAS MOVED US IN SOME WAYS IN THAT DIRECTION. AND IN SOME WAYS WE STILL NEED ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITIES TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS. WE WERE ONE OF FOUR STATES THAT WAS CONSIDERED THE MOST REGULATED HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY. I THINK THAT WE’VE MOVED AWAY FROM THAT SOME, BUT WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO. SO WITH RESPECT TO FLEXIBILITIES, OBVIOUSLY WE THINK WE NEED MORE. BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE FLEXIBILITY WITHOUT GOOD, SOLID ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT BUDGET, BECAUSE IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO LOOK AT THE NEXT BUDGET, WILL YOU BE HAPPY WITH JUST NO CUTS, OR DO YOU THINK THE UW SYSTEM WILL NEED AN INCREASE IN FUNDING AT THAT POINT?

RAY CROSS:

BOY, I ALMOST CAME RIGHT ACROSS THE TABLE. I WILL NOT BE HAPPY WITH NO CUTS, OBVIOUSLY. I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR CASE TO BE CONSIDERED A PRIMARY INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF THE STATE. YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO DISINVEST IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT’S ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD. YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO DISINVEST IN THAT AND EXPECT YOUR FUTURE TO BE ROSY. I THINK AT THIS POINT LEGISLATORS ARE SAYING WE THINK YOU SHOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT. WE DIFFER TO THE EXTENT THEY BELIEVE THAT. AT THE SAME TIME, LET US HONESTLY LOOK AT HOW TO DO THAT. BUT IN THE END, YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN HIGHER EDUCATION. THIS IS A PREMIERE PUBLIC SYSTEM. AND IF ON ITS BACK WE CAN BUILD A GREAT FUTURE FOR THE STATE. WITHOUT IT, WE CANNOT.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME PRESIDENT CROSS.

RAY CROSS:

THANK, ZAC.