Here & Now

Ray Cross On Faculty Senate's No Confidence Vote

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

FACULTY AT FIVE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN CAMPUSES, INCLUDING MADISON AND MILWAUKEE, HAVE NOW APPROVED NO CONFIDENCE RESOLUTIONS AIMED AT THE UW BOARD OF REGENTS AND THE PRESIDENT OF THE UW SYSTEM RAY CROSS. LAST WEEK WE HEARD FROM THE MADISON PROFESSOR WHO AUTHORED THE RESOLUTION THAT READS IN PART, IT IS HERE BY RESOLVED THE ACTIONS OF PRESIDENT RAY CROSS AND THE BOARD OF REGENTS GIVE THE UW-MADISON FACULTY NO CONFIDENCE IN THEIR COMMITMENT TO DEFENDING THE WISCONSIN IDEA, EXTENDING THE BENEFITS OF THE UNIVERSITY TO EVERY CITIZEN IN THE STATE. THE RESOLUTION ALSO ASKS THE ADMINISTRATION TO RECOMMIT THEMSELVES TO WORKING WITH THE STATE LEGISLATURE TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND AFFORDABILITY. TONIGHT WE HEAR FROM PRESIDENT RAY CROSS. BEFORE WE START WE SHOULD MENTION THAT WISCONSIN PUBLIC TELEVISION IS PART OF THE UW SYSTEM. AND PRESIDENT CROSS, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

RAY CROSS:

THANKS, NICE TO BE HERE.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THESE VOTES OF NO CONFIDENCE ACROSS THE SYSTEM?

RAY CROSS:

IT IS A BIT DISAPPOINTING. I THINK THAT’S OBVIOUS. A LITTLE BIT FRUSTRATING. I DON’T THINK IN MANY WAYS PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DID ACCOMPLISH IN THE LAST BUDGET. THE CUT WAS REALLY ABOUT $351 MILLION IN THE BEGINNING. IF YOU INCLUDE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE NOT LISTED AT 300. WE REDUCED THAT TO 250 AND REDUCED IT EVEN FURTHER TO $200 MILLION. THERE WAS $151 MILLION THAT CAME OUT OF THAT CUT. I THINK THAT’S A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION. THEN I THINK WE ALSO ACHIEVED SOME FLEXIBILITIES. WE SECURED THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE MERIT PAY, AS AN EXAMPLE. WE’RE GOING TO USE SOME OF OUR FUNDS TO DO THAT. I THINK THAT’S A REALLY GOOD THING. I THINK THE CONCERN ABOUT TENURE AND THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN LEGISLATION, WHERE THAT COULD HAVE GONE. WE HAVE TENURE THAT IS VERY COMPARABLE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, TO CALIFORNIA, CAL STATE, UTAH. TAKE A LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE IN THE SPGs FROM MICHIGAN. TAKE A LOOK AT THE LANGUAGE IN MARYLAND’S POLICY. I THINK IT’S VERY COMPARABLE. WHAT I SEE IS A FEAR, FRUSTRATION AND ANGER ON THE PART OF FACULTY. I UNDERSTAND THAT. I UNDERSTAND THESE CHANGES ARE SIGNIFICANT BUT I THINK IT’S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THEY REALIZE THAT WE’VE MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ON SOME OF THESE THINGS LET’S TICK THROUGH THEM. ON THE BUDGET CUTS, FACULTY SAY THEY WERE CONCERNED YOU DIDN’T ALLOW CHANCELLORS TO TELL THE PUBLIC HOW THOSE BUDGET CUTS AFFECTED THEIR CAMPUSES. WHAT ABOUT THAT?

RAY CROSS:

WELL, WE HAD ORIGINAL STRATEGY, FREDERICA, WAS TO EXPLAIN THAT TO THE BOARD, PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD. WHEN WE STARTED PRACTICING THAT BECAUSE WE WANTED TO HAVE A CONSISTENT, CLEAR MESSAGE. WHEN WE STARTED PRACTICING IT WE REALIZED IT WAS GOING TO BE MUCH LONGER THAN WE HAD PLANNED. WE ALSO REALIZED THAT THE STORY WOULD BE AGGREGATED. THIS WOULD BE A STATE-WIDE IMPACT. REALLY, THE STORIES ARE LOCAL. EACH CAMPUS, WHAT YOU SEE NOW IS YOU SEE THE CHANCELLORS HOLDING SESSIONS WITH LOCAL PRESS, WITH LOCAL CHAMBERS, ETC.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THAT’S OKAY WITH YOU?

RAY CROSS:

ABSOLUTELY. THAT’S REALLY IMPORTANT. THEY NEED TO COMMUNICATE THAT. BOARD MEMBERS ARE ATTENDING THOSE. I THINK REGENT MILNER JUST ATTENDED THE ONE IN STOUT RECENTLY. WE’RE DOING THAT AROUND THE STATE. AND I THINK IT’S REALLY HEALTHY. AT NO POINT HAVE WE SEEN AN AGGREGATED NUMBER BECAUSE THE IMPACT IS LOCAL. TO ME THAT’S — THAT WAS A REAL BENEFIT FROM THIS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO CONCERNS THAT TENURE CHANGES MEAN THE ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO CHANGE THE HISTORIC MISSION OF THE UNIVERSITY INTO WORKFORCE TRAINING?

RAY CROSS:

WELL, LOOK, I’VE STRONGLY BELIEVED IN THE LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION. THIS IS A UNIVERSITY. WE AREN’T A TECHNICAL COLLEGE. THAT’S AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF WHAT WE DO. WE PREPARE INDIVIDUALS FOR LIFE, FOR CITIZENSHIP AND FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE ECONOMY. WE CAN’T IGNORE ALL OF THOSE. AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT, VERY IMPORTANT, THAT WE RECOGNIZE WE HAVE A MUCH BROADER ROLE THAN JUST WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU’RE BEING TAKEN TO TASK FOR COMPARING PROFESSORS TO RAILROAD BRAKEMEN WHO THINK THEY OUGHT TO HAVE JOBS FOR LIFE THROUGH TENURE. IS THAT AN APT COMPARISON?

RAY CROSS:

IT WAS PERHAPS A POOR CHOICE OF METAPHORS. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EXPLAIN IS THAT WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY WE VIEW TENURE DIFFERENTLY THAN THE PUBLIC. WE’VE BEEN HOLDING 50 DIFFERENT LISTENING SESSIONS AROUND THE STATE, FREDERICA. WHAT’S INTERESTING IS THE PUBLIC’S PERCEPTION OF TENURE DIFFERS GREATLY FROM OUR PERCEPTION. I BELIEVE IN TENURE DEEPLY. IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. LET’S NOT WEAKEN IT OR CHALLENGE IT OR MISREPRESENT IT TO THE PUBLIC. AND THAT CONCEPT OF A JOB FOR LIFE TROUBLES ME. THAT TROUBLES ME GREATLY. IT IS NOT A JOB FOR LIFE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO EARN TENURE. IT IS DIFFICULT TO RETAIN TENURE. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT. AND IT’S DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING ELSE IN THE WORKPLACE AND SO WHEN WE USE COMPARATIVE LANGUAGE I THINK WE WEAKEN IT IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC. AND IT’S THAT COMPARISON TO ME THAT I THINK I’M TRYING TO CORRECT. AND EDUCATE AND TEACH THE PUBLIC, WHAT IS TENURE? WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FROM LAWMAKERS IN THE WAKE OF THESE NO CONFIDENCE VOTES WHO ARE NOW POISED TO FASHION THE NEXT STATE BUDGET?

RAY CROSS:

WHAT HAVE WE HEARD?

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YEAH.

RAY CROSS:

WELL PART OF MY CONCERN HERE IS THAT I’M TRYING TO DE-ESCALATE THIS RHETORIC. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT — IT’S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOT SIMPLY HURL VERBAL– SELECTIVELY PULLED DATA FROM INFORMATION AND HURL THAT BACK AND FORTH. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF US SIT DOWN TOGETHER. AND RECOGNIZE THE FUTURE OF THE UNIVERSITY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF THIS STATE. AND WE NEED TO BE UNITED IN THAT EFFORT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU SAID THAT LAST NIGHT IN A STATEMENT THAT YOU WERE LEFT RESPONDING TO HEATED RHETORIC AND DELIBERATELY MISLEADING INFORMATION ON WHOSE PART?

RAY CROSS:

I THINK THERE IS BLAME ALL AROUND. EVERYBODY IS TRYING TO DEFEND THEIR POSITIONS RATHER THAN SITTING DOWN AND WORKING WITH OTHERS, INCLUDING LEGISLATORS AND FACULTY, COMMUNITY LEADERS TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE UNIVERSITY IS IMPORTANT. AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE’RE TOGETHER ON THIS.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO YOU ARE SUGGESTING THAT THAT RHETORIC AND MISLEADING INFORMATION IS COMING BOTH FROM THE CAPITOL AND FROM THE FACULTY?

RAY CROSS:

I THINK EVERYBODY IS GUILTY OF THAT. WHEN YOU ARGUE FROM SELECTIVE DATA WITHOUT SHOWING THE WHOLE PICTURE, WHETHER YOU ARE DEFENDING THE FUND BALANCES OR YOU ARE CHALLENGING THE FUND BALANCES THAT WE HAVE, I COULD CITE EXAMPLES FROM NEWSPAPERS AND FROM HEADLINES THAT MISREPRESENT WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WILL THESE NO CONFIDENCE VOTES MAKE YOU DO ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY?

RAY CROSS:

WELL, I HOPE SO. I HOPE THAT THEY FIND ME LISTENING MORE CAREFULLY. HELPING TO REACH OUT AND ENGAGE THE BOARD AND THE FACULTY. WE CANNOT — WE CANNOT BE ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND DOING IT FROM A NON-UNIFIED PERSPECTIVE. WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER, WE HAVE TO.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

LEAVE IT THERE. RAY CROSS, THANKS VERY MUCH.

RAY CROSS:

THANK YOU.