Here & Now

UW-Eau Claire Chancellor Outlines Impact Of Budget Cuts

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WHEN THE UW BOARD OF REGENTS LAST MET, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HEAR FIVE-MINUTE PRESENTATIONS FROM EACH UW CAMPUS CHANCELLOR ON THE IMPACT OF GOVERNOR WALKER’S $250 MILLION CUT IN THE LAST STATE BUDGET. BUT UW SYSTEM PRESIDENT RAY CROSS CANCELLED THE TALKS. INSTEAD HAVING CHANCELLORS SUBMIT ONE-PAGE REPORTS. DEMOCRATS ACCUSED CROSS OF BOWING TO PRESSURE FROM REPUBLICANS NOT TO PUBLICIZE NEGATIVE IMPACTS FROM THE BUDGET CUTS. PRESIDENT CROSS SAYS WITH THE NEXT STATE BUDGET JUST AROUND THE CORNER, HE DIDN’T WANT THE CHANCELLORS CONCERNS TO SOUND EXAGGERATED OR WHINY IN FRONT OF THE REGENTS THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER. JOINING US NOW TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CUTS AT HIS CAMPUS IS UW-EAU CLAIRE CHANCELLOR JIM SCHMIDT. THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

JAMES SCHMIDT:

GLAD TO BE HERE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

WAS YOUR PRESENTATION EXAGGERATED OR WHINY?

JAMES SCHMIDT:

NO. I REALLY WAS PREPARED TO SAY THE FACTS OF THE SITUATION. UNFORTUNATELY, MY NEARLY 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN HIGHER ED ADMINISTRATION, WE’VE BEEN CUTTING OUR BUDGETS MOST OF THE TIME. IT’S REALLY BEEN A BIPARTISAN AFFAIR ACROSS ALMOST EVERY STATE IN THE COUNTRY. BUT IF YOU GO BACK TO 2003, THE STATE OF WISCONSIN HAS CUT A BILLION DOLLARS FROM THE UW SYSTEM ACCORDING TO THE LEGISLATIVE FISCAL BUREAU. MY REPORT, MY ONE PAGE, OUTLINES EXACTLY WHAT UW-EAU CLAIRE DID GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE CUT WE HAD. WE HAD A 26% CUT IN OUR STATE APPROPRIATION IF YOU EXCLUDE OUR DEBT SERVICE AND UTILITIES. THE IMPACTS WERE FELT IMMEDIATELY THIS YEAR. OUR INSTITUTION, AGAIN, PARTLY BECAUSE I’VE HAD EXPERIENCE CUTTING BUDGETS, WE MADE ALL OF OUR DECISIONS BY THE MIDDLE OF SEPTEMBER. WE’VE REDUCED OUR WORK FORCE BY 15%, 179 FTE. AND THAT’S LED TO FEWER COURSES OFFERED THIS YEAR. THIS SPRING SEMESTER WE HAD 179 FEWER COURSES OFFERED THIS SPRING VERSUS LAST SEMESTER, WHICH MEANS COURSE SIZES ARE UP AND THE NUMBER OF COURSE OFFERINGS IS OBVIOUSLY LOW. SO WE’RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE CUTS. I’VE TAKEN OUR MESSAGE TO OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY. I BELIEVE I HAVE A STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITY ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY AS CHANCELLOR. UNIVERSITY’S BEEN AROUND FOR 100 YEARS. IT WAS PLANTED BY THE CITIZENS OF WISCONSIN AND LOCAL LEADERS. AND I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WE’VE CUT PAST THE FAT, PAST THE MEAT. WE’RE NOW AT THE POINT OF HAVING TO CUT OFF WHOLE SECTIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY. THE IMPACTS ARE VERY REAL. AND I DON’T NEED TO EXAGGERATE. THE NUMBERS AND THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

EDUCATION LEADERS ALWAYS HAVE TO WALK A FINE LINE IN TERMS OF TALKING ABOUT THE REALITY OF CUTS, BUT MAINTAINING A POSITIVE SPIRIT ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO DO THEIR JOB GOING FORWARD. WHEN IS IT TIME TO SOUND THE ALARM THAT THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IS DECREASING AT PLACES LIKE UW-EAU CLAIRE?

JAMES SCHMIDT:

WELL, WE’RE ON THE PRECIPICE OF THAT VERY POINT. BEFORE WE STARTED MAKING THE CUTS IN OUR BUDGET, WE STARTED WITH PRINCIPALS. I’VE BEEN AROUND AWHILE, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT WE FOCUS ON THE CORE STUDENT EXPERIENCE. STARTS IN THE CLASSROOM AND EXTENDS TO OUR HIGH IMPACT EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. I JUST GOT BACK FROM MADISON, WHERE WE HAD POSTERS IN THE ROTUNDA. VERY PROUD OF THE QUALITY RESEARCH OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING WITH OUR FACULTY. 44% OF UW-EAU CLAIRE STUDENTS DO UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WITH THEIR PROFESSOR. THOSE ARE KEY PIECES. WE SET OUT TO ENSURE THAT 100% OF OUR STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH ONE OF THOSE HIGH-IMPACT EXPERIENCES, INTERNSHIPS, SEMESTER ABROAD OR UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH. WANTED TO INCREASE OUR RETENTION RATE, INCREASE OUR FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATES AND CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR ON OUR CAMPUS. FRANKLY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ON CAMPUS SAID, “CHANCELLOR THOSE ARE GREAT GOALS BUT WITH FEWER DOLLARS, HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO DO IT?” WELL THE FACT IS WE WON’T BE ABLE TO REACH ALL THOSE GOALS WITH FEWER DOLLARS. BUT IT DID GUIDE OUR DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE MADE THE CUTS. WE CUT 32% OF SENIOR ADMINISTRATION, 25% FROM FACILITIES, 20% OF ALL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT STAFF ON CAMPUS AND 20% OF OUR ACCOUNTING BUSINESS FUNCTIONS AND STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES SO THAT WE COULD TRY TO PROTECT THE CLASSROOM AND CORE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. SO WHILE WE’VE TRIED TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. TO REEMPHASIZE THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT OUR CAMPUS, WE’VE NOW REACHED THAT POINT. AND ONE OF THE KEY PIECES OF THE ALARM TO SOUND IS THAT THE FULL IMPACT OF THESE CUTS REALLY AREN’T FELT FOR FOUR TO FIVE YEARS. WE ARE NOT A FACTORY. I CAN FIND SOMEONE TO STAND IN FRONT OF A CLASSROOM, TEACH A CLASS AND GRADE TESTS. WHAT STUDENTS COME TO UW-EAU CLAIRE AND OTHER UW SYSTEM SCHOOLS FOR IS A TRANSFORMATIVE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. YOU’RE LOOKING FOR THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH FACULTY AND STUDENTS. AS I LISTEN TO THE STUDENTS AT MADISON AT THE CAPITOL TALKING TO LEGISLATORS, IT IS ALL ABOUT THAT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY’VE GOT WITH FACULTY MEMBERS AND THE EXTENT THEY WENT THROUGH. THAT IS NOT ABOUT ASSEMBLING WIDGETS. IT’S ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

CHANCELLOR WE HAVE JUST A FEW SECONDS LEFT. DO YOU THINK THE UW REGENTS ESPECIALLY THOSE APPOINTED BY GOVERNOR WALKER WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY OR DO YOU THINK IT’S EASIER FOR THEM TO JUST IGNORE A ONE-PAGE REPORT AND NOT HAVE TO HEAR YOU IN PERSON LISTING THESE THINGS TO THEIR FACE?

JAMES SCHMIDT:

I’VE SPOKEN TO MOST OF THE REGENTS. THEY ARE INTERESTED IN HEARING OUR STORY. WE’RE INVITING THEM TO CAMPUS. I’VE CERTAINLY REACHED OUT TO OUR LOCAL REGENTS. THEY’VE BEEN VERY SYMPATHETIC. AND I THINK THEY WANT TO SEE US TURN THE CORNER. I THINK WE NEED TO STOP THE BLEEDING OF THE CUTS. I THINK OUR REGENTS WILL STAND WITH US.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

FINAL QUESTION. WHAT HAVE YOU HEARD FOR THE NEXT BUDGET? ARE YOU HOPING JUST TO AVOID ANOTHER CUT OR DO YOU THINK THERE MAY ACTUALLY BE MONEY COMING BACK?

JAMES SCHMIDT:

I HOPE WE CAN RESTORE SOME OF THE CUTS THAT WERE MADE IN THE LAST BIENNIUM. THEY CERTAINLY NEED TO STOP THE BLEEDING. WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THE TUITION FREEZE. IT SOUNDS GOOD. FREE THINGS ARE GOOD BUT THE PROBLEM IS IF THE STUDENTS HAVE TO STAY A FIFTH YEAR IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THEIR DEGREE BECAUSE THEY CAN’T GET THE CLASSES, COST OF A FULL-YEAR TUITION, I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THE OPPORTUNITY COST OF BEING IN SCHOOL A FIFTH YEAR. HERE A FIFTH YEAR, THE AVERAGE BLUGOLDER EARNS $44,000 A YEAR. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AS A COST TO THE STUDENTS AND TO THE STATE OF WISCONSIN BECAUSE THAT MEANS THEY’RE NOT COLLECTING INCOME TAXES OFF THAT. WE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. A TUITION FREEZE SAVES A FEW DOLLARS. EVEN A MODEST 3% INCREASE WOULD ONLY COST $250. THAT PALES BY CONSIDERATION TO A FIFTH YEAR OF COLLEGE.

ZAC SCHULTZ:

CHANCELLOR, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION FOR OUR VIEWERS.

JAMES SCHMIDT:

THANK YOU.