Here & Now

UW-Stout Chancellor On Potential Tuition Freeze Renewal

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

THIS WEEK GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER TOLD STATE AGENCIES HE INTENDS TO KEEP THE UW TUITION FREEZE IN PLACE IN THE NEXT TWO YEAR BUDGET. IT’S BEEN IN EFFECT SINCE 2013. CONCERNING THE UW SYSTEM BUDGET IN LIGHT OF ANOTHER FREEZE, PRESIDENT RAY CROSS SAID THIS. OUR REQUEST WILL BE MODEST, BUT CONTINUED BUDGET CUTS AND FROZEN TUITION CANNOT BE SUSTAINED. WHEN ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION, THE REVENUE COMING INTO THE UW SYSTEM TODAY FROM THE STATE OF WISCONSIN IS THE LOWEST IN THE SYSTEM’S HISTORY. NEIGHBORING STATES BY CONTRAST ARE INVESTING IN THEIR PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS. WE GO NOW TO UW-STOUT TO GET REACTION FROM ITS CHANCELLOR, BOB MEYER. FIRST WE SHOULD MAKE THIS DISCLAIMER. WPT IS PART OF THE UW SYSTEM. AND, CHANCELLOR, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

BOB MEYER:

PLEASURE FOR ME TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT WILL ANOTHER TUITION FREEZE MEAN ON YOUR CAMPUS?

BOB MEYER:

WELL, IF WE THINK OF IT IN JUST RAW DOLLARS, A 2% TUITION INCREASE FOR US WOULD MEAN ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS ON OUR BASE BUDGET. OUR STATE APPROPRIATION IS APPROXIMATELY $37 MILLION GOING INTO THIS BIENNIUM. WITH THE REDUCTIONS THAT WE HAD, WHICH WAS ABOUT $5.3 MILLION, WE ARE AT ABOUT $28 MILLION IN GENERAL PURPOSE REVENUE THAT IS USED. BASICALLY THAT’S OUR OPERATING REVENUE. AND SO TO HAVE TUITION FROZEN, OF COURSE, HAS A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON US. A MILLION DOLLARS IS A BIG DEAL.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHAT ABOUT THE FAT, THE RESERVES THAT CAMPUSES HOLD THAT DREW SO MUCH IRE FROM THE LEGISLATURE?

BOB MEYER:

TRADITIONALLY, UW-STOUT HAS NOT HAD HIGH RESERVES AND IN FACT WE WERE ON THE HIGHER LEARNING COMMISSION’S WATCH LIST FOR HAVING RELATIVELY LOW RESERVES. SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SITUATION THAN THE UW SYSTEM RELATIVE TO THE RESERVES. AND WE’RE ACTUALLY ON A SAVINGS PLAN. OUR RESERVES LAST YEAR WERE ABOUT $6 MILLION. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE TUITION RESERVES THAT ARE HELD, AND THAT’S WHAT THE REGENTS AND THE LEGISLATORS I THINK PAY ATTENTION TO PRETTY CLOSELY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SAVE SOME FUNDS THIS YEAR AND MOVE THAT UP TO ABOUT $7.7 MILLION. BUT IT’S STILL RELATIVELY LOW IN TERMS OF THE RELATIVE AMOUNT OF OUR OPERATING BUDGET.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU HAVE IN THE PAST HAD TO MAKE CUTS, WHAT WITH THE BUDGET CUTS TO THE UW SYSTEM AND THE TUITION FREEZE. WHAT KINDS OF THINGS HAVE HAPPENED AT UW-STOUT? AND HOW HAVE THEY AFFECTED THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE?

BOB MEYER:

SO OUR FOCUS WAS PRIMARILY ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IF YOU REALLY EXAMINE THE DETAILS OF HOW WE REDUCED THE BUDGET. ONE EXAMPLE, WE WENT FROM FOUR COLLEGES IN THE ACADEMIC AREA TO THREE COLLEGES. THAT ELIMINATED A DEAN AND IT ALSO ELIMINATED A BUDGET MANAGER. IT SAVED ABOUT $360,000. IN THE STUDENT SERVICES AREA, WE DID SOME REORGANIZATION OF THE DEAN’S OFFICE, THE DEAN OF STUDENTS’ OFFICE. THAT SAVED US ABOUT ANOTHER $150,000. IN MY CASE, MY OFFICE TOOK A 16% REDUCTION. AGAIN, WE TRIED TO LOOK IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE AREAS AND THE OVERHEAD AREAS, IF YOU WILL, TO TRY TO LEAN OUT THE ORGANIZATION.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND SO AT THIS POINT, YOU JUST DON’T THINK THAT YOU CAN MANAGE ANOTHER TUITION FREEZE?

BOB MEYER:

WE WILL PROBABLY BE DOING MORE WITH LESS IN TERMS OF TRYING TO OFFER FEWER SECTIONS AND INCREASING CLASS SIZES. THAT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT’S DESIRABLE. IT REDUCES THE SCHEDULING CHOICES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT STUDENTS HAVE AND THAT’S OFTENTIMES NOT GOOD.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

ALL RIGHT. CHANCELLOR, WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

BOB MEYER:

MY PLEASURE. THANKS AGAIN FOR HAVING ME.