Here & Now

What the State Budget Means for the UW

Zac Schultz:
Governor Evers’ budget proposals would provide the University of Wisconsin System with an extra $95 million in additional funding along with maintaining Governor Walker’s instate tuition freeze. We’re joined now by UW System President Ray Cross. Thanks for your time today.

Ray Cross:
Thanks Zac. Nice to be here.

Zac Schultz:
That’s a nice investment in the UW System. Do you think Republicans in the legislature will support all of that?

Ray Cross:
Well, I do know that the Republicans in the legislature along with Governor Evers share the priorities that we all have and that is to actually improve graduation rates and develop the talent pipeline, but also improving the lives of Wisconsinites and improving the wages and earnings of the people that live in Wisconsin. We share those goals. So I’m excited about this. I think that the initial reaction in the legislature has been positive. They share the same priorities.

Zac Schultz:
Now, the tuition freeze has become connected to politics, almost similar to raising taxes. You don’t want to raise the tuition. But at some point, won’t it become necessary or appropriate to raise instate tuition to fund the university?

Ray Cross:
Well obviously, that’s not — you can’t sustain that. Obviously that’s true. However, the investment that’s being proposed is ultimately providing us with the kind of support we need. We are very — obviously very sensitive about access and issues of affordability and that’s important, particularly now. And so with the state’s increased investment to offset the tuition freeze, that’s appealing to us. It’s the investment in higher ed that’s important.

Zac Schultz:
Now, with the capital budget nearly a billion dollars, some for renovation, some for new buildings. We’ve heard some chancellors around the state say they’re struggling to keep up — to find new enrollees, why do we need to keep pouring money into buildings?

Ray Cross:
Well first of all, there are no new buildings. There’s some replacements in here. But of the money that — we asked for — which is a sizable amount, we asked for $1.9 billion. $1.8 of that is to repair, to replace and to renovate facilities. Some of those facilities are 50, 60 years old. If you go in some of those buildings — if you go into a chemistry building, you can smell the chemical products down the hall. We need better ventilation systems. Some of those roofs leak. It’s dangerous and it’s getting very difficult to teach in some of those facilities. That’s what we’re dealing with.

Zac Schultz:
I should disclose that Wisconsin Public Television is under the University of Wisconsin System and we are UW employees.

Ray Cross:
And you just had a water problem here.

Zac Schultz:
In Vilas Hall, we did. Now over the last year, eight years of Republican control, the system has hired a number of former Republican staffers to improve liaisons and communications. Do you think that still important to have those people in place or with the change in leadership at the governor’s office, does that shift the dynamic?

Ray Cross:
Well, we’re obviously constantly seeking the most competent individuals and who can help us and how do we work with that. We’re trying to find balance. We have two outstanding people that work with the legislature now, one a Republican, one a Democrat. That balance is always going to be slightly out of kilter. But our goal is to find the people who most capable of helping others understand our story and why it’s important to invest in the university.

Zac Schultz:
There’s been a lot of turmoil in the system over the last year. The list. UW-Stevens Point faculty vote of no confidence in their chancellor. UW-Oshkosh Foundation scandal ends with bankruptcy and a lawsuit. The Whitewater chancellor resigned after her husband was accused of sexually harassing staff. And you reprimanded the UW-La Crosse chancellor over bringing a former porn actress on campus. Are these isolated incidents or is there a larger issue in the system?

Ray Cross:
Well they’re isolated incidents. First of all, with 39,000 employees you will have some of those issues no matter — just a big organization. Dealing with them properly and wisely is important. I think we’ve dealt with the Oshkosh situation well. I think we’ve dealt with the Whitewater situation well. The same is true with La Crosse. That’s going well. And I feel comfortable about the future of Stevens Point as well.

Zac Schultz:
Now, speaking about La Crosse specifically, Chancellor Joe Gow used a discretionary chancellor’s fund to pay for a former adult film actress to talk about sex education and porn with students. You said you have “a personal moral concerns and were deeply disappointed in this decision.” Whose moral values should guide whether to bring someone like that on campus?

Ray Cross:
I think if you read that more carefully Zac, I said “apart from my personal moral concerns.” I was more concerned about the process that the chancellor went about in order to do that. Certainly inviting her to speak was his prerogative. But the campus prerogative, I wanted greater involvement with the community. And if you recall that situation, the discussion was principally from him. And my counsel was, “Hey, there’s a process for bringing controversial speakers to campus. You should be using that.”

Zac Schultz:
Is there a danger of a chilling effect, of other people worrying about what you may thinking about a speaker, or should they know when you need to be informed?

Ray Cross:
Well, the process that is in place on campuses to bring speakers to campus usually involves students or faculty or particular administrative staff, and that process seemed to be circumvented in this case. This is an issue I think that is rightly, should be discussed on campus. But to do it in a wise way and involve as many people as possible is the intent.

Zac Schultz:
And the larger issue, the way it looks. We has a UW regent talk about this — a porn actress is not the hill to die on. Who — what audience are we worried about? Is it the legislature? Is it the general public and their support for the university?

Ray Cross:
Well, I’m worried about the students. And this issue is important. It’s a problem in our society. How do we deal with it wisely and from an academic perspective, how do we best handle it. And that’s the process that I’m concerned about.

Zac Schultz:
And going forward, are you confident that all the chancellors understand that, that it’s been made clear to them?

Ray Cross:
Oh, yeah. They do. That’s correct, Zac.

Zac Schultz:
And as far as the system as a whole going forward, the health of the systems in place?

Ray Cross:
I think so. The health of the system, I believe that regardless of the party or the issue, people are recognizing the value and importance of educating a workforce that is talented and ready to contribute in this environment. We badly need that in Wisconsin. Of course, we badly need it everywhere. But it’s more acute here given our demographic challenges.

Zac Schultz:
All right. UW System President Ray Cross, thank you for your time.

Ray Cross:
Thanks Zac.