The Badger Herald: News: Board of Regents streamlines campus construction projects

News

Board of Regents streamlines campus construction projects

System tries to save time, cash; diversity updates in progress

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By Taylor Cox
Friday, March 6, 2009 1:08 a.m.

3 Vote 0 Votes

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously passed a resolution Thursday to streamline the capital planning and budgeting process for university construction projects in an effort to save time and money.

The board also passed a resolution to raise the threshold amount the system can spend on building construction plans without having to get the plans passed by the state Legislature.

The plan was passed to catch up with inflated prices and allow the projects to be constructed more efficiently.

“We approved all three of the resolutions that were in [the capital planning and budget committee proposal], and the most significant was suggestions about what should be done to stream line the capital planning and function to make us be able to move about in a more efficient way that would be a benefit to the system,” said Board of Regents Vice President Chuck Pruitt.

The board also continued to brainstorm and discuss possible amendments to Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget proposal to be proposed to the Legislature.

“I think the plan is to have those conversations continue and recognize there are still a lot of decisions that need to be made both on the governor’s budget and any changes that they made,” Pruitt said.

Although schools throughout the system have individual requests for budget changes, Pruitt said the board and the chancellors acknowledge the tough position the governor is in based on current economic climate and appreciate many parts of the governor’s budget.

Pruitt said the regents specifically commend the governor for his $25,000 investment in financial aid.

Although the governor’s proposal to take money from the auxiliary fund initiated debate, the majority of the board agreed it was a necessary action to begin balancing the state budget.

The board also voiced its happiness about the proposal to seek domestic partner benefits and to avoid faculty and staff layoffs.

Pruitt added the regents will continue to discuss alternative proposals to the controversial 1 percent budget cut across the board that would allow the governor to take money out of the fund for gifts and grants.

The committee also endorsed a resolution for the Diversity Committee to continue to head in its current direction with the presented reforms made to Plan 2008.

The school intends to move away from a data-based method to close diversity gaps and increase the number of graduating minority students.

The board commended the committee for its ambitious goals yet acknowledged they will require a lot of time and effort from the UW System.

Vicky Washington, associate vice president for the committee, said the population is becoming increasingly diverse and the growth agenda will only be complete when the System has closed the diversity gap with equal numbers of whites and minorities graduating from the system.

“In spite of all the progress we are far from the finish line,” Washington said. “The recommendation reflects the lessons and the practices that will lead to student success.”

3 Comments | Leave a comment

Anonymous | March 6, 2009 11:45 PM | Reply

The so-called streamlining plan for capital projects did not have any real data - just conjecture. The plan, approved by the Board of Regents, is really a power grab from the State Building Commission. In addition, the so-called streamlining plan they approved encourages a UW campus to self-perform design and construction work and that is direct compeition with the private sector. During these dire financial times, the UW should be searching for savings in time and money in its core mission of education, research and public service and let the private sector do what they do best which is to bring savings of time and money in design and construction.

Anonymous | March 7, 2009 7:43 AM | Reply

The Board of Regents approved plan to streamline the capital planning and budgeting process had a couple facts and too many assumption. Their claim to saving time and money is dubious. Unless the Board of Regents reduce bureaucracy by also removing themselves from the biennial approval steps, it appears this plan is a power grab by the Board of Regents over the State Building Commission.

Anonymous | March 7, 2009 4:30 PM | Reply

The Board of Regents approved plan to streamline the capital planning and budgeting process had a couple facts and too many assumptions. Their claim to saving time and money is dubious. Unless the Board of Regents also eliminate their approval steps and other UW bureaucratic steps from the capital planning and buiding process, it appears this plan is a power grab by the Board of Regents over the State Building Commission. Increduously, in these dire financial times, the Regents plans encourages UW campuses to self perform some design and construction work and that is in direct competition with the private sector. The UW should focus its creativity and innovation to finding cost and time savings in its core mission of education, research, and public service.