OPINION & EDITORIAL
Picking politics over students
Looking for a print version?
Simply choose ‘Print’ on your computer and a printer-friendly document will be generated.
Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:
- Madison's annual hip-hop conference falters (April 14, 2003)
- Dear Dave: Post this near your desk (April 17, 2003)
- Politicking destroyed opt-out's proponents (April 14, 2003)
- Don't Cut Historical Society Funds (April 29, 2003)
- Redirecting control (April 23, 2003)
Related Stories:
- Real student politics (April 23, 2002)
- Where do students rank? (November 12, 2001)
- Budget cuts call for priorities (January 23, 2002)
- Students still willing to pay their fair share, 18 percent is too much (March 10, 2003)
- Project priorities (February 25, 2002)
by Badger Herald Editorial Board
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
It is becoming increasingly apparent that students are a distant second to politics when it comes to legislative priorities.
Late last week, the Assembly finalized its evisceration of the UW System budget, trimming promised funds by over $100 million. At the same time the tuition increase for in-state students was capped at 8 percent, while out-of-state tuition was raised by 23 percent.
For most state representatives, this will play well politically. Local municipalities will be able to keep most of their shared revenue for now, and their students will continue to pay the second-lowest tuition in the Big Ten. Unfortunately, those same students and the state of Wisconsin will be paying a much greater price in the long run.
The first loss will be the value of a UW degree. Last week, the other news on the budget battle was that UW System president Katharine Lyall, in response to the Assembly’s cuts, ordered an immediate hiring freeze for all 26 UW campuses. This includes many faculty positions and will inevitably harm the quality of a UW education.
The second loss will be UW’s accessibility. Two weeks ago, the regents, again in response to Assembly cuts, froze admissions; the implications for all students should be obvious. Out-of-state students are being excluded as well by the outrageous out-of-state tuition hikes. These students already pay far above their cost of education, in effect subsidizing in-state students. The result of further increases will be only one type of out-of-state student: rich alumni progeny. Geographical, cultural and racial diversity will be the casualty.
The third loss is UW’s independence. The cuts in the budget are bad enough; forbidding the regents to raise tuition beyond 8 percent for in-state students makes the situation even worse. It is worth it in the long run to raise the relatively low in-state tuition if quality is at stake. At the very least, such decisions should be made by the Board of Regents, not the Legislature. The question of whether or not to raise tuition is not supposed to be a political one, and the Assembly is demonstrating why — its members are willing to sacrifice the quality of a Wisconsin education for political expediency when it comes to the state’s budget deficit.
Finally, the big loser will be the state itself. The UW System is the engine of the state’s economic future and the magnet that can reverse the state’s brain drain. Putting political gain before this reality is a betrayal of legislators’ responsibility.
Now the budget moves into the Senate. Unfortunately, early news is not promising, at least when it comes to prioritizing students. The Senate has scheduled listening sessions at every UW campus, and the one at Madison will be held next Tuesday — during spring break. The fact most students will be out of town is apparently of no concern to the Senate. Rather, it is another indicator of just how unimportant students are to this state’s politicians.
