The 2007-09 Wisconsin state budget has
been signed into law, and although University of Wisconsin System
officials have said they are happy with the agreement, it leaves them
with a $25 million bill to be paid back to the state.

Of the $25 million owned, UW-Stevens
Point is responsible for repaying $1 million. The school has a
tentative idea of how to pay back the $1 million it owes, though no
formal plan has been made yet.

“We are looking at trying to cut back
in some of our faculty vacancies,” said UW-Stevens Point Provost
Mark Nook. “We are looking at natural attrition and retirements. We
are not going to let anyone go who has a job and wants to stay.”

The bill will need to be repaid to the
State Treasurer by the end of the 2009 fiscal year.
Nook also
said students need not worry about losing educational opportunities.

“Anytime we cut a faculty position,
we know we are going to impact class size,” Nook said. “But we
won’t make it so people cannot complete their majors or their
general education credits.”

UW-Stevens Point plans to recoup some
of the lost money from other areas, he said.

“We are also looking at trying to
take some of this out of supplies and equipment money and sources
that are not faculty-driven,” Nook said. “Some will come out of
personnel, and some will come out of supplies and equipment. We look
at places with a little wiggle room.”

Nook added the university’s main goal
is to come up with the money without negatively affecting students.

The UW System overall has a similar
plan to UW-Stevens Point, UW System spokesperson David Giroux said.

“The Legislature saw fit to provide
us with flexibility, and we are going to use that flexibility very
carefully,” Giroux said. “We are going to use vacant positions,
one-time savings, little pots of money here and there to pay the
money back while at the same time living up to our Growth Agenda. And
we are going to do everything we can to insulate the students from
any impact of the lapse.”

Giroux said UW System officials plan on
doing everything they can to “insulate the students” from any
impact of the budget lapse, but added it is not the most drastic
budget restriction that could have happened.

“There are multiple ways our budget
can be added to or diminished,” Giroux said. “The worst case
would be a budget cut. With a lapse, this affords us a great deal of
flexibility. We can tap into many funds and find savings wherever we
can.”

Giroux also said he is confident in the
UW System’s leadership.
“[UW-Stevens Point] Chancellor Linda
Bunnell has been through this before, as have many of our other
chancellors,” he said. “We believe they are up to the challenge.”