Reactions to the five regents’ listening sessions held at different University of Wisconsin campuses over the past month were discussed Thursday at the Board of Regents meeting. Also discussed was the release of two studies produced by UW.

The sessions were held in Eau Claire, Green Bay, Stevens Point, Waukesha and Madison with the intention of hearing how the cuts would impact different regions of the state and the thoughts of individuals living in these areas regarding proposed budget cuts.

“We were also interested in the longer-term issues of the university’s structure and mission and how to preserve our ability to serve the state and help grow its economy,” Board of Regents President Guy Gottschalk said to the board Thursday.

“Overall, the wellspring of public support for the university across the state is impressive,” Gottschalk said. “We heard repeatedly how important our campuses are to the quality of life and economics of their local communities and how important people believe higher education is to the long-term financial solutions for the state.”

However, even with the overwhelming support showed by alumni, parents, community leaders, students, K-12 administrators, business owners and local government officials, a good amount of frustration was expressed.

“We also heard some frustrations that we haven’t been able to convey that message adequately to our legislators,” Gottschalk said.

A number of regents who attended these listening sessions had their own thoughts as to how the sessions went and the viewpoints that were heard.

Regent Patrick Boyle had much to say regarding the effects that students will feel from these cuts. He mentioned that professors and students will spend less time together, fewer positions will be available to generate outside research money, and less advising will be available, among other effects.

“Students are right when they say they are going to pay more and get less,” Boyle said. “We’ve been putting Band-Aids on these challenges year after year, and from my perspective, the box of Band-Aids is empty.”

Regent Jay Smith had a similar reflection to express regarding the sessions.

“There was really a lot of emotion in these listening sessions,” Smith said, “We are going to be a different institution after this cut.”

Regent Tommie L. Jones Jr. noted a sense of surprise after hearing some of the things said at the sessions he attended. He said he heard students ask why UW is looking at the Big Ten as an indicator for tuition, which caught him by surprise.

Many regents regarded the session as an educational experience.

“My overriding impression from this experience is that the university is at a crossroads,” Gottschalk said. “Business-as-usual will not suffice any longer.”

In addition the listening sessions, Frank Goldberg, UW associate vice president for policy analysis and research, and Robert M. Hauser, Vilas research professor of sociology, presented two studies.

The studies focused on the positive aspects of UW education, including immediate and long-term financial and social benefits and positive health effects.

Salaries of UW graduates in comparison to alumni nationwide were emphasized, especially the growth in average salaries of business and engineering graduates. However, less growth was reported in the areas of nursing and education graduates.

“Clearly, there is the potential for tremendous growth in earnings when someone completes a college degree,” Goldberg said to the Board Thursday.