Although University of Wisconsin tuition for instate residents will be increasing for the 2004-05 school year, students should not expect more cuts in class offerings.
“Next year will be a continuation of this year. There were 200 or 300 fewer courses offered, but that number will not be increasing,” UW provost Peter Spear said. “There will still be fewer number of courses than two years ago.”
The UW Board of Regents set the budget and tuition for the UW System campuses last summer. The budget operates biennially, meaning the budget has been determined through the end of the 2005 spring semester.
Last summer, the UW Board of Regents set tuition to increase incrementally. Tuition for Wisconsin residents increased by $700 for the 2003-04 school year, and tuition will be increasing by another $700 for the 2004-05 year, Spear said.
Spear explained that some introductory courses are offered every year, such as Introduction to Psychology; however, some major-specific courses that were previously offered every year will now be offered every other year.
Different UW departments have dealt with the budget cuts in different ways.
“Lecturers are one of the areas we did cut back on. There are fewer classes,” Mark Beissinger, chair of the political science department, said, adding enrollment is tight for the upcoming semester. “The political science major is the most popular major among undergraduates, and I would say for the fall, there is more unmet demand among students for our classes.”
Other departments had to cope with budget cuts in more creative ways.
Erhard Joeres, Chair of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, explained that Letters and Sciences sets the budgets for the departments it encompasses, but each engineering department sets its own budget.
“We had to absorb a significant budget cut. But there will be no course cuts for the 2004-05 school year,” Joeres said. “We’re working hard to make sure that our core mission is not affected, which is to teach students.”
Joeres also said possible staff cuts will not affect faculty, but may affect other staff, such as administrative assistants.
Spear said he has been working with members of the Associated Students of Madison to ensure that students have a voice in how influential the cuts may be.
“I agree with ASM in that if additional cuts happen, students ought to have a voice in the decision of what various departments cut back on,” Spear said. “Students should be included in the formation of committees and also be on the committees that advise the deans on the budget.”
Spears also said a pending question is what will happen for the 2005-06 school year. He said the decisions hinge on whether tuition increases will be necessary to offset more cuts, if the state cuts UW’s funds and what the status of the Wisconsin economy is.
The UW System is in the process of putting together the budget for the 2005-07 school years, and the regents will be meeting to discuss the budget this summer.
