The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents deliberated on the challenges of balancing the quality of education and ensuring affordability and broad access to institutions for Wisconsin residents in a meeting Thursday night.
The board discussed its budget priorities for the UW System in the 2013-15 Biennium Thursday at its first day of a two-part April meeting.
In his presentation to the board, Michael Morgan, senior vice president for administration and fiscal affairs, emphasized the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin. The initiative focuses on increasing the number of well-paying jobs, the need for more college graduates and strengthening communities throughout the state.
“Over the last 30 years, we have not seen the kind of investment that we would have liked from the State of Wisconsin and the UW System, and yet we’ve achieved quite a bit despite that,” Morgan said.
According to data Morgan presented, the number of adults with four-year degrees in Wisconsin ranks around 26 percent, while the national average is at 28 percent. Wisconsin falls even further behind Minnesota, which has 32 percent of adults with four-year degrees, Morgan said.
Along with graduation rates, the board also discussed the percentage of resident versus non-resident students in the System. The increased tuition paid by non-resident students allows for more acceptances of in-state students, but Regent Judith Crain said focusing on increasing graduation rates for resident students is key.
“I value the non-resident students who are a part of our educational institutions, … but the priority for us has to [be] in educating Wisconsin students,” Crain said.
UW institutions are now more than 14 percent behind peer institutions in faculty and staff pay, Morgan said. He expressed fear that the lack of pay incentives will hurt the state’s ability to attract and retain new educators and graduates.
Morgan also noted the positive correlation between high numbers of research faculty and an increased number of jobs in Wisconsin but questioned whether this link was being communicated effectively to outside audiences.
“Are we doing a good job of explaining the connection between research and jobs in a compelling and clear manner, particularly to our policy makers”? Morgan asked.
Despite Wisconsin’s decrease in faculty and staff pay and below average four-year graduate percentages, the Madison campus flagship was placed at number 10 in the nation in a ranking of top universities by U.S. News and World Report, to Morgan. UW also ranked fourth in the number of graduates who are now CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.
Additionally, more than one-third of the top 20 public institutions in the Midwest are in the UW System, Morgan said. He pointed out that none of these achievements would be possible without adequate resources and funding.
Morgan said he feels confident the UW System can meet the performance measures put forth by the state of Wisconsin as long as the state gives the necessary investments to ensure quality, access and affordability.
Although the biennial budget does not have to be submitted until August, System President Kevin Reilly said he believes it is important the Board of Regents have time to formulate questions and brainstorm constructive plans for the future budget.
“Before the budget is fully formed, we want to be sure that it is fully informed by your discussions,” Reilly said.
