At a meeting of Associated Students of Madison on Wednesday night, student leaders quickly turned to Walker’s proposed University of Wisconsin System budget cuts, citing them as their main issue of focus for the rest of the semester.
Student officials gathered to discuss the UW System budget cuts, which, according to ASM, amounted to two times the annual budget of UW-Green Bay.
Members at the meeting also noted that 40 percent of the cuts to the UW System will be absorbed by UW-Madison, leading to a potential increase in tuition for the upcoming fall semester, and representing a threat to the quality of a UW education.
ASM Chair Genevieve Carter said the cuts could also make layoffs for faculty and staff inevitable.
What Walker’s UW budget cuts and increased autonomy means for students and faculty
Legislative Affairs Chair Tom Gierok said not only would the cuts affect layoffs, but also tuition. He noted the last time the university saw an expiration to a tuition freeze in 2003, tuition increased nearly 18 percent within a year.
In reaction to the proposal, members suggested that they ought to reach out to alumni for support, begin writing op-eds in local newspapers to influence politicians and increase lobbying efforts, although many, including law school representative Steven Hughes, noted the difficulty in making ASM’s voice heard among a variety of other organizations vying for lawmakers’ attention.
Among other ways to keep the conversation on the budget going, Chair Genevieve Carter suggested representatives should speak with their respective deans.
“I think it’s important for students in your colleges to know what the impact [of the budget] will be like, and what classes and programs could be cut,” she said.
She also agreed with Hughes when he suggested that the goal of speaking with deans will be to gain an understanding of what might be cut so that they can get more students passionate about dealing with the proposed changes.
While lobbying was discussed at length, Hughes argued it would not be enough.
“I don’t think lobbying will be near enough,” he said.”We need to protest and be more up in arms. That’s what people are expecting from us, and we’re not doing it.”
ASM representatives, while mostly focusing on UW-Madison’s absorption of the cuts, also reminded themselves that other UW System schools will feel the pain of the cuts. Some of the members expect to attend a meeting between representatives from various UW schools this upcoming weekend.
