University of Wisconsin-Extension is expected to cut numerous county and administrative positions around the state to compensate for budget cuts to the UW System.
As a result of the $250 million cut to the UW System, UW-Extension is expecting a $3.6 million cut to its budget.
Concerns were raised Tuesday regarding cuts to a UW-Extension division called Cooperative, which provides services and resources to people around the state and holds offices in all 72 counties.
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People are understandably anxious about the large cuts to UW-Extension agent positions, Jackie Askins, UW-Extension spokesperson, said.
While the decision is not finalized regarding where the cuts will be made, UW-Extension will have to cut back to deal with the loss of funding, Askins said. UW-Extension is trying to create a strategic plan that would disperse the cuts across the state.
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Askins said UW-Extension is expecting to cut about 50 to 80 agent positions at county and administrative staff levels. Askins said some of the cuts have already been accounted for by leaving positions people retired from or left vacant.
In the UW System’s 2015 financial report, its finances were found to have “remained relatively strong,” Alex Hummel, UW System spokesperson, said. The report does not include the areas impacted by the biennial budget’s $250 million cut to the system, he said.
UW-Extension is one of the places where cuts are going to be made to account for the funding reduction, Hummel said. Other universities have also taken steps to compensate for the cut, but there will be even more in the future, he said.
“It’s important when looking at the annual report to understand that the report doesn’t reflect all of the changes that are expected to come,” Hummel said.
Askins said UW-Extension’s purpose is to serve the entire state and that it will not sacrifice the mission when planning the upcoming cuts.
Some of the decisions regarding UW-Extension cuts will likely be made next week, Askins said. UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor Cathy Sandeen is taking her time to make sure all concerns are heard before deciding on the budget recommendations made by a committee a couple months ago, she said.
Askins said it is important to understand it will take several months before the plans are enacted.
“We have a great group of colleagues doing some of this planning and [we plan] on rolling out things slowly, easing the transition and taking in feedback throughout the whole processes,” Askins said.
An earlier version of this article said UW- Madison Chancellor would make the final decision on the UW-Extension cuts instead of UW Colleges and UW-Extension Chancellor. The Badger Herald regrets this error.
