While state budgets remain in flux and recall efforts escalate, the Wisconsin Legislature continued this fall to hash out millions of dollars of cuts throughout the University of Wisconsin System.

In October, Wisconsin legislators announced new cuts worth $46.1 million for the 2011-12 year, plus $19.6 million for the following 2012-13 academic year.

In addition to the $250 million worth of cuts to the System issued in the Wisconsin state budget the previous spring, this brings the total amount of UW cuts to more than $300 million to be put in effect over the next two years.

With the additional funding slashes, UW system administrators said they are expecting drastic cuts. In early November, the UW Faculty Senate unanimously passed a resolution urging Gov. Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature to reduce the budget cuts.

Meanwhile, UW interim Chancellor David Ward has argued the cuts will significantly impact the quality of education in terms of decreased class resources, reduced staff and fewer opportunities for class enrollment.

Officials maintain the budget process is in its early stages, and there are still many unanswered questions, including how the funding lapse will be structured and managed.