Though Gov. Scott McCallum said he did not want UW System budget cuts passed on to students, there is increasing concern that students will unavoidably feel the effects of the system's $50.5 million burden.
Fiscal concerns for the university and other state agencies have resulted from the state's $1.1 billion deficit.
Last week at the UW System Board of Regents meeting, UW System President Katharine Lyall outlined possibilities for distributing the cuts, including the elimination of funds intended for smaller freshmen and sophomore classes and the postponement of improvements to financial aid staff.
According to McCallum's spokespersons, his commitment to protecting students is evident in the 10 percent tuition hike cap.
\Katharine Lyall ... and Chancellor Wiley were both at the governor's residence Thursday, and both have been stating over and over that they're very pleased with the cuts that have come down to the university because they are much, much better they would be if the Legislature had proposed an across-the-board cut,"" said Debbie Monterrey-Millett, a spokesperson for the governor. ""Right now the university is facing a 4-and-a-half percent cut. If you think about it in terms that it could be a 9 to 11 percent cut, that's huge.""
She added that the proposal calls on the UW System to try keeping cuts at an administrative level.
""The governor has asked the university system to make sure that economic development, job creation and instruction take top priority, and it would be his choice, he would like to see these cuts come out of administrative costs and not instruction or other ways they would affect students,"" she said. ""But it is up to the UW System to figure out how to absorb the cuts.""
Associated Students of Madison Chair Jessica Miller said she chalks up likely tuition increases to declining state relief.
""I think a lot of it has been a decrease in state support for this university and the university system,"" Miller said. ""The university has tried to make up for it with fundraising and research grants and things like that, but at the end of the day, a decrease in state support means a rise in tuition.""
Lyall said she agrees with the governor's intent to minimize the budget expenses' effect on students.
""It would be nice if we could have a minimal impact on students,"" she said. ""If students have larger classes, wouldn't you say that's an impact on students? If students have to wait longer for an appointment with advisors, wouldn't you say that's an impact on students? I think all those things ... are going to impact students.\
