To deal with the likelihood of upcoming state budget cuts in funding, UW System President Katharine Lyall proposed raising tuition and lowering enrollment of future classes in a speech held Tuesday at Memorial Union.
Cuts in funding for the UW System are probable due to Wisconsin's current $2.8 billion budget deficit, Lyall said.
\The state budget is a looming disaster that seems to grow daily,"" she said.
Lyall said tuition hikes will likely be necessary to handle the budget shortfall.
""It's probably going to require some combination of tuition increases and enrollment reductions to meet whatever cuts may be required of the university,"" Lyall said.
The cuts may also result in staff reductions. From previous reductions in state funding, including a $44 million cut six months ago, the UW System has lost 770 staff members in the last 10 years.
""We've come to the end of our ability as a system to teach more and more students with less and less,"" Lyall said.
UW-Madison officials said they agree raising tuition and lowering enrollment will be unavoidable with a large and sustained cut in state funding.
""If it is on a permanent basis and it's significant, I think the result will be the combination of some tuition increases and some reductions in staff,"" said John Torphy, vice chancellor of administration at UW-Madison.
Until the budget cuts are formally announced, Torphy said UW-Madison should begin deferring funds and supplies, preparing for the future pitfall. He said he hoped he could find a way to avoid firings and reduce staff through not filling vacancies.
All enrollment cuts will be made in future classes, not impacting current students.
Lyall said she hopes the UW System will be provided the flexibility to make implementation decisions.
""If further cuts are necessary, give us flexibility to manage tuition and enrollment so we get a balanced solution to this dilemma,"" she said.
In her speech, Lyall also called upon the federal government to give additional funding to state universities. She said Wisconsin currently ranks last in federal funding for higher education.
""The federal government needs to do its share in this process to keep educational opportunities alive,"" Lyall said.
Lyall said other universities face similar budget challenges, including the University of Illinois and the University of Tennessee. She also points to other Big Ten schools that have recently raised tuition.
While the budget cuts may cause tuition hikes, UW-Madison currently has the lowest tuition in the Big Ten.
