University administrators, analysts and scholars gathered on the UW-Madison campus Tuesday to debate the future of the university as a public institution as it battles growing budget cuts that limit public funding.
According to President Emeritus of the UW System Katherine Lyall, 70 percent of public education funding comes from non-public sources, resulting in \de facto privatization.""
This puts the university at risk of losing its status as a public institution unless the state can put forth more public funding, according to Rep. Joe Parisi, D-Madison.
""The Legislature needs to step up to the plate and make investments in the university,"" Parisi said. ""If the legislature continues cutting funding to the UW, the UW will have no option other than to turn to more and more of the private sector.""
According to UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley, 24.5 percent of the university's funds come from the state while 15 percent comes from tuition. Wiley added that rising tuition has a regressive impact.
""This is moving backwards on a trend that took most of the 20th century to develop,"" Wiley said.
Kathleen Sell, senior lecturer at UW-Madison, said he agreed with Wiley, adding it is unfair to students to substitute tuition for a shrinking state share of public university budgets.
Aims McGuiness, senior associate at the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, pointed out that the university does well competing for research funding. But, it is ""building flowers on a barren base"" because there is not enough state money to fund its core programs.
However many believe the future of the university still lies in the hands of the legislature.
According to State Representative Terese Burceau, D-Madison, Republican legislators in particular are ""punishing"" the university for employment policies they disagree with.
""You can disagree with those policies and go after the university to change those policies,"" Burceau said. ""But why punish the students and the researchers who have made this one of the top public universities in the United States? It's almost childish.""
President of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance Todd A. Barry said he agreed with Burceau, saying legislators have been too distracted with policy issues and spend too much time ""wringing their hands over backup positions.""
Parisi noted the lack of funding affects the entire state of Wisconsin.
""Picture the state of Wisconsin without its public university system and the opportunities it creates for young people in Wisconsin,"" he said.
