The concept of freedom of speech dominated the UW System Board of Regents' agenda at its March meeting, as Regents approved a measure allowing UW resident assistants to hold political and religious gatherings in their rooms.
The RA activity policy emerged after a UW-Eau Claire incident that drew national attention. University officials told an RA that leading Bible study for students in the RA's dorm room was in conflict with UW-Eau Claire policies. UW-Madison and UW-Eau Claire were the only UW campuses that had restrictions on RAs' political and religious activities.
A new UW System-wide policy, approved March 10, specified RAs may participate in, organize or lead meetings and activities in their rooms, floors, resident halls and elsewhere on campus to the same extent as regular students. However,\ the policy said, ""they may not use their positions to pressure, coerce or inappropriately influence student residents to attend or participate [in activities.]""
Each UW campus must advise RAs of the policy and set in place complaint systems for student residents to use if they believe RAs violate the policy. Regents also focused heavily on the Taxpayer Protection Amendment, a state constitutional amendment proposed ""to stimulate Wisconsin's economic growth by creating a more favorable tax environment,"" according to state Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend. The TPA would limit and conform state spending to a formula based on consumer price index and population growth in order to reduce taxes, according to UW-Madison public affairs professor Andrew Reschovsky, who spoke at the first part of the two-day meeting. The proposed amendment provoked much discussion between Regents and the state, as some Regents noted the TPA's potential to force the UW System to increase tuitions substantially or considerably reduce numbers of admitted students each year. The amendment would exempt tuition and fees at UW System colleges and universities from its formula to determine how much revenue Wisconsin could acquire and spend, according to Tim Fiocci, legislative assistant to state Rep. Jeff Wood, R-Chippewa Falls. Thus, Fiocci said, if a UW System college or university goes beyond its state spending limits as provisioned by the amendment, it is responsible for paying the additional costs. ""The real effect is that you're putting it on the backs of students, instead of the state,"" Regent President David G. Walsh of Madison said in response. ""It's telling the University that from now on it's going to be paid for by tuition.""At least one more invitation-only hearing will be held on the TPA, according to Grothman.
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