UW System President Kevin Reilly remains hopeful the state will decrease funding cuts to the system, he told the Board of Regents Friday.
In October, legislators announced they expect the UW System to absorb an additional $65.7 million in budget cuts this biennium, bringing total cuts to the system to over $300 million for 2011-13.
Cuts to the system account for 38 percent of total cuts included in the lapse.
But Reilly said he remains optimistic his discussions with legislators will lead them to reconsider the size of the cut.
"I've had several conversations with the Secretary of the [Department of Administration], Mike Huebsch, and as of today those lines of communication remain open and I remain hopeful that the DOA will reconsider UW's share of the new budget lapses," Reilly said.
UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Michael Lovell said the cuts and decreased staff could make it more difficult for students to enroll in the classes they need to.
Lovell said 41 UWM faculty and staff have left the university since the initial cuts were announced.
"That number is much greater than I expected," Lovell said. "These are the top performers on our campuses that are being poached away from other universities in other parts of the country."
Reilly said by publishing editorials and speaking to citizens statewide, members of the board hope to draw attention to the cuts.
"We're working hard to shine a spotlight on this important public policy discussion," Reilly said.
Reilly said Wisconsin citizens have spoken out against the proportion of the lapse given to the system.
"Prominent businesspeople have stepped forward to assert that cutting the UW so disproportionately is bad for business in Wisconsin," Reilly said.
