University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor David Ward told the Faculty Senate Monday that university funding in the upcoming state biennial budget looks as though it will remain “steady.”
Ward said although the budget remains largely unclear until its release later this month, he is not expecting large cuts.
“I think we will probably hold our own,” Ward said.
Faculty Senate University Committee Chair Mark Cook also spoke about the committee’s involvement with the planning of a new College of the Arts, which would include the art, dance, music, and theater and drama departments.
According to Cook, the creation of the new college seeks to unify multiple art departments that are currently spread across various colleges on campus, as well as improve resources and increase visibility of the arts programs.
Cook said the idea for a College of the Arts has been in the works for decades but is now reaching the final planning stages and the “devil will be in the details” as the proposal moves forward this year.
Cook said planners will be reaching out for input from faculty, staff and students over the next month. The Board of Regents is tentatively scheduled to review the proposal in October.
Sara Goldrick-Rab, chair of the Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions and Financial Aid, also gave a report on educational opportunities for Wisconsin students of color at UW-Madison.
According to Goldrick-Rab, statistics show only 2 percent of African American high school graduates from Wisconsin are “well-prepared” to attend the university. Goldrick-Rab said “well-prepared” means the student scored over 22 on the ACT and was in the top 25 percentile of the graduating class.
Goldrick-Rab said the committee is looking for commentary on what role, if any, the state’s flagship university should take on the issue.
Faculty Senator James Doing said while he would love to have more diverse students in his classroom, UW-Madison is a competitive institution and it may not help students to let them in if they are underprepared.
“I don't know if we do anyone a favor by letting them in with an 18 ACT,” Doing said. “I think that you’re setting them up to fail.”
Note: In the original version of this article it was incorrectly stated statistics showed only 3 percent of American American high school students from Wisconsin are "well-prepared" to attend UW-Madison. The correct number is 2 percent of American American high school graduates from Wisconsin. We regret the error.
