The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents delved deeper into the details of Gov. Scott Walker’s biennial budget Thursday, emphasizing how his proposal would keep tuition down while helping to grow Wisconsin’s workforce if passed in its current form.
Regent President Brent Smith said he is hopeful Walker’s proposal, which includes significant flexibilities and investments in Wisconsin universities, such as funding for economic development projects, increased compensation benefits, the UW Flex Option and new facilities across system campuses, will be approved.
“We are certainly encouraged by the governor's proposed reinvestment in higher education and the recognition that our campuses and our extension networks are essential to preparing the workforce to fill high demand jobs but also that we need to fuel Wisconsin's resurgence,” Smith said.
UW System President Kevin Reilly said he has emphasized to state legislators UW System’s role in stimulating the Wisconsin economy and urged them to pass Walker’s proposal.
UW System administrators also updated the regents on more specifics in the biennial budget, including additional information on what the incentive block grants, part of the $181.4 million in new investments in the UW System, will look like.
According to Associate Vice President for Economic Development David Brukardt, approximately $20 million of the proposed new investments will come in the form of these grants, which aim to increase economic development, workforce development and higher education affordability.
One proposal from UW-Madison would look to increase the number of engineering and business graduates.
Brukardt said the regents will have to submit a plan for dispersing the funds among campuses within 90 days of the budget’s approval.
Regent David Walsh suggested the board consider funding a small number of projects in their entirety rather than spreading the funding too thin across the entire system.
Brukardt agreed, saying the system should strive to impress the legislature with the projects it selects.
“We're on trial,” Brukardt said. “We'd like to demonstrate we can do this and we can do it well.”
The Regent’s Capital Budget and Planning Committee also gave preliminary approval to fund the additional construction of the theater lounge during the ongoing renovations to Memorial Union. The full Board must approve the funding in its meeting Friday.
