UW Budget Cut To Be Reduced By $50M Under GOP Plan

Republican lawmakers plan to cut the University of Wisconsin budget by $250 million over the next two years, while at the same time ending university tenure protections previously enshrined in state law.

The cut is $50 million less than Gov. Scott Walker proposed in his budget, and Republicans stressed that the UW Board of Regents would still be able to preserve tenure if it wants to.

The Republican budget plan distributed ahead of Friday’s Joint Finance Committee meeting would also continue an in-state tuition freeze for the next two years. Lawmakers would reject Walker’s plan to create an inflation-based tuition cap for future budgets.

Republican lawmakers were also prepared to officially reject Walker’s plan to turn the university into a “UW System Authority” with more freedom to set its own budget.

Perhaps most surprising, though, was the decision by GOP lawmakers to remove tenure protections in state law, giving the UW the freedom to fire tenured faculty to cope with budget cuts. Republicans would also dramatically scale back shared governance between university employees and students.

In addition, the GOP plan would give the university more power to authorize independent charter schools and would also grant that power to other government offices, including the Waukesha County executive. It would also give the UW more freedom to manage its own building projects.

UW System President Ray Cross said he is grateful that Walker’s proposed budget cut is set to be reduced. He called it a “significant reduction” and said reducing the cut “illustrates a willingness to open a new dialogue and partnership between the legislature and the UW System.”

Editor’s Note: This article was orginally an Associated Press story. It has since been updated with original reporting.