Reprinted with permission.
News, Page 1A
Jan. 30, 2015
Faculty, staff urged to continue efforts despite proposed
cuts
By Eric Lindquist
Leader-Telegram staff
In the aftermath of massive proposed cuts to the UW System budget, UW-Eau Claire Chancellor
James Schmidt asked faculty and staff Thursday to continue to do everything possible to give students
an excellent education.
Meeting with employees for the first time since Gov. Scott Walker announced Tuesday he plans to
propose cutting state aid to the UW System by $300 million in the next two-year state budget as a way
to help solve a projected $2 billion shortfall, Schmidt acknowledged that tough times are ahead for all
involved with the university.
“The next couple of years are going to be hard,” Schmidt said at the all-campus meeting, adding that
job cuts, larger class sizes and course reductions likely will be unavoidable. “This will affect every
college and department on campus.”
As he looked at the somber faces of faculty and staff in an overflowing lecture hall in Centennial Hall,
the chancellor equated the mood to a feeling of grief, “almost like a death in the family.”
Instead of responding to the cuts in a defeatist manner, Schmidt said, “We have to be able to rise to
the challenge.”
Schmidt vowed to lobby hard to reduce the size of the cut and to do everything in his power to
minimize the impact, but acknowledged he doesn't hold out much hope that the cut, which would have
to be approved by the Legislature as part of the budget process, will change a great deal.
While no details are available yet about how the cuts would be apportioned among the UW System's
13 four-year campuses and 13 two-year colleges, Schmidt said a preliminary estimate based on UWEau Claire's share of state aid is that the proposal would result in a loss of $7.5 million to $8 million
for the university. That's a budget cut of about 25 percent that would take effect July 1, he said.
A cut that size, combined with another two-year tuition freeze, will require the university to look at all
its functions to determine what it no longer will be able to afford to do, he said. With personnel
accounting for 80 to 85 percent of the university's budget, Schmidt warned that some job cuts
inevitably will be part of the response.
Despite the gloomy mood resulting from what he called a “terrible public policy decision,” Schmidt
called on faculty and staff to continue to be the strength of the institution.
Reprinted with permission.
“We can't give up on excellence,” he said.
Diane Hoadley, dean of the College of Business, agreed the cuts will lead to a tough time for the
campus and even spurred a round of applause by adding she appreciated the chancellor's calm
leadership and forward-looking approach to the challenge.
Geoff Peterson, chairman of UW-Eau Claire's political science department and faculty representative
to the UW System, said he had heard rumors the UW System might not get the $95 million increase in
state aid it sought but never imagined the Republican governor would propose such a significant cut.
“This is going to be a historic cut, and the consequences of that are going to be substantial,” Peterson
said. “As a practical matter, people are going to lose their jobs, maybe a lot of people.”
Petre “Nelu” Ghenciu, chairman of the UW-Stout Faculty Senate, said he fears quality educators will
no longer look for employment in the UW System in light of the proposed cuts.
“We are going to lose top quality people,” he said, predicting that teachers will move to Menomonie
for only a year or two to gain experience and then leave the state for better pay.
Menomonie will suffer as well as staff use the campus simply as a “stepping stone” and aren't invested
in the community, buying homes and being involved in the city, Ghenciu said.
“People will come in and stay for a short time,” he said. “This is what is going to happen. It is sad.”
In response to the proposed cuts, UW System President Ray Cross ordered moratoriums on travel,
hiring, raises and promotions for system administration employees.
UW-Stout Chancellor Bob Meyer announced Thursday he has imposed the same measures at the
Menomonie campus, with only critical exceptions.
“I do not take these steps lightly,” Meyer said in a memo to staff. “I understand that they will cause
hardship and bad feelings across campus. However, we are facing the worst budget cut in the history
of UW-Stout, and we need to take immediate steps to put us in the best position to handle that cut
while preserving the quality of education our students receive.”
Leader-Telegram reporter Pamela Powers contributed to this story.