Motion One:
WHEREAS recruitment and retention of quality UW faculty and academic staff has become increasingly
difficult, given that salaries are significantly behind those for peer institutions, and given that benefits
have been downgraded; and
WHEREAS many of the institutions competing with UWSP for quality faculty and academic staff offer
tuition reimbursement or remission for families of faculty and staff; and
WHEREAS 86% of UWSP faculty and academic staff supported a tuition assistance benefit in two recent
surveys; and
WHEREAS the UW System Competitive University Workforce Commission Final Report in June 2010
recommends the consideration of “tuition remission and/or tuition assistance programs for employees,
spouses, partners, and dependents”, and
WHEREAS the Association of American Universities states, “Tuition remission is widely available and
used in every type of university and college by employees in all occupation groups… Tuition remission
benefits help offset the lower compensation levels offered by universities and colleges relative to the
private sector… Tuition remission helps universities and colleges attract and retain these bright and
talented individuals who, in turn, serve the public interest through teaching and conducting research.“
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the UW-Stevens Point Faculty Senate calls on the UW Board of
Regents and the state legislature to create a UW tuition remission and/or tuition assistance program for
UW employees, spouses, partners, and dependents.
Motion Two:
BACKGROUND: Legislation recently proposed in the state Assembly would give the UW Board of
Regents the authority to develop an alternative retirement plan that would allow new UW hires to opt
out of Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) participation.
WHEREAS the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) is among the highest rated state retirement system
in the nation; and
WHEREAS the long-term security of a defined benefit system like WRS depends primarily on
participation by all employees; and
WHEREAS allowing employees to opt out of WRS will have a detrimental effect on system solvency; and
WHEREAS WRS retirement benefits are portable in the sense that a vested member would keep the
accrued benefits if s/he were to change employment to a non-state job;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the UW-Stevens Point Faculty Senate opposes any legislation allowing
UW employees to opt out of the WRS.