Dispatches
Unkind Cuts: Budget Will be Felt in Classrooms...
Facing the largest cut in state funding in university history, campus administrators are sounding a warning that the days of painless budget cutting are over.
"We've been budget cutting — cutting real things — for more than ten years," says Chancellor John D. Wiley MS'65, PhD'68. "We're way past the point where there is obvious fat ... or easy budget reductions."
"We've been budget cutting — cutting real things — for more than ten years," says Chancellor John D. Wiley MS'65, PhD'68. "We're way past the point where there is obvious fat ... or easy budget reductions."
Instead, Wiley is instructing campus units to do less with less as they try to make ends meet under the 2003-05 state budget, predicted to be the most austere on record. Tentative strategies call for the elimination of more than one hundred university jobs, including fifty to sixty faculty positions, several research units, and up to three hundred courses during the next two years.
The cuts stem from an anticipated $3.2 billion hole in the state's next biennial budget, the result of lower-than-expected tax revenues and rising costs in health care and other services. Although legislators were still working out the details of the plan at press time, campus officials have used the $250 million cut to the UW System proposed by Governor Jim Doyle '67 as a base line for decision-making.
Even with double-digit tuition hikes to offset some of the damage (see related story), UW-Madison will likely have to do with about $23 million less in general program funding for the coming academic year, and $15 million less in 2004-05. The effects of those reductions will be felt foremost in classrooms, where the elimination of elective courses will lead to larger classes and fewer options for students.
The cuts stem from an anticipated $3.2 billion hole in the state's next biennial budget, the result of lower-than-expected tax revenues and rising costs in health care and other services. Although legislators were still working out the details of the plan at press time, campus officials have used the $250 million cut to the UW System proposed by Governor Jim Doyle '67 as a base line for decision-making.
Even with double-digit tuition hikes to offset some of the damage (see related story), UW-Madison will likely have to do with about $23 million less in general program funding for the coming academic year, and $15 million less in 2004-05. The effects of those reductions will be felt foremost in classrooms, where the elimination of elective courses will lead to larger classes and fewer options for students.
"These are the kind of courses that make a college great in terms of the richness of the academic experience we offer," says Phil Certain, dean of the College of Letters and Science, which will shed nearly two hundred courses by 2004-05. "But when your back is to the wall, you have to protect what's essential to the student program."
Certain and others say that scaling back on instruction is a last resort made necessary by the depth of these reductions and the long-term trend in state funding. The predicted cuts come on the heels of a $20 million slice in state funding in 2002-03, and during the past decade, Wisconsin's share of the university's overall budget has declined from about 32 percent to less than 25 percent.
While the university has tended to target noninstructional jobs and central administration first — administrative services will absorb 41 percent of the 2003-04 cuts despite representing only 12 percent of the overall budget — Wiley says there isn't much left there to trim. Most departments have already pared staffs and services, he says.
Additionally, some units, such as the campus police department, are facing new demands that require more money, not less. In such an environment, trying to do everything with fewer resources becomes, as Certain says, "a prescription for mediocrity.
"We have to focus on the things we do well," he says. "That means you have to look some pretty good programs in the face and say, 'We're not going to be able to continue to support you.' "
— Michael Penn
Certain and others say that scaling back on instruction is a last resort made necessary by the depth of these reductions and the long-term trend in state funding. The predicted cuts come on the heels of a $20 million slice in state funding in 2002-03, and during the past decade, Wisconsin's share of the university's overall budget has declined from about 32 percent to less than 25 percent.
While the university has tended to target noninstructional jobs and central administration first — administrative services will absorb 41 percent of the 2003-04 cuts despite representing only 12 percent of the overall budget — Wiley says there isn't much left there to trim. Most departments have already pared staffs and services, he says.
Additionally, some units, such as the campus police department, are facing new demands that require more money, not less. In such an environment, trying to do everything with fewer resources becomes, as Certain says, "a prescription for mediocrity.
"We have to focus on the things we do well," he says. "That means you have to look some pretty good programs in the face and say, 'We're not going to be able to continue to support you.' "
— Michael Penn
...And Tuition Bills
The tightening UW budget isn't just causing a headache for university administrators — it's also causing a pain in the wallet for students. And Chancellor John D. Wiley warns that the pain may grow more acute with time.
The state's 2003-05 budget is expected to reduce state funding for the UW System by $250 million, but around $150 million of that lost revenue may be replaced by higher tuition and fees. The UW Board of Regents is likely to hike tuition for Wisconsin residents by a maximum of $700 for the 2003-04 year. Although UW-Madison would still have the second-lowest in-state tuition among Big Ten universities, it would be the third consecutive year that resident tuition has risen by at least 8 percent.
Wiley warns that the logic of shifting responsibility from the state to the students could ultimately lead to trouble. "There's nobody who's discussing as a matter of public policy whether it's a good idea to have high tuition at public universities," he says. "Legislators are simply finding it expedient to cut state taxpayer funding of higher education and offset it with larger and larger increases in tuition."
The state's 2003-05 budget is expected to reduce state funding for the UW System by $250 million, but around $150 million of that lost revenue may be replaced by higher tuition and fees. The UW Board of Regents is likely to hike tuition for Wisconsin residents by a maximum of $700 for the 2003-04 year. Although UW-Madison would still have the second-lowest in-state tuition among Big Ten universities, it would be the third consecutive year that resident tuition has risen by at least 8 percent.
Wiley warns that the logic of shifting responsibility from the state to the students could ultimately lead to trouble. "There's nobody who's discussing as a matter of public policy whether it's a good idea to have high tuition at public universities," he says. "Legislators are simply finding it expedient to cut state taxpayer funding of higher education and offset it with larger and larger increases in tuition."
Not only do such costs make college less accessible to low-income families, but they make education more burdensome on graduates, Wiley warns. "An increasing fraction of students are graduating with debt from student loans, and the amount of that debt is going up every year."
When Governor Jim Doyle proposed the budget, he planned to offset the effect of the tuition hike by creating more opportunities for financial aid, but Wiley says that such benefits may be fleeting.
"The governor has added substantially to the Wisconsin Higher Education Grants pot," he says. "But he got that money by taking it from the seg-fee reserves — basically he took it from the students — for this biennium. There's no mention in the budget of where that money will come from in two years. After that, the financial aid available would drop back down, or we would have to absorb it as another budget cut, and reallocate money out of the base budget of the university and into financial aid."
— John Allen
When Governor Jim Doyle proposed the budget, he planned to offset the effect of the tuition hike by creating more opportunities for financial aid, but Wiley says that such benefits may be fleeting.
"The governor has added substantially to the Wisconsin Higher Education Grants pot," he says. "But he got that money by taking it from the seg-fee reserves — basically he took it from the students — for this biennium. There's no mention in the budget of where that money will come from in two years. After that, the financial aid available would drop back down, or we would have to absorb it as another budget cut, and reallocate money out of the base budget of the university and into financial aid."
— John Allen
Nursing a Solution
Wisconsin needs more registered nurses. In the state and around the nation, demand for nurses far exceeds supply — a developing crisis that threatens the quality of health care.
Nursing schools have been trying to help, but most have too few instructors to serve the number of students who want to enter the profession. But the UW-Madison School of Nursing has come up with an innovative solution to the problem, joining forces with the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse to establish a new western campus for nursing instruction.
Beginning this fall, some undergraduates in UW-Madison's nursing program will study at Gundersen, where nursing specialists will teach courses in collaboration with UW-Madison faculty. The arrangement blends the clinical expertise of the Gundersen nursing staff with the educational resources and reputation of the UW's program, the oldest in the state.
Nursing schools have been trying to help, but most have too few instructors to serve the number of students who want to enter the profession. But the UW-Madison School of Nursing has come up with an innovative solution to the problem, joining forces with the Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse to establish a new western campus for nursing instruction.
Beginning this fall, some undergraduates in UW-Madison's nursing program will study at Gundersen, where nursing specialists will teach courses in collaboration with UW-Madison faculty. The arrangement blends the clinical expertise of the Gundersen nursing staff with the educational resources and reputation of the UW's program, the oldest in the state.
Students who attend Gundersen will be admitted, assessed, and graduated just as students in Madison are, and they will receive UW-Madison bachelor of science degrees in nursing. They'll gain patient-care experience at community agencies and at Gundersen Lutheran's hospital, clinics, nursing homes, and home health services in the western Wisconsin region. Another benefit of the western campus is that students from that area can do their schooling closer to home.
At least fourteen students will begin at Gundersen this fall, and eventually, nearly fifty may take part, increasing the nursing school's undergraduate enrollment by close to 25 percent.
Gundersen Lutheran, western Wisconsin's largest and most comprehensive medical facility, also serves as a clinical campus for the UW Medical School, which has sent students there for thirty-five years. The La Crosse center includes the 325-bed Lutheran Hospital and the Health Science Center, which houses
fifteen allied health programs.
— Lisa Brunette
At least fourteen students will begin at Gundersen this fall, and eventually, nearly fifty may take part, increasing the nursing school's undergraduate enrollment by close to 25 percent.
Gundersen Lutheran, western Wisconsin's largest and most comprehensive medical facility, also serves as a clinical campus for the UW Medical School, which has sent students there for thirty-five years. The La Crosse center includes the 325-bed Lutheran Hospital and the Health Science Center, which houses
fifteen allied health programs.
— Lisa Brunette
Is There a Major Problem?
In social settings, you can still hear students breaking the ice with new acquaintances by asking, "What's your major?" The answers, however, have gotten much more complicated.
These days, nearly a quarter of UW-Madison students can't reply without using and. More than 1,400 of last year's graduates completed two, three, or even four majors — about twice the number of multiple-major grads twenty years ago. "The number keeps going up and up and up," says Timothy Walsh MA'84, PhD'93, director of the UW's Cross-College Advising Service, which counsels undecided students.
These days, nearly a quarter of UW-Madison students can't reply without using and. More than 1,400 of last year's graduates completed two, three, or even four majors — about twice the number of multiple-major grads twenty years ago. "The number keeps going up and up and up," says Timothy Walsh MA'84, PhD'93, director of the UW's Cross-College Advising Service, which counsels undecided students.
Some students believe double majors will give them a leg up in competitive job markets — a debatable perception, Walsh says. Others want to hedge their bets by adding "useful" skills in business or other supposedly marketable fields. Many, such as junior Zachary Eggers, just want more breadth than a single major gives them. Eggers wasn't satisfied with the scope of a double major in molecular biology and biochemistry, and so he added a third — in history. "I wanted to take another major that wasn't so focused on science, so that I could use a different type of logic and thinking," he says.
Like many students, Eggers found himself with time to pursue additional majors because of the advanced placement credits he earned while still in high school. Most freshmen now arrive at UW-Madison with a semester or more of credits already under their belts (see related story, below), freeing up hours that they would otherwise spend completing prerequisites. While using that time to notch another major may help students like Eggers, whose history courses may come in handy if he pursues plans to go to law school, advisers are hesitant to call the trend a wholly positive development.
Like many students, Eggers found himself with time to pursue additional majors because of the advanced placement credits he earned while still in high school. Most freshmen now arrive at UW-Madison with a semester or more of credits already under their belts (see related story, below), freeing up hours that they would otherwise spend completing prerequisites. While using that time to notch another major may help students like Eggers, whose history courses may come in handy if he pursues plans to go to law school, advisers are hesitant to call the trend a wholly positive development.
"There can be excellent reasons to do it, but there are also some not-so-good reasons to do it," Walsh says. He points out that a growing number of students come in convinced that they want a double major - even though they don't have a clue what they want to study. Those students, he says, "are soaking up the ethos, which is that to be perceived as a really serious student, you have to have a double or triple major."
Another concern is that students may consider delaying graduation to pursue extra majors, which administrators say results in enrollment headaches and rarely benefits students. As of now, that doesn't appear to be happening, says Virginia Sapiro, associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning. "From what we can tell, this hasn't increased time to degree," she says. "It appears that students are able to be very strategic about shaping their educations, so that they are able to achieve both breadth and depth."
— Michael Penn
Another concern is that students may consider delaying graduation to pursue extra majors, which administrators say results in enrollment headaches and rarely benefits students. As of now, that doesn't appear to be happening, says Virginia Sapiro, associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning. "From what we can tell, this hasn't increased time to degree," she says. "It appears that students are able to be very strategic about shaping their educations, so that they are able to achieve both breadth and depth."
— Michael Penn
Giving Students Credit
Credits from advanced placement, or AP, courses taken during high school were once the calling card of superstudious freshmen. But today, they're more like a given. This year's average freshman entered UW-Madison with sixteen AP credits — or about a half year of college already completed.
One of every four school districts in Wisconsin, however, doesn't offer a single AP course, largely because they lack the money or human resources to do so. That leaves college-bound high schoolers in those districts — often in low-income neighborhoods and rural areas — at a distinct disadvantage.
That has led a partnership of state and UW offices to try to level the playing field. Using existing teleconferencing facilities and the state's vast fiber-optic network, the newly formed Wisconsin Advanced Placement Distance Learning Consortium is planning to offer AP courses where now there are none, or only a few, available.
One of every four school districts in Wisconsin, however, doesn't offer a single AP course, largely because they lack the money or human resources to do so. That leaves college-bound high schoolers in those districts — often in low-income neighborhoods and rural areas — at a distinct disadvantage.
That has led a partnership of state and UW offices to try to level the playing field. Using existing teleconferencing facilities and the state's vast fiber-optic network, the newly formed Wisconsin Advanced Placement Distance Learning Consortium is planning to offer AP courses where now there are none, or only a few, available.
The distance-ed courses will help excellent students in those areas of the state compete with peers who are now able to leap ahead academically with the benefit of AP credits. In addition to the credits they earn, students in AP courses get valuable exposure to a college-level curriculum.
"If you've never taken an AP course, you're really on an uphill climb, and you don't even know it," says John Gugerty MS'74, of the School of Education's Center on Education and Work, who is directing the project.
— Josh Orton x'04
"If you've never taken an AP course, you're really on an uphill climb, and you don't even know it," says John Gugerty MS'74, of the School of Education's Center on Education and Work, who is directing the project.
— Josh Orton x'04
Getting Goosed
Apparently, geese have been reading all those best-places-to-live surveys, too. The population of resident giant Canada geese is exploding in Madison and other U.S. cities, and their presence has some people honked off. The majestic birds — cousins to the migrating geese that we associate with changing seasons — are taking over golf courses, parks, and the grounds of suburban office complexes, exhausting food supplies and the patience of those who have to clean up after them. "What we're seeing is too much of a good thing," says Scott Craven, a professor of wildlife ecology who helped organize a Madison conference of goose experts to discuss the overzealous birds. "When you can't walk or jog on a sidewalk because it's too slippery from all the goose feces, things have gotten out of hand," he says. For park managers and landowners frustrated by the uninvited guests, Managing Canada Geese in Urban Environments, a guide co-authored by Craven that outlines effective control methods, may be worth a gander.
— M.P
— M.P
Sunny Forcasts
Forecasting the weather is a breakneck-speed science — part lab research, part horse race, where often more is learned by doing than by reading textbooks. That's why many in the field enjoy Pennsylvania State University's annual forecasting contest, during which students and professors from as many as forty universities compete to call next-day temperatures and precipitation for selected cities around North America.
During the competition, which runs from September through April, students and faculty submit four forecasts a week for a chosen city. Every few weeks, a new city is selected, so that forecasters might be trying to predict precipitation in tropical climates one week and analyzing snowstorms over Wyoming the next.
This year, about sixty UW-Madison students and faculty took part, and one, Professor Michael Morgan, emerged as a big winner. Morgan took top honors in the contest's faculty division, and also submitted the best forecasts for Seattle, one of the featured cities.
UW teams often claim a few of the forty-four prizes handed out during the competition each year, but Jonathan Martin, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, says the event offers more than just bragging rights. The contest is a great excuse to get students and professors talking and collaborating. "It's likely that a freshman will teach something to a professor on any given day," he says.
— J.O.
During the competition, which runs from September through April, students and faculty submit four forecasts a week for a chosen city. Every few weeks, a new city is selected, so that forecasters might be trying to predict precipitation in tropical climates one week and analyzing snowstorms over Wyoming the next.
This year, about sixty UW-Madison students and faculty took part, and one, Professor Michael Morgan, emerged as a big winner. Morgan took top honors in the contest's faculty division, and also submitted the best forecasts for Seattle, one of the featured cities.
UW teams often claim a few of the forty-four prizes handed out during the competition each year, but Jonathan Martin, a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, says the event offers more than just bragging rights. The contest is a great excuse to get students and professors talking and collaborating. "It's likely that a freshman will teach something to a professor on any given day," he says.
— J.O.
Catching Up
More than fifty Wisconsin high-schoolers spent a spring Friday tagging along with UW mentors as part of Student Shadow Day, a new program aimed at encouraging historically underrepresented students to consider college. Initiated by the UW's student government, the event is geared toward high school students of color, as well as gay and lesbian students.
In a battle of alumni, Dave Cieslewicz '81 beat Paul Soglin '66, JD'72 in an April election to become Madison's new mayor. Cieslewicz, co-founder of the environmental lobby 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, majored, appropriately enough, in political science.
In a battle of alumni, Dave Cieslewicz '81 beat Paul Soglin '66, JD'72 in an April election to become Madison's new mayor. Cieslewicz, co-founder of the environmental lobby 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, majored, appropriately enough, in political science.
A new report from the UW's Division of Information Technology found that campus Internet users increasingly are going mobile. Calls to DoIT's modem pool decreased for the third straight year, as students, faculty, and staff all flock to wireless technologies. Nearly four of every ten people on campus now surf via laptop computers.
After initially announcing that it would charge international students up to fifty dollars a semester to defray the expense of new federal reporting requirements, the university has decided to delay the fees, while exploring other ways of paying for the mandate. For the next academic year, the university will offset the costs with $330,000 from gift funds.
After initially announcing that it would charge international students up to fifty dollars a semester to defray the expense of new federal reporting requirements, the university has decided to delay the fees, while exploring other ways of paying for the mandate. For the next academic year, the university will offset the costs with $330,000 from gift funds.
Flashback - Spreading Spuds and Other Ideas
These farmers and their piles of potatoes stand as a testament to a century of history at UW-Madison. They're among the many beneficiaries of Charles Van Hise 1880, MS 1882, PhD 1892 and the Wisconsin Idea.
One hundred years ago this April, Van Hise became president of UW-Madison, and during his fifteen years as the UW's top administrator, he sowed the seed of a mission and tradition that the university still cherishes. Van Hise is credited with saying, "I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every home in the state." Thus sprouted the Wisconsin Idea, which promotes the transfer of knowledge from UW-Madison to people living throughout the state and beyond. The idea led to a multitude of benefits, including the first potato farm to give planters high-quality, disease-free seed potatoes. Today, Wisconsin-developed Snowden potatoes are the ultimate spud for potato chips, a market niche that helps the state's potato industry rank among the nation's best.
— John Allen
One hundred years ago this April, Van Hise became president of UW-Madison, and during his fifteen years as the UW's top administrator, he sowed the seed of a mission and tradition that the university still cherishes. Van Hise is credited with saying, "I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the university reaches every home in the state." Thus sprouted the Wisconsin Idea, which promotes the transfer of knowledge from UW-Madison to people living throughout the state and beyond. The idea led to a multitude of benefits, including the first potato farm to give planters high-quality, disease-free seed potatoes. Today, Wisconsin-developed Snowden potatoes are the ultimate spud for potato chips, a market niche that helps the state's potato industry rank among the nation's best.
— John Allen
