Statement to campus on impact at UW-Whitewater of the Budget Repair Bill
Released: July 14, 2008
Last week, Governor Doyle announced the allocation to agencies of the $270 million lapse required in 2008-2009 as part of the state’s budget repair bill. The University of Wisconsin System was assigned a $25 million lapse for the 2008-2009 fiscal year. UW-Whitewater will be assigned a portion of this lapse. This lapse will be difficult to manage as it comes on top of an earlier $25 million lapse as part of the 2007-2009 budget and much larger cuts in previous biennia. While this lapse will further strain already tight resources, we recognize that the state is expecting a revenue shortfall and we will need to play a part in addressing that shortfall.
While we do not know the full extent of the lapse for UW-Whitewater, it will be significant, as distributions are based on allocated GPR (general purpose revenue) and our share of the UW System GPR budget is approximately 4.3% of the total System GPR budget. As we learn more about the specifics of the lapse, we will work to develop a plan to address the shortfall.
Some portion of the lapse will be covered by efforts that have already been undertaken on campus. We will be able to use funds that have been saved as a result of reducing energy consumption on campus. We have also reduced expenditures by limiting non-essential out-of-state travel. In addition, we have delayed hiring, where possible, resulting in additional one-time savings. These measures, taken together, will address a significant portion of the required lapse.
As a campus, we will be looking at other ways to address our portion of the required lapse. At this point, I will be working with the division heads and asking them to work with their units to identify possible areas where we can find one-time funds to address this lapse. We expect that reducing travel costs and being cautious in hiring will continue to be part of our strategy.
We are committed to providing a high quality educational experience for our students and a supportive environment for our faculty and staff. We will work to maintain funding in order to implement our Strategic Plan. We will also maintain funding for the Professional Development Program (PDP) for our faculty and staff. Further, we are committed to the Growth Agenda for Wisconsin. The Growth Agenda is essential for increasing the number of baccalaureate degree holders in Wisconsin and helping to develop more high-paying jobs in Wisconsin.
While addressing this lapse will be difficult, we will address it. Most importantly, we will continue to move forward as a university to help our students and the state.
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