UW-Madison and the State Budget

The University of Wisconsin System released the following statement regarding proposed changes to the 2013-15 biennial state budget:

MADISON, Wis. – Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch today asked legislative leaders to make changes to Governor Walker’s proposed 2013-2015 biennial state budget, including adding a two-year tuition freeze for all University of Wisconsin System schools.

“We share the Governor’s interest in keeping college affordable and tuition low,” said UW System President Kevin P. Reilly.  “While UW tuition is already lower than many peer colleges and universities, a two-year tuition freeze will send the right message to Wisconsin students and families.”

UW institutions will reallocate $42 million from other resources to cover the cost of the proposed tuition freeze.

In addition, Sec. Huebsch’s letter calls for $65.7 million in reductions to taxpayer support for the UW System. The Governor recommended that the Board of Regents reallocate about $28 million in one-time funding to cover new economic development incentive grants, startup funding for new UW Flex Option degrees, and two initiatives at UW-Madison’s School of Medicine and Public Health.

Read more >>>

Interim Chancellor David Ward issued the following statement on Monday, May 6, 2013.

I have appreciated the discussion I have heard on campus regarding the fund balances carried by University of Wisconsin System schools. As I wrote in the April 25 email on this subject, the funds in these accounts are used to help UW–Madison succeed in its academic and research missions.

The fund balances are reported publicly each year in the state’s Comprehensive Annual Financial Report and the UW System’s Annual Financial Report. These reports present a snapshot of the balances at a specific time.

Read more »

It is likely you have seen or heard media reports about the fund balances that the University of Wisconsin System carries and the discussion among legislative leaders and others about those balances. I would like to explain how this issue relates to our campus, and how maintaining balances helps UW-Madison succeed in our academic and research missions. Read more

The Joint Finance Committee, the state legislature’s budget committee, will hold agency briefings next week on Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget next week. The University of Wisconsin System’s agency briefing is scheduled for Thursday.

The briefing sessions begin Tuesday and can be viewed on WisconsinEye.

The non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s analysis of the governor’s proposed UW System budget can be viewed here.

OpenBook Wisconsin, a new website that will be launched this spring by the Department of Administration, is intended to provide public access to detailed information about state government expenditures, including at UW–Madison and the UW System.

Please read a message from state Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch to all state employees about the launch of the website.

The website stems from 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, s.16.413 of the Wisconsin Statues, which requires the DOA to create a searchable website with information about all state agency expenditures in excess of $100. The database will eventually include all state and UW salaries and fringe benefits, grants paid by state agencies, and all contract payments made by any agency or UW institutions. For ease of administration, all expenditures, regardless of amount, will be included. Read more »

Good morning,

This spring, the State plans to launch its expenditure disclosure website called OpenBook Wisconsin. This website is part of Governor Walker’s on-going effort to make state government more transparent for the citizens of Wisconsin.

OpenBook Wisconsin will give citizens easy access to State of Wisconsin expenditures, or the amount of money we spend to do business. It includes the payments we have made for purchasing goods or services, and we currently include data about the expenditures made by state government from fiscal year 2008 through the most current month. You will be able to search the website database by state agency, expense (expenditure) category and vendor by fiscal year.

Employee salary and fringe benefit data will not be included in this first phase, although employee names may appear in the initial launch if they have received reimbursement for travel or other work expenses. Please see below for more details.

Future Phases

To comply with state law, we will be adding employee salary and fringe payments data for the State, University of Wisconsin, Legislature and the courts in the coming months. We will also be adding the grants that have been awarded, as well as the contracts that our state agencies have with vendors.

• Employee salary and fringe benefits: salary information is public under state law. The website will include employees on central payroll including name, agency, class, gross pay, and year to date gross pay. Fringe benefits data will be provided in total, and not listed by individual employees to protect your confidentiality in your health care plan.
• Grants made or contracts entered into: will include capital projects by fiscal year, as well as VendorNet contracts by fiscal year.

Employee Information

We are taking precautions to protect sensitive employee information. The OpenBook Wisconsin website will not post the social security number, home address or home telephone number of any employee. Transactions will show the employee’s agency.

Your safety is our priority while we meet our legal obligations to provide public information under state law. While there are very limited reasons which justify the redaction of an employee name under the law, we are taking efforts to redact names that would potentially jeopardize an employee’s safety (for example: an undercover agent or domestic abuse victim).

If you have concerns that your safety may be jeopardized by including your name on the website, please contact your Human Resources Director. Your agency will work with legal counsel to determine if your name should be redacted. 

We are excited about this opportunity to make state government more transparent for the citizens of Wisconsin.

Thank you,

Mike Huebsch

Secretary

The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will receive $3 million in state funding to expand training programs for students who intend to practice in rural and inner-city locations, Gov. Scott Walker announced.

Some articles of interest on the state budget proposed by Gov. Scott Walker:

Wisconsin State Journal: University, tech college officials satisfied with higher education funding

WisPolitics: Legislative leaders’ budget address reaction

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Universities overtake prisons in Gov. Walker’s budget

Associated Press: Walker calls for income tax cut in two-year budget

Dept. of Administration: Summary of UW System budget

The Daily Cardinal: Proposed 2013-’15 state budget

University of Wisconsin–Madison Interim Chancellor David Ward said Wednesday that Gov. Scott Walker’s budget proposal is a concrete step toward renewing Wisconsin’s promise of making higher education accessible and affordable for all its residents. After several cycles of declining state funding support to Wisconsin’s public universities, Walker proposes reinvesting in the university system for the 2013-15 biennium.

“This is the best budget we have seen in many cycles,” Ward said.

“While the university will have to confront many challenges, that task becomes much more manageable when we are not heading into the future with a readymade deficit,” Ward said. “I applaud the governor for recognizing the need to re-establish the state’s partnership in funding quality higher education in Wisconsin.”

See more from Ward …

UW System leaders praised Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to reinvest in higher education in the 2013-15 biennial state budget .

“Governor Walker recognizes and appreciates the role that UW institutions play in boosting our state’s economy,” said UW System President Kevin P. Reilly. “Job creation and workforce development are top priorities for everyone, including the UW System. We look forward to working with all Legislators from both parties to advance this budget.”

See more reaction from UW System leaders …

Gov. Scott Walker’s 2013-15 budget address will begin at 7 p.m. It can be viewed online at WisconsinEye.

Gov. Scott Walker will lay out his proposals for the state’s 2013-15 biennial budget at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Walker has given some insight into his plan to the press. He has said he’ll propose giving the UW–Madison chancellor the authority to set compensation plans at the campus, and giving the same power to the UW Board of Regents at other UW System campuses. Walker has also announced his plan for a $20 million grant program to support workforce and economic development at UW System schools, a block grant to provide flexibility to UW System schools, a plan to ease class credit transfers between UW System and Wisconsin technical colleges, and funding for the UW Flexible Degree option. The governor also proposes increasing block grants for the UW System by $110.7 million.

The budget address can be viewed online live Wednesday night at WisconsinEye.

According to a national survey, the University of Wisconsin-Madison is among the best values in public universities. For the second year in a row, the magazine Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has ranked UW-Madison 13th in its list of 100 best values in public colleges.

UW System unveiled a new branding strategy – “Knowledge Powers Wisconsin” – designed to highlight the essential role UW System institutions play in powering the state’s economic strength.

The HR Design project team has released its strategic plan for the personnel system at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Campus leaders encourage employees review the plan. Related: Campus information sessions, web chats set.

The University of Wisconsin System is seeking reinvestment from the State to help power its contribution to workforce development and economic growth. Read more.

A $66 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System’s budget will not be made permanent, Gov. Scott Walker said in a letter to state agencies. Read the Associated Press account.

A task force looking into UW System governance and operations is recommending a variety of changes that would give the UW System more autonomy over operational and governance matters, and transfer some authority over spending from state government to the Board of Regents. Read more.

David A. Brukardt has been named associate vice president for economic development for the University of Wisconsin System. UW System President Kevin P. Reilly announced the appointment, following a national search.  In this new position, Brukardt will strengthen relationships between the university system and businesses statewide while also connecting researchers and others among the various campuses, with a goal of driving statewide economic growth. For more information, click here.

Representatives from four Administrative Excellence work teams at UW-Madison – Computer Bundling, Office Supplies, Scientific Supplies, and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO) Supplies – held an  informational web chat on Thursday, May 31. The team members will discuss their recently released recommendations which are aimed at creating efficiency opportunities, and providing a new strategic purchasing direction for the university. Read a transcript of the chat.

The Special Task Force on UW Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities heard testimony from representatives of students, faculty, academic staff and classified staff – those closest to the impact of budget cuts. The task force is expected to make its recommendations to the Legislature this summer,the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

A compensation system that is more driven by market and performance factors, a more flexible hiring system, realigning vacation and sick leave into a single system, and redefining the academic staff employee category are among the first draft recommendations from the teams working on the HR Design project. Read more.

UW–Madison’s director of human resources, Bob Lavigna, sent a message this week to employees regarding the progress of the HR Design project. In the message, Lavigna says that preliminary recommendations from seven of the project’s work teams will be released on April 9, and that multiple campus engagement events are planned to gather campus feedback on the initial recommendations. Read more here.

University of Wisconsin–Madison Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell said this week that the chance to reshape the university’s human resources  system doesn’t come along frequently. Read more here.