UW-Platteville’s administration has organized a 23-member budget review task force to examine potential areas to cut the university’s budget as a result of the projected $5.4 billion deficit for the next Wisconsin state budget.

“We are allowed to make any recommendations we would like,” Chancellor David Markee said. “Usually there’s a reasonable amount of flexibility for each campus to come up with a plan that works for that campus.”

Photograph by Kate Olsen
Provost Carol Sue Butts and Student Senate President David Dregne, members of UW-P’s Budget Task Force, discuss steps the campus may take to address budget cuts.

A similar committee was organized during the 2002-03 year when the state was facing a $3.2 billion deficit for the 2003-05 biennium, Provost Carol Sue Butts said.

According to the UW-P budget office, UW-P had to cut $2.861 million over the 2003-05 biennium. Specific budget reductions will not be available until Gov. Jim Doyle presents his proposed budget, Butts said.

“We aren’t sure of the numbers yet, but I’m guessing it will have seven figures with it,” Markee said. “We do have a challenge in front of us. Everything’s on the table.”

During that time, UW-P lost 18.2 full-time positions, but did not have to fire any employees, Butts said. Instead, vacant positions were not filled or departments were reorganized. For this round of cuts, that number could double and keeping all employees on board would be more difficult.

“I think it would be almost impossible,” Butts said.

“We’ve been cut and cut and cut so much we have to think of other ways to do things,” Butts said. UW-P will have about 50 positions vacant between the end of this year and June 2009.

The committee will also consider changes to administrative processes, utility use, alterations to general education requirements, combining sections of classes or even eliminating majors.

Rich Shultz, dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Science, said suggestions such as eliminating programs would be financially beneficial in the long-term, but to satisfy short-term cuts, positions could be lost.

“If we have to do something July 1, this is what we’re talking about,” Shultz said. “I just don’t see where the money comes from [short-term] if it isn’t there.”

The university will also be looking at ways to increase revenue. An increase in tuition is a possibility and specific limits have not been set.

“There really aren’t any boundaries except a goal not to have tuition too high,” Markee said.

The budget review task force will hold its next meeting from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9.