Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) hasn't even gotten his proposed budget cuts passed into law yet, but that's not stopping the state's prestigious public university system from moving to lay off staff, prompting fears of a "massive brain drain."
Within the next few weeks, the Wisconsin state legislature will begin considering the Joint Finance Committee’s recommended budget, which may or may not include $300 million in cuts to the University of Wisconsin system that Walker proposed in January.
Public university systems are a common target of governors looking to slash state budgets this year. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (R)
has proposed similar cuts to that state’s university system, as has Gov. Pat McCrory (R)
in North Carolina. But experts say the potential slashing in Wisconsin is among the most significant.
“I have not seen to the extent of Wisconsin the higher education system actually pushing through some of those changes before the cuts happen,” said Michael Mitchell, a policy analyst at the Center on Budget Policy and Priorities. “But then the magnitude of the cuts in Wisconsin are pretty sizable.”
"I don't think [governors and legislators] have an appreciation for or respect for just how disruptive these draconian budget cut recommendations are, even if they aren’t fully realized," said Daniel Hurley, associate vice president for government relations and state policy at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. "It just puts the institutions and the system overall in a tremendously difficult bind."
What's happening in Wisconsin so far:
Positions lost to layoffs and buyouts:- Up to 400 jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Up to 300 jobs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/29/wisconsin-university-cuts_n_7072528.html
