Capitol Newsletter: University decline - Matt Pommer, HNG News

Can a medium-sized state like Wisconsin afford a top-flight research university? That question looms as the Legislature’s budget committee voted to cut $250 million in University of Wisconsin System spending over the next two years. That’s $50 million less than the reduction proposed by Gov. Scott Walker. Perhaps more damaging to the university’s reputation – on each and every campus – would be removing faculty tenure protections from state law. But under the changes made the Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee (JFC) on a party-line vote, the Board of Regents could opt to restore tenure protection through a new system-wide policy. Another significant blow to the faculty would be changes in its long-standing “shared governance” participation. The JFC shifted away authority to have a voice in campus decisions from faculty, students and staff and gave more to campus chancellors and the Board of Regents. http://www.hngnews.com/waterloo_marshall/opinion/columns/article_def65eda-0f8c-11e5-846e-0764057c7a5b.html