The Death of the UW System?

If things go as planned for Governor Walker in the next few days, UW-Madison will be cut from the UW System, and established as a "Public Authority." Madison will continue to operate in a similar way as before on the outside, however major changes are coming. Heavy privatization is set to take place, with the Chancellor taking part in direct hiring and salary decisions. A separate board of regents will govern Madison, and Madison student's tuition money will stop flowing into the rest of the UW System. Aside from this breaking up the system and rising tuition here at UWM, the news is most disturbing for our students because Walker has stated the while "Madison is up to bat, Milwaukee is on deck."

This upcoming year is going to be very important for the Student Association of UWM. If we're broken off of the UW System, everything we know about our college WILL change. Our tuition levels will be directly affected and our shared governance capabilities, protected by Wisconsin state law, will be horrendously affected. Even the focus of our University will be affected. I'll quote an all-student email Interim Chancellor Lovell sent out today:

"Our momentum is outstanding
and I am greatly concerned about the possible impact on UWM that might
result from changes in UW System organization. I told the Regents one of
three scenarios may play out:

1. UW-Milwaukee and UW-Madison may both be separated from the UW System
at the same time. We would certainly be the weaker of the two
institutions and would have trouble getting a reasonable share of
available resources.

2. UW-Milwaukee would remain as the only doctoral research university in
the UW System, meaning we would have very little in common with the 11
comprehensive universities left behind.

3. UW-Milwaukee would, immediately or at some time in the future, be
separated from the UW System in a similar public authority status as
UW-Madison. This could be the most challenging, considering UW-Madison
is better able to afford such an arrangement given it has a much larger
endowment, much more research revenue and students’ families with
significantly larger incomes. This has been alluded to by the governor,
but we have seen no details."

Undeniably, the UW System is going to be drastically changed. The effects this split has on Madison are going to be important to study, so that UWM can decide what course of action to take. I'm personally concerned mostly with the loss of 36.09.5, the state statute that allows us to govern ourselves independently of administration. If we are no longer part of the UW System, 36.09.5 may no longer apply to us. In reality, with a split in the System, the statute would have to be completely rewritten, which I doubt would happen during Walker's tenure in office. If we're split, we could see an end to students allocating their own segregated fees, and end to student resource funding, and an end to our ability to make important decisions at the administrative level. If this happens, Students will be second class citizens at our own University.

A hard fight lies before us. Next year we're going to have to make a stand to defend our rights. ASAP is up to that task, and I hope the students will give us the honor of doing so. ASAP has the right experience and passion to ensure students will not become second class citizens here at UWM.

-Alex.

P.S. ASAP's facebook page is now up. "Like" us!
http://www.facebook.com/asap2011

Baring Teeth

It's going to be one of those campaigns..

The kind where "national politics" somehow get wrapped up into Student Association business. Although real political beliefs rarely transfer over into the Student Association perfectly, (Duerstein supporting athletic-backed Seg Fee raises and buying new Mac Books for the Prez and Speaker, Kristopeit supporting the Union Renovation, Burseth opposing it) that doesn't stop people from trying to drag "liberal" and "conservative" values into the race.

This year ASAP is not built around a bi-partisan arrangement, but a nonpartisan one. Truth be told, my running mate Brent Johnson and I have little in common when it comes down to National Party affiliation, however that doesn't matter because when it comes to Student affairs, we are 100% in agreement. Looking at my opposition for President, it becomes clear what the talking points will be.

Senator Pugel has posted part of his platform on the facebook page for his party "A Call to Action." In it, he pledges to immediately enact reforms to alleviate the "segregated fee burden" imposed by this year's SFC. Unfortunately, it sounds like Senator Pugel is recycling the same old Duerstein rhetoric, that the increase in segregated fees is out pricing students from an education. Really?

What's out pricing students from an education is Governor Walker's upcoming funding cuts to the UW system. Tuition is going up, and there's nothing we can do about it. The Students are faced with a choice. Should they cut their own Seg Fees, the only part of their tution they control, and save $100 per semester? Should they cut 35K from the SA as Pugel suggests, and erase PantherFest, the SA Block Party, the Spaights Spooktacular? Shall we cut the money we just allocated to create the Inclusive Excellence Center, and fail once again to address our problem with minority retention? Should we cut funding to the Campus Activities Board, and the Union RSO Wing Renewal Project? Should we pay more tuition, and receive less in services?

You tell me.

I won't make those decisions. I won't save you $100 a semester or more. I won't promise to "Stop these increases, WITHOUT cutting student services."

I fought for them. I debated, and lobbied. ASAP worked this year to bring some meaning to your higher tuition, to give you something to look forward to. We fought to increase the number of renowned speakers this campus could bring, the number of interesting community events we could hold. We know that UWM is at a crossroads, and that every year we become less of a commuter school. We must give YOU a reason to want to go here, and continue going here. And I'm going to keep fighting, to make sure we do.