While the numbers of administrators increased, instructional faculty and staff have decreased.
Years of DEI focus has pushed down enrollment of white students so they are now underrepresented.
Unrestricted PR balances are higher than they were when the legislature uncovered the secret slush fund a decade ago.
Admissions changes have brought in more underprepared students and increased remediation expenses.
State GPR support per UW student has increased at a faster rate than state budget spending.
The three campuses looking at layoffs and furloughs all increased their administrative staffing over 50% while enrollments declined.
UW System President Jay Rothman, warned during budget deliberations that 11 of 13 campuses are running a cumulative deficit of nearly $60 million and they were in desperate need of a large increase in state funds. This is the same guy who hired a new, cabinet-level Diversity, Equity and Inclusion VP in the middle of these same budget deliberations where he was begging for cash, when legislators had made it clear that DEI indoctrination spending was not on their priority list and they wanted to see DEI positions cut.
Rothman is just another in a long line of System leaders who make it their business to cry poverty and blame legislators – who they hold in clear contempt, though some are better at hiding it than others – for driving the institution into poverty and disrepute.
This year, the UW requested a $436 million increase in tax dollars; Governor Evers’ massive budget provided only $306 million more. The legislature kept funding steady, withholding $32 million that the UW is spending on a raft of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) staff, pending a report to the finance committee.