UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank will host a series of forums this week to discuss Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed cuts to the UW System budget.
At the forums, Blank will provide an update on the budget proposal, which includes cutting $300 million from the UW System over the next two years, $86 million of which will come from UW-Madison. She encourages students, staff and community members to attend the talks to learn how the reductions will affect the university.
"As a state agency we are willing to do our part to solve the state’s fiscal shortfall, but $300 million is too much,” Blank said in a press release last week. “A two-year cut of that magnitude would result in employee layoffs and cuts to programs around campus. As the budget moves through the legislative process, I intend to keep our campus community and governance groups informed.”
Blank will hold three discussions this week: Wednesday from 11 p.m.-12 a.m. at the Health Sciences Learning Center Room 1306, Thursday from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Union South’s Varsity Hall and Friday from 9-10 a.m. at the Ebling Auditorium in Microbial Sciences.
Additional forums focused more heavily on undergraduate and graduate student issues will be held later this month.
All UW System staff may attend the sessions without loss of pay, according to the release.
A live-stream of the Thursday and Friday sessions will be available at www.budget.wisc.edu.
