Gov. Scott Walker blasted faculty opposition to UW System President Ray Cross in a statement Tuesday, just hours before the state’s second largest public university took a vote on a “no confidence” measure on Cross.
UW-Milwaukee faculty voted without opposition to approve the “no confidence” measure Tuesday afternoon. The move comes as faculty across the state, including at UW-Madison, have pushed back on changes to tenure protections enacted by the System.
Walker and Republican leaders have said they will support Cross despite the opposition. In a statement, the governor said that the quality of education at System schools has in fact improved during his tenure.
“The facts speak for themselves,” Walker said in the release. “The bottom line is UW System funding stands at an all-time high, spending per student at UW-M is up more than 40 percent since 2002-03, and faculty is spending less time in the classroom. We want to preserve the world-renowned quality of the UW System while protecting students and taxpayers.”
Walker added in the statement that the votes of no confidence are nothing more than faculty attempting to cling to outdated provisions, at the expense of taxpayers and students.
“Some faculty bodies, including faculty at UW-M today, appear more interested in protecting outdated ‘job for life’ tenure than about helping students get the best education possible,” Walker said in the statement. “The University should not be about protecting the interests of the faculty, but about delivering value and excellence to Wisconsin.”
In a series of tweets, Walker noted that he has froze tuition for in-state students at UW schools for the past four years.
“[Former Democratic] Gov. [Jim] Doyle cut $250 million from UW System but let them make up most of it through tuition increase on students. Faculty largely quiet,” one of Walker’s tweets read.
State Democrats have said the votes are important movements after a year of drastic change for the System, including a $250 million cut in the most recent budget.
“By taking part in such an unprecedented meeting, the staff members at UW-Milwaukee should be applauded for their dedication to the Wisconsin Idea and to the success of their students,” said state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, D-Milwaukee, in a statement. “This afternoon they have the opportunity to participate in the discourse of this issue and demand change.”
