Gov. Tony Evers visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison Wednesday to tout his proposal to increase state funding for the University of Wisconsin System by $800 million in the next state budget, the largest budget increase in the system’s history.
“I think that in the Legislature, people who understand the importance of the UW System will make sure our economy is as strong as possible,” Evers said. “We have an obligation to ensure the system itself is in a good place, and it can’t be done with just nickel and diming it.”
During his campus visit, Evers met with student resident workers to answer questions, and Dejope Residence Hall with UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway to point out potential upgrades that could come as a result of the new funding. The visit was a part of the governor’s statewide back-to-school tour.
Evers emphasized that keeping student services funded is beneficial not only to students’ well-being, but Wisconsin’s economy in the long run. While Evers said he expects some pushback from the Republican-controlled Legislature on his request for more UW System funding, he believes a good compromise can be reached between Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
“It’s going to be an uphill fight. At the end of the day, people are graduating all across the state, helping the economy and doing great work. It’s all connected,” Evers said.
Student housing would receive improvements, more resources with increased funding
Student housing employees, who would have more access to the improved student services that would come with increased system funding, underscored the importance of community and student resources.
“University housing is something that makes a huge campus feel so much smaller. Your coworkers are your friends and classmates, so not only are these people you work with and try to help campus function with, but they’re also resources,” said Emmy, a sophomore University Housing employee.
Claire, a house fellow at Bradley Residence Hall, highlighted the resources she directs her residents to when they need assistance. Claire said she hopes on-campus students will continue to have confidence in university resources, like University Health Services and the dorm itself.
“I would like to see improvements in things like the bathrooms, promote good health and mental health as well,” Claire said regarding the budget increase.
Currently, Wisconsin ranks 43rd in the nation for public university spending due to massive spending cuts in the 2021-2023 state budget.
“For me, that’s irrational and not a really good place you want to be,” Evers said, acknowledging there’s room for improvement. “At the end of the day, it’s really important that students have services while they’re here so that [they] can [perform to their] best abilities as students.”
Evers admitted that as a UW System graduate himself, he and many other students took university services for granted.
“I didn’t think about that much when I was [at UW],” Evers said. However, making those resources available and accessible to students, is “important for [them] to have,” he said.
The UW System will submit its biennial budget request this fall for consideration. The governor will introduce the 2025-27 executive budget early next year.
Union representatives ask Evers to urge Mnookin to look into conferring with organizations
Towards the end of Evers’ visit, President of United Faculty and Academic Staff Barret Elward demanded Evers urge Mnookin to “meet and confer with the unions on campus.”
This comes after UW-associated higher education and faculty unions expressed frustration for being left out of important decisions that would impact union-associated workers.
“As a union, we really support the funding of student services, and that we are consulted when decisions are being made about funding, what gets cut, and new programs being added or changed,” Madeline Topf, the co-president of the Graduate Worker Union (TAA), told The Daily Cardinal.
Associated Students of Madison (ASM) signed legislation in support of TAA during a meeting on Wednesday, stating that including union groups in legislative conversations would “complement, rather than undermine, shared governance processes.”
Evers declined to comment, saying he didn’t know much about the situation and emphasizing that the focus of Wednesday’s visit was to meet with the undergraduate students but that he would “take a look” into the situation.
Staff Writer Drew Wesson contributed reporting to this story.
