The Senate Committee on Universities, Technical Colleges, Children and Families held an executive session on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 to vote by paper ballot on the following items that relate to UW System:

• SB-165 College Course Transfer: transferability of courses between the University of Wisconsin System, technical college system, and tribally controlled and private colleges. Substitute 2 was adopted in a 7-0 vote.  Passage as amended was recommended in a 6-1 vote.  
• SB-205 Military Credit Transfer: transferring academic credits from military transcripts to University of Wisconsin System schools and technical colleges. Passage was recommended in a 7-0 vote.  
• SB-334 Active Duty Service: requirements for colleges when service member students are called into active duty. Passage was recommended in a 7-0 vote.  

The Board of Regents met last week at UW-Superior. The Regents approved a report on the 2018-19 year-end program revenue balances. While total PR balances increased slightly by $11.1 million in FY19, attributable to large increases in restricted gift funds and other restricted funds, the tuition program revenue balance decreased by $55.9 million, a reduction of 56% since FY13. The Regents also heard the first report on the FY 2017-18 cost-benefit analysis summaries of foundations and other affiliated organizations. In 2017-18, UW institutions received $203.1 million from their primary foundations, while providing $9.1 million in administrative support. The Regents also approved eight requests from the Capital Planning and Budget Committee, and heard from UW-Madison, UW-Platteville, and UW-River Falls leaders on the impact the Dairy Innovation Hub will have on the state and next steps for launching Hub activities. President Cross, Board of Regents, and other UW leaders met in Grantsburg on Wednesday, October 9 to tour Four Cubs Farm, a 1,000-cow, robotic dairy operation owned by UW Board of Regent member Cris Peterson. The event was aimed at promoting the three campuses’ plans on spending the Dairy Innovation Hub funding allocated in the 2019-2021 state biennial budget.

A full summary of the October 10, 2019 meeting can be found here.

A full summary of the October 11, 2019 meeting can be found here.

The Assembly Floor session was held on Thursday, October 10, 2019. The Assembly voted to pass AB 189– Transfer of Courses with Substitute Amendment 2  and SB 266 with Substitute Amendment 1–  Health Insurance for Survivors of a Law Enforcement Officer Who Dies in the Line of Duty.  SB 266 heads to the Governor for final approval/signature, and AB 189 will be voted on by the Senate committee on Tuesday October, 15.

The Senate Floor session was held on Tuesday, October 8, 2019. The Senate voted to pass SB 142- Late payment of tuition benefits for student veterans and SB 266- Health insurance for surviving families of officers killed in the line of duty, with the amendments offered by UW System. SB 142 awaits approval from the Assembly. SB 266 also passed the Assembly on Thursday, October 10, 2019. The bill will sent to the Governor for final approval/signature.

President Ray Cross and Regent President Petersen joined UW-Superior Chancellor Wachter for a breakfast with business and community leaders for the fourth stop in the All in Wisconsin tour as part of a series of events held at UW System campuses this fall aimed at demonstrating the value the UW System brings to Wisconsin. See news release for a full recap of the event.

The Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities held an Executive Session on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 .

The committee voted to pass AB 161– Tuition Payments in a 12-0 vote. The bill included the amendment offered by UW System to clarify how federal veteran benefits work with a student’s financial aid package.

The committee also voted to pass  AB 189– Transfer of Courses with Substitute Amendment 2, which the authors consulted on with UW-System, in a 11-1 vote.

The committee also voted to pass AB 361– Requirements for colleges when service members students are called into active duty in a 12-0 vote.