The UW System learned late on Friday (Oct. 14) that all of our colleges, universities, and extension networks could lose $46 million in state taxpayer support during fiscal year 2011-12, plus an additional $19.6 million next fiscal year.
The 2011-13 State Budget provided for $174.3 million of “lapses” in state GPR funding, requiring state agencies to return funding already allocated in the budget. In a memo released Friday by the DOA Secretary, UW System would absorb $65.6 million of this cut. Although the UW System typically represents about 7% of the state’s GPR expenditures, it is being asked to absorb about 38% of this cut under the plan, subject to approval by the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance. It appears that the UW System is being asked to take a much larger share of the lapse compared to state government agencies.
This lapse will add to $250 million in cuts already allocated to the UW System in the biennial budget, coming at a time when UW institutions are well into the academic year. With near record enrollments, campuses have made firm commitments to students, faculty, and staff that cannot be reversed mid-semester.
We do not know how we can take these cuts without negatively affecting the education of our students and the expectations of their families for a quality experience. These disproportionately large cuts will hurt every UW institution’s ability to spur regional economic growth and to help all of Wisconsin emerge from a persistent economic recession.
In the coming days and weeks, UW leaders will appeal for a distribution of lapse amounts that will preserve the UW’s ability to meet the needs of its students and serve as an economic engine for Wisconsin.
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October 2011 Lapse Amounts by UW System Institution
| FY 2012 | FY 2013 | 2011-13 Total | |
| UW-Madison* | $18,106,065 | $7,702,870 | $25,808,935 |
| UW-Milwaukee | $6,207,319 | $2,643,012 | $8,850,331 |
| UW-Eau Claire | $2,345,863 | $998,844 | $3,344,707 |
| UW-Green Bay | $1,128,776 | $480,621 | $1,609,397 |
| UW-La Crosse | $1,899,341 | $808,720 | $2,708,061 |
| UW-Oshkosh | $2,257,640 | $961,280 | $3,218,920 |
| UW-Parkside | $1,066,609 | $454,151 | $1,520,760 |
| UW-Platteville | $1,305,136 | $555,713 | $1,860,849 |
| UW-River Falls | $1,306,120 | $556,132 | $1,862,252 |
| UW-Stevens Point | $1,929,202 | $821,434 | $2,750,636 |
| UW-Stout | $1,773,549 | $755,159 | $2,528,708 |
| UW-Superior | $700,290 | $298,176 | $998,466 |
| UW-Whitewater | $1,985,927 | $845,587 | $2,831,514 |
| UW Colleges | $1,749,461 | $744,902 | $2,494,363 |
| UW-Extension | $2,078,362 | $884,945 | $2,963,307 |
| UW System Administration | $295,417 | $123,223 | $418,640 |
| $46,135,077 | $19,634,769 | $65,769,846 |
* UW-Madison lapse includes State Lab of Hygiene ($691,999) and Vet Diagnostic Lab ($370,337)