Summary of October 25 Listening Session

Held on October 25, 2004
Reeve Union, Room 227
UW-Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
4:00 – 6:45 p.m.

Regent President Toby Marcovich presided from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Regent Mark Bradley presided from 6:00 – 6:45 p.m

Regents who attended the listening session were Regent President Toby Marcovich, Regent Mark Bradley, Regent Eileen Connolly-Keesler, Regent Milton McPike, Regent Chuck Pruitt, and Regent Peggy Rosenzweig.

The purpose of the session was to hear public comments on challenges facing the UW in three areas:

• Affordability of a UW education
• Recruitment and retention of top quality faculty, staff and academic leaders
• The role of UW campuses in driving the state’s economy

Thirty-two people spoke at the session and six e-mailed comments were received. Senator Carol Roessler and Representative Gregg Underheim,also attended the session.

Andrea Gullickson, Chair of the UW-Oshkosh Department of Music, remarked that, while the department has streamlined its curriculum as much as possible, it has now reached the point that students do not have a full range of courses from which to choose, and that time to degree for music majors has been increased by about a year. She also urged that no more money be taken from auxiliaries to fund financial aid and pointed out that budget cuts on remodeling of the department’s 30- year-old building eliminated climate controls, causing ongoing damage to musical instruments.

Glen Grzyb, Chair of the UW-Oshkosh Department of Sociology, commented that the remarkable stability of American society is due in part to the fact that all segments of the population have had the opportunity, through education, to climb the social and economic ladder and make a better life for themselves and their families. Now, however, that ladder is seen as increasingly difficult to climb due to the rising cost of education which results from cost-shifting from the state to tuition. Because availability of grants has decreased, students increasingly must turn to loans to finance their education or forego college altogether. The consequence, he warned, will be a hardening of class lines, reduced opportunities and a sense of hopelessness among those who feel unable to reach for the American dream.

John Vette, CEO of SNC Manufacturing, commented that, while debt is a challenge for students, education still is a good value as long as the quality of that education is maintained. Declining access for lower-income students should be dealt with by making available as much financial aid as possible and by increased promotion in the high schools of the life-long benefits of higher education.

Andrew Hable, a UW-Milwaukee student, commented that too many students are being priced out of higher education and that the board’s budget request for increased financial aid is helpful. Increasing tuition, he stated, should be a last resort.

James Keller, of J.J. Keller Associates, commented that people need access to higher education in order to enjoy a high-quality life.

Joyce Bytoff, of the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Group, suggested investing more heavily in the UW Colleges, which have lower tuition rates than other universities. She commended the development of collaborative degrees with four-year institutions and suggested that UW Colleges could offer bachelors degree programs as a means of increasing the number of college graduates in the state.

Dave Omachinski, President and CEO of Oshkosh B’Gosh, commented that bright lower-income students are being lost because of the rising tuition and he urged that the state put its focus back on education because those students represent the future of the state.

Melanie Schroeder and Stephanie Currick, UW-Fox Valley students, commented that the Colleges provide access for lower-income and first-generation students and that more degrees should be offered on those campuses. They also remarked that rising tuition causes students to work more hours so that they have less time to study and participate in co-curricular activities.

Bridget Bell, a UW-Oshkosh student, commented that increasing financial aid to cope with tuition increases would not help students like her who do not qualify for those benefits. She works four jobs while taking 18 credits.

John Burr, Chair of the UW-Oshkosh Philosophy Department, urged the board to oppose the trend toward privatizing higher education and shifting costs to students.

David Herrick, Vice President of the UW-Fond du Lac Student Government, remarked that the steep increase in tuition has hurt him personally and that it is not uncommon for students to work multiple jobs. He urged that state funding for the UW be restored.

Eric Buhrow, President of United Students in Residence Halls at UW-Oshkosh, spoke against having students pay for their own financial aid by taking auxiliary money that had been set aside for student needs in residence halls and other areas.

Steve Dutch, a geologist at UW-Green Bay and a member of The Association of UW Professionals, commented that tuition is rising faster than inflation because the share of state support state support is declining. He suggested reducing regulatory micro-management and state mandates in order to save money.

John Lenz, of CMS Research, Oshkosh, noted that he runs the Rocket Club, in which young students learn the scientific method through experiments and develop their interest in this area. It is the mission of the university to satisfy their growing curiosity and desire to learn. He commented that, with the inspiration of talented faculty and staff, some of these students now work for NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and that the UW needs to hire and retain the best people in order to continue to serve students well.

Fran Finley, of Affinity Health Systems, commented that, just as in her organization, it is necessary for the UW to offer competitive compensation in order to recruit and retain quality people. Noting that the UW lags in this area, she pointed out that lack of competitive compensation contributes to loss of talented faculty and staff. For example, nursing faculty with doctorates are paid much less than they could earn in the private sector, a situation which causes a shortage of faculty to train the new nurses that are so much needed now and in the future.

Aaron Scherer, Executive Director of the UW-Oshkosh Paine Art Center, commented that professionals seek an environment where they are respected and that, if the proposed amendment to ban same-sex marriages passes, he and his partner will leave the state. Lack of domestic partner benefits, he pointed out, also places the UW at a competitive disadvantage in recruitment and retention.

Craig Culver, founder and head of Culver Franchising Systems, commented that it is very important to be competitive in pay in order to attract the best people and that the UW should become the “employer of choice”. He also suggested that outstanding teachers should be paid more than others.

Rosemary Smith, undergraduate program director and member of the faculty in the UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing, commented that replacement of retiring faculty is a major problem for the department because their salaries are not competitive and are far below the mean of their peers.

Suzanne Marnocha, of the UW-Oshkosh College of Nursing faculty, pointed out that there are few faculty in the college who have doctorates because they could earn so much more in the private sector. In response to a question by Regent Bradley, she indicated that their salaries are $20,000 to $25,000 below market and that they recruit on both the state and the national level.

Sara Weinzirl, UW-Oshkosh Nursing Student Council President, commented that shortage of faculty in the college has caused deterioration in working conditions for remaining faculty, who must work longer hours and teach more courses in order to provide students with the education that they need.

John Vette, CEO of SNC manufacturing, Oshkosh. He expressed the hope that a way can be found to pay competitive salaries so that the university can maintain its high standards. He suggested that ways be explored to increase productivity.

Andrew Hable, a UW-Milwaukee student, commented that students are only willing to accept a 4.3% tuition increase if there is a GPR increase that will help compensate faculty and staff. He also expressed support for competitive salaries for academic leaders.

Joyce Bytoff, of Coldwell Banker Real Estate, commented that enrollments have increased while faculty and staff positions have decreased, causing stressful working conditions for those who remain.

Crystal Heckert, of the UW-Oshkosh Student Association, commented that the university should offer domestic partner insurance benefits both for competitive and equity reasons. She pointed out that AJR 66 would not allow these benefits to be offered, resulting in problems in recruitment and retention of students, as faculty and staff, and in increased brain drain from the state. She asked the board to look for ways to fund domestic partner benefits if the state does not provide funding.

Thomas Bertram, President of the UW-Oshkosh Student Association, commented that students deserve high quality faculty, staff and academic leaders and that it is unacceptable to have them hired away due to uncompetitive salaries. While students will pay their part, he pointed out that they have already done much more than their share and can no longer afford this responsibility. Therefore, they would not support a tuition increase above 5%. He further stated that it is necessary to pay competitively in order to attract and retain leaders who are able to manage effectively and efficiently to reduce costs. However, these salaries should not be funded from auxiliaries, tuition, fees or removal of faculty positions. Finally, he commented that compensation packages should be equitable as well as competitive and should include domestic partner benefits.

Douglas Heil, Professor of Communication at UW-Oshkosh, commented that, while he supports increasing pay on the basis of solid performance, the merit system of pay increases does not work well, destroys collegiality, and may harm retention. In addition, he felt that lack of ability to bargain collectively is demoralizing, especially when 0% pay increases have caused many faculty to leave the state.

Bridget Bell, a UW-Oshkosh student, commented that faculty and staff at UW-Oshkosh care about students as individuals, involve them in undergraduate research and bend over backwards to help them learn. She felt they deserve to be rewarded for going the extra mile for students.

John Berg, Chair of the UW-Oshkosh Philosophy Department, commented that faculty recruitment and retention has been difficult and that the most able people hesitate to come or decide to leave because of concern that the UW’s quality and reputation are slipping. There also is concern about downsizing of the Liberal Arts and the need to buttress these programs.

Lee McCann, President of the UW-Oshkosh Faculty Senate, commented on the long-term trend of declining state support for the university, noting that the Department of Psychology had more faculty members in 1970 than it does now, even though there are many more students to teach. There has been 50% turnover in the department in the last four years, with faculty leaving for higher salaries and lower teaching loads at other universities. He noted that class size in the department has increased by 50% in the last three years and that students are paying more and getting less.

Ann Malain, a psychologist at the UW-Oshkosh Counseling Center and Co-Chair of the LBGTQ Council, commented that success in recruitment and retention of faculty and staff requires an inclusive climate. In that regard, she felt that lack of domestic partner benefits and the proposed amendment to ban same sex marriages would hamper the university in attracting diverse and talented people to campus. She indicated that she may leave for a more inclusive setting and that others feel the same way.

Dan Meinhardt, assistant professor of Biology at UW-Green Bay, commented that there is a public perception that faculty pay is much higher than it actually is. He suggested that people be educated about the reality of faculty salaries and responsibilities.

Warren Johnson, Chair of the UW-Green Bay Chemistry Department and a member of The Association of UW Professionals, remarked that he teaches because he is motivated by the changes he sees in his students. He expressed concern that faculty have no right to collective bargaining and no input in the decision-making process.

Bill Biglow, President of The Association of UW Professionals at UW-Oshkosh, asked the board to support a bill to allow faculty to bargain collectively as a means of improving salaries and working conditions, while protecting academic freedom. If collective bargaining had been in place, he did not think faculty salaries would be so far behind their peers.

Six e-mailed comments from UW-Stevens Point students expressed support for domestic partner benefits and opposition to the proposed amendment against same sex marriages, noting that the amendment would prevent implementation of domestic partner benefits and deter quality educators and students from coming to UW campuses.

Craig Culver, founder and head of Culver Franchising Systems, commented that the UW is very important to businesses in Wisconsin. He asked that the UW continue to partner with business and technology to grow high-paying jobs that will keep talented graduates in the state and attract more.

Doug Pearson, Executive Director of Chamco, Inc. – the Oshkosh Industrial Development Corporation, commented that UW-Oshkosh is a key catalyst in recruiting business to the area, development of existing businesses and entrepreneurial development. The College of Business Administration anchors efforts to attract new business and provides valuable workforce development resources. For example, the Small Business Development Center provides high quality business counseling to businesses throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The Center for Community Partnerships brings the resources of the university to business and the broader community. The Wisconsin Family Business Forum has served over 400 entrepreneurs throughout the area. The E-SEED program provides entrepreneurial training in collaboration with Fox Valley Technical College and has been responsible for over 40 business startups. Other exciting initiatives are under consideration. For the university to continue to spur economic growth, he said that it must have the resources necessary to work effectively with its many partners.

John Vette, CEO of SNC Manufacturing, commented that his company is highly dependent on UW graduates for success in business and that the university’s research and executive training also are very valuable. He urged establishment of more such partnerships.

James Keller, CEO of J.J. Keller and Associates, Neenah, commented that his business hires many talented graduates from the UW and that the university and business need to continue to work together as a team to grow Wisconsin’s economy.

Dave Omachinski, President and CEO of Oshkosh B’Gosh commented that his business along with many others hire many talented graduates from the university. While he understands that state funds are limited, he felt that budget cutting has gone too far and that reinvestment in the university is necessary for the success of companies like his.

Bill Whitlock, Regional Vice President of U.S. Bank, commented that UW-Oshkosh is a driving force for the economy and that its job creation and spending by the university, faculty, staff and students provide an enormous economic benefit for the entire area.