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Extra funding must be accounted for by UW campuses

Increasing the number of graduates from University of Wisconsin institutions with degrees in high-tech, high-paying fields is listed as a priority in the UW System biennial budget. Showing the Legislature that these numbers are on the rise is a priority to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.

Economic development is important to the state, said Kathleen Sell, associate vice president of budget and planning for the UW System. The average per capita income of Wisconsin residents is $1,300 below the national average, while the average for Minnesotans is $1,400 above the national average, Sell said. These numbers were obtained by a study completed by NorthStar Economics, an economic research and consulting firm in Madison, Wis. 

To increase the average income of Wisconsin, the UW System has set a goal to increase enrollment by 2,550 students across the System in high-paying fields, Sell said. Each UW school must file a report in November 2002 to show whether these numbers have actually happened.  By educating more students in these areas, it is hoped more graduates will stay in Wisconsin and replace the aging population of the state.

The increase in these programs will be tracked at each campus to show the UW System’s commitment toward reached the goals it set to the Legislature, Sell said. 

“We will be demonstrating the growth we’ve promised,” Sell told the regents in a meeting on Oct. 4 at UW-Eau Claire.

Chancellors at each UW institution must complete forms to show progress in numbers.

“We owe it to our state government to respond to what we’ve promised we would do,” regent Frederic Mohs said in response to showing progress to the Legislature. 

And while increasing student enrollment is a key part of the process, chancellors must also account for how much money is being spent.

“We want to track the use of dollars, not just enrollment,” said Frank Goldberg, associate vice president for policy analysis and research in the UW System. 

Programs that will see boosts in funding include the transportation and logistics major at UW-Superior, where certification programs also will be developed. Non-credit options in the area of business communication will be added to the curriculum of UW-Parkside. 

At UW-Eau Claire, 160 new majors will be added within the computer science and management information systems majors, said Andrew Soll, vice chancellor of business affairs and student services. Next year, $2.1 million will be given to the university to put toward hiring 10 new faculty members in these areas, as well as two graduate assistants and six other staff members.

The possibility of adding one or two computer labs is being examined, Soll said, and with that comes the cost of keeping the computers up-to-date in a time when computers can become obsolete within a few years.

“Everything in the world is moving toward more technology,” said Brandon Degolier, a senior MIS major at UW-Eau Claire. And while Degolier supports increased funding for technology, he questioned whether it would be beneficial to create 160 new majors. Companies want employees who are well-rounded and able to do many areas of work, and specializing too much might be detrimental, he said.

Computer labs are very important to students studying technology, said Brandon Richards, a senior MIS major at UW-Eau Claire. He estimated he spends five hours a day working on computers, and that is less time than he spent when he took classes that dealt with programming.

Hiring faculty in high-tech areas is very costly, Richards said, and students are showing an interest in obtaining MIS degrees.

“The university is doing a good job focusing on careers a lot of students are going into,” Richards said.

Having smaller class sizes would be beneficial for learning, said UW-Eau Claire senior Kim Sapetta, also a MIS major. She said the increased funding would provide better opportunities for those interested in learning computer skills.

“It would give us a benefit over the other schools,” Sapetta said. 

The hiring process already has begun to ensure faculty can be ready to teach in the fall, Soll said.

The emphasis on creating high-paying jobs is something Theresa Darnell understands, but she wants the UW System to keep in mind that there are other areas that need funding too, and not all of these areas create jobs that bring in big money to the economy.

Darnell is a senior history education major at UW-Eau Claire, where admission to the School of Education is limited each year to a certain number of students. She said she is happy with the education department, but wants the Legislature to keep in mind that special programs in schools need money directed toward them.

“If they could throw some funding our way, that would be great,” she said. "Teachers  have important jobs too."