Greg Lampe, Provost and Vice Chancellor of UW Colleges, spoke with UWMC faculty and students during a visit to the campus on Oct. 29. Lampe, a former communications professor, department chair and campus dean, conducted on-site visits at all thirteen UW Colleges. During his meeting with students, Lampe entertained questions from Student Government Association (SGA) officers on a number of issues.
SGA President Jeff Heise questioned Lampe about the funding structure for mental health resources which are currently provided via segregated funds. “Seg” fees are paid by students separately from UWMC tuition and are used to pay for activities that directly benefit the student body. Heise has been considering an adjustment to the funding for mental health resources that would shift its cost to a different part of the budget, freeing money that could offset a raise in segregated fees next year.
In response to other questions about budget issues, Lampe discussed how the recent economic downturn has led to cuts in funding. In a slow economy, the state government receives less tax revenue from businesses. The budget proposed by the governor and approved by the state legislature is dispersed to the UW System where it is passed to the UW Colleges. Lampe emphasized that budget reductions are ultimately assigned by the state legislature. In the same manner that funds are dispersed, the cuts in funding are also passed along. This has led to unexpected changes in the budget for allocable segregated fees. As one example, Heise said that a significant amount of funding for student housing which had been carried over from last year was taken from the budget without warning or explanation. Lampe said such incidents are unfortunate and a symptom of the state deficit. He explained that the UW System has been forced to respond to cuts handed to it by the legislature by looking to places where money is not being used for an immediate purpose. Lampe was unable to offer SGA any assurances about how unallocated funds would be handled in the future if the state budget deficits continue.
Lampe discussed the implications of the H1N1 swine flu virus within the UW Colleges. As the chair of an ad-hoc committee formed by Chancellor David Wilson, Lampe has been involved with determining how the UW Colleges will handle outbreaks of the virus. According to Lampe, the committee had done extensive planning even before the virus reached a pandemic status. The committee has been monitoring cases of flu-related illness throughout the UW Colleges via its website and local reporting. Lampe said the administration would not hesitate to shut down individual campuses if the virus becomes widespread. The committee has also encouraged campuses to put out information on prevention strategies to help people avoid contracting the virus. Lampe stated the administration will take measures to protect the well-being of its students and faculty above any other considerations.
The provost discussed his support for textbook rental programs and was encouraged by the results of textbook rental at UW-Richland and UW-Stevens Point, where students who use the program enjoy significantly reduced expenses. Lampe feels this model coincides with making the university more accessible to those with limited financial means and hopes to expand the program to other campuses.
When asked by Heise if students should have more representation in the affairs of the UW System, Lampe said he was pleased with the current governance structure. At the campus level, Lampe feels the student body has many channels for influencing decisions and controlling the budget, such as membership on campus committees. In matters of the state administration, Lampe said the student members of the Board of Regents are highly respected and carefully listened to. He explained that students in the UW System have far more opportunities for representation compared to other states.
