DEI discussed at university hearing Monday as latest funding battle continues
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- The battle over state funding of Wisconsin's public universities continued Monday.
UW System President Jay Rothman testified in front of a Senate committee in Madison, and spoke about the ongoing fight over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
DEI programs have become the face of the philosophical battle that could hold up the state budget.
Top Republicans have demanded those programs be gutted. In response, Governor Evers threatened to veto any budget that included such cuts. All along, educators say the future of the state's workforce hangs in the balance.
Mark Mone, chancellor at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, told the Senate Committee on Universities and Funding, "Without additional investments, we will fall behind. The crown jewel that is the UW System will not continue to shine."
The UW System leaders testified Monday that the network of 13 state universities could be in serious trouble if lawmakers don't adequately fund it.
Rothman told the committee, "The war for talent is real, and it is urgent."
They said Wisconsin employers are not getting enough skilled graduates.
Rothman continued, "We are all keenly aware that we are not graduating enough engineers, and nurses, and data scientists, and educators to fulfill the needs of the state's employers."
He added, if those jobs can't be filled, they'll be moved out of the state.
In response, Rothman said the UW System has set a goal to increase the number of graduates across the system by 10% -to a total of 41,000- by 2028 in order to meet the needs of Wisconsin employers.
But funding is an issue. Rothman said while funding for Wisconsin's technical colleges is strong (fourth in country), "The public funding for our four-year university system is currently ranked 42nd out of 50 states in the nation."
That battle is in addition to the political battle over diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
Over the weekend, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos doubled down on claims that DEI is divisive. At the state Republican Party's convention Saturday, Vos told an audience, "The overt exclusion, the overt indoctrination is so deep inside the UW System, I am embarrassed to be an alumni."
After Vos first called for $32 million in cuts to DEI programs, Governor Evers threatened to veto any budget proposal with those cuts included.
But Vos did not back down, calling for even deeper cuts.
Educators and Democrats have pushed back hard.
At Monday's hearing, Rothman explained what's at stake if Vos gets his cuts. "I guess I ask the question: are we really going to look at it and say we don't want a 'women in STEM' program? Are we really going to say we don't want a veteran's program?" He continued, "Are we really not going to have programming to assist our first-generation students, who have more courage than I could possibly imagine, to take that plunge?"
But Republican committee member Senator Stephen Nass was skeptical, telling Rothman, "I think some of those that you mentioned, I'll be honest with you, are cover for what else is going on."
But Rothman pushed back, telling Nass, "They are not. They are active programs to assist students to be successful.". Rothman added, "We really need to ensure that we are welcoming, and where each of our students can come on our campuses and feel as though they belong."
Rothman said, "Those are the right things to do for society."
DEI is the most recent battle, but Democrats at all levels fear the war could be over pulling as much funding from the public universities as possible.
At a Juneteenth celebration in Milwaukee Monday, Democratic US Senator Tammy Baldwin told us, "To punish the university -our wonderful public university system- is shortsighted and wrong."
Rothman called the overall situation a "funding challenge," but Democratic Senator Kelda Roys respectfully disagreed, pointing to the state's $7 billion surplus.
Senator Roys said, "'Funding challenge' is not necessarily the right word, it's 'funding priorities' or 'political will.'"