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Friday, March 29, 2024

Thompson: 'Pushing back' against budget cuts

Credit: WISN
Duration: 07:14s 0 shares 1 views

Thompson: 'Pushing back' against budget cuts
Thompson: 'Pushing back' against budget cuts

UW System President Tommy Thompson says he is trying to work with Gov.

Evers and his administration to lessen budget cuts to the campuses.

ADRIENNE: WELCOME BACK.THE UW SYSTEM FACED CHALLENGESEVEN BEFORE COVID-19.DECLINING ENROLLMENT ANDFINANCES WERE ISSUES, BUT IT HASBECOME MORE DIFFICULT.GOVERNOR EVERS SAID HISADMINISTRATION WILL LOOK FOR ANADDITIONAL 250 MILLION DOLLARSIN COST SVINGS.TOMMY THOMPSON SAID THEY WILL BEAN OBSTACLE TO THE EFFORTS TOSAFELY PROVIDE CLASSES THISFALL.THE CAMPUSES ARE DUE TO RESUMECLASSES IN SEPTEMBER WITH AHYBRID OF ONLINE AND IN PERSONINSTRUCTION.WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THIS WITHSYSTEM PRESIDENT AND FORMERGOVERNOR TOMMY THOMPSON.WE APPRECIATE YOU MAKING TIMEFOR US.THE GOVERNOR JUST ANNOUNCEDCUTS.ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THE SYSTEMCOULD LOSE?MR. THOMPSON: WE ARE DISCUSSINGIT WITH THE GOVERNOR AND THEGOVERNOR’S OFFICE.WE THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLETO GET THE AMOUNT, BUT IT ISGOING TO BE HARMFUL TO THEINSTITUTION.WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH THEGOVERNOR AND STAFF AND I AMFAIRLY SATISFIED WE ARE GOING TOBE ABLE TO HANDLE IT.IT IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT.ADRIENN: COULD YOU TELL US THATNUMBER THAT IS OUT THERE?MR. THOMPSON: WE HAVE BEENREDUCED BY OVER $50 MILLIONTHROUGH THE FIRST CUT, BUT THESECOND CUT WE ARE STILLDISCUSSING.I DO NOT WANT TO PUT A FIGUREOUT THERE BECAUSE I AM PUSHINGBACK AND I THINK THISINSTITUTION, THE UNIVERSITY OFWISCONSIN, IS SO IMPORTANT TOTHE STATE.I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND WILLSAY IT AGAIN.NEXT TO ITS PEOPLE IT IS THEMOST VALUABLE ASSET WE HAVE.ADRIENNE: I KNOW YOU REQUESTED$110 MILLION FOR TESTING,CONTACT TRACING, PPE.DO YOU THINK SCHOOLS CAN SAFELYREOPEN WITHOUT THAT MONEY?MR. THOMPSON: YES, WE CAN.WE ARE GOING TO OPEN UP THESECOND OF SEPTEMBER AND DOEVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKESURE OUR CAMPUSES ARE SAFE, THATOUR PROFESSORS AND INSTRUCTORSAND OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BESAFE AND PROTECTED.WE ARE DOING A LOT OF THINGS.WE ARE PUTTING OUT THE PROTOCOLSFOR ALL THE CLASSROOMS, SIGNAGESO THAT YOU CAN ONLY GO ONE WAY,WE ARE ALSO GOING TO MANDATEMASKS THAT HAVE TO BE WORN INTHE CLASSROOM AND ANY PLACE YOUARE IN A ENCLOSED SPACE OR YOUCANNOT SOCIAL DISTANCE.WE ARE GOING TO REQUIRE MASKS.WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BEREQUESTING THAT STUDENTS GET FLUVACCINATIONS.WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WEPOSSIBLY CAN TO MAKE SURE THATAFTER EVERY CLASS AND EVERY DAYWE DO A TREMENDOUS IN-DEPTHCLEANING TO MAKE SURE WE AREABLE TO GET RID OF THE VIRUSWHENEVER POSSIBLE.WE ARE GOING TO OPEN SCHOOLS ANDCLASSROOMS AND WE ARE GOING TOBE ABLE TO DO SO IN A SAFE ANDHEALTHY WAY.ADRIENNE: MAKING SURE YOU KNOWWHAT STUDENTS ARE DOING IN THECLASSROOM IS ONE THING, BUT WHATABOUT OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM ANDWEEKENDS?MR. THOMPSON: I THINK THERE ISNO WAY WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLETO CONTROL YOUNG MEN AND WOMENAFTER THE CLASSROOM IS VACATED.THEY ARE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM,BUT WE THINK ALL OF OUR -- WEARE SEEING A LOT MORE STUDENTSWEAR MASKS.WE SEE SOCIAL NETWORKING ABOUTBEING SAFE.WE THINK THE SOCIAL PRESSUREFROM PROFESSORS TO INSTRUCTORSTO INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS ARE GOINGTO HAVE A TREMENDOUS IMPACT.WE ARE HOPING THEY WILL EXERCISEMORE PROTECTION AND SAFETYOUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM LIKE THEYDO INSIDE.ADRIENNE YOU ARE INCREDIBLYPASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE YOUGET THE SYSTEM BACK OPEN.WHY DO YOU WANT THAT INSTEAD OFBEING VIRTUAL?MR. THOMPSON: EVERY EXPERIENCE,EVERY SOCIAL NETWORKING, EVERYPSYCHOLOGIST THAT HAS REALLYBEEN WRITTEN ABOUT AND TALKINGABOUT NEEDS TO OPEN OURCLASSROOMS.STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE THE SOCIALINTERACTION WITH STUDENTS.THEY NEED TO MEET WITHPROFESSOR.I HEAR IT MY OWN GRANDCHILDREN,I HEAR IT FROM PARENTS, I HEARFROM STUDENTS, I HEAR IT FROMPROFESSORS.I THINK IT ADDS TO THEEXPERIENCE OF GOING TO COLLEGE.ADRIENNE: WHAT ABOUT BADGERFOOTBALL?MR. THOMPSON: THAT QUESTION ISGOING TO BE DECIDED RELATIVELYSOON.BARRY IS DOING A GREAT JOB.I KNOW HE IS DISCUSSING IT WITHTHE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ANDATHLETIC HEADS.WE WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE AREGOING TO PLAY FOOTBALL, OURSTUDENT ATHLETES ARE PROTECTED.THAT IS NUMBER ONE.IF WE CAN MAKE SURE THE STUDENTATHLETE IS PROTECTED, WE CANFLY.WITHOUT THAT I AM NOT SURE WEWILL BE ABLE TO PLAY.ADRIENNE: WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUTTHE TEACHERS WHO ARE MORECONCERNED ABOUT BEING IN THECLASSROOM?MR. THOMPSON: I UNDERSTAND THATAND I AM TALKING TO PROFESSORS.YESTERDAY I HAD A MEETING WITH AGROUP OF PROFESSORS ACROSS THEDISTRICT.WE UNDERSTAND THAT.WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT EACHINDIVIDUAL PERSON THAT IS AQUESTION OR PROBLEM.INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS MAY HAVESITUATIONS WHERE THEY MAY BESYMPTOMATIC OR HAVE PROBLEMSBEING IN SCHOOL.WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THOSE BY ACASE-BY-CASE METHOD.ADRIENNE: THIS IS CHANGING GEARSA LITTLE, YOU HAVE HELPED SOMANY POSITIONS AND WHILE I HAVEYOU I WANTED TO ASK YOUR TAKE ONTHE PRESIDENTIAL RACE INWISCONSIN.MR. THOMPSON: I THINK IT ISGOING TO BE THE MOST INTERESTINGPRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ANY OF USHAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME ANDWISCONSIN IS PIVOTAL.WISCONSIN IS PROBABLY GOING TOBE THE STATE TO DETERMINE THENEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITEDSTATES.THAT IS A HIGH HONOR FOR THESTATE OF WISCONSIN, BUT I AM NOT-- I AM HERE TO TELL YOU IT ISGOING TO BE A CLOSE RACE.ADRIENNE: WHO DO YOU THINK WILLTAKE THE STATE?[LAUGHTER]MR. THOMPSON: RIGHT NOW, I AMACTING PRESIDENT OF THEUNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AND WEARE OPENING UP ON SECTOR NUMBERSECOND AND IT IS GOING TO BESAFE.VISIT THE UNIVERSITY OFWISCONSIN.ADRIENNE: WE WILL END ON THAT.THANK YOU SO MUCH.MR. THOMPSON: THANK YOU.ADRIENNE: PRESIDENT INSISTSVOTING BY MAIL WILL LEAD TO WHATHE CALLS A RIGGED ELECTION.WE HEAR FROM A REPUBLICAN PARTYCHAIRMAN WHO WANTS THEM TO STOPSAYING THAT NEXT.

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