Regent bill veto
Gov. Jim Doyle has wisely vetoed a bill requiring geographically linked appointments for seven members of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
Currently, there are 18 regents including the state superintendent of public instruction, the president of the technical college system and two students. The legislation would have created seven geographical districts and required one regent be named from each district.
Eight former regent presidents, both Republican and Democratic appointees, had recommended the veto. They covered the last 15 years in the role of regent president.
“Balkanizing representation and having some appointments based on geography, we are deeply concerned this commitment to the broader goals of the U.W. system will be compromised,” wrote the eight in a letter to Doyle urging his veto.
“We are concerned that appointment of regents by geography could encourage unnecessary duplication of programs across the U.W. system, thereby diluting the impact of precious taxpayer and tuition dollars,” they said.
Doyle stressed those points in his veto message.
“This bill would encourage the appointment of regents whose primary job is to advocate narrowly for the needs of campuses located in their home districts rather than to address how to most efficiently and effectively serve the broader expectations of Wisconsin’s taxpayers, businesses, and students,” Doyle said.
“I am concerned that enacting this requirement will lead to increased duplication of programs among campuses that, while providing some convenience for students attending a specific campus, will significantly increase the cost to taxpayers,” added Doyle.
The old Wisconsin State Universities (WSU) system nine universities and four freshman-sophomore campuses was merged into the University of Wisconsin – then consisting of the land-grant Madison campus plus Milwaukee, Green Bay, Parkside, 10 freshman-sophomore campuses and UW-Extension.
At the time, the WSU system had a de facto system of having a regent for each of its campuses. Prior to merger of the two systems, the state had the Coordinating Council for Higher Education, to sort out the competition between the systems. It, too, was eliminated in the merger bill. Although the enabling legislation was passed in 1971 with a merger-completion date of July 1, 1973, the merger wasn’t finalized until July 9, 1974.
Then-Gov. Patrick Lucey had called for the changes, saying it could save millions of dollars. On the other hand, it has diminished the public’s view of decision-making in higher education.
In his veto message, Doyle said the legislation assumes the existing regent appointment process seems to disadvantage campuses in the northwest or southwest parts of the state.
“However, system data indicate that state funding for these campuses as a percentage of their total budgets slightly exceeds the statewide average for the 11 comprehensive campuses and significantly exceeds the levels provided to the Madison and Milwaukee campuses,” Doyle wrote.
