UW System’s Reilly asks state to reconsider larger lapse

University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly has written state budget officials with a proposal for a “compromise” lapse in place of the $65.7 million giveback that could be imposed on the system for the 2011-13 biennium. Reilly says that with such a large cut with so little lead time, services will suffer and UW students will need more time to complete their degrees, which increases the cost of obtaining a diploma. UW System officials say they understand the rationale for additional givebacks — state tax revenue continues to lag — but the UW System is being asked to absorb 37 percent of the lapse when state campuses represent only 7 percent of the state’s general purposed revenue expenditures. In his memo, Reilly proposes to the DOA a lesser cut of $38 million, which represents about 22 percent of the statewide $174.3 million lapse. See news coverage.