In response to proposed state budget cuts, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has announced it will eliminate about 400 mostly vacant positions and eliminate or restructure academic programs in the 2015-16 academic year.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced the cuts April 17 in her blog Blank’s Slate. They are part of a $36 million cost-reduction plan that identifies information technology, agriculture, and the arts among the most affected academic areas. Blank also said the cuts would lead to larger class sizes and fewer advisers for undergraduate students in the forthcoming academic year.
Since most of the 400 positions are now vacant, the cuts will also be made through layoffs and non-renewal of contracts.
UW administration is responding to Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed $300 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System. For UW-Madison, the cuts would result in a $96 million budget hole over the next two academic years, so additional cost-reduction measures must be taken.
