System merger opposed
Resolution opposes proposed UW administrative consolidation
Susan MacLaughlin
Issue date: 5/12/05 Section: Campus News
As many students anxiously finish final projects and study for exams, Student Senate looked to the future Monday night as it considered the ramifications of tying UW System two-year colleges to the System's four-year universities. Senate decided that such a connection would be detrimental.
Senator Jon Radcliffe and Academic Affairs Director Avril Flaten brought a resolution to Senate in opposition to proposed mergers between the two types of campuses.
In a final vote, Senate passed the resolution in opposition to any merger plans by a vote of 15-5-2.
While no legislation is currently being considered by the State Legislature on the issue, Senator freshman Erika Dinkel-Smith said Senate needed to take a stand on the issue before convening for summer recess because the issue would likely come up before the Legislature passes the 2005-2007 biennium budget in August.
Senator Brandon Buchanan said he did not want to see two-year colleges tied to four-year universities. Students who attend two-year campuses often have specific needs. Many students at two-year campuses attend them for specific reasons, such as lower tuition and the need to start their college careers more slowly.
"We need to nip this thing in the bud," Buchanan said.
One of the problems with making two-year schools, like UW-Barron County, satellites of four-year universities, like UW-Stout, Flaten said, is that quality and services at both schools would likely go down as a result of sharing key figures, such as administration.
"The quality of service at a school like Eau Claire wouldn't be the same," she said. "The concerns of a two-year institution and a four-year institution are very different."
Vice President Deanna Breault supported the resolution, but voiced concerns that Senate may be acting hastily on the issue.
"It's sort of like we're putting the saddle before the horse and we don't know what horse we're riding off into the sunset on yet," she said.
Senator Jon Radcliffe and Academic Affairs Director Avril Flaten brought a resolution to Senate in opposition to proposed mergers between the two types of campuses.
In a final vote, Senate passed the resolution in opposition to any merger plans by a vote of 15-5-2.
While no legislation is currently being considered by the State Legislature on the issue, Senator freshman Erika Dinkel-Smith said Senate needed to take a stand on the issue before convening for summer recess because the issue would likely come up before the Legislature passes the 2005-2007 biennium budget in August.
Senator Brandon Buchanan said he did not want to see two-year colleges tied to four-year universities. Students who attend two-year campuses often have specific needs. Many students at two-year campuses attend them for specific reasons, such as lower tuition and the need to start their college careers more slowly.
"We need to nip this thing in the bud," Buchanan said.
One of the problems with making two-year schools, like UW-Barron County, satellites of four-year universities, like UW-Stout, Flaten said, is that quality and services at both schools would likely go down as a result of sharing key figures, such as administration.
"The quality of service at a school like Eau Claire wouldn't be the same," she said. "The concerns of a two-year institution and a four-year institution are very different."
Vice President Deanna Breault supported the resolution, but voiced concerns that Senate may be acting hastily on the issue.
"It's sort of like we're putting the saddle before the horse and we don't know what horse we're riding off into the sunset on yet," she said.
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