By Gene Kemmeter

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) administrators addressed the situation of cutting academic majors and reducing programs because of a $4.5 million structural deficit Monday, March 19.

Students at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) rallied together Wednesday, March 21, at the Sun Dial to protest proposed budget cuts that would eliminate 13 humanities and art major programs at UWSP. The students began with a walk to Old Main to occupy the building for 13 minutes as a symbol to the 13 majors being cut. After the occupation of the building, the students returned to the Sun Dial where a rally featured speeches by elected officials and students about the importance of these majors to the university and the state of Wisconsin.
(Portage County Gazette photo)

UWSP Chancellor Bernie Patterson, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Greg Summers and Interim Dean of the College of Letters and Science Eric Yonke responded to questions during a forum at the Dreyfus University Center.

The forum followed one held Thursday, March 15, to address the situation because UWSP is facing a $2.5 million deficit in 2019 and a $2 million deficit in 2020 due to dwindling financial resources, declining enrollment because fewer students are graduating from high school, more students completing graduation in four years and rising competition among universities.

Patterson said the university often hears that it lacks transparency and that’s why it has been trying to engage faculty in the past two years about the structural deficit situation and bring forward proposals to deal with it.

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