UWS Cuts More Programs, Faculty Positions

SUPERIOR - The University of Wisconsin-Superior is making more cuts to programs and positions. It's been a long financial struggle for UWS, and Friday students and staff got news of what programs will be cut and what positions will be lost going forward.UWS officials say making $2 million in cuts has been hard on everyone, but they say they've done their best to make the impact on students as minimal as possible."I think it's hard for everyone involved. I know it's hard for me, but it's necessary,” said UWS Student Body President Mack Peters. “If the money's not there, it's not there and I'm just glad that the students were able to be a part of this process." The chancellor announced the university will suspend four programs from the curriculum, and also cut four full-time faculty positions.  Suspended programs will include a bachelor’s concentration in applied discrete math, and minor programs in French, French education and German.The university will still offer a math major and a German minor.Students already in those programs will get three years to finish out their studies, and no new students will be accepted. The changes will save the university about $250,000. "There is no easy way to do something like this,” explained Lynne Williams, the director of marketing and communications at UWS. “Anytime you go through a budget reduction, anytime that you have these kinds of difficult kinds of conversations it gets emotional. It gets stressful and we're aware of that." It's taken the university 16 months to decide where to make the cuts and university leaders say they couldn't have done it without the support of students and passionate community members who've stepped up to the plate."The passion that we have seen from community members, students, alumni - it's encouraging," said Williams. For active students on campus, like Peters, Friday’s announcement gives the UWS community closure because now they know what's in store for the future."It's never ideal to cut anything from the campus,” said Peters. “With the state that we're in right now it's definitely not good." Rumors of cutting winter commencement were also addressed.  Officials say only about 100 students walk in winter graduation and cutting the ceremony will save them $20,000. As part of the cuts, a handful of programs are under review and could be eliminated if students don't enroll in them. The university has previously announced they’ll suspend the Communicating Arts graduate program, graduate programs concentrating on art history, studio art, and art education, MSE-Instruction concentrations in reading, library science, and library media/media specialist, specialist degree in educational administration with concentrations in director of special education, director of instruction, principalship and school business administration. They’ve also cut the bachelor program with a concentration in jazz studies. Previous minors including library science and library science teaching have also been cut. So far, UWS has made $1.8 million in cuts and its still has about $200,000 to go to reach their goal of cutting $2 million by 2016.