Written Copy of Remarks at Governor's Budget Listening Session

Governor Evers and Lt. Governor Barnes,

 In my comments at this evening’s listening session (12/16/20), I made the following ask: Please review and revise the State’s Institutional Funding formula for Higher Ed from one based on Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) to one based on Total Headcount.

The FTE formula lumps multiple part-time (PT) students together to count as one full-time (FT) student in determining funding awards. As a result, Higher Ed institutions serving large numbers of PT students are unfairly supported at a lower dollar amounts than are those institutions that serve higher proportions of FT students.

 A striking example of disparities caused by using FTE-based funding formulas was seen with recent CARES ACT awards. For example, while UW-Madison that serves primarily FT students received $437/ student, the Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) that serves a much larger proportion of PT students, only received $249/ student.

 This disparity is egregious considering that:

1. The current funding model favors 4-year institutions who generally serve primarily FT students over the State's Technical Colleges who have larger proportions of PT students. For the latter, lower overall State funding then negatively affects the experience of all students.

2. The current practice suggests that PT students are of less value than FT students, emphasizing FT attendance as being the norm when that is just not the case (just over 50% of all Higher Ed students nationally now attend college part-time).

3. The current system sustains systemic racism, inequality, and inequity as PT students and those attending Community and Technical Colleges tend to be:

• Older

• Minority/ belonging to an ethnic group

• Of lower income (often can’t afford to attend FT; total cost of attendance is a bigger burden)

• The first in their family to attend college

As a result of the above, these students have more complicated lives, often needing more support from their institutions who find themselves increasingly lacking the funds to provide such.

Are these students and the systems/districts that serve them of less value and less importance to the fabric and economy of the State than those benefiting from the current FTE-based formula?

Assuming that you think not, please consider revising the State’s current Higher Ed funding formula from an FTE-based model to one that relies upon Total Headcounts. The latter model is more fair, equitable and greatly needed. If interested in learning more, you may find publications on this topic from the HOPE Center for College, Community & Justice at Temple University useful.

Thank you for listening this evening, for reading this message, and for your service to the people of Wisconsin.

Sincerely,

Lisa Conley, PhD, President, AFT Local 212 Milwaukee Area Technical College

Local 212 Believe in Students FAST Fund Board Member

* this text also submitted to Ever's Website