UW system doesn’t want to complain, but..

It’s looking more and more like they have something to hide. Chancellors of UW System schools were scheduled to testify before the UW Board of Regents about the impacts state budget cuts have had on their campuses. However, the discussion was hastily pulled from the Regents agenda and the presentations were never delivered. There was however a practice session, a dry run, of the chancellor’s speeches, which was recorded by a UW System official. After that dry run and the decision to cancel the speeches, we are learning now, the video of the speeches of UWL Chancellor Joe Gow and others was deleted. That sure seems fishy. Statutes generally require state agencies to keep video recordings for at least 100 days, but UW layers say there is a provision in the law allowing them to delete such videos. They are hiding behind a loophole. Even if they do have the legal right to destroy the video, it sure looks like they didn’t want people to find out what the chancellors have to say about the impact state budget cuts have had. Some suggest UW officials don’t want it to sound like they are whining about the past budget cuts, especially with lawmakers about to consider a new UW System budget. We shouldn’t be pretending these cuts don’t have consequences. UW Schools should be shouting about these cuts, not worrying about the political consequences.