Doyle discusses UW System faculty troubles

Some professors are leaving state, heading to Minnesota

Increasing worries that the University of Wisconsin System is starting to lose some essential talent in the faculty ranks.

Recent no-confidence votes by faculty on several campuses around the state have come at the same time Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker has belittled their concerns and championed system reforms as being good for students.  

But that’s probably more than a little short sighted, says Onalaska state rep. Steve Doyle, and it doesn’t give faculty enough credit.

“Some people think that they’re paid too much, they only work nine months out of the year, they don’t have a hard job,” Doyle said. “But the teachers we have here in Wisconsin are some of the best and the brightest in the country.”

Doyle says, in some cases, simply ending the trashing of public employees in general, and teachers in particular, would go a long way towards keeping some of them from leaving the state.  

Doyle is among those worried that diminished pay, benefits and insecure work environments will increasingly drive out valued teachers and send them to other states.  

And he believes it’s clear to see why it’s happening.

“Unfortunately what we’re seeing going on right is something education in Wisconsin,” Doyle said. “And that’s the demonization of UW faculty.”

Could it be an exodus of that faculty?

Doyle, without having solid numbers, says it’s clear many in the system are heading to other states to teach.

“Some voluntarily, some not as voluntarily,” Doyle said. “Some are leaving because the departments are shrinking, because of the budget cuts. But, others are leaving for greener pastures, some right across the border in Minnesota.”

Showing some appreciation and ending public criticism of UW faculty would go a long way toward helping that situation, says Doyle. But keeping up with other states in pay and benefits would also help.  

He also believes money-saving reforms can be made at the UW System that won’t result in faculty losing some of the benefits and quality-of-life positives that make it worthwhile to teach in a system that pays less than other similar public university systems.