Faculty and staff in the University of Wisconsin System would receive a two-percent pay hike during each of the next two years, under a proposal unanimously approved Friday by the Board of Regents at a meeting in Madison.
UW System President Kevin Reilly says the increases will help campuses remain competitive with their peer institutions. He says the hikes are similar to what many other universities are likely to pass in the next year.
Even with an increase, Reilly says the UW is still lagging behind what other schools are paying. Failing to act, he warns, could result in that gap widening. Reilly says that would make it hard for UW campuses to continue attracting quality faculty and staff.
The proposal will need final approval from the Legislature, where it is expected to face stiff opposition. State Representative Steve Nass (R-Whitewater), the incoming chair of the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, released a statement earlier this week urging the board to consider a zero-percent increase because of the over $3 billion deficit facing the state in the next budget.