By Kim McDarison

Two University of Wisconsin-Whitewater professors will address Greater Whitewater Committee (GWC) members during the group’s monthly meeting, which will be held early tomorrow morning.

According to information released by the group, James Hartwick and Eric Compas — both of whom serve on the UW-Whitewater Faculty External Affairs and Outreach Committee, with Compas recently presented information regarding funding inequities within the University of Wisconsin System to the Legislative Council Study Committee on the Future of the University of Wisconsin System — will further discuss the topic of funding inequities with GWC members at 7 a.m., at Whitewater-based restaurant 841 Brewhouse, 841 E. Milwaukee St.

The topic has been on the committee’s radar for some time, GWC President Jeff Knight said in a recent telephone interview.

During the group’s most recent annual meeting, held in February of last year, Knight, while addressing group members, said the committee was involved in bringing “equity” to the allocation of general purpose revenue (GPR) to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. 

During the 2023 annual meeting, Knight said that in the spring of 2022, the GWC named three lawmakers — State Sen. Duey Stroebel, and then-State Reps. Don Vruwink and Cody Horlacher — each as “Legislator of the Year,” for their efforts in introducing the General Purpose Revenue Equity Bill, which, he said, focused on creating an equitable funding formula for the UW System. 

Hartwick and Compas, a recent news release from the GWC stated, have been chosen to present information tomorrow about the GPR funding issue to GWC members because “they are both a part of the UW-Whitewater Faculty External Affairs and Outreach Committee.”

According to the university’s website, the group is a sub-committee of the faculty senate, which among other duties, “advocates for increased funding/support for the university.” A full list of the sub-committee’s duties is here: https://www.uww.edu/facsenate/committees/charge-feaoc.

Information released by the GWC in 2022 noted that the GPR funding formula in use by the state allocates funding disproportionately within the UW System. The information cited the UW-Whitewater as receiving the least amount of funding, further noted that UW-Whitewater receives about $1,500 less in funding per full-time student compared to the average number received by the comprehensive campuses in the UW System.  

A report, released by UW-Whitewater in 2022, describing funding allocations throughout the UW System, and as compared with UW-Whitewater, is here: https://www.uww.edu/documents/facsenate/meeting%20archive/2021-2022/2022-04-12_Senate/D2.%20FEAOC%20-%20UWW%20GPR%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20Spring%202022.pdf. 

Knight noted that an updated version of the study was released last month.

Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting and learn about the system funding formula, which, Knight said, has not been updated since the 1970s.

A reservation is required to attend. Those interested in making a reservation are asked to contact Knight by email: jpk@knightpublicaffairs.com or phone: 920-728-0662 by Wednesday, Oct. 9.

“I attended the study committee meeting where Eric Compas presented his GPR PowerPoint. The inequities in the funding of the formula are so severe that it demands continued attention, which is why I asked Eric Compas and James Hartwick to attend the next GWC meeting as we continue to advocate for a change in the funding formula,” Knight was quoted as saying in the most recent news release.

About Compas and Hartwick

The release noted that Compas is a professor specializing in human-environment interactions in the Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science Department at UW-Whitewater. He also is the director of UW-Whitewater’s GIS Center, which provides on-campus internships for students with off-campus clients. His teaching focuses on environmental policy and geographic information systems – mapping with computers – and emerging technologies like drone mapping and extremely accurate GPS equipment. Additionally, the release stated, Compas is working with the state of Wisconsin to understand and map the potential statewide impacts of climate change, including impacts to communities, and potential plan to adapt to potential changes.

Hartwick, the release continued, is a professor at UW-Whitewater, specializing in teacher education. He is the secondary social studies program coordinator, and also has written about teacher education and the spiritual lives of teachers. He is a former UW-Whitewater Faculty Senate chair, and, according to the release, “is deeply committed to the health of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.”

Hartwick, who has lived in Whitewater for 15 years, is a recipient of the League of Women Voters Making Democracy Work Award, the release noted, receiving that recognition, according to the league’s website, in 2017.

About the GWC

According to the release, the GWC is an action-oriented group committed to working with citizens, elected officials, and policymakers to identify, craft, and implement a pro-business agenda. The agenda advances the economic, education, and social policies required to energize and secure the Whitewater area’s economic future, as well as protect Whitewater’s quality of life.