UW-Milwaukee Chancellor ‘Puzzled’ By GOP Lawmakers’ Stance on Higher Education

UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone. Photo courtesy UW-Milwaukee

When Mark Mone was named chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2014, he talked about wanting to create partnerships with the city’s other educational institutions and area businesses.

Over the last 11 years, Mone followed through on that promise.

Under his leadership, UWM has been instrumental in creating M-cubed, a partnership with Milwaukee Public Schools and Milwaukee Area Technical College to move high school seniors into college.

And as the Universities of Wisconsin system has closed its two-year college branches, UWM has formed partnerships with the state’s technical colleges so students can transfer all 60 credits to campus to complete a four-year degree.

As Mone steps away from his post as chancellor, that is what he’s most proud of.

“I think the partnerships make a difference for our students in terms of preparation for career pathways in health care or education or other areas,” Mone said. “Whether it’s across the technical colleges, K-12 or other higher education partners like Microsoft or Rockwell or Eaton, what we’re doing with so many employers on so many fronts, frankly, has been recognized nationally.”

That’s why Mone is surprised when he hears that Wisconsin’s legislative leaders want to cut the UW system’s budget.

On Wednesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said Republicans in his caucus support cutting the budget by $87 million. 

Mone said the UW system provides a talent pipeline for the state’s largest employers, whether it’s the arts, health care, manufacturing or police departments.

“That to me, I’m frankly puzzled,” Mone said. “I think that it will set us back to not have continued investment. The reality is, our universities face, like everybody else, inflation. There’s a number of things that we’ve held back because of tuition freezes and budget cuts over the years.”

Lawmakers won’t unveil the details of their higher education budget until next week, but the remarks by Vos are a stark difference from the funding increase leaders of higher education have asked for.

The Universities of Wisconsin ranked 44th out of 50 states in public funding in 2024 — a drop of one spot from 2023.

In May, nearly 800 business officials representing more than 500 business groups signed a letter of support for more state investment in the UW system.

UW system spokesperson Mark Pitsch said it’s time to reverse the cuts the Universities of Wisconsin has endured for more than a decade.

“Future generations should have the same educational opportunities as past generations,” Pitsch said. “And businesses and organizations agree that it’s time to invest in the state’s largest talent generator and magnet. A cut would be devastating to our campuses and communities. We are astounded that it is even a consideration, considering what is at stake.”

Mone returning to his role as a business professor

After 11 years at the helm of UWM, Mone will step down at the end of the month.

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Chancellor Thomas Gibson will become the school’s 10th chancellor on July 1. 

Over the next year, Mone will help with the transition before going back to teaching in fall 2026.

When he announced his decision last year, he said serving as chancellor requires around-the-clock attention, saying that has been as rewarding as it is challenging.

He met with WPR education reporter Corrinne Hess on Thursday for an interview that touched on many things, including legislative cuts.

The following was edited for brevity and clarity.

Corrinne Hess: UWM is classified as an R1 research university. How will the Trump administration’s decision to cut National Institutes of Health funding affect the work being done here?

Mark Mone: All research universities going forward have concerns about funding. I mean, we have seen the indirect rates throttle back to 15 percent with a lot of federal agencies. We’ve also seen some grants stopped, and that’s the direct effect. But then there’s the mindset of a lot of researchers. Whether you’re at a medical school or whether you’re at a research university, faculty’s tendencies to pursue certain types of grants will come down. And we’ve seen that.

We’ve seen applications come down at this university in terms of pursuing future federal grants. But there’s also another effect, and that is: Who’s going into these fields? Who’s going into the scientific research that is so important for industry, for pharmaceuticals, for health and life-saving?

Wisconsin joins lawsuit to block NIH funding cuts that UW says will harm patients, workers

CH: You came under fire last spring from Jewish groups and Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman for a deal your  struck with pro-Palestinian protestors to end an encampment on campus, which included a call for a ceasefire in Gaza. How do you feel you handled that?

MM: I looked at that and said what is the right thing to do for our campus, our students and our community, which is different from any other place in the state.

This was very meaningful to a lot of different individuals, and I think we handled this as well for the university as we really could have. It’s one of the most divisive, most polarizing things, and that’s the nature of this job. So you’re going to have some folks that are concerned and unhappy, and then other individuals that think this is the right thing to do. There was no absolute right answer.

CH: Is it hard to balance being an access university — admitting most students who apply — and a research university?

MM: UWM is one of 32 universities in the nation and the only one in Wisconsin ranked as high access, high research and community engaged by Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This is the most difficult campus because of exactly that, compared to other campuses that have a very distinct mission. We are very student-centric. We’re a destination university, and our students graduate and go wherever they go. Or we’re really, all about research, and this campus combines both. Know that there are some individuals who feel like there are camps. They’re not the same. I’ve been really proud of bringing those camps together.

CH: During your tenure as chancellor, you’ve battled non-Hodgkin lymphoma and more recently thyroid cancer. How is your health today?

MM: I told my wife I’m a survivor this morning — but I was talking about a redwing blackbird attack. But this is completely different — and I don’t mean to be light on this. But yeah, be careful where you are walking these days. But seriously, on the cancer front. In 2020 and 2021 I had two different diagnoses, and I was very fortunate to have a good foundation of health, good friends, family, faith that really helped pull through, as well as a great medical care.

Listen to the WPR report

UW-Milwaukee chancellor says he’s ‘puzzled’ by GOP lawmakers’ stance on higher education was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.