Cross Says He Finds Walker’s Comments On Faculty Frustrating

University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross said he’s frustrated with Gov. Scott Walker’s suggestion that faculty could work more and teach more classes to offset budget cuts.

Walker’s budget would cut $300 million from the UW and give the university more freedom to make its own spending decisions. Walker said that freedom could let the UW ask faculty to teach more.

Speaking on Wisconsin Public Radio this morning, UW System President Ray Cross said that kind of talk frustrated him.

“I think it’s a shame that people don’t understand what faculty really do,” said Cross.

Cross said that classroom instruction is only part of what faculty do.

“It’s just like legislators,” he said. “If all we think they do is what we see them do when both chambers are in session — they only work at most a few months at best a year. That’s not any different than faculty.”

Cross said if people have issues with the UW, they should blame administrators. He said he’s tired of faculty being blamed for the university’s problems.