The State Building Commission on a virtual meeting approved two UW System comprehensive budget adjustments and requests for authority to construct, advancing planned campus projects and budget changes for the University of Wisconsin system.

The approvals matter because they clear institutional budget and construction steps that allow the UW System and campuses to move forward on capital projects and spending changes; commissioners also pressed the university for baseline data on graduate retention to measure the state return on its investment.

Representative Billings moved to approve the first item, described as “the UW System comprehensive budget adjustments and authority to construct part 1,” and Barb Wurster seconded the motion. The motion passed by voice vote with no objections recorded, and the chair declared the motion carried.

Representative Billings then moved approval of item 2, “the UW System comprehensive budget adjustments, part 2,” and the commission conducted a requested roll-call vote. Governor Evers voted aye; Senator Paff voted aye; Senator Felskowski voted aye; Senator Jacque voted no; Representative Billings voted aye; Representative Swearingen voted no. The commission approved the second item on that roll-call vote.

During discussion before the votes, Representative Billings raised questions about the UW System’s student residency and post-graduation retention, asking the university to track how many graduates live and work in Wisconsin two and five years after graduation. Billings said the UW System has “approximately 31% out-of-state students,” that UW–Madison’s out-of-state share is “55%,” and that the college of engineering “is approximately 60%,” with “about a third of those are international students” and “about a third of those are from China.” Billings asked the University System to provide baseline tracking so the commission could later assess the impact of capital investments on in-state graduate retention.

A commission staff member acknowledged the request and said the university system would be asked to provide the information. No legal citations or specific funding breakdowns for the budget adjustments were stated on the record during the meeting.

Votes at a glance: Part 1 — UW System comprehensive budget adjustments and authority to construct, part 1: motion moved by Representative Billings; seconded by Barb Wurster; outcome: approved by voice vote, no objections recorded. Part 2 — UW System comprehensive budget adjustments, part 2: motion moved by Representative Billings; seconded by Barb Wurster; roll-call outcome: approved (Aye: Governor Evers, Senator Paff, Senator Felskowski, Representative Billings; No: Senator Jacque, Representative Swearingen).

The commission chair adjourned the meeting after the votes; staff said they would pass Representative Billings’s data request to the UW System for follow-up.