University of Wisconsin–Madison
Human Resources

Position Cap: Information and Resources

UW–Madison relies on its workforce to fulfill its teaching, research, and outreach missions. Campus leadership has been working with colleagues at the Universities of Wisconsin to implement the position cap that was included in the agreement approved in December 2023 between the Board of Regents and the state legislature.

Several key areas are exempted from the position cap, including faculty, student- and patient-facing roles, instructional staff, and positions funded primarily through gift and grant funding. Additional details are provided on this web page to clarify which positions at UW–Madison are exempt from the position cap.

Learn more

Questions?

If you have questions or need assistance, please contact the human resources office in your school, college, or division.

Background

In December 2023, the UW System Board of Regents approved an agreement between the Universities of Wisconsin and state legislative leadership to move forward critical priorities of UW campuses across Wisconsin, including the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The agreement includes a provision that required the Universities of Wisconsin to institute a system-wide cap on hiring a range of positions for three years beginning Jan. 1, 2024, with a number of important exclusions.

Language detailing the agreement can be found in the resolution document.

Position Cap Exemptions: Criteria and Definitions

  1. Research positions funded at 75% or more by gift/grant/contract

    1. Positions that (both):
      1. Spend 75% of their FTE over the course of the appointment term designing, conducting, providing direct physical or technical support for, or analyzing the results from experiments, investigations, or studies designed to expand knowledge in a particular field or discipline.
      2. Whose salary cost at the point of hire is expected to be funded at 75% or more by any individual or combination of the following funds reported to the Joint Committee on Finance; or, for funds not listed below, where the hiring unit can clearly demonstrate that the funding source for the position is an external gift, grant, or contract.
        1. Fund 130 – State Laboratory of Hygiene
        2. Fund 133 – Non-Federal Grants and Contracts
        3. Fund 135 – Gifts & Donations – Wisconsin Alumni Research Association
        4. Fund 165 – Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Non-State Agency Fees
        5. Fund 233 – Gifts – General
        6. Fund 533 – UW–Madison Athletics – Gifts & Grants
        7. Fund 142 – Fed aid – Hatch Adams – Land Grant Research
        8. Fund 143 – Fed aid – Smith Lever – Land Grant
        9. Fund 144 – Fed aid – Special Projects
        10. Fund 145 – Fed aid – Work Study
        11. Fund 147 – Fed aid – Student Loans
        12. Fund 150 – Fed aid – Federal Indirect Cost Reimbursement
        13. Fund 199 – Veterinary Diagnostic Lab-Federal Aid
        14. Fund 161 – Endowment Trust Fund Income (876)
        15. Fund 163 – Discovery Farm Grants (259)
        16. Fund 172 – Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program (237)

  2. Outreach positions funded at 75% or more by gift/grant/contract

    1. Positions that (both):
      1. Spend 75% of their FTE over the course of the appointment term designing programs for or engaging directly with local communities, businesses, non-profits, or governments on behalf of the university.
      2. Whose salary cost at the point of hire is expected to be funded at 75% or more by any individual or combination of the following funds reported to the Joint Committee on Finance; or, for funds not listed below, where the hiring unit can clearly demonstrate that the funding source for the position is an external gift, grant, or contract.
        1. Fund 130 – State Laboratory of Hygiene
        2. Fund 133 – Non-Federal Grants and Contracts
        3. Fund 135 – Gifts & Donations – Wisconsin Alumni Research Association
        4. Fund 165 – Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Non-State Agency Fees
        5. Fund 233 – Gifts – General
        6. Fund 533 – UW–Madison Athletics – Gifts & Grants
        7. Fund 142 – Fed aid – Hatch Adams – Land Grant Research
        8. Fund 143 – Fed aid – Smith Lever – Land Grant
        9. Fund 144 – Fed aid – Special Projects
        10. Fund 145 – Fed aid – Work Study
        11. Fund 147 – Fed aid – Student Loans
        12. Fund 150 – Fed aid – Federal Indirect Cost Reimbursement
        13. Fund 199 – Veterinary Diagnostic Lab-Federal Aid
        14. Fund 161 – Endowment Trust Fund Income (876)
        15. Fund 163 – Discovery Farm Grants (259)
        16. Fund 172 – Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program (237)

  3. 75% of the time working directly with students and/or patients

    1. Positions that will spend 75% of their FTE over the course of the appointment term, either exclusively or in combination, engaging in frequent and consistent physical or virtual interactions that are directly related to the position’s assigned job duties:
      1. With individuals considering enrollment, accepted for enrollment, or enrolled at UW-Madison, or,
      2. With a human or animal that is under UW-Madison or an affiliate’s medical care.

  4. Other positions funded 100% by gift/grant/contract

    1. Positions not otherwise included in the “Research” (1) and “Outreach” (2) categories whose salary cost at the point of hire is expected to be funded 100% by any individual or combination of the following funds reported to the Joint Committee on Finance; or, for funds not listed, where the hiring unit can clearly demonstrate that the funding source for the position is an external gift, grant, or contract.
      1. Fund 130 – State Laboratory of Hygiene
      2. Fund 133 – Non-Federal Grants and Contracts
      3. Fund 135 – Gifts & Donations – Wisconsin Alumni Research Association
      4. Fund 165 – Veterinary Diagnostic Lab Non-State Agency Fees
      5. Fund 233 – Gifts – General
      6. Fund 533 – UW–Madison Athletics – Gifts & Grants
      7. Fund 142 – Fed aid – Hatch Adams – Land Grant Research
      8. Fund 143 – Fed aid – Smith Lever – Land Grant
      9. Fund 144 – Fed aid – Special Projects
      10. Fund 145 – Fed aid – Work Study
      11. Fund 147 – Fed aid – Student Loans
      12. Fund 150 – Fed aid – Federal Indirect Cost Reimbursement
      13. Fund 199 – Veterinary Diagnostic Lab-Federal Aid
      14. Fund 161 – Endowment Trust Fund Income (876)
      15. Fund 163 – Discovery Farm Grants (259)
      16. Fund 172 – Rural Physician Residency Assistance Program (237)

  1. Part-time student

    1. Any position with employee category of Student Help or Student Assistant, or position with SJD in Job Families of Student Assistant, or Student Hourly, and that is occupied by an individual that is concurrently enrolled in an official degree program.

  2. Positions necessary to address subsequently enacted or expanded state and/or federal compliance mandates

    1. Positions necessary to address subsequently enacted or expanded state and/or federal compliance mandates, as validated by the university’s central legal and human resources departments.

Frequently Asked Questions

More FAQs will be added as additional information becomes available. Please watch this space for updates.

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What is the position cap?

In December 2023, the UW System Board of Regents approved an agreement between the Universities of Wisconsin and state legislative leadership to move forward critical priorities of UW campuses across Wisconsin, including the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

The agreement includes a provision that required the Universities of Wisconsin to institute a system-wide cap on hiring a range of positions, with a number of important exclusions.

What are the effective dates of the position cap?

The position cap took effect January 1, 2024, and ends on December 31, 2026 (three years).

Are some positions exempt from the position cap?

Yes. A variety of roles at UW–Madison are exempt from the position cap. Generally speaking, these include faculty, instructional staff, part-time student employees, and research and outreach positions funded primarily through gift and grant funding. Additional details are provided in the list of exemptions and definitions on this web page. Schools, colleges, and divisions can proceed with hiring for these positions.

Who is responsible for implementing the position cap at schools, colleges, and divisions?

Deans, vice chancellors, and vice provosts will be responsible for managing individual school, college, and division position caps. These leaders will be required to review and sign off on all hiring activity for positions in their units that are subject to the position cap. The vice chancellor for finance and administration, the provost, and the chancellor will assume campuswide responsibility for managing the position cap.

The position cap presents our divisions and our campus with an important opportunity to assess past growth in positions and explore how to best align resources with priorities.

What about positions that provide essential services on campus, such as custodial staff? Will these positions be filled when they are vacant?

Campus leadership is working on a process, in partnership with the Universities of Wisconsin, that will enable UW–Madison to fill vacancies for priorities such as essential campus services while still fulfilling the requirements of the position cap.

UW–Madison and the Universities of Wisconsin are currently preparing to launch Workday, a cloud-based software platform that will streamline and simplify administrative processes. How does the position cap affect our ability to launch Workday successfully in July 2025 as planned?

Campus leadership has affirmed the importance of a successful Workday implementation. As we move towards implementation, the functional areas most impacted by Workday will need to collaborate closely, monitor resource needs, and present these issues to leadership as needed. In addition, there is already a campuswide structure and staffing in place to manage, implement, and monitor the transition to Workday, as well as a central Workday team at the Universities of Wisconsin.

Does the position cap have any impact on the salary of new hires or the pay ranges provided in posted positions?

No. The position cap has no bearing on the salary of new hires or the pay ranges advertised in positions that are posted.

Is there a difference between a position cap and a position or hiring freeze?

Yes. A position cap sets a limit on the number of positions that can be filled within an organization, while a position or hiring freeze stops hiring for positions (vacant or new positions) altogether. UW-Madison and the Universities of Wisconsin are subject to a position cap – meaning that we cannot exceed a set limit of filled positions, but where filling of vacancies and creation of new positions can occur so long as we remain within the established limit of filled positions. In some cases, individual schools, colleges, and divisions may choose to not create a new position or refill a vacancy in order to not exceed their set limit of filled positions, but these decisions should be the result of careful position analysis as part of managing the position cap.

Will the position cap result in layoffs?

Schools, colleges, and divisions are expected to manage their individual position caps without the use of layoffs or non-renewals. As always, layoff or non-renewal may still occur due to funding loss or a budget/program decision to end an appointment, but decisions on layoffs or non-renewal should not be made solely to manage individual school, college, and division position caps.

If a school, college, or division chooses not to refill a position, does that mean remaining staff workloads will increase?

There will be times when, in order for us to do new and innovative things, schools, colleges, and divisions will need to determine what not to do. In some instances, a school, college, or division may choose not to refill a vacant position or may choose to explore alternatives such as shared services or coordination across multiple units. Schools, colleges, and divisions should consider alternatives, such as shared services or coordination across units, to ensure that they are minimizing any potential impact to remaining employees in a unit or department.

Will hiring timelines or staffing levels be impacted?

UW-Madison’s goal is to meet the spirit and intent of the agreement without inhibiting our ability to fill positions across campus needed to support and advance our mission. We must continue to effectively staff the many activities and critical functions that support the university.

Last updated: July 12, 2024 9:35 AM

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