Author Archive for Michelle Felber

October Board of Regents Meeting

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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-Superior Thursday and Friday, October 10 and 11. Livestream coverage of the full board portions of the meeting is available here.

Regents meet in committee Thursday morning after a tour of the Lake Superior Research Institute ballast water treatment system testing facility.

  • The Business and Finance Committee will hear a report from UW-Superior, discuss several reports relating to investments and financials, and consider eight contractual agreements at UW-Madison.
  • The Education Committee will consider three new degree programs, including a bachelor of arts and bachelor of science in data science at UW-Madison. The committee will also discuss changes to four Regent Policy Documents, including one relating to laboratory animals.
  • The Audit Committee will discuss the internal audit, compliance, and risk management.
  • The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will hear a report from UW-Superior and consider granting authority to several campuses for construction projects, including the Camp Randall renovation and Field House repair project.

The full board will meet Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. UW System President Ray Cross and UW-Superior Chancellor Renée Wachter will address the board Thursday afternoon before moving into closed session to discuss honorary degrees, two salary adjustments at UW-Madison, chancellor evaluations, and legal issues.

On Friday, the board will hear updates from Cross and UW System Board of Regents President Drew Petersen. The regents will also vote to approve an amendment to student disciplinary rules. The amendment would outline punishment for students who disrupt free speech on campus. Regents adopted a policy in 2017 but it does not take effect until UW System administrative rules are amended.

Administrative rules must be approved by Governor Evers before they are sent to the legislature. A spokeswoman for Evers recently said the governor voted against this policy when he was a member of the Board of Regents and he continues to oppose the policy.

Last month, two bills (Assembly Bill 444 and Senate Bill 403) relating to campus speech were introduced. This legislation directs the Board of Regents to create a campus speech policy that would supersede and nullify any prior Board of Regents or institution policies or rules restricting free expression. PROFS is registered against these bills. If either bill passes the legislature, it must still be signed into law by the governor before becoming law.

October Legislative Update

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This legislative update was distributed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate meeting yesterday. The senate meets the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm in Room 272 Bascom Hall during the academic year, October through May, except in January.

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Regent Tracey Klein Added to College Affordability Panel

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UW System Regent Tracey Klein

PROFS is pleased to announce that University of Wisconsin System Regent Tracey Klein will serve as the third panelist at the upcoming forum on affordability and public higher education on Thursday, October 24.

Klein, a health care attorney for more than 30 years, was named to the Board of Regents by Governor Scott Walker in 2016. She is a chairs the Regent Education Committee and is also a member of the Executive Committee.

The forum will focus on the cost of delivering education, why it rises, and the implication of rising expenses – pressure on the state to subsidize the cost, students to pay higher tuition and the university to raise funds and pursue partnerships.

It will be held in the De Luca Forum in the Discovery Building at 4 pm on Thursday, October 24. Klein will be joined by UW-Madison professor Nicholas Hillman (moderater) and panelists David Feldman (professor, William & Mary) and UW-Madison Vice Chancellor Laurent Heller.

Save the Date: PROFS Forum on the Cost of Higher Education

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PROFS is pleased to announce a campus forum on the cost of higher education on Thursday, October 24. This event will be held at 4 pm in the De Luca Forum in the Discovery Building, 330 North Orchard Street, and is open to the public.

Nicholas Hillman

The forum, moderated by UW-Madison Education Professor Nicholas Hillman, will examine college cost, in particular why costs have risen so dramatically in recent years and the implications of rising expenses. We will look at the the resulting pressure on the state to increase funding and students to pay higher tuition, along with pressure on the university to raise funds and pursue partnerships.

Our panel includes William & Mary Economics Professor David Feldman and UW-Madison Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Laurent Heller. A third panelist will be named soon.

David Feldman

David Feldman received his A.B. from Kenyon College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Duke University. Before joining the faculty at William and Mary in 1989, he taught at Duke and Colgate University. His current research examines college cost, the demand for higher education, and the role of federal and state policy toward higher education. He has published two books on the cost of higher education with his faculty colleague Robert Archibald, The Road Ahead for America’s Colleges and Universities and Why Does College Cost So Much?

Laurent Heller

Laurent Heller began his appointment as the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration in August, 2016. Heller has extensive experience in budgeting and finance, higher education strategy and business operations, having served as Vice Chancellor, Financial Planning and Analysis at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a graduate of UC Berkeley.

UW-Madison’s Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership is a cosponsor of this event.

Regent Public Hearing Update

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Nine members of the university community testified at a University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents public hearing Tuesday on a proposal that would outline punishment for students that disrupt speaking events on UW System campuses.

Three members of the PROFS Steering Committee offered their testimony on the proposal to the UW System staff members present: Law professor Steph Tai, Pathobiological Sciences professor Eric Sandgren and English professor Tim Yu. Yu’s statement is below. Sandgren spoke on behalf of AAUP and his statement is on their website.

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Board of Regents Public Hearing on Speech Rules

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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will hold a public hearing at 3 pm this afternoon on rules related to a policy that calls for suspending and expelling students who disrupt campus speaking events.

Members of the university community and general public are welcome to offer testimony from 3 to 5 pm today at UW-Madison’s Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street or online until August 20.

In October 2017, Regents adopted a policy that mandates suspension when a student disrupts others’ free speech twice and expulsion after the third offense. Regents voted last month to hold today’s hearing on the scope statement for permanent rules (below).

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Badgers United Forum

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Badgers United, a new advocacy group started by University of Wisconsin-Madison alumni, is hosting a public forum on the importance of UW-Madison to the state’s economy on Wednesday, July 24. More information is below:

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July Board of Regents Meeting

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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-Madison’s Gordon Dining and Event Center Thursday and Friday, July 11 and 12. Livestream coverage of the full board portions of the meeting is here.

The board meets in committee Thursday morning:

  • The Education Committee will consider approval of several degree programs throughout UW-System and the faculty layoff and termination policies at UW-La Crosse and UW-Platteville.
  • The Business and Finance Committee will consider contractual agreements at several campuses and hear an update on the title and total compensation study.
  • The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will discuss several construction projects and hear updates on the State Building Commission and capital budget.
  • The Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee will hear updates on several programs, including one from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.
  • The Audit Committee will hear an update on internal audits and UW System’s response to the Legislative Audit Bureau’s annual UW System audit.

The full board meets Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. The meeting begins with the introduction of new Regents and an update from UW System President Ray Cross.

Later, the board will vote on 2019-20 annual operating budget. All four-year campuses, including UW-Madison, are slated for modest fee increases of .1-2 percent. The board will also hear presentations on UW System’s Wisconsin Small Business Development Center Network, student behavioral health, and UW System’s shared financial and human resources systems.

Friday, the board will hear updates from Regent President Drew Petersen and UW System President Ray Cross. UW-Madison Pediatrics Professor Dipesh Navsaria will participate in a panel discussion on early child brain development. Former Regents Regina Millner and Mark Tyler will also be recognized for their service to the board.