Author Archive for Michelle Felber

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.

Badgers United on UpFront

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Amber Schroeder, executive director of Badgers United, recently appeared on WISN’s UpFront (below) to discuss the group’s advocacy efforts on behalf of UW-Madison.

Launched last month, Badgers United was formed to educate the public on the economic impact of UW-Madison and encourage greater state funding for the university. The group’s board of directors includes many prominent alumni, including former Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and John and Tashia Morgridge, major donors to UW-Madison.

Schroeder told UpFront host Adrienne Pedersen that UW-Madison contributes $24 for every dollar of state support it receives. She also said the advocacy group supports lifting the tuition freeze and bringing UW-Madison resident undergraduate tuition to the Big Ten average.

Former PROFS President Judith Burstyn on News 3 Now

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Former PROFS President Judith Burstyn appeared yesterday on News 3 Now (embedded below).

Burstyn told reporter Rose Schmidt that faculty salaries at UW-Madison lag behind peers and while the current state budget proposal includes two 2 percent pay increases for faculty and staff, the university must reallocate funds from elsewhere on campus to pay for $16 million of the pay raises if tuition remains frozen and the state does not provide inflationary funding.

Newly-elected UW System Board of Regents President Drew Petersen also appeared on the newscast. Petersen told Schmidt that requiring Joint Finance Committee approval for $45 million in state funding to UW System was “a little bit heavy-handed” but he was pleased with the committee’s $1.1 billion allocation for UW System’s capital budget.

June Board of Regents Meeting

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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents is meeting at UW-Milwaukee today and tomorrow, June 6 and 7. Livestream coverage of the full board portions of the meeting is here. The full agenda is below.

Regents meet in committee Thursday morning:

  • The Audit Committee and Business and Finance Committee will meet jointly to discuss the FY 2019 audit and the Legislative Audit Bureau’s recent report on UW System.
  • The Business and Finance Committee will hear several reports and consider contractual agreements at UW-Madison, UW-La Crosse and UW-Stevens Point.
  • The Education Committee will consider new degree programs at UW-Madison, UW-Eau Claire, UW-Milwaukee and UW-Oshkosh. The committee will also hear several reports including an update on teacher education in Wisconsin from UW-Madison School of Education Dean Diana Hess.
  • The Audit Committee will discuss FY 2019 and 2020 audits and protecting the integrity of the admission process at UW System campuses.
  • The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will consider granting authority for several building projects and leases. The committee will also hear reports on the State Building Commission and 2019-21 capital budget.
  • The Research, Economic Development and Innovation Committee will hear a WiSys Technology Foundation progress report and participate in a panel discussion on preparing students for jobs in a diverse marketplace.

The full committee meets Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. UW System President Ray Cross and UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Mark Mone will address the regents Thursday. Regents will consider committee action and hear several reports Friday morning. They will also elect officers for the coming year.

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Former PROFS President Judith Burstyn on WPT’s Here & Now

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Former PROFS President and University Committee Chair Judith Burstyn recently appeared on Wisconsin Public Television’s Here & Now with Frederica Freyburg. Burstyn discussed Joint Finance Committee (JFC) action on the UW System portion of the 2019-21 Wisconsin Biennial Budget, which was approved 12-4 along party lines.

The Republican motion will continue the tuition freeze for two more years, but does not fund the freeze. The motion also included a $59 million increase in funding, $69 million less than Governor Evers proposed as part of his budget. The committee also voted to require JFC approval of how UW campuses will spend money earmarked for academic programming in high demand fields.