Category: UW

PROFS Statement on AJR 32, Declaring April to be Freedom of Expression Month

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Tomorrow, the Wisconsin State Assembly is scheduled to vote on Assembly Joint Resolution 32, legislation that would declare April to be Freedom of Expression Month across Wisconsin. The resolution was introduced last week by State Representative Dave Murphy (R-Greenville) and State Senator André Jacque (R-De Pere). Murphy chairs the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities.

While PROFS is committed to the principles of free expression, it finds this resolution to be an attack on the state’s colleges and universities:

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PROFS Testimony on AB 77, Providing Funding for Extension Services

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Emeritus Professor Steve Ventura

On Wednesday, Emeritus Professor Steve Ventura (Soil Science) testified at a public hearing of the Assembly Agriculture Committee in favor of Assembly Bill 77, legislation that provides $1 million per year in funding for state specialists in extension services at UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The funding is to aid in applied agricultural research.

PROFS submitted the testimony below and Ventura, a former PROFS Steering Committee member, spoke about the importance of such funding.

In an executive session yesterday, the committee unanimously recommended passage of the bill. The next step is for the bill to be scheduled for a vote in the full Assembly.

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PROFS President Michael Bernard-Donals’ Statement on Campus Free Speech

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Yesterday, PROFS President Michael Bernard-Donals was invited to speak on behalf of PROFS about campus free speech at an informational hearing of the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges. His remarks are below.

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Governor Evers’ Proposed Capital Budget Includes Several UW-Madison Projects

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Earlier this week, Governor Tony Evers announced his nearly $2.4 billion 2021-23 capital budget proposal. His plan includes about $1 billion for UW System, including four major projects at UW-Madison:

  • A new College of Letters and Science building to replace the aging Mosse Humanities Building, $88 million
  • The first phase of a new College of Engineering building to replace the 82-year-old Computer Aided Engineering Center, $150 million
  • Restoration of the 140-year-old Music Hall on Bascom Hill, $26 million
  • Underground utility work on the Engineering campus, an area prone to damaging floods, $73 million

WKOW-TV has more on the UW-Madison portion of the capital budget proposal:

November Legislative Update

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This legislative update will be shared with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate today. The senate meets the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm during the academic year, October through May, except in January. Guests are welcome to observe the livestreamed meetings and can find the link here.

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October Board of Regents Meeting

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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet via WebEx videoconference tomorrow, Thursday, October 8. Observers may register to watch the meeting here.

Regents meet in committee Thursday morning:

The Audit Committee will hear a progress report on the FY21 audit plan and discuss restructuring of the office of Compliance and Integrity and its youth protection program.

The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will consider approval of several UW-managed construction and renovation projects, including four at UW-Madison. The committee will also receive an update on the 2021-23 Capital Budget.

The Research, Economic Development & Innovation Committee will hear reports on UW-Green Bay’s Water Science program, the effect of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship, and Governor Evers’ Blue Ribbon Commission on Rural Prosperity.

The Business & Finance Committee will review and consider approval of the Program Revenue Balances Report and discuss two Regent Policy Documents related to foundations and affiliated organizations.

The Education Committee will consider changes to several Regent Policy Documents and and hear two reports on the current semester and online learning.

The full board meets Thursday afternoon. The board will first hear reports from Regent President Drew Petersen and UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson. Petersen is expected to provide an update on the chancellor search at UW-Stevens Point and Thompson will discuss the response to COVID-19 this fall. The board will also hear a report on student behavioral health during the pandemic and recognize the service of Regents Emeritus Gerald Whitburn and Jason Plante and former UW System President Ray Cross.

Legislative Update

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This legislative update was shared with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Faculty Senate yesterday. The senate meets the first Monday of every month at 3:30 pm during the academic year, October through May, except in January. Guests are welcome to observe the livestreamed meetings and can find the link here.

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UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson WisconsinEye Interview

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University of Wisconsin System Interim President Tommy Thompson was interviewed yesterday by Steve Walters of WisconsinEye. Thompson spoke about the recent spike in COVID-19 cases at many UW System campuses, including UW-Madison.

Thompson told Walters he expects in-person instruction to resume at campuses that have implemented two-week pauses in an effort to drive down cases of the virus. UW-Madison is in the second week of its pause of on-campus classes.

August Board of Regents Meeting

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The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet via teleconference Thursday, August 20. Registration to watch the public portions of the meeting is here. The full agenda is here.

Regents begin at 8:45 am with committee meetings:

  • The Business and Finance Committee will consider approval of several contracts and agreements and hear reports on shared services, information security, and state and federal COVID-19 assistance.
  • The Education Committee will consider several new programs, including three at UW-Madison — a Master of Science in Financial Economics, a Master of Science in Information and an Educational Specialist in School Psychology. The committee will also vote on the temporary suspension of the SAT/ACT requirement at UW-Madison
  • The Audit Committee will hear the FY21 Audit Plan Progress Report along with summarized recent audits.
  • The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will consider a renovation project at UW-Stout and hear reports on capital projects and action by the State Building Commission.
  • The Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee will hear a report on supporting Wisconsin businesses during the pandemic from Interim President Tommy Thompson and receive updates on the economic impact of COVID-19 in northern Wisconsin and the UW-Green Bay water sciences program.

The full board meets at 12:45 pm. After hearing reports from Regent President Andrew Petersen and Interim President Tommy Thompson, the board will consider the 2021-23 operating budget and capital budget requests. Interim President Thompson announced details about the request Tuesday.

The operating budget proposal — a 3.5 percent increase over the biennium — features ten key initiatives. The cornerstone of the plan is a systemwide free tuition program, the Wisconsin Tuition Promise, for Wisconsin families earning less than $60,000 annually. The proposal extends Bucky’s Tuition Promise, a UW-Madison program created in 2018, to all UW System universities.

Other funding priorities include student loan forgiveness programs for state teachers, 20 new UW-Madison Division of Extension county-based agriculture positions, and support for the Freshwater Collaborative.