PROFS – Page 51

PROFS Self-Insurance Forum

by Michelle Felber • March 2, 2016

Video from the February 23 PROFS forum on self-insurance for state employees is embedded below.

The forum attracted more than 150 members of the university community. The panelists — UW-Madison School of Business professor Justin Sydnor; Lisa Ellinger, Director of Office of Strategic Health Policy with the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds; and Mike Bare, Research and Program Coordinator for the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute — offered their thoughts on self-insurance and took questions from the audience.

https://vimeo.com/156610797

Many thanks to the panelists for sharing their expertise and offering their invaluable insight on this important topic.

The state, UW System

Governor Walker Announces New Regents

by Michelle Felber • February 23, 2016

Governor Scott Walker announced the appointment of three new members to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents earlier this month. Tracey Klein, a Milwaukee attorney, and Bryan Steil, a Beloit attorney, will serve regular seven-year terms, while Lisa Erickson, a UW-River Falls journalism student, will serve a two-year term as non-traditional student regent.

Klein is a shareholder at the Milwaukee law firm of Reinhart Boerner Van Dueren where she chairs their health care practice. She is a member of the UW-Madison Political Science Department Board of Visitors, the Marquette University Law School Board of Visitors, and the Southeast Wisconsin Professional Baseball Park District Board of Directors. She is a graduate of UW-Madison and Marquette University Law School. The Capital Times reported she is a generous contributor to Governor Walker.

Steil is associate general counsel at Regal Beloit. He previously worked as a legislative assistant to Congressman Paul Ryan (R-Janesville). He is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Wisconsin Law School. His grandfather, George K. Steil, Sr., was a member of the Board of Regents from 1990 to 1997.

Erickson, of Osceola, is a former catering company owner. In addition to being a student, she writes a weekly food column and is a crisis pregnancy counselor.

The state, UW, UW System

PROFS Statement on College Affordability Bills

by Michelle Felber • February 16, 2016

The Wisconsin Assembly is scheduled to vote today on a package of bills designed to improve college affordability. The bills were announced by Governor Scott Walker and quickly approved by the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee last month. The bills have widespread Republican support, but Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said lower-than-expected tax revenues may pare back funding for the proposals.

While PROFS is pleased the governor and legislative leaders are discussing college affordability we strongly believe renewing the state’s commitment to public higher education is the most effective way to keep college costs down.

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The state

Spring Primary Tuesday

by Michelle Felber • February 15, 2016

election day The Wisconsin spring primary election will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16. Polls will be open from 7 am to 8 pm statewide. Photo identification is required to vote.

UW-Madison professor Ken Mayer and others in the Political Science Department will study how voter identification rules affect the length of time it takes to cast a vote and work with local clerks to improve efficiency in future elections.

A primary election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court is the only statewide race on the ballot. Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley faces challengers Joe Donald, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge and JoAnne Kloppenburg, State Court of Appeals Judge. Governor Scott Walker appointed Bradley to the court in October following the death of Justice David Prosser. The top two vote-getters will face off on Tuesday, April 5.

The state

Updated: PROFS Forum on Self-Insurance

by Michelle Felber • February 11, 2016

Governor Walker said in his State of the State address last month he would use savings from changes in state employee health insurance for increased funding for education. One option under consideration is switching from the current model of HMO’s to self-insurance.

The Wisconsin Group Insurance Board has begun the process to consider self-insurance and will vote Wednesday, February 17 on the language they will use for a request for proposals from companies that may help with self-insurance in the state.

In recent years two different consultants provided very different cost savings estimates to the board, and the board is hoping new information will help them decide whether or not to move ahead with self-insurance. Background information is available here.

PROFS will host a forum on self-insurance and what that means for state employees, including UW-Madison faculty. The forum will be held Tuesday, February 23 at 4 pm in the DeLuca Forum in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, 330 N. Orchard Street. It is free and open to the public.

The panel includes UW-Madison School of Business professor Justin Sydnor; Lisa Ellinger, Director of Office of Strategic Health Policy with the Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds; and Mike Bare, Research and Program Coordinator for the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute.

UW, UW System

February Board of Regents Meeting – updated with correct location

by Michelle Felber • February 3, 2016

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet in Madison Thursday and Friday, February 4 and 5. Meetings will take place at Union South, 1308 West Dayton Street. Livestream coverage of the full board meetings is here.

UW-Madison is the host of the meeting and several campus leaders will have the opportunity to address members of the board. Chancellor Rebecca Blank will update the board on the “All Ways Forward” campaign on Thursday afternoon, while Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Darrell Bazzell, and Interim Vice Chancellor for University Relations Charles Hoslet will speak to Regent committees Thursday morning.

The full board convenes at 1:15 pm Thursday with Chancellor Blank’s presentation. UW-Madison will also present its annual NCAA Division I Athletics Report. The board will meet in closed session to discuss several personnel issues, including compensation for UW-Madison football coaches.

The board continues its meeting Friday morning at 9 am with with reports from the Higher Educational Aids Board, the Hospital Authority Board, the Wisconsin Technical College System Board, and the Tuition-setting Policy Task Force.

The Education Committee will reconvene after the board adjourns to discuss the report of Tenure Policy Task Force. Documents to be discussed are below.

Tenure

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Post-tenure Review

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Faculty Layoff

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