UW System

UW System President Ray Cross’ Remarks to Regents

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UW System President Ray Cross

University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross addressed the Board of Regents Friday, broadly outlining reforms intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness while allowing the university to be more responsive to the needs of the state.

Some of the areas mentioned for reform:

  • Faculty workload
  • Class offerings and low-enrollment courses
  • Search processes for chancellors
  • Credit requirements
  • Student segregated fees
  • Administrative operations

PROFS President Grant Petty told the Wisconsin State Journal that courses are already examined carefully and cautioned against using credit hours taught as the only measure of efficiency:

“(L)ow-enrollment courses here at UW-Madison are often also high-impact courses. That is, they are usually taught to advanced students on a specialized topic by a professor with world-class expertise in that subject. Sometimes losing low-enrollment courses due to budget constraints means that our students lose valuable educational opportunities. Efficiency at UW-Madison cannot and should not be measured strictly in terms of the number of student credit-hours taught.”

Cross’ full remarks are here:

UW System

December Board of Regents Meeting

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uw system logoThe University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5 at at UW-Madison. The meeting will be held in the Symphony and Overture Rooms of Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street. Livestream coverage of the meeting will be available here.

The regents will meet in committees Thursday afternoon and Friday morning:

The Education Committee will discuss UW System baccalaureate engineering programs, including the proposal to create a Northwest Wisconsin Engineering Consortium at UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, and UW-Eau Claire. Earlier this year, UW System commissioned a study to examine the potential need for more engineers in the state.

The Business and Finance Committee will hear a quarterly report on gifts and grants, review the trust funds investment policy, and listen project update reports.

The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will discuss proposed building projects, including projects at Grainger Hall and Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall. The Grainger Hall project to renovate two classrooms will be paid for entirely through gift funds, while the residence hall project requires additional funding authority.

Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch has been invited to address the Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee. The committee will also hear updates on Economic Development Incentive Grant recipients, including Discovery to Product (D2P) at UW-Madison.

The Audit Committee will discuss recent UW System audit reports and consider a request for proposals to create a waste, fraud and abuse hotline.

The full board begins its meeting at 9 am Friday. UW System President Ray Cross will address the board, providing his thoughts on transforming the way the university does business. The regents will hear reports from the Higher Educational Aids Board, the Hospital Authority Board, and the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

PROFS

PROFS Welcomes New President Grant Petty

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Grant Petty

Grant Petty

PROFS welcomes Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) Professor Grant Petty as president and offers many thanks to Agronomy Professor Bill Tracy for his hard work as president the past three years. Tracy remains a member of the steering committee.

Petty, chair of AOS,  is currently serving his third and final year as a member of the University Committee, the PROFS Board of Directors. He joined the faculty in 2000 and became a member of the PROFS Steering Committee in 2012. Two years ago Petty’s thoughts on public higher education were featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The state, UW

WAA Fall Forum

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Dozens of alumni and friends of the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered Saturday to discuss the state budget process and learn how they can play a role in advocating for the university. PROFS President Grant Petty attended, along with legislative representative Jack O’Meara and administrator Michelle Felber.

Attendees heard from Chancellor Rebecca Blank, Associate Vice Chancellor Charles Hoslet, and Chemistry Professor Robert Hamers.

Blank and Hoslet focused their remarks on the biennial budget process, while Hamers discussed the proposed Chemistry Building renovation project and the importance of the department to other departments, schools, and colleges throughout campus. WAA also shared a new video that was sent to alumni and donors throughout Wisconsin.

Hamers’ PowerPoint:

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Hoslet’s PowerPoint:

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WAA video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO3R8VUrpIs

 

 

The state

Legislative Leadership Selected

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Capitol & ForwardSenate and Assembly partisan caucuses met this week and selected their leadership for the 2015-16 legislative session.

Assembly Republicans will continue to be led by Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester), while Senate Republicans re-elected Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) as their leader. Republicans enjoy large margins over Democrats in both houses — 63 to 36 in the Assembly and 19-14 in the Senate.

Democrat Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) held off challenger Evan Goyke (D-Milwaukee) for the position of Assembly Minority Leader. Senate Democrats will be led by Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse), who challenged Minority Leader Chris Larson (D-Democrat). Larson withdrew his name before the caucus met yesterday.

Assembly Republican Leaders

Robin Vos, Rochester, Speaker

Jim Steineke, Kaukauna, Majority Leader

Dan Knodl, Germantown, Assistant Majority Leader

Tyler August, Lake Geneva, Speaker Pro Tempore

John Murtha, Baldwin, Caucus Chair

Lee Nerison, Westby, Caucus Vice-Chair

Jesse Rodriguez, Franklin, Caucus Secretary

Samantha Kerkman, Salem, Sergeant at Arms

Assembly Democratic Leaders

Peter Barca, Kenosha, Minority Leader

Katrina Shankland, Stevens Point, Assistant Minority Leader

Andy Jorgensen, Milton, Caucus Chair

Jo Casta Zamarripa, Caucus Vice Chair

Beth Meyers, Bayfield, Caucus Secretary

Josh Zepnick, Milwaukee, Caucus Sergeant at Arms

Senate Republican Leaders

Scott Fitzgerald, Juneau, Majority Leader

Paul Farrow, Pewaukee, Minority Leader

Mary Lazich, New Berlin, President

Rick Gudex, Fond du Lac, President Pro Tempore

Sheila Harsdorf, River Falls, Caucus Chair

Van Wanggaard, Racine, Caucus Vice Chair

Senate Democratic Leaders

Jennifer Shilling, La Crosse, Minority Leader

Dave Hansen, Green Bay, Assistant Minority Leader

Julie Lassa, Caucus Chair

Kathleen Vinehout, Caucus Vice Chair