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November 23, 2021

Higher Education/System

UW System hires presidential search firm involved in 2 problematic hires elsewhere

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

After a search for the next University of Wisconsin System president collapsed last year because of complaints over how it was conducted, a UW official said the firm involved in the failed search would not be hired to assist in the System’s second attempt to hire a new leader. The System is instead working with a different executive search firm that has been involved in at least two problematic searches of its own.

Six ideas for prioritizing academic integrity among students

Posted on
Inside Higher Education

Interest in academic integrity as a topic of concern within higher ed over the past decade has ebbed and flowed, at least in the experience of Renee Pfeifer-Luckett, director of learning technology development in the University of Wisconsin system’s Office of Learning and Information Technology Services. “I see it as kind of a wave. Over the last 11 years, I’ve seen this topic come up, crescendo and come back down, come up, crescendo and come back down,” says Pfeifer-Luckett, who has presented on learning tech tools used to ensure academic honesty. “The students’ response has been stirred up due to COVID,” she adds. “Students who never had to be proctored remotely because they never took an online class—those are the students you’re hearing from now.”

Campus life

State news

How to help children process and talk through the Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Quoted: If the child may not be aware of the incident, adults can start with a general question, like, “Were kids at school talking about anything in the news today?” suggested Travis Wright, an associate professor of counseling psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

If the answer is no, Wright said an adult may end the conversation with an open invitation, like: “Great. Lots of times there are things we hear about in the news that can be scary. If you ever hear anything that makes you feel upset, please know you can always talk to me.”

In some cases, especially if it’s expected that a child will find out about the incident, adults may want to introduce the subject. Wright suggested sharing something like: “There was a parade and someone injured some people at the parade. If you hear about it, I want you to know you can talk to me about it.”

Health

Athletics

Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal a finalist for Butkus Award

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Chenal is the No. 18 Badgers’ leading tackler with 92 total tackles, and his 10.1 tackles per game ranks ninth in the FBS. He missed the first two games of the season after contracting COVID-19. Chenal has 15½ tackles for loss, with his 1.6 per game average ranking third in the FBS. He’s recorded 6½ sacks, four quarterback hits and two forced fumbles.

Opinion

UW Experts in the News

Can a Machine Learn Morality?

Posted on
New York Times

Joseph Austerweil, a psychologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, tested the technology using a few simple scenarios. When he asked if he should kill one person to save another, Delphi said he shouldn’t. When he asked if it was right to kill one person to save 100 others, it said he should. Then he asked if he should kill one person to save 101 others. This time, Delphi said he should not.

Chinese birthrate falls to lowest since 1978

Posted on
The Guardian

“What the Chinese government is doing has already been done by the Japanese government, and the former is not as rich as the latter,” said Yi Fuxian, a senior scientist in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. “Japan can provide free healthcare and education, but China can’t.”

Darrell E. Brooks’s low bail in case before Wisconsin parade attack draws backlash

Posted on
The Washington Post

Michele LaVigne, a former director of the Public Defender Project at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, told The Post that setting Brooks’s cash bail at $1,000 is not necessarily unusual and that bail amounts can vary between jurisdictions and courtrooms. When Brooks was arrested earlier this month, she said, officials weighing what bail to request probably considered the seriousness of the charges and the fact that he was already out on bail in the earlier case and had continued showing up for court appearances.