UW-Madison’s chief diversity officer on Thursday tried to allay concerns that the Universities of Wisconsin is stepping back its support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, despite UW system President Jay Rothman and legislative Republicans brokering a deal that authorizes about $800 million for the UW system in exchange for DEI changes.
December 15, 2023
Top Stories
Legislators set to approve UW pay raises next week
A Republican-controlled legislative committee is slated to approve 6% pay raises for Universities of Wisconsin workers Tuesday after the UW system agreed this week to repurpose some diversity positions as part of a broader deal with lawmakers to unlock nearly $800 million in state aid.
Research
UW-Madison Researcher: AI holds promise in schools
A University of Wisconsin-Madison researcher who studies technology in education said artificial intelligence holds promise in schools. David Williamson Shaffer is the Sears Bascom Professor of Learning Analytics at UW-Madison. He got into this work after being a teacher in the 80s and 90s.
“Graphing calculators and computers were just starting to come to the place where they were impacting the classroom, were a kind of change agent,” Shaffer said. “They were a way in which the old system was disrupted just enough that we had a chance to rethink a little bit about what we were doing.”
Pr. George’s to get $300 million pavilion with obstetrical services
The county ranks 24th out of Maryland’s 24 counties for clinical care — anything relating to the direct medical treatment or testing of patients — according to data from University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute.
Tantalum cold spray boosts potential of fusion reactor chambers
“These hydrogen neutral particles cause power losses in the plasma, which makes it very challenging to sustain a hot plasma and have an effective small fusion reactor,” said Mykola Ialovega, a postdoctoral researcher in nuclear engineering and engineering physics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW–Madison). Ialovega has led research on a coating that has demonstrated the ability to line fusion reactor chambers and capture this rogue hydrogen.
Higher Education/System
In deal with Republicans, UW Regents chose pragmatism over principles. Now what?
Backed into a corner on a deal seen as selling out students of color in exchange for state money, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents talked around the problem this week.
A closer look at the UW System’s deal with the state legislature
The UW System’s Board of Regents approved the controversial deal yesterday, in what the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports was the board’s fifth meeting in seven days.
UW faculty advocacy group responds to board of regents DEI vote
“I can imagine that this was an incredibly difficult decision for members of the board of regents, as is evident from the fact that they had to do the vote twice,” Bernard Donals said. “The arrangement provides some good things for the Universities of Wisconsin, but Representative [Robin] Vos made it abundantly clear that he has it in for diversity, equity and inclusion at the universities and he forced a decision that I think is going to set us back some in that area.”
Campus life
DEI efforts, student support, civil dialogue remain key priorities for Chancellor Mnookin in second year
Following Board of Regents vote, Mnookin discusses next steps, campus priorities.
UW-Madison chancellor talks UW deal, free speech at student media event
The Daily Cardinal spoke with UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin about the challenges of divided government, free speech and student engagement during her second student media roundtable.
State news
Rep. Fitzgerald says Congress shouldn’t play role in certifying elections despite his 2020 objections
Fitzgerald’s remarks misconstrue that process, according to former University of Wisconsin-Madison political science professor David Canon, whose research focused in part on election administration.
“He has it exactly backwards,” Canon said. “They don’t vote individually to certify the results in all 50 states.”
After Months of Political Pressure and a Failed Vote, Wisconsin’s Regents Approve Deal on DEI
After a months-long standoff between the University of Wisconsin system and the Republican-controlled Legislature, the two parties brokered a deal to release $800 million in state funds — for long-delayed UW pay raises and key campus building projects — if the system agreed to realign dozens of diversity, equity, and inclusion positions and support several other Republican-backed priorities.
Legislative Black Caucus calls for investigation into closed UW regents meeting
At a press conference Wednesday, representatives pointed to a memo by legislative attorneys.
Agriculture
How Wisconsin farmers handle cows to promote safety and animal welfare
How farmers handle their cows can have a big impact on their health and safety. We talk to Jennifer Van Os, an animal welfare extension specialist at UW-Madison who developed a new tool to help farmer’s practice better methods.
Health
Underage nicotine sales in Wisconsin have more than doubled since 2019
Underage sales of nicotine products have more than doubled in Wisconsin since 2019, the year when the federal age for purchasing tobacco products was raised to 21. Wisconsin has kept the minimum age at 18 in spite of research showing that raising the smoking age reduces nicotine addiction. Dr. Michael Fiore, a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Tobacco Research and Intervention at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, explains.
Athletics
How a UW Health surgeon helped keep UW volleyball’s biggest star on the court
A UW Health surgeon was instrumental in keeping Sarah Franklin on the court this season.
UW volleyball’s success inspires young players to join the sport
The Badgers’ success on the court is driving young girls to pick up volleyball.
Badgers volleyball season comes to an end after loss against Texas
The Badgers’ season came to an end on Thursday night after falling to Texas 3-1 in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Opinion
Opinion | Universities of Wisconsin sell out to Republican bullies
The breaking news hit my inbox at precisely 6 p.m. Wednesday.
UW system President Jay Rothman should have stood up to Robin Vos — John Finkler
Barry Alvarez often praised his players who dealt with adversity during a game, but never flinched. Universities of Wisconsin system President Jay Rothman could learn a valuable lesson from the former Wisconsin football coach.
UW Experts in the News
Why is the US far right finding its savior in Spanish dictator Francisco Franco?
Stanley Payne, a revisionist historian of Spanish fascism at the University of Wisconsin Madison until his retirement in 2004, has penned a string of recent articles in rightwing outlets like First Things which invite readers to compare the US with Spain in the 1930s. He has reiterated a line that Franco’s hand was forced by leftist violence and promoted the work of other revisionist historians like Pio Moa, who many professional historians dismiss as a “pseudo-historian”.