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Author: gbump

UW faculty union idea floated under new public authority, ultimately shot down

Madison.com

University of Wisconsin faculty and academic staffers would have won the right to unionize and collectively bargain for wages, same as other public employees, in an early draft of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2015-17 state budget, a proposal that the UW System quickly moved to stop. It ultimately didn’t end up in Walker’s budget, which was released publicly last week.

Dodson, Vernon N. M.D.

During his long career in medicine, he held faculty appointments at the University of Michigan, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Mayo Clinic and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

How to cover UW’s budget shortfall — Chuck Grapentine

Wisconsin State Journal

First, take that amount out of the big surplus UW administration garnered while raising tuition to the maximum amount possible. Second, recover claw back the money given in error to UW employees because of an incompetent human resources payroll department.

Chris Rickert: Students the likely losers in battle between Walker, UW

Wisconsin State Journal

I really hope the state budget wraps up soon, because I don’t know how much more flippant politicking I can take from Wisconsin’s governor/presidential candidate — nor how much more righteous indignation I can take from the officials of multimillion UW-Madison and its billion-dollar parent institution, the UW System.

Walker budget clips authority of state Building Commission

Capital Times

While the shift isn’t generating the amount of publicity as Walker’s plan to make the Natural Resources Board advisory, the change is significant since it consolidates key borrowing decisions within the Department of Administration, including bonding for transportation purposes. Under the Walker budget, the Building Commission would no longer meet in order to approve projects or the borrowing to make them happen. The commission — which by statute includes members of both political parties and is chaired by the governor — has traditionally met monthly. Instead, the commission would operate under what the budget proposal calls a “passive review process” where items are considered approved unless a majority of Building Commission members request a meeting.

Mauerman, Judith McClain

Madison.com

Judy graduated from Bowling Green University in 1962 and married Dave McClain, former UW Head Football Coach. After Dave died, Judy became the executive director of the Henry Vilas Zoo Zoological Society. From there she became a fundraiser for the Madison Community Foundation and was involved in the development of the Fund for Women.

Greiner, Dr. Richard A.

Madison.com

Greiner received all of his degrees from the University of Madison-Wisconsin … (and) upon receiving his doctorate he was appointed assistant professor of electrical engineering in that department. He was promoted to associate professor in 1959 and to full professor in 1961 at … His research of and expertise in included many fields through his professional life: electronics, vacuum tube design, transistor design, solid state devices, acoustics, digital signal processing, digital control systems, acoustic noise control and others. In addition to his teaching and research he took a leave from teaching from 1973 to 1980 to serve as senior academic planner in Academic Affairs in the UW System Administration.

Kudos to UW’s conservative defenders — Donald Downs

Wisconsin State Journal

Kudos to conservative professors James Baughman and John Sharpless for defending UW-Madison in the face of the severe cuts Gov. Scott Walker is proposing to the University of Wisconsin System. It is great to hear such dedicated teachers, scholars and citizens defend UW-Madison, which is a state treasure regardless of any warts it bears.

Roberta Gassman: Scott Walker’s ‘drafting error’ reveals his values

Capital Times

A “drafting error” of this scope, defended initially by the governor, is not really an error at all. Sadly, it is a look into the values and beliefs of the governor and those around him. It is good that he backtracked, after the public outcry. Let this be instructive to us in the days, weeks and months ahead as his full budget comes under public scrutiny in the light of day.

Scott Walker’s budget cuts for-profit college oversight board

Wisconsin State Journal

Walker’s proposal to disband the Educational Approval Board, an out-of-the-spotlight agency that decides whether for-profit colleges can operate in the state, comes after the board appeared to conflict in recent years with Republican lawmakers over a proposal to set standards for retention and job placement at for-profit schools.

Not all professors make Madison money — Ron Berger

Wisconsin State Journal

I am a full professor at UW-Whitewater, having taught there for 34 years. Faculty at UW-Whitewater teach eight classes per year, generally twice as much as UW-Madison faculty. Academic staff teach nine classes per year. We do not have teaching assistants to help us with our grading, and we provide much more one-on-one contact with students.

Plain Talk: Squeeze on UW is all about Scott Walker’s bid for president

Capital Times

Walker’s autonomy plan has nothing to do with what he tries to pass off as a better way to free the university to gain efficiencies and, in turn, “save” taxpayers money. It has everything to do, though, with the $300 million he can use as a downpayment on the state’s $2 billion budget deficit. Walker not only needs to cover that deficit, but come up with enough additional spending cuts so he can fulfill his promise to make yet more tax cuts in the next biennium.

Scott Walker is abandoning UW, but legislators should not

Capital Times

A great state needs a great state university — as a source of educational opportunity, vital research and economic development. The founders of Wisconsin understood this, making provision in the first state constitution “for the establishment of a state university, at or near the seat of state government.” That provision also speaks of linking the great state university in Madison with “colleges in different parts of the state as the interests of education may require.” And it outlines strategies for supporting and sustaining higher education in Wisconsin.

Badgers football: Spring game set for April 25

Madison.com

This year the game, Paul Chryst’s debut as coach, will help fund efforts in the UW Office of Undergraduate Advising. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday for $5 at UWBadgers.com, by calling 1-800-GO-BADGERS or in person at the Wisconsin Athletic Ticket Office.

Lisa Martin: UW anti-bullying story needs clarification

Capital Times

First, I strongly disagree with the characterization of the original policy as coming “close to constituting a general ‘civility code.’” … Second, in his reference to Dean Soyeon Shim’s comments on Inside Higher Education, Downs mistakenly states that Shim portrays the university’s new policy “as a general civility policy.” … Finally, it is important to recognize that there are a number of ongoing discussions on campus regarding topics such as bullying, civility and inclusion, and to not conflate these distinct conversations.

Walker’s budget proposal coming into focus

Madison.com

Walker has said he will propose cutting $300 million from the University of Wisconsin System, about a 13 percent reduction, over the next two years while also freezing tuition. In exchange, Walker wants to give the UW System more freedom from state oversight and laws, a move that university officials have sought for years to give them greater control of their own operations. Much of the debate in the Legislature is expected to focus on the size of the proposed cut and just how much latitude to give UW as it moves toward a public authority model.

Difficult state budget a ‘self-inflicted wound’

Wisconsin State Journal

On Tuesday, Walker will propose a roughly $70 billion two-year budget plan that must solve a shortfall of about $2 billion. Among other things, it is expected to include a dramatic $300 million cut to the University of Wisconsin System in exchange for more autonomy, flat funding for K-12 public schools, agency mergers and borrowing for road projects rather than raising gas taxes or vehicle fees.

Bring lacrosse to UW-Madison — Sean Whinnery

Wisconsin State Journal

Though I love the game of baseball, why not introduce the oldest, newest game to a varsity position. The sport of lacrosse was founded by Native Americans a very long time before baseball and many other sports were even thought of.