If you think the realignment movement in major college football has been a circus, you should drop by this big top and grab a seat. What has happened under the tent of major college hockey since last season makes that sideshow look not only scripted, but dignified. In the past six months we?ve had the most dominant conference in the land implode and another get measured for a body bag.
In his first State of the University address in more than a decade, David Ward sounded the alarm about the funding crisis in public higher education. It?s a safe bet no one in Bascom Hall listening to UW-Madison?s interim chancellor speak to the Faculty Senate on Oct. 3 was surprised to hear the university is facing some significant budgetary challenges. Most are keenly aware the university is being asked to absorb $94 million in state cuts over the next two years. What might have caught some off guard was Ward?s message that the university can no longer afford to simply hunker down and attempt to weather the economic storm until better days return.
Barry Burden, a UW-Madison political science professor, says that campaign is likely to be professional, targeted and nasty, and that advertising is likely to be “intense” and “negative.”
The running boards were bent and twisted, the transmission was cracked, the engine needed to be rebuilt and the body resembled Swiss cheese. The Bucky Wagon was in bad shape, hadn?t been driven through the tunnel onto the field at Camp Randall Stadium since 2001 and, for about two years, was being stored under a tarp near the Goodman Softball Complex. But since 2010, the 9,000-pound antique but badly worn 1932 LaFrance fire engine has undergone a $750,000 transformation, the vast majority donated.
Dr. Diane Heatley, an accomplished pediatric otolaryngology (ear, nose, throat) surgeon for the past 18 years at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, was recently appointed to serve as the interim medical director of the American Family Children?s Hospital.
Of 156 local teachers unions in school districts that did not extend a collective bargaining agreement for this year, only 12 did not file with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission to hold votes later this fall.
“That’s a very high number, higher than I would have anticipated,” said John Witte, a UW-Madison political science professor who studies education issues in Wisconsin. “It very clearly shows that the teachers are not giving up on their unions at this point.”
….The districts without contracts are more likely to have higher property wealth per student and lower student poverty and be located in the more politically conservative Milwaukee suburbs, according to an analysis by UW-Madison economist Andrew Reschovsky.
A day after the state?s Democratic Party announced it would move forward to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker from office, Democratic lawmakers submitted legislation that would undo one of Walker?s more divisive actions during his short time on the job by restoring the collective bargaining rights of state workers.
University of Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema?s one-man media blitz last week appeared to pay off. Bielema was in Bristol, Conn., on Friday to do 15 interviews, by his count, at ESPN headquarters.
Thomas A. “Smitty” Smith, age 75, passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011. He was the custodial supervisor for UW-Madison for 21 years.
It may be drawing fans without tickets like a face-value hawker, but Badgerville, the organized tailgating party with amplified sound launched by UW-Madison this fall, is too noisy and goes on too long, say neighbors. Camp Randall neighbors have been venting their aggravation about the new “venue” over the Regent Neighborhood Association email network, and the volume of their complaints has been rising since the Oct. 1 night game against new-to-the-Big-Ten University of Nebraska. Badgerville is scheduled to set up camp once more this season, for the game Saturday against Indiana.
….By adding a year, Ward appears to have morphed from a trusty caretaker into a fully empowered leader poised to initiate and guide major changes in UW-Madison?s finances and operations ? including its personnel system ? in one of the most challenging periods of its 163-year history. To Ward, Reilly and the many UW constituencies eager for Ward to stay longer, this change appears to be a big deal in the labyrinthine culture of campus politics and decision-making.
Wisconsin?s voter ID law will present new hurdles to some students and cost UW-Madison as much as $700,000 if the university provides all students new identification cards to comply with the law. It?s not clear how many students would use university IDs to vote, and school officials are waiting further clarification from the state Government Accountability Board about what kind of university ID would be acceptable at the polls.
An early morning tackle on State Street on Saturday resulted in an Iowa man going to the hospital with a broken arm, Madison police reported.According to the report, the 24-year-old Iowa man was trailing behind two friends while walking up State Street toward the Capitol about 3:30 a.m., when he was suddenly tackled from behind.
Dear Editor: This letter is in regard to the UW Badger football game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. We went to the game with our four sons ? 16, 13, 9 and 7 months. We were appalled by the clothing worn by many UW fans as well as the general attitude toward Husker fans.
The first rains of October will set the stage for cooler, more seasonal weather for the weekend….The UW-Madison Homecoming parade is scheduled for Friday evening, and parade goers should bundle up as lows drop to the low 40s and winds blow up to 30 miles per hour. Saturday should be nice for the Homecoming football game between the Badgers and Indiana, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 60.
* State leaders have named all but one of a 17-member committee charged with reviewing the University of Wisconsin System’s governance structure. Gov. Scott Walker on Monday announced his two appointments: Dave Olien, senior vice president emeritus of the UW System, and Darrell Bazzell, vice chancellor for administration at UW-Madison.
* UW-Madison is rising through the ranks of higher education social media influence, according to Klout.com.The website recently ranked UW-Madison as the second most influential behind Texas A&M. That?s up from fourth in January. Marquette University ranks 10th, making Wisconsin the only state with two universities in the top 10.
Judith Siers-Poisson is a producer for “The Larry Meiller Show” on the Ideas Network of Wisconsin Public Radio. Working at WPR’s studios in Madison, she does a lot of the background work for the talk show, including choosing topics, lining up guests and screening callers.
The roster for the state-appointed “Special Task Force on UW Restructuring and Operational Flexibilities” is finally set. Gov. Scott Walker announced his two appointments on Monday, completing the 17-member panel. One of Walker?s selections was Darrell Bazzell, UW-Madison?s vice chancellor for administration. Bazzell is the only person currently working on the UW-Madison campus on the panel. Walker?s other appointment went to Dave Olien, senior vice president emeritus of the UW System.
UW-Madison researcher Paul Kaufman will give a presentation titled “From Cells to Clinic: No Direct Flights” on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The talk is an ongoing effort by the university to hold discussions about the ethics and effectiveness of animal research. Kaufman, a professor and chair of the university?s department of ophthalmology and visual sciences, uses monkeys in his glaucoma studies. Following Kaufman’s presentation, there will be a panel discussion.
MILWAUKEE — The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is getting a new chancellor. Michael Lovell became interim chancellor when Chancellor Carlos Santiago took over as chief executive officer of the Hispanic College Fund last October. He was previously the dean of the university?s College of Engineering and Applied Science.
Dear Editor: Both the ACT and SAT tests do what they were designed (and are constantly revised) to do: measure academic aptitude. A higher score on these tests is the boxing equivalent to a boxer being heavier. To admit students with lower test scores to compete with students with higher scores is the academic equivalent to putting middleweight or lightweight boxers into the ring to fight against heavyweights.
John Torphy, age 71, died Oct. 2, 2011, in Tucson, Ariz. From 1989 to his retirement in 2003 John served as Vice Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was notorious for his command of budget and administrative matters as well as an aversion to both computers and neckties.
The Assembly?s Committee on Colleges and Universities is holding an informational hearing next week to examine the process for admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The impetus behind this event is two studies released last month by the Center For Equal Opportunity. The conservative think tank said it found “severe” racial discrimination at UW-Madison and its reports purport to show whites and Asians aren?t getting a fair crack at being admitted to Wisconsin?s flagship institution of higher education.
The Wisconsin Technology Council says it has signed an informal agreement with a Washington, D.C. investment firm, Monument Capital Group, giving the firm a “virtual presence” in Wisconsin. What that really means is: “They just want to stay in touch with what?s happening in the R&D (research and development) world here, primarily in defense and homeland security,” Tech Council president Tom Still said. He said Monument wants to look at possible involvement with companies as varied as startup level to those ready for merger or acquisition. Still also plans to funnel information to the firm about pertinent research at the UW-Madison.
UW-Madison benefited from a promising development last week: David Ward?s appointment as interim chancellor was extended to the summer of 2013.
Someday, breathing through the nose could power hearing aids, pacemakers or blood glucose monitors, thanks to a discovery by a UW-Madison team. Materials science and engineering assistant professor Xudong Wang, post-doctoral researcher Chengliang Sun and graduate student Jian Shi created a tiny device that generates electricity when passed over by low-speed airflow, such as that created by respiration (breathing). The team reported its findings in the September issue of the journal Energy and Environmental Science.
STEVENS POINT (WKOW) — A grand opening ceremony is being held Thursday for a food panty for poor and hungry students.
If Russell Wilson becomes the third football player at the University of Wisconsin to win the Heisman Trophy, it will be because of performances such as the one against Nebraska last week, not any promotional ideas hatched by the school?s athletic communications department.
David Ward may only be an interim chancellor, but he doesn?t want the next two years to be wasted time for UW-Madison. He?s set out an ambitious agenda to implement newly gained authority from state government and reform the university?s finances. “It?s not a happy message,” Ward said in an interview in his Bascom Hall office Wednesday, the day after his interim term was extended a year through summer 2013.
Mick Byrne leads the highest-ranked athletic program at UW-Madison, the No. 2-ranked men?s cross country team. He?s been head coach of the men?s cross country team and assistant track and field coach since 2008.
The University of Wisconsin System hopes that making it easier for students to transfer to its campuses will boost graduation rates. About 17,000 students transfer into and within the UW System each year. Sometimes credits and money are wasted when course requirements don?t match.
Mary (Kay) Bartosch, age 87, died Monday, Oct. 3, 2011. In her later years she worked at the University of Wisconsin Bursar?s Office.
Former UW-Madison vice chancellor for administration John Torphy, who handled the university?s fiscal and administrative matters for 14 years, has died in Arizona. He was 71.
A couple walking on a city street near the UW-Madison campus was mugged early Saturday morning, with the woman injured during the attack. The mugging was reported at 3:06 a.m. Saturday on North Prospect Avenue, Madison police said. According to the report, the 20-year-old woman from Beloit was walking with a 19-year-old Madison man when they were approached by three young men.
….As independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont remarked recently, ?Social Security is the most successful government program in our nation?s history. Let?s be clear. For more than 75 years, Social Security has, in good times and bad, paid out every nickel owed to every eligible American.?
Wall Street certainly cannot say that. The Social Security program, which was inspired by UW-Madison economists and the state?s vibrant progressive movement, has succeeded in keeping millions of senior citizens, widows and orphans and the disabled out of extreme poverty.
“Nobody wants to talk about falling wages because it?s not a very pleasant tale to tell,” says Tim Smeeding, director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW-Madison. “The labor market has changed dramatically and Wisconsin is feeling it more than a lot of other places.”
University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly announced Tuesday he is extending the term of UW-Madison interim Chancellor David Ward. When Ward was named to the post back on June 29 it was a one-year appointment. But in mid-September, UW-Madison faculty, staff and students started asking UW System leadership if Ward?s stay could be extended, mainly because the university is in the midst of tackling several significant challenges while also implementing a range of institutional reforms.
….Getting more money into the venture capital pipeline could help turn more of the research at the UW-Madison into functioning companies that could produce a product, generate sales and hire employees.
The UW-Madison remains among the top five universities in the nation in terms of landing research dollars but those dollars have been slow to translate into start-ups. A 2010 report from the Chronicle of Higher Education showed the UW-Madison with just one new company formed ? despite $1.1 billion of research spending here.
Quoted: Tim Smeeding, director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW-Madison
Homeowners facing a foreclosure suit can get free help at a walk-in legal clinic offered tomorrow by sponsors including the Dane County Foreclosure Prevention Taskforce. Staffed by volunteer lawyers and UW-Madison law students, the clinics provide homeowners in foreclosure with basic legal information.
UW-Madison campus leaders and minority students responded as expected to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Equal Opportunity report that revealed ?severe discrimination? based on race and ethnicity in UW-Madison undergraduate admissions.
MADISON (WKOW) — Police say this weekend?s high-profile Wisconsin-Nebraska game came along with a high number of counterfeit tickets. The UW Athletics Department is reporting at least 80 people got ripped-off this weekend. Victims paid between 150 and 200 dollars for each of these fraudulent tickets. They were hoping, of course, to see Wisconsin play Nebraska in a sold-out game, but instead they got turned away at the gate.
Nebraska defensive end Chase Rome, who was ticketed by Dane County deputies for allegedly vandalizing a restroom at Madison?s airport early Sunday, has been “disciplined internally” by the coaching staff.
First impressions, second thoughts and the third degree: OK, if it wasn?t Bret Bielema who gave the University of Wisconsin football team its first-place vote in the latest coaches? poll, who was it? Let?s not kid ourselves. Bielema flaunted his status as a voter and said he would treat his club very well after it whipped, liquefied and pureed Nebraska 48-17 in a Big Ten Conference showdown of Top 10 teams Saturday.
When the NHL regular season opens Thursday, the University of Wisconsin men?s hockey team will have two more products in the mix. Defenseman Jake Gardiner and winger Craig Smith made the opening rosters for Toronto and Nashville, respectively. At the moment, they are among 18 former UW players on NHL rosters.
Dear Editor: My son and four friends attended the Wisconsin-Nebraska game in Madison on Oct. 1. They have since returned home, and I am appalled and shocked at the stories he has told me.
Investing in higher education brings dividends beyond higher salaries for graduates. More income means more tax dollars and a broader tax base, sharing the cost of public services more equitably among all. Spin-off companies and others assisted by UW research benefit the state?s economy.
UW officials remind us: Prosperous citizens use fewer public services, are generally healthier, are able to contribute to philanthropy and community nonprofits, and are more engaged in democracy and civic affairs.Investing in higher education reaps big rewards for everyone. It is an outlay we must be committed to make. Our future depends upon our investment.
Quoted: UW-Madison political science professor Charles Franklin, who said the secrecy surrounding the probe makes it hard for Walker to defend himself against suspicions that he may have done something wrong.
“People of all ages love wildlife and have a curiosity about different types of animals. One of the nicest aspects of my career has been to respond to their questions about what types of animals they?ve seen. I responded to between 1,000 to 2,000 questions per year from the public,” says Craven, a UW Extension wildlife specialist and UW-Madison professor emeritus of forest and wildlife ecology.
The slow pace of the nation?s economic recovery is “disappointing” but the U.S. is not likely to head into another recession, a top official of the Federal Reserve Bank told reporters in Madison on Monday. Nationwide data on consumer spending, housing and manufacturing over the past three months have been lower than officials might like to see but are “still broadly consistent with economic growth at a moderate pace,” said Jeffrey Lacker, president of the Richmond, Va. Federal Reserve Bank. The chance of a return to a recession “looks low now,” he said.
Lacker spoke to about 100 students, economists and finance executives at the UW-Madison. A native of Lexington, Ky., Lacker received his doctorate degree in economics from the UW-Madison.
The state?s new concealed carry law goes into effect in a month, and officials on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus are taking steps to prepare.
“I?m spending quite a lot of time on this because the university community in general doesn?t like the idea that people will soon be allowed to carry concealed weapons on the campus,” says UW-Madison Police Chief Sue Riseling.
For the first time, a 360-degree, high-definition camera captured a view of Camp Randall Stadium moments before kick-off at the Nebraska-Wisconsin game Saturday. It?s called the Camp Randall FanCam.
Defensive tackle Chase Rome of the Nebraska Cornhuskers officially had one solo tackle in Saturday night?s 48-17 loss to Wisconsin, but a tackle he made later in the night cost him. Rome, 19, was cited by Dane County deputies for criminal damage to property after he allegedly ripped a paper towel dispenser from the wall of a bathroom at the Dane County Regional Airport.
An alleged burglar was no match for a houseful of campus area roommates early Sunday morning, with the roommates piling on top of the suspect until police arrived. Carlo Walkes, 25, no permanent address, was tentatively charged with burglary and two counts of battery following his arrest at about 3 a.m. at a house on Lathrop Street.
Since the day he was introduced as coach of the University of Wisconsin football team, Bret Bielema has never been afraid to think big. Whereas his predecessor, current UW athletic director Barry Alvarez, never publicly embraced national championship expectations for his otherwise successful program, Bielema made it known early and often that his goals for the Badgers exceeded the Big Ten Conference title and the Rose Bowl.
The University of Wisconsin football team has convinced one coach with a vote in the USA Today poll that it?s the No. 1 team in the country. Gee, any guess which coach that could be?
The headline seemed more suited to The Onion than “Scientific American” magazine: “Religious experiences shrink part of the brain.” But the article was real, as was the recent study by researchers at Duke University.
UW-Madison shouldn?t deny the fact that it admits minority students at the expense of more qualified white students, and shouldn?t apologize for it. It?s a state institution serving a population with 6 percent blacks, yet its enrollment has fewer than 3 percent blacks. UW has an obligation to help solve the racial disparity in academic achievement of K-12 students by helping to produce more black college graduates who, as teachers and other professionals, would serve as role models for minority youth.
Dear Editor: I am a student at UW-Madison, where students learn every day about the dangers of fossil fuels. Hearing about Convergence Energy?s solar farm was such a bright spot for me. It is one of the largest solar projects in the state, uses local businesses, and allows individuals to buy a stake in the project. Right now, our government is backing off on environmental protection for no good reason.
Stew Price had to pay a steep price to make sure he and three family members have seats Saturday night in Camp Randall Stadium. Price, a Nebraska fan who lives in Waunakee, paid more than $1,500 to secure four tickets to see the Cornhuskers play the University of Wisconsin in the matchup of top 10 teams.
A library, an education room and a resident scholar in a fraternity house? Welcome to the 21st century, Sigma Phi Epsilon. The fraternity?s new $2.2 million house at 237 Langdon Street will be dedicated on Friday from 6-8 p.m. for UW-Madison and city officials, as well as fraternity members and alumni. A tailgate party is also planned at the house for alumni on Saturday from 1-6 p.m.
