Skip to main content

Category: Campus life

UW-Madison will launch Wisconsin’s first public policy undergraduate major

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

In fall 2026, UW-Madison will launch the state’s first undergraduate major in public policy.  Students will be able to earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in public policy from La Follette.

“Our point here is not to change anybody’s values, but to have students exercise their intellectual muscles to hear different points of view with the hope that when they enter into the workforce, they will be more amenable and curious about other points of view,” said La Follette School Director Susan Webb Yackee. .

The important details for Wisconsin in extending contract with Under Armour

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Some details of the extension emerged Monday morning when the Board of Regents posted an agenda for a special meeting Tuesday at which it gave unanimous approval. The total amount of cash and merchandise credit for Wisconsin is increasing from $96.75 million under the existing 10-year deal to $104.5 million over the next 10 years.

The contract, which has to be fully signed before it’s released in response to a public records request, is for seven years with a three-year mutual extension, but both Wisconsin and Under Armour were considering it a 10-year arrangement

UW System Board of Regents approves two policy documents from Act 15

Posted on
The Badger Herald

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents Nov. 19 approved two policy documents established in the 2025 Wisconsin Act 15, regarding general education requirements and teacher workloads, according to an update from UW News.

The proposed policy document regarding UW general education requirements aims to define the Core General Education Requirements for Universities of Wisconsin and the way they transfer between the different universities, according to the Board of Regents meeting notes.

Campus-area alder MGR Govindarajan will not seek re-election

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Madison District 8 Alder and Council Vice President MGR Govindarajan announced Monday that he will not seek re-election in April 2026.

Govindarajan, a University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate, won the campus-seat on the Madison common council during his junior year in 2023. He was reelected to a one-year term last April. He said his choice to not run for reelection is based on the belief that “public office should be a place for service, not permanence” in a statement.

‘Drag Race’ star Trixie Mattel talks chasing dreams at UW event

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Mattel reflected on her younger self and the fear of not being good enough when she first began drag, adding she realized years later there is no exact path to success. She emphasized projecting confidence early on and “faking it till you make it.”

“Like who wants to see a drag show where some drag queen is like ‘I’m middle amount good?’” she joked to the audience. “I really believe that the only difference between people really clawing up that mountain and people staring at the top of it is the audacity. Nobody is better than anybody.”

UW-Madison Police offer holiday tips to secure your home and property

Posted on
WKOW - Channel 27

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department is offering tips to help protect property while residents are away for the holiday season.

They emphasize the importance of creating an inventory of important documents and expensive items before departure. You can take photos or record videos showing your valuable items, including your electronics. This documentation can be crucial in the event of theft or damage.

Badger game alcohol sales generate $492K for UW-Madison dry events

Posted on
The Cap Times

When Camp Randall Stadium started selling alcohol last fall during Badger football games, University of Wisconsin-Madison leaders said a portion of the revenue would go to campus.

They said the money would support “efforts to promote student wellness and to encourage responsible behavior around the use of alcohol, such as offering alcohol-free programming for students and supporting students experiencing challenges related to high-risk behaviors.”

So far, nearly $500,000 in revenue from alcohol sales at athletic events has been distributed for this purpose, said Gillian Drummond, a campus spokesperson. The university’s Student Affairs division received $442,000 last school year and University Housing received $50,000, she said.

Don’t let politics tear Thanksgiving apart. Talk it out.

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The good news amid the rancor is that people are not only studying why we’re so polarized, but they are also working on ways to fix it. I learned that fact during my recent interview with Susan Yackee, director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs at UW–Madison.

The school is launching a new undergraduate public policy program in the fall of 2026, including a required course titled Advancing Public Policy in a Divided America.

In it, students literally practice talking across ideological divides. “If I don’t work out my bicep, it’s just not gonna get strong, right? It’s the same thing with our students and their skills in talking across differences,” Yackee told me. “[It’s] super easy for them to be siloed in their own little social media environments and not hear or have to interact with people that think differently than them. So we’re gonna force that in the class.”

Evers approves SNAP payments for November during uncertain federal order

Posted on
The Badger Herald

Though the regular full-time student does not meet the requirements for SNAP, there are special opportunities for students with different circumstances, like students in a work study program or who have a child caretaking role.

“There are certain exemptions that make students able to access SNAP … working in a work study job, if you have a caretaking role or if you have a certain kind of disabilities,” said University of Wisconsin assistant director for student engagement Kasie Strahl. “Finally, if you work more than an average of 80 hours a month, you qualify.”

If you want to be a [Bucky] Badger, just come along with former mascot Cecil Powless

Posted on
PBS Wisconsin

While a fuzzy microfiber suit, red-and-white striped Motion W sweater and 30-pound head are standard issue, it is up to the people inside the costume to make Bucky Badger unique.

In anticipation of the 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 premiere of the new historical PBS Wisconsin documentary narrated by comedian Charlie Berens — Bucky! — we tracked down former Bucky Cecil Powless to unmask what it takes to become the chaotic and infectious icon of energy that is beloved by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the entire state.

How a Madison woman’s question sparked a growing statewide civics contest

Posted on
Wisconsin Watch

The competition has grown so much, in fact, that it’s too big for the five staff members of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association to handle. They’re now handing the reins to the Universities of Wisconsin, which has sponsored the event since its inception.

The games will be overseen by the university system’s Wisconsin Institute for Citizenship and Civil Dialogue, which will soon become the Office of Civic Engagement, said Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman. Separately, that office will host civic education workshops for teachers across the state over the next three years, funded by a $1.1 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s American History & Civics Seminars program.

To help their kids ‘climb the ivy,’ Chinese mothers uproot their families for Silicon Valley schools

Posted on
San Francisco Chronicle

Her older son, 20, is now studying computer science at Santa Clara University. Her younger one, 18, is a computer engineering student at the University of Wisconsin. In school, they played in a jazz band and cultivated their love for music. These are things, she believes, they couldn’t have had in China. Gao couldn’t spend the last year of her father’s life with him due to the pandemic, but, “I have no regrets,” she said. “Because I see my kids.”

New UW gen ed policy may ease transfer process. But will it erode campus autonomy?

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The state budget passed this summer increased the UW system’s budget by $256 million but came with strings, including requiring all core general education courses be transferable between UW campuses and satisfy general education requirements at the receiving institution by fall 2026.

Q&A: UW Marching Band member details tradition, performance within the ensemble

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Assistant drum major Arista Whitson helps lead the University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band in collaboration with drum major Caleb Monge. For every Badger football game played at Camp Randall, the band performs a pregame, halftime and fifth quarter performance celebrating their legendary tradition with energy and precision.

What are international students doing for Thanksgiving?

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin–Madison is home to over 7,000 international students from more than 120 different countries. For some students, visiting home means a long flight and an uncomfortable middle seat. But with fall break just around the corner, many international students are bringing fresh perspectives to Thanksgiving.

UW-Madison toes the line between burnout culture and mental health

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

November is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison is once again covered in wellness graphics, posters and reminders to slow down and take care of ourselves. The intention is good, but the timing is almost ironic, because if there’s one thing students don’t have in November, it’s the time — or bandwidth — to actually “prioritize wellness.”

UW-Madison’s new center studies the link between aging and diseases

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison researchers at a new federally funded center on campus will examine how aging influences diseases, such as cancer and neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson’s.

The Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging will fund new research that examines how metabolic changes associated with aging are linked to disease. The center’s researchers aim to develop improved treatments or methodologies that physicians can use to better address their patients’ conditions.

UW-Madison School of Nursing Dean Linda Scott, a leader in her field, dies at 69

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Linda Scott, who served for nearly a decade as dean of the UW-Madison School of Nursing and was a leader in her field, died Monday. She was 69.

A native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, Scott’s ambition to work in nursing started during her childhood, inspired by her mother’s career as a nurse attendant. This year was Scott’s 10th in the role at the School of Nursing as its eighth leader and the program’s first Black dean.

Wisconsin football seniors reflect on career disappointments, points of pride

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Sighs, long pauses and stares into the distance accompanied many of the answers to a difficult question posed to University of Wisconsin seniors over the past three weeks.

The class, which will be celebrated Saturday night when the Badgers face Illinois for the final game at Camp Randall Stadium this season, finds itself celebrating something different than most senior days.

New UW faculty workload policy could hinder faculty recruitment, professors say

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The UW Board of Regents on Nov. 19 approved controversial changes to a teaching workload policy despite some criticism and concern from faculty.

Under the proposal, full-time instructors would be required to teach at least 24 credits every school year, or four three-credit classes each semester. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, where professors are expected to produce more research, the minimum load is 12 credits per year, or two classes per semester.

What the Trump administration’s latest moves to dismantle the Education Department mean for schools and students

Posted on
Time

Experts also expressed concerns that the process of disseminating funding or services may change once they’re moved to other federal agencies. Nicholas Hillman, a professor in the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says he wonders, for instance, if a college that is seeking funding from an OPE grant will now be asked different questions and will have to undergo a different review process, which could potentially create “additional hurdles” for colleges that are “already stretched pretty thin.”

Dean Emerit of Nursing Linda D. Scott passes away at 69

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Dean Emerit of the School of Nursing Linda D. Scott died Monday at the age of 69, the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced Tuesday.

Scott stepped down as Dean just six days ago due to health reasons, moving her retirement up from June 2026. She was the first Black dean of the College of Nursing — and the eighth dean ever — and spent almost ten years in the role, being appointed in July 2016. She led expansions to the program as well as the school’s centennial celebration.

UHS hosts ‘Movember’ events for Men’s Mental Health Month

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

niversity Health Services (UHS) is celebrating Men’s Mental Health Month with a series of events advocating for male students’ mental and physical health.

The month of November is often known as ‘Movember’, a time dedicated to promoting men’s health and breaking stigmas surrounding mental health and masculinity. A recent survey from The Healthy Minds Network reported 31% of college-aged men have said they experienced depression.

Student government calls on university to fund campus food pantry amid record demand

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

The Associated Students of Madison (ASM) passed a resolution at a meeting Wednesday night calling on the University of Wisconsin-Madison to provide financial support for Open Seat Food Pantry.

ASM created Open Seat in 2016 as a pilot initiative to address food insecurity on campus. This year, the food pantry faces record-level demand for food amid a significant increase in visits. Over 2,500 visits occurred in September 2025 compared to 550 visits in September 2023, an increase of about 355%.

The Open Seat sees exponential shopper increase, ‘unable to handle’ amidst FoodShare benefit uncertainty

Posted on
The Badger Herald

The Associated Students of Madison in an Instagram post Nov. 11 shared a message from The Open Seat, stating that they saw an exponential increase in shoppers among FoodShare uncertainty.

“The Open Seat is under-resourced and cannot handle the increasing level of need on campus,” the message said. “Even with increased financial support and the resumption of FoodShare benefits, our team will continue to struggle balancing our own education with the needs of our shoppers.”

New major at UW-Madison: Public Policy

Posted on
ABC 27

The La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison will launch a new undergraduate major in public policy in fall 2026.

Students can earn either a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science in public policy. The program is designed to prepare students for careers in government, nonprofits, consulting, advocacy, and business. Many graduates are expected to pursue further education in public affairs or law.

Veterans Day ceremonies in Madison and freebies for veterans

Posted on
Wisconsin State Journal

Tuesday is a day to remember those who served this country. There is a ceremony planned to honor veterans at the state Capitol, and many businesses are offering free meals and more to veterans. Here are a few.

UW-Madison’s Memorial Union is hosting a free Veterans Day event featuring free refreshments, a program and a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Memorial Union breaking ground as a memorial to service members. The event is from 1:30 to 2:50 p.m. Tuesday.

 

Initiative addressing antisemitism, Islamophobia comes to campus

Posted on
The Badger Herald

The University of Wisconsin is implementing a national pluralism grant this year to support staff and faculty in addressing antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus, according to an emailed statement from UW Student Affairs.

The grant will provide support for a project titled “Pluralism Cohort Initiative for Senior Leadership in Student Affairs” over the course of the 2025-2026 school year, using the work of a cohort of 20 senior administrators at UW, according to SA’s statement.

Blue books are back: The revival of pen and paper exams

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

Fresh off the heels of summer break, some students were startled by three words they thought had been lost to time: “blue book exam.”

Indeed, for many students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this year, gone are the days of the take-home paper or at-home Canvas final. Faced with rising instances of students using generative artificial intelligence tools, such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini, to cheat, professors have instead returned to the ol’ reliable: a handwritten, in-class exam.

Trixie Mattel coming to speak at UW-Madison event

Posted on
NBC 15

Drag queen and Wisconsin-native Trixie Mattel is coming to University of Wisconsin- Madison to talk about her life as an entertainer and activist, Wisconsin Union announced Wednesday.

Trixie Mattel was a competitor on season seven of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and won season three of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars”.