The University of Wisconsin announced a new tenure track professor who will focus on Hmong and other Southeast Asian groups has been appointed to the Geography Department.
UW hires professor of Hmong studies
Badger Herald
Category: Campus life
Roland S. Martin: Students not fighting hard enough for change
Capital Times
All this month we will see thousands of college students jumping up and down, yelling, pumping fists and painting their faces. Thatâ??s the annual scene we see when college basketball teams are clawing their way to be one of the precious 65 seeds that enter the NCAA Tournament.
Yet these same students should say the heck with the games and put their energy, zeal and passion into two of the most fundamental issues posing the most dramatic barriers to gaining a college education: the rising cost of tuition and the lack of financial aid.
Campus Connection: Grades continue to climb, but does it matter?
Capital Times
Grades awarded to undergraduates attending college in the United States have gone up significantly in the past couple decades according to a report titled “Grading in American Colleges and Universities,” which was published in the Teachers College Record.
The article was written by UW-Madison graduate Stuart Rojstaczer and Christopher Healy, an associate professor of computer science at Furman University. Rojstaczer is a retired professor of geophysics at Duke University and the creator of GradeInflation.com, a website that tracks grading trends.
Ruben Rosario: ‘Smiley-face killer’ theory gave drowning victims’ families empty hope
St. Paul Pioneer Press
In September, retired New York police detective Kevin Gannon went on national TV and all but said he had uncovered a â??well-structuredâ?? organization of â??smiley-faceâ?? serial killers responsible for a more-than-a-decade-long string of slayings mostly involving young men found drowned in rivers, ponds and lakes near college campuses.
Badger Herald won’t pull controversial ad
WKOW-TV 27
Badger Herald leaders decided Friday not to pull a controversial advertisement in the UW-Madison student newspaper with a link to a Holocaust denierâ??s website.
Student organization holds fundraiser for Chile
WKOW-TV 27
A UW-Madison student organization held a fundraiser for victims of the earthquake in Chile. The Chilean Student Association is hoping to help those in Chile begin to rebuild. They held a fundraiser Sunday afternoon in hopes of raising money to send back.
Panel addresses ethics of Holocaust-denial ad
Daily Cardinal
Approximately 150 UW-Madison students and staff attended a panel Thursday held in response to an advertisement on the Badger Heraldâ??s website linking to a website denying the Holocaust.
TPanel debates Holocaust denial ad
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin students gathered in Bascom Hall Thursday for an open forum on journalistic ethics and sensitivity.
Why The Badger Herald ran that Holocaust denier’s ad
Isthmus
Running a newspaper in Madison, or in any city, comes with a responsibility to readers. A current controversy involving a hateful advertisement in the UW-Madison student paper, The Badger Herald, where I serve as publisher, has raised questions about what that entails. The answers, I submit, are more gray than black or white.
College students protest, block campuses over funding
USA Today
Rowdy protesters blocked major gates at two California universities and smashed the windows of a car Thursday amid campus protests across the nation against deep cuts in education funding. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee police detained 15 people following a tuition protest that turned violent, says a school spokesman Tom Luljak.
15 UW-Milwaukee protesters detained after scuffles
Madison.com
A spokesman for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee says police have detained 15 people following a tuition protest that turned violent. University spokesman Tom Luljak says about 150 students gathered around an administrative building Thursday afternoon.
Angry students protest cuts to schools, colleges
Madison.com
Anger over rising tuition and school budget cuts boiled over as students across the country staged rowdy demonstrations that led to clashes with police and the rush-hour shutdown of a major freeway in California. Students, teachers, parents and school employees rallied and marched at college campuses, public parks and government buildings in several U.S. cities Thursday. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee police arrested at least 15 people protesting tuition hikes after demonstrators tried to enter an administrative building to deliver petitions to the chancellor. When police turned them away, some protesters threw punches and ice chunks, university spokesman Tom Luljak said.
15 UW-Milwaukee protesters arrested after scuffles over tuition rates (AP)
Appleton Post-Crescent
A protest over tuition costs turned violent Thursday on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus, with protesters allegedly throwing ice and snowballs at police and officers responding with pepper spray.
UW student group tries to stop tiger show
WKOW-TV 27
A UW-Madison law school student group is trying to stop a Wisconsin Dells resort from continuing to use tigers in a magic show and from building a hotel lobby habitat for the animals.
Newspaper Defends Holocaust Denial Ad
WISC-TV 3
A UW campus newspaper confronted its critics Thursday after running a controversial ad on its Web site. The Badger Herald accepted a Holocaust denying ad on its Web site last week.
In California, a Day of Protests Over Education Budget Cuts
New York Times
Angered by increases in tuition and cuts in state financing, thousands of students, parents and faculty members protested across California on Thursday at colleges, universities and even elementary schools to plead for help with the stateâ??s education crisis.
Scattered tuition protests occurred in other states, too, with at least 16 people arrested at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, when protesters tried to force their way into administration offices and threw ice chunks at campus officers, according to a university spokesman.
Holocaust-denial ad draws protest
Daily Cardinal
More than 100 UW-Madison students rallied at Library Mall Wednesday afternoon in response to a recent controversy surrounding a Holocaust-denying advertisement placed on The Badger Heraldâ??s website.
Martinâ??s response spot-on
Badger Herald
Chancellor Martinâ??s op-ed addressing the controversy surrounding the Heraldâ??s publication of the Holocaust denial ad (â??Truth and Scholarship Greatest Tools in Combating Falsehoodâ?) is a breath of fresh air for those committed to UW-Madisonâ??s core belief in the â??sifting and winnowingâ? of ideas and the freedom of speech that goes with it.
Students protesting tuition costs
WKOW-TV 27
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) — Students participated in a protest at the UW-Milwaukee campus Thursday. The students were protesting tuition costs.
Dalai Lama to visit Madison in May
Badger Herald
The Dalai Lama will make an appearance on the University of Wisconsin campus this May, marking his second visit to the campus within two years.
UW remembers Holocaust
Badger Herald
More than 100 University of Wisconsin community members gathered in Library Mall Wednesday afternoon to remember the events of the Holocaust and come together as a community.
UW Medical Students Provide Care To Those In Need
WISC-TV 3
Some University of Wisconsin Medical School students are getting an early dose of reality and at the same time, helping those in need.
Some future physicians are learning patient care through a lesson plan taking them out of the classroom into the doctorâ??s office by providing health care to those struggling to make ends meet.
No one expects to be down on your luck and out of work. And yet when people are, getting sick or needing to see the doctor can be a nightmare. If they are unable to pay, many donâ??t get the care they need.
For nearly 20 years, UW medical students have quietly been making a difference by treating patients who would otherwise go without care at free clinics throughout Madison.
Campus Connection: Holocaust awareness, new hires and stem cells
Capital Times
….Both of UW-Madisonâ??s student newspapers — The Daily Cardinal and The Badger Herald — covered Wednesdayâ??s Holocaust awareness rally at Library Mall.This was one of two campus events organized in response to a number of anti-Semitic comments posted to the Badger Heraldâ??s website last month and that newspaperâ??s decision to publish an online ad from a group that denies the existence of the Holocaust.
Proposal would help student renters before theyâ??re pushed to sign new lease
Capital Times
One year ago, near east side Ald. Bridget Maniaci and former Ald. Brenda Konkel were locked in a fierce battle for the cityâ??s District 2 seat, which Konkel had held for eight years. Now the two find themselves as tentative allies in Maniaciâ??s effort to push back the November downtown rental rush by reviving discussions about when landlords can start showing and leasing occupied apartments for next yearâ??s rental cycle.
Maniaci says the time is right to revisit the decade-old issue, with the downtown rental market changing as more young professionals choose apartments over buying houses.
At Penn, gay students help recruit gay applicants
USA Today
At many colleges, itâ??s a standard part of the recruiting process once applicants are admitted. Current students who share individual traits or academic interests help reach out to prospective students with similar backgrounds or interests. This year, the University of Pennsylvania is applying the idea to admitted applicants who are gay.
College students rally over tuition, education quality
USA Today
College students on more than 100 campuses nationwide plan walkouts, rallies and other actions Thursday to protest budget cuts, layoffs and tuition increases, which they say erode quality of education and limit access.
All around us are signs of spring, and for some people, it’s none too soon
Wisconsin State Journal
Quoted: UW-Madison weather researcher Jordan Gerth.
Parents learn daughter dodged Chilean quake (Sauk Prairie Eagle)
Annette Kaufman had a feeling something was wrong when a close friend sent her an early-morning text message Feb. 27. The friend asked Annette for the Web address of her daughterâ??s blog.
Protesting Holocaust denial ad in a UW paper
WKOW-TV 27
Students and staff on the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus are protesting an ad in a student newspaper that links readers to a website denying the Holocaust.
Holocaust Denial Ad Sparks Controversy
WISC-TV 3
Issues of free speech, advertising and the Holocaust clashed on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus Wednesday as about 150 students rallied to honor the victims of the Holocaust and call for an end to an ad in a campus newspaper.
Opinion: BH crosses line between free speech and hateful rhetoric
Badger Herald
Itâ??s a beautiful spring afternoon on the University of Wisconsin campus. Youâ??re done with classes and donâ??t want to have anything to do with homework. After all, that 20-page research paper due in three days can always wait a little longer.
Downs: Martinâ??s response spot-on
Badger Herald
Chancellor Martinâ??s op-ed addressing the controversy surrounding the Heraldâ??s publication of the Holocaust denial ad (â??Truth and Scholarship Greatest Tools in Combating Falsehoodâ?) is a breath of fresh air for those committed to UW-Madisonâ??s core belief in the â??sifting and winnowingâ? of ideas and the freedom of speech that goes with it.
UW Athletics postpones new ice rink
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin Athletics announced Tuesday they will postpone plans for a new hockey facility, which would connect the SERF and the Kohl Center and would include a new professional ice rink, due to funding problems.
Tech: Remember when students protested over wars and civil rights?
Capital Times
College students are known for protesting just about every injustice they perceive, but it usually involves serious topics like war and racism.
Students at Santa Clara University have found a less serious subject to aim at: allegedly poor cell phone reception, according to Network World.
Campus Connection: Progress is in the eye of the beholder
Capital Times
In late January, The Education Trust posted a press release noting “some public colleges and universities are making gains, closing gaps in graduation rates for minority students.”
That release then noted a small number of “Top Gainers” and “Top Gap Closers” to highlight institutions which have “made the biggest improvements in these areas.” Among those few schools receiving kudos was UW-Madison.
….Earlier this week, Newsweek used these same Education Trust figures to demonstrate how “American universities are accepting more minorities than ever. Graduating them is another matter.”
Table Talk: The best sandwich in America coming to Madison?
Wisconsin State Journal
Before UW-Madison graduates foray out into the real world, students have a last chance to put some polish on their table manners. The Spring Etiquette Dinner, sponsored by the Letters and Science Career Services office, will be held Tuesday, Mar. 9
UW postpones construction of ice arena
Madison.com
Citing a lack of progress on its fund-raising drive, the University of Wisconsin has postponed plans to build a $25 million ice arena and make upgrades to the facilities for its swimming programs, athletic director Barry Alvarez said in a statement Tuesday. As of last week, $6 million had been gifted to UW for the project, whereas Alvarez told the Wisconsin State Journal he needed $8 million on hand to proceed.
Emily’s Post: Sexual assault on campus is a huge, inexcusable problem
Isthmus
Thanks to some excellent reporting by a collaborative effort between the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Reporting and the UWâ??s Journalism School, the issue of sexual assault on campusâ??and how itâ??s dealt with (or not)â??was brought to light yet again in an article in Mondayâ??s Badger Herald.
Covenant Scholars to receive at least $250 for tuition expenses, Doyle says
Daily Cardinal
Wisconsin Covenant Scholars are each set to receive between $250 and $2,500 annually to help cover tuition costs, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday.
Small fire sparks Grainger evacuation
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison students evacuated Grainger Hall after a small fire triggered the smoke alarms Monday afternoon.
Truth and scholarship greatest tools in combatting falsehood
Badger Herald
For the past week, members of the UW-Madison community have been debating the extent to which denials of the Holocaust, or more specifically, ads that deny the Holocaust constitute free speech. As a scholar in German studies, I want to take a few moments to address a slightly different set of issues.
Swimsuit, compost station take home honors in Wiscontrepreneur contest
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin students constructed everything from a bathing suit made out of computer keys to a residence hall composting station at this yearâ??s 100-hour Wiscontrepreneur Challenge.
Small fire contained at Grainger
Badger Herald
Firefighters responded to reports of smoke at Grainger Hall on the University of Wisconsin campus before noon Monday, evacuating the building and extinguishing the fire.
On Campus: Campus response to Badger Herald ad
Wisconsin State Journal
In response to a Holocaust denial ad running on the Badger Herald Web site, the UW-Madison campus is hosting two events this week. A panel discussion entitled “Journalism, Ethics and Sensitivity” will be held from 4-6 p.m. Thursday, March 4. In addition, beginning at 12:15 p.m. Wednesday, UW Hillel will hold a Library Mall event designed to remember the Holocaust. Chancellor Biddy Martin, who has a doctorate in German Studies, wrote a guest column in the Herald today on the importance of rejecting the adâ??s message.
Campus Connection: Martin likes idea of more students on campus, but …
Capital Times
A couple notes from Monday eveningâ??s Faculty Senate meeting at Bascom Hall:
** UW-Madison Chancellor Biddy Martin and University Committee chair Bill Tracy both expressed concerns about an “educational attainment initiative” that apparently is in the works by the UW System.
While Martin says she is all for educating and graduating more students at UW-Madison, she stressed that would only be possible if state funding for the university increased.
** Two separate proposals to amend Faculty Policies and Procedures received a “first reading” Monday and there was no pushback to either. It appears likely those amendments will be voted on and passed at the April 12 meeting.
Campus Connection: Doyle amazed ‘just how partisan this all gets’
Capital Times
Gov. Jim Doyle released the funding details for the Wisconsin Covenant program at a press conference Monday at UW-Madisonâ??s Memorial Library.
Those state students who have signed the Wisconsin Covenant pledge have agreed to “take college preparatory classes, maintain at least a â??Bâ?? average and practice good citizenship.” In return, the state has promised these students both a place in higher education and a financial aid package based on need to make it affordable.
Doyle said Monday these state students would get between $250 and $2,500 during each of their first two years of college. He indicated the $2,500 grants for low-income students, when used with other state and federal aid, would cover tuition and fees.
Wisconsin Covenant students could receive between $250 and $2,500
Wisconsin State Journal
Wisconsin high school students who earn a â??Bâ?? average and promise to be good citizens could be eligible for grants between $250 and $2,500 during their first two years of college, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Monday. It will be up to Doyleâ??s successor to seek funding for the governorâ??s signature college access program â?? known as the Wisconsin Covenant â?? and the next Legislature to appropriate that money. University of Wisconsin System President Kevin Reilly also promised to help Covenant scholars, by providing them with financial aid counseling, advising, and considering their status as a Covenant scholar in admissions.
Doyle: Each Covenant scholar will get $250 or more
Madison.com
High school students who complete a new Wisconsin program to promote college attendance will be eligible for annual grants worth $250 to $2,500 for their first two years of college, Gov. Jim Doyle said Monday. Doyle also said Wisconsin Covenant scholars would be eligible for additional aid during their final two years, with the amounts depending on the availability of funding. At a news conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Doyle said the grants for low-income students, when paired with other state and federal aid, would be more than enough to cover tuition and fees. And he said the $250 grants for others would recognize their accomplishment and slightly reduce their financial burden.
Rebuilding Haiti (Wisconsin Builder)
Eyleen Chou couldnâ??t hear the screams.She did not see the buildings collapse as lives and entire families were wiped out in an instant. Surveying in fields 70 miles north of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the University of Wisconsin-Madison engineering student felt only a tremor Jan. 12 as a 7.0-magnitude earthquake ripped through the countryâ??s capital city. But she still feels the aftershocks from the tragic event.
Earthquake in Chile shakes families in Madison
WKOW-TV 27
Also relieved, many UW students with family in Chile. UW-Madison students Patricio Mendoza and Javier Vera are graduate students at the UW. Mendoza is from Santiago, Chile… about ten hours from the epicenter in Concepcion, Chile.
UW campuses work to address sexual assault
Wisconsin Public Radio
Rape is the most under-reported crime in the country, especially on college campuses. The University of Wisconsin is trying to change that, and to prevent more rapes before they happen.
The numbers arenâ??t pretty, according to an in-depth review by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. Center staff reviewed the most recent rape statistics on UW System campuses, and found that only 188 rapes were reported in 2008, the most recent year for which numbers are available. But national surveys of college women predict there were probably more than 3,000 sexual assaults on the systemâ??s 13 campuses.
Governor outlines grants for Wisconsin Covenant
Wisconsin Radio Network
For four years, Governor Jim Doyle has been encouraging students to sign the Wisconsin Covenant. The agreement guarantees them entrance into almost any college or university in the state if they maintain a B average, stay out of trouble, and graduate high school. So far, nearly 50,000 eighth graders across the state have signed the agreement.
Martin: Truth and scholarship greatest tools in combatting falsehood
Badger Herald
For the past week, members of the UW-Madison community have been debating the extent to which denials of the Holocaust, or more specifically, ads that deny the Holocaust constitute free speech. As a scholar in German studies, I want to take a few moments to address a slightly different set of issues.
I-Team: Campus Sex Assaults (WTMJ-TV, Milwaukee)
Student starting school at a University of Wisconsin campus have a new tool to help them evaluate how safe schools are. For the first time, the sex assault statistics that used to be found only in reports that went to the Board of Regents, have been aggregated into one big Web site accessible to all.
Dance marathon raises over $80,000 for chidrenâ??s hospital
Daily Cardinal
More than 400 participants danced Friday night at the Shell for the Wisconsin Dance Marathon, raising over $80,000 to be donated to the American Family Childrenâ??s Hospital.
UW students safe in Chile
Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison officials have confirmed the safety of all students studying in Chile this semester after the earthquake that occurred Saturday.
Campus sexual assaults underreported
Badger Herald
Abby Panozzo said the day she was raped began in what seemed like safe surroundings â?? a block party with her teammates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison womenâ??s lacrosse team.
Dancers shake it for charity in second annual dance marathon
Badger Herald
More than 450 University of Wisconsin students and Madison community members strapped on their dancing shoes to help raise money for the American Family Childrenâ??s Hospital at the second annual Wisconsin Dance Marathon this weekend.
UW students in Chile safe
Badger Herald
University of Wisconsin students studying abroad in Chile are safe after a massive earthquake struck offshore early Saturday morning.
The Badger Herald: News: Grainger reopened after evacuation
Badger Herald
UPDATE: As of 1:30 p.m., Grainger was reopened to students.
Officials said Grainger Hall will remain evacuated until a fire reported this afternoon is completely extinguished.
Sergeant Kurt Seavel of the University of Wisconsin Police Department said the fire was reported shortly after 12:00 p.m. today. Six fire trucks were then dispatched to the scene, where a fire was discovered in a wall.