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Category: Campus life

UW faculty, local activists criticize campus Flock Safety cameras, cite privacy concerns

The Daily Cardinal

Local activist groups and faculty members are calling out the University of Wisconsin Police Department and technology company Flock Safety over eight security cameras they say bring privacy and security concerns to campus.

UWPD — who has access to the data through a contract with Flock Safety — said the cameras aid law enforcement in solving crimes and are not used for “surveillance” of the community like some suspect.

Will Babcock keep scooping ‘Mnookie Dough’ ice cream when its namesake chancellor leaves?

Wisconsin State Journal

Babcock Dairy’s “Mnookie Dough” ice cream is stocked and ready to be served. At least for now.

The flavor that UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin helped develop, which consists of a vanilla base, with chocolate chip cookie dough pieces, and fudge and caramel swirls, will be available for at least through Mnookin’s tenure, Babcock’s spokesperson Bethany Jones said Tuesday.

Photos: UW-Madison students protest ICE activity across the country

Wisconsin State Journal

Students from UW-Madison filled Library Mall to protest ICE activity across the country and show solidarity with Minneapolis residents on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026 in Madison, Wis. The protest, organized by Students for a Democratic Society Madison, intended to “show the campus, the city, the state, and the Trump administration the students will not allow this to continue unobstructed,” according to the organization’s social media.

SJP to focus on divestment, disclosure in return from university suspension

The Daily Cardinal

Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) will renew calls for university divestment from Israel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and military operations in Venezuela while remaining civil with the university as the organization returns to campus Jan. 15 following a six-month suspension, a member told The Daily Cardinal.

What Columbia University and Jennifer Mnookin will get from each other

Wisconsin State Journal

When Jennifer Mnookin joined UW-Madison in 2022 as its chancellor, she faced declining state funding, a decadelong tuition freeze, then campus protests and an onslaught of federal research cuts.

But during her nearly four years in the position, Mnookin built a track record of forging deals with critics of her leadership or the university itself, such as breaking ground on the hard-fought new engineering building, despite frequent opposition from the Republican-led Legislature.

UW-Madison cancels classes, a rare move

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison has called off classes on Friday due to extreme frigid winter weather — the first time the university has canceled instruction since 2019.

The university canceled lectures, labs and discussion sections, but other campus operations will continue as normal, the university announced Thursday.

UW senior auditors program fosters lifelong learning, connections

The Daily Cardinal

Through the Senior Guest Auditor Program, Wisconsin residents aged 60 and older take UW-Madison courses free of charge alongside students less than half their age. This fall, the program reached a record enrollment of more than 1,000 auditors, double the number enrolled a decade ago, according to program administrator Anne Niendorf. The program places older adults alongside traditional undergraduates in lecture halls across campus, creating multigenerational classrooms.

UW Cinematheque rolls out 2026 film lineup

The Daily Cardinal

The Cinematheque, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s dedicated screening facility for international cinema history and fine films, returns this week for its 2026 slate — filling a niche since the 1990s by promoting movies audiences in Madison might otherwise miss.

“Sometimes good movies are brought to us through a proposed partnership with another campus department or community organization/concern,” said Jim Healy, Director of Programming at the Cinematheque. “Sometimes some movies are more relevant, like our screening of ‘Slap Shot’ last January in honor of Paul Newman’s centennial.”

UW-Madison cancels classes Friday due to extreme cold

The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin-Madison cancelled Friday classes due to freezing weather conditions for the first time since 2019, according to a news release.

The cancellation of all lectures, labs and discussion sections comes after the National Weather Service placed Dane County under an Extreme Cold Warning from midnight to 1 p.m. Friday, with wind chills projected to range from 30 to 40 degrees below zero.

Education has seen unprecedented changes in Trump’s second term

Wisconsin Public Radio

Last year, just as she was finishing a teacher residency program through the University of Wisconsin-Madison, federal funding for the project was cut by the Trump administration.

“So we were in the spring semester and we were all like, are we going to be able to continue?” Lind said. “Are we going to still be able to get our teaching license? Are we going to have to pay this back?”

Winter Wisconsin Welcome events give students opportunity to connect, get outside in the cold

The Daily Cardinal

As the winter weather continues, the University of Wisconsin-Madison welcomes both returning and new students to the spring semester in frigid fashion.

First years this fall enjoyed Wisconsin Welcome events as they learned the campus layout while returning students reacclimated. Returning this winter is no different with a Winter Wisconsin Welcome that not only opens doors for returning students but gives transfers and spring admits opportunities to make connections and meet new people.

UW-Madison reports 9 hazing violations since 2021

The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin-Madison reported nine hazing violations connected to Greek life between 2021 to 2025 after a new federal law required universities and colleges to publicly report hazing incidents.

Under the Stop Campus Hazing Act, universities and colleges were required to begin documenting hazing violations starting July 1, 2025, implement anti-hazing policies and publish their first Campus Hazing Transparency Report by Dec. 23, 2025. UW-Madison went beyond the July requirement by including hazing reports from years prior.

Why Wisconsin football is lowering prices of season tickets in 2026

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin is lowering the total price of football season tickets at Camp Randall Stadium ahead of a 2026 season that has only six home games.

The listed price of season tickets will drop across the stadium from $399 to $312 before taxes and fees. That is a 21.8% decrease in listed price for a season with 14.3% fewer home games, although that comes with an asterisk.

UW-Madison names inaugural leader of entrepreneurship hub

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison has picked its first leader of the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub, the initiative launched last fall to encourage more startups on campus and boost Wisconsin’s economic growth.

Lewis Sheats will serve as associate vice chancellor and executive director. Sheats previously served as executive director of Saint Louis University’s center for entrepreneurship and spent two decades at North Carolina State University as assistant vice provost for entrepreneurship. His first day at UW-Madison is Feb. 2

Brutal cold exposes growing need across Madison

Spectrum News

The University of Wisconsin–Madison began its spring semester during the coldest stretch of the year, sending students back to campus bundled in layers.

One UW Ph.D. student from South India said the frigid temperatures made her feel “like an onion,” layered again and again to stay warm. Her friend from Kentucky said she was not used to wearing boots or layering so much clothing.

Here’s the UW news you missed over break

The Daily Cardinal

Although campus activity slowed with many students home for winter break, news did not stop at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Between a conservative law firm filing a complaint on race-based scholarships at UW and a string of burglaries at the UW Law school, here’s what you may have missed while off-campus.

A new Humanities building and other developments UW-Madison has in the works this year

Wisconsin State Journal

The doors of a new academic building will open, three-year-old scaffolding is expected to come down, and designs are being drawn up to revamp a historic site on UW-Madison’s campus in 2026.

Upcoming plans for development projects at UW-Madison signal another busy year of changes happening on campus. In 2025, UW-Madison notably opened a new building that houses its new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence: Morgridge Hall, a privately funded $267 million, 343,000-square-foot facility.

How Trump made life difficult for international students and Wisconsin

The New York Times

One of the first signs of trouble came last spring, when the Trump administration abruptly moved to deport scores of international students, including a handful at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

University officials were alarmed, well aware that around 8,000 students, 15 percent of its enrollment, were from abroad. And they worried that the looming deportations might spook prospective international students, said Frances Vavrus, the dean of the international division at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Federal civil rights complaint against UW-Madison filed over scholarships

Wisconsin Public Radio

The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Wisconsin-Madison on behalf of conservative students on campus.

The firm alleges the school is offering about two dozen race-based scholarships. WILL is asking the U.S. Department of Education to investigate “race-based practices” on behalf of its client, the Young America’s Foundation.

UW-Madison research foundation seeks next ‘diamonds’ amid federal cuts

The Cap Times

The organization is set to provide $206.9 million in total support to UW-Madison and the Morgridge Institute for Research this school year, including $50 million toward research projects and nearly $36 million for faculty, graduate students and staff.

Now in its second century, the nonprofit faces challenges, though. The Trump administration’s widespread cuts to federal research funding could limit the number of discoveries coming to WARF.

UW campuses skew female

Isthmus

If your impression is that there are more female students than male students at UW-Madison, you’re not wrong.

In 2025, the university enrolled almost 1,000 fewer men (3,800) than women (4,744) as first-year students. Also, according to data from the university’s office of the registrar, male students are less likely to stay at the university and less likely to graduate on time than women.

UWPD investigating four burglaries at UW-Madison Law Building

The Daily Cardinal

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Police Department (UWPD) is investigating a three-month string of four burglaries at the UW-Madison Law Building, according to a Wednesday crime alert.

The first burglary took place in late October, UWPD Executive Director of Communications Marc Lovicott told The Daily Cardinal in a statement. The most recent incident occurred Sunday. All four burglaries happened after hours, when the building was closed.

Twenty years on, celebrating the University of Wisconsin’s twin hockey titles

Madison Magazine

It had never happened before, and it hasn’t happened since — the men’s and women’s hockey teams from the same school winning NCAA championships in the same year. 

But in 2006, both the men’s and women’s University of Wisconsin hockey teams won national titles, and the teams were led by a brother and sister who grew up playing youth hockey in Madison. 

UW-Madison set to finish two new buildings in 2026, start another

The Cap Times

tudents are on track to take classes in a new humanities building at the University of Wisconsin-Madison this fall. And the athletics department plans to finish an indoor football practice facility next to Camp Randall Stadium this summer.

As those two projects wrap up in 2026, Wisconsin’s flagship public university also plans to break ground on a visitor and education center at the Lakeshore Nature Preserve, near Picnic Point.

Dr. Justice Castañeda, Jamaal Eubanks to be honored with 2026 City-County MLK Humanitarian Awards

Madison 365

The awards are given annually to community members who embody “the values of service, equity, and justice that Dr. King championed.” Gift Akere, a freshman at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, pursuing a degree in electrical engineering, will be honored with an MLK Humanitarian Award in the category of “Youth Leader.”

A new Humanities building and other developments UW-Madison has in the works this year

Wisconsin State Journal

The doors of a new academic building will open, three-year-old scaffolding is expected to come down, and designs are being drawn up to revamp a historic site on UW-Madison’s campus in 2026.

Upcoming plans for development projects at UW-Madison signal another busy year of changes happening on campus. In 2025, UW-Madison notably opened a new building that houses its new College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence: Morgridge Hall, a privately funded $267 million, 343,000-square-foot facility.

Report calls for centralization, consolidation at UW-Madison

Channel 3000

UW-Madison should centralize its human resources operations and consolidate its capital projects into one plan in order to improve oversight, a third-party report commissioned by the university recommends.

The report, which was completed by consulting firm Deloitte, highlighted issues with the school’s HR structure that led to inconsistencies in recruiting, payment and salary adjustment. The university was also found to have limited coordination on capital projects leading to inefficient planning.

AI, new leaders: 5 things to watch at the Universities of Wisconsin in 2026

Wisconsin State Journal

In 2025, the Universities of Wisconsin had another packed year.

The fallout from the Trump administration canceling students’ visas, federal funding uncertainty for research, the closure of a branch campus and downsizing of another, the rollout of new policies faculty called controversial and campuswide budget cuts at UW-Madison are just a few of the moments the State Journal covered.

White students more likely to exit Madison schools via open enrollment

The Cap Times

A University of Wisconsin-Madison class started the fall semester with a big question to tackle: Which families are opting not to enroll their children in the Madison school district, and why?

After a semester of conducting background research, analyzing data and reaching out directly to Madison families for interviews, one key finding was that nearly 1,600 middle and high school students open enrolled out of Madison schools into another public school district over the last three years — with white families being the most likely to leave.

How acting classes help UW-Madison med students relate to patients

Cap Times

Gabby Mullally, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is applying for residencies and plans to specialize in anesthesiology. She knows she would be working with patients during times of heightened anxiety, namely right before someone undergoes surgery.

That’s why she took an improv theater class this past semester.

After UW-Madison demotes DEI leader, Deloitte recommends changes

The Cap Times

The consulting firm Deloitte is recommending changes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison following the demotion of the school’s diversity leader over financial concerns.

UW-Madison paid Deloitte $395,000 to evaluate its financial and budgetary controls between March and July 2025, according to Mark Pitsch, a spokesperson for the broader UW system, which signed the contract with the firm.

Fight the urge to hibernate with these 9 indoor activities in the Madison area

Wisconsin State Journal

UW-Madison’s Geology Museum

Glowing rocks, dinosaurs and meteorites await visitors to this free museum, offering visitors an up-close look at the minerals and stones that comprise the natural world around them. Dinosaurs and fossils guide guests through physical history, beckoning those who want to know more about extinct species. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

2025 Staff Picks: Rising Disney star is a freshman at UW-Madison

Madison 365

Though acting remains the career goal, Nate Buescher is also focused on life beyond the screen. He recently started his freshman year in Madison, studying biology. “I’m already kind of dabbling in the acting portion of my life. Might as well just try something new, just trying to expand my world,” he said.

The decision to come to Wisconsin was an easy one. “I’m really familiar with the Midwest. I like the cold weather, even though that sounds a little weird,” he said. “I was lucky enough to get a pretty good scholarship at Madison, and it’s also been a dream school of mine for a really long time.”

Behind a UW-Madison spinoff’s physics-based fusion plant design

The Daily Cardinal

A common quip about nuclear fusion is that the technology is perpetually 30 years from deployment. Fusion research has not been funded to the same levels as other, already-realized clean technologies like solar, wind and fission, but new billion-dollar investments signify interest is picking up.

University of Wisconsin-Madison fusion spinoff company Type One Energy aims to bring nuclear fusion to the grid within a decade, backed by funding and a physics-based model.

Veteran receives refurbished car at UW basketball game

WKOW - Channel 27

A Vietnam War and retired U.S. Air Force veteran received a refurbished vehicle at the University of Wisconsin men’s basketball game at the Kohl Center on December 22.

American Family Insurance, Gerber Collision, and Glass team up to present Mark Knowlton with the car during a first-half timeout. The companies collaborated with Veterans Outreach Wisconsin to select Mark for the gift.

Madison Hillel joins other universities in adding new role to respond to antisemitism

The Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Aaron Seligman, a Madison native who previously worked for the Universities of Wisconsin, joined the cohort in February when taking on the new title of director of community relations at Madison Hillel.

The 13 professionals “take on the work of being that adult in the room that models and leads in relationship building with administrators, faculty and other Jewish communal professionals,” Simon said.

Seligman is focusing on areas the University of Wisconsin-Madison found specific needs for in the more than two years since Oct. 7. So far, Seligman has been “collaborating with the university administration on campus policies” and “engaging in media around campus climate and antisemitism,” Seligman said.

This growing UW-Madison lab helps students create using AI, other tech

The Cap Times

Launched in February, the lab is a collaboration between the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. It provides an opportunity for students from across the university to try emerging technologies — including AI, blockchain and virtual reality — and use them to potentially solve real-world problems.

“I love it because I see students progress remarkably,” said Sandra Bradley, the lab’s executive director. “When you give them a lot of … space and then hand them things that they need, the magic happens.”

Chazen showcases local influence in newly acquired photos

Wisconsin State Journal

The Chazen Museum of Art has added 28 photos taken by acclaimed photographer Irving Penn to its collection.

The photos were donated to the museum by the Irving Penn Foundation in Penn’s name. It was a gift in honor of UW-Madison alumnus and former Museum of Modern Art photography director John Szarkowski, according to a statement from museum spokesperson Kirstin Pires.

UW scientists alarmed by Trump plan to break up national weather research center

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists are sounding the alarm over a Trump administration plan to dismantle a prominent weather and climate research center, saying it could jeopardize the future of weather forecasting.

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is based in Boulder, Colorado, but is overseen by a consortium of universities, including UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee. The center allows researchers to work together on large projects that no one scientist or university could do alone.

Why some majors are harder to get into than the college itself

Chicago Tribune

In the Midwest, Indiana, Purdue, and Illinois show similar bottlenecks. In the Northeast, Northeastern’s combined engineering-CS programs have become harder to crack than many Ivy divisions. Even the University of Wisconsin, once known for broad access, now reports sharply lower admit rates in engineering and data science.

For parents and students, the message is sobering: the real competition may not be “between” colleges, but “within” them.

Slumping attendance means slumping alcohol sales at Wisconsin football home games

Wisconsin State Journal

The number of alcohol unit sales at Badgers games at Camp Randall Stadium in 2025 fell 21% compared to the first year of availability at general concession stands in 2024.

That decrease was slightly more than the 20% falloff in the number of fans in the venue between the two seasons. Records obtained through public records requests showed there were slightly fewer alcoholic beverage units sold per ticket scanned in 2025 than in 2024.