Things were finally getting back to normal, or so it seemed. Now, with UW-Madison re-instituting a mask mandate on campus as of Aug. 5 and Dane County Public Health recommending that everyone mask up regardless of vaccination status, it feels in many ways like we’re right back where we started in March of 2020.
Category: Campus life
Start off strong: Advice for freshman STEM majors!
Are you entering the new school year wondering how to become more involved within your science, technology, engineering or math major? Or looking to build on your resume and make more peer connections?
An evaluation of freshmen living amidst the housing crisis
Although UW-Madison Housing has offered make-do dorm rooms to its incoming freshmen class, it does not mean students are willing to take them. UW-Madison residence halls can feel like a shoe-box when shared with just one roommate. Further overcrowding living conditions are clearly far from ideal.
A look into UW-Madison’s COVID-19 response this fall
With the fall semester fast approaching and in-person classes set to begin on Wednesday, Sept. 8, UW-Madison’s COVID-19 protocol has become central to the campus-wide discourse.
Welcome (back) to Camp Randall. Here’s what to expect
Camp Randall Stadium, like many of the other great venues in college football, desperately missed a key element during the 2020 season: a real crowd.
Student resilience shines through the pandemic
College in a “normal” year is hard for most students, but attending college during a global pandemic can amplify these challenges. Despite pandemic-enhanced challenges, UW-Madison students have shown their resilience and strength as a campus community.
Bucks’ Pat Connaughton to speak at delayed UW-Madison 2020 graduation celebration
Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Connaughton will deliver the keynote address at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s celebration for 2020 graduates next month, the school announced Tuesday.
UW-Madison professor known for Christmas chemistry show retires
UW-Madison chemistry professor Bassam Shakhashiri, who for decades has been wowing audiences near and far with an impressive Christmas-season show and a simple message that “science is fun,” has retired.
University of Wisconsin Athletics continues to change requirements as fall draws closer
The University of Wisconsin-Madison continues to change restrictions and requirements as the school prepares for the return of fans to sporting events in the upcoming fall season.
Here are the masking rules for Camp Randall Stadium this season
University of Wisconsin football fans will be able to pack Camp Randall Stadium for the first time since November 2019 early next month, but some rules to combat COVID-19 will still be in effect.
All UW Campuses Enact Mask Requirements, Expectations Amid Rise In COVID-19 Cases
Every University of Wisconsin System campus in the state has instituted mask requirements or expectations for individuals regardless of their vaccination status as the number of new coronavirus cases rises. The measures come amid an effort by Republican lawmakers to block COVID-19 restrictions at universities.
UW-Madison rethinks sexual assault services, bringing forensic nurses on campus
UW-Madison students who experienced a sexual assault had one place to go in Dane County for a forensic exam, or what’s traditionally known as a rape kit: the emergency room at UnityPoint Health-Meriter Hospital.
Warts and all: UW-Madison seeks to shine light on its past acts of discrimination
AUW-Madison student evicted from university housing for dating a Black man. Others expelled amid an administrative campaign to systematically seek out and remove homosexual male students from campus. Abusive conduct by a UW-Madison police officer who led the department for decades with impunity.
A UW-Madison alum’s name was removed from Union space. Some historians call it a mistake
The Wisconsin Union stripped the name of a prominent alumnus — who as a student in the late 1910s belonged to a campus group called “Ku Klux Klan” — from a theater space in Memorial Union three years ago this month.
As a new academic year begins, the state should recommit itself to the Wisconsin Idea
This August, faculty, staff, and more than 160,000 students at the 13 University of Wisconsin campuses are hard at work, getting ready for a new academic year. Wisconsinites are justifiably proud of the UW System, and with good reason. Our public university system, built on the foundation of the Wisconsin Idea, truly serves every corner of the state.
Chamberlin Rock removed from University of Wisconsin campus over racist symbolism
The University of Wisconsin removed a 42-ton boulder from its Madison campus Friday after complaints from students of color who called the rock a symbol of racism.
UW moves 70-ton Chamberlin Rock off campus after student backlash
The rock, formerly known as Chamberlin Rock, was being taken off-campus following an initiative last June by the Wisconsin Black Student Union and Wunk Sheek to remove it because a nickname given to the boulder is a racial slur.
Mandate or incentives? Wisconsin colleges try various strategies to drive up vaccination rates
But the System has so far resisted those calls, taking the same position that the majority of other colleges have in strongly encouraging but stopping short of requiring that students get the shots. Many UW campuses are instead offering incentives such as laptops, gift cards and tickets to sporting events.
‘A blessing to me’: As students quietly struggle with hunger, college pantries try to help
Peanut butter sandwiches and canned foods.
That’s what made up most of the diet of one student in the first year of professional school at UW-Madison.
Fresh fruit and vegetables were too expensive; time to prepare much of anything nutritious was impossible.
Native American burial mounds stall plans to remove ‘racist’ rock at UW-Madison
University of Wisconsin Madison leaders have yet to make good on their promise to remove a 70-ton boulder on campus deemed racist by some student protesters.
Progress has stalled as officials review concerns that its removal could interfere with Native American effigy mounds.
Campus spokesperson Meredith McGlone told The College Fix the project to move Chamberlin Rock is on standby.
Support for COVID measures builds as UW-Eau Claire, UW-Stout, UW-La Crosse now ‘expect’ masks
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, UW-Stout and UW-La Crosse have announced they “expect” employees, students and guests to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status, stopping short of reinstating a requirement as two other UW schools have.
WATCH: Crews begin removing Chamberlin Rock from UW-Madison campus
Crews worked for several hours Friday morning to remove a 70-ton boulder from Observatory Hill on the UW-Madison campus that was formerly known by a racist name.
UW-Madison to remove 70-ton boulder some view as reminder of campus’ racist past
UW-Madison will remove a 70-ton boulder from the heart of campus Friday morning following calls over the past year from students of color who view the rock as a symbol of the university’s racist past.
Chamberlin Rock to be removed from UW-Madison campus
Months after the Black Student Union expressed concerns over the history behind its name, Chamberlin Rock will be removed from the UW-Madison campus Friday morning.
University of Wisconsin in standoff with legislature over mask mandate
A top university official in Wisconsin is butting heads with state Republican legislators over who has the authority to impose COVID-19 restrictions on campus.
Just hours after a Wisconsin state legislature committee on Tuesday required all University of Wisconsin schools to receive permission before issuing new coronavirus guidance, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank reinstated her campus’s indoor mask mandate.
State employees in Wisconsin will be required to wear masks starting Thursday
State employees will have to wear face masks starting Thursday because of a surge in coronavirus cases, Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday.
The move came shortly after the two largest University of Wisconsin schools, in Madison and Milwaukee, put in place their own mask requirements. The policies are being enacted as the delta variant of COVID springs up around the world, including among those who have been fully vaccinated.
Schools Are Defying State Governments And Imposing Their Own Mask Mandates
Branches of the University of Wisconsin and school districts in Arizona and Florida are ordering students and staff to wear masks indoors in spite of statewide regulations and laws that prohibit them from doing so, as the Delta variant’s rapid spread sparks new showdowns over mask orders between state and local governments nationwide.
UW affiliates create Navajo words, hope to spark science communication
Dictionary will allow native speakers to understand biology terms and participate in scientific conversations, UW graduate student says.
UW professors discuss the role of critical race theory in classes, the political arena
The specific meaning of critical race theory is perhaps the element most up for debate, UW professor says.
Badgers football, volleyball teams to host fan events Aug. 21
Fans will get their first chance in over a year and a half to see the University of Wisconsin football and volleyball teams in person at a crossover event on campus later this month.
UW-Madison to require masks indoors beginning Thursday
A news release Tuesday said the decision was made as the delta variant’s emergence has led to a rise in new COVID-19 cases. Although Dane County and the UW-Madison campus have higher vaccination rates than other parts of the state, the virus has continued to spread among unvaccinated residents.
UW Madison requiring masks indoors starting Thursday
Students, employees and visitors of UW-Madison’s campus will be required to wear masks inside, effective Thursday.
UW-Madison imposes new mask mandate
The move comes just hours after lawmakers claimed UW System must get approval from them.
UW-Madison announces new mask requirement for campus buildings
Starting Aug. 5, all students, employees and visitors must wear masks when inside campus buildings.
UW announces face masks will be required in all campus buildings again
Starting August 5, all staff, students, visitors must where masks in campus buildings due to rise in COVID-19 cases from the Delta variant, UW says.
COVID-19 Roundup: Power Struggles Over Mask Mandates
Noted: In Wisconsin, a Republican-controlled legislative committee passed a resolution Tuesday requiring University of Wisconsin campuses to get the committee’s approval for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, masking or testing policies, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Under the measure, the UW system will have to submit COVID-19 policies to the committee within 30 days. The committee will then have the ability to vote to suspend all or parts of the policies. Tony Evers, the state’s Democratic governor, does not have the ability to veto the committee’s actions.
‘This is madness’: Between politics and public health, UW schools work to adapt for fall
Colleges across the state are working to reevaluate on-campus masking policies in the weeks leading up to the start of the fall semester, as new national data on the delta variant’s spread among vaccinated people,updated masking recommendations and political pressure further complicate a quickly evolving situation.
Republican-led committee votes to block UW campuses’ COVID-19 requirements; UW-Madison immediately issues mask mandate
University of Wisconsin officials who want to ward off a rising COVID-19 caseload now must get permission from the Legislature to implement masking, testing or vaccination requirements, according to a plan Republicans adopted Tuesday.
UW-Madison moves to require masks indoors effective Thursday despite Republican plan to block mandates
The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced it would require students, employees and visitors wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status starting Thursday, as COVID-19 cases surge and political pressure mounts.
UW-Madison will require masks indoors regardless of vaccination status
The mask mandate could mark the first major change in UW-Madison’s fall plans. The university previously allowed vaccinated people to forgo a face covering, a policy that began in early June, but a concerning increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks that experts attribute to the delta variant of the coronavirus caused campus officials to reassess.
Flexible parking, BRT good for UW-Madison campus — Patrick Kass
Letter to the editor from Patrick Kass, director, transportation services, UW-Madison: Recently, we’ve had over 4,000 employees enroll in flexible parking options that allow them access to campus parking facilities without a commitment to purchasing a dedicated space for a full year. Combined with a robust bus rapid transit (BRT) system, these policies can build a network of transportation options that will allow our employees to access campus in convenient, cost-effective and more environmentally friendly ways.
Freshman Year 2.0: The Class of 2024 reflects on COVID filled first year, looks to new beginning ahead
As returning sophomores and incoming freshmen plan for expected return to normal this fall, class of 2024 shares unique first-year experiences on campus.
City of Madison, UW, ASM plan to work closely as campus prepares to reopen in fall
These collaborations include mental health reforms, affordable housing for students.
UW campus renovations enhance student experience, provide opportunities for sustainability
’Every step of the renovation and building process on campus can be made more sustainable,’ Associated Students of Madison Sustainability Chair says.
UW wins green award, still needs to work towards sustainability
Emissions and waste being reduced, more should be done to combat climate change, student says.
New Division of the Arts director Chris Walker plans to support art and student activism
Newly-appointed director of the Division of the Arts Chris Walker will introduce a multitude of new grants and programming that center on art and activism and broadening cultural horizons.
UW-Madison considering campuswide mask mandate, expanded testing requirements
UW-Madison is considering a campuswide mask mandate and will announce its decision by the middle of this week, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said on Monday. The university is also weighing whether to expand testing requirements for unvaccinated members of the campus community.
Burnout symptoms increasing among college students
Noted: At the University of Wisconsin, administrators are acknowledging the mental health difficulties of the pandemic year by urging first- and second-year students to establish healthy coping mechanisms and participate in a 30-day meditation challenge through the Healthy Minds Innovations app (which does not connect students with therapists).
‘Never in my wildest dreams’: Hmong Wisconsinites rejoice over gymnast Suni Lee’s Olympic gold-medal victory
Noted: When she heard the news, Caitlin Yang, a University of Wisconsin-Madison student, took a moment and let the wave of emotion wash over her, alone in her apartment.
Yang, a rising junior and member of the Hmong American Student Association, said Lee’s victory showed that Hmong women could break down gender barriers and defy norms in a culture where parents don’t normally place much importance on athletic achievement.
She hoped Lee’s victory would empower women to “find who they are and what they are capable of and know that they are capable of it,” she said.
UW students struggle with choosing majors, falling behind in COVID-19 aftermath
’I’m not going to get that year back in terms of learning,’ UW student Charles Shors says about his decision to take a gap year due to COVID-19.
As Fall Semester Approaches, Delta Variant Complicates School Districts’ Plans
While Madison’s students are preparing for the fall semester, the Delta coronavirus variant is complicating plans for the upcoming school year. According to local public health officials, Delta is now the dominant coronavirus strain in Dane County.
For more on what the Delta surge means for local students, our Producer Jonah Chester spoke with Dr. Gregory DeMuri, a professor of pediatrics at UW-Madison.
UW-Madison Police reexamines its relationship with campus through new online tool
The UW-Madison Police Department has created an online tool to analyze how well its policing practices serve the campus community — students of color, in particular — and also identify where the department falls short.
UW System offering scholarship lottery as incentive for vaccination
With just more than six weeks before the fall semester begins on UW campuses, the system’s administrators unveiled a program designed to give students an added incentive to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Grappling With Madison’s Racist Past – And Present
For today’s show, Tuesday host Carousel Bayrd talks about uncovering UW–Madison’s campus history with Kacie Lucchini Butcher, director of the Public History Project. They discuss some of the project’s research, including fraternity ties to the Ku Klux Klan, housing discrimination, blackface and minstrelsy on campus, and the UWPD.
Reports Of Students Cheating Increased Substantially At Some UW Universities During Pivot To Online Learning
Reports of cheating and other forms of academic misconduct increased substantially at six of the University of Wisconsin System’s 13 universities when classes were moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrators say increased student stress was a major contributor, and they expect misconduct reports to decrease once more classes are taught in person.
Badgers football team over 85% vaccinated from COVID
The University of Wisconsin football team is over 85% vaccinated from COVID-19, according to coach Paul Chryst. Speaking with local reporters Friday at the Big Ten Conference football media days, Chryst said there was an instant surge of vaccination among his players once shots were available, and their total has climbed over 85% over the summer.
Passenger dies in single-vehicle crash on UW-Madison campus, police say
UW-Madison Police Department officers were called around 9:45 p.m. for a crash on Lake Mendota Drive near Frautschi Point, police said in a statement. The vehicle appeared to have flipped several times and had come to a rest on its roof, police said.
Frustrating College Access and Enrollment Barriers: Websites and Application Processes
Noted: While some higher education institutions like the University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Johns Hopkins University feature sophisticated and user-friendly websites, and their leaders have instituted efficient, unencumbered application processes, college applicants may encounter inept websites and application processes when applying at many other institutions.
Chronically ill students remain concerned about transition back to in-person learning
Abbie Esterline, a fifth-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, found herself missing fewer classes during the pandemic.
She has several chronic illnesses, such as gastroparesis and fibromyalgia, that can make it difficult to go in person to a classroom.
Wisconsin Lawmaker Proposes Lifetime Restraining Orders To Protect Sexual Assault Survivors
Quoted: Ryan Poe-Gavlinski is clinical director of the Victims of Crimes Act Restraining Order Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School. She said creating a lifetime protective order would put survivors of assault “in the driver’s seat.”
“If someone has committed sexual assault and that’s been determined, either at the (civil) restraining order level or through a criminal court, there’s no reason that that perpetrator needs to have contact with that victim going forward,” Poe-Gavlinksi said.