University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank issued yet another statement on Monday in response to one from Dane County officials asking that the university take responsibility for rising positive cases.
Category: Chancellor
Tensions arise between UW, local government over rising COVID-19 cases
University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Dane County Executive Joe Parisi recently released statements on UW’s decision to hold in-person classes this semester.
UW leader: County needs to stop wishing students were gone
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s chancellor on Monday pushed back against repeated calls from Dane County’s top leaders to close the campus to slow COVID-19, saying he needs to stop wishing students were gone and crack down on off-campus gatherings.
UW-Madison fires back at Dane County for proposing online classes, sending students home
Tensions between UW-Madison and the community at large escalated on Monday when Chancellor Rebecca Blank called on Dane County’s top leader to stop criticizing the university’s reopening plan and instead address the county’s increased COVID-19 caseload together.
Two leaders urge colleges to encourage student voting
Chancellor Blank and Harvard University President Lawrence S. Bacow: If you are leading a college or university right now — or if you are making the academic year possible as a member of the faculty or staff at any one of our nation’s institutions of higher education — asking something more of your students in the midst of a global pandemic may seem impractical. But one assignment cannot wait. We urge you to encourage your students to register to vote, to become informed of the issues and the candidates, and to cast a ballot
Big Ten announces plan to start the 2020 football season the weekend of Oct. 23-24
As expected, Big Ten officials are determined to play football this fall.
The league announced Wednesday morning the 2020 season is scheduled to begin the weekend of Oct. 23-24.
Big Ten Reverses Course and Will Bring Football Back in Late October
As late as Tuesday morning, University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank said that uncertainty over cardiac complications had driven the August decision to nix fall football, and could still lead the Big Ten to sit out.
“Until we have answers to that, we’re going to keep our season postponed,” she testified before the U.S. Senate’s health committee.
Senator: Allowing college athletes NIL pay is ‘huge mistake’
University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank and Utah State athletic director John Hartwell were among those who testified along with Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA football player and advocate for college athlete rights, and Ohio State director of track and field Karen Dennis.
UW Chancellor Rebecca Blank speaks to Senate about name, image, likeness law
University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank asked legislators Tuesday to provide the framework for athletes to earn money for their name, image and likeness.
‘We’re Not Running Sports to Primarily Make Money’: NIL Hearing to Put Collegiate Revenues in Spotlight
Sports Illustrated obtained the 1,700-word testimony that Blank submitted ahead of a hearing Tuesday on name, image and likeness before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. While she agrees that NIL reform is needed, Blank plans to tell senators that an unchecked athlete-compensation model could adversely impact Olympic sports and that athletes are already given a “generous package” of benefits that includes thousands of dollars in education, unlimited meals, state-of-the-art medical care and other on-campus resources—many of which normal students do not receive, she notes in the testimony. According to her written testimony, a full scholarship package at Wisconsin is nearly $87,000 for out-of-state students and more than $59,000 for those in state.
UW Chancellor defends Smart Restart, addresses community COVID-19 concerns
Chancellor Rebecca Blank and other university administrators addressed their COVID-19 campus response concerns in a virtual meeting — Blank said the University of Wisconsin stands by their decision to reopen campus despite rising cases and community push back.
UW-Madison chancellor discusses Big Ten football
The Big Ten chancellors and presidents chatted Sunday about the status of the football season. University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank said some variables have changed since the initial 11-3 vote to postpone the season in August.
UW-Madison chancellor defends decision to bring students back
University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank gave an update on the school’s response to COVID-19 concerns during a news conference Monday afternoon and defended the decision to bring students back to campus for the fall semester amid the pandemic.
UW to eliminate spring break, lengthen winter break to prevent COVID-19 spread
The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Faculty Senate voted Monday to lengthen winter break and remove spring break next semester, in attempts to discourage travel that might facilitate the spread of COVID-19.
Young adults driving COVID-19 case spike; experts monitoring for spread, hospitalizations
On Monday, UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank answered questions about the spike on the campus of the state’s flagship university. Blank defended the decision to bring back students amid criticism that such outbreaks at colleges across the U.S. were inevitable.
UW-Madison chancellor on campus reopening: ‘I’d make same decision again’
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank on Monday defended reopening the university this fall, even as criticism mounted, the Faculty Senate scrapped spring break and the number of reported COVID-19 cases on campus exceeded 2,000 infections.
‘Steeper and faster than we expected’: UW chancellor addresses campus COVID cases
In an interview with PBS Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank defended on Friday the decision to offer a mixture of in-person and online classes, saying the university is taking steps to address the campus’ record-breaking COVID-19 test numbers.
UW-Madison chancellor orders all undergrads to restrict activities to stem increase in COVID cases
Alarmed by a rise in coronavirus cases on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, Chancellor Rebecca Blank on Monday ordered all undergraduates to restrict their movements for the next two weeks.
Tom Still: Economy is tied to education
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank, in a blog statement published Wednesday, detailed the steps being taken on campus to allow a “hybrid” reopening — some live classes, some online — and defended the plan as best for students. “Having students on campus and providing in-person instruction, where feasible, provides a better set of educational opportunities for students lacking suitable technology or spaces to effectively study at home,” Blank wrote.
UW-Madison chancellor not ruling anything out when fall semester begins
“Nothing is certain about this fall,” Blank said. “We’ll have a testing regime in place that allows us to monitor the rate of infection among different groups on campus. If the infections appear to be growing rather than stable, we will shut down activities on some or all parts of campus.”
UW-Madison Chancellor: ‘We’re in a real financial crisis’
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank delivered a sobering message Wednesday about the state’s flagship campus as the fall semester looms, saying “we’re in a real financial crisis” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
UW-Madison Chancellor Blank on comprehensive plan to restart [WTMJ Roundtable]
Quoted: No plan for opening a university can be fool-proof, which leads to UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank being both confident in her campus plan and concerned about the things she – and any university’s chief executive – cannot control no matter how comprehensive a plan’s framework is.
“I admit I am both optimisitc and worried. I think we’ve done everything we need to do. We’ve got a lot of moving parts,” Blank told WTMJ’s John Mercure during Tuesday’s WTMJ Cares Special Roundtable.
National unrest sparks new efforts by UW-Madison to improve campus climate
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank has unveiled a series of changes aimed at improving the racial climate on campus, including a mandatory cultural competency workshop for new undergraduate students and a $10 million fundraising campaign to recruit and hire more students and employees of color.
Trump administration rescinds rule on foreign students in face of firestorm of opposition
“Today’s announcement is encouraging news for all college students and for American universities,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a statement. “Universities need flexibility to educate students in the most effective manner possible during the pandemic and international students deserve stability and support as they pursue their degrees here.”
Back to school: As UW plans to reopen, students and faculty have questions
UW-Madison remains committed to preserving elements of in-person teaching, with physical distancing requirements and widespread testing. However, as families and faculty continue to ask more specific questions about what school will look like, the university has about five weeks to hash out the details. “This is a big lift,” Blank said at a University Committee meeting Monday. “We’re going to be running the university in virtually every area differently than it’s ever been run before.”
UW students to return to campus with free testing, masks in classrooms
The University of Wisconsin-Madison will reopen Sept. 2 for the fall semester with free access to COVID-19 testing, required face coverings and a balance between online and in-person teaching.
UW-Madison’s plan to reopen campus in fall: masks, free testing, hybrid classes
Come on back to campus this fall, UW-Madison told its 45,000 students Wednesday.
UW to slowly restart research activities, offer mix of courses for fall
Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced plans Monday to begin a careful, phased reopening of the University of Wisconsin-Madison over the summer.
VIDEO: UW-Madison Chancellor announces slow re-open
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced a slow re-open for employees and students Monday.
Opinion: The University of Wisconsin and other public universities are on the front lines of the battle against coronavirus
From Rebecca M. Blank is chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and chair of the Council of Presidents of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, a research, policy, and advocacy organization. Peter McPherson is president of APLU and former president of Michigan State University.
UW Chancellor speaks on fall semester, funding issues
She acknowledged, the university is having serious financial issues. “We’re currently estimating that in an optimistic scenario, where we have the majority of our students back on campus in the fall and fully paying tuition, we’re going to lose about $120 million dollars,” said Blank .”That doesn’t count any future cuts from the state government.”
Regents: No ACT/SAT required at UW schools (except Madison)
In response to concerns that this may hurt potential UW-Madison applicants, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said the university is working one-on-one with “a very small number of people” who may not have had the opportunity to take the exams. She said the vast majority of applicants were able to do so before submitting applications, which were due Feb. 1.
UW-Madison announces furlough plan; UWM says more than 230 will take 4-month unpaid leave
State campuses in Milwaukee and Madison unveiled more information on their plans to furlough employees this week, with the aim of mitigating the mounting financial fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
UW furloughs employees, expects to save about $30 million
University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty and staff will be taking three to six unpaid furlough days over the next six months, which Chancellor Rebecca Blank said Wednesday will save the university up to $30 million.
UW-Madison orders furloughs for most employees as COVID-19 keeps campus mostly closed
UW-Madison is ordering most of its employees to take varying amounts of unpaid time off over the next six months and university leaders will take a 15% pay cut over that same time as COVID-19 costs grow and the campus remains mostly closed.
Wisconsin colleges weigh how to reopen campuses in fall amid COVID-19 uncertainty
“There may be some things we simply cannot do in the fall,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said Monday to the University Committee, a small group of professors representing faculty members on campus. “It is quite possible that 80,000 people cannot gather in Camp Randall.”
In live stream, Blank and Gard talk about navigating unprecedented disruptions at UW
In the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s biggest priority was making sure UW-Madison finished its spring semester. As the university works to make that happen, Blank said it is taking the opportunity to tackle immediate concerns — including $100 million in losses — but also prioritize campus safety and prevention moving forward.
Wisconsin colleges cancel in-person classes, drop events, send students home, extend spring break
Multiple Wisconsin universities on Wednesday took dramatic steps to ward off or curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, everything from moving courses online to canceling university-sponsored travel and events to extending spring break.
UW-Madison moving to online instruction amid COVID-19 coronavirus uncertainty
UW-Madison will suspend in-person classes for at least three weeks, an unprecedented action by Wisconsin’s largest university taken to slow the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Second Wisconsin resident tests positive for COVID-19 coronavirus, health officials say
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank “strongly advised” students and employees Monday to reconsider non-essential personal and business travel away from Dane County. The guidance comes a week before the start of the university’s spring break.
UW-Madison prepares for possibility of COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, dusts off pandemic plan
Officials are dusting off a “campus pandemic plan” put together 10 years ago when the H1N1 virus became a worldwide concern, she said. The plan is being reviewed and updated to prepare for the possibility of coronavirus spreading to campus.
Morgridges come through again for UW-Madison with up to $70M matching gift for faculty support
Billionaire Badgers John and Tashia Morgridge announced another gift to their alma mater Thursday that will support up to $70 million in matching donations for faculty recruitment and retention at UW-Madison.
UW hero Becky Blank risks all with cheese wager
Though the Badger football team may not be headed to the acclaimed Cheez-It Bowl, there will still be a hint of cheese in their bowl plans.
UW-Madison’s Chancellor wagers cheese ahead of Rose Bowl, challenges Oregon’s pres.
MADISON (WLUK) — University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Becky Blank announced she wagered cheese that the Badgers will beat the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.
UW System’s 13 chancellors each will get 2% raises in 2020
Chancellors across the University of Wisconsin System will each get 2% raises next year, totaling just over $73,800 across the 13 campus leaders.
UW Regents won’t expand presidential search panel despite pleas from all 13 campuses
Faculty at all 13 University of Wisconsin System campuses have called on the UW Board of Regents to expand its presidential search committee and include representation from the faculty, staff and students whom the next president will oversee.
Minimum wage for state workers to go to $15 an hour under governor’s plan
Quoted: “The increase in our minimum wage is a key part of our strategy for helping the university recruit and retain high-quality workers,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in a statement. “Employees who will benefit from this increase make important contributions to our teaching, research and outreach missions.”
Center Stage: Is free speech on the UW-Madison campus in danger?
On this week’s “Center Stage” political podcast Milfred and Hands play audio from and comment on the recent debate between President Donald Trump booster Stephen Moore and never-Trumper Max Boot on the UW-Madison campus.
Drew Petersen and Rebecca Blank: Statistics show UW-Madison’s strong commitment to in-state students
In response to the story in Wednesday’s State Journal “Wisconsin students make up smallest share of UW-Madison freshman class in at least 25 years,” we want to challenge the focus of the article and reiterate that our commitment to Wisconsin students and families has never been stronger. Moreover, we believe the coverage should have reflected that this class is actually a winner for the university, the state and its economy.
Editorial: UW should respect rule of law, readmit Quintez Cephus
Wisconsinites understand the issues associated with the case of Quintez Cephus, and the dilemma facing UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. She’ll be damned if she decides to reinstate the former Badger wide receiver and to allow him to attend the university this fall, and she’ll be damned if she doesn’t.
‘A rock and a hard place’: UW-Madison weighs whether to readmit Quintez Cephus
No matter what UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank decides, she will be criticized.
‘From ignorance to awareness’: UW-Madison sign recognizes land as Ho-Chunk’s ancestral home
Chancellor Rebecca Blank, surrounded by about three dozen members of the Ho-Chunk Nation, dedicated a new heritage marker on Bascom Hill last week that recognizes the campus as the ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk tribe.
UW-Madison reviewed admissions policies in wake of national scandal and made 2 changes
An internal review of UW-Madison’s admissions policies found no exposure in the “Varsity Blues” admissions scandal that rocked several elite institutions earlier this year.
The year in review: Chancellor Blank on UW’s biggest stories
With the end of the 2018-19 school year approaching, The Badger Herald interviewed University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank on a range of issues, including higher education funding, the campus climate and UW mental health services.
UW committed to equitable admissions practices, Chancellor says
Chancellor Rebecca Blank released a statement that highlighted the merit of the University of Wisconsin System as a whole, but also focused on UW-Madison’s position as a land grant university Wednesday in response to the nationwide college admissions scandal.
UW Freshman from Door County Praises Bucky’s Tuition Promise
University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman Mackenzie Straub told the UW System Board of Regents on Friday, Feb. 8, that the new Bucky’s Tuition Promise program has made a big difference for her.
Extension move to UW-Madison creates opportunities
Last summer, UW Cooperative Extension moved into the UW-Madison as part of the UW System reorganization. This move creates new opportunities for each organization to be a better resource for the state and its communities.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank says pay-for-play in college sports ‘not our mission’
University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank testified for the NCAA in an antitrust lawsuit in September, arguing in favor of compensation limits for college athletes.
UW regents OK raises for 10 of 13 chancellors
The Board of Regents approved lucrative raises for 10 of the 13 chancellors during a closed meeting Thursday at UW-La Crosse, saying the chancellors’ salaries must remain competitive to ensure quality leaders stay in their jobs.
2 UW chancellors embroiled in scandal denied raises, UW-Madison chancellor receives $73K raise
The University of Wisconsin System’s governing board behind closed doors denied its longest-serving chancellor a performance raise, an action UW System President Ray Cross already warned of last month following UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow’s decision to invite a porn star to speak on campus.