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.”
Category: Chancellor
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.
Two decades later, a UW discovery fuels powerful scientific advances
Column by Chancellor Blank and Brad Schwartz, CEO of the Morgridge Institute for Research, for the “Stem Cells @20: Celebrating Historic Discovery series.
Student Success is Focus at APLU Convening
NEW ORLEANS—Universities can turn challenges into opportunities through resilience. That was the central focus of the annual Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) meeting that brought senior-level college administrators together to strategize on how best to serve their students.
UW-Madison chancellor signs letter to Betsy DeVos: Protect transgender rights
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank has co-penned a letter to U.S. Education Department Secretary Betsy DeVos urging her to oppose a potential policy change that would narrowly define gender as male or female based on biology.
UW-Madison chancellor concerned about funding for building projects
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank says she is “really, deeply worried” about funding for the university’s building projects.
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank may be recalled to testify in NCAA antitrust trial
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s involvement in an NCAA antitrust trial may not have ended with her testimony last week.
UW-Madison clarifies it has ‘no plans to stop offering athletics’ after chancellor’s testimony in NCAA amateurism lawsuit
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank sounded a warning this week about the future of intercollegiate athletics at the school if it is forced to pay student-athletes. But in a statement Tuesday, a UW spokesperson said the school had no plans to stop offering athletics after Blank testified a day earlier at an NCAA antitrust trial that the university may not sponsor a sports program if it’s not an amateur endeavor.
Babcock Hall expansion project moves forward
UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said this project, however, is a unique one in that it has been six years in the making and includes one of the largest private/public partnerships in the university’s history. In eight months, almost 200 partners came together to donate $16 million toward the project.
Center for Dairy Research dream come true in UW-Madison construction project
Quoted: “The facility is going to be one of the premiere dairy education and research centers in the nation,” Blank said. “And most importantly, it’s going to be a hub for discovery and innovation for Wisconsin’s dairy industry, working closely with our faculty and our students.”
UW-Madison chancellor Rebecca Blank is ready for ‘another 5 years’
In 1983, UW-Madison’s Institute for Research on Poverty tried to recruit a young female professor to be their next postdoctoral fellow, according to then-director Sheldon Danziger.
Foxconn’s $100 million gift to UW-Madison will launch partnership
Foxconn Technology Group intends to invest $100 million in engineering and innovation research at UW-Madison that will help fund an interdisciplinary research facility for students and faculty to collaborate closely with the company’s Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park near Racine.
Paul Fanlund: Five years in, Rebecca Blank sees UW ‘at a good place’
This Sunday, Rebecca Blank will mark the fifth anniversary of her starting date as Madison chancellor. That matches Shalala’s tenure, but maybe we should look at Blank’s as a de facto 10 years, because for all of her time here, Blank has essentially held two jobs.
Elitist? Callous to state students? UW-Madison tries to smooth image
If you’ve heard it’s next to impossible for Wisconsin kids to get into the University of Wisconsin-Madison, here’s the scoop.
Chancellor Rebecca Blank: Wisconsin and the future of undergraduate education
Public education has been one of our greatest success stories as a nation.Our country pioneered in making public elementary and high schools available to all children and created land-grant public universities that made college possible for citizens from all backgrounds.
UW to reckon with Ku Klux Klan history, but won’t remove KKK member names from buildings
University of Wisconsin-Madison will not remove from campus buildings the names of well-known student leaders who also were members of a campus Ku Klux Klan society in the early 1900s, the university announced Thursday.
Group studying history of KKK at UW-Madison wants action; chancellor commits funds
UW-Madison will spend $1 million to build a history exhibit recognizing those who battled prejudice on campus, following a new report probing the history of Ku Klux Klan groups at the university in the early 20th century.
Report probes history of KKK at UW-Madison; $1M history exhibit planned
UW-Madison will spend $1 million to build a history exhibit recognizing those who battled prejudice on campus, following a new report probing the history of Ku Klux Klan groups at the university in the early 20th century.
Donna Shalala to run for U.S. House, replacing Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Donna Shalala jumped into the political arena Monday, filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
Donna Shalala to run for U.S. House, replacing Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Donna Shalala jumped into the political arena Monday, filing paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the U.S. House seat being vacated by retiring Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
Viewpoint: UW-Madison’s commitment to Wisconsin students expands
Beginning this fall, incoming freshmen and transfer students from Wisconsin households with adjusted gross incomes of $56,000 or less will receive free tuition and segregated fees. For freshmen, that is a commitment of eight consecutive semesters tuition free, and for transfer students it’s up to four semesters free.
UW-Madison Chancellor: Foxconn interested in our research on AI, automated vehicles
Tuition Break For Some UW-Madison Students
Quoted: “Many low-and middle-income families in Wisconsin are simply uncertain whether they can afford to send their child to UW-Madison,” said UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank “Our goal is to ensure that anyone who is admitted can afford to be a Badger.”
Free tuition for University of Wisconsin-Madison students with families making less than $56,000
New in-state University of Wisconsin-Madison students will get free tuition if they come from families making $56,000 or less. Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced the initiative, dubbed “Bucky’s Tuition Promise,” at a UW System regents meeting Thursday.
UW joins coalition putting grad schoolers on right track in biomedical careers
With biomedical scientists having a difficult time getting tenure-track positions at U.S. universities, UW-Madison is joining with nine other institutions to share data on career prospects for their life scientists.
New calls for clear, easily accessible data on Ph.D. program outcomes in life sciences
Ten institutions on Thursday announced their commitment to providing life sciences Ph.D. students — current and future ones — transparent data on admissions, training opportunities and career outcomes. Most students aren’t going to end up in faculty jobs, and the founding members of the Coalition for Next Generation Life Science want potential trainees to know that up front.
UW joins coalition putting grad schoolers on right track in biomedical careers
With biomedical scientists having a difficult time getting tenure-track positions at U.S. universities, UW-Madison is joining with nine other institutions to share data on career prospects for their life scientists.
Transcript: The Badger Herald sits down with Chancellor Rebecca Blank
Blank discusses free speech, campus safety, campus climate, religious diversity, Foxconn.
A generation of scientists could dwindle if GOP tax reform plan passes, universities warn
Noted: University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said she agrees with the broader effort to reform and simplify the tax code but says the legislation in its current form would increase the cost of attendance for many students. It also could hinder research universities’ ability to train highly-skilled workers and the future leaders of “the ongoing innovation revolution” in science and technology, Blank said.
New report says improving educational quality, completion and increasing affordability is everyone’s business
What was once a challenge of quantity in American undergraduate education is increasingly a challenge of educational quality. In other words, getting as many students as possible to attend college means little if they’re not learning what they need to and — crucially — if they don’t graduate. That’s the recurring message of a new report, “The Future of Undergraduate Education, The Future of America,” from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
UW chancellor encourages community to confront strained campus climate as national tensions escalate
Rebecca Blank looks toward future of free speech, faculty retention and Foxconn.
For the Record: The Badger Promise, Campus Climate Report at UW-Madison
Neil Heinen talks to University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank about The Badger Promise and the Campus Climate Project on For the Record.