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Category: Higher Education/System

Henry Vilas Zoo host STEM camp for neurodivergent kids

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WKOW - Channel 27

The camp is organized in collaboration with Dr. Michael Notaro, director of the Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. With prior funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Notaro and his team have led similar camps in Beloit, Madison, and Wisconsin Dells.

However, future programming is uncertain. Federal support for the camps ended earlier this year when NSF grants were discontinued. While funding remains in place for this summer’s sessions, organizers are seeking alternative sources to continue beyond 2025.

Madison STEM camp for neurodivergent kids could see final year after funding loss

Posted on
WMTV - Channel 15

Dr. Michael Notaro, director of the Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, launched the program several years ago.

“I think that’s inspired by my son Hayden,” Notaro said. “He’s autistic and a wonderful boy. My wife is also autistic. And based on my desire to support and foster neurodiversity, we created three STEM camps.”

Fred Risser’s life is the story of Wisconsin politics

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The Cap Times

Among his losing battles was the 1970s fight over merging the University of Wisconsin in Madison with other state campuses to form the UW System. He was against it, as were his constituents on the Madison campus. He fought enacting a state lottery and opposed building the so-called SuperMax prison that Tommy Thompson later admitted was a big mistake.

Study: Tenure doesn’t slow average research output

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Inside Higher Ed

Researchers at Northwestern University, Northeastern University and the University of Wisconsin at Madison analyzed the careers of 12,000 U.S.-based faculty across 15 disciplines, including business, sociology and chemistry.

They evaluated publication outcomes over an 11-year span, which includes the five years before and after those scholars got tenure. Last week, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America published the results of that analysis in a peer-reviewed paper, “Tenure and Research Trajectories.”

State Debate: Commentators explore UW cuts, Democratic Socialists and Stephen Colbert

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The Cap Times

Nobody voted for higher costs, crowded classes and less research at the UW, writes Jordan Ellenburg in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Ideas Lab column. The UW-Madison math professor explains how federal budget cuts are undermining decades of the university’s contributions to industry and the dangers that presents to the economy.

Three years of UW tuition increases prompt bill capping tuition increases to inflation

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Two Republican lawmakers aim to restrict how much in-state undergraduate tuition can increase at University of Wisconsin System campuses.

Rep. Dave Murphy, R-Greeville, and Sen. André Jacque, R-De Pere, began circulating the bill for sponsorship July 24, two weeks after the UW Board of Regents voted to raise tuition for the third consecutive year.

Columbia and Penn Made Trump Deals. More Universities Could Be Next.

Posted on
The New York Times

“Two hundred million dollars is not a lot of money when you have billions at stake, and any corporate person will tell you that,” said Donna E. Shalala, who was health secretary under President Bill Clinton and has led four schools, including the University of Miami and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Basically, they’re cutting their losses and ensuring their future — for at least a short period of time.”

Wisconsin Republicans are trying again to cap tuition increases at UW campuses

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Wisconsin Public Radio

Earlier this month, the Universities of Wisconsin system Board of Regents approved a 5 percent tuition increase for undergraduate students for the 2025-26 academic year.

Legislative Republicans are now trying for a third time to cap tuition increases at the state’s public university system at no higher than the rate of inflation.

The proposal would limit the Board of Regents to “only increase tuition and fees for resident undergraduate students up to the rate of the Consumer Price Index.”

U.S. Dept. of Education investigating 2 Michigan universities for alleged exclusionary scholarships under DACA

Posted on
CBS News

The education department drew attention to the University of Wisconsin’s Dreamer scholarship and Western Michigan University’s WMU Undocumented/DACA Scholarship.

Kay Jarvis, director of public affairs at the University of Wisconsin, responded to Wednesday’s announcement, saying, “The university has received a letter of notification relating to this matter. We have no further comment.” CBS Detroit has reached out to Western Michigan University for comment and is awaiting a response.

Last week, the same department announced it was launching a separate investigation into the University of Wisconsin following the arrests of Chinese nationals in a number of pathogen smuggling cases.

Fear led former Wisconsin runners to wait to speak out about former coach, athletes say

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Wisconsin State Journal

The team’s strong performance “stemmed a lot from us being fearful of her and if we had done bad, and also the culture that was created at practice, which honestly was a pretty high-anxiety culture,” Badgers runner Victoria Heiligenthal said. “I think it motivated people but obviously from a bad place of motivation.”

Former Badgers athletes say 2 coaches created a toxic culture, and Wisconsin knew about it

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Wisconsin State Journal

On the same day in January 2022 that Mackenzie Wartenberger told her runners that she was resigning for family reasons, the University of Wisconsin sang the praises of the women’s cross country coach in a tweet.

Some members of that team said they couldn’t believe their coach was being celebrated. Five women who ran for Wartenberger told the Wisconsin State Journal in interviews that they experienced mental abuse and a toxic culture on her team. One former runner, Brogan MacDougall, and her mother reported the abuse to athletics officials and the academic side of the university.

Do academics publish less after getting tenured? Depends on your field

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Nature

Jessica Calarco, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, says this analysis shows why so many researchers “feel completely burnt out by the time they get to tenure”. A focus on metrics, such as number of publications or citation count, doesn’t emphasize quality, innovation or longer projects, she adds. “There’s a great deal of pressure on junior academics to do as much research as possible, to prove you deserve to keep that job.”

Far beyond Harvard, conservative efforts to reshape higher education are gaining steam

Posted on
Associated Press

There are few guardrails limiting how far oversight boards can change public institutions, said Isabel McMullen, a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin who researches higher education.

“For a board that really does want to wreak havoc on an institution and overthrow a bunch of different programs, I think if a board is interested in doing that, I don’t really see what’s stopping them aside from students and faculty really organizing against it,” McMullen said.

U slaps students with $200 fee to help athletics budget as U starts paying athletes

Posted on
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Luis Hernandez, strategic communications director and associate athletic director for the University of Wisconsin in Madison, said the school has come up with other ways to fund its $198.9 million athletics budget, including new corporate sponsorships, such as adding the Culver’s logo to the Kohl’s Center basketball court.

They’ve also scheduled events like concerts and the chance to play indoor golf at Camp Randall Stadium. The upcoming Morgan Wallen and Coldplay concerts at the stadium are the first to be held there in nearly 28 years, Hernandez said.

UW students don’t pay athletic fees, and the university plans on spending the full $20.5 million on athletes that is allowed, he said.

UWM project mapping Milwaukee racial covenants hits snag after Trump agency cuts funding

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In the Trump era, with university research on the chopping block, some professors have become part-time fundraisers for the sake of science.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professors Anne Bonds and Derek Handley need at least $30,000 to finish their project after the National Endowment for the Humanities cut their grant this spring. They said the agency offered no specific reason for terminating the grant aside from it no longer aligning with funding priorities.

Class of 2025: five PhD students reveal realigned priorities in wake of COVID and cuts

Posted on
Nature

“Things are a mess, and it feels like a lot of unnecessary changes have been made to hinder science,” said David Rivera-Kohr who will defend his biochemistry PhD at the University of Wisconsin–Madison later this year. “It takes a toll mentally, but it also makes my principal investigator and lab group more conservative about our spending. We don’t know how long the money is going to last or whether new funding will come in, so we’re trying to cut costs.”

Wisconsin unveils full 2025-26 men’s basketball nonconference schedule

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Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Wisconsin men’s basketball’s 2025-26 non-conference schedule is official — and includes some familiar faces.

High-major opponents on the schedule include BYU on Nov. 21 in Salt Lake City, Marquette on Dec. 6 at the Kohl Center and Villanova on Dec. 19 at Fiserv Forum, along with two teams from the 2025 Rady’s Children Invitational. The tournament, taking place on Nov. 27-28 in San Diego, also includes Florida, Providence and TCU.

The legacy of Robert La Follette’s progressive vision

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Time

In 1873, just before becoming a student at the University of Wisconsin, La Follette heard Edward Ryan, soon to become the state’s Chief Justice, give a commencement speech. Ryan bluntly defined the central questions of the coming era: “Which shall rule—wealth or man; which shall lead—money or intellect; who shall fill public stations—educated and patriotic freemen, or the feudal serfs of corporate capital?” This question would animate La Follette’s career as he tried to live up to UW president John Bascom’s insistence that students accept the obligations of citizenship and their duty to serve the state.

9 ways Madison residents will feel the new state budget

Posted on
The Cap Times

Andrew Reschovsky, an emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, estimates Madison schools will receive about $9.6 million more in special education aid over the next two years. But he said without increases to general aid or equalization aid — other major forms of state funding for schools — Madison must rely more heavily on local taxes for funding.

“Even though special education aid has been increased, it’s still a relatively small part of total state aid,” he said. “At the state level, state aid all together is less than half of total money needed, or total revenues, to support K-12 education.”

Student loan payments to change from August 1: What to know

Posted on
Newsweek

“Due to ongoing litigation, SAVE borrowers do not yet know when their administrative forbearance will end and payments will resume,” said Nicholas Hillman, director of the Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab at University of Wisconsin-Madison. “All they can be certain of is their interest will now start to accrue, and that’s cold comfort for borrowers who have—for no fault of their own—been stuck in administrative forbearance.”

Lifelong Learner: Tips for navigating college as a rural student

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Wisconsin State Journal

Students from rural communities and small towns can bring a rich set of strengths and perspectives to college — from leadership experience and resourcefulness to a deep sense of community — but they may also face unique logistical and cultural challenges. Not only do such barriers impact individual students, but they also affect college attendance rates.

The Lifelong Learner is a monthly feature written by UW–Madison Division of Continuing Studies staff, including this week’s feature written by Christine Cina, academic advising manager.

Wisconsin students will pay 5% more in tuition at UW-Madison this fall

Posted on
The Cap Times

In-state students will pay a higher tuition rate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for a third consecutive year.

On Thursday, the UW system’s Board of Regents voted unanimously to increase tuition across Wisconsin’s 13 public universities next school year. Each school will increase resident undergraduate rates by 4%. All of the universities, except UW-Green Bay, also opted in to an additional 1%.

UW-Madison student leaders react to closure of diversity office

Posted on
Spectrum News

Tyler Jake and Deanna Frater are the president and vice president of UW-Madison’s Black Student Union. As they get ready to head back to campus for their senior year, they’re surprised they got no warning that DDEEA is closing.

“I feel like we’re students that are pretty engaged with the administration, and usually we would be made aware of things like this beforehand,” Frater said. “No one really said anything to us.”

For third year counting, tuition will increase at UW campuses this fall

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Overall, tuition hikes are expected to generate about $49 million in additional revenue, said Julie Gordon, interim vice president of finance and administration, during a meeting of the regents’ Business and Finance Committee on July 10.

Increases in tuition are needed despite an increase in state funding for the UW System in the 2025-27 state budget, regents and UW staff said during July 10 discussions.

Wisconsin’s DEI saga continues. What you need to know about the issue.

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Diversity, equity and inclusion is a framework that promotes a set of values and related policies and practices that focus on creating fair and welcoming environment for all individuals, particularly groups that have historically been underrepresented or marginalized.

The concept of DEI has roots that trace back to the mid-20th century during the Civil Rights Movement, and many DEI supporters see the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 as a catalyst for the modern push for diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

UW-Madison announces changes to student support services, including dissolution of diversity division

Posted on
WKOW-TV 27

In a campus-wide message posted Wednesday, Mnookin said a working group led by former Provost Charles Isbell completed a data review based on advancing student success, connecting students with proper support, ensuring pathways for student belonging, strategically organizing campus support, engaging in continuous assessment and improvement and stewarding school resources.

UW to “sunset” Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement, move programs to other divisions

Posted on
Madison365

Mnookin noted that DDEEA “has been the home for a set of scholarship-linked student support activities that serve approximately 5% of our student body.” She said those programs will be moved to the Division for Teaching and Learning. Employee support functions will move to the Office of Human Resources, and data collection activities will move to Data, Academic Planning and Institutional Research.

UW-Madison eliminates Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement, moves programs, staff to other units

Posted on
The Daily Cardinal

DDEEA’s employee support functions will move to the Office of Human Resources, and their staff members focused on institutional data collection will join Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research. Scholarships and student support and cultural programs will continue to be supported by the university, Mnookin said.

Universities of Wisconsin system is planning a 5 percent tuition increase

Posted on
Wisconsin Public Radio

Tuition at Wisconsin’s public universities could increase up to 5 percent under a new plan released Tuesday.

Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman will ask the Board of Regents on July 10 to increase tuition for undergraduate residents by 4 percent, with individual campuses able to add an optional additional 1 percent increase.

University of Wisconsin students would pay hundreds more in tuition under proposal

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Pending an upcoming vote, tuition for University of Wisconsin System students is set to rise in the upcoming school year.

The Board of Regents is expected to vote July 10 on a proposed 5% increase to resident undergraduate tuition for most UW campuses. At UW-Madison, that 5% tuition increase would add an additional $500, bringing the 2025-26 annual resident undergraduate tuition to $10,506.

Bucky needs a union

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Isthmus

That’s where big time college sports clearly needs to go. Rather than fighting steps that would lead to a players union, the UW should be doing everything it can to facilitate it. Because a union is an essential ingredient to the stability that coaches and fans want.

UW-Madison’s Black Males in Engineering Video Series wins prestigious Telly Award

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Diverse: Issues in Higher Education

The Black Males in Engineering (BME) video series, led by UW-Madison School of Education faculty member Dr. Brian Burt, recently received a Silver Telly Award in the Campaign – Education & Training category. The honor recognizes non-broadcast video campaigns created for general educational purposes and underscores the series’ impact on addressing critical gaps in STEM education support.

In ranking of college football rivalries, where does Wisconsin-Minnesota stand? It’s not the only Badger State rivalry on the list

Posted on
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Minnesota-Wisconsin, as you might imagine, ranks high on the list, all the way up at No. 10. The two teams first met in 1890 and have clashed 134 times — more than any other FBS pairing — with an even 63-63-8 record between the two programs, an annual battle for Paul Bunyan’s Axe.