More than 20 years ago, the University of Wisconsin at Madison apologized for digitally adding the face of a Black student into a photograph of students cheering at a football game, which was featured on the cover of an admissions brochure. In 2019, a local TV-news station reported that York College of Pennsylvania edited two minority students into a billboard for the college.
Category: Higher Education/System
Students brave epidemic for science
In a post-Roe world, some medical students rethink plans to practice in Wisconsin
Molly Wecker, a second-year medical student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, had long planned to be an obstetrics-gynecology doctor in her home state. But with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision overturning the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling last week, the Rock County native is rethinking her plan.
Universities Begin Officially Reacting To Supreme Court’s Overturning Of Roe V. Wade
University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman issued this statement: “We know that abortion remains a highly contentious issue that directly affects our students. We are reviewing the U.S. Supreme Court decision to determine what impact it may have on our universities. Like others, we will monitor the legal process surrounding this issue and will adhere to the law as it continues to evolve.”
Medical College of Wisconsin receives $50 million Kern Family Foundation gift to ‘transform medical education’
Noted: The Kern Institute collaborates and shares ideas on new approaches to medical education with a number of other schools through what’s called the Kern National Network.
The other founding members of the network are the Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
Higher education needs an intervention
Written by Ryan Owens, the George C. and Carmella P. Edwards professor of American politics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Inflation drives up the cost of UW campus building projects, leaving leaders with tough choices
Inflation is pushing price tags for University of Wisconsin System building projects millions of dollars higher than expected, leaving campus leaders with tough decisions to make on how to move forward on desperately needed facilities.
UW officials said they are weighing on a case-by-case basis what to do with projects, many of which are funded primarily with taxpayer-supported borrowing.
Talking leadership 31: Joe Gow on creating a student-focused campus
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor discusses the importance of role models for students, his approach to hiring top staff and how he has stayed in the role for 15 years
New Presidents or Provosts: Eastern Maine CC, New England College, UMass–Dartmouth, U of Mobile, U of North Florida, U of Southern Maine, U of Wisconsin–Madison, Whatcom CC
Noted: Jennifer L. Mnookin, dean of the School of Law and Ralph and Shirley Shapiro Professor of Law at the University of California, Los Angeles, has been appointed chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Energy Dept grants incentivize construction of buildings that pull CO2 from air
The 10 universities that received the grants are employing different approaches to drawing CO2 from the air: Texas A&M University and the University of Pennsylvania will use 3D printing to its advantage, creating net-carbon-negative building designs with hempcrete—a lightweight material mixed with the hemp plant’s core and lime—and carbon-absorbing funicular floor systems, respectively. Other universities — Clemson University and University of Wisconsin-Madison, among other organizations — are planning to create carbon-negative replacements for wood, cement, and insulation.
Several Public Universities Reject Tuition Increases, Freeze Prices For Upcoming Year
Last week, the University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents approved a 2022-23 annual operating budget that continues a tuition freeze for in-state undergraduates, a policy that had been recommended by System President Jay Rothman. As a result of that action, resident undergraduate tuition at UW institutions will remain unchanged since fiscal year 2013-14.
‘I dream of a world that is free of disparity’: New graduates share their visions for the future
The last two school years have been anything but normal. A global pandemic upended schools, taking learning from the classroom into students’ homes. All the while, the country has grappled with deep-rooted racism, climate change, debates over abortion access, gun control and rights for trans students — leading to widespread student activism. Politics infiltrated schools and school boards at a pace not seen in decades, and yet students’ hopes for the future are as strong as ever.
As the school year draws to a close, Wisconsin Public Radio is celebrating graduation season — and the future — by featuring stories from new graduates around the state in their own words.
Republican gubernatorial candidates say they’ll replace Evers UW Regent appointees
Two Republican candidates for governor said that if elected they would recall and replace all of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ unconfirmed appointees to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Monday.
9 years later, former students settle with UW-Milwaukee in student government case
Two former University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee students who waged a yearslong court battle against the university have settled nearly a decade after a contested student government election, their lawyer said.
2 women to lead UW System Board of Regents for the first time
For the first time, the positions of president and vice president of the University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents are held by women after the board elected its new leadership in Milwaukee on Friday.
2 Wisconsin governor candidates say they’d replace Evers’ unconfirmed UW Regents selections with their own
The board overseeing Wisconsin’s public universities could look remarkably different come this time next year.
At least two of the four Republicans running for governor have vowed to replace all of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ unconfirmed appointees serving on the UW Board of Regents with their own picks if elected this fall.
UW System Regents elect new president and vice president
The UW System Regents have a new president and vice president.
UW System Board of Regents elects new president, extends in-state tuition freeze
Walsh’s election comes after Manydeeds, who will remain on the board, stepped down a year short of the typical two years of service. “Karen loves the System,” Manydeeds said in a farewell speech. “There is no one that’s better prepared to be the president of the System than she is.”
‘A lasting and influential impact’: Karen Walsh elected president of UW Board of Regents
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents elected Karen Walsh to serve as its president on Friday, filling the role after its former holder declined to run for the seat again earlier this year.
Also on Friday, the board elected Amy Blumenfeld Bogost to the role of vice president. Bogost works as a federal Title IX lawyer and joined the board in May 2020.
UW System keeps tuition freeze intact for year ahead
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents Thursday approved a budget that keeps an in-state undergraduate tuition freeze in place for another year.
UW System Regents vote to maintain tuition freeze
Resident undergraduate tuition hasn’t changed since fiscal year 2013-14.
UW Board of Regents extends tuition freeze for in-state undergrads
Wisconsin residents will not pay any more next year to attend the state’s universities. The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents approved a tuition freeze for in-state undergraduate students Thursday as part of the 2022-23 operating budget.
GOP lawmakers criticize selection of Mnookin as next UW-Madison Chancellor
Republican politicians may find it “impossible” to allocate the University of Wisconsin System more taxpayer funds after Jennifer Mnookin’s selection as its flagship university’s chancellor.
Jay Rothman shares his priorities as UW System president
Jay Rothman, incoming president of the University of Wisconsin System, outlines his vision for promoting higher education and managing the state’s 13 universities, 26 campuses and statewide extension.
Second UW-Milwaukee prof involved in scheme defrauding grad students, records allege
A Mequon couple employed as engineering professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee engaged in a years-long scheme to defraud graduate students through fake grants and gifts, according to newly released university records.
UW President Jay Rothman recommends extending tuition freeze at public colleges
New University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman will recommend freezing in-state, undergraduate college tuition for another year. And he said a student free speech survey, which led to the resignation of an interim chancellor at UW-Whitewater, will be sent out during the fall semester.
New UW President Jay Rothman pledges relationship-building with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle
Jay Rothman started the tight-rope-walking job of leading the University of Wisconsin System this week by defending the incoming UW-Madison chancellor while also not calling out Republicans for criticizing her.
UW-Madison’s generational burden: For 50 years, Black student enrollment has barely budged
In February 1969, University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman Harvey Clay stood outside Bascom Hall, seething with anger.
Clay, a 6-foot-8-inch, 255-pound center, came to UW-Madison to play football. But in this moment, he was confronting players from his own team.
UW System President Jay Rothman to request continued tuition freeze
Newly appointed University of Wisconsin System President Jay Rothman plans to recommend a tuition freeze in the upcoming school year for in-state undergraduate students when he presents the Board of Regents with the System’s annual budget next week.
New UW president wants to continue tuition freeze
The University of Wisconsin System’s new president said Thursday that he wants to continue a freeze on tuition for in-state graduates through at least the next academic year.
New UW System president will recommend continuing tuition freeze in upcoming budget
In an interview on Thursday, new UW System president Jay O. Rothman says he is recommending a continuation of the in-state, undergraduate tuition freeze in next year’s budget proposal.
Interim UW president hires key cabinet position at $78K more than previous person filling job
Interim University of Wisconsin System President Michael Falbo bypassed an open search process in the hiring of a high-level administrator and offered a far more generous contract than the previous person holding the post.
Biden’s plan to ‘cancel’ student debt passes the buck to all taxpayers
As a former regent of the University of Wisconsin system, I was directly responsible for controlling the costs of higher education. On the Board, we never once raised undergraduate in-state tuition.
National report: Spring enrollment at private Wisconsin universities down 9.8 percent
Enrollment at Wisconsin’s private universities fell by an average of nearly 10 percent, according to new national data. That’s far higher than enrollment losses reported by the state’s public universities.
Classmate Rallied Behind for Revealing Salary to Bragging Ph.D. Candidate
Though efforts to unionize graduate student employees have increased greatly in the last decade, the efforts first started in the late 1960s, with Rutgers University and City University of New York being the first to see unionized teaching assistants. The University of Wisconsin-Madison was the first school to have its own Teaching Assistant Union win a contract.
Opinion: Once again, the Wisconsin Legislature tries to undermine UW-Madison
Welcome to Wisconsin: Legislative leaders immediately slammed the newly named chancellor for the university’s flagship campus for being too liberal.
New career center at UWM Lubar Business School to plant ‘seeds of success’
The job market is leaning in the workers’ direction, but for students wanting to get a job or work experience during or after college, it can be overwhelming.
At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the newly opened Lubar Career Center aims to be a space where business students can find their next spot after their college careers.
UW-Whitewater chancellor search to begin amid increased political scrutiny of higher education
A search will soon begin for a new chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater who can provide “stable leadership” at the campus, which has had four chancellors since 2018.
The announcement comes just days after Republican state lawmakers and candidates attacked the most recent UW chancellor pick.
Spring enrollment down at most UW campuses compared with 2021
Spring enrollment data from the University of Wisconsin System show continued declines at many two-year campuses and some four-year universities.
Enrollment across all state public colleges and universities showed little change, with an average 1.6 percent decline this spring, according to final UW System data. The average among all four-year universities was down 1.4 percent while the decline across the state’s 13 two-year campuses dropped by 8.6 percent.
Incoming UW chancellor places premium on “belonging”
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor-designate Jennifer Mnookin said Tuesday that helping students of all races and ethnicities feel like they belong on campus will be one of her top priorities.
UCLA law dean Jennifer Mnookin named next UW-Madison chancellor. Republicans are criticizing the selection.
Jennifer Mnookin, the dean of the University of California, Los Angeles law school, will become the next chancellor of Wisconsin’s flagship university this summer.
The UW System Board of Regents unanimously voted Monday for Mnookin, 54, to take the top post at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
‘Opportunity of a lifetime’: Attacked by GOP, incoming UW-Madison chancellor excited to seek common ground
A day after being pilloried by Republicans, incoming University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said she couldn’t be more excited for the “opportunity of a lifetime” and looks forward to working with the GOP-led Legislature.
Tommy Thompson questions the new UW-Madison hire, hopes she doesn’t bring ‘a California philosophy’
Former four-term Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, given the chance to defend the incoming University of Wisconsin-Madison chancellor who has been criticized by Republican leaders, offered a lukewarm reaction to the hire.
New UW-Madison leader deflects questions about GOP critics
New University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin on Tuesday deflected questions during her first news conference about GOP critics who have painted her as an unabashed liberal and threatened to restrict funding if regents stand by the decision to hire her.
UW profs, Board of Regents show support for new chancellor after GOP attacks
Professors and Board of Regents Vice President Karen Walsh spoke out in support of University of Wisconsin-Madison’s next chancellor, Jennifer Mnookin, after some state Republicans criticized the hire.
Incoming UW-Madison chancellor to seek common ground with Republicans critical of her hire
Incoming UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin said Tuesday she looks forward to “getting to know everybody,” including Republican lawmakers who took aim at her appointment almost immediately after it was announced.
The Presidential Exit Interview
Carolyn A. (Biddy) Martin has had what seems like two very different careers as a college leader. From 2008 to 2011, Martin was chancellor of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, a flagship, public research university that enrolled about 42,000 students at the time and is a member of the Big Ten athletic conference
UCLA law dean Jennifer Mnookin selected as UW-Madison chancellor
“I deeply admire UW-Madison’s dual commitment to educational access and research excellence, as well as its mission to serve and to contribute to the state as a whole,” Mnookin said in a statement. With 17 years of experience at UCLA and six at the University of Virginia, Mnookin is no stranger to working at public universities. In a forum in early May, she said the Wisconsin Idea can serve as a national and global model for public universities.
Republicans knock Mnookin as pick for UW-Madison chancellor
As Madison-area Democrats cheered the selection of UCLA Law School Dean Jennifer Mnookin as the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s next chancellor, one of the state’s top Republicans urged the Board of Regents to reconsider its choice.
UCLA dean Jennifer Mnookin named UW-Madison’s next chancellor
The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents has selected Jennifer Mnookin as the next chancellor to lead UW-Madison. Mnookin, law school dean at UCLA, was unanimously approved as UW-Madison’s 30th chancellor, the regents announced in a Monday news release. Her appointment will take effect Aug. 4.
Five things to know about incoming UW-Madison chancellor Jennifer Mnookin
Jennifer Mnookin has been named as the next chancellor to lead UW-Madison. She will be the university’s 30th chancellor. Her appointment takes effect Aug. 4.
Regents pick UCLA law school dean to lead UW-Madison
Jennifer Mnookin was picked to succeed outgoing Chancellor Rebecca Blank, the regents said. Mnookin holds a law degree from Yale and has served as dean of the School of Law at UCLA since 2015. She also has served as a law professor at the University of Virginia.
Regents pick UCLA law school dean to lead UW-Madison
The dean of UCLA’s law school has been chosen as the next head of the University of Wisconsin’s flagship campus in Madison, the university system’s regents announced Monday.
How the Hiring of a Campus President Landed Maine’s Chancellor — and a Search Firm — in Hot Water
Criticisms of Storbeck have followed its role in controversial presidential searches elsewhere, as the Kennebec Journal reported. In 2020, Storbeck helped identify James R. Johnsen as the sole finalist for president of the University of Wisconsin system.
Tim Higgins: Hedge funds help UW students, research, pensions, nonprofits
Column from former Regent Higgins.
Outgoing UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank suggests ‘persistence and stubbornness’ for successor
On the cusp of leaving the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Chancellor Rebecca Blank used a final news conference Wednesday to take somewhat of a victory lap, saying she is leaving the university on strong financial footing and in a much better place.
But she also took the opportunity to highlight “unfinished agenda” items, such as increasing diversity and students’ sense of belonging on campus.
Transitions: New President at Davidson College; Pratt Institute Makes Interim Provost Permanent
Jerlando F. L. Jackson, a professor of education at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has been named dean of the College of Education at Michigan State University.
Update on capital campaigns
UW Health and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health are starting a combined campaign to raise $500 million by 2025.
‘We’re struggling to pay for it’: A student’s perspective on the rising cost of college
Quoted: Professor Nicholas Hillman is recognized in the acknowledgments of the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s report. He said the data is sobering, but does not mean the worst for Wisconsin students. He said it should, however, be a wake-up call to lawmakers.
“I do think it’s a chance for these issues to be prioritized, like how do we pay for college and how do we prioritize finances so people who want to go can go,” he said. “Reduce those barriers, at the least.”
Hillman said a primary reason for rising college tuition is because running a university is expensive. Those expenses range from paying faculty to maintaining costly facilities.
Hillman helped create UW-Madison’s Bucky’s Tuition Promise. The program began four years ago and covers tuition costs annually for Wisconsin-based students. Their household income must be $60,000, or less.
New college graduates with degrees in supercomputing, artificial intelligence are in hot demand. ‘War for talent’ gives grads many options.
Noted: University of Wisconsin-Madison research has shown that the majority of bachelor’s degree holders in the state tend to remain here, and that Wisconsin has a relatively low rate of out-migration, also known as “brain drain.” But the number of college-educated workers coming into Wisconsin isn’t that high, according to the research, so the state suffers from a lack of “brain gain.”
The solutions won’t come easily. And there’s probably no “silver bullet” for the entire state, as every region is different, said Matt Kures, a community development specialist with UW-Madison Extension.