Noted: Some colleges and universities were already test-optional, and many more waived SAT and ACT scores as a requirement for admission during the pandemic. In Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin System is test-optional through the 2024-25 school year.
Category: Higher Education/System
UW-Madison extends program to pay tuition and fees for teachers who start their career in Wisconsin
For Maddy Rauls, teaching is a family business.
The fourth grade bilingual English language arts teacher in Waunakee has several aunts who are teachers, and her dad was her high school’s chemistry teacher.
When she started school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in September 2017, a career in teaching was on her radar, especially because she loved babysitting and working with kids at summer school. When she liked the education classes she took her first couple of years, that sealed the deal.
‘A grand lady of politics’: Margaret Farrow, Wisconsin’s first female lieutenant governor, dies at 87
Noted: After McCallum lost in 2003 to Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, Farrow left the Capitol. She would return to a high-profile public position a decade later when former Gov. Scott Walker appointed her to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
Despite financial hurdles, undocumented college students in Wisconsin chase their dreams
According to the 2019 American Community Survey, undocumented students account for over 427,000 students in U.S. higher education. Students who are eligible for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) — a policy which grants work permits and protects young people who entered the U.S. unlawfully as children — account for less than half of the undocumented student population.
Wisconsin Senate ends with votes on youth prison, schools
Legislation passed includes a bill that would force UW System schools to use objective criteria for admissions. The measure would outlaw criteria based on race, national origin or religion. The bill’s supporters say UW’s current criteria is subjective and opaque, leaving the public no way to determine what standards an applicant must meet to be accepted. System officials say they don’t test applicants on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion. The Senate passed the measure 18-13. The Assembly approved it in February. It now goes to the governor.
Thompson reflects on time leading UW System
Thompson also said he has met with his successor, Jay Rothman, calling him a “very nice guy.”
Outgoing UW System President Thompson speaks on lessons from his tenure
He said that as for what’s next, he’s going to take his time deciding from a few options.“ So I could retire,” Thompson said. “I could go farm. I could be on some boards, start some more businesses.”
UW Madison announces changes to Farm and Industry Short Course program
UW-Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) announced they will alter their Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC), beginning in 2023.The program will switch from a for-credit, on-campus residential experience lasting 16 weeks, to a more flexible, non-credit format. The residential program will end this spring when the current class of Farm and Industry Short Course (FISC) students receive their certificates.
UW System student health worker initiative gets funding boost
A UW System initiative will provide incentives to twice as many student health care workers with additional funding from the Wisconsin Partnership Program.
This UW School of Medicine and Public Health program is providing $500,000 for the effort, doubling the total funding for the incentive program that was announced in December 2021. The state Department of Health Services provided the initial funds.
Thompson visits UWO before stepping down as system president
University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson is stepping down from his role later this month. But before leaving, Thompson is visiting UW campuses around the state.
UW System interim president and the longest-serving governor in Wisconsin Tommy Thompson announced his resignation back in January.
Monday, Thompson showed his gratitude for his time as president at the UW-Oshkosh campus.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s plans to demolish a century-old building that was once part of Columbia Hospital are on hold.
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s plans to demolish a century-old building that was once part of Columbia Hospital are on hold.
The city Historic Preservation Commission on Monday granted temporary historic designation for the building, 3321 N. Maryland Ave.
Wisconsin Senate to end with votes on youth prison, schools
Agenda includes a bill that would force UW System schools to use objective criteria for admissions. The measure would outlaw criteria based on race, national origin or religion. The bill’s supporters say UW’s current criteria is subjective and opaque, leaving the public no way to determine what standards an applicant must meet to be accepted. System officials say they don’t test applicants on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion.
UW System conducting facilities review after gas leak sent 17 students to hospital
UW-Madison has no plans to do widespread installation of detectors in its dorms, some of which also lack alarms in residential areas. But university spokesperson John Lucas said that’s because most campus buildings, including dorms, are heated via steam generated off-site at campus heating plants, not through fuel-burning appliances. He said UW-Madison has detectors in areas where there is gas usage, which is generally isolated to laundry rooms and commercial kitchen spaces.
President Biden Speaks at UW-Superior regarding Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
President Joe Biden and Governor Tony Evers spoke at UW-Superior this Wednesday, where they discussed the expected impact of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which was passed in under the Biden administration in Nov. 2021.
No carbon monoxide detectors in UW-Milwaukee dorm where a leak sent 17 students to the hospital
There were no carbon monoxide detectors in the living areas of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee dorm where a gas leak forced an evacuation Monday night and sent 17 students to the hospital for treatment, the university confirmed Wednesday.
How Inflation Affects Universities
Universities must ensure that attending is affordable for most Americans. In a country that values education, college has become less of a luxury and more a necessity for a successful career. As such, colleges and universities must combat inflation by passing the cost to donors and governments, rather than students.
—Jackson Walker, University of Wisconsin, journalism and English
UW School of Education to extend Wisconsin Teacher Pledge program
The program pays for in-state tuition, fees, testing, and licensing costs for students looking to get a degree in education. In return, students agree to teach for four years at a pre-kindergarten through 12th-grade school in Wisconsin. Students who go on to teach in a high-need school or subject will only need to teach for three years.
UW fights national decrease in teachers with Teacher Pledge
‘I would not have come to Wisconsin if it weren’t for the Teacher Pledge,’ student says.
What Cliff? Data and the Destruction of Public Higher Ed
Let’s look at some Wisconsin population data. First, the state increased in population between 2010 and 2021, and official data estimate that 65 of 72 counties gained population during this period. Yes, reliable data from researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, project slight decreases in total K-12 enrollments statewide in the coming years. This is hardly a “looming demographic crisis,” particularly since many students do not enroll in higher education immediately after high school.
The Fed’s new playbook for fighting inflation risks doing more harm than good, top economists at Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley say
That new playbook, as promising as its goals are, might be a mistake, the chief global economists of Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, and Morgan Stanley, as well as economists at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin, said in a recent paper. Looking at inflation and employment for more- and less-advantaged groups, the team found that the balance between maximum employment and stable prices would be hard to achieve without serious risk.
Majority of UW System colleges have announced the end to face mask requirements
University of Wisconsin-Madison instructors will be able to recommend their students continue wearing face masks after a campus mask mandate expires March 12. But despite concerns about immunocompromised or otherwise at-risk staff, faculty are being told to masking will now come down to personal choice.
Chancellor Blank praises, condemns several Wisconsin bills that affect UW-Madison
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank detailed her hopes and fears for bills that have been passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature in a university statement on Wednesday. They await being signed into law by Governor Tony Evers, or being vetoed.
Tribal leader decries Wisconsin bills to bar lessons on systemic racism in State of the Tribes address
Noted: Holsey made the remarks during the annual State of the Tribes address before the state Legislature on Tuesday afternoon, hours before state lawmakers passed a bill that would effectively bar University of Wisconsin System instructors from teaching systemic racism. Gov. Tony Evers is expected to veto the bill.
One City Schools signs contract with UW System to expand charter
One City Schools founder Kaleem Caire leaned against a wall in a third-floor hallway of the new school site, overwhelmed with emotion after signing a contract Wednesday with the University of Wisconsin System to expand his charter school up through the 12th grade.
In marathon session, senators vote to fund youth prison, restrict teaching race, limit safety net
Wisconsin senators held a marathon session Tuesday, passing measures that would fund a replacement for a troubled youth prison, restrict government safety net programs, limit the ability of the University of Wisconsin System to teach about diversity and race, and call for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution.
Should college admissions continue taking into account life experiences? Wisconsin GOP wants objective criteria only.
A Republican-backed bill that would limit criteria University of Wisconsin campuses can consider in admissions is swiftly making its way through the state Legislature, despite warnings from UW officials that it would result in more students being denied.
Wisconsin Assembly passes parental bill of rights, MPS breakup bill
Noted: A number of the day’s bills were directed specifically toward the operations of the University of Wisconsin and state technical college systems.
Those bills that passed include:
- Requiring the UW System in some circumstances to give refunds to students with housing and meal plan contracts who are unable to access those benefits;
- Removing immunity for campus administrators for violating the expressive rights of a person on a UW or technical college campus;
- Allowing public college students to take a class on the U.S. Constitution to fulfill diversity and ethnic studies requirements;
- Banning teaching of race or sex stereotyping in the state’s public colleges, including “that an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility for acts committed; in the past by other individuals of the same race or sex.”
Wisconsin lawmakers advance bipartisan bill targeting water pollution
The Legislature’s budget committee voted unanimously Tuesday to advance companion bills that would provide up to $1.4 million per year to help farmers keep fertilizer on their fields and out of lakes, rivers and groundwater, and fund a new position within the University of Wisconsin System to monitor groundwater quality.
Wisconsin GOP votes to limit race theory at UW schools
Republican legislators set their sights on the University of Wisconsin System on Tuesday, passing bills that are likely headed for vetoes but that will give the GOP talking points on the campaign trail heading into the November election.
Edgewood College to continue requiring masks in classrooms through April 1
Edgewood College is taking a two-pronged approach in phasing out its mask mandate, officials announced Tuesday.
Legislature approves education bills, putting election-year talking points into focus
The wide-ranging bills the Assembly approved include a proposal by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, AB 884, that would specify that if any University of Wisconsin System institution requires a course in diversity or ethnic studies, students could instead complete a course on the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights. That bill passed the Assembly 60-34 and Senate 21-12 along party lines.
New presidents or provosts: Keystone OHSU Penn South Carolina Tulsa UofPeople UW Whitworth Williams
Jay O. Rothman, chairman and CEO of the law firm Foley & Lardner, in Wisconsin, has been chosen as president of the University of Wisconsin system.
UW-Madison program helps high school students prep for college
The days of Gabrielle Acevedo walking into class at Rufus King High school are ticking away one-by-one. As a senior, there are roughly 100 days until she graduates. But, she knows what she wants to do after the gets her diploma. “Personally, I’ve always known what I wanted to do,” Acevedo said. “I’ve had the same dream since I was a little girl.” That dream is to go to the University of Wisconsin and eventually become a physician assistant or a doctor. She credits her readiness for college to the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence, known as PEOPLE.
Tommy Thompson to give spring commencement address at UW-Platteville
UW System President and Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson will address University of Wisconsin- Platteville students during this year’s spring commencement ceremony, the school announced Monday.
Governors push for inflation solutions ahead of midterm elections
Driving the news: Wisconsin’s Gov. Tony Evers announced in his “State of the State” address this week that he’ll extend the University of Wisconsin’s tuition freeze for another year. The Democratic governor also renewed calls to funnel the state’s budget surplus back to taxpayers, giving every Wisconsin resident a $150 tax rebate.
Tommy Thompson says he will spend the coming weeks deciding whether to again run for Wisconsin governor
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson plans to decide by the end of April whether he will run for his old job.
A late entry into the Republican primary would further scramble a race that was disrupted a week ago when state Rep. Timothy Ramthun launched his bid for governor. Thompson said he’d been briefed on the findings of a recent poll and thought his chances were good.
Transgender lawyers gearing up to fight anti-trans bills
Harvard is just one of many schools — including Columbia University, New York University, the University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin at Madison — with student organizations that center queer and trans people of color. Many law schools maintain chapters of OutLaw, an LGBTQ student group.
UW System to end mask mandate by spring break
University of Wisconsin System officials say they plan to end their campus mask mandates by spring break.
UW System interim President Tommy Thompson announced Wednesday that widespread vaccinations and waning case numbers on system campuses and across the state justify the move.
As COVID-19 case counts decline, UW schools expect to lift mask requirements as early as March 1 and no later than spring break
The 26 University of Wisconsin System campuses will begin lifting masking requirements as soon as March 1 and no later than spring break, outgoing System President Tommy Thompson announced Wednesday.
GOP bill aims to strip subjectivity from UW admissions process
Some students applying to University of Wisconsin System campuses have long wondered whether there’s a minimum GPA or test score they must meet to gain admission, despite UW admissions officers denying there is any hidden threshold.
Gov. Tony Evers’ State of the State address pushes tax rebates, tuition relief
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Tuesday during his State of the State address that he was extending the University of Wisconsin’s long-running tuition freeze for another year.
Tony Evers calls for education spending, $150 checks to residents in state of the state address
Evers, who is seeking a second term this November, also touted the billions of dollars of federal stimulus funds he has allocated over the course of the pandemic to businesses and farmers. Adding to that, he announced on Tuesday plans to spend $25 million of those funds to freeze tuition at University of Wisconsin System for two years and another $5 million to expand counseling and provide mental health programs for members of the Wisconsin National Guard.
Evers calls on Legislature to approve $150 taxpayer refund
Evers also announced that he was tapping $25 million in federal pandemic relief money to pay for continuing a tuition freeze at the University of Wisconsin System for another year. The Legislature lifted the tuition freeze for this year, but the UW Board of Regents opted not to raise tuition. Evers is providing funding to pay for the current freeze and another year, the 2022-2023 school year.
UW campuses may drop mask mandate as soon as March 1
Citing a rapid decline in COVID-19 cases across the state, System President Tommy Thompson is working with chancellors to phase out the requirement no later than spring break, which at UW-Madison begins March 12.
Senate passes bills to prevent foreign influence at UW
The state Senate has passed three Republican-backed bills aimed at preventing Chinese spies from infiltrating University of Wisconsin campuses, moves that opponents called racist and targeting a nonexistent problem.
Evers announces in-state tuition freeze, mental health investment for UW System campuses
Evers, who is the 46th Wisconsin Governor, gave his State of the State address at the Feb. 15 joint convention of the Wisconsin Legislature. In his address, Evers announced plans to address rising gas prices, a struggling job market and supply shortages. While Wisconsin families have faced much of the brunt of the COVID-19 pandemic, Evers said he wanted to account for students in higher education who have been under considerable stress throughout the pandemic.
Sloan Research Fellows For 2022 Are Announced
Mathematics included 20 Fellows, two each from the University of California, Irvine; the University of Wisconsin and the University of Toronto.
Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT and Vanderbilt students take legal action to try to force fossil fuel divestment
The joint action with attorneys from the Climate Defense Project follows similar recent legal efforts at Cornell University, Boston College, Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin and the University of New Mexico.
GOP bills aim to prevent foreign influence at UW
Three Republican-backed bills up for a vote Tuesday in the state Senate aim to prevent foreign influence on University of Wisconsin campuses.
Education Committee approves new degrees, extends application waivers
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at UW-Madison John Scholz presented new degree programs to the Education Committee. Three of the programs — the Master of Science in school psychology, Doctor of Philosophy in school psychology and a BA and BS in information science — would be implemented at UW-Madison.
Tommy Thompson bids farewell as UW System president
In an emotional farewell speech to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, UW System President and former Gov. Tommy Thompson called on state lawmakers to direct part of a record budget surplus into public universities. He said UW System campuses shouldn’t be considered an expenditure but rather an investment in the future.
UW-Madison Chancellor: Polarization among major threats to campus
Outgoing University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank cited lagging state support, a lack of administrative autonomy and increasing political divisions as major challenges facing Wisconsin’s flagship university during a fiery speech to the UW Board of Regents Thursday.
College application fees waived indefinitely at 10 of 13 UW System campuses
Application fees at most University of Wisconsin System campuses will be waived indefinitely. The shift started with the pandemic but administrators credit it with boosting the number of applicants and freshman enrollments.
UW System Board approves 2% raises for chancellors
The University of Wisconsin System Board on Thursday approved 2% raises for the system president and all chancellors, adding a total of $87,250 to the base salaries of the group of 14 college leaders this year.
Wisconsin agencies and nonprofits working to address economic issues can start to do so with a new round of WEDC grants
Noted: According to the WEDC, the first round of projects included public-private partnerships to train and attract health care workers throughout rural Wisconsin; develop next-generation advanced manufacturing employees in west-central and southeast Wisconsin; expand affordable, high-quality child care in Door County, Green County, and south-central Wisconsin; create pipelines of young, educated workers in Milwaukee; train construction and skilled craft workers throughout the state; foster a culture of entrepreneurship in Kenosha; and enable incarcerated individuals to earn undergraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin System.
UW regents approve raises for president, chancellors
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents has approved raises for the system president and campus chancellors.
Tommy Thompson hails fight against virus in farewell as UW leader
Tommy Thompson, the 80-year-old former governor who has spent more than 50 years in public service, said in a sometimes emotional farewell address Friday that the University of Wisconsin System has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before he took over as interim president.
Thompson hails fight against virus in farewell as UW leader
Tommy Thompson, the 80-year-old former governor who has spent more than 50 years in public service, said in a sometimes emotional farewell address Friday that the University of Wisconsin System has emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger than before he took over as interim president.
Tommy Thompson bids farewell as UW System president
In an emotional farewell speech to the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, UW System President and former Gov. Tommy Thompson called on state lawmakers to direct part of a record budget surplus into public universities. He said UW System campuses shouldn’t be considered an expenditure but rather an investment in the future.
College application fees waived indefinitely at 10 of 13 UW System campuses
Application fees at most University of Wisconsin System campuses will be waived indefinitely. The shift started with the pandemic but administrators credit it with boosting the number of applicants and freshman enrollments.