The University of Wisconsin System will need to seek approval from the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules (JCRAR) for any COVID-19 pandemic related regulation.
UW System will need to seek approval for COVID-19 regulations
WKOW-TV 27
Category: Higher Education/System
Lawmakers claim final say in UW System’s COVID-19 policies
NBC-15
UW System spokesperson: “Today’s action feels like a political statement.”
Wisconsin Public Media Director Gene Purcell Dies Following Traffic Accident
Wisconsin Public Radio
The director of Wisconsin Public Media, Gene Purcell, has died following a traffic crash in Madison. Friends and colleagues say they’re heartbroken by the sudden loss of a man who lived a commitment to public broadcasting with humility and authenticity.
COVID-19 Roundup: Power Struggles Over Mask Mandates
Inside Higher Ed
Noted: In Wisconsin, a Republican-controlled legislative committee passed a resolution Tuesday requiring University of Wisconsin campuses to get the committee’s approval for mandatory COVID-19 vaccination, masking or testing policies, the Wisconsin State Journal reported. Under the measure, the UW system will have to submit COVID-19 policies to the committee within 30 days. The committee will then have the ability to vote to suspend all or parts of the policies. Tony Evers, the state’s Democratic governor, does not have the ability to veto the committee’s actions.
‘This is madness’: Between politics and public health, UW schools work to adapt for fall
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Colleges across the state are working to reevaluate on-campus masking policies in the weeks leading up to the start of the fall semester, as new national data on the delta variant’s spread among vaccinated people,updated masking recommendations and political pressure further complicate a quickly evolving situation.
With four weeks left before the start of the fall semester, Marquette University officials announced that more than 85% of students have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
With four weeks left before the start of the fall semester, Marquette University officials announced that more than 85% of students have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
Republican-led committee votes to block UW campuses’ COVID-19 requirements; UW-Madison immediately issues mask mandate
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin officials who want to ward off a rising COVID-19 caseload now must get permission from the Legislature to implement masking, testing or vaccination requirements, according to a plan Republicans adopted Tuesday.
UW-Madison moves to require masks indoors effective Thursday despite Republican plan to block mandates
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin-Madison announced it would require students, employees and visitors wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status starting Thursday, as COVID-19 cases surge and political pressure mounts.
GOP-led committee votes to block UW campuses from vaccination rules, mandatory virus testing
Wisconsin State Journal
ARepublican-controlled legislative committee will require University of Wisconsin System campuses to first get the committee’s approval before imposing mandatory masking, COVID-19 testing and vaccination policies.
Pushback challenges vaccination requirements at US colleges
Associated Press
Many other schools are offering similar incentives, such as the University of Wisconsin’s regional campuses giving away 70 $7,000 scholarships to vaccinated students at sites with at least 70% vaccination rates. Missouri State has a $150,000 program with prizes that include free tuition, meal plans and computers.
UW-Milwaukee to require masks indoors, regular testing for unvaccinated employees and students
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will require all students, employees and visitors to wear masks when gathering indoors beginning next week, in line with new masking guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Milwaukee Health Department.
The university will also require weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated faculty, staff and students who are not 100% online.
Dozens of Wisconsin parent groups reject lockdowns and required masking in an open letter to Gov. Tony Evers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: At University of Wisconsin System schools, institutions have not put in place a mask or vaccine mandate, but are encouraging students to get vaccinated. This fall, UW-Madison will allow students who are vaccinated to not follow weekly COVID-19 testing requirements.
Private institutions like Marquette University and Beloit College will require vaccines.
With Wisconsin tuition freeze set in stone, out-of-state students likely to pay the price again
Badger Herald
A part of the recently passed Wisconsin 2021-23 budget, Gov. Tony Evers and Wisconsin legislators decided to return power to the University of Wisconsin System’s Board of Regents to end the tuition freeze. For the past eight years, the tuition freeze prevented UW schools from increasing the price of tuition for in-state students.
Burnout symptoms increasing among college students
The Hechinger Report
Noted: At the University of Wisconsin, administrators are acknowledging the mental health difficulties of the pandemic year by urging first- and second-year students to establish healthy coping mechanisms and participate in a 30-day meditation challenge through the Healthy Minds Innovations app (which does not connect students with therapists).
UW-Milwaukee to require masks indoors, regular testing for unvaccinated employees and students
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee will require all students, employees and visitors to wear masks when gathering indoors beginning next week, in line with new masking guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and from the Milwaukee Health Department.
The university will also require weekly COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated faculty, staff and students who are not 100% online.
Tommy Thompson warns lawmakers against limiting UW’s COVID-19 response
The Capital Times
University of Wisconsin System interim President Tommy Thompson warned lawmakers Thursday against tying the university’s hands on efforts to prevent COVID-19 transmission on campuses, following a statement from a Republican lawmaker.
Republican tries to block UW campuses from mandatory virus testing, vaccination rules
Wisconsin State Journal
State Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, said Wednesday he will move to require UW get approval from the Legislature’s GOP-controlled rules committee before enacting any virus-related requirements. Nass co-chairs the committee, which he said plans to vote Tuesday to block the UW virus protocols without a public hearing.
A reason to be optimistic about our democracy: Students are flocking to public policy programs
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Written by Susan Yackee, director of the La Follette School of Public Affairs and a Collins-Bascom Professor of Public Affairs and Political Science at UW-Madison.
UW System offering scholarship lottery as incentive for vaccination
Wisconsin Examiner
With just more than six weeks before the fall semester begins on UW campuses, the system’s administrators unveiled a program designed to give students an added incentive to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Forget Critical Race Theory in the Classroom. Kids Are Learning About Race on TikTok.
EdSurge
Quoted: “If you look at the language of some of these bills, they’re really pretty broad,” says Diana Hess, dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s school of education. “There’s a lot of things that are in the language that would make it really hard to teach civic education.”
First-ever group of Wisconsin prisoners graduates with bachelor’s degrees
Wisconsin State Journal
Carr said the corrections department doesn’t have any other four-year programs up and running right now, but is working on partnerships with the University of Wisconsin System, Marquette University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and other universities to develop more, including some that would provide degrees beyond biblical studies.
Reports Of Students Cheating Increased Substantially At Some UW Universities During Pivot To Online Learning
Wisconsin Public Radio
COVID-19 was the major driver of the increase, said Tonya Schmidt, UW-Madison’s assistant dean and director of the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards. “I absolutely attribute this to the stress and pressure that was put on our students to pivot to a remote environment and try and learn,” said Schmidt. “It was very difficult for students this semester.”
Gov. Tony Evers Calls Special Session On Increasing School Spending
Wisconsin Public Radio
Noted: The governor said the session would be an opportunity to make investments in education he believes should have been included in the budget. GOP lawmakers approved an education spending plan that was roughly $750 million less than the governor originally requested for K-12 schools. For the University of Wisconsin System, the GOP-backed budget included an increase of just $8 million over two years, a fraction of the $191 million proposed by the governor.
More Universities Offer Vaccination Incentives. Will They Work?
Forbes
Noted: On Sunday, University of Wisconsin (UW) System President Tommy Thompson announced a new program that provides an opportunity for UW students who are vaccinated against Covid-19 to win a $7,000 scholarship.
Under the “70 for 70” campaign, vaccinated students who attend UW campuses that achieve at least a 70% vaccination rate will be eligible to win one of 70 scholarships valued at $7,000 each. Students at all UW System universities except UW-Madison are eligible for the drawing. UW-Madison is reportedly developing its own vaccination incentive program.
Reports Of Students Cheating Increased Substantially At Some UW Universities During Pivot To Online Learning
Wisconsin Public Radio
Reports of cheating and other forms of academic misconduct increased substantially at six of the University of Wisconsin System’s 13 universities when classes were moved online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Administrators say increased student stress was a major contributor, and they expect misconduct reports to decrease once more classes are taught in person.
Evers, GOP at loggerheads over veto overrides, school funding
The Capital Times
In his special session call, Evers urged lawmakers to take up a proposal that would allocate an additional $440 million for K-12 schools ($240 million in per-pupil aid and $200 million in special education aid) and an additional $110 million for the University of Wisconsin System and the Wisconsin Technical Colleges System.
Madison Area Technical College will pay off outstanding school bills for 4,500 students
Wisconsin State Journal
Madison Area Technical College used federal COVID-19 relief money to erase $4 million in debt owed to the school, clearing the accounts of nearly 4,500 students who struggled financially during the pandemic.
UW System offers students a chance at $7K to get vaccinated
WISC-TV 3
UW System Will Offer Scholarship Drawing For Students Who Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin System plans to offer about $500,000 in financial incentives aimed at encouraging students to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The campaign features a lottery in which a total of 70 students will each receive a $7,000 scholarship if 70 percent of a campus’ student body reports being vaccinated.
UW-Madison is not participating.
Frustrating College Access and Enrollment Barriers: Websites and Application Processes
The Good Men Project
Noted: While some higher education institutions like the University of Wisconsin-Madison and The Johns Hopkins University feature sophisticated and user-friendly websites, and their leaders have instituted efficient, unencumbered application processes, college applicants may encounter inept websites and application processes when applying at many other institutions.
UW System launches tuition scholarship raffle to boost student vaccination rate
Wisconsin State Journal
In what is likely the broadest vaccination incentive program for Wisconsin to date, the System announced Sunday that it will award $7,000 scholarships to 70 students who get the shot and attend a campus that reaches a 70% vaccination rate.
UW System announces a lottery with $490,000 in scholarships to encourage vaccination
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
As an incentive for students across the UW System to get vaccinated, interim President Tommy Thompson on Sunday announced a lottery giving out nearly a half-million dollars in scholarships.
Under the plan, vaccinated students at all University of Wisconsin campuses except UW-Madison will be entered into a lottery for one of 70 one-time, $7,000 scholarships.
Chronically ill students remain concerned about transition back to in-person learning
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Abbie Esterline, a fifth-year student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, found herself missing fewer classes during the pandemic.
She has several chronic illnesses, such as gastroparesis and fibromyalgia, that can make it difficult to go in person to a classroom.
Barry Alvarez, who recently stepped down as Wisconsin’s athletic director, is named Big Ten’s special advisor for football
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Barry Alvarez’s retirement is over.
Big Ten Conference commissioner Kevin Warren announced Thursday that Alvarez, who stepped down as Wisconsin’s athletic director June 30, has been named special advisor for football.
Following racist post from 2019, UW-Eau Claire study finds more diversity needed, but no systemic leadership problem in athletics
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A study of student athletics released by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire last week found that despite an overall culture of acceptance, student-athletes of color face disproportional amounts of stereotyping at the school.
From kindergarten to college, schools are trying to return to some sense of normalcy. But they’re not there yet.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Schools across the state — whether they serve kindergartners or college students — continue to adjust plans for the fall based on the ever-evolving COVID-19 situation. The general idea is to bring as many students back in person as possible — the so-called return to normalcy — while not endangering students, teachers or their families.
Badgers Football Players Begin Profiting From Name, Image, Likeness Following NCAA Rule Change
Wisconsin Public Radio
Less than a month after the NCAA ruled college athletes can profit from their names, image and likeness some Badgers Football players have begun to reap the benefits.
On July 1, the NCAA adopted a temporary policy to suspend rules that banned college athletes from getting paid for the use of their names, images and likeness. It was a significant shift but a small part of a larger debate over whether students should be paid to compete in college sporting events.
UW-Madison chancellor apologizes for starting classes on Rosh Hashana following backlash
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank is apologizing for a university decision to start the school year on the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashana.
Tom Still: Wisconsin must step up to compete for federal R&D dollars
Wisconsin State Journal
States around the country are gearing up for projects that could pair engineering schools and industry, but the dean of UW-Madison’s College of Engineering warned this week the state will be at a disadvantage unless there’s more investment in infrastructure needed to compete. “If we don’t act soon, we’re going to lose out,” said Ian Robertson, dean of Madison’s 4,500-student engineering college. “Others are going to get ahead of us. They’re all gearing up to go after the Endless Frontier money. It’s that simple.”
UW-Madison urges Congress, Biden to pass bill after federal judge rules DACA program is illegal
WISC-TV 3
“Individuals who participate in DACA, are undocumented or from mixed status families are important members of our community,” UW-Madison said on Saturday in a statement posted to its social media channels.
UI President Barbara Wilson begins tenure at university
Daily Iowan
Noted: Wilson has a Bachelor of Arts in journalism, a Master of Arts in communication arts, and a PhD in communication arts, all from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Declining enrollment, weak legislative support, pandemic fallout all cloud UWM’s future
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A new report from the Wisconsin Policy Forum paints a grim picture of the future of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, which was facing mounting financial challenges even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Wisconsin educators help design ‘Shipwrecks!’ game
PBS Wisconsin
During the 2020-21 academic year, 14 Wisconsin third through fifth grade teachers took part in the Shipwrecks! Game Design Fellowship with PBS Wisconsin Education and Field Day Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout the winter, these educators met with teachers, game designers, researchers and maritime archaeologists to co-design a video game that investigates shipwrecks in the Great Lakes using the practices of maritime archaeologists.
Pencils down: The year pre-college tests went away
Knowable Magazine
Noted: When poor, Black or brown students score lower, it’s not exactly the tests’ fault, says Eric Grodsky, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison who analyzed the links between standardized testing and socioeconomic status in the Annual Review of Sociology. That’s because scores reflect disparities in students’ lives before testing. Wealthy students, for example, might have benefited from parents who had more time to read to them as toddlers, all the way through to being able to afford to take both tests, multiple times, to obtain the best score.
Thus, the disparities reflected in test scores result not from a failure of the tests so much as a failure to create a just educational system, Grodsky says. “We don’t do a good job of serving all our kids.” And if test scores determine one’s future opportunities, using them can perpetuate those inequities.
Wisconsin Gets ‘F’ For Civics Education
Wisconsin Public Radio
Includes interview with Diana Hess, dean of UW-Madison’s School of Education, about civics education in Wisconsin after an organization gave the state an ‘F’ for its standards for history and civics.
UW-Madison survey: 92.5% of students living on campus plan to be vaccinated by move-in
Fox 47
With just over a month-and-a-half until students return to the University of Wisconsin-Madison residence halls, university officials say 92.5% of those who plan to live on campus plan to be fully vaccinated by the time they move in.
Season 4 premiere: Critical race theory and a ‘woke’ military
Stars and Stripes
In the Season 4 premiere episode of Military Matters, host Rod Rodriguez discusses “wokeness” and critical race theory in the military with guests, Brian “BK” Kimber, Air Force veteran and host of the weekly podcast, “World News with BK,” and John Witte, professor emeritus from University of Wisconsin, Madison, in the departments of political science and the Robert La Follette School of Public Affairs.
UW-Madison: Survey shows 96% of dorm residents will be vaccinated against COVID-19 by early fall
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
A survey conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison has found 92.5% of incoming dorm residents will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of classes this fall.
Wisconsin schools may require masks for vaccinated despite CDC change
milwaukee journal sentinel
The University of Wisconsin System, for example, won’t require proof of vaccination on its 26 campuses this fall, and with the lifting of state and local mask mandates, many campuses have said they don’t have the grounds to impose one of their own. That leaves campuses such as UW-Madison, which has upward of 60,000 on campus when the school year is in full swing, saying they have an “expectation” that unvaccinated people wear masks — one that will likely be difficult to systematically enforce.
UW Regents start presidential search again with larger, more diverse committee
Wisconsin State Journal
he group who will find the next University of Wisconsin System president is much larger and more diverse than the previous search committee that led a failed search last year, in part, because of the committee’s make-up.
UW System awards $1 million in scholarships to nearly 300 students
WKOW-TV 27
Students receive the scholarship after being nominated by their universities.
Thompson announces new University Relations Vice President
NBC-15
UW System President Tommy Thompson announced Tuesday that he has named Jeff Buhrandt as Interim Vice President for University Relations. Buhrandt is replacing Scott Neitzel who is resigning his position after helping the UW System during the pandemic.
UW System awards $1 million in scholarships to 267 students
WSAW
Nearly 270 University of Wisconsin System students will share $1 million in scholarships under the new Wisconsin Regents Opportunity Scholarship program. Each of the UW System’s 13 universities received an equal allocation of $77,000. Universities then determine the number and size of each scholarship and nominated students for eligibility, which the UW System certified.
UW System proposes no tuition increase for in-state students despite freeze set to be lifted
Wisconsin State Journal
Tuition for in-state undergraduates enrolled at a University of Wisconsin System campus will remain flat over the next school year under a plan put forth by System officials.
“It has been a long time in the making.” Chris McIntosh excited to see how UW athletes can capitalize on Name, Image and Likeness
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Chris McIntosh joked Thursday that his first day as athletic director at the University of Wisconsin came amid a lull in college athletics.
Wisconsin Senate sends $87.5 billion state budget plan to Gov. Tony Evers
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Noted: The plan green-lights an expansion of I-94 in Milwaukee and ends the 8-year-old freeze on in-state tuition at University of Wisconsin schools. It also lowers property taxes by about $100 this December for the owner of a typical home.
UW-Madison Officials Expect To Reach 80 Percent Campus COVID-19 Vaccination Goal
Wisconsin Public Radio
Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison say that even without a vaccine mandate, they expect at least 80 percent of the campus population will be vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall.
College Players May Make Money Off Their Fame, Powerful N.C.A.A. Panel Recommends
New York Times
Noted: Some athletes have already begun making plans to cash in on their renown. Jordan Bohannon, a men’s basketball player at the University of Iowa, has announced plans for an apparel line that will debut on Thursday, and the University of Wisconsin’s starting quarterback, Graham Mertz, posted a video with a personal logo.
Wisconsin Assembly approves state budget, Senate up next
Wisconsin State Journal
The centerpiece of the two-year budget is a GOP-authored plan to cut $3.3 billion in income and property taxes, made possible largely by the state’s unprecedented $4.4 billion surplus. The budget also would end an eight-year freeze on University of Wisconsin System tuition and hold K-12 funding largely flat. All in all, the budget would spend about $4 billion less than Evers proposed.
Wisconsin Assembly passes $87.5 billion spending plan with more than $3 billion in tax cuts
Wisconsin State Journal
The Assembly late Tuesday passed the $87.5 billion Republican-authored 2021-23 biennial budget, which cuts taxes largely on businesses and the wealthy more than $3 billion, lifts a UW tuition freeze and rejects many of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers’ top priorities.