Over 90% of undergraduate classes are held in person this fall.
UW System reaches pre-pandemic levels of in-person instruction
Badger Herald
Category: Higher Education/System
2 more UW campuses reach 70% vaccination rate, UW-Madison extends mask mandate
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Oshkosh and UW-Whitewater joined UW-Eau Claire, UW-La Crosse and UW-Milwaukee in meeting the 70% goal set by interim System President Tommy Thompson. UW-Madison, which is not participating in the scholarship incentive program and has a student vaccination rate above 90%, announced on Friday an extension of the university’s indoor mask mandate that will last at least until late November.
Estimates Show Fall Enrollment Declines At Most UW System Campuses
Wisconsin Public Radio
University of Wisconsin System estimates show fall enrollment fell by around 1 percent across the state’s 26 college campuses compared to last fall. Just three universities reported enrollment increases while the rest saw declines between 1 percent and 11 percent.
University of Wisconsin schools post 1% enrollment decline, driven by decline in returning students
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Enrollment at University of Wisconsin campuses dropped 1% overall this fall, according to preliminary data released Wednesday.
US governors now have less power to fight COVID and other crises
USA Today
Some University of Wisconsin schools are requiring students and staff to wear masks indoors. Some Republican lawmakers have pushed to sue to stop that requirement, but so far legislative leaders have not filed litigation.
UW, WTCS announce credit transfer agreement
WISC-TV 3
Wisconsin students will have an easier time transferring, after the UW System and the Wisconsin Technical College System announced a new credit transfer agreement Wednesday. Starting Sept. 1, the two systems will identify 72 core general education credits for transfer by the 2022-23 academic year.
UW System enrollment drops 1% for fall semester, per initial estimates
WISC-TV 3
Freshman and new transfer registrations increased, however, by 1,316 students, or 4%, but it dropped by 3,305 students among other undergraduates, which is 4%.
UW System enrollment down 1% since 2020
WKOW-TV 27
“These preliminary estimates reflect a number of factors,” system president Tommy Thompson said. “It’s clear that students continue to view the UW System as a tremendous value and their ticket to a brighter future. New freshman and transfer students are up, thanks to our added recruitment tools coupled with the extraordinary work done by admissions and registrations staff.”
GOP lawmakers question UW professors on Critical Race Theory
WKOW-TV 27
Dr. Frank King Jr., the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at UW-Platteville, said critics had warped the definition of CRT, which is really a narrowly-defined study of how race influenced American law and how that relationship affects the present.
Enrollment at UW System schools drops 1%
Associated Press
Enrollment at University of Wisconsin System schools dropped 1% this fall compared with a year ago when it was down 2%, the university reported Wednesday based on preliminary figures. Enrollment was up 6% at the flagship Madison campus, an increase of 2,564 students over last year. But it was down at 10 of the 12 other four-year campuses. Only UW-Green Bay, which grew 3%, and UW-Superior, which was up 2%, had increases.
Republicans advance bill banning critical race theory in schools
Wisconsin State Journal
During an informational hearing Wednesday on critical race theory by the Senate Committee on Universities and Technical Colleges, lawmakers spoke with members of the University of Wisconsin System, along with Chris Rufo, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and director of the conservative think tank’s critical race theory initiative, and Max Eden, research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and former senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.
Back On Campus: Checking In On College Students
Wisconsin Public Radio
Wisconsin Public Radio’s higher education reporter joins us to discuss how the state’s colleges and their student populations are adjusting to another school year during the pandemic. We touch on in-person classes, COVID-19 vaccination rates, on-campus testing and more.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson was showing off for grandkids when injured waterskiing, says he has no plans to stop
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin’s longest-serving governor has been making plenty of headlines since taking on the job of interim president of the University of Wisconsin System.
Tommy Thompson on water skiing: ‘I know you think I’m nuts’
Associated Press
Tommy Thompson said people may think he was “nuts” for water skiing at age 79, but the interim University of Wisconsin president said Tuesday he got on the skis earlier this month to “give it the old college try” before summer ends.
All but 1 UW campus met goal to offer 75% of classes in person this fall
Wisconsin State Journal
All but one University of Wisconsin System campus met a goal set earlier this year to offer at least 75% of classes in person this fall, UW System officials announced Tuesday.
85% of UW System classes are in-person, exceeding goal
WKOW-TV 27
Despite COVID-19 cases increasing recently, the UW System has returned to pre-pandemic levels of in-person instruction for the fall semester, according to System President Tommy Thompson.
UW System returns to pre-pandemic levels of in-person classes
NBC-15
“Every student I talk to wants to be back in class, and that’s where they belong,” Thompson said. “There is so much enthusiasm on the campuses I’ve visited this fall. I thank the staff, faculty, and administrators for making that happen and meeting this goal while also prioritizing student and employee health and safety.”
Majority of UW System classes have returned to in-person this fall
WISC-TV 3
A total of 85 percent of classes across the UW System are being offered in-person this fall, smashing interim System President Tommy Thompson’s goal of 75 percent, officials announced Tuesday.
Opinion | Fredric March’s Misguided Antiracist ‘Reckoning’ at the University of Wisconsin
The New York Times
What is it about the University of Wisconsin and race? The administration’s recent decision to move a rock from view because a journalist referred to it with the N-word almost 100 years ago was goofy enough. But there has been more at the school in this vein.
Transitions: Mercyhurst U. Names New President; U. of Maryland-Baltimore County’s President to Step Down Next Year
Chronicle of Higher Ed
Kate VandenBosch, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, plans to step down at the end of this academic year.
Big Gifts for Wisconsin, Cornell
Inside Higher Ed
The University of Wisconsin at Madison announced a commitment of $175 million for the School of Computer, Data and Information Sciences. The gift was $125 million from alumni John and Tashia Morgridge, of which $50 million was in the form of a one-to-one matching grant.
What is the student vaccination rate at your UW System campus?
Wisconsin State Journal
Student vaccination rates at Wisconsin’s public universities range widely from 91% at UW-Madison to 38% at UW-Parkside, according to figures released Friday.
UW-Milwaukee, UW-Eau Claire hit 70% student vaccination rate, unlock scholarship lottery
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and UW-Milwaukee on Thursday became the second and third state campuses to reach a goal of having at least 70% of students vaccinated against COVID-19.
Interim University of Wisconsin President Tommy Thompson undergoes surgery after a water skiing accident
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin interim President Tommy Thompson underwent surgery Thursday morning following a water skiing accident, according to a post on his Facebook page.
UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson Recovering From Surgery For Torn Bicep
Wisconsin Public Radio
University of Wisconsin System interim President Tommy Thompson is recovering from surgery Thursday to repair a torn bicep. Thompson says the injury comes from a “little water skiing accident” last weekend.
Tommy Thompson, interim president of UW System, needs surgery after water-skiing accident
Wisconsin State Journal
Tommy Thompson, the interim president of the University of Wisconsin System, will be having surgery Thursday morning, he wrote on his Facebook page. Thompson, the former four-term Republican governor, said he had a “little water skiing accident” over the weekend and needs to have his bicep reattached to the tendon.
Edgewood College denies online teaching request for professor on autism spectrum
Wisconsin State Journal
Edgewood College denied an online teaching request from a professor on the autism spectrum who struggles with wearing a mask, saying that granting such an accommodation would be an “undue burden” on the school.
Tony Evers administration announces COVID-19 testing requirement for unvaccinated employees
Wisconsin State Journal
On Monday, the administration said about 70% of the more than 30,000 executive branch employees were at least partially vaccinated as of Friday. Executive branch employees don’t include the University of Wisconsin System or local school districts.
How Wisconsin is ruled by a shadow governor
POLITICO
Then-Gov. Tommy Thompson, a Republican, picked Vos to serve as a student representative on the University of Wisconsin’s board of trustees. Vos was also college roommates with Reince Priebus, who later became chair of the Republican National Committee and Trump’s first White House chief of staff. Priebus didn’t respond to inquiries about Vos.
What Higher Ed Can Learn From Hospitals
WSJ
The University of Wisconsin System and the University System of Georgia have consolidated some of their two- and four-year institutions in recent years. But consolidation is rare in higher ed. Given the rising cost of trying to be all things to all people, universities have to form centers of excellence via regional partnerships.
Time capsule, ‘Eyes of Texas’: News from around our 50 states
USA Today
State Sen. Steve Nass has officially asked the Legislature’s Republican leaders to sue the University of Wisconsin System after system officials refused to submit their COVID-19 protocols to his committee for approval.
Why Jim Jordan should avoid fights over what’s ‘un-American’
MSNBC
It didn’t generate nearly as much attention, but Jordan had a separate tweet yesterday featuring recent footage from a University of Wisconsin football game. The video showed celebrating fans, nearly all of whom were standing side by side without masks, packed into a stadium.
College football season is here. And so is the delta variant.
NBC News
At one such game, University of Wisconsin’s home opener against Penn State, no vaccination proof or negative test was required. Masks were required indoors but only “strongly encouraged” in outdoor spaces. More than 76,000 people attended. The Madison, Wisconsin, metro area, home to more than 660,000 people has seen a steady increase in cases since mid-July and a positive test rate of 3.4 percent, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County.
Nass asks GOP leaders to sue UW System over COVID policies
Associated Press
Sen. Steve Nass officially asked the Legislature’s Republican leaders Tuesday to sue the University of Wisconsin System after system officials refused to submit their COVID-19 protocols to his committee for approval.
UW-Whitewater offering extra incentives for students who get vaccinated
WISC-TV 3
UW-Whitewater is hoping to help students and community members capitalize on the extension of the $100 COVID vaccine gift card benefit.
State Senator asks legislative leaders to take UW System to court over COVID-19 pandemic regulations
WKOW-TV 27
State Senator Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) is requesting legislative leadership take legal action against the UW System for refusing to comply with rules regarding COVID-19 mandates.
UW System president Tommy Thompson encourages students to get COVID-19 vaccine
WKOW-TV 27
Interim UW System president Tommy Thompson visited UW-Oshkosh on Tuesday, where he thanked students for getting vaccinated for COVID-19 and encouraged the unvaccinated to get a shot.
Nass pushes lawsuit to settle who sets UW COVID-19 policy
NBC-15
On Tuesday, state Sen. Steve Nass (R-Whitewater) formally sent a letter to Senate Maj. Leader Devin LeMahieu and Speaker Robin Vos, asking them sue UW System to determine if university administrators need legislative approval to enact any COVID-19 restrictions.
Public colleges with the best return on investment
Stacker
#54. University of Wisconsin-Madison- 40-year NPV: $1,178,000- 10-year NPV: $125,000- Graduation rate: 86%- Median debt: $19,639
GOP divided over whether to push UW System on COVID rules, with Nass digging in and others siding with Thompson
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Republicans already appeared divided over how far to go in confronting the University of Wisconsin System — specifically former Governor Tommy Thompson — over setting its COVID-19 policies.
Nass urges legislature to sue UW System over COVID-19 policies
NBC-15
The University of Wisconsin System could soon face a lawsuit filed by the Wisconsin legislature over whether university administrators or an Assembly committee have the final say over mask and vaccine restrictions on the UW campuses.
Another Republican says don’t sue UW over COVID-19 policies
Associated Press
Sen. Robert Cowles issued a statement Thursday saying he wouldn’t support a legal challenge. He said tying the system’s hands isn’t in the best interests of local communities or businesses.
UW-Madison reports 90% of campus fully vaccinated even without vaccine mandate
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison reported on Thursday that nine out of every 10 members of the campus community are fully vaccinated — even without mandating students and employees to get the shot. “I’m proud of our students and employees for taking this important step to protect themselves and others,” Chancellor Rebecca Blank said in an announcement. “And I’m grateful to our staff, who worked tirelessly to achieve these results.”
UW-La Crosse becomes first campus in the state to reach a 70% vaccination rate
Spectrum News
Former Wisconsin governor, and national health secretary under President George W. Bush, Tommy Thompson is now at the helm of the UW System as interim president. Thompson recently kicked off a tour that will include stops at all the campuses this fall to urge students to get vaccinated.
Another Sign Of The Pandemic’s Effect On College Students: Fewer Transfers
Wisconsin Public Radio
Fewer students transferred between colleges over the 2020-2021 school year, and new data show that trends in who is transferring between colleges — and where they’re going — may be exacerbating existing inequity.
UW Board of Regents eye changes to chancellor search committees
Wisconsin State Journal
The UW Board of Regents may allow more campus community members to serve on chancellor search committees, potentially relaxing a rigid and controversial policy that faculty viewed as restricting their input on a critical task.
UW system: Nursing, pharmacy students eligible for tuition credit this fall
NBC-15
More than 1,000 nursing and pharmacy students took advantage of this opportunity during the 2020-21 academic year.
UW nursing, pharmacy students eligible for tuition credit for providing COVID-19 vaccinations
WISC-TV 3
he credit is provided by funding from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Prehn corresponded with Republican leadership about decision not to step down from Natural Resources Board, emails show
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The embattled chairman of the Natural Resources Board sought and received counsel from aides to Republican state Senate leadership on his decision to not vacate his seat at the end of his six-year term in May, emails show — contrary to claims he hadn’t.
Frederick Prehn solicited advice from and shared information with several people since May, according to documents obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, including Madison lobbyist Scott Meyer, U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany, and former University of Wisconsin Regent Gerald Whitburn.
Thompson should impose jab mandate — Roy Christianson
Wisconsin State Journal
Letter to the editor: Before people nominate UW System President Tommy Thompson for a “Profiles in Courage” award for his refusal to let the Legislature in effect run the UW System, let’s consider the following. If Thompson is correct that UW has the right to determine how to manage its own health policy (which I strongly suspect he is), he is simply doing his job by refusing to let legislators like Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, dictate whether mask or vaccine mandates can be used.
Stanford And MIT Top Washington Monthly’s 2021 College Rankings
Forbes
- Stanford University
- MIT
- Duke University
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
COVID-19 roundup: At Georgia, a professor quits midclass
Inside Higher Ed
Faculty members at the University of Wisconsin at Madison are questioning whether it is possible for anyone to get permission to teach online, The Wisconsin State Journal reported.
The pandemic made internships hypercompetitive
CNBC
At the height of the pandemic last year, half of all internship opportunities had been canceled, according to job site Glassdoor. The ones that weren’t canceled were mostly virtual and some were unpaid. By spring 2021, just 22% of students said they’d had an internship during the school year and only half of those said they were in-person, according to research from the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
UW’s Strategy on Delta Variant of COVID for Fall Classes
PBS Wisconsin
Video: UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank details the university’s plans to combat a likely increase in COVID cases on campus due to the highly-contagious delta variant with in-person classes starting September.
Republican Assembly Leader not interested in suing UW System for control of COVID policies on campus
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Assembly Majority Leader said Thursday he is not on board with suing the University of Wisconsin System over control of its COVID-19 policies, as one Republican senator has called on legislative leaders to do.
Tommy Thompson is right: Lawmakers shouldn’t micromanage UW’s response to COVID-19
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin needs more Tommy Thompson and less Steve Nass.
Thompson, the former Republican governor, put his foot down this week when a meddlesome group from his own party tried to tell him how to run the University of Wisconsin System.
Alverno joins the list of private colleges requiring COVID-19 vaccination on campus this fall
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Alverno College announced Thursday that all students, staff and faculty must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1.
Tommy Thompson calls for higher ed task force, likely won’t seek permanent UW presidency
The Capital Times
UW System interim President Tommy Thompson said Thursday he doesn’t plan to seek the job on a permanent basis, estimating about six months before he leaves the post.
GOP leader doesn’t support suing UW System over control of COVID-19 policies
Wisconsin State Journal
The second-highest ranking member of the state Assembly said Thursday he does not support suing the University of Wisconsin System to control campuses’ COVID-19 policies, an idea pitched by a fellow Republican earlier this week to legislative leaders.
Disappeared ducky, ramen rewards, Dorothy Parker: News from around our 50 states
USA Today
University of Wisconsin System President Tommy Thompson pushed back Tuesday against Republican lawmakers who claim campuses need their permission to implement COVID-19 policies.