Quoted: Some researchers theorize that we can benefit from interacting with this better, shinier self. “Yes, we filter and lie by omission on Facebook,” said University of Wisconsin-Madison professor Catalina Toma. “But we tell the truth, too. A person can’t say they just got engaged if they didn’t just get engaged.” Toma’s research has found that when people spend five minutes viewing their own Facebook profile, their feelings of self-worth are boosted. Like an Oprah-endorsed gratitude journal, Facebook’s pristine rendering of our past can remind us of what’s good in our lives.
Category: Opinion
Invest in undergraduate research
While the state’s doctoral universities are the main sources of research activities, the 11 comprehensive campuses also are churning out ideas – including some that display commercial and company creation potential.
UWMC needs support to maintain role as affordable pathway to bachelor’s degrees
Our Wausau campus provides an affordable pathway to degrees at other universities throughout the UW System. Almost 60 percent of the students attending UWMC are the first in their families to attend college.
Cardinal View: UW-Madison gradually improving quantity of locally sourced food
UW is making incremental improvements to locally source its food, a continued move in a positive direction.
Greg Summers: The once and future regional public university
Summers is provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point.
Column: UW’s impressive voter turnout reflects insurgence of student activism
Students must stay engaged, energized to continue recently galvanized movement of political activism.
Column: Drugs, alcohol should not be go-to solution in fight against mental illness
Medication may not always be perfect solution, but luckily, UW provides many alternate resources.
Is a Modern Chinese Navy a Threat to the United States?
Indeed, if war were to break out among the major powers today, don’t discount the possibility that it might come from a naval clash over Chinese bases in the South China Sea rather than a missile strike against North Korea or a Russian cyber attack.
Alfred W. McCoy is the J.R.W. Smail Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
We are lucky to have UW hospital staff — Barbara La Follette
The residents of Wisconsin are so fortunate to have the quality of care and level of expertise of the UW medical staff available at our door step.
Cardinal view: Accessibility on campus is a vital issue
While UW has made great strides in fostering an atmosphere of accessibility, there is still room for improvement when making sure that all students are given the right to an equal chance at success.
It’s time to re-examine diversity and inclusion programs to make real progress
The stakes are high. Surveys of Black and Latino students as well as non-white faculty reveal the impact of such broad regimes of whiteness. One need only consider recent climate studies at universities such as the University of Michigan, Northwestern, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to see the impact of stymied efforts at limiting the reign of whiteness in the academy. While things have changed to a considerable degree these studies reveal many of the very same concerns that animated a previous generation.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained: How to create a new entrepreneurial spirit in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Idea — the concept that the knowledge and innovations from the university reach to the borders of our state and beyond — highlights the pre-eminent role that our university system plays in creating a better quality of life for citizens.
Google and Genentech show how university research could pay off for Wisconsin
Thomas Edison relied on a simple philosophy to guide research that led to world-changing inventions such as the first practical light bulb, the motion picture camera and an early version of the phonograph.
Who’s going to win the Amazon hustle?
“He is one of those executives who wants to be remembered as being on the right side of history,” said Thomas O’Guinn, a marketing professor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison School of Business. “Part of the quid pro quo is there will be none of this stupid gender bathroom stuff. They are going to demand that the city do everything it can to fight voter suppression. They are going to demand high attention paid to meaningful spending on the environment and more efficient greenhouse reductions.”
Column: Student body must remain united in order to effectively fight against injustice on campus
History has shown effective movements are result of unified student body.
Better, but not good enough: Women still are few and far between on corporate boards
Noted: Yaron Nili is an assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
STEM is identity politics at its worst — Gregory A. Moses
Letter to the editor by Gregory A. Moses, professor emeritus, UW-Madison Department of Engineering Physics.
Chancellor Bernie L. Patterson: UW-Stevens Point will still teach the humanities
“The report of my death was an exaggeration.” I’m reminded of this quote from Mark Twain (New York Journal, 1897) as responses come to UW-Stevens Point’s proposal to discontinue some majors.
All students need the humanities — Darcy Becker
I would like everyone to know that students majoring in accounting cannot become successful in any career (including accounting) unless they also study the humanities in college. Without English, history, psychology and all of the other fields, students won’t develop as thinkers, communicators and worthwhile citizens.
Letter: Here’s why segregated fees are the worst
Fees unfairly force students to pay for amenities they may not use, such as UHS, gym.
Letter: Bigs in Blue mentoring program bridges gaps between community, law enforcement
This innovative program mutally benefits both sides, builds positive relationships.
University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point tries to segregate higher education into the haves and have-nots
University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point: Here’s the takeaway: If you are a working-class student, a first-generation college student, someone without the means to get you to a private college or to a public research university, then you should be channeled into job training.
Tom Still: Wisconsin shouldn’t ignore liberal arts
What’s missing in the UW-Stevens Point conversation, which has attracted notice nationwide, is an honest assessment of what employers expect from college graduates they hire. Do they want an emphasis on STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math — or a liberal arts background that may be more adaptable?
Letter: Business school does not adequately value input from students
Business School Interim Dean Gerhart invited student leaders, including the Undergraduate Business Council President, the ASM Business School Council Representative, and myself to a follow up meeting regarding a student advisory committee. Our voices were not respected in this meeting.
Campus budget-cutting is more science than art
Stevens Point leaders figure focusing on high-demand courses of study, ones with clear career paths, will put them back in the black. New degrees would be created in fields where the university already has a national reputation.
The University of Wisconsin’s Thompson Center gives conservatism a voice on campus
In an era where truly unbelievable poll results are released every week, one result stands as one of the most surprising. In a Pew Research poll released in July of last year, 58% of Republicans said they believed American universities actually have a negative impact on the U.S. As recently as 2010, only 32% of Republicans thought colleges did more harm than good — but that number has spiked sharply since 2015.
Letter: UHS’s online mental health training patronizes mentally ill students
Ultimately, the course feels like an interactive parody of a very special episode of Dawson’s Creek.
Losing access to weather data means the next storm could be a lot more deadly
A set of new satellites will capture and send, with unprecedented timeliness, weather data and imagery that meteorologists, emergency managers, government agencies, universities, and companies use to minimize the role of the weather on transportation and commerce, ensure planes land safely, and protect Americans from severe weather. But this satellite data relay is in serious risk.
Letter: UW Stevens Point’s overhaul of curriculum designed to keep students, not drive them away
With elimination of 13 major programs, expansion of 16 others, Wisconsin university put in unique position of criticism.
Bill Berry: Walker and Legislature have bled UW System dry
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, founded 123 years ago and the pride of this community, has been taking heat in recent days for unveiling a proposal to scale back its majors in some areas while increasing emphasis in others. In particular, attention has focused on the proposal’s impact on humanities programs like English, history and political science.
Tom Still: In Wisconsin’s quest to produce more workers and startups, don’t forget liberal arts
What’s missing in the UW-Stevens Point conversation, which has attracted notice nationwide, is an honest assessment of what employers expect from college graduates they hire. Do they want an emphasis on STEM disciplines – science, technology, engineering and math — or a liberal arts background that may be more adaptable?
Petra Dai and Rep. Chris Taylor: UW-Madison should implement sexual assault reporting system
As the #MeToo movement and stories of high profile perpetrators of sexual assault fill our Facebook and Twitter pages, we must ask ourselves why reports of sexual assault on college campuses have been, and continue to be, so low.
The ‘Wisconsin Idea’ Is More Important Than Ever In Higher Education
In a nutshell, the Wisconsin Idea, having emanated from the Madison campus, provides “a learning environment in which faculty, staff and students can discover, examine critically, preserve and transmit the knowledge, wisdom and values that will help ensure the survival of this and future generations and improve the quality of life for all. The university seeks to help students to develop an understanding and appreciation for the complex cultural and physical worlds in which they live and to realize their highest potential of intellectual, physical and human development.”
University remains committed to promoting inclusion across spectrums
We’d like to thank the students who attended the forum Monday night to hear the results of University of Wisconsin’s first-ever campus-wide climate survey. It’s important we use the survey results to continue to improve campus climate.
Letter: Sex Out Loud is needed on campus and worth the small segregated fee
Sex Out Loud is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, meaning two decades of providing free safer sex supplies, education and striving to create safer spaces for all 40,000 Badgers.
Letter: Potential students should be aware of the meal plan
University Housing made this decision without consent or discussion from the student body.
Letter: UW can’t keep imploring students to take action if they aren’t ready to listen
Requesting more student input on university decisions feels hypocritical in light of recent administrative action.
Chancellor: Humanities will continue under proposed changes at UW-Stevens Point
We remain committed to ensuring every student who graduates from UW-Stevens Point is thoroughly grounded in the liberal arts, as well as prepared for a successful career path.
Guest Post: Jon Loomis on the Changing Idea in Wisconsin Higher Ed
What of the founding mission of Wisconsin’s regional comprehensives, which, we once believed, was to bring actual, high quality, liberal-arts-based higher education to every corner of the state, from Wisconsin’s industrial south, to the great Northwoods, to the shores of Lake Superior, at bargain-basement rates—roughly the same kinds of educational opportunities enjoyed by the elite moneyed classes at Ivy League schools and the big R1s, albeit with fewer amenities.
Column: UW, industry partnerships yield better solutions
Businesses need the new discoveries generated in university labs, and university scientists need the practical perspectives from the marketplace to inspire and inform their research. Strong partnerships drive innovation.
Campus murder column was sensationalist — Stuart Seaborne
What is the State Journal thinking? Last Sunday’s column “Killers on Campus,” by Michael Arntfield, was an inflammatory piece clearly intended to promote the author’s book “Mad City” by making dubious correlations between student protesters and mass murderers.
Letter: UW surgeon’s history of sexual misconduct reprehensible, but accepting responsibility crucial first step
Steps towards self improvement, mending one’s wrongs exemplify necessary societal pattern.
Family Harmony of the Musical Kind
Noted: “They took him to the hospital in the country town in Wisconsin where we grew up, where he was evaluated and then raced to the University of Wisconsin’s state of the art hospital in Madison.”
Most major outlets have used Russian tweets as sources for partisan opinion: study
In a new study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we look at how often, and in what context, Twitter accounts from the Internet Research Agency—a St. Petersburg-based organization directed by individuals with close ties to Vladimir Putin, and subject to Mueller’s scrutiny—successfully made their way from social media into respected journalistic media.
WISC Editorial: Remove barriers, anti-poverty policies
The participation of UW researchers among a group of U.S. social scientists who have come up with a number of innovative anti-poverty policy proposals is a welcome addition to this work.
Letter: Stress relief during midterms season must be better prioritized for UW students
Big exams are difficult no matter when they take place, should prompt change in mental health approach.
Letter: UW erases radical history of International Women’s Day
By celebrating women in seats of power, UW disregards large proportions of Wisconsin women.
Paying college athletes after NCAA scandal at Louisville? We already pay college athletes
For all the words we columnists burn making arguments, the best ones are often won with a swift verbal punch.
Stu Levitan: Don’t blame Vietnam war protesters for campus killings
In his column on Sunday, “Killers on campus,” Michael Arntfield tries to tie a series of unsolved murders of young women at UW-Madison to the student protests against the war in Vietnam. His thesis — that three serial killers were able to operate because “the white noise of activism and political agitation … obfuscate(d) their presence” is reprehensible and ludicrous.
How Universities Make Cities Great
When thinking about how to revive economically lagging regions, especially in the Rust Belt, I often talk about the importance of universities. Big, high-quality research universities have been essential for creating technology clusters in Austin, Raleigh and San Diego. But even small colleges in rural areas can have big benefits for the surrounding area.
Column: College students must forge personal political ideals, rather than perpetuating parents’ beliefs
Through variety of student organizations at UW, students must take time to explore, refine political beliefs.
Column: Data finds optional diversity training successful in its second year, so why keep it optional?
Our Wisconsin provides vital identity education, needed now more than ever on harsh campus climate.
Brooke Bowser: Learn about coal problems at CLEAN event at UW-Madison March 9
Letter to the editor: CLEAN — Campus Leaders for Environmental Action Now — is a coalition of students dedicated to committing UW-Madison to 100 percent clean energy (solar and wind power) by the year 2030.
Hora: What’s Wrong With Required Internships? Plenty
In early 2017, Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin introduced the idea of requiring an internship or “hands-on work experience” to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the 26-campus University of Wisconsin system. This was an unsurprising development for many of us in Wisconsin. For the past several years, the governor has championed the view that a “skills gap” was stifling the state’s economy, primarily because, he has said, the higher-education system was out of touch with the needs of the business community.
Wakanda Forever
Column by Gloria Ladson-Billings: Unlike its predecessors, “Black Panther” is decidedly black — not just a “white” superhero in blackface. No, “Black Panther” is decidedly political, cultural, spiritual, and racial. It asks its audience to think about the world we created and the world we want to live in.
Walker is failing to attract millennials
Wisconsin may be open for business, but young people are taking theirs elsewhere.
Column: UW’s stance on high school walkouts admirable, but hypocritical toward current students
Right to protest should not be infringed upon once prospective student gets to campus.
Column: Protesting, activism are worth the risk in standing up for rights
Some people are hesitant to participate in student protests because they are afraid of what others will think of them, but the truth is that every movement matters, no matter how small the issue may seem.
Column: SuccessWorks reaffirms intrinsic value of liberal arts education
Pursuing a degree in L&S should not be something that seems like a risk for incoming students.
Tommy G. Thompson and Michael Sussman: Let’s re-energize the Wisconsin Idea
We need to make innovation a priority. The scientist’s job is to winnow and sift, without any trepidation, revealing scientific truths and teasing the secrets out of nature.