Like students across the state, I was shocked by the Board of Regents’ new policy attacking free speech on University of Wisconsin System campuses.
Category: Opinion
There is less to implicit bias than we might think
IAT tests unreliable, produce random answers about test-takers.
Why Wisconsin Needs to Reinvest in UWM
After 60 years of hard work and dedication, UW-Milwaukee has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as one of America’s top-tier research universities. This “R-1” ranking goes to only 2% of all U.S. universities and is awarded for excellence in faculty research and graduate programs and the accomplishments of its alumni. Milwaukee and Wisconsin have been honored in national publications for building and supporting such an outstanding academic institution.
Editorial: Herman Goldstein, excellence in criminology
MADISON, Wis. – Madison has long been home to one of the world’s preeminent experts and thinkers on criminology including –- of particular relevance today — Problem Oriented Policing.
Rona Lukazewski: Follow UW faculty’s lead on climate change
Dear Editor: Kudos to the University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty members for unanimously passing a resolution to become carbon neutral by 2050 or sooner!
UWGB chancellor: Reshaping higher education in northeastern Wisconsin
This week, the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents approved a sweeping reorganization of public regional higher education in Wisconsin.
McCoy: Into The Afghan Abyss (Again)
After nine months of confusion, chaos, and cascading tweets, Donald Trump’s White House has finally made one thing crystal clear: the U.S. is staying in Afghanistan to fight and ? so they insist ? win. “The killers need to know they have nowhere to hide, that no place is beyond the reach of American might,” said the president in August, trumpeting his virtual declaration of war on the Taliban. Overturning Barack Obama’s planned (and stalled) drawdown in Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced that the Pentagon would send 4,000 more soldiers to fight there, bringing American troop strength to nearly 15,000.
Editorial: Is there a right drinking age?
It’s hard to make the case for lowering Wisconsin’s drinking age the same week as University of Wisconsin researchers release a study with new evidence of the causal effect of alcohol on a range of cancers.
Bus rapid transit right for Madison — Natalie Spievack
As a student at UW-Madison who relies on public transportation to get around, I applaud Madison’s bold, forward-thinking proposal to spend $2 million on evaluating a bus rapid transit system (BRT).
Madison really needs a bus depot — Bob Skloot
It’s a disgrace that intercity passengers must wait for their transportation on a congested Downtown street corner next to the UW’s Memorial Library.
Tom Loftus: Trust the Wisconsin Idea while contemplating UW merger
Letter to the editor from former member of the UW Board of Regents and speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly.
Cross: We must revamp the UW Colleges and Extension
I recently announced a proposal to join the UW Colleges with our four-year comprehensive and research institutions, as well as move University of Wisconsin-Extension divisions to UW-Madison and UW System administration. The Board of Regents will consider the proposal this week and will vote on whether we can proceed with planning.
Editorial: Creating meaningful change
As many are undoubtedly aware, it is annual campaign time for some of our most important nonprofits, especially umbrella organizations such as United Way and Community Shares. That includes the State, University and UW Health Employees Combined Campaign of Dane County to whom we give a special shoutout today.
Downs: Will free speech prevail on campus?
Alarm over the state of free speech and academic freedom on American campuses is nothing new under the collegiate sun. But it has reached fever pitch in the past few years.
Burden: Trump’s base wants to hold on to the past at all costs
President Trump may have lost the popular vote last November, but his campaign was clearly onto something powerful. The Elections Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently commissioned a national survey to find out what it was.
UW-Superior courses cut because students are incapable of good decisions
The gales of November sweep across the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus with especial brutality this year. But Lake Superior isn’t the culprit. The school administration is.
Barry: Badgers deserve more respect
I’m the first to admit that I’m biased. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1987 and bleed Badger red. I spent five years typing the play-by-play for the Badgers’ home football games while working for the Sports Information Department.
Editorial: Change of climate needed on UW-Madison campus
MADISON, Wis. – A 70 percent approval rating is usually pretty good. That’s roughly the percentage of students on the UW-Madison campus who say they feel welcome and respected — and thus safe — on campus.
Letter to the editor: Peaceful protests should not result in expulsion
This bill sets a dangerous national precedent for all public universities.
Torinius: How CROWE Can Help State Economy
Even though the Wisconsin unemployment rate is very low, its economic growth rate is stuck in low gear. How to improve on that long-term pattern?
Agriculture can indeed fix our food system — if we reimagine it
A recent article by Tamar Haspel argues that the local and organic food movement can’t fix our food system. If this movement were solely focused on “buy fresh, buy local” at farmers markets and upscale restaurants, we would agree. However, bigger changes are underway for sustainable agriculture. Farmers and others in the sustainable food movement pursue a broader vision of change in agriculture.
UW System proposal could cause ‘irreparable damage’ to UW Colleges
I am writing regarding the re-organization of the UW Colleges that is under consideration by the UW System Administration and scheduled to be acted upon by the UW Board of Regents at its November meeting.
Chancellor: Students remain priority in merger of two-year colleges with UW-Stevens Point
While much remains unknown, we do know this: Our top priority throughout the transition will be what is best for our students. Regardless of campus location, we will prepare our students to be successful in the careers that await them. We will educate them to succeed professionally and personally, to be leaders in the workplace and their community.
UW System proposal could cause ‘irreparable damage’ to UW Colleges
Column by Bill Messner, former chancellor of the UW Colleges from 1997-2004.
Cassandra Phillips: Look at UW merger with critical eye
Dear Editor: Regarding the UW System merger, I urge citizens to turn a critical eye toward UW System President Ray Cross’ objectives when it comes to higher ed in Wisconsin.
Dow riot ‘horrible, deplorable, stupid’ — State Journal editorial from 50 years ago
The administration of the University of Wisconsin has made a welcome decision. It will run the University of Wisconsin. The students will not run it.
Editorial: Rushing to merge UW campuses is antithetical to Wisconsin Idea
The University of Wisconsin System is a jewel — one of the great networks of institutions of higher education in the United States. It should be cherished. That does not mean that it cannot change, but it does mean that changes should be undertaken with care.
Chad Alan Goldberg: To protect freedom of expression, hold UW management accountable
Earlier this month, the UW System Board of Regents approved a new policy to protect academic freedom and freedom of expression on campus. The policy requires suspension for a student who is twice found responsible and expulsion for a student who is thrice found responsible for disrupting freedom of expression.
Randy Jackson: Agriculture can indeed fix our food system — if we reimagine it
A recent article by Tamar Haspel argues that the local and organic food movement can’t fix our food system. If this movement were solely focused on “buy fresh, buy local” at farmers markets and upscale restaurants, we would agree. However, bigger changes are underway for sustainable agriculture. Farmers and others in the sustainable food movement pursue a broader vision of change in agriculture.
Editorial: UW-Madison’s protest rules dangerous to speech
Controversy arose last semester when conservative speaker Ben Shapiro came to campus. Many students were not welcoming toward Shapiro’s lecture series, “Dismantling Safe Spaces: Facts Don’t Care About Your Feelings.” Students and staff planned a protest, but the event continued as planned, was well-attended and went on without disruption.
Mary Conroy: Oppose bill that hamstrings UW Med School
Letter to the editor: I oppose the misguided bill that would prohibit employees of the UW Medical School or University of Wisconsin System from performing or assisting with abortions within the scope of their employment.
Cartoon was violent, not funny — Gail Price
I found the cartoon of Bucky Badger on the front page of Saturday’s paper to be horrifying, not funny. It depicted UW-Madison’s mascot in his Bucky Wagon driving over a Maryland terrapin.
Thompson, Elaine Teisberg
Elaine worked … as a librarian for the U.W. Center System Library and the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory.
Replace studious Bucky Badger statue — John Newman
Send the nerdy “well red” Bucky statue to one of the sub-basements in the Memorial Library, and replace it with a totem we members of the Badgers clan can worship with pride.
Ryan Owens: Tommy G. Thompson Center will search for common ground
Our mission at the Thompson Center, on the UW-Madison campus, is to understand public leadership and apply leadership to contemporary problems. We will provide an environment to study, discuss and improve leadership objectively and professionally.
Tom Still: UW-Madison’s thousands of lost engineering students are a lost opportunity
The main barrier to taking more is a lack of faculty to educate more students without diminishing the quality of the experience for all. Private gifts help, but the core funding for faculty hires comes from state government support and student tuition. Neither source has grown much for years.
Letter: Despite opposition, Muslim Student Association fully deserves funding
MSA clearly demonstrates commitment to focusing on core programs, expanding campus presence.
Defeating Scott Walker is the key to saving the UW
Recently, the University of Wisconsin System regents met and passed some astoundingly awful resolutions. First, they radically changed the process by which campus chancellors and other top-level positions are selected.
Toriunus: UW System Reorganization a Bold Plan
Falling enrollments at the 13 UW Colleges and mission confusion at UW Extension propelled UW President Ray Cross to embark on a reorganization of those two cornerstones of the UW System (UWS).
The importance of institutional support of animal research
Noted: Advanced preparation and swift, accurate responses are essential. But the best way to prevent these attacks is through proactive public campaigns that illustrate the value of the research the institution conducts. The University of Wisconsin Madison is a leading example of institutional openness on animal research and preparedness to respond to animal-rights extremists. Eric Sandgren, former director of its Research Animals Resources Center, has established the Common Ground on Animal Research Initiative within the university and the surrounding community. The program’s goals are “creating more comprehensive, accurate and open communication about animal research” and improving research animal well-being. The initiative aims to provide communication models that accurately represent the challenges and benefits of animal research.
Slogan change isn’t a ‘Wisconsin idea’ — Thomas Bartell
Kurt Bauer, the head of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, recently proposed replacing the slogan “America’s Dairyland” on state license plates with something more appropriate. That’s an idea right up there with the governor’s attempt to remove “The Wisconsin Idea” from the mission statement of the University of Wisconsin System.
Should a Racist Grade Your Papers? Students Discover White Supremacists Teaching at Their Universities
Whenever I see Ku Klux Klan rallies or skinheads marching, instead of hate, I am always filled with a sense of curiosity. What do white supremacists do when they’re not white-supremacy-ing? There’s only so much time one can fill denying holocausts and soaking crosses in kerosene for nighttime activities.
Colleges shouldn’t punish student protesters
This month, during a meeting at the University of Wisconsin Stout in Menomonie, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents adopted a systemwide policy that punishes student activists exercising their constitutionally protected right to protest. Specifically, the board adopted language that states students will be suspended if found to have twice engaged in violence or other disorderly conduct — neither of which have been clearly defined — that disrupts the free speech of other people. Students will be expelled if found to have done so three times.
When Conservatives Suppress Campus Speech
I only remember a little of what I learned during my first days as a University of Wisconsin-Madison freshman in the late 1990s. The vegetarian chili sold in the student union’s bar tasted of beans and sawdust. The most important unwritten rule required freshmen to take blurry Polaroid pictures of ourselves seated atop the lap of the Abraham Lincoln statue at 2 a.m. And if we wanted to protest anything, we could.
Bill Berry: UW merger could turn out to be a good thing
Recent travels took me to the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County in Wausau, where local bright-eyed first- and second-year students were busy preparing for the future.
UW students try to improve the world — Peter Haney
After reading Chris Rickert’s recent column, “50 years later, UW activists look inward,” I wondered what he would be saying about the Dow Chemical protests if they had happened yesterday. Would he be cheering or sniggering from the sidelines that kids today just don’t get it? We’ll leave that for the alternate historians, but Rickert is dead wrong about student protest.
James W. Perry: Thoroughly vet UW merger plan
There are far too many unanswered questions for Regents’ approval in November and implementation in July 2018. Given the business background of the Regents, it would be astounding for them to approve this major change without having fiscal projections and understanding the consequences.
Students deserve to be punished for shouting down campus speakers, but don’t go overboard
We don’t agree with Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions on much, but he was right when he warned last month that on college campuses “protesters are now routinely shutting down speeches and debates across the country in an effort to silence voices that insufficiently conform with their views.” And he was right to call for a “national recommitment to free speech on campus.”
Why The iPhone X Branding Might Damage Total iPhone Sales
Noted: This article is by Robin J. Tanner, associate professor of marketing at the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.
Mills: UW’s ham-handed effort to regulate speech
What kinds of free speech should be protected? Do some people, or some ideas, get more protection than others? How inviolable is our right to protest speech that we find offensive, or potentially an incitement to violence?
Tony Evers: One is the loneliest number
They always say that one is the loneliest number. As state superintendent for Wisconsin’s public schools and one of only two non-Scott Walker appointments on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents, I know it all too well. 16-1.
Our Views: A merger for U-Rock’s 50th birthday
UW-Rock County turned 50 years old this year, though news of a proposed merger with UW-Whitewater dampened the celebration Wednesday.
Scott McDonell and Sharon Corrigan: Dane County study shows voter ID law should be temporarily suspended
Dane County has recently been criticized for funding a study with UW-Madison that looked at the specific effects of the new photo ID law on voting patterns in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Apparently, some believe it is inappropriate to study this issue at the local level.
Chris Rickert: Alleged racist student leaves UW-Madison with few good options
If you’ve thought about expending brain power to untangle the case of the UW-Madison grad student who may or may not be a racist and the UW-Madison grad student who exposed him, beware that it’s quite the rabbit hole.
Sterling Hall bombing ended war protests — Richard Shropshire
After the Sterling Hall bombing, the war protests on the UW campus came to halt.
Free speech: More listening, less shouting
The hope is the policy change will curb the shout-downs and disruption of speakers — typically conservative or otherwise controversial speakers — whose messages are opposed by other student groups on state campuses.
Editorial: UW regents’ assault on free speech is indefensible
Unfortunately, the current UW Board of Regents — with the notable exception of state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers — no longer recognizes this essential premise of the University of Wisconsin. They have made clear their abandonment of a commitment to sifting and winnowing, and the Wisconsin Idea that extends from it, by voting to restrict First Amendment rights on UW campuses.
Mary Carbine: Come check out Alumni Park
While the Wisconsin Alumni Association built the park, it’s those who visit who make the park come alive.
Chris Rickert: 50 years after Dow, UW-Madison activists look inward
When the 1960s are caricatured as a sex-, drugs- and rock-n-roll-fueled free-for-all, the 50th anniversary of the Dow Chemical protests at UW-Madison serve as a reminder that college students are capable of caring about international injustices and believing they can influence what their government does about them.
Joseph Ohler, Jr.: College ‘wage penalty’ extends beyond student loans
The Cap Times recently carried a well-written feature about student loan debt’s deleterious hold on the lives of not-so-recent college graduates.