Category: Opinion

University must continue investing in study abroad programs to improve cultural consciousness in student body.

Yet, under a new UW policy announced by system administrators last week, top UW officials will be barred from making public statements about what might broadly be imagined as controversial. The policy lists those officials as “the UW System president and vice presidents, the university chancellors, provosts, vice chancellors, deans, directors, department chairs and others who, when communicating in their official capacity, are likely to be perceived as speaking in the name of and on behalf of the institution or one of its units.”

Letter to the editor: As is common, the wealthy donors will have an important new building on campus named after a family member. There are winners in all this. But I urge families with significant resources to consider a different giving opportunity: affordable housing developments.

Lawmakers must move to support increased state funding for UW system schools, steady tuition, enable scholarships.

Expanded league will lead to new rivalries, stronger recruiting, higher revenues.

After a lack of communication from UW System officials, many communities and students face uncertainty and isolation with higher education after a myriad of branch campuses closed.

Column by Barry Burden, a political science professor and director of the Elections Research Center at UW-Madison.

Column by John Gross, a clinical associate professor of law at the UW-Madison Law School and director of the Public Defender Project.

If we run public higher education even more like a business that prioritizes efficiency over all other values, the outcome will be a disaster for a significant majority of students and the state.

We must not only hold landlords accountable but also examine the choices we are making. As students, we have the power to advocate for more sustainable, affordable living situations that meet our needs without sacrificing our financial stability.

Letter to the editor: Why on Earth would this not be supported? It benefits the schools and students. My siblings and my son went through this system. The difference between them was my siblings graduated without debt, while my son has debt. I’m especially disturbed reading that over 30 tenured faculty are slated to be laid off. Majors have been cut.

–Dessie Clark is the director of curriculum development and implementation for the University of Wisconsin at Madison Inclusion in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute. (Co-author)

The undersigned members of the Board of Visitors of the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies are writing concerning a Letter to the Editor of The Daily Cardinal from Jewish UW Faculty and Students published by the Cardinal on May 2, 2024 (“May 2nd Letter”).

Letter to the editor: The authors equated political contributions to ideology. They used a lot of modifiers, such as “stunningly,” “remarkable” and “breathtaking” for their findings — in the absence of basic information to justify them.

Faculty members seem to have an aversion to absolutes. In case conservatives have forgotten, that is precisely the purpose of an education. Open and vigorous debate, not affirmation of old ideas, is the point of a college education.

Column by Castronovo, the Tom Paine professor of English and director of the Center for the Humanities at UW-Madison.

Column by Owens, the George C. and Carmella P. Edwards professor of American politics at UW–Madison, and Tahk, associate professor of political science and the director of the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership at UW–Madison.

Letter to the editor: Looking back, this decision could have used more thought. The citizens of Richland County and the surrounding area deserve accountability that goes beneath the surface. So far, no one has borne responsibility for the demise of UW-Richland.

Column authored by Steven Wright, a clinical professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he directs the Constitutional Litigation, Appeals, and Sentencing Project.

UWPD spokesperson Marc Lovicott told me his department is “working through challenges” with the new law and hoping to receive guidance from the state’s Office of Open Government, part of the Department of Justice. “It’s a broadly worded law that’s really untested. We’re all trying to figure it out.”

Op-ed by John Gross, a clinical associate professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School and director of the Public Defender Project.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison has a primate problem. No, there aren’t primates running amok on the campus, but there are significant concerns about the ethics of animal research and the treatment of the campus’ over 1,500 primates.

Understanding the origin of Covid-19 is crucial for improving future pandemic responses. I strongly disagree with Dr. Alina Chan’s opinion piece. The overwhelming majority of scientific evidence points to a natural origin, like all pandemics in history.

Marta M. Gaglia
Madison, Wis.
The writer is an associate professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Badger alum John Stecher’s journey from the University of Wisconsin-Madison to the C-Suite of the largest Alternative Investment firm in the world is a lesson for all students: stay determined and embrace collaboration.

Guest column by Donald Downs, emeritus political science professor at UW-Madison.

Guest column by Anusha Talwalkar, a recent graduate of the master of public health program at UW Madison.