Faculty and staff at UW-Madison put together a new website and app to help people navigate through COVID-19.
New website and app to help navigate COVID-19 pandemic
NBC-15
Category: Top Stories
UW-Madison Announces Furloughs To Address $100M Shortfall Caused By COVID-19 Pandemic
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has announced campus-wide furloughs for faculty, and academic and university staff to help address a $100 million budget deficit caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UW-Madison announces furlough plan; UWM says more than 230 will take 4-month unpaid leave
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
State campuses in Milwaukee and Madison unveiled more information on their plans to furlough employees this week, with the aim of mitigating the mounting financial fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.
UW furloughs employees, expects to save about $30 million
The Capital Times
University of Wisconsin-Madison faculty and staff will be taking three to six unpaid furlough days over the next six months, which Chancellor Rebecca Blank said Wednesday will save the university up to $30 million.
UW-Madison orders furloughs for most employees as COVID-19 keeps campus mostly closed
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison is ordering most of its employees to take varying amounts of unpaid time off over the next six months and university leaders will take a 15% pay cut over that same time as COVID-19 costs grow and the campus remains mostly closed.
UW-Madison names Karl Martin UW Extension director
Wisconsin State Journal
Karl Martin, who has served as interim dean and director of Extension since June 2018, will lead the division, which has more than 700 faculty and staff located in 72 county offices.
Wisconsin colleges weigh how to reopen campuses in fall amid COVID-19 uncertainty
Wisconsin State Journal
“There may be some things we simply cannot do in the fall,” UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank said Monday to the University Committee, a small group of professors representing faculty members on campus. “It is quite possible that 80,000 people cannot gather in Camp Randall.”
American Academy of Arts and Sciences adds six UW faculty members
Badger Herald
Election of six faculty members in a year is a record for university
Forced off campus because of COVID-19, UW-Madison students re-create college life online
Wisconsin State Journal
No Frisbee-flying on Bascom Hill. No sunset-watching on the Terrace. No bar-hopping on the weekends.
In live stream, Blank and Gard talk about navigating unprecedented disruptions at UW
The Capital Times
In the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chancellor Rebecca Blank’s biggest priority was making sure UW-Madison finished its spring semester. As the university works to make that happen, Blank said it is taking the opportunity to tackle immediate concerns — including $100 million in losses — but also prioritize campus safety and prevention moving forward.
UW System Administration announces 1-day-per-month furloughs through June 2021
Wisconsin State Journal
Chancellors of UW campuses, where the bulk of the System’s 39,000 employees work, are making their own decisions on whether to furlough employees. UW-Milwaukee became the first to say it will “most likely” impose a campus-wide furlough for its roughly 3,700 employees. UW-Madison, which is bracing for the largest loss among the campuses with an estimated $100 million shortfall, expects to announce details by the end of the month.
UW Board of Regents to take up furlough policies as COVID-19 pandemic costs grow
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin System may consider furloughing some of its 39,000 employees as financial losses related to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic mount and uncertainty looms over when campuses can return to normal operations.
Wisconsin women’s basketball standout Tamara Moore named men’s coach at junior college in Minnesota
Wisconsin State Journal
The only female coach of a men’s collegiate basketball program has her name all over the University of Wisconsin record books.
UW campuses emptied by COVID-19 anticipate a minimum $170 million loss this semester
Wisconsin State Journal
The University of Wisconsin System forecasts a $170 million financial hit for the spring semester alone, an estimate that will likely grow as campuses grapple with the broader economic fallout associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Four corners of an empty campus: How UW communities are adjusting to college life during COVID-19
The Capital Times
As with any college, the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s campus functions like a miniature society. Home to a quarter of Madison’s population, it is governed by an intricate network of administrators and generations of tradition, a city within a city.
As coronavirus losses mount, UW campuses ask state for emergency relief money
Wisconsin State Journal
Skyrocketing unemployment, expected declines in tax revenue and other economic problems associated with the coronavirus crisis could spell trouble for Wisconsin’s public universities, which rely on state money to stay afloat.
President Cross updates Board of Regents on COVID-19 emergency, ‘significant financial cost’
The Capital Times
The University of Wisconsin System is continuing to monitor and recoup financial losses from the COVID-19 pandemic, which President Ray Cross said Thursday are only just beginning but already “significantly greater than anything I’ve seen in my 42 years of higher education.”
FluGen, UW-Madison researchers developing COVID-19 vaccine
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison researchers and the vaccine companies FluGen and Bharat Biotech are developing and testing a vaccine against COVID-19 called CoroFlu, they announced Thursday.
UW announces new COVID-19 vaccine research, $1.5 million in grants
Badger Herald
Researchers say vaccine could be ready for human trials by fall 2020.
UW-Madison student recovering from ‘dehumanizing’ COVID-19 sounds alarm to young adults
Wisconsin State Journal
Amy Shircel and three friends traveled to Portugal early last month in search of sun, sand and scenery. Coronavirus cut the trip short, and within days of returning to her Madison apartment, Shircel felt fatigued. She had a mild cough, but didn’t think much of it.
Arrest made in double homicide of UW doctor and her husband in Madison
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Police in Madison have made an arrest in the double homicide of a University of Wisconsin doctor and her husband.
UW-Madison virologists and vaccine companies collaborating on COVID-19 vaccine
WKOW-TV 27
A collaboration between virologists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and vaccine companies FluGen and Bharat Biotech has begun developing and testing a unique vaccine against COVID-19 called CoroFlu.
Two UW virologists team up with biotech companies on coronavirus vaccine
NBC-15
The product is described as a nasal spray that would repurpose a regular flu vaccine candidate, M2SR, by inserting gene sequences from the coronavirus strain that leads to COVID-19 into the influenza virus it already uses, according to a statement from the University of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin Universities Adjusting Admissions Process Amid Coronavirus
Wisconsin Public Radio
University of Wisconsin-Madison Director of Admissions and Recruitment André Phillips said so far the number of prospective students confirming admission offers is close to where they were in 2019.
Madison, Milwaukee Open Voluntary Coronavirus Isolation Centers
Wisconsin Public Radio
The isolation centers will be run by the State Emergency Operations Center. One center is at Lowell Hall on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The other is a Super 8 hotel in Milwaukee near the airport.
Some Wisconsin Colleges Allow Students To Forego Grades Due To Coronavirus Upheaval
Wisconsin Public Radio
On Thursday, University of Wisconsin-Madison Provost Karl Scholz announced the campus would offer a special pass/fail grading option for students. Students will have until May 22 — after they’ve received traditional grades in their classes — to decide if they would rather get a less specific passing or failing mark.
UW-Madison will be a clinical trial site for a coronavirus treatment that uses plasma from recovered patients
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
What began two weeks ago with a pair of scientists urging the use of plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients to rescue the sick has blown up into a national movement.
UW-Madison braces for estimated $100 million loss because of COVID-19 pandemic
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison anticipates a $100 million loss because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has thrown its campus into chaos as dorms are emptied, classes moved online and students told to stay away.
UW-Madison tells students who traveled over spring break to self-quarantine
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison is telling students who traveled over spring break to quarantine themselves for two weeks, whether or not they have symptoms of the COVID-19 coronavirus.
UW implements pass/fail policy for spring semester courses
The Capital Times
University of Wisconsin-Madison students will now have the option to finish their spring semester courses pass/fail, according to an email from Provost Karl Scholz on Thursday.
UW-Madison offers students option to receive pass-fail grades this semester amid COVID-19 pandemic
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison students can skip the letter grades this semester, one of several recently announced measures by the university to offer flexibility during the pandemic.
UW responds to racist incidents, COVID-19 pandemic through Zoom town hall
The Capital Times
Over 400 people tuned into a virtual town hall Thursday to hear University of Wisconsin-Madison administrators discuss responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, most notably a recent rise in hate and racist incidents.
Engineers Made a DIY Face Shield. Now, It’s Helping Doctors
WIRED
Early last week, Lennon Rodgers, director of the Engineering Design Innovation Lab at University of Wisconsin-Madison, got an urgent email from the university’s hospital. Could his lab make 1,000 face shields to protect staff testing and treating Covid-19 patients? The hospital’s usual suppliers were out of stock, due to the spike in demand prompted by the coronavirus pandemic.
UW-Madison postpones in-person commencement amid coronavirus pandemic
Wisconsin State Journal
The university announced Monday that the springtime graduation ceremonies at Camp Randall and the Kohl Center will be postponed to sometime later this year. Officials are working with senior class officers on a “virtual commencement” to be held May 8, the day before the in-person event was scheduled to occur for most students.
UW-Madison, Platteville postpone spring commencement
NBC-15
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has postponed its Spring commencement ceremony at Camp Randall and the Kohl Center, UW announced Monday. Graduation celebrations for schools, colleges, departments, and campus organizations will not happen in May either.
UW-Madison cancels May commencement, plans virtual ceremony
WKOW-TV 27
UW-Madison will not hold in-person commencement ceremonies May 8 and 9, instead offering a virtual ceremony with plans to hold an in-person event at a later date.
UW-Madison postpones 2020 spring commencement
WISC-TV 3
“Of all the decisions we’ve had to make in this extraordinary time, this one has been the most heartbreaking for me,” Blank said. “There is no better event at UW than commencement when we award degrees and celebrate the completion of school for our graduates.”
Spring commencement postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic
Badger Herald
Virtual ceremony will be posted May 8 to celebrate class of 2020, Blank said in statement.
Spread of COVID-19 prompts UW-Madison to postpone spring commencement
Daily Cardinal
“Commencement is the best event of the year at UW, and I am deeply sorry about this decision,” Blank said in the video. “For the class of 2020, this is a painful loss. You should have a chance to celebrate with your teachers, friends and family, and that will not happen this May.”
So long, lecture halls: UW-Madison professors shift to online classes amid COVID-19 crisis
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison’s biggest educational experiment begins Monday.
UW researchers study COVID-19 coronavirus to try to develop treatments, vaccines
Wisconsin State Journal
In his UW-Madison lab, Adel Talaat developed an experimental vaccine to protect chickens from coronavirus. When the pandemic of a different strain arose in people late last year, Talaat used his technique to create a vaccine candidate for humans.
‘We were lucky. They were not.’: Wisconsinites are stuck in Peru and waiting for answers
The Capital Times
It was less than a week since University of Wisconsin-Madison senior Baileigh Remy had flown into Lima, Peru, for a study abroad semester, and, under normal circumstances, she would have been settling into her new home.
UW students who vacated dorms mid-semester amid COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic will receive refund
Wisconsin State Journal
University of Wisconsin students who paid for meal plans and residence hall rooms only to leave halfway through the semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic will receive refunds, according to a UW System announcement.
UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay move spring semester online, graduation plans to come
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank announced Tuesday that the campus will stay online for the rest of the spring semester, including finals.
UW-Madison moves all classes online for rest of semester
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison announced Tuesday that instruction and exams would remain online through the end of the spring semester, another aggressive step by Wisconsin’s largest university to stem the spread of COVID-19.
‘It feels so final’: UW extends online coursework through spring, announces leave policy
The Capital Times
As University of Wisconsin-Madison students left town for spring break last week, they expected to be gone for a bit longer than usual to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But on Tuesday, they were forced to quickly come to terms with a new announcement: there will be no more in-person instruction this spring.
State lab stays open over weekend, ramps up testing for COVID-19 coronavirus
Wisconsin State Journal
With hundreds of coronavirus test specimens now coming in daily to UW-Madison’s Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, the lab stayed open over the weekend and has more than tripled its capacity.
Growing List Of Private Universities Move Classes Online To Prevent Spread Of New Coronavirus
Wisconsin Public Radio
The move comes the day after several University of Wisconsin System schools made changes to how they operate to slow the spread of COVID-19, and the same day Gov. Tony Evers declared a public health emergency in response to the virus.
UW students scramble as COVID-19 coronavirus empties dorms, shifts classes online
Wisconsin State Journal
Red carts rolled in and out of residence halls. Students stuck without suitcases lugged trash bags of belongings out to cars. Desk receptionists collected students’ keys, a requirement in the move-out process.
COVID-19 response: How UW-Madison will make switch from in-person classes to ‘alternate delivery’
WISC-TV 3
At a press conference Wednesday, Chancellor Rebecca Blank said students will still need to keep up with their classwork. UW leaders are working with schools and professors to move class materials, lectures and discussions online when possible. Blank said independent study is another option.
UW Campuses Making Changes To Operations Due To COVID-19 Concerns
Wisconsin Public Radio
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is canceling in-person classes after spring break from Monday, March 23 until at least Friday, April 10. The university is also asking students to stay home, if possible, and not return to campus until at least April 10.
Wisconsin colleges cancel in-person classes, drop events, send students home, extend spring break
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Multiple Wisconsin universities on Wednesday took dramatic steps to ward off or curb the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, everything from moving courses online to canceling university-sponsored travel and events to extending spring break.
UW-Madison moving to online instruction amid COVID-19 coronavirus uncertainty
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison will suspend in-person classes for at least three weeks, an unprecedented action by Wisconsin’s largest university taken to slow the spread of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Students shift to online coursework after UW suspends study abroad programs
The Capital Times
With study abroad programs suspended amid coronavirus fears, University of Wisconsin-Madison students are returning to the United States. And while they’re able to complete coursework online, they remain surprised and disappointed to have their experiences cut short.
UW researchers tackle big questions as coronavirus threat grows, study abroad students sent home
The Capital Times
For UW-Madison professors Thomas Friedrich and David O’Connor, some of the biggest questions are how the virus made its way to humans in the first place, why it causes more severe illness than some other coronaviruses and how long it persists in the body.
UW-Madison opens 2nd investigation into professor at center of ‘toxic’ engineering lab
Wisconsin State Journal
UW-Madison has opened a second investigation into the professor at the center of a “toxic” engineering lab who was previously disciplined after the suicide of a graduate student.
U.S. now allowing Wisconsin hygiene lab, Milwaukee Health Department to do their own coronavirus testing
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Wisconsin is now conducting its own tests for the new coronavirus, but the state has yet to see its second case. As of Monday, 18 people in the state have tested negative and test results for two people remain pending.
The testing will be done at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus and at the Milwaukee Health Department, health officials said. Test samples previously were sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
UW-Madison prepares for possibility of COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, dusts off pandemic plan
Wisconsin State Journal
Officials are dusting off a “campus pandemic plan” put together 10 years ago when the H1N1 virus became a worldwide concern, she said. The plan is being reviewed and updated to prepare for the possibility of coronavirus spreading to campus.
Wisconsin ‘Weather Guy’ and longtime prof to lead UW-Madison research enterprise
Wisconsin State Journal
Chancellor Rebecca Blank named Steve Ackerman the next vice chancellor for research and graduate education, one of a handful of high-profile positions that report directly to Blank. The job entails overseeing $1.2 billion in annual research spending and thousands of graduate students.
18 months into UW merger, small, rural campuses still struggling to find students
Wisconsin State Journal
The UW System’s 12 other branch campuses face a similar storm of challenges: rising costs, repeated budget cuts and a tuition freeze for 12 of the past 14 years.