UW System Clipsheet

"UW-Whitewater faces $5 million in budget reductions," Royal Purple, April 8.

Budget cuts facing the University of Wisconsin System under Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal will force UW-Whitewater to reduce its budget by $5 million for 2009-10. The UW System faces a $174 million budget cut during the next two years. "We've identified a set of principles that we're trying to use to make sure we are keeping our priorities straight," Chancellor Richard Telfer said. "We are working on ways we can address the issue while causing as few problems as possible."...

"UW-Whitewater awarded $60,000 grant," Royal Purple, April 8.

A $60,000 science grant will allow UW-Whitewater students to study over the next three summers the effect of personal care products and over-the-counter drugs on water quality. UW-Whitewater is one of only 14 institutions nationwide to receive funding from the Merck Institute for Science Education and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The university will provide money for the study, too, providing lab supplies and a small stipend for three professors over the summer months...

"UW-L gearing up to host national research conference," Racquet, April 8.

In a few weeks the city of La Crosse will become an academic mecca as more than 2,500 student scholars and faculty journey to UW-L for the 23rd National Conference on Undergraduate Research April 16 - 18. The annual NCUR conference showcases the research done by undergraduate students in all fields of study from biology to sociology. Students will give oral presentations, participate in poster sessions, present original artwork, and give a performance in dance, music and theater...

"Medical fees at UW-L," Racquet, April 8.

With our economy's current financial crisis and UW-L's budget crunch, many students want to know where their tuition is going and if they are being treated fairly. The university requires each student to pay a segregated fee towards the Student Health Center each semester. According to the Cashier's Office website, a segregated fee describes charges in addition to "instructional fees that are assessed to all students for services, programs, and facilities that support the primary mission of the university." However, these fees sometimes function more like a tax as the Apportionment Committee rather than the students have control over how they are distributed...

"Students to vote on smoke-free campus," WEAU 13, April 7.

A campus-wide smoking ban referendum is part of the Stout Student Association's spring election, and it’s getting mixed reviews...

"Stout smoking vote," WAYY 790, April 7.

There's another election going on today. Students at U.W. Stout in Menomonie are being asked if they favor a campus-wide smoking ban...

"Inhalers with GPS may track asthma triggers," MSNBC, April 7.

Where asthma strikes, medical inhalers follow. Which got one disease detective thinking: Could asthma triggers be tracked via GPS technology? Enterprising epidemiologist David Van Sickle at the University of Wisconsin-Madison decided to find out. He recruited four asthmatic undergraduates to carry around inhalers outfitted to relay location data when they were being used, via the Global Positioning System satellite network...

"Biddy's initiative ignores ideological objections," Column, Badger Herald, April 8.

The University of Wisconsin ’s Undergraduate Initiative seeks to add a tuition surcharge on students from higher-income families to improve the quality and value of undergraduate education and put greater emphasis on need-based financial aid. Chancellor Biddy Martin has encouraged comments and dialogue with students and the community. In fact, there’s an entire website dedicated to the initiative and an online forum where students are encouraged to share their thoughts and vote on the issues that matter most to them.Topping the list by a margin of 3-to-1 is the issue of penalizing students whose parents make over $80,000 a year...

"Students give their opinions on proposed tuition increase," Badger Herald, April 8.

After Biddy Martin gives her perspective on why the Madison Initiative for Undergraduates is necessary, UW students sound off on whether the proposal is right at this point in time...

"Urban digs for University Research Park," Capital Times, April 8.

Madison has long dreamed of a leafy "Central Park" in the blighted industrial corridor between East Washington Avenue and Williamson Street. Ambitious plans there have included water features, gardens, market space and walking paths..."We'd been looking for an urban site and one day I was driving by and saw the sign and the light bulb kind of came on," says Mark Bugher, director of the nonprofit research park which partners with the University of Wisconsin-Madison...

"University of Wisconsin-Madison based program tries to improve drug treatment," Wisconsin State Journal, April 8.

...A national program, based at UW-Madison, is trying to change that by bringing process improvements to drug treatment. The Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment, or NIATx, attempts to get addicts into treatment quicker and retain more of them by making the programs more appealing...

"Wisconsin Alumni Association helping Badgers during economic crisis," Blog, Capital Times, April 7.

Are you a Badger without a job? Perhaps the Wisconsin Alumni Association can help. WAA put together a Web page titled Employment Essentials for Today's Economy, which is designed to help graduates of UW-Madison weather the economic storm. This site features tools for both job seekers and those employers looking to hire graduates of UW-Madison...

"Bring the Olympic torch to Madison," Editorial, Wisconsin State Journal, April 8.

Dear International Olympic Committee members: We hope you have enjoyed your visit to Chicago, which would make a spectacular site for the 2016 summer games. Please give the Windy City high consideration. And please know that Illinois' neighbors to the north are very supportive and anxious to lend a hand. As Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle stressed during testimony before your site selection commission on Monday in Chicago, Wisconsin is thrilled by the chance to serve as the cycling hub for the 2016 games...

"'Tuning' college degrees," Inside Higher Ed, April 8.

In a major new effort to assure rigor and relevance for college degrees at various levels, three states are today formally launching a project aimed at “tuning” academic programs in six fields of study. “Tuning,” borrowed from Europe’s Bologna Process, involves research and surveys of faculty members, students and employers, and consultation with business and government leaders, to determine exactly what a degree in a given field stands for in terms of students’ learning and competencies...

"Europe's higher-education restructuring holds lessons for U.S., report says," Chronicle of Higher Education, April 8.

The American higher-education establishment is beginning to take notice of the Bologna Process, the decade-long effort to harmonize degree cycles and university systems across Europe, and this newfound interest comes not a moment too soon, says Clifford Adelman, of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, in a new report released today... (paid subscription required)

"The board role in college sports," Inside Higher Ed, April 8.

...The statement AGB released Tuesday updates and expands documents from 2004 and 2007 that sought to help boards figure out what they should and, importantly, should not do in overseeing sports programs on their campuses...

"Diversifying Middle America," Inside Higher Ed, April 8.

“Diversity” was the stated theme at this week’s meeting of the Am Full story not available online.

"Weak community college budgets," Inside Higher Ed, April 8.

Community college budgets were in a weakened state even before the full impact of the economic downturn hit. That’s the conclusion of the 2008 survey of the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges...

"Asian-Americans give U. of California an unexpected fight over admissions policy," Chronicle of Higher Education, April 8.

...With the new policy, the Board of Regents hopes to widen the applicant pool and give campuses more flexibility in selecting students. But Asian-Americans bitterly oppose it, believing they'll lose out. One university analysis supports their view, suggesting the Asian-American share of students would decline under the new system... (paid subscription required)

"Updates on billion-dollar campaigns at 32 universities," Chronicle of Higher Education, April 8.

The 32 American universities that are seeking to raise at least $1-billion collected a total of $326.9-million in gifts and pledges during the last month for which they had data available... (paid subscription required)

"More colleges ask donors to pay pledges early," Chronicle of Higher Education, April 8.

Cornell University’s request to one of its top donors, Sanford I. Weill, to pay his $250-million pledge early — and at a reduced rate — may be a tactic more nonprofit organizations could use to raise much-needed cash in this recession... (paid subscription required)

"Senator calls for credit card reforms," Wisconsin Radio Network, April 8.

An estimated 80-percent of college graduates leave school with an average credit card debt of about $3,000. U.S. Senator Herb Kohl (D-WI) says much of that debt is the result of predatory lenders taking advantage of uniformed students...

Listen: http://www.wrn.com/po...9/creditva040709.mp3

"US Sen. Kohl warns of credit card dangers," Associated Press, April 8.

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl warned college students Tuesday to be wary of credit card marketing ploys involving free T-shirts, blankets and food, saying they can lead to mountains of debt...