UW System Clipsheet

April 15, 2009

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On Campus

"Madison Initiative gets it right," Column, Badger Herald, April 15.

...The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates will be funded through an increase in tuition, a premium that will be offset with private grants for those who can least afford to pay the increase. The stakes have never been higher for our great university... I would urge you reflect on the high-quality education you have already received as a UW-Madison student and the importance of preserving this standard for the future generations...(Author: Sheldon Lubar, former president, UW System Board of Regents)...

"Survey says Stout is community asset," Dunn County News, April 15.

How does the Menomonie community view UW-Stout? According to a recent survey, they view the university, for the most part, in a remarkably positive light. The survey was conducted late last fall by the institutional research unit of the University of Wisconsin-Stout Department of Budget, Planning and Analysis (BPA)...

"UW School of Medicine and Public Health to end program that trains lab techs," Wisconsin State Journal, April 14.

The UW School of Medicine and Public Health is ending its long-standing program that trains medical lab technologists, in cuts required by Gov. Jim Doyle’s proposed budget, university officials said Tuesday. The Clinical Laboratory Sciences program will train existing students until they finish the four-year undergraduate curriculum but will no longer enroll new students, said Dr. Robert Golden, medical school dean. The program, which started in 1925, has about 80 students...

"Show & tell: UW-L hosts college research event; 2,500 expected," La Crosse Tribune, April 15.

NCUR is coming to La Crosse, and it's generating a buzz among University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students and staff. No, it's not the latest rock band to hit the charts. NCUR stands for the National Conference on Undergraduate Research. It also will be the largest conference UW-L has ever hosted, drawing more than 2,500 faculty and students from about 300 colleges in more than 30 states, said Gubbi Sudhakaran, chairman of the UW-L physics department...

"Monday profile: Cary Heyer: His eyes are on the future as his UW-L job is eliminated," La Crosse Tribune, April 13.

Cary Heyer grew up poor in Austin, Minn., a major reason why he wants to help others through his work in La Crosse-area organizations...Since 2003, Heyer has been director of university relations at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, promoting and serving as a spokesman for the institution. Now, his life is about to take another turn. A month ago, Heyer learned his job will be eliminated effective July 1 because of spending cuts at UW-L...

"Campus experts outline sources of abuse in unhealthy relationships," Daily Cardinal, April 15.

Campus experts on sexual assault urged students to look for the roots of abuse in unhealthy relationships at a forum hosted by the Campus Women’s Center Tuesday. "There's this huge myth that we have to look out for the 'guy in the bushes,'" University Health Services Violence Prevention Specialist Carmen Hotvedt said. "It’s really the people we already know"...

"UW-EC official named Naval Academy dean, provost," Leader-Telegram, April 15.

The Naval Academy has named a UW-Eau Claire official as its academic dean and provost. Andrew Phillips will replace William Miller as dean and provost in July...Phillips is the associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies at UW-Eau Claire...

State

"Group says Wisconsin should 'green' its workforce," WKOW-TV, April 14.

A University of Wisconsin-based group released a report Tuesday stating that Wisconsin should strive to create environmentally friendly industries and jobs. The Center on Wisconsin Strategy's (COWS) report, "Greening Wisconsin's Workforce: Training, Recovery and the Clean Energy Economy," looks at how Wisconsin might best use its Recovery Act dollars and first-rate technical college system to ensure that the emerging green economy benefits Wisconsin's working families...

National

"Get a job, ditch your student loans," CNNMoney.com, April 15.

...Two-thirds of college graduates leave school nearly $20,000 in debt, according to the National Postsecondary Student Aid study. With mounting job losses and unemployment at a 25-year high, those considering changing careers and pursuing passions must weigh the risk of a pay cut. But now some students can reduce - or even wipe out their debt - just by following their calling. More liberal loan forgiveness programs are adding a financial incentive to working in traditionally low-paying fields...

"Matches and mismatches in producing Ph.D.'s," Inside Higher Ed, April 15.

In theory, these days, everyone agrees that attrition in Ph.D. programs is a real problem. Graduate students don't want to spend years in programs from which they will never graduate, and universities don't want to support those who won't complete their programs. Also in theory these days, most academics agree that it's crucial to expand the diversity of the Ph.D. pipeline so that the candidates for faculty positions represent a broader demographic than the current professoriate. Research presented Tuesday here at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association challenged higher education a bit on both of these supposed consensuses...

"Safe haven," Inside Higher Ed, April 15.

How's this for a scary job market? Things have gotten so bleak out there that Vanderbilt University is offering some of its graduating Ph.D. candidates a chance to buy extra time on campus. Vanderbilt's Peabody College, which houses education programs, will offer stipends and ongoing teaching opportunities to students who've completed their dissertations but can't find quality faculty positions...