UW System Clipsheet
November 5, 2009
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On Campus
"Stick to the plan," Editorial, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Nov. 2.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is right to stick with its plan to develop a new engineering campus and research park on the Milwaukee County Grounds in Wauwatosa. The project is a cornerstone of Chancellor Carlos Santiago's efforts to boost university research and better align the school with the region's industrial base. UWM's emergence is not the only ingredient necessary for a heartier regional economy. More venture capital, the development of a deeper bench of entrepreneurs, closer collaboration between other research institutions, including Marquette University and the Medical College of Wisconsin, all come to mind. So does repairing the biggest job-training institution in the region - Milwaukee Public Schools. But as research has waned in corporate labs, universities increasingly are expected to pick up the slack. For the good of southeastern Wisconsin, this must happen at UWM...
"UW-Platteville, Case IH reach deal," Dubuque Telegraph Herald, Nov. 5.
After nearly six months of negotiations, the University of Wisconsin-Platteville finalized on Wednesday a partnership with Case IH Agriculture -- a leading agricultural equipment manufacturer based in Racine...The agreement means the UW-P's Pioneer Farm and students in UW-P School of Agriculture will have -- for a nominal fee -- access to the newest agricultural equipment...
"Ruling on asbestos report favors Stout," Leader-Telegram, Nov. 4.
The state Department of Commerce has rescinded a report ordering UW-Stout to correct 51 occupational safety and health violations identified in an investigation prompted by employee asbestos-related complaints...
"UW chancellor takes to tweeting," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 5.
...Why is the chief executive of one of the world's premier research universities on Twitter? Martin says she's still not really sure. "Twitter just seemed - to our communications staff and to the students - to be something that I should try. So, I try," Martin said...
"Campus Connection: UW-Madison creating plenty of 'buzz'," Capital Times, Nov. 4.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is among the top institutions in the country when it comes to public interest measured by media coverage, Internet traffic and social media mentions. That's according to Global Language Monitor's newest Predictive Qualities Indicator -- a survey which uses word analysis to measure media "buzz" based on a university's appearance in a range of media...
"Chancellor may exit UW System," Badger Herald, Nov. 5.
The chancellor of the University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extensions has been named a finalist for the position of president at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md., which could raise some concern about finding a replacement if he were to be offered the position and accept. The final stages of the search for president closely mirror that of UW-Stevens Point current search...
"College Notebook: It costs campuses to lose leaders," Blog, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 5.
With the possibility of two more openings for top administrators at state universities, local campuses had better squirrel away some money for search expenses. University of Wisconsin campuses at Stevens Point and Platteville already are seeking chancellors, and recruiting is under way for provosts at Whitewater and Parkside. That list could grow after news this week that Rita Cheng, provost at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and David Wilson, chancellor of UW Colleges and UW-Extension are finalists for posts elsewhere...
"UW-L instructor's poetry anthology focuses on hungry, homeless," La Crosse Tribune, Nov. 1.
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse instructor Patrick T. Randolph and his wife, Gamze, have published a book that's getting recognition by Amazon.com. Randolph, who teaches in the UW-L English as a Second Language Institute, and his wife have published an anthology of poetry: "Empty Shoes: Poems on the Hungry and the Homeless." On Oct. 19, it hit No. 4 on Amazon's new hot releases...
"Web site geared to college rentals," Leader-Telegram, Nov. 4.
...Now Stapper is involved in another enterprise, this one concerning property management companies nationwide. Stapper and UW-Stout student Andrew Tarcon, 22, launched Homejotter.com in July. Similar in format to Apartments.com, the Web site aims to help college students find off-campus housing near their schools...
"UW-Extension forum brings healthy foods to the table," Green Bay Press-Gazette, Nov. 5.
Making school a healthier place to eat was goal No. 1 of a Wednesday event that drew educators from across the area. The first-of-its-kind Food and Schools Forum at the Brown County University of Wisconsin-Extension served as a dialogue and information clearinghouse for like-minded people concerned about eating right...
"Parkside to start taking grant applications," Journal Times, Nov. 4.
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside plans to start taking applications next month for $1 million in federal grants to help promote economic recovery for low-income workers. Money from the Strengthening Communities Fund will be distributed to nonprofit agencies in Racine and Kenosha counties...
"Chancellor reigns supreme," Fourth Estate, Nov. 5.
Last week marked an important moment in history as Thomas K. Harden was inaugurated at the Weidner Center Oct. 30 as UW-Green Bay's the fifth chancellor. Harden actually assumed his duties as chancellor on June 1...The week included a carnival in the University Union Oct. 28 in which Harden and his wife Cathy attended..."I think it was a great way for students to meet the new chancellor and see what he's all about," said junior business administration major Becky Hintz. "He's done a great job meeting and connecting to all the students"...
"New UW-Stout hall sustains $100,000 in water damage," WKOW-TV, Nov. 4.
The new $43 million science wing at UW-Stout was supposed to offer students a number of new classrooms and labs. One thing not in the blueprints - a pool. But that's what the Jarvis Hall Science wing got after the same valve malfunctioned twice last month. More than 13,000 gallons of water leaked. That led to about $100,000 in damage...
State
"Obama: Make education 'America's national mission'," Wisconsin State Journal, Nov. 5.
On the anniversary of last year's historic election, President Barack Obama on Wednesday told an audience of more than 600 at Madison's Wright Middle School that he wanted to use more than $4 billion in federal incentives to "make education America's national mission" ...Stressing in his 31-minute speech that the "currency of today's economy is knowledge," Obama said states must adopt high standards for student achievement, hold teachers accountable and even be prepared to step in and take over failing schools to win competitive federal grants...
"Obama focuses on education in Madison," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 4.
After a year in office primarily spent trying to rescue the economy, President Barack Obama went back to school on the anniversary of his election Wednesday, telling America that states must now focus on reforming education to ensure a strong economic future...Obama praised Wisconsin for the work it's done so far on education, but he did not weigh in on the most hot-button local school and political issues: Gov. Jim Doyle's proposal for mayoral governance of Milwaukee Public Schools, and whether Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will run for governor...
"Campus Connection: Enrollment figures solid at state's private colleges," Capital Times, Nov. 5.
With the economy in the tank and the number of yearly state high school graduates in decline, it's no secret that many college leaders were concerned about their enrollment numbers this fall. But preliminary figures are looking solid for the state's private institutions. Rolf Wegenke, president of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities -- 20 private, nonprofit institutions of higher learning in the state -- said estimated enrollment at his colleges is up about 1 percent, to 59,963, from a year ago. That figure marks the largest collective enrollment in the history of WAICU...
"Obama pushes importance of education reform," Badger Herald, Nov. 5.
President Barack Obama highlighted the importance of making America’s education system more competitive on a global scale as he spoke to a crowd of children, local officials, parents and others at a south-side middle school Wednesday...In particular, Obama talked about the Race to the Top program, which offers $4 billion in stimulus grants to competing states that show progress in improving education...
"Supreme Court dismisses case," Badger Herald, Nov. 5.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court decided not to hear a case involving the constitutionality of domestic partnership benefits this week. According to court documents, the justices reviewed the case this week and decided the case should be tried in lower courts instead of directly by the Supreme Court...
"Obama calls for reforms in education," Daily Cardinal, Nov. 5.
A year to the day after the historic 2008 presidential election, President Barack Obama spoke to teachers and students at a Madison middle school about the federal Race to the Top program and the importance of improving education standards...
National
"Assessing the assessments," Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 5.
When the country's two major associations of public universities were trying to craft a new accountability system three years ago, they found that many of their member institutions (and especially their faculties) were deadset against the idea of choosing one measure of student learning outcomes. "Their reaction was, we don't want a single test along the lines of No Child Left Behind -- we want multiple tests from which to choose," said David Shulenburger, vice president for academic affairs at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities, which designed the Voluntary System of Accountability along with its partner, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. In response, the groups settled on three possible options that institutions could use to fulfill the "student learning outcomes" portion of the VSA (the Council for Aid to Education's Collegiate Learning Assessment, the Educational Testing Service's Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress, and ACT, Inc.'s Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency), thereby avoiding the single test problem...On Tuesday, the groups released a federally funded analysis of a "test validity study" conducted by the makers of the three tests showing that the three tests produced comparable outcomes at the institutional level, based on having been administered at a diverse range of 13 institutions, big and small, public and private. In other words, a college that ranked in the 95th percentile for critical thinking using one of the tests would rank in roughly the same place using the critical thinking component of one of the other two tests, and vice versa...
"Obama offers schools money for initiatives support," Associated Press, Nov. 5.
Pushing for a link between student test scores and teacher pay, President Barack Obama on Wednesday dangled $5 billion in federal grants to states willing to undertake a top-to-bottom overhaul of their schools in support of the White House's priorities...
"Colleges can reap educational gains by steering more aid to the needy, studies suggest," Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 4.
Receiving financial aid appears to have a significant positive impact on the educational performance of college students from low-income families, but many higher-education institutions are bending to pressure to give aid to other students who do not necessarily need it, according to research scheduled to be discussed here this week at the annual conference of the Association for the Study of Higher Education...
"Personal and professional factors affect researchers' productivity, study finds," Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 4.
Why do some professors pile up articles in refereed journals or present their research at conferences more than their colleagues do? According to a new study, faculty members' gender, their marital status, and whether they have dependent children are among the factors that make a difference. A professor's discipline and where he or she works affects research productivity, too...