Education
UW-Madison releases plan for on campus fall classes
The University of Wisconsin-Madison released its “Smart Restart” plan for welcoming students back to campus for the Fall 2020 semester. The plan involves adjustments to on-campus housing and dining, in-person classes and a change to the academic calendar as the school attempts to bring students back for the first time since the university went virtual […]
Defunding school police
After the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, calls for defunding the police have grown across the nation. School Resource Officers (SROs) are being examined across the country as well. Is it time to get police out of our schools? Some urban Wisconsin school districts are considering ending their relationships with […]
House Democrats call for more federal aid for public education
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats called Monday for more federal aid for education as the nation’s schools prepare to reopen this fall. “Unless the federal government provides immediate relief, it won’t be a matter of whether education funding will be cut, but how deep the cuts will be,” said U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, chair of the […]
‘Planned happenstance’: College students make summer plans under extreme circumstances
Years from now, when today’s college students are entering the workforce, interviewers will likely ask about what they did during the tumultuous summer of 2020. Students who were sent home from campuses in March and watched as their internships were canceled and the job market collapsed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will probably need to […]
Evers rejects UW System’s proposed sexual harassment and assault law changes
On Monday, Gov. Tony Evers rejected the first step in UW System President Ray Cross’ proposal to alter state law under the new Title IX federal regulations laid out by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos in early May. Implementing such changes to sexual misconduct laws requires the University of Wisconsin System to go through […]
Finalist for UW System President withdraws from search
The only finalist in the search for the University of Wisconsin System’s next president, Jim Johnsen, withdrew from consideration Friday. Johnsen, president of the University of Alaska system, was named as the finalist earlier this month after a long and controversial search process. After he was announced as the only finalist, Johnsen immediately faced criticism […]
Wisconsin private universities estimate $245 million in COVID-19 related losses
Wisconsin’s private colleges and universities estimate a combined loss of $245 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data from the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU). Suspended room and board payments, the impact on fundraising and the cost of reconfiguring classes led to an estimated $81 million loss for the spring […]
Frank Lloyd Wright’s school will survive — but not at Taliesin
Declared dead after 88 years in January, Frank Lloyd Wright’s School of Architecture at Taliesin will continue after all — although at a new home and under a new name. Organizers intend to continue splitting the school year between Arizona and Wisconsin. While the school reversed its January decision to close at the beginning of […]
The school superintendent merry-go-round
In March, the Madison Metropolitan School District was all set to welcome its new superintendent, Matthew Gutierrez. Then COVID-19 hit; Gutierrez withdrew his name from consideration stating he could not abandon his current Texas school district during the pandemic. That left Madison where it remains now, considering next steps in its search. David Botz was […]
UW Regents address presidential search, COVID-19 blueprint in meeting
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents discussed two of its most controversial issues in a meeting Thursday — System President Ray Cross’ proposed “Blueprint” to survive after the COVID-19 pandemic and the search process for Cross’ replacement. The two issues have become intertwined and the actions of System leadership on both has been […]
UW system president asks for special session to address financial issues, academic calendar due to COVID-19
UW System President Ray Cross sent state leaders a letter asking them to convene a special session of the Legislature to address challenges the System is facing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As campuses moved to online education in the spring semester, schools were hit with added financial burdens. Now System leaders are working to […]
Evers puts his mark on the UW System Board of Regents
During a May meeting of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, two of the three regents appointed by former Gov. Scott Walker whose terms had expired May 1 participated in the meeting and voted, leading to criticism of Gov. Tony Evers for not having named their replacements. Today Evers made three appointments he […]