Monday, February 1, 2016 - The Daily Cardinal

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Monday, February 1, 2016

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Faculty criticize proposed tenure policy By Madeline Heim THE DAILY CARDINAL

At a special meeting Friday, the UW-Madison University Committee and several faculty members reviewed documents on tenure policy set to appear before the Board of Regents next week. The policy comes as one result of Gov. Scott Walker’s 2016-’17 budget bill, which included measures to remove tenure from Wisconsin state law. The Tenure Policy Task Force, consisting of administration and faculty from across the UW System, sought to identify important elements of tenure to be included in Regent tenure policy. Critics of the proposed policy worry, however, that it will not fully protect against faculty removal and contract-breaking layoffs. University Committee Chair Elizabeth Meyerand asked those present for feedback on specific flaws in the document to be put together in a letter of response. She said the committee was looking to send “the strongest message that we possibly can.” The letter ultimately released

NICK MONFELI/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Several UW-Madison faculty members called for a strong response to a proposed policy on tenure, saying it does not do enough to protect tenured professors on campus from contract-breaking layoffs. will include details specific to UW-Madison, but David Vanness, an associate professor and president of UW-Madison’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, said he believes other

system schools should be planning similar statements. Meyerand stressed that the tone of the letter be as factual as possible and not include any “emotional” language, but others called

for a stronger statement. One faculty member said after 100 years of tradition and policy being changed, releasing a polite statement would not represent how they really feel. Another urged for

the letter to describe a “loss,” and to convey that UW-Madison is a “lesser university” today than before the removal of from state statutes. Faculty members also expressed concern about program discontinuance as a result of Walker’s workforce-oriented plan, calling his focus on the workforce in higher education “shortsighted” and saying this direction would not “produce new economies.” UW-Madison professor Michael Bell contrasted the governor’s emphasis on job training with Einstein’s theory of relativity. “[The theory] runs our entire world economy,” Bell said. “And at the time he did it, who would have thought that was useful for workforce development?” Vanness said the proposed policy included “telling language” that could be used to restructure system schools as more vocational institutions. “If the Regents really do, at least a majority of them, want to reshape the university system in a new direction to reflect this ‘new Wisconsin Idea’ of training the workforce,” Vanness said. “We’ll look foolish if we don’t say something.”

College affordability, sexual assault bills clear committees By Ningyuan Ma and Andrew Bahl THE DAILY CARDINAL

BETSY OSTERBERGER/CARDINAL FILE PHOTO

Gov. Scott Walker unveiled the package of college affordability bills earlier at his State of the State address in January.

A package of college affordability bills proposed by legislative Republicans passed an Assembly committee Thursday, despite all five Democrats on the committee voting against them. The bills, unveiled by Gov. Scott Walker in his State of the State address, would provide a tax break for some borrowers paying back their student loans, expand funding for technical college students’ financial aid, help connect students with internships, fund emergency financial aid covering unexpected expens-

es and require colleges provide financial literacy training. Republicans say about 32,000 people will benefit from the tax proposal, which eliminates the $2,500 deduction cap borrowers can claim for their student loan interest. In addition, 500 technical college students are expected to become beneficiaries of the increased funding for need-based grants every year. Democrats proposed numerous amendments to the bills, which were struck down on party line votes. State Rep. Dana Wachs, D-Eau Claire, said the Republican bills did not go far enough to address the student

debt problem, which is why no member of his caucus voted for the measures. “Student loan debt is holding back our economy, and our proposals to invest in our students and schools—while lowering monthly payments for borrowers—will boost the middle class and small businesses by putting more money into the pockets of hardworking Wisconsinites,” Wachs said in a press release. He also touted a Democratic proposal authored by state Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, and state Sen. Dave Hansen, D-Green Bay,

bills page 3

Residence hall sexual assault reported to campus security authority A sexual assault allegedly occurred between Jan. 22 and Jan. 24 in a UW-Madison residence hall. The victim reported being at the Red Shed bar and talking to an unidentified man. She took two sips of a drink before she began to feel “dizzy, hazy, and uncomfortable,” according to a UW-Madison crime warning. The unknown man walked her

home, where she passed out. She reported that she woke up as she was being sexually assaulted. UWPD learned about the reported sexual assault on Friday but, as the alleged crime was not disclosed to any law enforcement agency, no criminal investigations are ongoing. “She chose to tell another person who happens to be a campus secu-

rity authority,” said UWPD Public Information Officer Marc Lovicott. “By obligation, by law, that campus security authority does have to file a report with the University to disclose this information.” The victim reported the sexual assault to campus security authority Friday, a day after a bill unanimously passed an Assembly committee that would eliminate

underage drinking tickets for victims and witnesses of sexual assaults. UWPD has had the Responsible Actions Guidelines for five years, which already enforces on campus what the bill is proposing. Lovicott hopes the bill will remove the barrier of underage drinking for sexual assault victims choosing to report the crime.

“The bill that is going to the Legislature right now we think and we hope will remove one barrier of individuals deciding not to come forward,” Lovicott said. “There are many reasons why someone might decide not to report. And this could be one of them that this bill addresses.” —Peter Coutu and Miller Jozwiak

“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”


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