University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Weekend, February 5-8, 2015
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Walker’s proposed budget bill mangled the Wisconsin Idea By Laura Grulke THE DAILY CARDINAL
Following an unexpected change to the Wisconsin Idea in Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget bill, the governor backpedaled in a statement Wednesday saying a drafting error led to several sentences being cut. Famous for putting heavy emphasis on research and bringing education outside the classroom, the Wisconsin Idea was portrayed in Walker’s budget bill as the mission to “meet the state’s workforce needs.” This re-write, which accompanied the hollowed basis for UW-Madison’s historical goals for education, caught the state by surprise. The proposed system mission— to develop human resources to support Wisconsin’s workforce— was the only proposed addition to the Wisconsin Idea. The bill subtracted much of the rest of the mis-
sion, including the system’s basic search for truth and dedication to undergraduate education. Following several statements by politicians and UW officials stating the Wisconsin Idea will continue to be a part of the university, Walker issued a statement denying the intent to erase the Idea from the bill. “The Wisconsin Idea will continue to thrive,” Walker said in the statement. “This was a drafting error. The final version of the budget will include the Wisconsin Idea.” UW System President Ray Cross asserted the Idea’s survival in a statement before Walker announced the mistake, declaring that he did not plan to abandon the University’s fundamental mission. “The Wisconsin Idea is embedded in our DNA,” Cross said in the statement. “It is so much more than words on a page.”
He later thanked the governor for ensuring the preservation of key language from statutes, citing Walker’s “commitment to the Wisconsin Idea.” Allison Nelson, a junior studying early childhood education at UW-Madison, said she was concerned by the initial changes simply because they were what she described as random and unnecessary. “Why would you do that after 111 years, when it’s worked so well and has been shaping one of the best universities in the world?” Nelson asked. Former UW System President Charles Van Hise, widely recognized as the founder of the Wisconsin Idea, based the university’s mission off an intent to bring the university and state government closer together, according to UW-Madison’s history behind the Idea.
KAITLYN VETO/THE DAILY CARDINAL
TAA Co-President Michael Billeaux asks students, faculty and community members if they will commit to protest.
TAA plans response to budget, gauges interest in protesting By Bri Maas THE DAILY CARDINAL
Close to 200 concerned citizens filed into a Humanities lecture hall Wednesday for an “emergency meeting” held by the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants’ Association to discuss Gov. Scott Walker’s proposed budget bill and plan an organized community response. TAA Co-Presidents Eleni Schirmer and Michael Billeaux spoke to students, faculty, community members and various campus student groups to go over the proposal, what it means and how to organize action against it. “It seemed like there were
a lot of questions about what we’re going to do now, and a lot of these conversations were happening with despair and in isolation,” Schirmer said. “We wanted to bring people together to say we’re all having those thoughts, so let’s come together and make it happen.” The meeting included an informational overview of the budget bill and the general process of how a budget is proposed, approved and made into law. The $300 million budget cuts planned to the UW System was a hot topic, as well as the university becoming a public
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ASM prepares for possible shared governance removal NIAMH RAHMAN/THE DAILY CARDINAL
Madison police closed off part of East Campus Mall during a U.S. Bank robbery investigation.
Police still searching for East Campus Mall bank robber A man robbed the U.S. Bank on East Campus Mall at 4 p.m. Wednesday, fleeing with an undisclosed amount of money. Although a WiscAlert sent to students at 4:09 p.m. said the suspect might have been armed, Madison Police Department officers later determined the suspect did not display a weapon.
The suspect demanded the clerk put money into a bag after entering the bank, according to an incident report. He then fled on foot toward University Avenue. The report describes the suspect as a tall white male, about 6 feet 4 inches tall, with a slim build, and wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and grey mask at
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the time of the incident. He was possibly carrying a brown bag, according to the UW-Madison Police Department. Police have not made any arrests in the case, and no one was injured. Officers encourage anyone with knowledge of the incident to contact the department.
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By Madeline Heim THE DAILY CARDINAL
The Associated Students of Madison Student Council examined the possible fate of shared governance in the recently released state biennial budget during its meeting Wednesday. Council members expressed immediate concern over the $300 million in cuts, autonomy measures for the UW System and the budget’s explicit elimination of shared governance power in UW schools.
Legislative Affairs Chair Tom Gierok introduced Walker’s removal of shared governance to the group and articulated his concerns over losing a forum for student voice. “Not only are we losing funding, we’re losing our seat at the table and our ability to fight for that funding,” Gierok said. ASM Vice Chair Derek Field explained that according to messages from UW System admin-
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Dear Gov. Walker, ... regarding the Wisconsin Idea
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”