University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Monday, March 2, 2015
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Nontraditional courses bring university to Wisconsin towns By Tamar Myers THE DAILY CARDINAL
An online course about an Aldo Leopold-type approach to sustainable hunting enrolled thousands of students, spurred fervent discussions in online forums and drew more than 80 participants to an exposition that included a deer skinning demonstration and pheasant hunt. Though by many counts it was successful, the future of courses like it is uncertain in the face of university resource strains. UW-Madison debuted six Massive Open Online Classes this year, which are free courses with enrollment open to anyone with Internet access. All of them, which will take place at staggered
times until the end of October 2015, center on human choices and challenges in a changing environment. The remaining topics include building a global community around Shakespeare, a “big picture” approach to energy, the world’s forest biomes, and climate change policy and public health. This year, the Division of Continuing Studies decided to focus recruitment efforts on Wisconsin residents, especially those “who don’t typically interact with MOOCs,” said Joshua Morrill, senior evaluator in Academic Technology, who works with MOOC data analysis, a division of DoIT. The new Wisconsin Open
Education Community Fellowship encourages undergraduate student involvement in MOOCs. In-state students can be awarded grants to connect one of the first three MOOCs to a project with a community organization in either a Wisconsin town they grew up in or one with which they have a personal connection. For example, a student could participate in the Shakespeare MOOC and then work with a nonprofit at home to educate children about his work, said Randy Wallar, the associate director of engaged scholarship in the Morgridge Center for Public Service.
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COURTESY OF SIGRID STENSVOLD
Sigrid Stensvold, who graduated last December, will represent America in the USA Pavilion at the World Expo Milano 2015.
ALUMNUS PROFILE
UW graduate invited to World’s Fair By Bri Maas THE DAILY CARDINAL
Every five years since 1851, the World’s Fair has given people from around the world a chance to deliberate over global issues, from industrialization to cultural exchange. Recent UW-Madison graduate Sigrid Stensvold has been selected to be one of 120 student ambassadors to the USA Pavilion at this summer’s Expo Milano 2015. Stensvold said she decided to apply last fall because, as an anthropology major, the theme of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” perfectly fits her interests. “Food and people are the driving forces in my life,” Stensvold said. “I think the Expo is a really great opportunity that I otherwise wouldn’t have had to dabble in something I’m interested in.” The USA Pavilion, where Stensvold will be a guide for three months, will feature exhibits highlighting American innovations in sustainability, technology and nutrition. Stensvold said while she is excited to see global ideas come together, she is apprehensive
about the outcome of the Expo. “I think it’s really easy to go into something like this and have lofty ideas and want to change stuff,” Stensvold said. “I really do believe that can happen, but I think it’s going to take a lot for things to come of it. It’s not just about this six-month period– it’s obviously going to be a lot of work down the road.” As a student ambassador, Stensvold will greet the expected 20-30 million international visitors to the pavilion, including government officials and corporate executives. Although it will be intimidating, Stensvold said she encourages all students to embrace adventures. “Go big. Go for things that you love,” Stensvold said. “Those experiences are going to be the really powerful ones in life.” Stensvold said being accepted as a representative exemplifies how much power she believes UW-Madison has in presenting small-town residents with big opportunities for change. “Even a small person can make a difference in some way, or be out there at least trying,” Stensvold said.
COURTESY OF UW ARCHIVES
A MOOC exploring sustainable hunting practices was inspired by those of conservationist Aldo Leopold, pictured above hunting in Baraboo, Wis. circa 1943.
Shared governance, assault reporting face deletions in proposed state budget By Andrew Hahn THE DAILY CARDINAL
Gov. Scott Walker and UW System officials came briefly under fire Friday after a nonpartisan analysis of Walker’s recent budget proposal showed it deletes one of the reporting methods for sexual assaults on UW campuses required under current state law. Current law requires the System’s Board of Regents to submit an annual report to the state Legislature to prove its campuses are including information about sexual assault in their orientation programs for new students. It also requires that any UW employee who witnesses or hears about a sexual assault on campus to report it to the school’s dean of students. The budget proposal would remove these
obligations from state statute. A spokesperson for Walker said Friday the provisions were included in the proposal at the request of System officials involved in budget negotiations, the Associated Press reported. “They allow us to focus on one report,” said UW System spokesperson Heather LaRoi in an email Friday. “Many requirements proposed for removal from state statutes are duplicative of federal requirements and reporting standards we comply with and are deeply committed to, such as those within The Clery Act and Title IX.” The analysis of the budget proposal also found the budget deletes shared governance protections, as expected under the public authority model for the UW System.
Tom Gierok, chair of the Associated Students of Madison’s Legislative Affairs Committee, said last month the shared governance changes would mean students lose their say in the decisions of their respective universities. Requirements to maintain the minority student scholarship programs, like the Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant and the Advanced Opportunity Fellowship program, would also be deleted by the budget if it passes in its current form. UW System officials will appear before the Legislature’s budget committee Tuesday to testify about what the $300 million cut and public authority model will mean for the state’s universities over the next biennium.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”