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University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
Earning a UW degree
Graduation rates rise, but trail some peers By Scott Girard The Daily Cardinal
With 2012 graduation under two months away, UW-Madison administrators hope to build on last year’s university record four-year graduation rate of 55.5 percent. Although that ranks UW-Madison third among Big Ten schools and is almost double the national average, some students still find the rate sur-
prisingly low. UW-Madison freshman Tara Abernathy works 14 hours every two weeks and most of her summer to pay her tuition. She is unnerved by her indecision on what discipline of engineering to focus on, but feels pressure to graduate within four years because of the cost. “[55 percent is] low,” she said. “That shows that something should be done.”
Administrators are pleased with the growth and say the university has done a good job helping students finish school in as little time as possible. Increased financial aid and better advising have both contributed to rising four-year rates over the last five years, according to Jocelyn Milner, UW-Madison associate vice
rates page 5
Non-resident students lead those from Wis., Minn. By Samy Moskol The Daily Cardinal
Jack Dengel, a senior from Illinois majoring in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, will be graduating in May after four years of undergraduate study. Since his major will be discontinued in the fall, he had to graduate on time and dedicate most of his coursework to his specialized major. He also pressured himself
to graduate in four years to save his parents money and join the work force sooner. “There’s no room to really find yourself in college,” he said regarding his intensive major and rush to graduate. Out-of-state students like Dengel tend to take fewer semesters to graduate than UW-Madison students from Wisconsin and Minnesota.
Nearly 51 percent of Wisconsin and 59 percent of Minnesota students graduate within four years, whereas 63 percent of non-resident students graduate in four years. Jocelyn Milner, UW-Madison associate vice provost and director of Academic Planning and Analysis, speculates since out-
residents page 5
ASM announces spring election winners By Mackenzie Chaffee The Daily cArdinal
The Student Activity Center’s Caucus Room stood divided as the newly elected student government representatives were announced Wednesday, with just under half of the winners coming from the “Boop” campaign. 11.4 percent of the UW-Madison student body participated in the
Associated Students of Madison’s spring elections, completing over 4,500 ballots. Mickey Stevens, chair the ASM Student Elections Commission said he was happy to surpass the 2009 benchmark of 9 percent voter turnout. “I’m actually fairly surprised about the turnout,” Stevens said. “11.4 percent is a very good
turnout for not having any referendums on the ballot at all.” Group members said “Boop” is a student reform group with the goal to incorporate greater transparency and student outreach in ASM. Nikolas Magallon, ASM Diversity Committee Chair and
asm page 4
On Campus
Never nudes
Students on Bascom Hall protesting alleged worker rights violations Wednesday said they would rather be “naked” than wear clothing from adidas. + Photo by Shoaib Altaf
Stephanie Daher/the daily cardinal
According to a university report, students at a Delta Upsilon party yelled racial slurs and threw a bottle at two black students March 16.
UW: racial harassment at frat party By Kelly Kallien The Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison officials are investigating a report that students at a Delta Upsilon Fraternity party racially harassed two African-American students last week. According to the Division of Student Life, students standing on the Delta Upsilon Fraternity porch off Langdon Street reportedly yelled racial slurs and threw a glass bottle at the two women during a party early March 16. The women were not injured, but Dean of Students Lori Berquam and Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate Damon Williams said in a joint statement the report “deeply troubled” them. “It suggests conduct that falls far below what we expect of our students and fraternities,” they said. “We’re very concerned for the victims and want our community to know that it is totally unacceptable to act in this manner toward others.” Delta Upsilon Fraternity refused to comment on the allegations Wednesday. The Division of Student Life is conducting the investigation, but Associate Dean
of Students Kevin Helmkamp said he does not know when it will be complete. “I want to complete it as soon as possible but I do not want to jeopardize the integrity of the investigation by trying to a hurry rush to judgment,” Helmkamp said. “I want to be confident that the information I pass on is rooted in a clear understanding of what happened.” Until the investigation is complete, Berquam has placed Delta Upsilon on an emergency temporary suspension, prohibiting it from student organization privileges such as holding fraternity events. If the Division of Student Life finds the fraternity in violation of the Greek or university code of conduct, actions could be taken against individual DU members and the fraternity as a whole. Possible sanctions for misconduct include a written warning, probation and suspension or expulsion from the university in extreme circumstances. The Interfraternity Council and other Greek-affiliated organizations said in a statement they support the investigation, though
fraternity page 3
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”