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dailycardinal.com
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Anger surfaces at committee hearing Committee members attack Reilly, regents over system surplus By Jack Casey The Daily Cardinal
The recent discussions over a $1 billion surplus in the University of Wisconsin System balance boiled over Tuesday as a planned discussion on
on campus
Loud and proud
Students compete for a semester of free books from the University Bookstore in All-Campus Idol Tuesday at the Sett in Union South as part of the week-long All-Campus Party. + Photo by Jane Thompson
Ward talks initiatives to enhance UW’s research, technology culture By Taylor Harvey The Daily Cardinal
University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor David Ward offered suggestions to advance the university’s research initiatives and culture when he spoke to the Wisconsin Innovation Network and the Wisconsin Technology Council at a Tuesday meeting. Ward called UW-Madison’s research powerhouse status “a success story,” despite some “anxieties out there about the American economy and its competitiveness that make [the success story] very difficult to see.” However, Ward said although UW-Madison is a leading research institution, “application” of research must
be focused on how to maximize capital throughout the city and state, noting how it typically takes 10 years for a UW-Madison discovery to impact the world. He referred to an initiative scheduled to launch in upcoming months called D2P, which stands for “discovery to product,” that aims to streamline the “application” of discoveries, thereby maximizing innovation and entrepreneurship at UW-Madison and throughout south-central Wisconsin. But the chancellor said changing technological innovation through D2P “is not enough.” According to Ward, UW-Madison also needs to further incorporate technology in the classroom and become more
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the system’s Human Resources program before the state’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations turned into a heated question and answer session with UW System President Kevin Reilly. The state’s Legislative Fiscal Bureau released an audit report April 19 detailing the specifics of the systems’ large surplus. State legislators quickly responded with harsh criticisms of Reilly and the Board of Regents for their lack of trans-
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Committee tables HR Redesign discussion The Joint Committee on Employment Relations postponed its consideration of the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Human Resources Redesign at a meeting Tuesday. The HR plan, which the Board of Regents approved in December 2012, would reclassify certain university staff to improve employee recruitment and retainment. Academic staff would be defined as salaried positions unique to specialized higher
education, such as lecturers. The plan would also rename classified staff as “university staff,” which would include all positions at an hourly wage. Office of Human Resources Director Bob LaVigna said the JCOER will consider the plan in the future, and he is hopeful the plan will pass. “We’re still hopeful and optimistic that the committee will approve the plan,” LaVigna said.
Adidas reaches settlement with unpaid factory workers A settlement was reached Tuesday between adidas and the union representing workers from an adidas-contracted factory that owed workers over $1.8 million after closing unexpectedly in 2011, according to Executive Director of the Worker Rights Consortium Scott Nova. The dispute between the apparel company, which is University of WisconsinMadison’s primary licensing partner, and
the workers began in January 2011 after the factory shut down without compensating over 2,700 adidas workers. Groups from UW-Madison, including the Student Labor Action Coalition and the Labor Codes Licensing Compliance Committee, called for Chancellor David Ward to cut the university’s contracts with
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Community weighs in on new Library Mall design City officials held a public meeting to discuss the future development of the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street and Library Mall Tuesday, which included making the area more pedestrian and bike friendly as well as increasing street lighting. A comprehensive redesign of State Street that began in 2005 has now extended to Library Mall, which has been coined a public gathering space. Presenters said the goal of the redesign is to protect the area’s identity while maintaining it as a daily destination that connects the city to the university and brings people together. Meeting attendees provided suggestions to foster this connection while describing the wants and needs of stakeholders in the community. Ideas for the 800 block included adding public attractions, such as seating and art along with possibly extending the parking
area for food carts. Further discussions focused on implementing new pedestrian crossings from State Street onto Park and Langdon Streets as well as facilitating bicycle use in the area. There was a shared consensus to preserve the fountain and large green spaces on Library Mall in addition to providing features that could increase safety to extend the area’s usable hours. Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said he supported adding street lights to “make [library mall] a more active location, well up to midnight.” Project administrators will now compile the ideas from the meeting and develop a preliminary design in May 2013, which will be presented at a second public meeting in June 2013 after review from the State Street Design Project Oversight Committee. —Morgan Haefner
alivia richter/the daily cardinal
Community members participate in a public discussion about the future redesign of the 700 and 800 blocks of State Street and Library Mall.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”