Monday, October 2, 2017 - The Daily Cardinal

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University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Monday, October 2, 2017

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Students react to UW Regents’ freedom of expression policy draft By Maggie Chandler COLLEGE NEWS EDITOR

A policy draft — leaked ahead of this week’s Board of Regents meeting — outlines punishments for students who protest, mirroring that of the Campus Free Speech Act currently resting with the state Senate. UW System spokesperson Stephanie Marquis said that the proposed policy is meant to protect all students’ ability to express their views. However, not everyone agrees the new policy would be in students’ best interest. “It is the University’s role, as a beacon of power and influence in Wisconsin, to protect integral values of the system as well as ensure the wellbeing of students,” Legislative Affairs Chair Kat Kerwin said. “Further, I believe the resolution criminalizes student protest, an essential aspect of freedom of speech.”

“We expect our professors to have opinions and preferences, as we all do, but not to speak for our entire student body and the institution while trying to promote these goals.” Jake Lubenow chair of College Republicans

A student who protests a controversial speaker could face the following: 1) An investigation and disciplinary hearing for students who allegedly disrupted a speaker.

2) A one-semester suspension for students found guilty. 3) After three incidents, the student would face expulsion. CAMERON LANE-FLEHINGER/THE DAILY CARDINAL

“It is the University’s role, as a beacon of power and influence in Wisconsin, to protect integral values of the system as well as ensure the wellbeing of students.” Kat Kerwin chair of Legislative Affairs Associated Students of Madison

While the policy doesn’t subject faculty and staff to the same rules, they must be explicit that they are speaking from their own point of view and not for the university. “We expect our professors to have opinions and preferences, as we all do, but not to speak for our entire student body and the institution while trying to promote those goals,” College Republicans Chair Jake Lubenow said. The draft also says that it is not the university’s role to silence one group’s ideas simply because they may offend others. “It’s not the role of the university to stop individuals from speaking, even if they profess ideas that some or many would find controversial or troubling,” Lubenow said. “That would be contrary to the very idea of sifting and winnowing that UW was founded on.” According to Marquis, the issue will be discussed at the upcoming UW Board of Regents meeting.

JON YOON/THE DAILY CARDINAL

The leaked Board of Regents policy draft calls for punishing students who protest controversial speakers on campus.

The University of Iowa decide to suspend their relationship with John Cabot University after UW-Madison student Beau Solomon was murdered along the Tiber River in Rome in July 2016.

As others sever ties, link with Rome study abroad program still in question By Sammy Gibbons FEATURES EDITOR

A year after UW-Madison student Beau Solomon drowned in the Tiber River in the summer of 2016, his family sued John Cabot University in Rome, sparking a discussion about students’ safety while studying abroad. The lawsuit claims JCU acted with “reckless indifference,” and asserts the university “failed to inform both Solomon and UW-Madison that four young adults had died within 350 yards of the university from 2014-’15,” according to an earlier article from The Daily Cardinal.

JCU has yet to respond to the lawsuit. Solomon is the only recorded death of a UW-Madison student studying abroad from 2011 to the present, according to the UW-Madison Crimes Abroad Report filed by the International Division. But he is far from the only student to be the victim of a crime while traveling across the globe. According to the report, 45 crimes have been filed in the same six-year period. While only four of these reportedly occurred at JCU — two aggravated assaults, one robbery and Solomon’s death — questions arose regarding the safety and

reporting practices of the university following the lawsuit’s filing. A UW-Madison student who wished to remain anonymous told The Daily Cardinal she was drugged at an Italian bar, Sloppy Sam’s, while studying at JCU. She suspected someone slipped roofies, a date rape drug, in her drink. This crime does not appear in the Crimes Abroad Report. Steven Barcus, director of communications for UW-Madison’s International Division, said it is not listed because it did not meet criteria detailed within the Clery Act — a federal

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Budget requires UW Flex to double degrees By Emily Curtis SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Although Gov. Walker signed the two-year state budget into law over a week ago, the UW System is still figuring out how the budget affects one of its programs targeted at non-traditional students. Walker passed the budget on Sept. 20 after he issued 99 partial vetoes to the previous edition of the bill. One of these vetoes stipulated that the UW System will need to double the number of courses offered through its UW Flexible Option program over the next two years. The budget, however, did not include any new state funding for this expansion. The Flexible Option offers online courses to non-traditional students, including working individuals or individuals with children. The

program currently offers eight degrees and certificates. Walker and his administration hope this expansion will encourage the UW System to make the Flexible Option program more of a priority moving forward. Tom Evenson, a spokesperson for Walker, told the Wisconsin State Journal the decision was to help increase the state’s workforce. “Walker is challenging the UW System to make the Flexible Option and college affordability higher priorities as we continue our work to help meet workforce needs,” Evenson said. The Flexible Option program began in 2014, and the budget requires the program to expand from eight degree options to 16 by 2019. Cathy Sandeen, the chancellor for the UW Colleges and Extension,

acknowledged in that it will be difficult to double the program’s offerings in two years, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Sandeen also mentioned that the program’s mandated expansion brings good news, namely in the form of the Legislature demonstrating its confidence in both UW Extension and Flexible Option program. UW Extension was unable to respond immediately for comment. Currently, it is unclear whether the UW System would help UW Extension fund the expansion. Due to the young age of the program, there are few statistics available on student results or on the amount of money that the program has required up to now. The lack of statistics has made it difficult for predicting how expensive the addition of eight degrees will be.

“…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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