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Tuesday, November 17, 2009
UWPD still investigating body found near Picnic Point
Danny Marchewka/the daily cardinal
Members of the Faculty Senate’s University Committee heard ASM’s propsal for a new textbook campaign Monday that would make it easier for students to shop around for the best prices.
ASM presents solution to high textbook prices ASM asks faculty to support new textbook campaign By Kayla Torgerson The Daily Cardinal
The Associated Students of Madison’s Affordable Textbook Campaign presented a resolution addressing campus textbook policies to the Faculty Senate’s University Committee Monday. Jonah Zinn, chair of ATC, said the campaign is looking for faculty support to make cheaper textbooks a reality at UW-Madison. “We do understand that there are efforts around campus to reduce textbooks costs,” Zinn said. “[But] it would be a great public statement if the faculty of this campus would come out and say we acknowledge that there is a problem and
we acknowledge that there are solutions to this problem.” ATC made several recommendations to the committee. They suggested professors provide book lists at least one month before classes start, use new editions of textbooks only when necessary and become educated about alternative textbook options, such as open source and electronic options. Zinn said ATC recently conducted a survey about textbook costs on campus. They found 88 percent of respondents said they would shop around for books online or at other stores if book lists were available earlier. Dennis Maki, a professor in
the Department of Medicine, said it can be difficult to bring down prices because professors make little profit on the textbooks they write. However, he said he would support making book lists available earlier if that would help students find cheaper prices. “If giving you a four-week lead time would be an advantage for you, at least from my perspective, I don’t think that’s too much to ask from faculty members,” Maki said. “If that would help, I think we should do everything we can to try to advance that.” textbooks page 3
The UW-Madison Police Department announced Monday they believe the body found near Picnic Point over the weekend died as the result of a self-inflicted injury. Jeff Kjos said he found the body around 1 p.m. near the Eagle Heights Community Gardens, close to Picnic Point, where he was working Friday. He said he originally thought the body was a deer carcass, but noticed it was a human body when he moved closer. He said he saw a sawed-off shotgun near the body and the victim appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The UWPD statement said officials from the Dane County Coroner’s Office believe the inci-
dent happened sometime over the past summer or fall. UWPD Sgt. Tamara Kowalski said she does not believe anyone else was involved and students should still feel safe around the Picnic Point area. “This was self-inflicted, so there is absolutely nothing for students to be worried about,” she said. According to the release, the body was of a male over the age of 40 of an unknown race. He was wearing glasses, a gray jacket, tan cargo shorts and black Teva sandals. UWPD is still investigating the case and urges anyone with further information to contact them at 608264-COPS. —Kelsey Gunderson
Forum addresses decision-making process for Madison Initiative funding By Lydia Statz The Daily Cardinal
Faculty from departments across campus gathered Tuesday for an open discussion regarding the decision-making process for the use of Madison Initiative for Undergraduates funding. The MIU funding comes from an annual tuition fee increase. Half of this revenue goes toward needbased financial aid, while the other half is used to fund various departments on campus. Departments interested in receiving these funds submit proposals to the Madison Initiative Oversight Committee, which makes recommendations to the chancellor as to which proposals to fund. Associated Students of Madison Chair Tyler Junger said he sees a need for campuswide cooperation and creativity in the proposals for funding. He said when making the decisions regarding which proposals to fund, the oversight committee looked for projects involving
multiple departments and thinking outside the box when solving campus problems. Representatives from various campus departments spoke on behalf of their proposals, which are supposed to focus on improving the overall undergraduate experience on campus, as well as fostering growth in various academic departments. Wren Singer, director of the Center for the First Year Experience, said she sees a need for a new focus on transfer students, a group she says has been largely overlooked. “Fifty-one percent of transfer students say that they have trouble feeling comfortable with the academic and social life on campus,” she said. “Our positions currently are focused primarily on first-year students, and we haven’t given the attention to transfer students that we’d like.” David Cross, from the Student Financial Aid office, highlighted a project called Scholarships at initiative page 3
University Committee discusses free-speech rights for faculty By Ryan Hebel the daily cardinal
The Faculty Senate’s University Committee discussed a proposal to ensure faculty rights to institutional criticism during its meeting Monday. Donald Downs, a UW-Madison professor who specializes in the First Amendment, presented the proposal as a response to a 2006 Supreme Court case that ruled that public employees could be disciplined for criticisms made while acting as an employee.
According to Downs, the law creates a paradox for professors, who are encouraged to air their grievances in-house as opposed to complaining to the press, but are now vulnerable to punishment for doing so, as an engineering professor at UW-Milwaukee recently discovered. UW-Madison’s current policy protects faculty against restrictions on speech related to scholarly opinions, research and creative expression. The proposed policy would further guarantee their right to speak as
university employees “on matters of public concern as well as on matters related to professional duties, the functioning of the University and University positions and policies.” Downs said the policy would differ from similar amendments passed by the University of Minnesota in June because it explicitly covers the right to speak as an employee and would not apply to “the willful obstruction or interference with speech page 3
Ben Pierson/the daily cardinal
ASM Chair Tyler Junger outlined what the Madison Initiative Oversight Committee looks for in proposals for funding at the forum Monday.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”