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MAYOR AND EAGON STRIKE COMPROMISE Mayor Cieslewicz to nominate student member in response to student outcry OPINION
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Tuesday, Novemeber 3, 2009
Mayor intends to appoint student ALRC member By Grace Urban
Students work on their back step during a Beginner Standard dance lesson class offered by the UW Ballroom Dance Team in the Student Activities Center.
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Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced his intention of appointing a student voting member to the Alcohol License Review Committee Monday. According to Ald. Bryon Eagon, District 8, the announcement is a compromise from his original proposal to add a permanent student-voting member to the ALRC. The new proposal would add a new voting citizen member appointed by the Mayor to serve a three-year term along with adding an additional alder. Cieslewicz plans to appoint a student to the citizen position. “It’s a win-win situation for stu-
dents and for the mayor because he had some problems locking in a student voting position for eternity,” Eagon said. Cieslewicz said he is opposed to a designated student seat because it could lead to other city groups demanding their own seat on the ALRC. However, he said a student voice on the committee is very important. “When UW students show an interest in civic issues, that interest should be encouraged,” Cieslewicz said in a statement. However, Eagon stressed the importance of a student presence at alrc page 3
Faculty Senate approves resolution to oppose graduate school reform By Ryan Hebel The Daily Cardinal
UW-Madison’s Faculty Senate almost unanimously approved a resolution Monday opposing any action to restructure the graduate school until a thorough, shared governance process is completed. The sociology department submitted the resolution in response to Provost Paul DeLuca’s plan to separate the grad school’s education and research components by adding a new vice chancellor of research to manage grants, federal compliance issues and influence federal grant agencies. Sociology professor Bob Hauser, who wrote the resolution, said the grad school has issues to solve, but was not in a “crisis situation.”
“The provost has been quoted as describing some recent compliance efforts as ‘mid-air collision’ avoidance. We should equally try to avoid flying into aircraft while building it.” Hauser said the provost’s initial expectation that faculty would welcome his proposal was a “major blunder and breach of trust.” He added DeLuca’s five town hall meetings were “useful,” but said they revealed no evidence the provost’s “sketchy proposal” to separate research and graduate education was “necessary or sufficient” to solve the current problems. Chancellor Biddy Martin could not vote on the resolution but said she didn’t oppose it, adding that the initial proposal was influenced by many research-related complaints she
Madison Initiative Oversight Committee to fund proposals By Grace Urban The Daily Cardinal
The Madison Initiative Oversight Committee is meeting Tuesday to decide which proposals will be implemented immediately with the use of Initiative funds and which need to be revised. The Madison Initiative for Undergraduates, implemented in the 2009-2010 academic year, calls for a supplemental tuition charge to “improve access to high-demand courses and majors” and “provide significant need-based financial aid funds,” according to its website. The Initiative accepted 29 proposals for review on its Oct. 1 deadline and will receive a second
round of proposals Nov. 15. The Madison Initiative Student Oversight Board rated and reviewed proposals before sending them back to the Madison Initiative Oversight Committee, which made final recommendations to Chancellor Biddy Martin Oct. 23. According to Associated Students of Madison Chair Tyler Junger, the student board took approximately a week to read and rate the proposals individually. “We collected our ratings on a spreadsheet and spent about four hours discussing the proposals, initiative page 3
heard from faculty last year. “I think the provost has acknowledged that he was overly optimistic about how quickly people would accept it, but that’s not the same as having intended to railroad it through the faculty.” Later, Martin clarified statements she and DeLuca had made regarding interim steps that might be required if the two ad hoc committees examining the proposal had not submitted recommendations before the end of the semester. She said action may be needed if “serious compliance and safety” issues emerge, but that she would first consult the University Committee and faculty page 3
DANNY MARCHEWKA/the daily cardinal
Chancellor Biddy Martin spoke out in favor of Provost Paul DeLuca’s plan to restructure the graduate school Monday.
Supreme Court to review same-sex marriage amendment By Ariel Shapiro The Daily Cardinal
The Wisconsin Supreme Court will review the validity of the state constitutional amendment passed in 2006 banning same-sex marriage and civil unions Tuesday. William McConkey, professor of political science at UW-Oshkosh, filed a suit against the state claiming the 2006 ballot measure violates the single subject rule of Wisconsin referendums because it concerns the separate issues of the definition of marriage and the legality of civil unions. The part of the ballot measure McConkey is challenging states that “only a marriage between one man and one woman shall be valid or recognized as a marriage in this state,” and that “a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of mar-
riage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized in this state.” McConkey was not available for comment to provide details on the case. Kevin St. John, special assistant to Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen, said the state’s position against McConkey has two parts. St. John said McConkey is not the proper party to bring the claim and that the amendment was presented fairly to voters. Wisconsin citizens and various advocacy groups are concerned about what McConkey’s claim could mean for the future of marriage in Wisconsin. “It’s only one subject,” said Julaine Appling, CEO of Wisconsin Family Council. “It’s simply about marriage.” Appling said she believes the first
part of the amendment has no meaning without the second part to support it. She said the first part refers to what marriage is, and the second to what marriage is not. “It’s about preserving the traditional, historic institution of marriage,” she said. “We won’t accept any ... bogus ‘marriage by another name’ relationships.” On the other side of the issue, Katie Belanger, executive director of Fair Wisconsin, said she is hopeful that McConkey will succeed in his case. “We hope that they will see what most people believe, and that is that marriage and civil unions are two different topics,” Belanger said. “We’re going to be looking very closely at this case, just as everyone else is,” Belanger said. “We’re very hopeful that they will do the fair thing.”
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”