Latest news with #UniversitiesofWisconsin
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Heads of UW system, state agencies defend diversity, inclusion practices to audit committee
Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Jennifer Mnookin told lawmakers that the DEI practices throughout the system are constantly evolving. President of the Dane County NAACP chapter Greg Jones was the only member of the public to testify at a Joint Audit Committee hearing Tuesday on two recent audits into the diversity, equity and inclusion practices of state agencies and the Universities of Wisconsin. His message to lawmakers was simple: listen to individuals' stories about the impact of diversity, equity and inclusion programs and stay away from politicized attacks on DEI. 'If the question is about whether DEI is functioning or not, whether it's effective or not, then do it — assess it, examine it and make the case, but don't let the politicized environment we now face become an issue of concern,' Jones said. Jones told lawmakers on the committee about his own experience working in what was then known as the American Ethnic Coordinate office at UW-Eau Claire many years ago. His responsibilities in that 'first iteration for the stuff called DEI, belonging and so forth' was ensuring that African-American, Native American, Hispanic American and white students were comfortable on campus. 'It caused me to do a lot of different things. I worked with them to facilitate transportation back home to Kenosha, Racine when they lost a family member, helped them get that money from the financial aid office, advocated for them with English teachers who wouldn't accept Black English as a… method of communication in the class, even when writing poetry, short stories, or any other literary form,' Jones said. Jones added that these efforts helped students succeed in school and were designed to accomplish similar goals to the many DEI initiatives across UW campuses today. 'They're trying to do the same thing: make those students, who don't live in those communities, are not from those communities, who don't relate culturally, racially, ethnically, economically to members of that community, [feel] comfortable.' Jones' comments came after four hours of back and forth between the leaders of the state Department of Administration (DOA) and the University of Wisconsin system, who defended their DEI practices, and lawmakers on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Republicans on the committee pressed the leaders on the results of recent audits and criticized DEI efforts saying they are 'racist' and do not benefit the state. Republican lawmakers launched the audits into DEI practices last year after getting concessions from the UW system on cutting back DEI in 2023. The lawmakers then expressed their intent to continue targeting and trying to eliminate diversity programs. The audit results, which were released earlier this month, come as Republican lawmakers have felt emboldened by a U.S. Supreme Court decision that ended consideration of race in admission processes and as the Trump administration has made targeting and eliminating DEI efforts, especially in K-12 and higher education, one of its top priorities. According to a recent poll by Pew Reseach Center, 54% of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration's actions to end DEI in the federal government, while 44% approve. Committee co-chair Sen. Eric Wimberger (R-Oconto) opened the hearing on the audits by attacking diversity, equity and inclusion, saying that it 'abandons the pursuit of a colorblind society' and demands 'stereotyping.' He said the audits 'expose the waste and unconstitutionality of rebranded discrimination based on immutable characteristics.' Wimberger added he would be seeking information from leaders on how the practices would be 'abandoned' or how each DEI initiative 'satisfies a compelling government interest and is narrowly tailored to accomplish that interest.' The DOA audit focused on actions that have been taken in accordance with Executive Order 59, which Gov. Tony Evers signed in 2019 to instruct state agencies to create equity and inclusion plans. Auditors analyzed how much is spent by agencies for DEI activities, including for staffing, and reviewed reported outcomes resulting from DEI activities. The audit found that none of the 24 state agencies tracked the amount they were spending on DEI, though the audit attempts to estimate some of the costs. According to the audit in 2023-24, agencies spent $2.16 million for salary costs for positions with job duties pertaining to DEI, $705,300 for salary costs for time spent attending diversity, equity, and inclusion training required by the executive order, $444,300 on costs for completing certain actions listed in equity and inclusion action plans and $200,200 for salary costs for time spent attending meetings of DEI committees. It also found that agencies did not consistently document that they had corrected issues of noncompliance that DOA had identified, and that DOA did not consistently require agencies to take corrective action. The audit recommended that DOA improve its monitoring efforts and ensure that it comply with the executive order and other statutory and administrative rules related to affirmative action. The UW audit found that UW institutions planned DEI activities and programs mostly at an institutional level, and not across the board. There is no system wide definition of DEI and implementation of DEI activities were left up to the decision of each institution. The UW audit similarly found that spending related to DEI was not specifically tracked across the system. According to the audit during the 2023-24 fiscal year, there were $40,221,000 in costs for UW offices with duties pertaining to DEI, $12,484,900 in estimated salary costs for positions with duties related to DEI and $7,911,900 in working on certain diversity, equity, and inclusion activities listed in selected strategic plans and diversity, equity, and inclusion plans. Republicans expressed contempt for DEI related programs and practices repeatedly throughout the hearing. Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) said at one point that he was 'encouraged by the lack of implementation' of Evers' executive order. 'The programs are disgusting. It's racist,' Kapenga said. Democrats on the committee rejected Republicans' characterizations of DEI — defending the practices and also seeking to understand the cost of the audit itself, which took 10 months to complete and included extensive interviews by the LAB of the agencies and UW institutions to compile the information included. Rep. Sequanna Taylor (D-Milwaukee) said that DEI practices are not meant to be racist. 'It is meant to be a step … so that we ensure everyone is successful in their learning opportunities,' Taylor said. Sen. Melissa Ratcliff (D-Cottage Grove) asked LAB how much money was spent preparing the report. State Auditor Joe Chrisman said the LAB spent about $423,000. In her testimony, DOA Secretary-designee Kathy Blumenfield said that her agency's DEI practices have been beneficial for recruiting and retaining employees. Blumenfield also reminded lawmakers that a year ago when lawmakers were launching the audit she told them it would be hard because the work of DEI 'isn't done exclusively by one agency, nor is it a program staffed by specific employees with policies and procedures.' She brought up concerns about the methodology of the audit, saying that the audit likely overstated costs. One example, Blumenfield said, was in relation to town hall events that were hosted by the Department of Workforce Development. The audit lists the events as costing $165,400 in 2023-24, however, Blumenfield said DEI wasn't the main focus. 'The content of these meetings included a wide variety of other topics unrelated to [the executive order]… Only 12% of the town hall meeting could be associated with [the executive order], which would equate to a cost of only $19,800 — reducing [the agency's] total estimated cost by 86%,' Blumenfield said. Blumenfield also said that many of the activities and positions that were covered in the audit existed in previous administrations and were already required by state law — before the Evers executive order. Blumenfield said she thinks DEI practices have been beneficial to the state and that 'luckily' the audit didn't opine on whether DEI was good or bad. 'This was very, very difficult and very, very challenging,' Blumenfield said, adding that she sees the audit as actually 'telling us to lean in more to this work.' 'If you look at the actual recommendations out of the audit, it's saying do more in this space,' Blumenfield continued. Rep. Mark Born (R-Beaver Dam) said he is concerned with whether the audit finds the agency complies with the law and DEI programs are a good use of state resources. He said he couldn't 'wrap my head around' why the state needs DEI to recruit candidates. Blumenfield said that DOA is complying with the law and that the agency is trying to explore ways, including nontraditional ones, to ensure the workforce represents the people of Wisconsin better. 'What you just said there is super important because you didn't say we want our applicants [to be] a little more diverse,' Born said. 'You said you want the workforce… How do you make it look more like the state if you're not hiring people based on race … gender or whatever?' DOA legislative advisor Cara Connors responded that outreach is important. 'Historically, you had folks who didn't even apply to state jobs,' Connors said. She added that outreach was 'not because we need to put a thumb on the scale in the hiring process and look at race. It was that we needed to get these people to apply to jobs in the first place.' One example they used to illustrate the point is outreach to female engineers. 'Female engineers are really hard to come by. [The Public Service Commission] has a really hard time just retaining and recruiting engineers, so they've sent their female engineers to the career fairs and all of a sudden they're attracting more female engineers,' Blumenfield said. 'This isn't rocket science.' In response to a question from Rep. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown), Blumenfield clarified that there are no quotas for these programs. 'If I'm at a career fair and I'm a woman and I don't see anyone that looks like me, you know, I might not be as excited to apply with that organization as if I see someone that I can see myself in,' Blumenfield said. Knodl asked whether there are any engineer positions currently open. 'Are there male engineers available to fill those spots? Are you keeping them open for female engineers?' Knodl asked. 'No we don't do that,' Connors responded. Blumenfield asked if he knew any engineers, and Knodl said his son is an engineer. Wimberger argued that by implementing DEI programs, people are presuming things about people based on 'immutable characteristics.' 'Respectfully, Senator, I think this committee is conflating this idea of what DEI is with what's actually happening at the state agencies,' Connor said. 'What's happening at the state agencies is what the secretary is describing. It's this effort to recruit and retain talent in line with [several factors].' She used the example of the American with Disabilities Act, noting that it's an anti-discrimination law. 'If I'm building a building, and I have multiple floors, I have to have an elevator, I have to have ramps,' Connors said. 'If I wanted to help people with disabilities, would I build a ramp?' Wimberger asked. 'If you want them to access your building,' Connors said. 'Not if their disability isn't related to mobility,' Wimberger shot back. Sen. Melissa Ratcliff asked about the time the agencies spent complying with the audit. Blumenfield said they spent over 600 hours — or more than 75 eight-hour work days. 'That took us, actually, away from the work that we were doing to try and achieve a lot of the outcomes,' Blumenfield said. Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and UW-Madison Jennifer Mnookin told lawmakers that the DEI practices throughout the system are constantly evolving and are important to student success. Rothman said he has come to think of DEI as 'a broad concept that includes differences in political ideology and religious beliefs, first generation status, disabled status, veteran status, in addition to those who would come from historically underrepresented groups' and that UW's focus is 'on each individual student as an individual to ensure their success as a student and to ensure that they leave our universities with enhanced level of cultural competency.' Wimberger asked about whether UW-Madison has scholarships that consider race. Mnookin said that while it was considered as a 'modest' factor in admissions before the U.S. Supreme Court decision, that is no longer the case. She added that the U.S. Supreme Court decision does not directly speak to scholarships and that there are a few exceptions to this at UW-Madison because of some state statutes. 'Nobody is getting a scholarship from UW Madison on the basis of the racial preference,' Mnookin said. 'We also are no longer accepting new scholarships from donors that call out identity characteristics in that way.' Some Republican lawmakers also asked about LaVar J. Charlteston, the UW-Madison chief diversity officer who was demoted from his position due to financial concerns including 'highly atypical and excessive spending across multiple dimensions — from bonuses to compensation adjustments to travel, supplies and furnishings.' Wimberger asked if UW would fill the position he left vacant. Mnookin said she has a new part-time advisor, but it is not the same. 'It is not at all the same role that Dr. Charlteston had,' Mnookin said. 'We were trying to think about what does pluralism look like? How do we create a culture where conversations across our differences, no matter your identity or no matter your beliefs, are something that is happening?' Mnookin said they are also working on implementing new financial controls with consultation from Deloitte to help prevent further occurrences like this. 'I don't begrudge you for doing that,' Wimberger said. Rep. Robert Wittke (R-Caledonia), who expressed concerns about the variety of DEI definitions on campus, asked Rothman what the system is going to do to work on setting a standard across campuses. 'There was the sense coming out of the audit that we didn't have a sense of what's going on. I don't think that's a fair characterization,' Rothman said. During the hearing, Rothman commended Mnookin for her work, particularly naming the Deliberation Dinners she has hosted, which are an opportunity for students to participate in conversations about controversial issues. Mnookin said it is part of their work to make people feel included on campus. 'Part of what we are trying to create — and, Senator, I acknowledge that we have further work to do — is a place where, whatever your background or your identity you can feel comfortable sharing perspectives,' Mnookin said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Higher education leaders ask lawmakers for state funding as federal cuts loom
Jay O. Rothman, president of the University of Wisconsin System, speaks during the UW Board of Regents meeting hosted at Union South at the University of Wisconsin–Madison on Feb. 9, 2023. (Photo by Althea Dotzour / UW–Madison) Federal funding cuts and national culture war politics cast a long shadow over a state legislative committee hearing Thursday as Wisconsin's higher education leaders asked lawmakers for additional investments in the next state budget — warning that disinvestment by the state could damage public universities', private nonprofit schools' and technical colleges' ability to serve students and the state. Lawmakers working on the 2025-27 state budget are gathering feedback from agency heads and members of the public just as higher education institutions across the country are facing an onslaught of threats from the Trump administration. As Republican lawmakers on the Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee grilled Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and other higher education leaders on their budget goals, they appeared skeptical about providing additional funding. They pointed to current levels of spending and diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which state Republicans have demanded be cut from the UW. Democratic lawmakers, meanwhile, expressed concerns about federal cuts to research and recent targeting of international students whose visas have been revoked. Rothman asked lawmakers whether the state is going to let its public universities 'atrophy.' If not, he said, new investments need to be made. The UW system has requested an additional $855 million, with the support of Gov. Tony Evers, in the upcoming budget. The money would be used to keep college affordable and accessible for Wisconsinites, invest in retaining talented staff and support innovation, Rothman said. He told lawmakers the money would help UW maintain its two-year campuses and avoid raising tuition. 'We are at a state that without additional support from the state, student successes that we are seeing across our universities are at risk,' Rothman said. He noted that the state's investment in the system has not kept up with inflation, and the money would put Wisconsin at the median nationwide. This would be up from Wisconsin's current position of 43rd out of 50 when it comes to state investment in public universities. This is not the first time Rothman has testified to lawmakers about the system's request, having addressed lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee, which is in charge of writing the budget on April 1. Committee Chair Rep. Dave Murphy (R-Greenville) asked Rothman where he thought the money would come from. 'That is a challenge for the Legislature… This is an investment in the future of the state. We are returning $23 for every dollar that is invested in the Universities of Wisconsin,' Rothman said, citing a number that comes from a 2018 study. Murphy told Rothman that he was 'leery' of that number. 'If we're increasing the money to the university by $855 million, are you telling me that I can expect $20 billion?' Murphy asked. Rothman pointed out that lawmakers and their constituents have benefited from the existence of UW schools. 'At this table, you represent districts that have 9,000 students currently in school at the Universities of Wisconsin… More than half of you have attended one of our universities and hopefully you have benefitted from that,' Rothman said. Murphy attended UW-Fox Valley from 1972 to 1974, according to his legislative biography. The school was merged with UW-Fond du Lac and UW-Oshkosh in 2018, and is now known as UW Oshkosh-Fox Cities. That campus is set to close in June. Trump administration threats hanging over college campuses across the nation were central to the discussion over whether lawmakers should provide universities additional state funding. Rep. Amanda Nedweski (R-Pleasant Prairie) brought up diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at UW institutions. An audit released last week found campuses haven't been tracking their spending on these efforts. The audit was part of Republican lawmakers' ongoing targeting of DEI, and comes as the Trump administration has also ramped up efforts to try to eliminate diversity programs in education. Republican lawmakers used staff pay and capital projects funding during the last legislative cycle as a negotiating tool with the UW system to get concessions on DEI efforts, including a reduction in positions focused on DEI. 'We're trying to see more of an effort to see in money savings, and I know there's been reductions in positions, but there's also been requests to add more,' Nedweski said. 'We had a deal on DEI. Would you say that the UW system kept up their end of the deal?' 'Yes,' Rothman said. 'I wouldn't say that's what the audit says,' Nedweski said. Rothman responded that the UW has gone above and beyond the terms of the deal, having reduced staffing by 43 positions even though the agreed upon deadline won't arrive until December 2026. 'We were on our way when the [Legislative Audit Bureau] did its field work in May of 2024,' Rothman said. 'Since that time, we have made significant progress, and we are in compliance with the agreement as it relates to the positions. We've exceeded what we said we were going to do.' Nedweski said she was concerned about being able to measure the outcomes of the investments in DEI programs. 'We now have a pattern within the UW system and our other state agencies where taxpayers are making investments in things like employees teleworking without knowing if there's productivity. We've heard repeatedly from the UW system that we don't really know their actual impact,' Nedweski said. Rothman noted that nearly 36,000 students graduate with degrees from Universities of Wisconsin schools each year. 'I think that is an extraordinary [return-on-investment] for our state,' Rothman said. Murphy asked Rothman about a letter from the Trump administration sent to over 60 schools, including UW-Madison, warning that they could face consequences if they don't address 'antisemitism' on campus. UW-Madison is one of many schools where students joined encampment protests against the war in Gaza last spring. The Trump administration has said the university didn't properly protect Jewish students. 'How do we control this antisemitism problem on our campuses?' Murphy asked. Before Rothman answered the question, Rep. Jodi Emerson (D-Eau Claire) interjected, asking what the topic had to do with the budget. Murphy shot back that, as chair of the committee, he could ask what he wanted. 'If you think this isn't a budgetary issue, I think you should talk to Columbia University and see what they would say about that,' Murphy said. Columbia became a target of the Trump administration after large student protests there and has had over $400 million in federal funding, mostly for medical and other scientific research, terminated, despite agreeing to police student protesters and place the department of Middle East, South Asian and African Studies under scrutiny. Rothman said the UW system is navigating First Amendment issues and being inclusive, but that the UW has done a lot of work to ensure that all students, including Jewish students, those with conservative beliefs, veterans, those who are disabled, 'feel they are part of the campus community.' Democrats on the committee expressed concerns about federal cuts to research funding, potential threats to Pell Grants and student loans and the targeting of international students. Emerson asked about the impact of federal cuts to research. The Trump administration has been targeting funding for higher education institutions across the country, including cutting over $12 million in research funding to UW-Madison. The flagship campus has laid off six employees so far. Rothman said he is deeply concerned about the federal cuts. UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee are both tier one research institutions and the federal government invests about $1 billion annually in UW schools for research, Rothman said. 'It's not like we can start five years from now, six years from now… These research engines were built over generations,' Rothman said. 'If they are not maintained, that's gone.' Rothman said the impact would be felt in sectors across the state including as research would be lost and researchers even in the private sector could be affected as many are educated at public universities. Rothman said that philanthropic support would be incapable of filling the gap that would be left from federal funding cuts. Nedweski said she thought there is skepticism among taxpayers about the federal funding of research. She asked whether the UW system is expecting Wisconsin taxpayers to pick up the cost. 'I don't think that the state could afford to pick up what could be lost,' Rothman said. 'I think what's going to happen if that occurs is that research capacity is going to decline, research infrastructure is going to decline and that will be our new reality going forward.' Emerson also asked Rothman whether the Trump administration's move to cancel foreign students' visas is having a 'chilling effect' on prospective international students. Dozens of UW students and alumni, including 26 at UW-Madison, have had their visas cancelled by the Trump administration in recent weeks as a part of an unprecedented nationwide move by the federal government targeting international students. 'Do we have fewer applications from international students for next school year?… Are there international students who are thinking of finishing their bachelor's or higher education back home?' Emerson asked. Rothman said that it was too early to know as most applications have already been submitted. He said that about 10,000 international students attend UW schools. 'We may have a number of international students who might be accepted into our universities that will not come because of this. We know there is anxiety among our international students just generally, for reasons that are understandable,' Rothman said, adding that the university is seeking to support students, but is not providing legal representation to them. Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities President Eric Fulcomer told lawmakers the top priority for private nonprofit colleges and universities is doubling the funding for the Wisconsin Grant (WG-PNP) Program, which provides assistance to undergraduate, Wisconsin residents enrolled in a degree or certificate program at non-profit, independent colleges or universities based in Wisconsin, from $57 million to $114 million. Fulcomer's organization represents 22 private nonprofit colleges and universities in Wisconsin, including Marquette University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Beloit College and St. Norbert College. It also includes Northland College, which was founded in 1892, but announced in February the school will be closing after this year's graduation due to financial hardships. There has been no additional investment in the grant program in the last two state budgets. Private, nonprofit schools don't receive state funding to sustain their operations, but many students rely on the funding to be able to attend the schools. Among its neighboring states, Wisconsin ranks last when it comes to the amount of need-based grants awarded to students attending private nonprofit schools. The investment would not bring Wisconsin to the top, but would bring it to the middle among states in the Midwest. Currently, Wisconsin can give a maximum amount of $4,400. The schools' request is more than the governor's budget request; Evers proposed a 20% increase. 'I would prefer a larger increase,' Fulcomer said. '20% would be welcomed but it's not enough to move the needle.' If there is no increase in the budget, Fulcomer said the award will need to be reduced to $3,850, bringing Wisconsin even further below its peers. Nedweski asked if he had suggestions for where the money for the budget request could come from. The state has a $4 billion budget surplus, which Evers wants to pull from to fund many priorities in his budget. Fulcomer noted that about a quarter of all bachelor's degrees and a third of all master's degrees come from Wisconsin's private, nonprofit schools and that students are providing millions in revenue to the state via taxes. 'It's a good investment, but I'm not in a position to tell you where you might find those dollars,' Fulcomer said. 'We are not operating with a lot of extra money in the next biennium. If you get more, it has to come out of somebody else's bucket,' Nedweski said. Rep. Rob Kreibich (R-New Richmond) commented that he thinks lawmakers 'should reward success' and he admires the retention and placement rates for the private schools. Emerson asked about what would happen if the Pell Grants were reduced or eliminated — a question that comes as the federal grants face a shortfall and as there is also uncertainty surrounding the future of student loans. 'Potentially we'd be looking at a 27% cut to enrollment,' Fulcomer said. 'Cutting the Pell Grant or eliminating the Pell Grant would be devastating for our sector.' Wisconsin Technical College System President Layla Merrifield asked for about $60 million from the state, including $45 million that would go toward general aid for its 16 colleges. The technical college system's budget for 2024-25 totaled about $1.3 billion with $592.9 million coming from state aid. 'There's almost no better investment that you could make in Wisconsin's economy, in its workforce and its people than the technical college system,' Merrifield said. 'Our outcomes are well documented. We are transparent with our data, both our failings and our successes.' Murphy thanked Merrifield for her approach to the budget. It is 'a little bit what we were looking for from the UW today…,' Murphy said. 'They want $855 million, but it's taken nine months, and we still don't have very much detail around what they expect to do with that money.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Universities of Wisconsin names the next Chancellor of UW-Oshkosh
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – On Tuesday, officials with the Universities of Wisconsin officially named the next Chancellor of UW-Oshkosh. According to a release, the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents unanimously approved Dr. Manohar Singh to be the next Chancellor of UW-Oshkosh following a recommendation made by a selection committee. 60+ businesses pitch to over 2,000 students during Fox Cities Chamber Career Expo Singh, the current interim president of Western Connecticut State University will assume the role of UWO's 12th leader beginning on July 1. Officials say he has served as the interim president at Western Connecticut State University since 2023, before that he was the Dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies at Southern Connecticut State University. He is said to have held leadership positions at Humboldt State University (California), Penn State University Abington (Pennsylvania), and Long Island University Post (New York), and was also a professor of finance at several schools. The engagement of the UW-Oshkosh campus community in the search process was significant, and the enthusiasm for what comes next was palpable. We feel that Dr. Singh possesses the talent and skill to harness the energy on campus and lead it into a bright future. Regent Ashok Rai, chair of the Search and Screen Committee Under Singh's leadership, Western Connecticut State University reversed years of enrollment decline and found financial stability while also expanding its athletic programs and introducing new academic offerings. De Pere school 1 of 35 nationwide schools chosen for the NFL PLAY 60 'Day of Play' Singh earned a bachelor's and master's degree in economics from Punjab University-Chandigarh (India), as well as another master's degree in economics from the University of Waterloo in Ontario. He also earned a Ph.D. in finance from Southern Illinois University. I am moved by the passion of UW-Oshkosh students pursuing their dreams, the devotion of faculty mentoring them with compassion and rigor, and the dedication of staff ensuring student success every step of the way. They are the reason I believe in the promise of this university—and the boundless potential of what we can achieve together. Dr. Manohar Singh Officials say Singh succeeds Andrew Leavitt, who is reportedly planning to teach chemistry at UW-Oshkosh after spending a year away at another university. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Four finalists named for UW-Oshkosh chancellor position
OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) – Four finalists have been named for the position of chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Announced by Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, a special regents committee selected the finalists from a list of candidates. City of Oshkosh announces temporary change to drinking water The finalists, listed in alphabetical order, are: Robert Brinkmann – Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Northern Illinois University (DeKalb, IL) Amy Hietapelto – Dean, Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota-Duluth (Duluth, MN) Manohar Singh – Interim President, Western Connecticut State University (Danbury, CT) Joe Whitehead – Senior Advisor to the President for Regional Science Initiatives, Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH) Next week, the candidates will participate in separate campus forums, offering opportunities for students, faculty, staff, and community members to interact directly with them. The finalists will also take part in a public conversation. Draft City Music Fest reveals schedule for Wednesday & Saturday at Leicht Park, De La Soul & Less Than Jake to headline After reviewing campus feedback, officials will recommend a single candidate to the Board of Regents, which must approve the appointment. The selected individual will become UW-Oshkosh's 12th leader. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UWEC professor discusses how civil dialogue skills are built up at the university
EAU CLAIRE — For UW-Eau Claire Psychology Professor April Bleske-Rechek, being able to engage in civil dialogue is a chance to engage with others and learn from different perspectives. As part of an ongoing conversation, one question that is asked of universities is whether students are given the opportunities to engage in civil dialogue and free expression. As part of a survey that was conducted across the Universities of Wisconsin in fall of 2022, Bleske-Rechek said the results gave some insight into students' perspectives on the matter. 'What that data showed is that a lot of students are not comfortable with speaking up on campus and in their classrooms, especially when it comes to controversial issues,' she said. 'Maybe this has always been the case — I don't know — but it has only been in the last few years that people have really started to ask how comfortable are students speaking up in the classroom on controversial topics. 'There were some pretty robust group differences. For example, students who are even moderate or somewhat conservative feel extra not comfortable speaking up, and there was even some data in there to suggest that students who are politically liberal know that students who are conservative are not comfortable speaking up.' As part of an initiative to help students build up skills to participate in discussions that may be on controversial topics, efforts at UW-Eau Claire have been on building up those skills and participating in discussions and civic engagement. A study of Bleske-Rechek's recently published in January by the SNF Ithaca Initiative detailed some of her findings, with the paper being titled 'Promoting Students' Engagement with Civil Dialogue.' Supported by the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, Bleske-Rechek took part in a pilot study in the fall of 2023 on the effectiveness of the Unify America College Bowl, a program that pairs students with different political beliefs for a guided conversation. But one difficulty for her was with participation, noting that many students she talked to had anxieties or fears about participating, felt that they did not have strong enough political opinions to articulate their beliefs or believed that they were not especially skilled at articulating their point. 'Yet when they do it, they feel like it was worthwhile,' she said. Data from continuing years showed that roughly 76% of attendees said they are more comfortable having face to face conversations with people who have different viewpoints and 75% said they place more value on different viewpoints from their own. 'I think when you have the opportunity to engage in conversation with somebody who isn't likely to share all of their views, you actually get the sense that they are just another American who is going about their business and wants people to get along, and you don't have to agree about everything,' said Bleske-Rechek. 'And just because you disagree about one thing doesn't mean you disagree about everything. But, you don't ever know that unless you choose to engage.' In another vein of encouraging civil dialogue, students have organized a local chapter of BridgeUSA at the university named BridgeEauClaire. 'The club is the 'anti-debate' club, in that the goal is not to win in a fight over polarized topics but to understand other perspectives and constructively share opinions,' Assistant Professor of Political Science and club advisor Adam Kunz said in a press release from the university. 'BridgeEauClaire has allowed students to discuss important topics without feeling the pressure of putting a partisan label on their beliefs.' As part of their model, BridgeUSA says their mission is to 'empower young people to engage in constructive dialogue and disagreement to improve the quality of politics' on their website. 'If more faculty and administrators can encourage their students to participate in these activities, UWEC can be a Universities of Wisconsin leader in helping students break out of echo chambers and algorithmic, profit-driven partisan traps,' Kunz said in the press release. With a focus on how to encourage and bolster civil dialogue, part of the work is to see how skills can be built up to encourage conversations on pressing and relevant topics. Bleske-Rechek said there is a desirable difficulty with these conversations, as having opportunities and encouraging engagement may help overcome the difficulty. 'UW-Eau Claire has a long tradition of bringing national and international thought leaders to campus so our community can engage with the most pressing topics of the time,' UWEC Chancellor James Schmidt said in a press release. 'New experiences, like participation in the Unify America College Bowl or a BridgeEauClaire event, may help more of today's students develop the skills and confidence needed to engage in respectful discussions even when they know their classmates may hold different beliefs.'
