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Regents wrestle with tuition, safety during summer
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by Carl Jaeger
Monday, August 6, 2007
The summer months have brought a change in leadership to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
The regents elected Wausau attorney Mark Bradley as the new regent president, taking over the position previously held by Madison attorney David Walsh. Bradley, who was Walsh's vice president, has previously served as a budget analyst for the University of Wisconsin System and is a graduate of the UW Law School.
The position of regent vice president will be served by Regent Chuck Pruitt.
Pruitt said being elected was a "great honor," and added that he is excited for the future of the Board of Regents.
"We have a lot of work to do in terms of advancing the growth, access and affordability agenda at the universities at a time that makes that a reality — both in terms of increasing the number of college graduates we have and … making sure we have a really strong university system," Pruitt said.
Pruitt has served on the Board of Regents for four years and has been the head of the Business, Finance and Audit Committee for two years. He is also a partner and co-managing director of A.B. Data, Ltd, a direct-response marketing firm in Milwaukee.
This summer, Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle appointed UW-Madison student Colleene Thomas as the new student regent, replacing outgoing UW-Parkside student Chris Semenas.
Thomas told The Badger Herald she is excited to fulfill her new duties, and "to work for positive solutions" within the UW System, particularly for students.
"I'm working on being well-educated on the issues and to communicate with students, as well as UW System staff, as well as to provide … an additional bridge of communication between students, the system staff, and other key players in the debates that are going on around the state," Thomas said.
Thomas was a member of the Associated Students of Madison's Shared Governance Committee, a group that furthers student rights and develops university policies intended to positively influence the campus.
Addressing campus safety
In June, the Board of Regents listened to a presentation by UW Police Chief Sue Riseling that outlined security issues relevant to UW in the wake of the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech.
UW System spokesperson David Giroux said although a similar event is unlikely to happen at UW, it is possible.
However, Giroux said while it is important to protect students and faculty from such events, it is also important to balance safety with students' rights.
"You have to weigh the risks of a tragedy like that happening with the freedoms that students need and want," Giroux said.
Campus ID program update
The Board of Regents also heard an update regarding a new student identification card that numerous UW System campuses are using, including UW-Oshkosh.
The card combines the uses of an identification card, access to libraries, food accounts, and university recreational facilities, in addition to serving as a debit card, Giroux said.
The new identification cards are a way to save costs, Giroux added, as they pass the costs of producing the card onto a third vendor, such as U.S. Bank in the case of UW-Oshkosh.
Although Giroux said that the new card is becoming a "trend across the country," he is unsure whether it will be available at UW-Madison.
The Board of Regents also met Aug. 7 to discuss the operating budget and tuition for the 2007-08 academic year.
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