The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents met Friday to discuss both the proposed Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and campus procedures for reporting sexual assaults as well as to distribute academic staff awards.
The meeting opened with a memorial for Ann Lydecker, the Chancellor of UW-River Falls. Lydecker died in a car accident March 24.
Lydecker’s friends remembered her as an inspiration to both staff and students. At Friday’s meeting, they referred to her as “the glue that held us together.”
UW-Stevens Point’s new Chancellor, Linda Bunnell, was also named at Friday’s meeting placing her as the first woman to ever take this position at this university.
Apart from the Chancellor appointment, a strong point of discussion came at the debate over TABOR, a proposed constitutional amendment requiring voter consent to raise state taxes.
The regents struggled to reach a consensus on UW’s response to the proposal.
Regent Axtell said he did not feel comfortable making a motion because he did not know enough about TABOR, asking, “Can’t we wait and be schooled on the subject?” Others felt that UW needed to take a stand quickly since this issue was one of immediate concern.
“We are not taking the position that we are opposed to state spending,” Regent President Toby Marcovich said.
Regent Jose Olivieri turned the discussion to the reporting of sexual assault on UW campuses, attempting to explain the disparity in reporting numbers between campuses.
“The differences come down to the difficulty in getting people to report [sexual assault],” he said, adding that campuses with anonymous reporting services achieved a more accurate report as a whole.
The regents also discussed tuition reciprocity between UW and the University of Minnesota. Due to Minnesota’s rising costs, the two universities are debating whether reciprocity can continue. Negotiations for reciprocity take place every few years. So far no changes have been made.
The board concurred that reciprocity should be preserved because it maximizes student choice while minimizing costs. Members of the board feared that if reciprocity were eliminated, the flow of students would change, resulting in increased enrollment pressure within Wisconsin.
Regent Roger Axtell discussed UW’s most recent financial concerns, among which was last year’s 18 percent out-of-state tuition increase that resulted in UW losing more than 400 students. He suggested that if all UW schools followed the lead of UW-Platteville by offering non-resident discounts for specialized programs, this loss of students could be amended.
Regent Vice-President David Walsh said all qualified students should have access to higher education, noting that, “the creative mind knows no income levels.”
The state of Wisconsin ranks 17th in low-income students’ access to higher education.
The meeting continued the distributing of the Academic Staff Awards of Excellence to two winners from among 15 award nominees. Regent Eileen Connelly-Keesler presented the first award to Deon Nontelle from UW-Lacrosse’s Biology department.
“It’s such a joy to receive an award for something you truly love to do,” Nontelle said. “It’s an honor to represent all of Wisconsin’s academic staff.”
Regent Gerard Randall Jr. presented the second award to Pamela Fint from the UW Center for Economic Development. Fint has worked to help northeast Milwaukee cope with the loss of industrial jobs and to promote the city’s economic growth.
The board designated May 7 as UW Spirit Day. On this occasion all students, faculty and alumni are encouraged to wear UW’s school colors.
