There is a disease infecting this university, and like many preventable diseases, this one could have been avoided. 

The disease is faculty flight, and one cause is the toxic environment established by the state Legislature.  For those of you unfamiliar with this phenomenon, the predominant symptom is an overwhelming urge for talented professors to gather all their possessions and move to universities where they will be appreciated.   

This is not a new problem, but with help from those like Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, it is easier than ever to diagnose. In his Sept. 2, 2008, column (“University governance must permit conservative values”), Nass rails against the liberal indoctrination of the university. He accuses liberal state leaders of using the university “as a state-funded tool to be used in partisan fights.” I am not sure if Nass had a traumatic experience while attending University of Wisconsin-Whitewater or if he realizes the reverse correlation between education level and Republican Party affiliation, but either way his views on the university are clearly detached from reality.  

One would assume that if Nass’ accusation that UW is engaging in increased political indoctrination was true, then the UW campus would be visibly more liberal than in the past. Yet looking around, it is hard to see any evidence of this. In the 1960s, the UW-Madison campus was a hotbed for anti-war activism. In the 1990s, student fees went to fund the Green Coalition and The Info-Shop, both of which provided easy access to anarchist and socialist literature. None of this is true today. In fact, on July 3, 2008, the New York Times ran an article (“The ’60s Begin to Fade as Liberal Professors Retire”) concerning UW’s shift rightward.   

While the debate over UW’s political indoctrination is purely anecdotal, one fact is clear: appointing Steve Nass as chairman of the state Assembly’s Committee on Colleges and Universities was intended to antagonize the university.  The move is visibly working.   

The first point of attack has been the precipitous decline in state support.  Consequentially, UW has the lowest faculty pay among our peer institutions. This has created an environment that allows competing universities to sweep in and offer higher salaries and added perks, like easier teaching loads, to our best professors. The de-funding of the university is not a new phenomenon, but compounded with other elements of the Legislature’s onslaught, it has certainly exacerbated the situation.  

Secondly, UW-Madison remains the only school in the Big Ten not to offer faculty or staff domestic partner benefits, although the state of Michigan‘s ban of benefits puts Michigan State and Michigan‘s plans in jeopardy. This alienates not only those faculty members with same-sex partners but also those in long-term heterosexual relations who have decided not to marry. Regardless of feelings on gay marriage, providing domestic partner benefits is simply good business. This is probably why every single school in the Big Ten, with the exception of Wisconsin, provides them.  

Thirdly, the state Legislature has conducted Salem witch trial-like investigations into how UW faculty members spend their time and use their benefits. One of their favorite topics is a benefit which allows professors to accumulate unused sick days and convert them to medical benefits upon retirement. The state Legislature found that professors take remarkably few sick days. In my four years at the university, I cannot remember a single time a professor missed class due to illness. Rather than commending our faculty for going to class — even when they would rather stay at home with a cup of chicken noodle soup and the most recent copy of Chemical & Engineering News — legislators blasted the faculty for not properly reporting their time.   

Ironically, the Legislature has the same benefit as the university faculty. A Nov. 25, 2006, article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel titled “Lawmakers Bypass Sick Days” revealed that in the previous four years only two lawmakers had claimed any sick leave, despite others having missed votes and committee meetings due to illnesses.  Nevertheless, the state Legislature has the audacity to accuse professors of abusing this benefit.  

So how does this affect you, as a student? It is no surprise that better professors provide better learning opportunities for UW students. As students at UW, we are given unique opportunities to interact with people who are truly preeminent in their fields. There is cutting-edge research happening all around us. Faculty flight has immediate consequences on our ability to receive an exceptional education.   

Additionally, the danger does not stop when you walk across the stage. You are currently investing tens of thousands of dollars into an education. If the reputation of a UW education plummets after you graduate, the value of your education will significantly depreciate. Your diploma from this institution will inextricably link the value of your education to the quality of your alma mater.   

After the breakout of the Avian Flu, millions in Asia began to wear facemasks as they walked the streets. When anthrax was found in the postal system, Americans feared opening their mail. The mere threat of Mad Cow has lead to huge protests in Seoul, South Korea. Now in Madison we are confronted by a disease that threatens our way of life and our future livelihood. We cannot sit idly and let this contagion spread. 

Alex Gallagher ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history.