Spring 2014 Registration

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SPRING 2014 REGISTRATION ISSUE

VOLUME 45, ISSUE 29

SPRING 2014

Kirby Wright

WELCOME BACK

Cross plans for future of UW System New president to focus on communication

Q&A with former UW Extension chancellor

Aaron Drews

Aaron Drews

Digital State Editor “Basic to every purpose of the system is the search for truth,” part of the mission statement for the University of Wisconsin System, has become a guiding principle for Ray Cross as he prepares to

take over as president of the system. Cross sat down in an interview with the Badger Herald to explain his vision for success to students. His main goal is to bring innovation and openness to the 26 campuses and extension

schools of the University of Wisconsin System as president of the state’s public higher education system. Cross said he was initially overwhelmed by the responsibility of upholding the standards and traditions of the

RAY CROSS, page 2

Digital State Editor The Badger Herald sat down with Cross Tuesday to discuss his vision for the UW System. Questions and answers have been edited for style and clarity.

The Badger Herald: What qualities or experiences do you believe will be most helpful for you in this position? Raymond Cross: Perhaps the most important attribute that I hope I can bring to this is listening. I don’t think

anyone is the perfect listener, but that’s half of all communications. We all need to do a better job of listening. I believe the university is full of good lecturers, but we should also be good listeners. It’s

Q & A, page 6

WiscMail facing changes Reports: transition to Office 365 could prove ‘difficult,’ to be finished by Aug. Rachel Jones

Print Campus Editor

Kirby Wright The Badger Herald New recreational buildings could cost more than $200 million, 60 percent of which students will pay for.

Rec Sports prepares for upcoming student vote Referendum in spring 2014 will decide the fate of new facilities Aliya Iftikhar

Print News Editor Overcrowding at the University of Wisconsin’s recreational facilities, which already fall 85,000 square feet short of fitness standards, could end if the student body approves a referendum to transform campus workout spaces in the spring elections.

Recreational Sports has been working toward a Master Plan for the past year that will address quality and space shortages in its facilities. With less than two months before the Master Plan goes to referendum on the campuswide spring ballot, Rec Sports has begun finalizing design concepts and preparations. If the referendum passes, Rec Sports will have one year to select an architect and engineer before beginning the design and construction process on the buildings, Rec Sports

Director John Horn said. As outlined in the plan, the Southeast Recreational Facility would be the first building slated to open in 2019 and the Natatorium would open in 2021. Given the major space concerns that already exist within its facilities, Rec Sports is working to determine how it will address these concerns if there is one less facility available due to construction, Horn said. “There’s no question that this will be an

REC SPORTS, page 6

As the University of Wisconsin continues the email and calendar transition to Office 365, some reports show the transition may not go as smoothly as administrators hope. The WiscMail system hinges on the verge of a technical

overhaul, Brian Rust, senior administrative program specialist of the Department of Information Technology, said. The email transition from WiscMail to Office 365 is slotted to finish no later than August 2014, according to the business case released by Administrative Excellence in June 2012. “Actual migrations have yet to start,” Rust said in an email to The Badger Herald. “Development and preparations for the transition have taken a bit longer than expected. But we are a unique case or campus in that we are moving 80,000+ accounts from several different

mail and calendar systems to one. Other campuses have moved from one to one.” According to Alice Gustafson, director of the Administrative Process Redesign team, the process is slow due to the large number of email and scheduling platforms being used by different departments and units. UW used reports by technology advisory firm Gartner in the decisionmaking process. These reports obtained by The Badger Herald recommended clients first move

WISCMAIL, page 4

State helps job seekers Unemployment at record low in Wis. since the Great Recession of 2008 Aaron Drews

Digital State Editor Despite little action seen at the federal level, Wisconsin officials are confident in the state’s ability to provide support for the unemployed.

© 2013 BADGER HERALD

The U.S. Senate failed to approve a bill Jan. 15 that would have extended unemployment benefits to the roughly 1.4 million people whose eligibility expired Dec. 28. As a result of the vote, an additional 72,000 Americans will lose their benefits each week, according to a statement from U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison. However, John Dipko, a

spokesperson for the state Department of Workforce Development, emphasized unemployment in Wisconsin has reached a record low of 6.3 percent since its highest levels in December 2008 in an email to The Badger Herald. According to Workforce Development, current unemployment insurance claims in Wisconsin are down nearly 2 percent from the same

UNEMPLOYMENT, page 6


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