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Thursday, January 28, 2010
State to get over $800M for rail line By Ariel Shapiro and Hannah Furfaro The Daily Cardinal
BY THE NUMBERS
2.91 3.23
24.4 26.7
Average UW-Madison GPA in fall 1988-’89 semester
Average ACT score of incoming freshmen in fall 1988-’89 semester
Average UW-Madison GPA in fall 2008-’09 semester
Average ACT score of incoming freshmen in fall 2008-’09 semester
photo illustration by Isabel Álvarez/the daily cardinal
Higher GPAs raise grade inflation concerns at UW By Jessica Feld The Daily Cardinal
A recent report argues that a trend toward higher grades at UW-Madison is the result of lowered classroom standards over the past 15 years. Between 1990 and 2007, UW-Madison students’ average grade point average increased by .25 points, making today’s average GPA over 3.2, according to a report released by former Duke University professor Stuart Rojstaczer. Rojstaczer said in his report the increasing costs of attending a public university increase the pressure on faculty to reward students with higher grades. With increases in tuition, he said, professors continue to lower grading standards and simplify class content to ensure students remain satisfied. Former UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley said he believes an increasingly competitive admission process, not the lowering of classroom standards, explains UW-Madison’s grade increases. “Today we get 25,000 applications, and we can only admit about half of those students,” Wiley said. “That means we have to be more selective ... so we’ve got better prepared and higher performing students than we used to have.” The 2009 freshman class marked the admission office’s most selective year to date, with the average ACT score at 28, the highest ever, according to the UW-Madison
2008-’09 Data Digest. “I don’t think it’s right or fair or good public policy to take in basically the top 10 percent of our high schools and then flunk out a bunch of them,” Wiley said. “I think it’s logical and understandable that students today are getting higher grades.” According to Rojstaczer, however, competitive admission standards do not explain the higher grades. “Such quantitative efforts are of dubious worth, because even the organization that administers the SAT test, the College Board, is unable to show that SAT scores are a good predictor of college GPA,” Rojstaczer said in the report. Aaron Brower, vice provost for teaching and learning, said he thinks it is clear students’ grades continue to increase but the reasons behind the increase are unknown. “It’s hard to know whether grades are going up because students are knowing more or grades are going up because of grade inflation,” Brower said. While the reasons behind grade increases continue to be debated, Wiley said the numbers do not trouble him. “[We could] rack up the difficulty of the homework, the tests and the material,” Wiley said. “But is that a good thing to do? Is that our purpose as a public institution? Our purpose is to produce more degrees, not to produce more failures.”
Wisconsin is set to receive over $800 million in federal funds for a high-speed rail line that will connect Madison to Milwaukee and other large Midwest cities, according to a statement from the White House. The statement said the majority of the funds will be used to upgrade 80 miles of track between Madison and Milwaukee, with rail service expected between the two cities by 2013. According to the Wisconsin State Journal, $13 million of the funds will be used to improve infrastructure along the Milwaukee-Chicago corridor. The long-term aim of the project
is to span approximately 441 miles with improved track and to connect the Twin Cities to Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. The entire federal grant is $823 million, which will fund the Madison-MilwaukeeChicago improvements and include nearly $1 million to study a proposed high-speed rail line between Madison and the Twin Cities, according to the WSJ. According to the White House, the new trains will travel at up to 110 mph. Part of the funds will also go toward updating train stations. According to the statement, the improvements and long-term vision of the project aim to reduce travel time for passengers and save energy.
In his State of the State Address Tuesday night, Doyle mentioned the possibility of the rail line and said, “With the Obama administration’s support, Wisconsin is poised to be the nation’s leader in highspeed rail manufacturing.” In his speech on the subject last April, President Barack Obama said he is particularly invested in a high-speed rail system for the Midwest and said the rail line is “something close to my heart.” “Building a new system of high-speed rail in America will be faster, cheaper and easier than building more freeways or adding to an already overburdened aviation system, and everybody stands to benefit,” Obama said.
Obama calls for compromise, health-care reform By Alison Dirr The Daily Cardinal
In his State of the Union Address Wednesday, President Barack Obama called for mobilization of his party and appealed to Republicans for compromise on health-care reform. “Despite our hardships, our union is strong,” Obama said. “In this new decade, it’s time the American people get a government that matches their decency, that embodies their strength.” Obama focused on the struggling middle class and said families are strapped for cash for a number of reasons. He said American families want to see an improving economy, more jobs and lower college costs. In response to these issues, he outlined a new bill that would dis-
tribute $30 million in repaid bank bailout funds to small businesses. Obama also promised to help students pay off college loans by guaranteeing students their debt will be forgiven after 20 years. Obama also said he plans to pull all troops out of Iraq by this summer. Gov. Robert McDonnell of Virginia gave the Republican State of the Union Response and said he did not approve of what he perceived as “big government” initiatives. “The circumstances of our time demand that we reconsider and restore the proper, limited role of government at every level,” McDonnell said. Obama outlined specifics of health-care reform plans and said he wanted members of Congress to work together to find a solution.
“We are closer than ever to bringing more security to the lives of so many Americans,” Obama said. “Here’s what I ask of Congress, though: Do not walk away from reform.” Obama also proposed a spending freeze for three years beginning in 2011. Obama cited spending during the Bush administration as the cause of today’s financial problems and said cutting discretionary government spending is the answer to improving the economy. Obama acknowledged that his administration made mistakes in its first year but urged all Americans to move forward together. “A new year has come,” Obama said. “Let’s seize this moment to start anew, to carry the dream forward and to strengthen our union once more.”
UW-Madison pushes University Avenue vending proposal By Maggie DeGroot The Daily Cardinal
Discussion was heated Wednesday night at the Vending Oversight Committee meeting as members debated a review draft for the proposed University Avenue vending area. Madison Street Vending Coordinator Warren Hansen, who headed the project, said he has observed the area many times to measure where stands would be. Eight specific locations were discussed at the meeting, including a space between Park Street and Brooks Street in front of Grainger Hall. Although most members of the committee seemed content with the project, committee member Rosemary Lee was not. Lee said she had reservations because the proposal had been created at the suggestion of UW-Madison officials. She said the university has no right to tell vendors where they can and cannot operate. Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, brought up the issue of exclusive
use during the Mifflin Street Block Party. The proposed vending area would include the 400 and 500
blocks of West Mifflin Street. Verveer suggested the sponsors vending page 3
STEPHANIE MOEBIUS/the daily cardinal
Vending Oversight Committee member Rosemary Lee expressed concerns about the University Avenue vending area proposal.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”