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Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Forum explores goals for new diversity plan By Megan Stoebig and Tamar Myers the daily cardinal
The 2013 Diversity Forum kicked off Monday with two keynote speeches in addition to 10 concurrent sessions aiming to improve diversity issues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. According to Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell, attendance on Monday was 60 percent higher than at last year’s forum. During a listening session, The Ad Hoc Diversity Planning Committee presented a general framework of the goals for a campus diversity proposal. The new diversity plan would
include how social, economic and political factors impact diversity, whereas the previous plan, which expired in 2008, focused on recruitment and retention problems at the university in regard to ethnicity and gender, according to the committee co-chairs Ruth Litovsky and Ryan Adserias. Additionally, in a breakout group, four experts discussed bolstering the success of underrepresented students studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Institute for Biology Education representative Jennifer BallSharpe said implementing support programs can help connect
students to STEM fields, and stressed the importance of FirstYear Interest Groups in making those connections. During the first keynote speech, University of CaliforniaLos Angeles Professor Sylvia Hurtado discussed her model for creating diverse learning environments, highlighting the need for understanding different factors that influence a campus climate. Her model aims to understand a group’s history of inclusion or exclusion within a campus community. Hurtado added that a campus community must ask
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Experts stress the importance of STEM fields
Committee presents new ideas for diversity plan
Increasing Underrepresented Student Participation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, a session within the Diversity Forum Monday, discussed the need for programs and collaboration throughout STEM fields not only for undergraduate students, but for graduate students as well. Presenters said there is a decline in average STEM skills and through the creation of programs such as First-Year Interest Groups students are able to learn in smaller groups that can assist with their university experience. Presenters at the forum discussed the need to create more programs for the graduate school level and said the collaboration of professors and students will create a better educational environment.
The Ad Hoc Diversity Planning Committee presented a framework for the new diversity plan, which would include social, economic and political factors, along with a renewed focus on the Wisconsin Idea in the diversity discussion. Co-chair Ryan Adserias saw the plan as, “…not only being a resource for the state, but having the people of the state be a resource for us.” After the presentation, a group consisting of campus employees, academic staff and students discussed the need to create safe places for conversation and the continual engagement of students and young professionals that are brought to campus.
SSFC denies MultiCultural Student Coalition’s appeal By Paige Villiard the daily cardinal
The Student Services Finance Committee denied the MultiCultural Student Coalition an additional eligibility hearing after listening to an internal appeal from the organization Monday. MCSC member Olivia Wick-Bander said SSFC members violated their oaths and Associated Students of Madison bylaws by passing new administrative rules after the deadline for action had passed. She also said Chair David Vines violated policy because he delivered an official eligibility denial letter to members of MCSC before the committee had approved it. Wick-Bander said the group’s denial letter indicated SSFC had a lack of information when they decided on MCSC’s eligibility. She also said SSFC found MCSC to be in violation of policy based on false claims. One claim stated MCSC had not submitted training contracts in 2012 in accordance with policy, but Wick-
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amy gruntner/the daily cardinal
MCSC member Olivia Wick-Bander speaks to SSFC about the group’s funding eligibility denial.
amy gruntner/the daily cardinal
U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, meets with the Legislative Affairs committee Monday to advocate for explicit voting rights.
Mark Pocan discusses adding voting rights to U.S. constitution By Tamar Myers the daily cardinal
Americans do not have a constitutionally mandated right to vote, U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, said at a Legislative Affairs committee meeting Monday night. The problem without having this clear right, he said, is that it makes denying voting privileges much easier. Pocan discussed this and several other issues with committee members, including the government shutdown, immigration reform and financial
aid restructuring. Pocan said he plans to work on putting voting rights in the constitution, which would prevent legislation such as voter ID laws that he said minimize voting access for groups such as students and seniors. “Instead of voters selecting their elected officials, elected officials want to select their voters,” Pocan said. Pocan also mentioned the need for immigration reform, and discussed possible legislation to
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Downtown safety will not receive additional funding By Dana Kampa the daily cardinal
The Board of Estimates denied additional funding to provide more police officers downtown in a budget amendment meeting Monday. The amendment, which is part of the Downtown Safety Initiative, would provide an additional $35,000 to the Madison Police Department for peak service times downtown and in surrounding areas and fund protection for State Street. The DSI protects the community by providing more policing and implementing programs to reduce violent crimes, including security cameras and community policing efforts. The board didn’t pass the amendment because they were uncertain how MPD would use the money. Ald. Mike Verveer, District
4, one of the alders sponsoring the amendment, explained how the lack of extra officers meant patrol officers could be pulled from responding to other crimes to come downtown and deal with critical incidents. “I think this program has proven its worth, its value, time and time again over the years,” Verveer said in the meeting. “We’re going to need additional staffing on the weekends,” interim Police Chief Randy Gaber said. “It is a predictable use of overtime funding.” Ald. Marsha Rummel, District 6, also questioned whether the University of WisconsinMadison is contributing to weekend policing needs. The MPD said the university pays some officers overtime on game days. Alders also proposed an
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“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”