University of Wisconsin-Madison
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‘We have to cut to the bone’ With the state slashing hundreds of millions of dollars from its budget, the UW System’s accessability—and its reputation—could be in jeopardy. By Anna Duffin
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dailycardinal.com
Additional cuts to the University of Wisocnsin System and expected tuition hikes pose a threat to the reputation of campuses state-wide, UW System President Kevin Reilly said. In addition to the initial $250 million in cuts to the UW System included in the state’s biennial budget, lawmakers told system leaders in October to plan for another $65.7 million in cuts this biennium; $46.1 million this year and $19.6 million next year. UW-Madison will begin to absorb $18 million of the cuts included in the lapse for this fiscal year, and could take an additional $7.5 million next year. “Sometimes you don’t know you’ve crossed the line in a downward direction until it has happened, and then it’s really hard to get the reputation back,” Reilly said. “It’s a lot easier to invest a little and keep the reputations high than it is to recover if you start to slip back because of budget cuts that damage the quality of education we offer our students and families.” Reilly said faculty and staff members’ compensation could suffer as a result of the cuts, and the prospect of some of the
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Budget cuts
The UW System could be expected to shoulder up to $315.7 million in budget cuts from the state this biennium
Reputation
UW System President Kevin Reilly said cutting back on programs and enrollment to bear the cuts puts UW’s reputation at risk
Tuition
Students saw a 5.5 percent increase in tuition this year, and Reilly said students will likely see another increase next year to help the system bear the cuts
Courses
Twenty-nine one-credit Physical Education courses are being cut because of budget shortages.
Programs
The master’s program that trains students to become school counselors and the Consumer Affairs major are being eliminated due to a lack of funding
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Lectures explore blending rap, education By Aarushi Agni The Daily Cardinal
Spoken word poet Michael Cirelli kicked off an event series Monday that focuses on hip-hop as a means of engaging under served minority students with their educations. The lecture was the first in the 15-week Getting Real II: Hip-Hop Pedagogy and Culture in the Classroom and Beyond series, which will explore the integration of spoken word and hip-hop culture in teaching and the development of students’ critical thinking. Professor Gloria Ladson-Billings, a professor of Urban Education at UW– Madison, orchestrated Monday’s event, as well as the entire series. Her research explores the strategies and methods of teachers that she says work well with
African-American students. Ladson-Billings believes the achievement gap between white and minority public school students is propelled by educators’ limited expectations in the abilities of minority students. “You can go to a school that is highly regarded but the teachers only expect certain things out of certain students,” she said. “My job is to connect up the artistry in hip-hop with the reality that kids are facing.” Ladson-Billings said that using hiphop in teaching is a way to “build kids’ sense of their own humanity through the arts,” she said, engaging kids “through the things that matter to them.” Cirelli, a New York-based poet and director of the hip-hop inspired Urban
Word writing program, led the audience in a close reading of a verse from rapper Aesop Rock’s song, Bazooka Tooth. In an exercise meant to promote critical thinking and analysis, Cirelli acknowledged the flipside of using hiphop as a teaching tool. “[Hip-Hop] is misogynistic, homophobic and racist. It is those things, but it’s a lot of other things as well. You must be able to critique it as well,” he said. “As educators, we need to be equipped with the resources to talk about how this form [of teaching] will be critiqued.” The on-going series, sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Initiatives and the Office of the Vice President of Diversity and Climate, is held Mondays at 7p.m. In 1101 Grainger Hall.
ASM chair presents internal budget request to SSFC By David Klein The Daily Cardinal
The Student Services Finance Committee discussed the Associated Students of Madison proposed budget on Monday, including a $100,000 request for alumni training. The proposed $100,000 increase would allow student organizations to receive training from ASM alumni.
“The request would allow UW alumni to pass on skill sets to current students,” ASM Chair Allie Gardner said. “Alumni in past years are going to have a lot more historical information and work experience on career and skills advancement.” Other members of SSFC believe the request is too high. “The other side of the debate is that $100,000 is a lot to ask for,” SSFC Chair
Sarah Neibart said. “Every year ASM gets new bylaws, so some are concerned about what real benefit the alumni would be providing ASM.” The proposal also included a funding request for membership to a federal lobby group. The United States Student Association (USSA) is a federal
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Man, high on cocaine, jumps into Yahara River After hitting several cars, a hit-andrun driver under the influence of cocaine plunged into the Yahara River last Friday, Madison Police said Monday. The 40-year-old suspect, Gregory S. Ostern, hit four cars near Williamson Street and East Washington Avenue.
“I can’t believe I did this! This is crazy!” Gregory S. Ostern alleged hit and run driver
According to Madison Police Department spokesperson Joel DeSpain, witnesses reported Ostern yelling, “I can’t believe I did this! This is crazy!” Ostern was running across an East Washington Avenue bridge over the Yahara River when he realized police were chasing him. Although police tried to convince him otherwise, Ostern jumped into the Yahara River, according to DeSpain. After Ostern refused MPD paramedics’ assistance, Madison Fire Department rescue divers pulled the suspect to shore. One hit-and-run victim, a pregnant woman, went to the hospital as a precaution, but no one was seriously injured, police said.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”