Almanac

(Almanac lists facts, figures and miscellany of campus interest. Know something, or want to know? Call us: 262-3846, or e-mail: wisweek@news.wisc.edu.)

A third of graduates go to UW System schools
For a third of Wisconsin high school graduates in 1999, the next step was enrolling at a UW System campus. This access rate is among the highest in the nation, says a report prepared by the UW System Office of Policy Analysis and Research.

Last year, about 45 of every 100 Wisconsin high school graduates applied for admission to a UW System campus. Of that number, 42 were admitted at one or more campuses and 33 actually enrolled. The UW System access rate has been at 30 percent or higher since 1984. It has remained at that level despite a 12.5 percent increase in the number of high school graduates since 1995. Enrollment of new freshmen increased by 17 percent during that period, resulting in a higher access rate overall.

Despite the high level of access, the report notes some differences in access based on gender and a disparity in the access rate between white students and students of color. The acceptance rates for those who applied were roughly equal, but only 73 percent of admitted students of color enrolled, compared with 80 percent of admitted white students. The result was a 22 percent access rate for students of color and a 33 percent access rate for white students.

Says UW System President Katharine Lyall: “We are continuing to address the disparity in application and enrollment rates as part of our Plan 2008 initiative.”

Staff hold meetings
Town meetings including a briefing on current governance issues and an opportunity to discuss concerns of academic staff, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 17, noon-1 p.m. in Union South (bring your lunch) and Wednesday, Oct. 18, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in 4151 Grainger Hall (refreshments provided). Academic staff are invited to attend and share concerns.

Reception for faculty women
The Women Faculty Mentoring Program’s annual reception for newly promoted and tenured women will be Monday, Oct. 23, 4-6 p.m., North Buffet Room, Gordon Commons. The Doris Slesinger Award for Excellence in Mentoring also will be presented.

Elvehjem offers online taste of collections
Selections from the Elvehjem Museum of Art’s permanent collection and temporary exhibitions now are available on the Web. Virtual visitors can access http://www.lvm.wisc.edu to see about 150 examples drawn from the museum’s 16,000-piece collection.

The site’s primary purpose is to provide information about Elvehjem holdings and programs, says museum director Russell Panczenko. “We offer detailed breakdowns of the types of objects we collect, with sample images to stimulate people to come to the galleries for both pleasure and research.”

The site also includes a virtual tour of the physical museum and an events calendar. Eventually, the museum’s entire database will be online, and merchandise from the museum shop will be available.

Backward glance
From Wisconsin Week, Oct. 10, 1990: Kenneth Frazier has been named acting director of the libraries. … The Academic Staff Assembly favors a smoking ban in campus buildings. … More top-ranked freshman are choosing UW–Madison than ever before. … The McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research marks a half-century. … Pharmacy Dean August Lemberger plans to retire in July.

Correction
Bob Klipstein of Communicative Disorders was incorrectly identified in a list of members of the Council for Nonrepresented Classified Staff on p.15 of the Sept. 27 issue of Wisconsin Week.