Elsewhere

(Elsewhere summarizes developments on other UW System campuses and in the system administration. For more system news, visit: http://www.uwsa.edu/univ_rel/wn.htm.)

Regents promote economic stimulus
The UW System Board of Regents recently endorsed an “Economic Stimulus Package,” a two-year supplement to the UW System biennial operating budget proposal advanced last month by Gov. Scott McCallum.

McCallum proposed $55 million in new state dollars for the UW System over the biennium, a little less than one-third of the UW’s requested package. Of that amount, $8.7 million was set for new programs.

“It’s clear that our original budget request is unrealistic at this point in time because the state economic projections are down,” Regents president Jay L. Smith says. “But it’s also clear that those projections could improve, and if they do, we have support downtown for our new economy initiatives.”

The regents say support for UW programs would help Wisconsin by “increasing the number of students in high-tech, high-paying fields and by providing funding for student priorities.”

The package seeks roughly $20 million in state funds annually (or $59.9 million during the next biennium) to supplement the governor’s proposed UW System budget.

Included is more funding for part two of the Madison Initiative, the Milwaukee Idea and financial aid through the Advanced Opportunity and Lawton Grant programs.

The package also includes support for library acquisitions, improved academic advising, scholarships for study-abroad students and a collaborative language instruction program.

UW System reaffirms commitment to diversity
The Board of Regents has reaffirmed its longstanding commitment to diversity and to the goals of achieving equality of opportunity and access to education in its admissions policies.

The board restated its commitment to diversity after an update on the progress of Plan 2008, the UW System’s 10-year plan to expand the number of students, faculty and staff of color at all of its campuses. The board approved two resolutions: The first, introduced by Regent Joseph M. Alexander of Madison, directs UW System President Katharine C. Lyall and the chancellors and staff of each UW System institution “to seek new and innovative measures that will bring said goals of the Board of Regents and of Plan 2008 to fruition.”

The second resolution, from Regents President Jay L. Smith of Middleton, says the board “reaffirms its commitment to the goals of achieving equality of opportunity and access to education” in its freshman admissions. The resolution also directs UW campuses to continue all possible efforts to achieve the goals of Plan 2008.

Stem cell research backed
In a vote this month, the Board of Regents supported continuing human embryonic stem cell research that is conducted according to the highest ethical standards.

The board acted after a presentation on stem cell research from James Thomson, an assistant professor in the Department of Anatomy at UW–Madison and leader of the university’s pioneering work in this field. Also appearing before the committee was R. Alta Charo, a UW–Madison professor of law and medical ethics and a member of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission. Thomson explained the basics of stem cell research and its potential applications, while Charo addressed the ethical concerns such research has raised in some quarters.

The board resolution notes that human embryonic stem cell research “has enormous potential to improve human health and is critical to finding treatments and cures for a number of diseases.”