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Last update: 8/22/06

Vol. 37, No. 137, August 17, 2006 / Log Archive

Flags at UW-Green Bay will fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 18) as a mark of respect on the day a fallen Green Bay firefighter will be laid to rest. The executive order, issued this morning by the Governor's Office, applies to all state facilities. The order notes "Lieutenant Arnie Wolff served the people of Green Bay and the people of Wisconsin with distinction and honor." In other campus news today:

• Regents endorse budget for UW System growth agenda
• Upcoming workshop addresses unclassified vacancies, search and screens
• A brighter outlook for state revenue
• Saturday or Sunday? Clean your refrigerators
• Dammit, Jim! We need more power!

• Basketball in Madrid
• Wadzinski was a free spirit
• Get in line, be sure to grab a new (license) plate
• Time magazine assesses higher ed
• A professor expresses frustration

• ACT scores up, preparedness down
• Nass wants changes in UW admissions practices
• NWTC is site for Monday's Congressional forum
• Universities 'off the grid'?
• Busy summer for Education Outreach

• Regents on video
• Brief: Dresdow, Benson

UW System launches 'Growth Agenda for Wisconsin'
This just in: The Board of Regents, meeting this morning in Madison, has voted to approve as presented a 2007-09 biennial budget that will ask the state to reinvest in the University of Wisconsin System to graduate more students, attract more college graduates to Wisconsin, and help grow knowledge-economy jobs. "We have been productive and efficient in managing deep budget cuts in recent years. Now, it's time to reinvest in the state's public university system," said UW System President Kevin Reilly. The request for an ongoing base operating budget increase of $120 million in state tax dollars and student tuition would cover new programs and the university's existing costs. Look for additional coverage, and details, on Friday.

Questions on unclassified vacancies? Search and screens? Go to workshop
A hiring procedures workshop has been scheduled twice, once on Wednesday, August 30, from 1 to 3 p.m. in Alumni B, and a second time on Friday, September 1, from 9 to 11 a.m. in Alumni B. The entire search and screen process will be reviewed; the session will also include time for Q&A. If you are routinely involved in search and screens or anticipating future unclassified vacancies, you will want to attend one of these sessions. Space is limited, so please contact Human Resources and Joan Keberlein (#2228 or keberlej@uwgb.edu) to let her know which session you will be attending.

A brighter outlook for state revenue
The Associated Press quotes the state's budget director as saying growth in state revenues is expected to cover Wisconsin's estimated $1.5 billion projected deficit heading into the 2007-09 biennium. Click http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/local/states/wisconsin/15281874.htm.

Saturday outage might move to Sunday: Clean your refrigerators...
Look for official notification by about mid-day Friday as to whether the planned power outage for the central campus will take place Saturday (Aug. 19) or be delayed a day, to Sunday (Aug. 20). (Crews want to avoid rain or lightning; they'll re-check the forecast and let us know.) Meanwhile, UW-Green Bay Facilities Director Chris Hatfield has a helpful suggestion: Why not use the occasion to observe "Annual Office Refrigerator Clean-out Day," those of you who have one? Not a bad idea to de-frost, either, to avoid the possibility of a weekend meltdown.

...and overnight network outage is all about more backup power
Here's another reminder: From 9 o'clock tonight (Thursday, Aug. 17) until 7 a.m. Friday (Aug. 18), a planned outage in the IS Computer Room will interrupt access to the Internet, campus e-mail, SIS, and any network files or printers. On the plus side: CIT will emerge from the shutdown with an enhanced, emergency backup power system.

Men's basketball departs today for Madrid
Tod Kowalczyk and the Phoenix men's basketball team were scheduled to depart today (Thursday, Aug. 17) for a 10-day tour of Spain and competition against four professional club teams. Funded primarily by boosters of the program, the trip also includes a strong academic component; it is a for-credit, independent study. Read more about the itinerary at http://www.uwgb.edu/athletics/mbb/081506.asp.

Art teacher's death summons eclectic memories
Steve Wadzinski. Perhaps you remember the name from past UW-Green Bay faculty art shows, course listings or summer camp offerings. He was an ad hoc instructor but a full-time free spirit and entrepreneur. Press-Gazette columnist Tony Walter remembers Wadzinski, dead at 53 following a Door County motorcycle accident, in the Aug. 16 edition at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060816/GPG07/608160539/1207/GPGnews. Wadzinski's bold approach to life also comes through in his obituary in the Aug. 13 P-G, at http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060813/GPG010301/608130655/1212.

Get in line to grab a new (license) plate
Why do UW-Green Bay's affinity license plate still have the "old" Phoenix? They don't, any more, at long last, after a lengthy wait for the DOT to update the UW System plates. The "new" designs are up now at the DOT Website. Each school gets a small kickback to its student scholarship fund. See http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/drivers/plateguide/uw-logos.htm.

Time magazine: Higher Ed isn't only about the Ivy League
It has an East Coast, affluent private-school bias, but a major Time magazine article on the college-admissions chase for high-achieving students still provides interesting reading at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1226150,00.html.

'Why is UW bashed by its beneficiaries?'
A UW faculty member wrote to a Madison newspaper to remind citizens that the benefits of the UW System are felt statewide, and that constant and overblown criticism has become demoralizing. Click http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/letters/index.php?ntid=94817&ntpid=4.

ACT scores high, but few are college-ready
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported this week that ACT results show 28 percent of Wisconsin students are considered prepared for college — above the national average of 21 percent. Still, achievement gaps remain, and demand for remedial work is growing. See http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=484529.

Nass demands changes in UW admissions practices
A Madison TV station devoted news coverage recently to Rep. Stephen Nass, a persistent UW System critic, who believes that current admissions policies are missing the mark. He says he will introduce a "Wisconsin Students First" bill in the next legislative session. See http://nbc15.madison.com/news/headlines/3579182.html.

NWTC is site for Monday forum in Congressional race
The League of Women Voters, AARP Wisconsin, and Fox 11 WLUK-TV are sponsoring an 8th Congressional District Forum on Monday, August 21, 2006, 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, Lecture Hall, 2740 West Mason Street, Green Bay. All five candidates will appear: John Gard (R), Steve Kagen (D), Terri McCormick (R), Nancy Nusbaum (D), and Jamie Wall (D). The forum will be moderated by Tom Milbourn, WLUK-TV. The event is free and a Coffee and Dessert Social will follow the forum and provide an opportunity for the public to meet and talk with the candidates.

A "Declaration of Energy Independence"
No good reason this one got stuck in the "in-basket," so we include it today. Gov. Jim Doyle and co-signers including UW System President Kevin Reilly were in Green Bay last month to sign Wisconsin's "Declaration of Energy Independence" — setting broad, ambitious goals for the state to become a leader in the drive toward energy independence. Very ambitious goals... like taking one or more UW campuses entirely "off the grid" (presumably in more permanent fashion than this weekend's planned outage). Anyway, the Governor's news release is archived at http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/journal_media_detail.asp?locid=19&prid=2126.

Busy summer for Education Outreach
The final few courses are winding down as the Education Outreach program directed by Carmen Leuthner closes a highlight-filled Summer 2006. A couple of representative examples from earlier in the summer:

• Former UW-Oshkosh Professor and UW-Green Bay Dean Nancy Kaufman returned to campus for the well-attended summer offering "Asperger Syndrome: Strategies for Solving the Social Puzzle." Enrollees included classroom teachers, administrators, a university professor, community service personnel, day care providers, and parents. Their many positive evaluations included "The class has made me more confident about working with Asperger Syndrome kids," and "Remarkable insight for me."

• Education Prof. Art Lacey took his expertise on the road, to Xavier High School in Appleton, with "PowerPoint: Present with Pizzazz," a workshop and graduate course. Comments from program attendees included: "It will help make my old materials fresh... enhance new materials and keep things more effective" and "Great enthusiasm, great how you pushed us."

• A partnership between the Green Bay Botanical Garden and UW-Green Bay's Outreach and Extension led to the development and delivery of a new graduate course this summer for elementary school educators, "Using the Outdoors to Enhance Curriculum." Among the evaluations: "This course has reawakened my senses for appreciating the outdoors and using teachable moments..." and "I feel competent to lead numerous lessons in nature... letting nature itself inspire and motivate kids to learn and be curious."

Regents meeting are video-streamed
The Board of Regents meeting was scheduled to be video- and audio-streamed from Madison today (Thursday, August 17) from approximately 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., and then archived. Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton spoke at 9 a.m. on Wisconsin's leadership in liberal education, and a presentation on the benefits of higher education at 10 a.m. was to be followed by a discussion (and vote) on the 2007-09 biennial operating budget. On Friday, August 18, audio and video will be available for the full board meeting from approximately 9 a.m. until noon. Click http://www.uwex.edu/ics/stream/regents/meetings/.

Brief
Profs. Sally Dresdow and Joy Benson presented two cases at the Society for Case Research's Summer Workshop held in Fort Wayne, Ind. The cases, titled "C.O.P.E.S to Cope" and "United to Go," focus on strategic issues in the not-for-profit sector. Dresdow is an associate professor of business administration at UW-Green Bay. Benson, a former colleague, writes that she has joined the faculty of the College of Business and Economics at UW-River Falls, where she will be the lead contact person for the casewriters workshop that will be held in River Falls in summer 2007.

The Log News is a twice-weekly publication e-mailed to all UW-Green Bay faculty, staff and off-campus subscribers on Monday and Thursday afternoons, and to students as news warrants.

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