UWRF Chancellor Search Update

The first of five community forums for the finalists for the UWRF chancellorship will be held today. Dr. William G. Colclough (Ph.D., Iowa State University), the current Dean of the College of Business Administration at UW-La Crosse, will appear at the River Falls Public Library from 10:45 a.m. to noon today. Community members are invited.

The UWRF Chancellor Search and Screen Committee is to be commended for selecting five exceptionally well-qualified finalists for the position. All five candidates are proven leaders, scholars, and community servants. This is a very impressive field, and community members will have a chance to meet each of the five finalists.

The other finalists are: Geri Malandra (Ph.D., Minnesota), current Vice Chancellor for Strategic Management for the University of Texas System; Raymond W. Cross (Ph.D., Michigan State), current President of Morrisville (NY) State College; Dean Van Galen (Ph.D., Kansas State), current Vice President for University Advancement at the University of West Florida; and Ellen J. Neufeldt (Ed.D., Tennessee), current Vice President for Student Affairs at Salisbury University in Maryland.

Interestingly, Dr. Van Galen also holds a bachelor's degree in chemistry from UW-Whitewater.

I wish each of the finalists the very best and again congratulate UWRF on its success in fielding such an impressive group of finalists.

A schedule for upcoming community forums can be found here.

Visiting Prof Leaves St. Olaf

Phil Busse, a visiting professor of media studies at St. Olaf College, admitted in a lengthy post on the Huffington Post that he had repeatedly stolen McCain/Palin yard signs from homes in the Northfield area. Busse described his capers as "one of the single-most exhilarating and empowering political acts that I have ever done." Busse's post is here.

Why would Busse steal the signs, write about his actions in a widely-read forum, and feel the need to mention his relationship with St. Olaf College? Truly bizarre. Under pressure, one presumes, Busse resigned from his St. Olaf position on the eve of the presidential election.

It should be stressed that Busse was merely a visiting professor. Nevertheless, St. Olaf has received national media attention due to the Busse matter; and many of the articles have implied that Busse was a full professor at the liberal arts college. A very unfortunate situation for a very fine institution.

I applaud Monica Southworth for addressing the Busse matter in St. Olaf's college newspaper, the Manitou Messenger. It would be tempting for St. Olaf and the Messenger to just let this matter drop, but this is a news item that has people talking. It deserves attention.

Beloit to Eliminate Positions

Beloit College, facing a $1 million budget shortfall, will eliminate as many as 40 positions. Beloit Interim President Dick Niemiec confirms that the campus is facing "economic challenges" but does not not think these challenges constitute a "crisis."

This is very sad news. Beloit, a true gem among Wisconsin institutions of higher ed, is one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Mr. Niemiec states "We do not believe that we will in any way have to sacrifice the quality of the educational experience we deliver here.” Let's all hope that Mr. Niemiec, a 1965 Beloit alumnus, is correct.

Beloit Daily News article here.

Beloit College official announcement here.

Newspaper Endorsements, Part II

President-elect Obama received editorial endorsements from 287 daily newspapers, while Sen. McCain picked up 159 such endorsements, reports Editor and Publisher. The final tally on the college campus was much more one-sided, with President-elect Obama garnering 82 endorsements to Sen. McCain's two endorsements.

As noted previously, the Daily Mississippian endorsed Sen. McCain. In addition, Sen. McCain picked up an endorsement from the Mesa State Criterion (Mesa State College, Grand Junction, CO). While I certainly respect the 82 college newspapers which chose to endorse President-Obama, I also applaud the Daily Mississippian and the Criterion for taking a public stand which they knew would not be well-received in academe.

In this week's follow-up editorial, Criterion Editor-in-Chief Baker Geist writes "Endorsing a candidate was necessary because it brought to light a current controversial issue and got people talking and thinking." Yes! Yes! Yes! Mr. Geist nails it. Isn't it the purpose of a college newspaper to get people thinking? Indeed, isn't it the purpose of any college to get people thinking?

College Newspaper Endorsements

Three Wisconsin college newspapers have issued presidential endorsements, according to Editor & Publisher. The Advance-Titan (UW-Oshkosh), the Daily Cardinal (UW-Madison), and the Badger-Herald (UW-Madison) have all endorsed Sen. Barack Obama.

Editor & Publisher reports that 66 college newspapers have made presidential endorsements. Sen. Obama has collected 65 of those endorsements. The only college newspaper in the nation to endorse Sen. John McCain is the Daily Mississippian (University of Mississippi).

The editorial board at the Daily Mississippian made a gutsy decision in endorsing Sen. McCain. Many of the comments on the DM's website have been less than supportive. We need diversity of thought on our campuses and across our nation's campuses. As of now, the DM is the sole voice of dissent among America's college newspapers.

By the way, I would be making the same statement if 65 of 66 college newspapers had endorsed Sen. McCain and only one newspaper had endorsed Sen. Obama. Dissent is patriotic. Kudos to the Daily Mississippian!

International Folk Fair at UWEC

UW-Eau Claire will host its annual International Folk Fair tomorrow, Sunday, October 26, from noon to 4:00 p.m. in the Davies Center. The Folk Fair, which is billed as "the largest international festival of its kind in the area," is a wonderful opportunity to sample international cuisine, explore different cultures, interact with international students, and just have fun! I have attended the Folk Fair numerous times and recommend it highly.

A sample of the organizations participating in the Folk Fair include: the Baltic Student Organization, African Student Association, German Club, Hmong Student Association, Jewish Student Association, Le Salon Francais, Japanese Cultural Society, Korean Student Association, West African Music Society, Association of International Students, and the Native American Student Association.

The Folk Fair is free, open to the public, and suitable for all ages. There are many games and activities designed for young children. For more information, check here.

Mount Senario College Revival?

The Leader-Telegram is reporting today that the University of St. Thomas has agreed to offer classes at the campus of the former Mount Senario College in Ladysmith. Nancy Kraft, the director of the Mount Senario Education Center, states that her goal is to have several colleges and universities offer classes at the Ladysmith campus.

Kimberly Herrema, continuing education program manager at the University of St. Thomas, told the Ladysmith News last week that such plans were in "the initial stages." Ms. Herrema described the Ladysmith plan as "an interesting idea we are looking into.”

If the report in today's Leader-Telegram is accurate, it would appear that the plans materialized quite rapidly.

Rethink the Drinking Age?

More than 120 college and university presidents now support the Amethyst Initiative, an organization that seeks to re-open debate on the 21 year-old drinking age. To date, two Wisconsin academic leaders have signaled their support by signing the Amethyst Initiative's Presidential Statement. They are Ripon College President David C. Joyce (Ph.D., Vanderbilt), and UW-Parkside Chancellor Jack Keating (Ph.D., Ohio State).

I applaud President Joyce and Chancellor Keating! The Amethyst Initiative seeks a vigorous debate on the subject of the minimum drinking age, and our colleges and universities are the ideal places in which to hold this debate. If we can't even debate the issue of the minimum drinking age, then we a much more serious problem on our campuses than alcohol abuse.

Student's Death Ruled Suicide

The death of UW-Whitewater freshman Joseph Hummer has been ruled a suicide by Jefferson County Coroner Patrick Theder, reports the Daily Jefferson County Union. How sad.

The Royal Purple, the campus newspaper at UW-Whitewater, has taken some criticism for the manner in which it has handled this story. In all fairness to the Royal Purple, this is a very difficult story. Obviously, it's just devastating for the family and friends of Mr. Hummer. And it's a extremely trying for the UW-Whitewater community.

Sure, a campus newspaper has an obligation to report hard news. However, a campus newspaper also has an obligation to respect the privacy of the family and friends of the deceased. It seems to me that the Royal Purple has done a good job of balancing these conflicting interests. Fortunately, this isn't a situation that a campus newspaper faces on a daily basis.

UW-W Student Found Dead

The Royal Purple is reporting that Joseph Hummer, a UW-Whitewater freshman from Beloit, was found dead on Monday afternoon in a cemetery near the Whitewater campus. While Hummer's death is still under investigation, an autopsy conducted yesterday pointed to asphyxiation as the initial cause of death.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Mr. Hummer and the entire UW-Whitewater community. A new academic year always brings so much hope and excitement, and it's so sad to learn of this tragic event.

UW-L Attracting International Students

An article in Wednesday's edition of The Racquet notes that UW-La Crosse will enroll approximately 400 international students this year. This places UW-L just behind UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee in number of international students, according to the article.

On a percentage basis, I believe UW-L's numbers would put it ahead of UW-Milwaukee. However, UW-L would fall below schools like Beloit College and Lawrence University if we looked at percentages. I'll need to crunch some numbers here.

In any event, UW-L's performance is impressive. Jay Lokken, Director of UW-L's Office of International Education, hopes to have 667 international students on campus by 2012. International Admissions Specialist Danny Wan notes that UW-L's size is very attractive to parents of prospective international students.

How many Wisconsin colleges and universities have an International Admissions Specialist? I'll need to check this out, too. Keep up the good work, UW-L!

Barrett Prevails

It's rather strange to be commenting on Kevin Barrett's primary election victory on 9/11. However, the controversial former UW-Madison lecturer and 9/11 conspiracy theorist, did indeed prevail in Tuesday's primary, besting Libertarian opponent Ben Olson.

Barrett will now represent the Libertarian Party on November 4th. Another strange twist to Barrett's candidacy is that the National Libertarian Party is less than enthusiastic about having Barrett as their nominee. Barrett has promised that he won't be a boring candidate, and that he won't.

Barrett on the Ballot

Kevin Barrett (Ph.D., UW-Madison), controversial 9/11 conspiracy theorist and former UW-Madison lecturer, hopes to replace 3rd Congressional District Representative Ron Kind (J.D., Minnesota). Barrett will first need to overcome his Libertarian rival, Ben Olson, in today's primary election.

Kind, a Democrat from La Crosse, is unopposed in today's partisan primary. Likewise, Republican challenger Paul Stark (M.B.T., Minnesota) faces no opposition within the Republican Party.

UWGB Chancellor Search

Former UWGB Chancellor Bruce Shepard is finishing his first official week of work as President of Western Washington University in Bellingham. Shepard (Ph.D., UC-Riverside) was one of the UW System's shining stars, and his departure leaves a large void.

The UWGB Chancellor Search & Screen Committee, chaired by Denise Scheberle (Ph.D., Colorado State University), is to be commended for its openness and interest in engaging with northeast Wisconsin stakeholders. A community forum is scheduled for Wednesday, September 10 at 5:30 p.m. in the Brown County Public Library.

Stakeholders may also provide the committee with input through an online survey. Anyone with an interest in the chancellor search is encouraged to participate in the survey. Kudos to Dr. Scheberle and fellow committee members for pursuing such an inclusive approach to this important process!

When an Alum becomes a V-P Hopeful

What should a college or university do when an alum is selected as a vice presidential candidate in a presidential election? Granted, this doesn't happen all that frequently.

However, the University of Delaware was quick to recognize and congratulate alumnus Joe Biden on its website when Biden was tapped by Barack Obama. Here. While Biden received his undergraduate degree from UD some 43 years ago, UD hasn't forgotten about Joe. And that's nice.

The University of Idaho has displayed a similar dose of pride in 1987 alumna Sarah Palin. Here. Again, this is the right thing to do. Both Delaware and Idaho recognize their alums without taking sides in the political contest. Nicely done.

The High Court & the Private College

The seven Justices of the Wisconsin Supreme Court frequently disagree on important questions of law. However, the seven Justices share a common life experience: they all received their undergraduate degrees from private colleges and universities.

Coincidence? I don't think so. Serving as a Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice requires finely-honed critical thinking skills. A Justice must be able to carefully consider opposing viewpoints and foresee the ramifications of the Court's decisions. Private colleges and universities excel in teaching the critical thinking skills that are so important for members of the High Court - and the public at large.

Given this, it may not be surprising to learn that each of the nine Justices on the United States Supreme Court holds an undergraduate degree from a private college or university.

Most Interesting Schools

Newsweek is out with its 2009 list of the 350 Most Interesting Schools. (Complete list not available online.) Predictably, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, M.I.T., Princeton, and U.C.L.A. make the grade.

Five Wisconsin schools are deemed "most interesting." They are: Beloit College, Ripon College, Marquette University, UW-Madison, and UW-Stevens Point.

I have heard rumors that rival Time Magazine will soon publish a list of the 350 Least Interesting Schools. Where will this all end?

UWRF Chancellor Search

The search for the next UW-River Falls Chancellor is underway. Professor James Madsen (Ph.D., Colorado School of Mines) chairs the 19-member Search and Screen Committee.

UWRF faculty, staff, and community members should note that listening sessions are scheduled for next week. Students will be invited to participate in a similar listening session in September. I applaud the search and screen committee for its willingness to engage UWRF stakeholders.

Consulting firm Academic Search, Inc., of Washington, D.C., is assisting in the search. Academic Search most recently worked with UW-Madison in the selection of Biddy Martin (Ph.D., UW-Madison) as that institution's new chancellor. Strangely, Academic Search does not list the UWRF chancellor search as one of its "current searches," even though the site was updated yesterday.

The 368 Best Colleges

The Princeton Review is now out with its 2009 edition of The Best 368 Colleges. How did they settle on 368 as the magic number? Why not 370? Or 400? Oh, well.

I must admit that college rankings are one of my guilty pleasures. A college education is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Most of the 368 colleges in the Princeton Review's top 368 are indeed outstanding. However, there are a great many colleges and universities not on this list that also offer first-rate learning environments. Still, the rankings make for fun reading.

The Princeton Review's 2009 edition includes five Wisconsin schools: Beloit College, Lawrence University, Marquette University, Ripon College, and UW-Madison. Congrats to these five excellent schools.

Princeton Review also ranks the schools on a number of interesting categories. For example, we can learn which schools have the least happy students, the most accessible professors, and the best campus food. Interestingly, Ripon College is ranked #3 overall in the "Town-Gown Relations are Great" category. Only Wheaton College and Clemson University scored higher on this measure. Way to go, Ripon!

The State of the Cheese League

In the glory days of the Cheese League, four UW campuses played host to NFL training camps. The Chicago Bears trained at UW-Platteville, the New Orleans Saints were at UW-La Crosse, the Jacksonville Jaguars practiced at UW-Stevens Point, and the Kansas City Chiefs trained at UW-River Falls.

Hey, the KC Chiefs are still at UWRF. The Chiefs are currently holding their 18th training camp on the campus of UWRF. The Chiefs bring many fans to River Falls and add considerable excitement to what would otherwise be a rather quiet campus. The economic impact on both campus and community is considerable.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Rams are holding their training camp on the campus of Concordia University in Mequon. The Rams reportedly looked at UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Oshkosh before settling on Concordia.

UWEC Provost is Finalist for Texas Presidency

UWEC provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs Steven Tallant has been named the sole finalist for the presidency of Texas A & M University at Kingsville. Tallant came to UWEC in 1994 as a professor of social work. He was named provost by chancellor Levin-Stankevich in April of 2007.

If appointed president by the A & M Board of Regents, Tallant will succeed Rumaldo Z. Juárez as president of Texas A & M - Kingsville. Juárez served as president since 2002. Marc Cisneros led the university from 1998 to 2001, and Manuel Ibañéz was president from 1989 to 1998.

Texas A & M-Kingsville spokeswoman Jill Scoggins has conceded that Tallant has not visited the Kingsville campus.