Midwest Chick's Place

 The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents left $800 million on the table in order to hold onto their DEI ideology.  This figure did not include faculty raises throughout the system.  That was left on the table too.

It’s not like the Republican-led legislature was really asking for a whole lot.

A cap on all DEI hires, to remain in place for three years.

Renaming and redefining the positions of one-third of DEI staff—about 45 system employees—to roles more closely related to student success.

A three-year freeze on all new administrative hires across the system.

Elimination of the UW TOP program, an initiative to promote diverse faculty hires, to be replaced, starting next year, with a program promoting faculty who support underrepresented and “at-risk” students.

Excising the diversity statement currently included on applications to two UW campuses.

Creating a new endowed faculty chair at UW Madison dedicated to conservative economic thought, classical economics or classical liberalism.

Implementing a new module on free expression for all entering undergraduate students. 

Adoption of a guaranteed admissions program for the top 10 percent of state high school graduates, who would automatically be accepted to all UW campuses except Madison, which would take the top 5 percent.

 So the legislature wanted to re-prioritize only half of DEI staff to student success, get more faculty to support underrepresented (hint, usually considered to be minority), and ‘at-risk’ students, and a freeze on new administrative hires (meaning that attrition by retirements and such would be replaced–not sure why they broke out DEI hires since those are typically administrative, but okay).  Oh, and they wanted to help stem the Wisconsin brain drain by implementing guaranteed admissions for top Wisconsin students.

Of course, according to the teacher’s union, it’s ‘for the students’.  I don’t believe that for a second.  It’s for their ideology, which has nothing to do with student success.  

And, according to a Dem State Rep, Dora Drake, walking away from the table was basically a fuck you to the Republicans.  Because again, that’s more important than the students too (Trump Derangement Syndrome writ large).

In the lead-up to the vote, Drake said that while she understood the pressure the system has been under, the money isn’t worth the price of the political and cultural victory she believes the system would be handing to Wisconsin Republicans—and other conservative state legislators across the country.

I wonder how many faculty members are going to suddenly re-discover capitalism now that they aren’t getting a raise this year because of this??