The UW System Board of Regents will meet today and Friday to discuss myriad important issues, including the renaming of the UW-Madison medical school, new sick-leave policies and an evaluation of the use of student social security numbers.
A new designation for the medical school looks to be one of the more divisive issues under consideration, and its discussion should generate some of the more interesting debates of the meeting.
The alteration, endorsed by both UW-Madison Chancellor John Wiley and UW System President Kevin Reilly, would change the name of the school from the University of Wisconsin Medical School to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.
According to Regent President David Walsh, the main opposition to this plan comes from Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. Walsh said that Barrett is \concerned] that this will preclude the establishment of a school of public health in Milwaukee.""
Doug Bradley, spokesman for the UW system, said that such a change ""doesn't necessarily mean any program direction inhibiting any activity"" in the Milwaukee area.
Another important topic under review by the Regents is the adoption of a new sick-leave policy for the university system. Brought to the forefront recently because of circumstances surrounding the return of former Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Paul Barrows, the Board is looking to establish a definitive policy for the handling of illness.
Charles Pruitt, chair of the board's business and finance committee, said that they have been looking into what happens at other universities and ""in the private sector in terms of sick leave and when an employee needs to receive professional medical evaluation.""
The Board contacted a number of corporations, mainly to determine the number of consecutive sick-leave days allowed by different entities before such a medical examination is required, and the proposed plans will have varying amounts of time requirements based on this research.
The use of student social security numbers has also drawn attention, as instances of identity theft have increased nationwide. According to Regent spokesperson Doug Bradley, the board will examine an audit performed regarding the use of such numbers in the university system, and discussing ways in which to reduce the necessity of their use. The Regents will emphasize practicing proper notification of the privacy policies regarding the use of social security numbers when they are collected from students.
