The Board of Regents raised several issues relevant to students during Thursday's meeting, including the results of a UW System-wide drug and alcohol use survey and the proposed audit of student segregated fees.
The Education Committee reviewed the findings of an alcohol and other drug abuse survey administered online to randomly selected students throughout the UW System.
Fifty-nine percent of UW students reported engaging in binge drinking in the two weeks prior to the survey, as opposed to the national average of 44 percent. The system defined binge drinking as consuming at least five drinks in one sitting.
UW-Stevens Point Chancellor Linda Bunnell attributed some of the alcohol problem to the state of Wisconsin's high consumption rate and the advent of the three-day weekend on campus.
'The Thursday end of the week has contributed, I believe, to the extent of alcohol consumption on our campuses,' she said.
Bunnell recommended that UW System administrators increase the number of Friday classes and homework assignments to encourage students to act responsibly on Thursdays.
The rate of binge drinking increases along with students' years in school. According to the survey, 54 percent of freshmen reported binging versus 65 percent of seniors.
The Board of Regents' Business and Finance Committee approved a resolution granting limited term appointees up to six months' notice of termination.
After receiving notice, employees are now guaranteed up to a six-month period of work, although not necessarily in their original position.
The resolution will not affect future tenured or tenure-track employees or current UW employees.
'We're not talking about stripping current employees but about moving forward,' UW System President Kevin Reilly said.
The resolution will replace discontinued 'backup' hiring practices, but some regents questioned whether it will offer enough stability to draw new candidates to UW.
The Business and Finance Committee also addressed its upcoming audit of student segregated fees. The committee, still in the process of determining how in-depth the audit will be, heard testimony from members of the United Council of UW Students.
'Segregated fees are an integral part of students' right to free speech on campus,' said Taylour Johnson, shared governance director of the United Council. 'And only student-controlled segregated fees really reflect the needs of students.'
David Glisch-Sanchez, academic affairs director of the United Council, expressed hope that the Board will use the audit to take a closer look at the use of non-allocable fees.
'Our goal in presenting to the Board of Regents was to narrow the focus of the audit,' Glisch-Sanchez said.
Committee members seemed willing to consider pursuing an audit addressing the more complex aspects of segregated fees.
'Knowing the percentage of fees relative to the total cost to students is important,' said Regent Peggy Rosenzweig. 'An audit could be a valuable tool to address problems with segregated fees.'
