UW System Board of Regents committees discussed issues such as the UW System freshman admissions policy, the possibility of limiting membership of student organizations to those who subscribe to certain beliefs, criminal background checks and the health crisis in Milwaukee at its meeting Thursday.
These issues will be voted on by the full Board today.
The current freshman admissions policy was established in the 1970s and has not been amended since then. However, in two 2003 University of Michigan cases on affirmative action, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled race and ethnicity as appropriate factors in admissions decisions.
According to Larry Rubin, UW System vice president of Academic and Student Services, there are currently five separate policies related to freshman admissions and the Board wants to work to ""cohere into one freshman admissions policy.""
UW System President Kevin Reilly wrote in a Dec. 7 letter to state Rep. Stephen Nass, R-Whitewater, that while ""prior academic performance remains the most important indicator of college success,"" if other factors are considered, such as race and ethnicity, then all factors must be considered from student experiences to socio-economic disadvantages. Reilly said he believes this could be a crucial development because greater student diversity can help meet present market demands.
Education Committee Chair Danae Davis decided to delay the vote until the Board's meeting in February in order to answer any more concerns raised.
Regarding the student organization policy, student groups could be considered organizations by the school and would be allowed to have access to university facilities and funds. They would also be able to write membership requirements into their bylaws relating to viewpoints like politics and religion.
With regard to mandatory UW System criminal background checks, this is the first time such a policy would be established. The Business, Finance and Audit Committee said it believes it will secure the safety of students and faculty. However, some members of UW-Madison's Faculty Senate expressed concern over criminal background checks at their meeting Monday, saying background checks may deter applicants and make the university's atmosphere seem cold and uninviting.
Regents also discussed the health issues Milwaukee faces compared to the rest of the state in infant mortality rate, STIs and vaccines for 2-year-olds. A letter from state Sen. Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee, said while Wisconsin continues to be the healthiest state, Milwaukee leads the nation in numerous health conditions.
However, the committee said it believes establishing a school of public health at UW-Milwaukee would help improve and protect the health of the public. While this would require vast resources including new faculty, teaching facilities and money, the Board said it is willing to support this idea for the benefits that would result.
The committee decided to support Milwaukee and raise money in order to move the public health program forward.
