Blank’s Slate

Our university’s history includes much to celebrate, and we talk frequently about these positive stories. Today, however, we must reckon with something we should all regret: the history of racism and exclusion on our campus.

Last fall, following the deadly violence in Charlottesville, I charged an ad-hoc study group to look into the history of UW-Madison student organizations that bore the name of the Ku Klux Klan.

I asked them to help our campus in understanding this history and to suggest how we can best remember and redress it. If we are to be a welcoming and inclusive community, we have to confront the injustices of the past.

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Today the university released information in response to open records requests from several news organizations regarding complaints and investigations of sexual harassment over the past decade. I understand the interest in how our university has responded to this issue. It’s part of a broad national movement that is rightly challenging institutions, public and private, to do better. Every person on this campus – whether a student, staff member or faculty member – deserves a learning and working environment that is free from harassment. The attention being paid to sexual harassment and misconduct has given us a unique opportunity to raise … Read more of Update on our response to sexual harassment on campus

It was a heartbreaking ending Friday night at the semi-finals of the women’s hockey Frozen Four in Minneapolis. As you might know, the Badger women fought through two overtimes, but finally lost to Colgate 4-3. It was the second longest game in our program’s history.

I was honored to be there for every last shot, along with hundreds of red-dressed Badger fans, a good representation from the band, and (of course) Bucky.

While it was a disappointment to fall a goal short of reaching the NCAA national title game, I want to appreciate the culture of excellence in this program, which continues to achieve great things nearly every season. They’ve won four titles and have 11 appearances at the Frozen Four since 2006. And I’m confident we’ll be back to earn our fifth very soon.

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I wrote an op-ed about Bucky’s Tuition Promise and it recently appeared in several local newspapers around the state. We launched the program as one of many efforts to dispel the myth that UW-Madison is unaffordable or unattainable for Wisconsin residents. I encourage you to share it with any prospective students or families who may be interested in becoming a Badger! With ‘Bucky’s Tuition Promise,’ UW-Madison’s commitment to Wisconsin students expands Over the last several years, the University of Wisconsin-Madison has taken several steps to ensure that an education at the state’s flagship public university is accessible to Wisconsin … Read more of Getting the word out on Bucky’s Tuition Promise