United Council of UW Students Responds to
Attacks at UW Parkside

KENOSHA, WI – On Wednesday, February 1st, a rubber band noose was discovered hanging in the commons area of a residence hall at UW Parkside. This violent imagery rightly disturbed many students due to the graphic allusion to lynching, and was reported to the proper authorities. Since then, additional attacks have occurred targeting the reporter of the first complaint as well as other students on campus. These actions have sparked outcry from UW Parkside students, faculty and staff and must be addressed.

The graphic depiction of lynching represents violence deeply rooted in racism and intolerance, and the impacts of such horrific acts echo though many communities. The hate crimes that have occurred directly attack students of color and undermine the university as a safe place to live and learn. That these events should occur on the first day of Black History Month only further emphasizes the need for meaningful discourse regarding the importance of racial justice within higher education.

Hate crimes have no place within the UW System. United Council condemns this and all other violent imagery that targets students and makes them feel unsafe on campus or in their residence halls. Furthermore, United Council supports the actions of students that will aid in creating a campus dialogue about this event, as well as those that promote a greater understanding of racial justice at UW Parkside. United Council recommends that students take the time to attend these events, speak with their fellow Rangers about the campus impact, and take a public stand for social justice and a safe place for all to learn. United Council also offers our support to students who wish to organize around this event, and are willing to provide the necessary resources to move forward from this assault on campus climate.

When troubling events arise, we must take the time to support our campus communities. As the statewide student association, United Council is committed to working with UW Parkside students in their efforts to foster positive change. We also encourage allies of racial justice to speak out against these events in order to show that all students deserve to be safe within the campus community.

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United Council of UW Students advocate for students on issues of higher education
pertaining to value, quality and the student experience.

Contact: Matt Guidry (608) 239-7222

January 24, 2012

Tough Choices have Tough Consequences:

UW Cuts some of the deepest in the Country

WISCONSIN- UW System schools in communities across Wisconsin are facing deep budget cuts that will drastically alter the quality of higher education in the state. The cuts in the 2011-2013 Wisconsin Biennial Budget to higher education are in the top 5 most cut in the US.

Students want to see this trend end.
We are sick and tired of bearing the brunt of these cuts to ‘balance a budget,’” said Seth Hoffmeister, President of United Council. “The cuts in the budget and the additional cuts from the budget lapse are not helping students graduate and find good paying jobs in Wisconsin. Funding higher education should be a priority for this state. Our schools are the economic drivers for our state and educate the students who will someday be the leaders. What business or company is going to want to come here if we lack the educated workforce needed? We need funding for higher education to keep moving forward.”

UW campuses around the state have begun to release the impacts of budget cuts. UW-Madison announced that is cutting a major in the School of Human Ecology and 29 classes in the School of Education, with more anticipated to come.

The annual report from the Grapevine Project, at Illinois State University – Center for the Study of Higher Education, and the State Higher Education Executive Officers showed higher education funding down across the nation by 7.6%, but Wisconsin was ranked in the top three for largest percent cut.

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United Council of UW Students advocate for students on issues of higher education
pertaining to value, quality and the student experience.

No Mention of UW, Again
UW Students Respond to Walker’s State of the State Address

Wisconsin – For the second year in a row, Governor Walker failed to address or even mention higher education in Wisconsin in his State of the State Address.

“Today was my first day of my economics class, and today I learned that government investing in education is a direct investment in our economy,” said Seth Hoffmeister, President of United Council of UW Students and UW-Stevens Point student. United Council is a student run, non-partisan organization representing over 151,000 students on 21 University of Wisconsin campuses.

In these challenging economic times, it is appropriate for the governor’s remarks to revolve around jobs and building the state’s economy, but ignoring Wisconsin’s economic engine, the University of Wisconsin System, after cutting over $250 million in the 2011-2013 Biennial Budget Governor Walker has made it clear that investing in higher education is not a priority to grow Wisconsin’s future.

“What business or company is going to want to come here to Wisconsin if we lack the educated workforce needed? How can Wisconsin be open for business if there’s not enough students graduating to work for companies who do?” Hoffmeister added. “The future of jobs in Wisconsin could be anything at this point, but the reality is that companies need college graduates. We can’t produce college graduates if we don’t make higher education a priority. Funding for higher education is necessary to keep moving Wisconsin forward.”

“It is hard for students to believe that the Governor’s reforms are working when it is taking them longer to graduate, when they are graduating with more debt, and when they do graduate, facing a job market that has been in decline for six straight months,” added United Council Government Relations Director Analiese Eicher. “Students were optimistic at this time last year, but with the massive budget cuts leading to classes, programs and student services being cut on UW campuses, that optimism has been hard to retain.”

Higher education is not a luxury, but a necessity in getting Wisconsin back to work. We ask that you, Governor Walker, keep higher education accessible and affordable and keep it funded.

The people of Wisconsin value and have a real ownership over the high quality, public university system that drives the state’s economy and sustains it’s communities. Without affordable access to higher education Wisconsin will not be able to educate the future workers and leaders of the state.

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United Council of UW Students advocate for students on issues of higher education
pertaining to value, quality and the student experience.

State funding cuts to Wisconsin’s public universities were among the largest in the nation this year, according to a national study, but University of Wisconsin System officials say a glitch in the data might make Wisconsin’s cuts less deep than the study suggests.

Matt Guidry, communications director for the United Council of Students, a statewide advocacy group for UW System students, said the study indicates that lawmakers are placing the burden of balancing the budget on students.

The statewide student association, the United Council of UW Students (UC), and the UW System Administration both support the new bill.

Borkowski noted that each of the campuses are different, like how UW-Madison is completely different from UW-Oshkosh. But now, all voices can be heard with individual representatives for each college on the state level decision-making process.

The United Council of UW Students has joined the League of Women Voters in their lawsuit against the implementation of the new Voter Identification bill that was passed this summer.

The new law requires all voters to provide a valid form of ID to election officials, as well as lengthening the residency requirements from 10 to 28 days.

The United Council of UW Students is looking at this recently passed bill as a victory for their group. Currently, the group represents 21 of the 26 campuses in the UW System. According to Borkowski, the United Council fights for students’ rights like lowering tuition and trying to increase financial aid.

Although they were thankful, the students asked Walker to help the budget lapse their universities will soon be faced with.

The Budget lapse has been decided with direction from the governor. A $46 Million cut to the UW Schools budget over the next 6 months.

The Alternative Budget Lapse that the UW System proposed would :

1. Take the student Financial Aid cuts off the table. Access to higher education is an opportunity all of Wisconsin ought to have.
2. Maintain mission-critical priorities of instruction, public service, and research.
3. Don’t cut utilities any further after the initial budget cut because its is a fixed cost, and necessary to keep the lights on.
4. Maintain police / security for safety and power plant personnel to keep the lights on. These both have 24/7 personnel impacts that need to be maintained to keep the university operational.

The University of Wisconsin System excepted to see a budget lapse for this coming spring semester. A budget lapse is a short fall in the state budget that is handled by having state agencies pay back some of the money they were given. The Department of Administration for Wisconsin has said there is approximately a $174 million dollar lapse that state agencies will need to give back.

The UW System was expecting a budget lapse to happen, but for the lapse to be quite a bit smaller. The UW System is supposed to give back at least $65 million dollars.

Memo to University of Wisconsin System Administration

$65 million dollars to give back from a budget that was intially cut by $250 million dollars adds up to $315 million dollars, the largest cut ever made in the history of UW Schools.

Alternative Budget Lapse proposed by University of Wisconsin System Administration

The UW System found this budget lapse calculated unfairly, by giving most other state agencies a 7% lapse, and UW Schools a 38% lapse.

Budget Lapse amount per UW School

Chancellors and UW System leaders explained that previous lapses were much bigger for the state and much more proportional to UW Schools by saying:

“To put this unexpectedly disproportionate plan in another perspective, compare it to previous state lapses. In the 2007-’09 budget cycle, when state lapses amounted to $540 million, the UW System’s share was $53.3 million, or 9.9%. In the 2009-’11 budget cycle, when lapses totaled $509 million, the UW’s share was $44.4 million, or 8.7%.”

See the whole letter in the Janesville Gazette newspaper.

Student are asking to pay their fair share, and not to turn the lights off at UW Schools.

Angela Lang, a member of student government at UW-Milwaukee, says there is confusion over student ID under the state’s new Voter ID law, which requires voters to show a photo ID at the polls beginning next year.

United Council Employee Application Form

Full Time Position Opening: Field Director, United Council of UW Students

United Council is a student lead and student directed statewide student association representing over 150,000 University of Wisconsin students across 21 member campuses. United Council’s mission is to represent all students in the University of Wisconsin System and advocate for them on issues of higher education pertaining to value, quality, and student experience.

Field Director:

• Directly Reports to the Executive Director

• Responsible for developing strategy for statewide campaigns

• Responsible for overseeing and managing statewide campaigns across United Council Campuses and integrating non-member campuses into United Council’s work

• Outreach and network with underrepresented student communities and organizations, and connect them with the Inclusivity Director as needed

• Supervise regional field staff, student campaign workers, and campaign/field related interns

• Manage field systems and processes, including field metrics, reporting for campaigns and field related grants, and accountability systems for the regional field organizers

• Develop and implement campus visit strategy to increase student involvement and proactively manage travel budget and campaign budgets and materials

• Actively engage students to organize and advocate on their own behalf as part of United Council campaigns

• Work directly with students at UW-Madison to organize around United Council campaigns and support campus based activities

• With the Executive Director and regional field organizers, plan and coordinate annual membership campaign (referenda)

• With Executive Director, serve as a liaison for United Council to coalition partners and other organizations to facilitate joint organizing efforts

Organizational Responsibilities:

• Work to fulfill the organization’s promises to membership, which include:
• Students are heard, supported, and enabled to affect change
• United Council’s presence in government is respected and valued
• The quality and value of both education and the student experience is continually improving and maximized
• United Council recognizes and advocates for the University of Wisconsin System’s link to the prosperity of the State of Wisconsin

• Share responsibility for facilitating research, development, and implementation of programs, services, goals and platforms identified by the Board of Directors and the Convention.

•  Work cooperatively on developing and facilitating trainings, writing publications, building campus and community coalitions, visiting campuses, running the annual membership campaign, and aiding students in organizing other campaigns.

• Sound goal setting and planning mechanisms shall be applied to all work actively generated by or delegated to the office; the process shall involve needs assessments, formal goal setting, clear plans of action, and evaluation.

• Ensure that the office is a positive, nurturing working atmosphere

• Provide stability and continuity for the organization and the interests it represents.

• Serve as a resource to member campuses and facilitate individual and campus members in the exchange of information and ideas and program implementation

• Attend all conventions, statewide meetings and conferences.

• Frequent in-state travel, late hours, including weekends.

Recommended Skills and Knowledge:

• Experience working with traditionally underrepresented communities, such as, but not limited to, women, students of color, LGBTQ students, differently-abled students, and non-traditional students
• Full-time staff experience working with students to develop grassroots campaigns
• Experience working within university governance (student government, student fees, etc.)
• Grassroots organizing skills in: recruitment and retention, leadership development, advocacy/lobbying, strategic planning, social media, and external communication
• Understanding of the state and federal legislative process and structure of the UW System
• Experience in staff management
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience working collaboratively and independently in a variety of situations
• Ability to multitask in a fast-paced work environment and adapt to a variety of situations
• Must have a valid driver’s license, personal car not necessary
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred, not required.

Salary and Benefits: Full time position, $38,000 / year, paid vacation, paid holidays, health and dental insurance.
How to Apply: Please send the application, a resume, cover letter, three references, and a 1-2 page writing sample to the address below by email or postal mail to be received by 5pm on December 14th, 2011. Emailed applications are preferred. Interviews will be held shortly thereafter, with phone interviews available upon request.

Additional materials may be requested. Projected start date: January 9th, 2012. Mailing address is 14 W. Mifflin Street, Suite 212 Madison, WI 53703. Please Contact Nicole Juan, Executive Director, ed@unitedcouncil.net, (608) 443-9185, for more information.

United Council is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer:
Women, people of color, persons who are differently-abled and people identifying as LGBTQ are encouraged to apply.