At Channel 3000, investigative reporter Adam Schrager reports on a federal lawsuit that former Coach Timothy Fader has filed against UW-Whitewater officials, in their individual capacities. (I had promised readers that I would continue to follow this story, and will continue to do so as the case unfolds.) Both current Athletic Director Amy Edmonds and…
University
City, Culture, University
Dorm-Construction Isn’t the Big Story
by JOHN ADAMS •
Karen Herzog of the Journal Sentinel has a story about delayed dorm construction at UW-Whitewater. At least, that’s how she’s framed the story, how many will understand the story, and how both UW-Whitewater and Herzog would, no doubt, like readers to understand the story. Here’s what’s more significant even than the need for additional sleeping…
Business, City, Development, Economy, Government Spending, Open Government, University
Grocery Preliminaries (Part 2)
by JOHN ADAMS •
I wrote yesterday about a grocery in town, in a post entitled, Grocery Preliminaries. The post’s subject line used the word ‘preliminaries’ because it seems likely that Whitewater will get a new grocery, whatever one thinks of a public subsidy to entice one. In this way, that post presumed a deal, and so was meant…
City, Culture, Sports, University
Two States of Mind in Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
There’s an easy way to see two different states of mind in Whitewater. Draft a list of eleven people for an athletic honor. Make nine of the honorees athletes or coaches, and two of them an administrator and his spouse. Now, watch and see which people receive the most prominent attention. Some will pick one…
City, Culture, Economy, Politics, School District, University
The City Never Sleeps
by JOHN ADAMS •
In the broadest, figurative sense, Whitewater never sleeps. Like any other place, she’s constantly changing, either to her benefit or detriment, but changing nonetheless. (It’s only the parochial myth that she’s already achieved a level of perfection that obscures the obvious truth of constant flux.) Glance away, for one day or forty, and when one…
Education, University, UW System
Tenure
by JOHN ADAMS •
Post 10 in a weekly series. The UW System Board of Regents recently adopted a tenure policy, about which much has been said statewide. How it will change day-to-day prospects for faculty I’ve no idea. The UW System changes from March 10th are only part of a process in which local campuses will have their own tenure…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, University
‘A Trust Betrayed’: The Update on the Title IX Claims Against UW-Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
Over at the Gazette, above the fold, there’s a frontpage story about Ms. Raechel Liska, an honors graduate of UW-Whitewater, and her Title IX claim against UW-Whitewater for failing to address properly her sexual assault complaint. The story refers also to an earlier Title IX complaint against the school (the two complaints are now joined administratively),…
Education, School District, University, UW System
A Theory About the Diverging Futures of the Whitewater Schools and UW-Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
Post 7 in a weekly series. Before I begin today’s post, I’ll mention that there is now an announcement at the Whitewater Unified School District’s webpage about academic success at one of our schools despite economic hardship. It’s a prominent mention, and that’s a good decision – we should lead with what we have truly done. For…
Culture, University, UW System
12 Points on the Claims of Racial Incidents at UW-Whitewater
by JOHN ADAMS •
I posted yesterday about a statement from UW-Whitewater’s Chancellor Kopper about allegations of racial incidents on our campus. Kopper later walked back one of her concerns, about two students appearing in blackface in a photo (they claim they were just showing the results of a mud-pack facial). See, The Claims of Ongoing Incidents on Campus (Updates).…
City, Culture, Misconduct, University
The Claims of Ongoing Incidents on Campus (Updates)
by JOHN ADAMS •
Update, Thursday afternoon, 2:30 PM. UW-Whitewater officials are now contending that a photo with students in blackface had a benign meaning. See, Image spurs concerns about race at UW-Whitewater @ Channel 3000. From that story: “Kopper later said the students said they just had a facial and took a picture. She said the students did not…
University
Outside
by JOHN ADAMS •
Chancellor Beverly Kopper announced today the selection of Susan Elrod as provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Dr. Elrod currently serves as the interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at the California State University, Chico. She will join UW-Whitewater on April 15. “I am so pleased Susan Elrod will join us…
City, Culture, Local Government, Newspapers, School District, University
Whitewater’s Mentoring Gap
by JOHN ADAMS •
Looking back ten years (or nine in the case of UW-Whitewater), one finds at the helm of Whitewater’s public institutions leaders who so very much embodied Old Whitewater: Steinhaus, Brunner, Coan, Telfer (beginning in ’07). They were the perfect representatives of Old Whitewater, where Old Whitewater is an attitude, not an age: narrow, grandiose, mediocre, producing…
Assault Awareness & Prevention, Crime, Law, University
Attorney General Schimel’s Support for Senate Bill 656
by JOHN ADAMS •
Late last month, Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel joined law enforcement officials at a press conference to announce his support for a bill that would offer amnesty for underage drinkers who report incidents of sexual assault (whether reporting as claimants or bystanders). The bill (Senate Bill 656) would assure that someone could report an…
Blogging, City, Culture, New Media, Newspapers, Press, School District, University
Revisiting Kozloff’s ‘Dark, Futile Dream’
by JOHN ADAMS •
About a year ago, I wrote a post on an off-campus meeting at which local notables and a search consultant (Jessica Kozloff) discussed a replacement for Richard Telfer. A story on that meeting, published in the Daily Union, is one of the best accounts of insiders’ thinking. See, from that newspaper, UW-Whitewater chancellor session held, http://www.dailyunion.com/news/article_f042575e-a63a-11e4-bcd8-939679ffcc09.html.…