Good morning.
Sunday in Whitewater will be cloudy with a high of 16. Sunrise is 7:21 and sunset is 4:50 for 9 hours 29 minutes of daytime. The moon is new.
On this day in 1977, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announce they have identified a previously unknown bacterium as the cause of the mysterious Legionnaires’ disease.
There is a difference between criticism of a university administration and criticism of university education itself. I have been a critic — rightly so — of now-former administrators at UW-Whitewater, but there has never been a time when I have been a critic of universities. On the contrary, I have always found university life both enriching and enjoyable. I’m quite comfortable when visiting a campus, whether my own schools as an alumnus or others’ schools. Always an exploration; always something new to learn.
(The Whitewater Unified School District is like this for me, too. There’s an absurd accusation that if this libertarian blogger critiques a person or policy within the district, he must dislike education. Not at all.)
Of university life in Wisconsin, it’s reassuring to read that the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has now voted unanimously to release additional funds for UW schools:
The Joint Finance Committee unanimously approved the release of $53 million for the University of Wisconsin system to support campuses struggling with declining enrollment.
The UW system will have $26.5 million in the 2025-26 fiscal year and $26.5 million in the 2026-27 fiscal year that can be used for grants to campuses. The funds were initially set aside for the system in the recent state budget.
In each year, $15.25 million will be distributed to campuses with declining enrollment over the last two years and $11.25 million will be distributed through a formula dependent on the number of credit hours undergraduates complete.
In 2025, enrollment across the system’s 13 campuses remained stable with about 700 more students enrolled in the fall when compared to 2024. The slight increase represents the third consecutive year of increased enrollment.
UW President Jay Rothman thanked lawmakers and Evers in a social media post and said the release of the funds “affirms our shared commitment to student success and Wisconsin’s workforce.”
“Together, we’ll keep more talented graduates in Wisconsin and ensure our universities are delivering the education students deserve and parents expect,” Rothman said.
See Baylor Spears, Joint Finance Committee votes to release $53 million for UW system, Wisconsin Examiner, January 15, 2026.
This vote should have happened sooner; still, it’s to Wisconsin’s benefit that the funds have now been released.
Honestly, I didn’t know this was a thing — World Euchre Championship draws players to New Glarus: