Madison, WI – Faculty, students, and staff across the UW System are reacting to the recent news that the largest UW System reorganization in 40 years was an “open secret” at the Capitol.  According to a report from Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR), “Before faculty, staff and students learned about the plan to eliminate the two-year UW Colleges and UW-Extension, UW System President Ray Cross had discussed it with a lawmaker who called for similar action in 2015.”  In a clear disregard for shared governance or the concerns of the UW community, President Cross spent weeks courting Republican

Superior, WI – The UW-Superior faculty have overwhelmingly voted “no confidence” in the UWS administration in response to the recent announcement to suspend and put on warning approximately one-third of all majors and minors at UWS.  The vote was open to all faculty and took place from Wednesday-Friday this week.  The vote, which read, “As a response to the October 31, 2017 administrative decisions to suspend majors/minors, I vote no confidence in the UW-Superior administration,” passed by a 59% margin.

“The faculty overwhelmingly rebuked the administration’s top-down decision on program

Madison, WI – The AFT-Wisconsin Committee on Political Education has endorsed Patty Schachtner for the special election in Senate District 10. 

“We’re very excited about Patty’s run for Senate District 10,” said AFT-Wisconsin President Kim Kohlhaas.  “During the endorsement process, it was clear that Patty was the only candidate that will fight for public education and be a champion for working families in her district and across Wisconsin.  We strongly encourage all working people to support Patty Schachtner in this special election!”

Contact:  Wren Keturi, keturi@aft-wisconsin.org

Superior, WI – In a unanimous vote, a committee of the Douglas County Board of Supervisors voted to forward a resolution calling on UW Regents and Governor Walker to rescind program suspensions and warnings at UW-Superior.  The resolution will be voted on by the entire Douglas County Board on the 21^st.  This resolution comes as students and community members mount increasing pressure on the administration to reverse their October 31^st announcement to suspend 25 programs and put 15 others on warning. 

Members of AFT Local 6514, the faculty and staff union at UW-Superior, attended the meeting and

Superior, WI – On Halloween, faculty, staff, and students at the University of Wisconsin in Superior were blindsided by the administration’s blanket announcement to suspend nine majors, fifteen minors, and one masters program.  Fifteen additional programs were put on “warning” for suspension.  These program suspensions are the latest in a string of brazen attacks on public higher education in Wisconsin, and have sparked student protests and an online petition that has garnered more than 5,300 signatures. 

In a series of forums and a public announcement, the UW-Superior administration justified

The following statement was released today by the AAUP and AFT-Wisconsin:

A series of recent actions taken by Governor Scott Walker, the Wisconsin state legislature, and the University of Wisconsin system board of regents represents a concerted attack on the university as a public good and on the university’s role in fostering democratic participation. The stewards of the university system appear determined to destroy it.

In 2011, Governor Walker proposed, and the legislature passed, Act 10, curtailing the system faculty’s rights to negotiate collectively. In 2015, the legislature severely