Chancellor Mone visited the UC today and described a number of current matters, including how to best place our Athletics programs in national competition. He reported that a number of donors have increased their pledges or allowed us to re-direct existing pledges in order to help raise UWM’s prominence. In other matters, he also reported that UWM is slated to receive $53 million of a $69 million capital request to renovate the Northwest Quad, although $41 million of that will be needed merely to bring the infrastructure up to code.

UC Chair Reisel met with other campus representatives in the system in the past week. The system is looking at whether policy can be developed to consolidate low-enrollment programs between campuses, and consider avoiding duplication of programs. In budget news, the legislature is considering increasing targeted financial aid rather than bankrolling an across-the-board tuition cut.

He also reported that SEJEC is looking to fund a pilot program to invite high schoolers from high poverty zipcodes to the campus, for mentoring and instruction in skills useful for admission to university and entering employment.

The UC discussed the role of the APBC in new program approval. The Senate Rules committee recently decided that the comments from the APBC on new programs would be available to senators when a program is up for approval. It was also discussed to change the charter of APBC to give them authority to hold back program approval if the budget isn’t sufficiently described or supported. Training for current and new APBC members in financial reasoning becomes even more important given that the APBC may have a bigger role in program approval.