Colleagues and students, as I write this it is truly another beautiful day in Superior!

Here is what is happening on campus (you can tell it’s Finals Week) : 

Representative Pat Strachota, R-West Bend, a member of the Joint Committee on Finance , has proposed an alternative to the New Badger Partnership (NBP) and the Wisconsin Idea Partnership (WIP).  The plan would be to provide requested flexibilities to all the campuses, keep UW-Madison part of the UW System but give Madison its own board within the Board of Regents.  What’s not clear is the role of that board; advisory or governing, and how that board would relate to the full Board of Regents.  Initial reactions to this proposal have been mixed, but it’s also true that many of the details of the proposal have yet to be worked out.  With JFC ready to deal with the UW budget toward late May, it may be too late for such a proposal to evolve.  Stay tuned . . . 

Finals Feeding Frenzy takes place tonight from 9 to 11 p.m., in the YU as campus staff, faculty and administrators cook a late night breakfast for our hard working students studying for finals and completing those end-of-the year projects. All are welcome, either to cook, welcome, or simply visit with students.  

Campus events are settling down this week as we head into finals week. Celebrate with us and our graduating students of color on Friday during our 14^th annual Graduates of Color Honoring Reception.  The ninth annual Student Film and Video Showcase on Friday is a must to attend, consisting of the best student films and videos from this academic year. 

What with this week of final exams and Commencement this Saturday, I think of Hamlet’s comment when he says “Come, give us a taste of your quality, come, a passionate speech.” (Act 2, scene 2).  And, that’s what I expect our students will do this week and next Saturday, give us a taste of their quality, together we’ll appreciate the successful conclusion of this academic year, as well as the successful conclusion of their college careers for our graduates.  Congratulations one and all! 

Julius E. Erlenbach
Interim Chancellor