We've heard from many of you regarding the Spring 2006 On Wisconsin cover story, "The Year of Unfortunate Events," and its accompanying Sifting and Winnowing column. We didn't have room to include all of the letters in the print edition of On Wisconsin, so we're posting some of them here. For even more letters on legislative relations, go to alumniforwisconsin.org.

Reflecting on Sifting and Winnowing Column
I am glad that you spoke up re: the sad state of UW-state relations in the most recent On Wisconsin [Sifting and Winnowing, Spring 2006]. Has WAA done anything to organize any kind of a quick response team that can be mobilized to respond to legislators before they do any more damage? If so, I would like to learn more about it and join.


Editor's Note: See alumniforwisconsin.org to learn about ways that you can get involved and be an advocate for UW-Madison.

In her opening column [Sifting and Winnowing], Paula Bonner states "Frankly, I've been surprised that there has been virtually no reaction from alumni during the last budget cycle... When no one at the upper or the grassroots levels is looking at the big picture, far-reaching decisions get made without the benefit of public dialogue." At the same time, she acknowledges in an earlier paragraph that "...nearly half of the readership of this magazine lives outside Wisconsin..."

As one of those non-Wisconsinites, I think I can give at least one explanation for why the response from alumni has been lacking - we didn't know what was happening between the state and university, primarily because the media we receive to keep us updated and connected as alumni tends to focus on UW boosters and good news rather than on the nitty-gritty reality of daily life and strained relations in the state.

Frankly, I have always found this focus on the positive spin to be detrimental, since it doesn't give readers and alumni a clear view of the UW and potential issues of concern, and I suggest that Ms. Bonner was being a bit disingenuous in her remarks if she truly couldn't understand why so many alumni were silent on this issue.

The struggles between the legislature and the university really aren't a new story. When I was in grad school, I attended a one-day symposium that specifically focused on looking at how the state was gradually withdrawing public support and how the UW was heading towards privatization. Most states and their residents simply don't see or understand the value of the public land grant universities as people did in years past, and when institutions like the UW then play fast and furious with questionable personnel policies, these incidents serve only to further reinforce academia's image as an ivory tower out of touch with reality.

If the UW truly wants to gain better relationships and appreciation, it should hold itself to higher standards and not make excuses for poor policy decisions, unwarranted financial security or raises for staff and faculty, or excessive tuition increases that price out many Wisconsin students.

In my opinion, neither the university nor the Legislature is blameless in the recent spate of unpleasant relations, and additional transparency on both parts can only lead to a stronger university and state.

More Thoughts on Legislative Relations
Thank you for Michael Penn's article in the Spring issue of On Wisconsin ["The Year of Unfortunate Events"]. It appears broad and balanced - and informative.


I am a faculty member in the UW medical school. Please give my congratulations to Michael Penn for writing a great balanced article on the state of affairs between the University and the state. It was well researched and presented both sides of the issue in a balanced manner.


There's only one Wisconsin and there's only one University of Wisconsin within its borders. What happened to the idea that the university extends to the state's borders? It is a unique idea. It worked in the past. Why not try it again?

My wife and I, both alumni of UW-Madison, appreciate the quality of the article by Michael Penn entitled "The Year of Unfortunate Events." It appeared to be a thorough and balanced discussion of the complex issues facing our public university system in light of its mission and the demands of fiscal solvency and accountability. Of greatest importance was the article's treatment of the unfortunate surge in recent conflicts with the state legislature and the associated risk to the System's ability to continue to effectively achieve its mission while at the same time retaining high quality academic and administrative staff.

The Much-Requested Fudge-Bottom Pie
In fall of 1955 I had the Union's fudge-bottom pie at a Freshman Greeting. I will never forget it. Thanks for taking me back to 1955.


Heady Days of Economics
The article about Edwin Witte brought to mind the heady days of the Economics Department between 1938 and 1942, including William ("Wild Bill") Kiekhofer, Selig Perlman, Harold Groves, and D.D. Lescohier, all under that magnificent president of the University of Wisconsin, Clarence Dykstra. As I recall, all were proponents of the Turner School of Economics, Turner being a past member of the university faculty.


I found the article on Edwin Witte delightful. Unfortunately, it also served as a reminder that the last bastion of Institutional Economics and the Wisconsin School vanished when the Industrial Relations Research Institute was abolished.

Appreciating Symbiosis
My father, Alvin W. Hofer MS'30, would have appreciated your article on the symbiotic revolution ["Friends in Low Places," Spring 2006]. In fact, the study of symbiosis has a long and proud history at the university.

In the 1920s, my father was a graduate student working with a group of UW scientists who were at the forefront of research into the relationship between the rhizobium bacteria and leguminous plants, such as beans and peas. With a little help from their bacterial friends, these plants take nitrogen directly from the air instead of requiring nitrogen fertilizers. These plants in turn enrich the soil and improve yields on subsequent crops that lack such lowly friends.

Symbiosis was as important a part of my childhood education as sifting and winnowing.

Great Minds . . .
As an Appleton native, I thoroughly enjoyed "Just When Ya T'ink Ya've Herd it All..." [Peter and Lou Berryman] sound like my kind of people, fer shure. And when I read the "Your State's Name Here," ditty near the end of their tale, I knew I had to write. Great minds, it seems, think a lot alike.

As proof, I've plugged in a little piece of the retirement letter I sent to co-workers when I took a nice GTE package in 1993. I can assure you that I didn't steal the idea from the Berryman folks. I ripped it off from a guy I worked with in Grinnell, Iowa.

The letter was sent to about fifty people I'd worked with over the years. Here's how it started...

Through the magic of computer technology, it is now possible to send highly personalized communications to many people while making the message seem as though it is directed to a single individual. I have carefully studied this technique for the past several years and have perfected it just in time for this momentous occasion - my farewell to the world of regular paychecks.

Dear (insert your first name here):
As you read this note (on your computer screen) (in the comfort of your living room) (sitting in your plush office or cramped cubicle), rest assured that these words are intended solely for you alone, since you have made a deep and lasting impression on my business career.

And it went on in similar fashion for another page and a half.

Less is More
May I suggest that you reduce the size of the On Wisconsin magazine. Like so many publications, the longer they are in business, [the more] they feel a compulsion to include more articles from issue to issue. Unfortunately, for me, the thicker the publication, the less likely I am to read any of it. I used to read the magazine entirely upon receipt. Now, I set the magazine aside to read later when I have much more time. However, that time just seems to never come, and I end up throwing the magazine away in a couple of months, not having read any of it. Also, the more articles you have in a magazine, the less interesting many of them become and therefore go unread.


Flashback
I enjoyed the "Flashback" on Carson Gulley in the Spring 2006 On Wisconsin. However, it should be noted that the Essex Lodge was located near Tomahawk in northern Wisconsin, not near Tomah. My family actually vacationed at Essex in the late 1960s when I was young. Unfortunately, I don't remember much of the trip - I was in the hospital most of the week!

UW is Number 16 Worldwide
Please go to http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=college&MsgID=30046 to see the latest worldwide university ranking done by the Shanghai Communication University. UW-Madison is ranked number 16 worldwide. Please send to your fellow friends and alumni and be proud of the university and ourselves.