David J. Vanness, an Associate Professor in Population and Health Sciences at the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has started a petition to thwart a proposal to destroy tenure as we know it at public universities there. He explains:
In the Omnibus Motion adopted by a 12-4 vote of the Joint Finance Committee on May 29, 2015, the Board of Regents is to be granted new authority, which even if not exercised, by its very existence will create a chilling effect upon the research and teaching activities of our faculty and staff. Specifically, language in point 39 of the motion states that the “… Board may, with appropriate notice, terminate any faculty or academic staff appointment when such an action is deemed necessary due to a budget or program decision regarding program discontinuance, curtailment, modification, or redirection, instead of when a financial emergency exists as under current law.” Our fear is that this language is so broad and imprecise that it would allow for programs of academic inquiry and instruction (or even individually targeted tenured faculty within programs) to be terminated on the basis of political whim and convenience.
This is in an omnibus budget bill, so it’s sure to pass without much controversy. Governor Scott Walker and his cronies want more control over the universities, and this rollback of tenure is essential to their political mission. Those of us who enjoy the protections of tenure, or who hope to enjoy them someday, should use them and sign Vanness’s petition!
You can find the full petition here. Vanness has five minutes tomorrow morning, June 4, to make his case to the Board of Regents that they should “formally adopt policy that the Board shall terminate or layoff tenured faculty specifically and only for just cause and with due process.” Let’s make sure he has the support he needs. Only those of us outside Wisconsin can make it clear just how damaging point 39 language would be for the university unless the Board disavows the new authority they will have.
Historiann 
Done.
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YAY! Let’s give it up for the badgers!
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Looks like Vanness still needs nearly 1,000 signatures: can you help?
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Oh, come on, people! I logged off for an hour and there’s barely more than 100 of you who have signed since I did.
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Signed. Done!
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Thanks, Undine!
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People! We still need 808 signatures! Get cracking, please!
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Signed! As a near-native of Wisconsin with family still there, I’m horrified by this.
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Thanks, NB! Let’s keep going. Since I logged on this morning, the petition has collected another 250 signatures or so, but there are still (at this moment) 734 needed to reach the goal of 2,500 signatures!
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Done.
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Reblogged this on Knitting Clio and commented:
Please sign this petition!
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Thanks, Heather! As of right now, we need 619 more signatures!
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Ann, I am deeply grateful for bring attention to this issue and my petition. The signatures and comments people have left are giving me strength to speak out. Thanks to all of your readers.
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Bon courage this morning, Dave! We stand with you.
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HOORAY! I logged on this morning and see that there are now 2,579 signatures! Well done, friends!
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Done, I just saw the petition this morning, hopefully the additional signatures will make a difference.
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Thanks, Matt! Step by little step. . .
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BAD NEWS: Vanness & colleagues’ efforts at the Board of Regents failed today:
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/tenure-roils-uw-board-of-regents-b99513073z1-306175561.html
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/article_23e46e2f-f03e-54d3-b5e2-b4be9a31aeee.html#.VXCuVXuhF48.twitter
But he reports on Twitter that “we lost the battle today, but we are not done yet.” Here’s hoping!
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More news: http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_cdafba1d-0631-5463-906d-7088e3ee80ce.html#.VXET–L4UCw.twitter
Vanness is quoted in this article
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Here’s another article summing up the meeting yesterday, and Vanness’s response to it: http://host.madison.com/ct/news/local/writers/pat_schneider/article_8ef4f2f1-482b-51f1-8664-e4e3abc96453.html#.VXGzh6UxUtw.twitter
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Vanness publishes a report on yesterday’s meeting and the (unfortunately dim) prospects for the future of tenure at UW.
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They did this at my place a few years ago and it is awful. Fortunately they haven’t actually done it to anyone on my campus but at others in system they have decimated whole departments in core disciplines.
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