University of Wisconsin regents back GOP deal for funding in exchange for limiting diversity efforts

MADISON, Wis. — In a surprising about-face, the Universities of Wisconsin regents approved a deal Wednesday evening with Republican legislators to limit diversity positions at the system’s two dozen campuses in exchange for money to cover staff raises and construction projects. The deal the regents approved calls for lawmakers to release the money for the raises and various campus construction projects, including $200 million for a new engineering building at the system’s flagship campus in Madison. And I think that’s what we did in this process.” Associated Students of Madison, UW-Madison’s student government group, said it was “disheartened” by the vote Wednesday and would hold accountable UW officials who promised diversity efforts would continue. “It is discriminatory toward students, faculty and staffs of color because their experiences should never have a price tag and should never be bought out.” She provided reporters with a memo from the Legislature’s attorneys that concluded that the regents’ closed-door meeting on Tuesday may have violated the state’s open meetings law because the meeting notice was too vague.