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Check out this morning's story from Inside Higher Ed for more information and questions. I'm told we can expect details from UW System soon, and I know many of us eagerly await them.

Today Governor Scott Walker (whom my son happily continues to call "RecallWalker") and the UW System announced a joint effort to provide competency-based online degree programs. The program will be initiated and led by UW Extension faculty and staff under Chancellor Ray Cross. My feelings about Walker are well-known.  I have a hard time believing he has the best interests of UW System at heart.  That said, I don't think this was Walker's idea, and I don't think his interest in it means it's necessarily a bad idea. Here are a few reasons why: 1) Competency-based online instruction has been implemented all over the world. It aims to break the link between seat-time and credit in order to get students accessible, affordable degrees. Those are good objectives. Credit for sitting in a seat for a certain amount of time has never felt smart. (2) The typical conservative approach to implementation is a clear effort to undermine full-time faculty --bring in an outside ...

The following folks will be rethinking UW System, courtesy of the Fitzgerald Brothers who got to choose 12 of the 17 task force members. Their choices include: Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater Rep. Pat Strachota, R-West Bend UW-Platteville Chancellor Dennis Shields Wis. Technical College Board President Mark Tyler Former UW Alumni Association Chair Renee Ramirez Carroll University Board of Directors member Joanne Brandes Business Owner Tim Higgins Former UW Regent Fred Mohs UW Colleges and Extension Chancellor Ray Cross UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Richard Wells Former UW Student Regent Joe Alexander Last spring, some of these folks were strongly opposed to the New Badger Partnership--UW-Madison's effort to break from UW System. For example, who can forget Ray Cross's astute remarks , delivered just a short time after his arrival in Wisconsin. He noted that comparisons to U. Michigan were inappropriate, and stressed the importance of keeping UW System...