On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Student Association (SA) met with Chancellor Joe Gow. During his time with SA, Gow spoke on his transition from Chancellor to faculty member as well as the budget cuts to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Later in the meeting, members of SA asked Gow questions as well as discussed potential resolutions to be reviewed further in the future.
Gow spoke to the time he has spent as Chancellor of UWL. He said, “I’ve done it [served as chancellor] for 17 years, and we’ve done a lot of great things, and we can take tremendous pride.”
He spoke to how UWL has grown since he started at the university, referencing the buildings that have been built since his naming as the tenth chancellor of UWL, including Eagle Hall, Centennial Hall, the Student Union, Prairie Springs Science Center, the Fieldhouse and the Veteran’s Memorial Field Sports Complex.
Gow also mentioned the notable figures he has introduced during his time as chancellor. The people on this list included names such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden and Mike Pence.
The pay raises being blocked from University of Wisconsin employees came up in Gow’s discussion. These blocked raises are being held in addition to the $32 budget cut that University of Wisconsin schools have already taken, which was directed at the DEI department.
Gow said raises being blocked for all UWL faculty and staff, including facilities and food service workers, is a cost-of-living raise, equaling about four percent. Gow said, “They [Wisconsin legislature] gave a pay increase to all the other state employees, but they’re not doing it for people in the university systems.”
“I’m proud to say that under my leadership, we created the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department,” said Gow. He then spoke to UWL’s ability and willingness to maintain the DEI program. “We are not going to backtrack from that,” he said
Senator Armando Garcia asked Gow, “What the is likelihood that UW schools would give in to legislators demands of dropping DEI in favor of the funding?” Gow assured SA of his confidence in UWL to maintain their DEI program and responded with, “I just don’t see that happening.”
Another question that SA raised to Gow was how the university is helping their student teachers in the School of Education (SOE) be placed in schools to student-teach and how UWL is addressing other long-standing issues.
Gow explained that oftentimes, it is the schools that do not have room for more student teachers, or do not have teachers that are willing or able to take on a student teacher. “You have to have the collaboration of the people outside the university, and we know that’s a challenge,” he said.
Gow explained that when UWL was first established it was an institute dedicated to teaching future teachers. “It’s a rich history, and we want to do right by that.”
Senator Emma Wittman next asked Gow what UWL can do to attract more students of color and increase diversity on campus.
“Diversity is the future, there’s no doubt about that,” answered Gow. He also advocated for the next chancellor to be someone who is different than himself and the past chancellors. “Isn’t it time to have leadership that is a little more diverse.”
Later in the meeting, SA discussed possible resolutions that they may write and created a list to revisit in future meetings. Items on the list included, but were not limited to, stricter grading timelines for professors, mandatory mental health training for professors, affordable childcare on campus, Wellness Week improvements as suggested by students and reworking the land recognition statement.
SA will not meet on Nov. 22, but will meet again on Wednesday, Nov. 29 to continue to discuss and draft possible resolutions.
