Posted 2:51 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025
Free Screening at the Rivoli Theatre
Join Murphy Library at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 12th at the Rivoli Theatre and Pizzeria for a screening of the film Closure.
Closure tells the story of the UW System and how budget cuts, political attacks and declining enrollments have harmed the UW System and The Wisconsin Idea. The film focuses on closing of the two year campus at UW Platteville Richland, and the impact that it had on the community, students, and employees at UW Richland. The film explores how the condensing and closure of the two year UW campuses has been a calculated decision.
Come Join us at the Rivoli on February 12th at 7:30pm tickets are free but limited reserve yours HERE.
If you are interested in learning more about the Wisconsin Idea or the struggles of the UW System check out these resources at Murphy Library:
UW Struggle: When a State Attacks Its University by Chuck Rybak
A Wisconsin story that serves as a national warning: UW Struggle provides an on-the-ground view of the smoldering attack on higher education in the Wisconsin. Chuck Rybak, who works in the University of Wisconsin System, provides important glimpses into the personal lives of those affected, the dismantling of tenure protections, the diminishment of shared governance, and how faculty remain the scapegoat for all of the university's problems. This is a chronicle of failed leadership and what actions, if any, can protect this vital American institution.
The Fall of Wisconsin by Dan Kaufman delves into the dramatic political shift in Wisconsin, a state once celebrated as a progressive "laboratory of democracy." Kaufman examines how the state's progressive traditions, shaped by figures like Robert La Follette and Gaylord Nelson, were overturned following a Republican sweep in 2010 and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential victory. He reveals how Governor Scott Walker's "divide-and-conquer" strategies empowered corporations and wealthy donors to erode protections for voting rights, labor unions, the environment, and public education. Alongside this, Kaufman highlights the inspiring efforts of citizens fighting to restore Wisconsin's progressive legacy amidst these challenges.
The Wisconsin Idea by Charles McCarthy
Charles McCarthy's The Wisconsin Idea, first published in 1912, popularized the term both within Wisconsin and across the nation. Rooted in extensive research and a deep commitment to the public good, the book serves as a significant historical record of Wisconsin, the Midwest, and the United States. McCarthy’s account of progressive governance calls on leaders to prioritize "hope, health, happiness, and justice," advocating for the sustainable development of the nation's human and natural resources to ensure true prosperity and freedom.
Education for Democracy: Renewing the Wisconsin Idea / Edited by Chad Alan Goldberg
Using the Wisconsin Idea as a lens, Education for Democracy argues that public higher education institutions remain a bastion of collaborative problem solving. Examinations of partnerships between the state university and people of the state highlight many crucial and lasting contributions to issues of broad public concern such as conservation, LGBTQ+ rights, and poverty alleviation. The contributors restore the value of state universities and humanities education as a public good, contending that they deserve renewed and robust support.