Chapter 36

36.64(2) (2) The office of educational opportunity shall evaluate proposals for contracts under s. 118.40 (2x), monitor pupil academic performance at charter schools authorized under s. 118.40 (2x), and monitor the overall operations of charter schools authorized under s. 118.40 (2x).

36.64(3) (3) The director of the office of educational opportunity is the special assistant to the president appointed under s. 36.09 (2) (c).

36.64(4) (4) The director of the office of educational opportunity may do any of the following:

36.64(4)(a) (a) Appoint up to 2 associate directors.

36.64(4)(b) (b) Form advisory councils to make recommendations related to authorizing charter schools under s. 118.40 (2x).

36.64(4)(c) (c) Collaborate with chancellors, faculty, academic staff, and students within the system.

36.64(4)(d) (d) Solicit private gifts and grants for charter schools established under s. 118.40 (2x).

36.64(5) (5) The director of the office of educational opportunity shall report to the board any private gift or grant received by the office of educational opportunity and how the director intends to use the private gift or grant.

36.64 History History: 2015 a. 55; 2017 a. 59.

36.65 36.65 Annual reports.

36.65(1) (1) Definition. In this section, “chancellor” means the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

36.65(2) (2) Reports. Annually, the board and the chancellor shall each submit an accountability report to the governor and to the legislature under s. 13.172 (2). The reports shall include all of the following information, the board’s report with respect to the system other than the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the chancellor’s report with respect to the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

36.65(2)(a) (a) Performance. The graduation rate, the total number of graduates, the time needed to graduate, the number of credits needed to obtain a degree, the number of degrees awarded in fields specified in s. 36.25 (52) (a) 2. a., retention rates, placement of graduates, and the percentage of residents and nonresidents who reside in this state 10 years after graduation.

36.65(2)(b) (b) Financial. Financial reports from each institution and each college campus, prepared using generally accepted accounting principles.

36.65(2)(c) (c) Access and affordability. A profile of enrolled students, including mean per capita family income, the percentage of resident and nonresident students who are low-income, the percentage of resident and nonresident students who are members of minority groups, the number of transfers from other institutions and other colleges within this state, a description of any improvements made in the transfer of credit between institutions of higher education, the number of high school pupils who have earned credit, the published cost for resident students and the actual cost for resident students once financial aid is subtracted, and increases in available institutional financial aid for students with a demonstrated need.

36.65(2)(d) (d) Undergraduate education. The extent of access to required courses and to popular majors, the majors offered, improvements in overall student experience, efforts to close the achievement gap between majority and underrepresented minority students, the number of undergraduate students participating in internships or cooperative work experiences, and post-graduation success.

36.65(2)(dm) (dm) Teaching hours. Aggregate data on teaching hours reported under s. 36.115 (8) (a) 1.

36.65(2)(dn) (dn) Extension and outreach hours. Aggregate data on extension and outreach hours of state specialists, as defined in s. 36.115 (1) (b).

36.65(2)(e) (e) Graduate and professional education. The number of graduate degrees awarded; the number of professional graduates in key areas, including physicians, nurses, business, engineers, pharmacists, veterinarians, and lawyers; the number of graduate students participating in internships or cooperative work experiences; and incentives provided for remaining in this state after graduation.

36.65(2)(f) (f) Faculty. A profile of the faculty, including faculty teaching loads, success or failure in recruiting and retaining scholars, and teachers who are rated at the top of their fields.

36.65(2)(g) (g) Economic development. The amount and source of research funds and other new revenue brought into the state, the number of government contracts received, the number of research projects in progress or completed, the number of patents and licenses for system inventions, the number of new businesses created or spun off, the number of secondary businesses affiliated with the system or system-sponsored research projects, support provided to existing industries throughout the state, job growth from support to existing industries and new businesses, the number of jobs created in campus areas, the number of jobs created statewide, a comparison of economic indicators for campus and other areas, and a description of the economic development programs, as defined in s. 36.11 (29r) (a), that have been undertaken.

36.65(2)(h) (h) Collaboration. Partnerships and collaborative relationships with system administration and institutions.

36.65(2)(i) (i) Incentive grants. The goals, results, and budget for each program for which the board awarded a grant under s. 36.25 (52) and a summary of this information.

36.65(3) (3) Core general education credit transfers. The board shall include in the report required under sub. (2) a description of the agreement entered into under s. 36.31 (2m) (b) and a summary of the board’s implementation of the agreement. This subsection first applies to the report required under sub. (2) that applies to the 2014-15 academic year.

36.65(4) (4) Fees. Annually by October 15, the board shall submit a report to the joint committee on finance and the joint legislative audit committee that lists all fees, including academic fees, tuition, segregated fees, and any other fees, that are charged to students at each institution and college campus and the amount by which the fees have increased in each of the preceding 5 years.

36.65(5) (5) Remedial course reports.

36.65(5)(a) (a) In this subsection:

36.65(5)(a)1. 1. “High school” means a school in this state in which the high school grades are taught, including a school classified as a senior high school under s. 115.01 (2).

36.65(5)(a)2. 2. “Placement test” means an English or mathematics placement test that is required upon a student’s admission to the system.

36.65(5)(a)3. 3. “School” means a public school, including a charter school, as defined in s. 115.001 (1), and a private school, as defined in s. 115.001 (3r).

36.65(5)(a)4. 4. “Student” means a student who is admitted to the system immediately following high school graduation.

36.65(5)(b) (b) By September 1 of each year, the system administration shall do all of the following:

36.65(5)(b)1. 1. Determine the high schools with more than 6 students who, based on their performance on placement tests in the preceding 12 months, are required to take remedial courses in English or mathematics.

36.65(5)(b)2. 2. Submit a report to the appropriate standing committees of the legislature under s. 13.172 (3) and state superintendent of public instruction that identifies the high schools determined under subd. 1. and, for each high school so identified, the number of students who, based on their performance on placement tests in the preceding 12 months, are required to take remedial courses in English or mathematics. The system administration may not disclose in the report the identity of any student who is required to take a remedial course.

36.65(5)(c) (c) Upon receipt of a report submitted under par. (b) 2., the state superintendent of public instruction shall provide a copy of the report to each school board.

36.65(6) (6) Accountability dashboard.

36.65(6)(a) (a) In this subsection, “accountability dashboard” means the accountability dashboard that the board publishes on the system’s Internet site.

36.65(6)(b) (b) The board shall publish aggregate data on teaching hours reported under s. 36.115 (8) (a) 1. on the accountability dashboard. The board shall make accessible via links on the accountability dashboard the teaching hours reported by individual faculty and academic staff members under s. 36.115 (8) (a) 1.

36.65(6)(c) (c) The board shall publish on the accountability dashboard aggregate data on extension and outreach hours of state specialists, as defined in s. 36.115 (1) (b).

36.65 History History: 2011 a. 32; 2013 a. 20; 2015 a. 28; 2017 a. 59; 2019 a. 46; 2021 a. 11.

36.66 36.66 Grants to meet emergency financial need.

36.66(1) (1) In this section:

36.66(1)(a) (a) “Eligible student” means a student enrolled in an institution whose financial need meets the eligibility criteria for a grant from the Federal Pell Grant Program.

36.66(1)(b) (b) “Financial emergency” means an unplanned event causing an unanticipated expense, such as charges for medical treatment or vehicle repair, that would cause an eligible student to not complete that term if a grant were not available to cover the expense, but does not include such expenses as those for tuition, textbooks, student fees, alcohol or tobacco, groceries, entertainment, legal services, or fines or forfeitures resulting from legal violations.

36.66(1)(c) (c) “Institution” includes any former college campus that was partnered with the institution as a branch campus in the system restructuring plan approved by the Higher Learning Commission on or about June 28, 2018.

36.66(2) (2) From the appropriation under s. 20.285 (1) (e), no later than September 1, 2016, and by September 1 of each year thereafter, the board shall distribute funds to institutions for payment of grants under this section. These funds may not be used by the institutions for any other purpose. The amount distributed by the board to each institution shall be determined by the board based on the anticipated need and demand for grants at each institution.

36.66(3) (3) 

36.66(3)(a) (a) Subject to pars. (b) to (d), each institution may award grants to eligible students to pay the student’s expense resulting from a financial emergency. In evaluating a grant application, the institution shall, in its discretion and based on its best judgment, determine whether the student has incurred a legitimate financial emergency.

36.66(3)(b) (b) No grant may be awarded to a student unless the student has submitted with the grant application written proof, such as a bill, identifying the nature and amount of the expense and the 3rd party to whom this amount is owed.

36.66(3)(c) (c) An institution may not award more than 2 grants under this section to the same student in any academic year. The total of all grants made to a student under this section in the same academic year may not exceed $1,000.

36.66(3)(d) (d) A grant under this section may not be disbursed in cash. The grant funds shall be disbursed in any of the following ways:

36.66(3)(d)1. 1. By check made payable to the student and delivered to the student.

36.66(3)(d)2. 2. By check made payable to the 3rd party identified under par. (b) and delivered to the 3rd party or to the student.

36.66(3)(d)3. 3. By electronic fund transfer or other electronic deposit to an account maintained by the student at a financial institution.

36.66(4) (4) Each institution shall create or adopt a brief application process and designate an employee with the authority to disburse the grant funds to eligible students. A decision on a grant application, and disbursement of grant funds to a student if a grant is awarded, shall be made within 5 business days of the student’s application.

36.66(5) (5) If a student applies for a 2nd grant under this section within the same academic year, an institution shall require the student to undergo a financial counseling session with a financial aid professional before the grant may be awarded.

36.66(6) (6) 

36.66(6)(a) (a) Each institution shall collect, for each academic year, the following information related to the grant program under this section:

36.66(6)(a)1. 1. The number of grants awarded.

36.66(6)(a)2. 2. The number of grant requests denied.

36.66(6)(a)3. 3. The number of students receiving grants.

36.66(6)(a)4. 4. The total amount of grant money awarded.

36.66(6)(a)5. 5. The total amount of grant money available but not awarded.

36.66(6)(a)6. 6. The number of students who received a grant and completed their degree or credential.

36.66(6)(a)7. 7. The number of students who received a grant and transferred to another postsecondary institution.

36.66(6)(a)8. 8. The number of students who received a grant and did not complete the term in which the grant was awarded.

36.66(6)(a)9. 9. The types of expenses for which students requested grants.

36.66(6)(b) (b) By September 1 of each year, each institution shall report to the board the information collected under par. (a), for the academic year ending in that calendar year, and the board shall submit a report of this information to the chief clerk of each house of the legislature, for distribution to the appropriate standing committees under s. 13.172 (3) having jurisdiction over matters relating to colleges and universities.

36.66 History History: 2015 a. 282; 2023 a. 80.

36.68 36.68 The Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

36.68(1) (1) Definitions. In this section:

36.68(1)(a) (a) “Board” means the public leadership board.

36.68(1)(b) (b) “Center” means the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership.

36.68(2) (2) Mission. There is created at the University of Wisconsin-Madison the Tommy G. Thompson Center on Public Leadership that has as its mission the facilitation of research, teaching, outreach, and needed policy reforms regarding effective public leadership that improves the practice of American government. The center shall endeavor to carry out its mission throughout all the universities of the system.

36.68(3) (3) Director. Upon the joint recommendation of the chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the dean of the College of Letters and Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the board shall appoint a director of the center for a 3-year term.

36.68(4) (4) Powers. The center may do any of the following:

36.68(4)(a) (a) Make grants to support faculty research that objectively studies public leadership in American political and legal institutions, policy making, and policy implementation.

36.68(4)(b) (b) Conduct an annual competitive grant contest for encouraging faculty research described in par. (a) that has direct and urgent relevance for the state of Wisconsin.

36.68(4)(c) (c) Publicize the findings of the research that is supported by the center.

36.68(4)(d) (d) Foster public debate over critical issues regarding effective public leadership and facilitate dialogue between academics and policy makers on those issues.

36.68(4)(e) (e) Conduct and promote programs and events that bring timely political and policy issues to the attention of larger audiences.

36.68(4)(f) (f) Take any other action that is consistent with the mission of the center.

36.68(5) (5) Speaking engagements. In each fiscal year, not less than $500,000 of the amount appropriated under s. 20.285 (1) (b) shall be allocated by the board for speaking engagements sponsored by the center at campuses other than the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.

36.68(6) (6) Expenditures. The director of the center shall propose an annual budget itemizing expenditures of the moneys appropriated under s. 20.285 (1) (b), including expenditures for grants to proposed recipients, which shall be subject to the approval of the board. Upon approval by the board, the director may make substantive changes to the annual budget only with the subsequent approval of the board.

36.68 History History: 2017 a. 59.