U. Wisconsin chancellor, students revive dialogue

By Danielle Corcoran

The Daily Cardinal (U. Wisconsin)

MADISON, Wis. (U-WIRE) - University of Wisconsin at Madison Chancellor David Ward met with students and members of key campus committees Wednesday to reopen a dialogue on sweatshop issues for the first time since last week's sit-in in Bascom Hall.

"I would hope that we could put 90 percent of our efforts toward looking forward and 10 percent of our efforts toward looking back," Ward said.

Ward assembled a group of students, University Committee members, Academic Staff Executive Committee members and others to reignite the shared-governance process stalled since students resigned from the Collegiate Licensing Company Task Force Advisory Committee in January. Ward hoped to reform the committee or create a new one to evaluate Madison's role in ending sweatshop labor.

However, students said the sit-in was indicative of underlying student dissatisfaction with shared governance at the university in general, and not just on the sweatshop committee.

"I don't think we the students are ready to talk about the sweatshop issue itself," resigned committee member and protester David Ernesto Alvarado said. "I think we should all take steps to recognize the crisis that exists."

Ward said protests at other universities related directly to sweatshop issues, and he said it was a mischaracterization to claim the protesters' primary concern was shared governance.

"If you want to deal with shared governance issues, we'll deal with it, but not through a sit-in," Ward said.

ASM Shared Governance Chairwoman Becky Wasserman said students often feel alienated on campus committees when their opinions are not taken seriously or when they are outnumbered by faculty and staff.

Resigned CLC Task Force Advisory Committee member Molly Mc Grath said obstacles to student participation are the lack of decision-making power on committees and faith in the university's good will.

"I guess for me the issue at hand is an issue of trust," Mc Grath said.

Ward restated his commitment to fighting sweatshops.

"I wanted to be with you on the sweatshop issue," Ward said.

University Committee member Tom Sharkey recommended that students not let their shared-governance concerns delay the progress of talks relating to shaping the Workers' Rights Consortium, which will hold its founding conference in April.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Paul Barrows sent the chairs of the University Committee, the Academic Staff Executive Committee and ASM back to their constituencies to discuss shared-governance processes with which they would be comfortable. They will report their conclusions at a meeting tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday.

"One thing that really struck me here today was how simple things could have been," Alvarado said. "We're always willing to talk and we're always willing to talk in very reasonable terms."