HIGHER EDUCATION INITIATIVES FROM UW COLLEGES AND UW-EXTENSION

Chancellor Ray Cross discussed how Governor Scott Walker’s budget is good for UW Wisconsin.   UW Colleges and UW Extension are facing many challenges such as rising college costs, budget cuts, under-prepared students, value of higher education challenged, skills gap, changing workplace, increasing competition within education, changing demographics and needs.  Tuition for higher education has risen much faster than the consumer price index – 104% and 60% in the private/nonprofit 4 year colleges in the last 10 years.  The median income has remained fairly flat.   Why are college costs so high today?  There have been state budget cuts, declines in endowments, inflation, increased demand (13% to 70%), increased regulations and elite envy (institutional arms race).  In the early 1970’s, UW Colleges and UW Extension were about 14.42% of the state budget.  Today, they are 8.3% of the state budget and it is expected to continue to decline.    They need to find a new way to fund what they do while maintaining the quality of what they do.  What they have done are typical knee jerk reactions.  As state aid goes down, they have had to shift the cost to the student.  Chancellor Cross believes that they are at a breaking point and this can’t continue to be done.  Higher education pays in two specific quantifiable ways:  less likely to be unemployed and more likely to earn more in your lifetime. UW Colleges and UW Extension annual tuition is about $4,750 and the average financial aid package per recipient is $6,151.  About 80% of the skills gap involves two year technical skill applications.  Parents encourage kids not to go into these fields.  However, in the baccalaureate level, you can put those particular disciplines into four categories:  advanced manufacturing, information technology, healthcare and business.  The lack of college degrees within the State of Wisconsin is also a factor contributing to the skills gap:  US 38%, Wisconsin 39% and Minnesota 45.8%.  By 2025 at least 60% of our adult working population needs to have at least a two year degree.  What is the university doing about these challenges?  They are working on two initiatives:  UW Flexible Option and College Options Program.  UW Flexible Option involves on the job training, coursework or other learning experiences, massively open online courses (MOOC) and military training.  This initiative is self-paced, company based with degree progress though assessments; supported by wrap around advising/mentoring/tutoring; prior learning and experience shape educational experience; quality based on existing faculty and departments; and aimed at nontraditional returning students.  Students only pay for the assessments.  For more information go to:  www.flex.wisconsin.edu.  This is important because people make 3-5 career changes by age 38.  UW Milwaukee will offer 3 degree programs and 1 certificate program:  nursing degree, baccalaureate in diagnostic imaging, baccalaureate in information science and technology and a certificate in professional and technical communication. Within high schools, you have two types of students – seniors that are not challenged and seniors who are unprepared for college.  About 35-40% of freshman students entering college need at least one remedial course.  The College Options program brings college in the high school to reduce the cost to the students, accelerates completion time and prepares them to enter college.  

Rotary Shines - April 19th

Rotary Shines will be held on Friday, April 19 from 6:00-10:00 p.m. at the OuterEdge in Appleton.  The cost is $100 which admits two adults.  This is our club’s one and only fundraising event.  Tickets will be sold next week.  As part of Rotary Shines, the committee is offering a presale of chocolates from Wilmar’s to pick up on March 26 in time for Easter.  For every 5 boxes sold, a $50 gift card to Avenue Jewelry will be given away. 

At the event, there will be a reverse raffle, silent auction and live auction.  The people who have the numbers of the last 5 tickets will decide if they want to go for the grand prize or split it.  So far, the live auction will have two trips to Africa, 2 MetJet round trip tickets to Fort Myers or Orlando and a custom built brick fire pit donated by Oberstadt Landscaping.  There will be live music by the Neenah Jazz ensemble.  Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Fox Banquets and Rivertyme Catering.  If you would like to donate something for the silent auction, please contact Ruth Ann Heeter at raheeter@foxcitiesmagazine.com

The committee has set a goal of raising $11,000 in sponsorships.  If you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact Chad Hershner at chershner@chw.org. 

It is an evening of fun, fellowship and will benefit the Fox Valley Memory Project and clean water projects for school children in Gangavathi, India and Burundi, Africa, and Polio Plus.

THINK GLOBAL, ACT LOCAL: ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FOX-WOLF BASIN

Bart DeStasio, Lawrence University, discussed how combining global and local considerations in planning by corporations has been termed “globalization” and is becoming a more common business strategy.  This approach incorporates trends and events that occur on larger spatial and time scales than just considering events happening in the Fox Valley.  In order to understand our water issues, we need to consider the combined Fox-Wolf basin, the natural physical boundary of the watershed. Water in the Fox Valley is derived from local groundwater but mostly comes from the Wolf River, Upper Fox and Lower Fox.  About 16,000 years ago glaciers carried down chucks of ice that formed the Michigan, Saginaw and Huron/Erie Lobes.  As the ice receded, secondary lobes were formed in Green Bay.  There are many types of scales:  time, spatial and complexity/extend of effect (physical, chemical, biological, social, economic and political).  Which scale is used depends on the question, problem and issue.  Most focus on here, now and local impact which may miss drives of impacts.  Some environmental issues can be examined on this scale but other topics require us to consider much larger, more global issues like changing climate and precipitation patters or the global spread of aquatic invasive species.  Climate change effects include changes in temperature, precipitation and seasonal patterns.  Climate changes effects lakes by them having a higher temperature, shorter ice cover duration, annual production changes and potential impacts on fish and fisheries.  Eutrophication or the process by which a body of water acquires a high concentration of nutrients especially phosphates and nitrates, occurs from wastewater, storm sewers, industry discharges as well as agricultural fields, urban areas (parking lots) and septic systems.  The effects of eutrophication include increased algae and bacteria, oxygen depletion, fish kills and loss of recreational and aesthetic values.  Green paint in the middle of summer creates “dead zones” in Lake Winnebago caused by eutrophication.  Phosphorus exports increase as land use intensifies.  Watershed management is conducted by determining the total maximum daily load for every impaired system.  This helps to regulate the total system together since what happens upstream also happens downstream.  Difficulties in effectively dealing with these kinds of issues often involve a mismatch between natural boundaries and political/management units, as well as the lack of education on the topics.  However, local education and shifting our management and regulatory structure to better coincide with physical features of the environment present opportunities for real progress in addressing our most pressing water issues.  

Family of Rotary Happy Hour - April 10th

The Melting Pot

Wednesday, April 10^th

2295 W. College Ave. in Appleton

5-7 p.m.

Cash Bar, Sampling of Appetizers Provided and Appetizers to Purchase

With our Spring melting comes The Melting Pot! Bring a spouse, significant other, friend, potential Rotarian – and join us at The Melting Pot as we relax in their guest room reserved for us.  Get to see old friends and meet new ones, and just enjoy camaraderie and conversation.

This is a great way to get to know each other better – and earn a makeup as well.  

Family of Rotary Survey

The Family of Rotary Committee needs your feedback to assist our club in offering meaningful activities to build better friendships with club members and their families.  Please take a few minutes now to answer our simple 4 question survey by clicking on this link https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/KM3BXS2 .  Thank you for your assistance!      

Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center’s 15th Foods of All Nations

The Fox Cities Rotary Multicultural Center’s 15^th Foods of All Nations event will be held on Saturday, March 23 from  10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the U. W. Fox Valley’s Fieldhouse located at 1478 Midway Road in Menasha.  Expanded interactive activities from 10 to Noon for children (art, drumming, dance by YMCA Fox Cities) and adults (informal cultural conversation circles, mini-Diversity circles, Walk of Nations displays by FVTC international students).  Noon:  Traditional FAN tasting buffet and 3 hour cultural stage, featuring local groups and headlined by Mali Blues, with Tani Diakite on the ngoni. Tickets cost $10 for adults in advance; $15.00 at the door; children 6-12 $5; and under 6 free.  Ticket includes all activities, buffet and admission to the Weis Earth Science Museum on March 23.  They can be purchased online at www.fcrmulticultural.org or UW-FV Business Center and Goodwill Community Center.  

Fox Valley Memory Project

Susan McFadden told how in December 2010, the Basic Needs Giving Partnership noted that they were not getting many applications for programs serving older adults.  The Aging Initiatives Task Force was formed to look at various needs in the Valley such as the End of Life Care Coalition and programs/services with people living with dementia.  John and Susan McFadden began a study of Memory Café’s inspired by Rotary Clubs in England.  In 2011, they flew to England and drove 860 miles visiting Memory Café’s.  They requested Planning Grants from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership and the Helen Bader Foundation.  These funds were used to have a Community Breakfast and Think Tank that was held in October 2011.  Together participants identified what needs were in our region to serve people that live with memory loss and other cognitive problems.  The Fox Valley Memory Project was then formed.  They applied and received a grant from the Basic Needs Giving Partnership as well as funds from the Helen Bader Foundation, the Rotary Club of Appleton and in-kind support from Goodwill Industries, Family Medicine Residency, U. W. Oshkosh, Lutheran Social Services, Thompson Community Center, Alzheimer’s Association and the Aging and Disability Resource Center.  Currently there are two Memory Café’s in Appleton – Atlas Coffee Mill and the Thompson Community Center.  One will begin the end of the month at the Neenah Public Library and in June at St. Paul Elder Services in Kaukauna.  Memory Cafe's are for those with early stage dementia, mild memory loss or cognitive impairment, and for the family and friends of those affected.  Betty Lefebvre-Hill, Program Coordinator, told that the mission of the Fox Valley Memory Café is to make our community more dementia friendly.  About 75% of those who care for people with dementia do so in their homes.  Over time these people can experience loss of friendships and socialization.  Memory Café’s give people an opportunity for lively discussions, information gathering, drama, music, dancing, singing, games, art, playacting, refreshments and camaraderie.  The Care Partners Welcome Center, a program of the Fox Valley Memory Project, will open on March 25, 2013 at the Thompson Community Center which will be place to find information and support, for creative expressions and meaningful activities and to share and learn.  On Thursday, April 4 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at The Grand Meridian, Dr. Marc Agronin and Dr. Ab Desai will talk about Resilience:  Aging in a Dementia-Friendly Community.  

Rotary Youth Exchange Student - Flora Prada

President Dawn receives the host club banner of Argentina from Flora the club's Rotary Youth Exchange student who will return with the Rotary Club of Appleton banner.

Courtesy Awards

The Courtesy Awards are given to recognize sales people and others who work with the public and have provided service above and beyond the call (went the “extra mile” for the Rotarian). The recipients received a framed Courtesy Awards certificate, a check in the amount of $75.00 and a Rotary pen. Congratulations to the following Courtesy Award recipients:

Dr. James Beck
Beck-Thibodeau Chiropractic Clinic
Nominated by: Alan Blake

Ruben Contreras
Action Painting and Carpet Care
Nominated by: Roger Van Vreede

Cory Hathaway
Milo Milo
Nominated by: Tom Scheetz

Deirdra Moon
Milo Milo
Nominated by: Lee Allinger

Jacob Thomack
Delta Airlines
Nominated by: Susan Stockton

Christopher Wojahn
Salon CTI
Nominated by: Nora and Jeff Schulz

Thanks to the Courtesy Awards Committee for putting on this program: Barbara Kelly (Chair), Patti Habeck, Mary Harp-Jirschele, Carolyn Nankervis, Gail Popp, Tim Reich, and Deborah Wetter.

Rotary Shines

Rotary Shines will be held on Friday, April 19 from 6:00-10:00 p.m. at the OuterEdge in Appleton. The cost is $100 which admits two adults. This is our club’s one and only fundraising event. Tickets will be sold next week. As part of Rotary Shines, the committee is offering a presale of chocolates from Wilmar’s for Easter. For every 5 boxes sold, a $50 gift card to Avenue Jewelry will be given away. At the event, there will be a reverse raffle, silent auction and live auction. The people who have the numbers of the last 5 tickets will decide if they want to go for the grand prize or split it. So far, the live auction will have two trips to Africa and a custom built brick fire pit donated by Oberstadt Landscaping. There will be live music by the Neenah Jazz ensemble. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be provided by Fox Banquets and Rivertyme Catering. It is an evening of fun, fellowship and will benefit the Fox Valley Memory Project, Clean Water Projects for school children in Gangavathi, India & Burundi, Africa, and Polio Plus.

Group Study Exchange

There will be a Group Study Exchange team coming to Appleton from Australia May 4-8, 2013. They will be visiting Clubs in District 6220 throughout the month of May. We are looking for 5 families to host 4 team members and 1 team leader. The team will be visiting businesses/organizations relating to their vocation as well as cultural and local places of interest. If you are interested in being on the committee, being a tour guide or hosting a team member, please contact Jay Drzewiecki at jay@watermarkfncl.biz.