March 9, 2018

Working for you!

The Value of an Internship

As part of the 4^th annual Youth Apprenticeship day at the Capitol on Thursday, the Assembly Committee on Workforce Development held an information hearing to learn more about the experiences of nine youth apprentices and employers from across Wisconsin.

I'm consistently impressed at the real-world leadership skills that can be picked up by experiencing a work environment firsthand as an intern and I'm proud to support internship opportunities for students across the state.

You can watch the hearing by clicking on the image below:

University of Wisconsin Updates

New and Returning Regents

Governor Walker has nominated two new members and reappointed one current member to the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents. I'm looking forward to working with them in my role as chair of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities.

Cris Peterson, of Grantsburg, is owner and Chief Financial Officer of Four Cubs Farm. Peterson is a respected member of the agricultural community receiving the 1997 Wisconsin Farm Woman of the Year, 2002 Association of Women in Agriculture Outstanding Woman in Agriculture Award, 2004 World Dairy Expo Woman of the Year, and many other honors. Peterson served as a student regent to her alma mater, the University of Minnesota where she received a bachelor’s degree in education. Peterson also attended the UW Extension for the Agricultural Executive Management Program.

Jason Plante is Vice President of Market & Johnson in Eau Claire. Plante is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a Bachelor of Science in marketing. Plante has been active in several community organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys & Girls Club, Eau Claire Economic Development Corporation and Momentum West.   

Gerald Whitburn currently serves on the UW System Board of Regents. Prior to serving on the board, Whitburn was Chief Executive Officer of Church Mutual Insurance Company from 2001-2010. Whitburn has also held two cabinet position in Wisconsin: Secretary of the Department of Industry, Labor, and Human Relations from 1989-1991 and Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Services from 1991-1995. Whitburn is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh with a bachelor’s degree in political science and history and a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Master of Arts in Political Science. Whitburn is a Merrill native who continues to serve his community as a board member of the River Valley Bank.

UW College Fairs

Join a UW Journey college fair at any of UW Colleges’ 13 campuses across the state. These recruitment events are open to students looking to transfer from a two-year campus into a four-year institution, as well as new students looking to start their UW journey. Talk to representatives from all the UW campuses to help find out which campus is right for you.

For students interested in a smaller campus, UW transfer institutions are a great option. There are locations across Wisconsin where students can earn an associate’s degree, or use their two years of general education credits to transfer into a four-year UW institution. UW transfer institutions offer affordable tuition and admit every qualified student who applies. These campuses will be joined this fall with the UW’s four-year comprehensive and research institutions. This reorganization will allow the UW System to maintain affordable tuition at the transfer institutions, and eventually bring more classes to those campuses, including upper-level courses.

All UW System campuses are known for their quality and dedication to students. Download the FREE UW Journey app in iTunes or Google Play to explore all 26 campuses. UW Journey helps students find the right UW campus for them, navigate the application process, and explore options to pay for college.

A UW Journey college fair will be held Monday March 12 at UW-Fox Valley in the Atrium and Hallway from 11:00 A.M. – 1:00 P.M.

UWSP Adjusting Majors to Better Meet the Needs of Students

Changes in Wisconsin’s population mean that there are fewer college age students right now and the leaders at UW–Stevens Point are being proactive to adjust the majors they offer to better meet the needs of future students. You can read more about the plan here.

This isn’t the first time UW-Stevens Point has made changes in course offerings, or even its mission, in order to better reflect the needs of students and the state. Many UW campuses once focused exclusively on teacher preparation, but over time, as prospective students saw a need for educational opportunities that better matched the needs of 20th century careers, our universities heeded the call and met those needs by changing course.

I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the faculty and staff at UW–Stevens Point who will be implementing these difficult changes to meet the needs of 21st century students. I'm confident that these changes will ensure the strong educational legacy of Wisconsin for generations to come.

Education decisions are best made locally, and as a state legislator, I'm always reluctant to intervene unless it becomes absolutely necessary. I’ll continue to monitor the changes being made to degree and major offerings with a great deal of interest, and if they do not produce positive results for students, alumni, and the state as a whole, then expect me to be one of the first people to speak up.

UW Audit

An audit was recently completed on the relationships between UW System campuses and affiliated organizations. The audit conducted by the non-partisan Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau can be read online here.

The audit provided information and recommendations about how UW System institutions should improve the way they manage relationships with foundations and other organizations affiliated with campuses. I'm looking forward to hearing from university leaders on how they plan to address the concerns outlined in the report. It's critical that our universities operate in a transparent and efficient way and I'm hopeful that the results of this audit will lead to positive changes by university leaders.

A public hearing regarding the audit will be held soon by our Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

Capitol Visitors

On Wednesday, Gail Feldkamp of St Elizabeth Hospital and UW-Green Bay Dietetic Interns Trina Pachan and Kenzie Besch visited on behalf of the Wisconsin Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

My friend Sarah Van Camp, the Outagamie County Register of Deeds, visited the Capitol on Tuesday as part of the Wisconsin County Constitutional Officers Conference.

On Tuesday, local tavern owners from our district visited with me for their annual legislative day.

Spring Forward Saturday Night

Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday at 2:00 A.M. when we move our clocks one hour ahead to 3:00 A.M. It’s a great time to replace the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as well.

Our New Intern

Claire is involved in Alpha Phi Omega, Bagder Business professionals, and the Student Retail Association. While interning with us she hopes to gain a better understanding of state government and the law making process.

Appleton North and Hortonville Go to State Girls Basketball

Congratulations to Appleton North High School and Hortonville High School for qualifying for the WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament!

The WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament is Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March 8, 9 and 10 at the Resch Center in Green Bay. For more information visit: http://www.wiaawi.org/home.aspx

The Appleton North High School team

The Hortonville High School team

Upcoming Events

Check out upcoming events near us by visiting the Wisconsin Tourism website or  https://appletondowntown.org/upcoming-events/ and if you run into me while you’re out and about be sure to stop and say hi!

"Like" Representative Murphy's Facebook Page

I use Facebook to update constituents more frequently on my work in Madison and the 56th Assembly District. I look forward to using this as another way to connect with constituents and encourage you to follow it and watch for regular updates.