Dean's "Initiative" Listening Sessions

Some of you may have heard of the "Dean's Initiative." As current students and future alumni, we will be directly affected by the provisions set forth in the Initiative. Here is the time to have your voices heard!!! (If you are unaware of what the Initiative is, please read the bottom of this email for further information.)

The Dean of the Law School, Kenneth B. Davis, has decided to hold several listening sessions with students to discuss his Initiative for the Law School. This is an amazing and direct opportunity for all students to have their voices heard by Dean Davis himself. The listening sessions will be one hour long and will be a direct conversation and FAQ between Dean Davis and about 20 students about the Dean's plans for the future of UW Law School. The Law School is also providing beverages and light snacks for the sessions.

However, because we are nearing the end of the semester, only 2 listening sessions will take place this semester.  To accomodate the schedules of 3Ls that will be graduating in December, we have further limited attendance at these 2 listening sessions to the 3L class only.  However, those 3Ls that are unable to participate this semester, as well as 2L and 1L classes, will be able to participate in listening sessions to take place at the beginning of the Spring semester.

Tomorrow, Friday, November 14, interested 3Ls should look for an email inviting them to R.S.V.P. for this event. The listening sessions will be on a first-come, first-served basis but we will hold a wait list if enough 3Ls are interested.  If we cannot get 40 3Ls to R.S.V.P. to the listening sessions, we will then open the upcoming listening sessions up to the rest of the student body, again on a first-come, first-served basis, until the 40 spots are filled.

The first listening session will be held on Monday, November 24, from 11:00 - 11:55 a.m.

The second listening session will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 25 from 3:30 - 4:25 p.m.

Remember, we will be having many more listening sessions at the beginning of second semester; Dean Davis wants to ensure all that want their voices heard will have an opportunity to do so. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Rachel Miller, the Vice-President of Academic Affairs of the SBA.

Thank you!

Rachel Miller

ramiller3@wisc.edu 

(More information on the specifics of the Initiative will be given to you should you R.S.V.P. to attend the listening sessions.)

The goal of the Initiative is to raise the national stature of the law school specifically as a public law school with a public initiative. Ideally, UW Law School should be a solid top 20 school with top 10 aspirations. 

1. To strengthen faculty accountability post-tenure and develop a compensation plan that keeps our faculty at Wisconsin

2. To have more effective student recruiting

3. To do a better job of infusing professional skills through the program and improve the business curriculum in particular

4. To do a better job of connecting with the State

(In order to make the bullet points come to fruition, the Dean has mentioned raising in-state tuition, increasing the median LSAT score and G.P.A. of entering classes, creating a scholarship program for students with high academic credentials, and decreasing the size of the overall student classes.)