madison
Some 1,092 UW System employees have backup positions with guaranteed pay, according to figures UW System president Kevin Reilly released to the state Legislature Friday, Sept. 2. The university system, which is comprised of 26 campuses, employs 33,000 people in all, meaning that about 3.3 percent of employees have such pay guarantees. According to UW System spokesperson Doug Bradley, state statute guarantees 64 percent of these backup positions.
The backup positions ensure that UW staff will have jobs, though they will likely pay less, in the event an employee is fired, or resigns. The positions have come under scrutiny during the summer by some lawmakers who feel that the state is under no obligation to retain individuals unable to meet their position's needs. The UW System argues, however, that such pay guarantees are standard in the university world, and necessary for retaining high-quality professionals.
Washington, D.C.
The abrupt shift of Judge John Roberts Jr.'s nomination, from associate justice to chief justice, set off a fresh round of debate Monday over his qualifications for the job.
Roberts-a former clerk for Chief Justice William Rehnquist, who died Saturday-is expected to win confirmation. But, confirmation hearings, originally set to start Tuesday but delayed for at least several days, are likely to be more contentious because Bush has decided to elevate him to the court's top position.
Roberts was initially nominated to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a key swing vote on the court and a more moderate justice than Rehnquist. She has said she will remain on the court until her replacement is confirmed.
Madison
East campus was the scene of two separate robbery incidents Monday night, according to Madison Police. The first occurred at approximately 10:20 p.m. on the 200 block of West Gilman Street. A 23-year-old male was walking along the street when a man approached and allegedly demanded money from him at gunpoint. The suspect then escaped with an undisclosed sum of money.
The second, apparently unrelated incident, reportedly occurred twenty minutes later, at the Badger Bus Depot, 2 S. Bedford St. There, a 21-year-old man from Mississippi had allegedly just disembarked a bus when he was approached by two men. The pair then proceeded to demand money from the lone man at gunpoint and fled with an undisclosed sum, according to reports. Police have not apprehended either suspect.
