Fox Valley Initiative (FVI) held its monthly public forum on September 8, 2025 at Freedom Project Academy in Appleton, hosting Tim Higgins, president of Free Speech for Campus (FSFC), and Wisconsin Assembly Representative Dave Murphy, chair of the Committee on Colleges and Universities.
The main focus of the discussion was whether students and Wisconsin taxpayers are obtaining a reasonable return on the investment in higher education.
Higgins (left) noted a major concern is that, because of the excessive emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), students are not coming out of colleges with adequate job training and skills. Students and faculty are intimidated and self-censored from speaking out against DEI. FSFC will continue its efforts to inform the public and encourage communication with their legislators to demand oversight of the colleges.
Rep. Murphy, who is also on the National Taskforce on College Affordability, reviewed three specific legislative initiatives:
- An amendment to the Wisconsin Constitution, voted on by Wisconsin citizens, to bar the use of race/sex/gender in the hiring of state employees and in the admissions process for state colleges.
- Streamlining the ability of students to obtain credits for colleges and trade schools while still in high school (Dual Enrollment).
- Tuition caps: not allowing tuition increases higher than the rate of inflation.
Rep. Murphy (left) also noted that the University of Wisconsin-System is the only state agency for which the Legislature does not have oversight for decisions of adding more employees— meaning the taxpayer-funded UW System can grow with limited input from the taxpayers.
The mission of Fox Valley Initiative is to inform and activate the voting public. Its next monthly forum, on Monday, October 6, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at Freedom Project Academy, will address the development and impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The speakers will include Rich Lukas, Professor of Computer Science at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and Rep. Nate Gustafson, chair of the Wisconsin Assembly Committee on Science, Technology and AI.
The article highlights important issues like DEI and legislative initiatives, but I wish it delved deeper into potential unintended consequences of some policies, like the tuition cap. Its a thought-provoking read overall.
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