Forward? the Wisconsin Idea, Past and Present
A cross-listed seminar reflecting on the Wisconsin Idea's history and future implications for the University of Wisconsin's mission through dialogue and reasoned argument.
Summary
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2020: 3.60 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Fall 2023: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades).
What you’ll be able to do
Listen respectfully to different opinions, respond rationally rather than emotionally, make reasoned arguments.
Respond to another point of view with research and substantive comments or questions, present and support your own position, and thus engage in a wider conversation.
Consider a specific question (“What makes an idea a Wisconsin Idea...?) and present a reasoned argument supporting the conclusion. (1-credit students)
Deeply analyze an argument and respond by applying it to the student’s own educational strengths and weaknesses. (3-credit students)
Use course content to explain a controversial issue and suggest a course of action to address it, stating reasons, and anticipating counterarguments. (3-credit students)
Source: UW Guide 1· UW Guide 2· UW Guide 3· UW Guide 4
Grade history
↗All recorded terms · compare terms & instructors
Prerequisites
Course mapJunior or senior standing only
- Junior or senior standing only
This is a best-effort interpretation; check the catalog requirements above.
Prerequisite text tree
- Junior or senior standing only
Professors
Spring 2027No instructors recorded for this selection.
Historical instructors & teaching patterns
Recorded history may be incomplete and does not establish a future schedule.
Calendar & sections
Spring 2027Schedule loads here as you scroll.
| Section | Mode | Enrolled / capacity | Waitlist |
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Times are Central. Select a meeting for details; export includes recorded dates for the selected sections.
Meeting source records
Student experience
the class
Recent recorded grades — Fall 2020: 3.60 GPA, 75.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades); Fall 2023: 4.00 GPA, 100.0% A/AB (n=20 letter grades).
difficulty & workload
No workload feedback recorded.
Topics
- Historical development and contemporary meaning of the Wisconsin Idea
- The relationship between the Wisconsin Idea and university mission
- Analysis of controversial issues related to public higher education
Skills
- Making reasoned arguments and responding rationally to different opinions
- Engaging in wider conversations by supporting positions with research
- Deeply analyzing arguments and applying them to personal educational contexts
- Explaining controversial issues and suggesting courses of action while anticipating counterarguments
Grades
Latest available · Fall 2023— not enough history to project Spring 2027.
Grade distribution · % of letter grades
Grades over time
Through Fall 2023
More grade details Grade mix, volume & source data
Not enough comparable courses for Spring 2027 in UW–Madison.
Sources & history
Catalog & offerings
Descriptions, prerequisites, and recorded course offerings.
Catalog observation history
Observations at scan time; dates do not imply when a catalog change took effect.
Selected offering source records
No offering records for the selected term.
Raw records
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Student reviews
Original comments behind the course and instructor summaries.
Read original reviews
No records available.
Grade history
Recorded grade distributions by term, section, and instructor.
Explore recorded gradesRecorded 2026-10-14
Model outputs & technical records
LLM outputs across runs
Full model traces
Recorded model configuration, reasoning, and tool conversations.
Model & dataset provenance
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