UW System Reorganizing, White House Memoir, Height Discrimination

Air Date:
Heard On Central Time

Have you ever felt that you were treated differently because of your height? Our guest talks about how height bias affects people every day, at work and in their social lives. The University of Wisconsin System announced plans to reorganize its campuses yesterday. We get the details. We also talk with a speechwriter about the years he spent working in the White House with President Obama.

Featured in this Show

  • UW System Announces Proposed Restructuring

    University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross has proposed merging UW Colleges with four-year U-W institutions as part of a broader restructuring of UW Colleges and UW-Extension.

    Under the proposal, UW Colleges campuses would be integrated into UW four-year institutions. It would also assign divisions within UW-Extension to UW-Madison and UW System Administration. We talk with a WPR News reporter about the details of the proposal, the challenges it’s meant to address and next steps.

    Editor’s Note: For purposes of disclosure, Wisconsin Public Radio staff are employed by UW-Extension.

  • A Look At Height Discrimination In American Society

    Discrimination based on height is a bigger issue than you might realize. That’s according to a guest attorney and author, who talks about that factors behind height bias, how it affects individuals in the workplace, and in social situations…and what needs to change on a legal and societal level.

    Height can be used to make fun of others, especially men, as we’ve seen in the feud between President Trump and Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee. And, as the Washington Post reported, “Corker, who is 5 foot 7 inches tall, is not the first political rival to be branded by Trump with the ‘Liddle’ moniker. During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Trump called Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is 5-foot-9, ‘Liddle Marco.’”

    Do you feel that your height has ever hurt, or helped you? Have you seen height discrimination in action? What do you think would need to change to make height irrelevant?

    Let us know by emailing ideas@wpr.org

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Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Veronica Rueckert Host
  • Breann Schossow Producer
  • Chris Malina Producer
  • Hope Kirwan Guest
  • Tanya Osensky Guest