The Board of Regents met on February 4th and 5th virtually. UW System President Thompson provided an update on COVID-19 testing capacity and federal support for testing. Thompson also noted ongoing conversations with the Evers administration and legislative leaders regarding the UW System’s biennial budget request have been positively received to date; and he recounted that the UW is closely tracking federal efforts to preserve DACA, extend the pause of federal student loan payments and collections, and provide additional federal COVID relief. UW Madison was the host institution for the meeting. In the host campus presentation, UW-Madison Chancellor Blank shared with Regents how the flagship university is meeting the challenges posed by the pandemic, including a $320 million net loss. UW System continues to face challenges in its freshman applicants’ ability to submit ACT or SAT scores as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The Education Committee approved the extension of the temporary suspension of the requirement submit ACT/SAT test scores by freshman applicants. The Regents recognized the service of Regent José Delgado, who passed away unexpectedly on Jan. 24. The Board of Regents discussed two potential solutions for meeting Wisconsin’s workforce demand for teachers and school leaders: paid stipends and expanding student loan forgiveness. These two solutions were included in System President Thompson’s 2021-23 biennial budget recommendations, which the Board approved last fall. The Board of Regents honored the recipients of the annual Regents’ Diversity Awards. These awards recognize individuals and programs that foster access and success for students who are members of historically underrepresented populations – see the news release for details.