Why is the University of Wisconsin allowing President Obama to hold a political rally in the center of campus at midday on a class day, disrupting classes?

The rally is at noon on Thursday, and I'm not yet able to tell whether I can use my classroom at 3:30, but there's talk — not official word, just talk — that no classes can be held during some as-yet unrevealed time period around the rally.

The location for this rally is right in the center of campus — a beautiful photo op, where a great-looking crowd can be compressed between parallel lines of buildings and where the President can be framed looking out on that crowd, just in front of a statue of Abraham Lincoln, with the city skyline in the background, featuring the state capitol building. Nice for the campaign, but positioned to maximize disruption of regular classes. Is that a bug or a feature? If there are no classes and it's a class day, students are around and they are free to attend. Classes are being cancelled to supply the photogenic crowd for the President?

Would the same facilitation be provided to the Romney campaign? It's perfectly easy to say yes. This is Madison, Wisconsin, a liberal and left-wing political stronghold. The Romney campaign will never seek this access, so the need to treat it equally is purely hypothetical.

ADDED: The University's web page takes care to frame the event as a "presidential visit" rather than a campaign rally.

Here’s a look at other visits by sitting presidents, past presidents and candidates who would go on to the Oval Office, based on a search of university archival material and the State Historical Society....

As if this isn't about the election! And then, amazingly, the website tells us "tickets for the event are available here."

Here? Guess where here is?! It's the Obama campaign website. And to get a ticket you have to fill out the campaign's form, providing them with your email address, full name, and phone number! This information is all required to get access to the event.