Committees on Academic
Staff Issues
Survey October 2001
Jamie Henke, Department of Liberal Studies in the Arts, Division of Continuing Studies
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Our CASI has completed an extensive review document to be used by all academic staff in the Division of Continuing Studies. One of our tasks for this year is to follow up on the implementation of the review, and to assess the results as well.
Our CASI has decided to tackle the broad issue of governance. We are currently collecting information about governance policies and procedures, and inviting various individuals from across the campus to come and speak with us about the issue. Our departments within the Division, and other areas as well, may be going through significant changes in the next several years. These changes will have a significant impact on our current governance system so our CASI has decided that this must be a critical issue on our agenda.
We welcome two new members to our CASI. The one individual is a replacement for our student services representative who completed his term, the other individual represents those funded by grants. Now that we again have a grant-funded representative on our committee, we have once again added grant funding to our list of CASI issues for the upcoming year. We feel that individuals throughout the Division would welcome opportunities to educate themselves on various grant issues.
We are in the process of planning a Town Meeting for all academic staff within the division. We will invite them to meet with all of us, and ask any questions they may have, and hopefully suggest issues for the CASI.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? No
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
We do not have a specific web site for the CASI at this time.
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
------------
Sarah Esmond, Research Specialist, School of Nursing
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Our representatives of instructional academic staff are working in collaboration with our Asst. Dean of Admin. to review and revise the Performance and Merit review process for Instructional Academic staff (something the non-instructional staff reps did over the summer). The reps for non-instructional staff are reviewing and recommending revisions to the SON's orientation materials/activities for new academic staff employees.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? Yes.
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
Our web site is currently only accessible to SON employees.........
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
CASI reps who are instructional academic staff are currently working in collaboration with our Asst. Dean of Admin. to revise the performance/merit review (PMR) process.......has anyone else done work in this area to improve upon these processes? What works well in your school and what doesn't? Any advice is welcome!
CASIs were designed to be advisory in nature - our CASI is wondering whether any other CASIs feel the "pinch" of balancing their advisory role with expectations of dept./school administrative units to take on a more active role. For example, our school is lacking in several policy areas (policies either don't exist or are outdated and in need of revision). Rather than being asked to react to/advise on new policies, sometimes our committee is asked to be responsible for drafting and implementing policy and procedures. While we feel it is important that the work get done, we also think it might be more appropriate for administrative or other work groups to do this work....any suggestions for us with regard to how to respond to such requests (without sounding like we have bad attitudes!) Some of us are feeling tapped out............
-----------------
Lynn Edlefson, Office of Campus Child Care
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
They have not met yet this year.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? Yes
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
Don't have one
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
-------------------
Gretchen Viney, Clinical Assistant Professor
LAW SCHOOL
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
At the law school, we are just getting underway. We have been working on drafting by-laws (now approved), creating an accurate list of members (finally completed, we hope), and gathering ideas for projects. Possible projects include providing our members with on-site programs on professional developments, or developing a manual for new academic staff members (and existing ones). We are also monitoring a recent change to our departmental policies that now allow certain clinical faculty members (who are part of the academic staff) to participate more fully in department meetings.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? No
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
We do not have a website but we do have a spot on the law school's web site.
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI group
---------------
MEDICAL SCHOOL
Heidi Wilde, Associate Director, Administrative Medicine Program
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Our areas of emphases for this year are:
Working Professorial Titles for Research and Instructional Academic Staff
Academic Staff Participation in School and Department Governance
Professional Development
Competitive Salaries
Communications including brown bags on topics of interest to the School’s academic staff
We continue to follow-up on performance evaluation and job security that were our priorities for the previous year.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? Yes.
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
--------------------
Barb Smith, School of Education
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Learning & education opportunities for academic staff
Issues affecting part-time academic staff
Resources & benefits for academic staff
Retirement issues for academic staff
Soft money issues for academic staff
Diversity issues for academic staff
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? Yes
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
http://www.education.wisc.edu/AcademicStaff/
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
-----------------
LETTERS AND SCIENCE
Laurey Martin-Berg
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
We are currently working to establish guidelines for academic staff participation in governance and for the use of research/teaching professor titles. We are also working with the L&S Professional Development and Recognition Committee on implementing a new series of college-level academic staff awards.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? Yes
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
-------------------
LIBRARY
Tom Tews
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Gaining funding support for professional development activities;
And to subsequently demonstrate the knowledge learned.
And adding this into our by-laws and other documents.
Disseminating information on Performance Reviews and Promotion processes.
Retirement issues.
New Colleague/Mentoring Program
Adding CASI into our by-laws and other documents.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? No
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
http://www.library.wisc.edu:4000/org/LA/
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
-------------------------
BUSINESS SCHOOL
Minutes: Judy Cary, 10/18/01
1) What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Three issues were prioritized.
--Voting rights at meetings Sandra Ihle
Voting rights are at the discrepancy of the department. At some department meetings, academic staff can vote. Other meetings, such as the Graduate Curriculum Committee meeting, academic staff does not vote. It was discussed whether in those meetings in which the people who work directly with or implement the policies should vote. Also, in department meetings, some lecturers have been in the program longer than the current faculty.
--Notification of position openings to SOB employees Susan Sprague
It was discussed that it would benefit SOB staff to become aware of available positions in the SOB as soon as possible. Dean Andy Policano indicated concern regarding staff development. Occasional change in positions helps staff morale and development
--Sabbatical leave for academic staff Jim Pavelko
Sabbaticals are established for job or skill improvement and to renew or refresh. There has been discussion on campus to support the need for academic staff to have some time for job improvement and development.
2) Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? Yes Judy Cary
3) If your committee has established a web site, please provide URL.
No web site established. It was decided that email was more efficient. Current email address list will be updated.
4) Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?
Question: There is discussion that academic staff may be grouped with classified rather than faculty. What is the status of that issue?
Other Discussions:
Jim Pavelko informed us that each CASI will be invited to present at an Academic Staff Assembly Meeting, conducted at 272 Bascom on the second Monday of month. This is an effort to promote CASIs.
------------------------------
SCHOOL OF PHARMACY
Dale Wilson
1. What topics and issues are currently being addressed by your CASI?
Our CASI has not met this semester.
2. Did you prepare an annual report for 2000-2001? No.
3. If your committee has established a web site, please provide the URL.
No website established.
4. Any other comments or questions for ASEC or other CASI groups?