Academic Staff Assembly (ASA) Minutes
Approved 10-10-05
MINUTES
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY
Monday, 12 September 2005
272 Bascom Hall (3:30-4:30 pm)
Provost Peter Spear called the meeting to order at 3:35 pm.
AUTOMATIC CONSENT BUSINESS
The minutes of the 5/9/2005 Academic Staff Assembly meeting were approved.
MEMORIAL RESOLUTION FOR BARRY ROBINSON - PRESENTED BY HIS LONG-TIME ASSOCIATE, GLO THEISEN
Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell - Budget update
As of July 1, the state still has a $1.6 billion deficit. As other state
agencies have had to take cuts, the UW System's share of the burden for
the biennium is $98 million, with $30 million of that from UW-Madison.
This translates to a 250-position cut and at least 80 of those from the
Madison campus. The first phase of the cuts took place over the summer.
Deans and directors are now preparing budgets to handle the second phase.
They are also being asked to let legislature know what impacts these cuts
are having on their programs.
In response to questions, Darrell had these comments:
Deans should be involving governance groups in explaining how and why
the cuts are necessary.
Staff should expect modest incremental increases in health care benefits.
The state still has a large structural deficit. We are expected to do
our part to take on some students stranded by the hurricane, but this
number is necessarily limited by our budget constraints.
Committee Reports
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) - Frank Kooistra, chair
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/asec.html; https://lists.wisc.edu/read/?forum=assembly.
Chair Frank Kooistra welcomed representatives to the first meeting of
2005-06. He described the activities of ASEC over the summer, including
the Annual Planning Meeting with Standing Committee members and the System-wide
Leadership Conference at UW-River Falls.
There are two high-level searches in progress. The CALS dean candidates have completed the interview process, and the search for a new provost is just beginning. Tori Richardson and Julie Thurlow are the two academic staff governance representatives on the provost search and screen.
ASEC is planning a celebration for the 20th anniversary of academic staff governance. A special program will replace the November 14 Assembly meeting with a reception to follow in room 260 Bascom. Former ASEC and standing committee members will be invited to join current Assembly representatives.
UW System representatives will meet this month in Van Hise. One of their main concerns will be the impact of the legislative audits on academic personnel policies. Steve Lund from the Academic Personnel Office will address some of these issues at the October Assembly meeting.
Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee (CEBC) - Bill Steffenhagen,
chair
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/cebc/index2.htm
No report
Districting and Representation Committee (DRC) - Charlene Krembs, chair
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/comopp/drc.html
Charlene welcomed the new Assembly members and encouraged all to utilize
the Assembly Handbook and the DRC's website for information about districting.
Nominating Committee - Mary Ray, chair
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/comopp/nc.html
Mary Ray mentioned the Nominating Committee's goal of broadening participation
on governance committees by trying to tap into groups that have been underrepresented
on committees. She encouraged all groups of academic staff to become involved.
The Nominating Committee will soon be sending out a call for those interested
in running for standing committees positions that will start in July 2006.
Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee (PPPC) - Carla Love and John
Mather, co-chairs
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/pppc/index.htm
John and Carla presented the annual report of the PPPC for 2004-05. The
committee's ongoing priorities remain revisions to ASPP as needed and
collection and analysis of job security data. The current batch of Assembly-approved
ASPP revisions has made it to the System level and once forwarded to the
Regents will become effective.
Professional Development and Recognition Committee (PDRC) - Donna Cole
and Lisa Jansen, co-chairs
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/pdrc/index.html
Lisa Jansen detailed the numbers of Professional Development grants, Excellence
Awards, and Executive Education grants given last year. A new call will
be going out soon for the next round of PD grant applications. In addition,
the PDRC will sponsor a grant writing workshop from noon - 1:00 at Union
South on September 28.
PROVOST Report, Peter Spear
The provost mentioned that the Board of Regents voted to temporarily suspend
backup appointments for new employees hired from outside the System (with
exceptions for the CALS dean and provost, since they would have tenured
faculty appointments). They will examine current policies and consider
whether using fixed-term contracts is a better way to handle "at-will"
appointments. The System president will now have to sign off on any terminated
settlement negotiated with an employee. In response to a legislative audit,
System employees charged with a felony will have a more immediate review.
Other rulings related to faculty salaries and sabbaticals. The provost
stressed that media coverage about felons on the university payroll has
been inaccurate. No one that is serving a jail sentence is being paid
a salary. However, those employees are still entitled to receive their
earned vacation pay. As a result of inquiries, personnel offices will
attempt to investigate prospective employees for prior criminal records.
Meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Submitted by Colleen McCabe,
Secretary of the Academic Staff