Academic Staff Assembly (ASA) Minutes
Approved 4-9-07
MINUTES
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY
Monday, 12 March 2007
272 Bascom Hall (3:30-4:20 pm)
Provost Patrick Farrell called the meeting to order at 3:35 pm.
AUTOMATIC CONSENT BUSINESS
The minutes of the 2/12/2007 Academic Staff Assembly meeting were approved.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) – Read Gilgen, chair
http://acstaff.wisc.edu/asec.html; https://lists.wisc.edu/read/?forum=assembly
Read reminded all present to vote in the electronic ASEC election and to remind their Assembly members to vote. The ballot for standing committee members will be sent out in early April just to Assembly members.
The governor’s budget includes a provision for domestic partner benefits. A public hearing will be held in DeForest on March 21.
A handout provided by Read today includes information about the collective bargaining enabling legislation from the governor’s budget. Read also has an analysis from a governance perspective that does not represent a consensus of the Executive Committee.
Read called on ASPRO president Bill Steffenhagen who stated that ASPRO opposes the governor’s version of enabling legislation. ASPRO does not oppose academic staff rights to choose collective bargaining, but the concept of one bargaining unit for all academic staff in the System is not palatable. Bill feels that this legislation will probably be removed from the budget bill by the Joint Finance Committee, so they will wait and see what unfolds. If this legislation should pass as is, ASEC and ASPRO will work together to oppose it.
A motion was made and seconded for ASEC to put together a document suggesting improvements to enabling legislation based on the Assembly resolution passed last year in regard to SB 452. This resolution should be brought back to the Assembly in April for a vote, then forwarded to the governor and members of Joint Finance.
The motion passed unanimously.
Janice Czyscon reminded the Assembly about tomorrow’s session on domestic partner benefits from 3:30-5:00pm at Memorial Union. A website has been established at www.news.wisc.edu/domesticPartnerBenefits.
Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee – Karen Tusack, chair
Karen said that the CEBC is working on a strategy to approach System HR on UW-Madison’s need to raise the maxima of the Category A pay ranges. Currently, 26% of academic staff are within 90% of the maxima, and very soon will hit the top of the range. With a large percentage of recent hires at the mid-point or above, staff will hit the maxima sooner than ever.
The rewrite of the Distinguished Prefix criteria should be ready to present to ASEC in April and to the Assembly in May after it has been approved by both the PPPC and the CEBC.
Nominating Committee – Mary Ray, chair
Mary thanked Assembly members for forwarding her listserv message to the districts. She has received a number of good candidates for various shared governance committees. The NC is still looking for volunteers to serve on the Chancellor’s Commission on Fraternities and Sororities. Char Tortorice suggested that perhaps a retiree might be willing if eligible. Mary will check on that.
BUSINESS
1. Resolution on implementation of Board of Regents’ nondiscrimination provisions based on gender identity and gender expression, Assembly Doc. #379 – Janice Czyscon
Janice Czyscon introduced the motion originally submitted by Dan Ross. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.
2. Resolution to congratulate The University Club on its 100th anniversary, Assembly Doc. #380
Mary Ray introduced the resolution and moved approval. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously without discussion.
Provost Report: Pat Farrell
Pat mentioned that the unclassified pay plan was not a part of the governor’s budget. The Regents will recommend a 5.4% increase, all of it to come from state funds and not tuition. An increase of 3% in tuition will not be enough to fund a portion of the pay plan. Since the governor’s budget does not accommodate the 5.4% increase, either, there will be some negotiations. It will probably be summer before this is settled.
Vice-provost Laurie Beth Clark will be coordinating the domestic partner benefits strategic effort on campus.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Submitted by Colleen McCabe
Secretary of the Academic Staff