Academic Staff Assembly (ASA) Minutes
Approved 4-11-08
MINUTES
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY
Monday, 10 March 2008
272 Bascom Hall (3:30-4:30 pm)
Provost Patrick Farrell called the meeting to order at 3:35 pm.
State of the University address – Chancellor John D. Wiley
According the Systems’ report of accountability, UW-Madison is doing well by all measures, including diversity, retention, graduation, residence learning, students in volunteer activities, study abroad, and standardized test scores. Average number of credits-to-degree has gone from 136 to 122. UW-Madison is second in the nation in amount of research dollars received. All these positive indicators are showing up in spite of six years of budget cuts. However, the cuts are taking a toll on some units, some to the breaking point, such as the trades in FP&M. Wiley feels we are not out of woods yet since the governor is still trying to deal with a budget repair bill.
The chancellor will step down in September and stay on to teach a public administration course in the School of Education. He talked about his leaving being the end of the Shalala era. He cites the lack of top administrative changes since then as indications of stability on campus. He points to three things he is most proud of:
- Having a professional strategic plan
- Maintaining diversity initiatives
- Moving to creative bonding and private money for new facilities
AUTOMATIC CONSENT BUSINESS
The minutes of the 2/11/2008 Academic Staff Assembly meeting were approved.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) – Susan Crowley, chair
The Faculty Senate approved a fundraising plan for need-based scholarships. ASEC will consider a proposal to join the faculty in this campaign and bring it to the Assembly in April for approval.
Bill Steffenhagen announced that registration has begun for the Academic Staff Institute to be held on the morning April 14. All academic staff are encouraged to attend.
Nominating Committee – Mary Ray, chair
Mary encouraged Assembly representatives to share her email about membership on shared governance committees with their district members. Anyone interested should email her. Appointments are made in the spring to these committees.
Communications Committee – Brian Rust, chair
Brian used a PowerPoint presentation to talk about the redesign project for the academic staff web site that his committee has undertaken. The objective in Phase 1 is to make the website more appealing, user-friendly, and allow for authorized contributors to make updates using a Content Management System.
The Communications Committee will work with ASEC on structuring the homepage and helping to determine which items can be eliminated when there is a migration to the new site.
The second phase will involve a communications plan to promote academic staff and provide more visibility for all the good things we do.
An ideal timetable would be to have the new site go “live” in May, but work on it will continue through the summer.
BUSINESS
Standing Committee Slates
The Nominating Committee moved approval of the Communications Committee slate and the Districting and Representation Committee slates. Both motions passed.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Submitted by Colleen McCabe
Secretary of the Academic Staff