Academic Staff Assembly (ASA) Minutes
DRAFT Minutes
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY
Monday, 12 May 2008
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 4/14/2008 Academic Staff Assembly meeting were approved.
2008 Academic Staff Excellence Award winners were introduced by PDRC members Lisa Jansen and Daña Alder.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) – Susan Crowley, chair
Susan commended outgoing ASEC members Janice Czyscon and Bruce Beck for their service. She also thanked parliamentarian Elaine Staley for her volunteer participation at the Assembly meetings.
The Graduate School will soon make a public announcement of the new policy to allow an academic staff member (which could include an emeritus faculty, visiting professor, or other known expert) to be a fifth member of a doctoral committee. This has been a request of governance for a number of years, so we welcome this change.
A workgroup will be formed to examine how Limited appointments are determined and used. They will bring their findings to ASEC and the Assembly. Anyone interested in being involved should contact the Secretary.
The bench purchased with funds from the Academic Staff Endowment Fund is now in place in Muir Woods just off Observatory Drive overlooking the lake.
Nominating Committee – Mary Ray, chair
Mary thanked all those who were candidates for Standing Committee elections this year, and apologized for some of the confusion with the slates.
Athletic Board annual report 2006-07: Elton Crim and Barb Smith, academic staff board members
The lengthy annual report is online at http://www.secfac.wisc.edu/senate/2008/0505/2053.pdf.
Barb and Elton explained the committee structure and described the makeup of the board (21 voting members and 1 nonvoting member). There are 12 faculty and 2 academic staff. The chair is appointed by the chancellor from the faculty ranks. Some of the current issues for the board are gambling and other conflicts of interest, distribution of revenues from the Big Ten network, a master plan for athletic facilities, and issues related to board practices and governance.
Elton Crim is ending his term on the board and thanked the Assembly for the opportunity to serve on it for the last four years.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Issues Committee Report: presented by Daña Alder, a member of the committee
The report commended UW-Madison for the important strides made since 1994 to “foster LGBT scholarship across campus and to promote a campus climate welcoming and respectful of LGBT persons,” and noted that there is significant work yet to be done to make the UW Madison a truly welcoming and inclusive campus.
The committee made seven recommendations for improvements, including a recommendation that accountability for achieving the recommendations be vested in the new Vice Provost for Climate and Diversity. The full report is on the web at http://www.secfac.wisc.edu/senate/2008/0505/2056.pdf.
BUSINESS
- Resolution in support of burying the proposed 345v Rockdale to Middleton transmission line. http://acstaff.wisc.edu/doc/399ATClines.pdf
The Assembly followed the lead of the Faculty Senate in opposing the building of 130-foot towers along the Beltline to carry the lines in favor of burying these lines. The towers would have a detrimental impact on the fragile ecosystems in the UW Arboretum.
The motion urges the Public Service Commission to require the ATC to at minimum bury the section of the transmission line along the southwest portion of the Beltline that passes by the Arboretum. The motion passed unanimously.
- ASEC recommends permanent status of the program to provide emergency salary support to senior principal investigators. http://acstaff.wisc.edu/doc/400ESSAcademicstaff08.pdf
This plan began as a pilot program in 2001 to give short-term salary funding for deserving senior PIs who were between grants. A process was developed so that senior scientists who have made substantial contributions to the campus could apply for this bridge salary support. Since 2001, there have been five applicants; three were award funding, one was denied, and one is pending approval.
Ann Lamboley, of the Academic Personnel Office, will continue to advise potential candidates and will work with the ad hoc review committee that will make the recommendation for support to the provost.
The Assembly passed a motion to move this program from the pilot stage to permanent status pending further approval by the provost.
- Standing Committee election results
Communications Committee:
Richard Geier
Irene Katele
Mark Lilleleht
William Lipske (declined)
Renee Meiller
Bruce Orchard
Mary Possin
Robert Rettammel
Brian Rust
Nominating Committee
Gale Barber
Lance Rodenkirch
Jennifer Sheridan
Professional Development and Recognition Committee
Colleen Barrett
Nichelle Cobb
Maddie Covelli
Lynn Edlefson
Districting and Representation Committee
Anne Gunther
Erica Laughlin
Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee
Al Benzschawal
William Grogan
Miriam Simmons
Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee
Bruno Browning
Sandra Guthrie
Jeanne Hendricks
Provost report: Patrick Farrell
The state budget may be close to being finalized, but the exact pay plan will not be known for sure until the union contracts are ratified.
The chancellor candidates are on campus this week with public receptions at Memorial Union from 1:30-3:00 pm.
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Submitted by Colleen McCabe
Secretary of the Academic Staff