Academic Staff Assembly (ASA)
Minutes
Minutes of 11-11-02 approved 12-9-02
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY
Monday, November 11, 2002
272 Bascom Hall (3:30-4:45pm)
A. PROVOST PETER SPEAR CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 3:30 P.M.
B. AUTOMATIC CONSENT BUSINESS
The minutes of the 10/14/2002 Academic Staff Assembly meeting were approved
as amended.
C. Guest: Chancellor John Wiley
Chancellor Wiley reported that the campus climate networking group had
met to work on a definition of "climate." Their definition stated
that "climate" was a "result of behaviors" where all
could be "treated fairly and with respect." This networking
group also looked at climate initiatives across campus to identify gaps
and perhaps coordinate communication. Once identified, the list of various
campus initiatives will be listed on the web, including training opportunities,
measures, and feedback. Samples of tools and methods will also be available.
According to the chancellor, "Lots is going on, but there is still lots to do."
D. Committee on Academic Staff Issues: Sandra Ihle and Jim Pavelko, School
of Business
Sandra and Jim report that the number of academic staff in the Business
School has doubled in the past ten years up to now 140 (headcount basis).
In addition, nine academic staff members have been given the title of
Teaching Professor.
The CASI is in its third year of operation and has 11 members, six of which are Category A. All academic staff are invited to attend once a year. This year the CASI met with the new dean, Michael Knetter. They have asked the dean for more academic staff representation on school committees. Currently only one academic staff member is on the school's academic planning council. They also discussed with the dean the idea of academic staff sabbaticals and the need for more teaching professor titles.
CASI chair, Sandra Ihle, feels that their group has established a presence in the School of Business and can make a difference in how they are viewed.
E. Provost Report - Peter Spear
Provost Spear announced a proposal to establish an ombuds office for academic
staff and faculty, following a suggestion from the Committee on Women
in the University in their report last year. The office would be staffed
by recently retired emeritus faculty or staff, who would be given training
on mediation and facilitation.
The campus wants to find out why students of color leave the university before graduating. A series of activities will be put into place to discover the reasons, such as exit interviews and specific questions on the student satisfaction survey.
The provost has convened a committee to evaluate undergraduate biology
education. Currently, this interdisciplinary curriculum involves five
different departments. The committee will look at whether there is a better
way to deliver this program, or if the current configuration is still
best. Academic staff member on the committee is Pat Henrikson.
F. Committee Reports
Linda Newman, ASEC Chair
Linda mentioned the two Town Meetings that had taken place in October.
A third meeting on November 13 at the Memorial Union will allow those
who attended the Town Meetings to help prepare a report that will go to
the chancellor and provost.
Coming events are a PDRC/MASA brown bag on November 18, Roundtable luncheon on November 19, and the ASEC/CASI joint meeting at noon on November 21 at Union South. On December 4, the Academic Personnel Office will host a noon event at Tripp Commons for interested academic staff. This meeting requires advance registration. The web site is: http://www.ohrd.wisc.edu/des/index.asp#hr.
At the December Assembly, guests will be Don Woolston and Peg Davey from the Athletic Board. There will also be a bake sale and a report from the Academic Staff Endowment Committee.
G. BUSINESS
Old Business
1. Changes to ASPP - Layoff notice periods (Assembly Document #298)
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/doc.html
With the original motion still on the table, the Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee moved to amend the motion to read:
Be it resolved change ASPP Chapter 5.04.2 Minimum Notice Period to increase the length of fixed-term renewable appointment funding loss layoff notice periods to equal budget or program decision layoff notice periods as follows:
Minimum Layoff Notice Minimum Layoff Notice
Years of Academic Period in Months for Period in Months
Staff Service for Funding Loss Budget or Program Decision
Fewer than 2 0.5 1 2
At least 2 but
fewer than 6 1 2 3
At least 6 but
fewer than 10 2 3 5
10 or more 3 4 6
CEBC members argued that this amendment would provide the middle ground that would give individuals more protection while avoiding some level of just-in-case layoff notices.
In the ensuing discussion, some felt that the current notice periods were still appropriate and would keep down the number of just-in-case layoff notices, which are "a waste of time."
During the discussion on revising the original motion, an Assembly representative requested clarification on the intent of the amended notice periods. Bill Steffenhagen assured the Assembly that this change was not an attempt to increase the required notice periods a little at a time and that future changes to the notice periods for funding loss would not be forthcoming.
The amendment passed.
Similar arguments were voiced in discussion of the original motion (now replaced by the amended version).
ASEC member Karen Schwarz noted that comparable institutions give much
shorter notice periods than Madison. She felt that giving a large number
of just-in-case letters was a lot of work for administrators as well as
being detrimental to the climate in those areas affected. She was concerned
that the number of people who could be negatively affected by receiving
just-in-case layoff letters is very large, whereas the number of people
who were actually laid off in 2001-2002 was very small, only 0.5% of the
academic staff on campus. She also commented that capital exercise money
could not be used for salaries and that the issue was more one of keeping
staff informed informally about the status of a grant rather than scaring
them with formal just-in-case letters.
Assembly rep Michael Kantor felt that units were gambling by not giving
the just-in-case letters when funding sources were in question. If the
money does not come in, then the department must pay for the additional
layoff period. (Provost Spear concurred that there was not central source
of funds to bail out units.)
Steve Limbach spoke in favor of the motion saying that grants are often written and supported by academic staff members. Valuable staff could be retained by having this additional layoff notice period, and that priorities within units can be arranged to cover any related costs.
The vote was taken and carried by a slim margin, approving the amended motion.
New Business
Job security data - Ann Wallace
The Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee (PPPC) is completing its
analysis of the data from last year's job security reports; the summaries
will soon be available on its web site. Departments across the university
will soon be asked to conduct the annual review of their long-term academic
staff to determine whether increased job security is appropriate. As a
result of the Assembly's vote last month, staff members with five, rather
than seven, years on the UW-Madison academic staff must be reviewed. The
PPPC will discuss whether or not to send a notice to all academic staff
about the review that is taking place and who is eligible.
Meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
Submitted by Colleen McCabe
Secretary of the Academic Staff