Academic Staff Assembly (ASA)
Minutes
Approved 4-12-03
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY
Monday, 10 March 2003
272 Bascom Hall (3:30-4:30pm)
A. Provost Peter Spear called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.
B. AUTOMATIC CONSENT BUSINESS
The minutes of the 2/10/2003 Academic Staff Assembly meeting were approved
as corrected.
C. Provost Report
Peter Spear said that he regretted having to miss the brown bag on issues
of campus civility, which he was scheduled to attend on March 5, but he
is interested in rescheduling. His assistant, Eden Inoway-Ronnie, did
attend and provided him with good feedback.
Deans have been submitting budget proposals with reductions of both 5% and 8% to prepare for those eventualities. The extent of the actual cuts is not yet known.
Peter has scheduled meetings with several candidates for the office of a faculty/staff ombuds. Office space has been identified, so it could be up and running by fall.
When asked about a compensation plan for faculty/academic staff, Peter responded that the best guess right now is 0%, with some funding available for promotions and base adjustments.
D. Committee Reports
ASEC, Linda Newman, chair
http://wiscinfo.doit.wisc.edu/acstaff/asec.html
Linda reminded the Assembly about the brown bag program with John Torphy coming up on April 8 at Union South. ASEC will meet with CASI representatives on April 10. Academic staff Town Meetings will be held at noon on March 25 (Grainger Hall) and 26 (Union South).
The Academic Staff Institute will be held on April 24 at the Pyle Center. It is being co-sponsored by WISCAPE. Former chancellor David Ward will be the featured speaker in the afternoon. All Assembly representatives and alternates will be invited, along with standing committee members and others.
ASEC met with vice chancellor Darrell Bazzell for introductions and some discussion of budget issues. ASEC also invited Jennifer Sheridan and Molly Carnes to talk about the WISELI project, and Ceci Ford and Jeff Hamm came to give a report from the Committee on Women in the University.
Issues related to notices for layoffs and nonrenewals are still being discussed by ASEC and the Academic Personnel Office.
Academic Staff Endowment Fund
Char Tortorice gave a brief report about the capital campaign to raise
money for the campus through the UW Foundation. While it may be difficult
to consider giving with the recent declines in the stock market, the campus
needs support more than ever from private donations for important projects
that do not have adequate state support.
The Academic Staff Endowment Fund offers three choices for contributions:
1. Professional development (without a matching fund requirement)
2. Campus Natural Areas - Muir Woods project
3. Child care scholarships for use at campus facilities
Other notable contributions have been earmarked for such things at the Excellence Award sculptures.
System Fringe Benefits Committee
Bill Steffenhagen reported there are several items of interest to academic
staff in the governor's budget bill. Employees could be allowed to buy
back years of forfeited state service using 403(b) funds or deferred compensation
(section 457). Employees who have reached normal retirement age (eligible
for an unreduced Wisconsin Retirement System [WRS] annuity) may accept
post-retirement employment without a 30-day break, if the new position
is with a different state agency or local government employer. Also, employees
who terminate employment (permanent layoff is a termination for benefit
purposes) and who have 20 years of WRS service may escrow sick leave credits
even if they are not retirement age.
Legislative update
Bill Steffenhagen and ASPRO lobbyist Kathi Kilgore met with Kevin Moore,
a staff member to Representative Kitty Rhoades, Hudson, WI (R-District
30), a member of the Joint Finance Committee. He suggested the UW-Madison
should consider becoming a charter university with an agreed-upon state
subsidy and accountability measures, and a Board of Trustees to run the
university more like a business with the authority over personnel, purchasing,
capital bonding and tuition levels. Kevin indicated Representative Rhoades
is supportive of reviewing charter status for the UW-Madison.
Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee (CEBC) - JoAnn Carr for
Ron Carda, chair
JoAnn said that the CEBC passed a motion at their last meeting to urge
the Assembly to pass a resolution in support of the represented staff
contracts.
Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee (PPPC) - Ann Wallace, chair
The ASPP changes that went to System last fall were passed on to the Regents
as part of the material for their March meeting. The effective date of
those changes is February 28, 2003. The changes will remain in effect
unless the Regents veto them within 90 days.
These changes as well as the revisions to ASPP Chapter 12 are now on the web in both html and pdf formats.
Special Committee Reports
Recreational Sports Board: Barb Smith and John Staley
Barb and John are two of the five voting academic members of the campus
wide board, which includes five students and five faculty in true shared
governance fashion. The operating budgets for the various facilities and
programs is $2.72 million. The new director of Rec Sports, hired after
a national search, is Dale Carruthers.
Major issues for the board over the past year have been largely related to logistics. Parking spaces for users have been lost due to construction at the Field House. This has resulted in a loss in membership at the Shell. A change in guest policy now makes access less restrictive, but requires more proof of eligibility. A survey focusing on usage of facilities by women and minorities may lead to program or policy changes. A new database will eventually be able to provide better statistics on participants: students, staff, faculty, guests, etc.
Committee on Women in the University: Jeff Hamm and Cecilia Ford
Jeff and Ceci are co-chairs of this committee. The committee enjoys operating
with an academic staff and faculty co-chair arrangement as a gesture of
collaboration and collegiality. This past year they have concentrated
on a climate initiative. Information they collected has been shared with
the provost. The Committee on Women is going to be taking a closer look
at the number of women in higher administrative positions on campus as
well as various workplace issues, such as management of childcare and
eldercare.
E. BUSINESS
New Business
1. Resolution in support of represented staff contracts
ASEC presented a resolution to urge immediate ratification of all represented
classified employee 2001-2003 contracts. After one wording change, the
resolution passed unanimously. Gary Mitchell, union representative, thanked
the Assembly for its support.
2. Standing Committee slates
Char Tortorice of the Nominating Committee introduced four of the slates.
Two members were added to the slate for the PPPC from the floor. Assembly
representatives may also add to the slates with a petition signed by 10
members and submitted to the Secretary of the Academic Staff office within
10 days of the meeting.
Linda Newman introduced the Nominating Committee slate.
3. Academic Staff Executive Committee election results
With over 650 ballots cast, those elected to ASEC for 2003-2004 are:
Donna Cole
Bruce Beck
Robin Kurtz
Frank Kooistra
Tori Richardson
Meeting adjourned at 4:30 p.m.
Submitted by Colleen McCabe
Secretary of the Academic Staff