Resources
See below for information and resources pertaining to academic staff. If you have questions, please contact the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff.
Policies & Procedures
ASPP Chapter 1: Coverage and Definitions
ASPP Chapter 2: Academic Staff Appointments
ASPP Chapter 3: Nonrenewal of Fixed-Term Renewable Appointments
ASPP Chapter 4: Nonretention of Employees Holding Probationary Appointments
ASPP Chapter 5: Layoff for Reasons of Budget or Program
ASPP Chapter 6: Discipline and Dismissal
ASPP Chapter 7: Employment Problems: Informal Resolution and Grievance Procedures
ASPP Chapter 8: Complaints Against Academic Staff Members
ASPP Chapter 9: Academic Staff Appeals Committee
ASPP Chapter 10: Performance Reviews
ASPP Chapter 11: The Personnel File
ASPP Chapter 12: Outside Activities and Conflicts of Interest
ASPP Chapter 13: University Academic Staff Assembly
Academic Staff Disability Accommodation Policy (revised 2/2013)
Carry of Concealed Weapons Policy (passed 10/2011)
Distinguished Status Guidelines (revised 11/2021)
Misconduct in Scholarly Research (revised 2/2017)
Protected and Unprotected Expression in a Work-Related Setting (revised 4/2018)
School, College, and Division Committees on Academic Staff Issues (CASIs) (passed 1/1998)
Title & Status
The Distinguished status was created to recognize academic staff who have acquired extensive experience, advanced skills/knowledge, and a reputation beyond their school/college/division. Distinguished status is an honor reserved for individuals who have demonstrated remarkable contributions to their profession.
Employees must be an academic staff member (employee category) and have an academic staff title to be eligible for the Distinguished status. Employees in non-academic staff job categories, including limited appointees, are not eligible for Distinguished status.
Staff interested in applying should:
- Review the guidelines
- Check with your school/college/division human resources office
- View previously successful packets
- Submit by the deadline
The Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff has previously successful applicant packets available for review. Please contact the Office to make a viewing appointment.
For consideration in the fall, applications must be submitted to the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff by August 1. For consideration in the spring, they must be submitted by February 1. If either of these dates fall on a weekend, then applications must be submitted by the immediately following Monday.
An honorary title which may be conferred at the time of retirement upon individuals who have had permanent employment with the University of Wisconsin–Madison and have completed a minimum of 10 years of distinguished service.
Many UW–Madison academic staff members have strong research records, including those who have requested and been granted Limited PI Status on multiple occasions and successfully carried out competitive externally funded research grants. These experienced academic staff members may request Permanent PI status not tied to a specific project.
Academic staff members granted Permanent Principal Investigator status will no longer need to request permission to serve as a PI each time they submit a grant proposal. In addition, academic staff members granted Permanent Principal Investigator status through this process have access to VCR Research Committee funding.
The Title and Standard Job Description Library provides titles, salaries, and information for all jobs at UW–Madison.
“Indefinite Appointment” is an academic staff appointment with permanent status and for an unlimited term. The rights conferred by an indefinite appointment are limited to the operational area in which the appointment is made. Indefinite appointments are neither limited to nor specific to any academic staff position or title series.
Academic staff are eligible for recommendation for an indefinite appointment when 1) they have shown evidence of consistent excellence in performance and professional growth, 2) they are of significant continuing value to the mission of their department or program, and 3) fiscal resources are available to make the commitment. An indefinite appointment is not acquired solely because of years of service.
Staff interested in an indefinite appointment should contact their local human resources office.
Area Review Committees review nominations for indefinite appointment and make a recommendation to the nominee’s dean or director. There are 4 Area Review Committees, each of which has its own guidelines for proposing academic staff members for indefinite appointment:
- Administrative/Student Services/Library
Guidelines - Biological/Medical Sciences
Guidelines - Humanities/Social Sciences
Guidelines - Physical Sciences/Engineering
Guidelines
Employment & Personnel
A dual role academic staff appointment is one in which an academic staff member holds a full-time appointment in one role and subsequently, is appointed to a second role. Approvals are required for academic staff who hold a high-level instructional or research role and wish to add the opposite role.
Academic staff who believe they may require a dual role waiver should contact their local human resources office.
The UW–Madison salary structure provides a framework to determine how employees are paid.
The Salary Adjustments Policy describes methods to provide temporary, permanent, and lump-sum salary adjustments to UW–Madison staff.
Office of Human Resources page linking to many compensation resources and policies.
Most academic staff are initially on one-year, fixed term, renewable appointments. These appointments are renewable:
- As long as the employee provides satisfactory service
- Funds are available
- Directions or needs of the program do not change.
Once an initial evaluation period has been successfully completed, the employment of an academic staff member may be ended only for reasons of:
- Funding loss
- A budget or program decision that requires a program to be discontinued, curtailed, modified, or redirected
- Unsatisfactory performance
- Misconduct
There are a few different academic staff appointment types that offer increased job security:
- Fixed-term multiple-year appointment is a form of fixed-term renewable appointment made for more than one year. The length of the term is specified in writing. This type of extended appointment may be especially appropriate for individuals on multiple-year grants.
- Fixed-term rolling-horizon appointment is a form of fixed-term appointment that extends daily for the term specified in writing. The term may be for one or more years.
- Indefinite appointment is an appointment with permanent status and for an unlimited term.
Contact your local human resources office to discuss your appointment type and options for increased job security.
Please see the below policies related to personnel files.
The Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee compiled answers to frequently asked questions regarding personnel files.
Layoff is the termination of an academic staff member’s employment because of a funding loss or a budget or program decision either prior to the end of the appointment or when proper notice of nonrenewal under ASPP 3.05 cannot be given.
Hostile and Intimidating Behavior (HIB) is unwelcome conduct, while engaged in or relating to employment or appointment activities, that does not further the legitimate academic or operational interests of the institution and is conduct that a reasonable person would find is so severe or pervasive that it:
A. Makes the complainant’s conditions for work inhospitable or intolerable and/or;
B. Unreasonably and negatively affects the complainant’s well-being or safety in the workplace and/or;
C. Unreasonably interferes with the complainant’s ability to carry out their work responsibilities to the university.
Organizations for Academic Staff
ASPRO is a is a not-for-profit, professional organization that represents the interests of Academic Staff throughout the University of Wisconsin System to the Wisconsin State Legislature, the Governor, the Board of Regents, and the public.
LASA is a group that advocates, supports advancement, and provides a social network for the UW Latinx community.
MASN is a professional organization that serves the “community” of academic staff.
UFAS is a labor union democratically organized to represent its members who are faculty, academic staff, and postdoctoral fellows at UW–Madison. UFAS is an independent affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, Local #223, AFL-CIO. It does not negotiate contracts, but does provide other member services, such as legal representation, mutual aid, and compensation information. It is not a certified representative of faculty or academic staff or postdoctoral fellows.
UW Faculty and Staff Christian Fellowship is dedicated to encouraging and equipping Christian faculty and staff at the UW–Madison to be a redeeming influence among the people, ideas, and structures of the university.
WUU is an independent association of faculty and academic staff at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.