Academic Staff Assembly Minutes 03-09-20
Approved 4-13-20
Provost Karl Scholz called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
Automatic Consent Business
The Academic Staff Assembly minutes of Monday, February 10, 2020, were approved.
Guest: Nick Tincher, Administrative Transformation Project
Nick updated the Assembly on the work of the Administrative Transformation Project. The ATP team will be taking a recommendation and request for approval to the April Board of Regents meeting to move forward with the design phase of the project. The current state of HR and financial systems at the university is such that ancillary technologies have been required for some time. The ATP team made the case for change based on internal and external pressures, and considered several different approaches before deciding to move forward with its current plan. One potential approach was to maintain the status quo, which limits faculty and staff, poses increased risk, and isn’t sustainable in the long term. An approach around incremental change also doesn’t yield the desired results in this space, particularly given the interconnected nature of our systems. The ATP team concluded that the path forward is to reimagine and build a new administrative infrastructure at UW-Madison. This plan looks at technologies as well as policies and processes and aims to provide increased information security, data availability, and financial controls. The team is moving from its preplanning phase to its planning phase. The team will remain in the planning phase through 2020. Designing the infrastructure will begin in 2021, and implementation and quality assurance will begin in 2022, with July 2023 as the goal for completion of implementation within HR and finance systems.
Guest: Kathi Kilgore, Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization (ASPRO)
Kathi introduced herself as the Executive Director of ASPRO. The organization exists for academic staff that developed from UW-Madison academic staff governance. After being started at Madison, members from Milwaukee joined, and eventually the organization went statewide. The State Assembly wrapped up its regular session in February, and the Senate plans to meet in March. Over the last decade, there has been an increase in proposed bills that relate to UW. Kathi provided updates on current bills, including Assembly Bill 444, which regards free speech on campuses. There have been a large number of bills regarding agriculture and water, as well as Extension. ASPRO supports two current bills regarding Extension and offered the ASPRO newsletter to those in attendance for more information.
Reports
Tim Dalby, ASEC chair, reported that the ASEC election is currently open and will close on March 18. The standing committee elections will open soon. The Faculty Senate approved the resolution to require helpline phone numbers to be printed on all newly issued Wiscards for faculty and staff. Tim requested feedback from the Assembly with respect to the layouts of the cards.
Jenny Dahlberg delivered the ASPRO report and encouraged academic staff to consider joining ASPRO. Membership is currently below 300 across all UW System campuses.
The annual report of the Committee for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People in the University was postponed until the next meeting.
Business
Assembly Standing Committee Slates (ASA #729)
Rebecca Beebe, co-chair of the Nominating Committee, read the names on the Standing Committee slates. For the Communications Committee, those running include Kyle Henderson, Robyn Perrin, Pamela O’Donnell, and Lori Wilson. For the Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee, those running include Kayla Armstrong, Christina Pier, Tori Richarson, and Cori Splain. For the Districting and Representation Committee, those running include Megan Ackerman-Yost, Karla Lemak, and Stephanie Trigsted. For the Mentoring Committee, those running include Tara LaRowe, Chris Logterman, Justin Sena, and Alex Stark. For the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee, those running include Caitlin Cleary, Aaron Crandall, Brenda Joyce, and Nicole Senter. For the Professional Development and Recognition Committee, those running include Bashir Easter, Kelly Miller, Nia Norris, Kristina Penniston, Diane Stojanovich, and Andrew Turner. No nominations were added to any of the slates from the floor.
Nominating Committee Slate (ASA #731)
Tim Dalby read the names on the Nominating Committee slate. Those running include Dan Barnish, Jacob Hahn, Ben Heidke, Kelly Mallon, and Jean Touchett. No nominations were added to the slate from the floor.
Motion to Change Gender Pronouns in Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASA #730)
Bill Tishler (ASEC) moved that the Academic Staff Assembly approve the motion. Seconded. Motion approved.
Provost Report
Provost Scholz reported that the Faculty Senate approved the creation of the Professor of Practice title at its meeting on March 2. As with the teaching and research professor titles, there will be a committee formed to create the guidelines for the use of the title.
As of March 11, applications opened for UW-Madison’s first entirely online degree, a Bachelor of Science in Personal Finance through the School of Human Ecology.
Regarding COVID-19, UW-Madison is monitoring for potential complications. The University has connected with many health services on this situation and is taking it very seriously. There are no current cases in Dane County. The leadership is reviewing and updating the campus pandemic plan. Guidance has been coming out on campus, more will be coming out this afternoon. University has suspended some study abroad programs and university-sponsored travel to with several countries. UW is asking anyone who is returning from those countries to self-monitor for fourteen days for symptoms. For students on cancelled study abroad programs, the university will be offering distance options. The university is identifying essential and nonessential personnel and discussing how instruction would continue if the virus spreads. Large gatherings will be encouraged to be cancelled or rescheduled. Using the same logic, a threshold may be set for class size as well, but the university is also preparing for the possibility of moving to distance learning entirely. The UW home page now has some COVID-19 links with resources, updates, and answers to commonly asked questions. The Provost also reported on microaggressions and bias incidents reported in connection with COVID-19. Targeting an ethnic group for discrimination is illegal, and campus will act on any reports of discrimination or harassment. Provost Scholz stressed the importance of UW-Madison acting as a community.
The Provost reiterated the Chancellor’s call at the Faculty Senate for participation in the 2020 census. UW-Madison is also participating in Big Ten voting challenge. We got second place last year and would like to be first this year. There are guidelines for political activity and political visits, which the Chancellor’s blog has a post on. There are also guidelines for individuals participating in political activity and not using state resources for that activity. Speaking of involvement, UW-Madison, for the fourth consecutive year, has topped the list of Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities. Seventy-nine Badgers are currently volunteering around the world.
Author James Patterson will be the keynote speaker at Spring Commencement. John Felder will be the alumni speaker.
With regard to searches, Steve Ackerman has been named as the new Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, succeeding Norman Drinkwater. Derek Kindle has been named as the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, succeeding Steve Hahn.
Adjourned at 5:02 pm.
Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY MEETING MINUTES
B-10 Ingraham Hall
Monday, March 9, 2020
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Provost Karl Scholz called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
Automatic Consent Business
The Academic Staff Assembly minutes of Monday, February 10, 2020, were approved.
Guest: Nick Tincher, Administrative Transformation Project
Nick updated the Assembly on the work of the Administrative Transformation Project. The ATP team will be taking a recommendation and request for approval to the April Board of Regents meeting to move forward with the design phase of the project. The current state of HR and financial systems at the university is such that ancillary technologies have been required for some time. The ATP team made the case for change based on internal and external pressures, and considered several different approaches before deciding to move forward with its current plan. One potential approach was to maintain the status quo, which limits faculty and staff, poses increased risk, and isn’t sustainable in the long term. An approach around incremental change also doesn’t yield the desired results in this space, particularly given the interconnected nature of our systems. The ATP team concluded that the path forward is to reimagine and build a new administrative infrastructure at UW-Madison. This plan looks at technologies as well as policies and processes and aims to provide increased information security, data availability, and financial controls. The team is moving from its preplanning phase to its planning phase. The team will remain in the planning phase through 2020. Designing the infrastructure will begin in 2021, and implementation and quality assurance will begin in 2022, with July 2023 as the goal for completion of implementation within HR and finance systems.
Guest: Kathi Kilgore, Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization (ASPRO)
Kathi introduced herself as the Executive Director of ASPRO. The organization exists for academic staff that developed from UW-Madison academic staff governance. After being started at Madison, members from Milwaukee joined, and eventually the organization went statewide. The State Assembly wrapped up its regular session in February, and the Senate plans to meet in March. Over the last decade, there has been an increase in proposed bills that relate to UW. Kathi provided updates on current bills, including Assembly Bill 444, which regards free speech on campuses. There have been a large number of bills regarding agriculture and water, as well as Extension. ASPRO supports two current bills regarding Extension and offered the ASPRO newsletter to those in attendance for more information.
Reports
Tim Dalby, ASEC chair, reported that the ASEC election is currently open and will close on March 18. The standing committee elections will open soon. The Faculty Senate approved the resolution to require helpline phone numbers to be printed on all newly issued Wiscards for faculty and staff. Tim requested feedback from the Assembly with respect to the layouts of the cards.
Jenny Dahlberg delivered the ASPRO report and encouraged academic staff to consider joining ASPRO. Membership is currently below 300 across all UW System campuses.
The annual report of the Committee for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People in the University was postponed until the next meeting.
Business
Assembly Standing Committee Slates (ASA #729)
Rebecca Beebe, co-chair of the Nominating Committee, read the names on the Standing Committee slates. For the Communications Committee, those running include Kyle Henderson, Robyn Perrin, Pamela O’Donnell, and Lori Wilson. For the Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee, those running include Kayla Armstrong, Christina Pier, Tori Richarson, and Cori Splain. For the Districting and Representation Committee, those running include Megan Ackerman-Yost, Karla Lemak, and Stephanie Trigsted. For the Mentoring Committee, those running include Tara LaRowe, Chris Logterman, Justin Sena, and Alex Stark. For the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee, those running include Caitlin Cleary, Aaron Crandall, Brenda Joyce, and Nicole Senter. For the Professional Development and Recognition Committee, those running include Bashir Easter, Kelly Miller, Nia Norris, Kristina Penniston, Diane Stojanovich, and Andrew Turner. No nominations were added to any of the slates from the floor.
Nominating Committee Slate (ASA #731)
Tim Dalby read the names on the Nominating Committee slate. Those running include Dan Barnish, Jacob Hahn, Ben Heidke, Kelly Mallon, and Jean Touchett. No nominations were added to the slate from the floor.
Motion to Change Gender Pronouns in Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASA #730)
Bill Tishler (ASEC) moved that the Academic Staff Assembly approve the motion. Seconded. Motion approved.
Provost Report
Provost Scholz reported that the Faculty Senate approved the creation of the Professor of Practice title at its meeting on March 2. As with the teaching and research professor titles, there will be a committee formed to create the guidelines for the use of the title.
As of March 11, applications opened for UW-Madison’s first entirely online degree, a Bachelor of Science in Personal Finance through the School of Human Ecology.
Regarding COVID-19, UW-Madison is monitoring for potential complications. The University has connected with many health services on this situation and is taking it very seriously. There are no current cases in Dane County. The leadership is reviewing and updating the campus pandemic plan. Guidance has been coming out on campus, more will be coming out this afternoon. University has suspended some study abroad programs and university-sponsored travel to with several countries. UW is asking anyone who is returning from those countries to self-monitor for fourteen days for symptoms. For students on cancelled study abroad programs, the university will be offering distance options. The university is identifying essential and nonessential personnel and discussing how instruction would continue if the virus spreads. Large gatherings will be encouraged to be cancelled or rescheduled. Using the same logic, a threshold may be set for class size as well, but the university is also preparing for the possibility of moving to distance learning entirely. The UW home page now has some COVID-19 links with resources, updates, and answers to commonly asked questions. The Provost also reported on microaggressions and bias incidents reported in connection with COVID-19. Targeting an ethnic group for discrimination is illegal, and campus will act on any reports of discrimination or harassment. Provost Scholz stressed the importance of UW-Madison acting as a community.
The Provost reiterated the Chancellor’s call at the Faculty Senate for participation in the 2020 census. UW-Madison is also participating in Big Ten voting challenge. We got second place last year and would like to be first this year. There are guidelines for political activity and political visits, which the Chancellor’s blog has a post on. There are also guidelines for individuals participating in political activity and not using state resources for that activity. Speaking of involvement, UW-Madison, for the fourth consecutive year, has topped the list of Peace Corps volunteer-producing colleges and universities. Seventy-nine Badgers are currently volunteering around the world.
Author James Patterson will be the keynote speaker at Spring Commencement. John Felder will be the alumni speaker.
With regard to searches, Steve Ackerman has been named as the new Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, succeeding Norman Drinkwater. Derek Kindle has been named as the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management, succeeding Steve Hahn.
Adjourned at 5:02 pm.
Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff