Approved 03-30-23

ASEC Minutes

2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 23, 2023

53 Bascom Hall

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/93936751067

Members Present: Donna Cole; Tim Dalby; Stephanie Elkins; Julie Hunt Johnson; Stephanie Jones; Albert Muniz; Mallory Musolf, chair; Lindsey Stoddard Cameron

Guests: Rob Cramer, Jenny Dahlberg, Luisa Gerasimo, Jessica Karls-Ruplinger, Karen Massetti-Moran, Karl Scholz, Paul Seitz, Patrick Sheehan, Scott Wildman, Jen Young

The meeting was called to order at 2:01 p.m.

The minutes of March 9 were approved.

General Reports

Mallory Musolf, ASEC Chair, reported that she drafted a letter on behalf of academic staff thanking Chancellor Mnookin for establishing the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History.

Lesley Fisher, Deputy Secretary of the Academic Staff, reported that an Administrative Transformation Program (ATP) readiness assessment survey will be sent to a sample of UW-Madison employees on March 28. The Vice Provost for Libraries Search and Screen Committee has been finalized. Ariel Andrea, Alison Caffrey, and Jay Ray have been appointed as ASEC’s nominees to serve on the committee.

Liaison Reports

Donna Cole reported on a meeting of the Big10 Collaboration on Staff Advocacy planning subcommittee. They discussed the Resolution on Improving Academic Staff Workplace Conditions and Morale passed by the Academic Staff Assembly at UW-Madison, and this will be the main topic of discussion at the next meeting of the full committee.

Stephanie Elkins reported that the WPM CASI event subcommittee planned a state-wide celebration of pie day for employees and is currently working on plans for Brat Fest. The CASI discussed having a Slack channel for CASI members, but due to open meeting concerns it will mostly be used for informational items such as sharing meeting agendas, minutes, etc.

Tim Dalby reported that the International Dean finalist sessions have concluded.

Lindsey Stoddard Cameron reported on the recent meeting of the Districting and Representation Committee. They are working with DoIT to program the updated districting logic into the districting software. They will provide an update on their work to the Assembly in April and are reviewing the districting website to make sure it’s accurate.

Julie Hunt Johnson reported that the Extension CASI is working on new employee orientation and discussed the Resolution on Improving Academic Staff Workplace Conditions and Morale.

Guest: Karl Scholz, Provost

ASEC congratulated Provost Scholz on his recent appointment as the president of the University of Oregon, which will begin on July 1. His last day at UW-Madison has not yet been determined, but will likely be in late April. An interim provost will be appointed.

ASEC asked Provost Scholz to send an email communication to the deans regarding the benefits of working with Committees on Academic Staff Issues (CASIs). The provost agreed to send this communication prior to his departure.

Regarding the recently passed Resolution on Improving Academic Staff Workplace Conditions and Morale, Provost Scholz is hesitant about sending a survey on remote work before the end of this semester. While he’s supportive of a survey about remote work, he wants to ensure it’s done correctly and that will take some time.

Guests: Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

Vice Chancellor Cramer provided an update on the tuition increase proposal that will be presented to the Board of Regents next week. UW-Madison is proposing a 4% increase for resident undergraduate tuition, and a 3% increase for non-resident undergraduates. There are also program differential tuition proposals for the College of Engineering, the School of Nursing, and the Wisconsin School of Business. Those schools/colleges consulted with students before bringing the proposals forward, and the money will go back into student-facing activities. Segregated fees are increasing an average of 3% next year, and housing and dining fees just under 3%. Vice Chancellor Cramer met with students from ASM last week to share this information with them.

Vice Chancellor Cramer provided an update on the West Campus District Plan. The plan is considering what the area from Willow Creek west to the hospital and north to the lake will look like in the next 20-30 years. Work on this has been ongoing since early last fall, and the team has engaged in 80+ activities to gather input and feedback. There is also an online tool to provide input. The plan currently includes adding space for academic research, rental housing, and potentially a hotel in the future. ASEC encouraged the inclusion of childcare in the plan as well. The project team is currently doing an investigation around infrastructure, particularly parking, and thinking through transportation logistics of getting into and out of the area.

Responding to a question about high remodeling costs, Vice Chancellor Cramer confirmed that this is a widespread issue. We’re in an unprecedented time with price escalation and delays, and these are creating challenges for construction projects. Facilities Planning and Management is working on a space utilization assessment to identify which spaces are being underutilized and thinking through how we could repurpose them.

Guest: Patrick Sheehan, Chief Human Resources Officer; and Karen Massetti-Moran, Deputy Chief Human Resources Officer

Regarding ageism in the workplace, Patrick has been thinking through obstacles and opportunities in this space and how UW-Madison can do a better job supporting older employees. We want to be a welcome, supportive, and inclusive employer.

Responding to a question about paid family leave, it’s likely that a family leave benefit would only apply to faculty and staff when initially implemented.

Salary range maxima were increased last August in anticipation of a market shift. OHR is currently completing a market review, and there will be wider communication to employees once the process is complete, likely in June. A market refresh will occur every two years going forward.

Learning and Talent Development is working on documentation regarding progressing through salary range. More detailed information will be shared soon as well as asynchronous training modules.

Regarding a remote work survey, OHR created a draft survey and has received feedback from leadership. Edits are currently being made based on the feedback, and then OHR will bring it back to leadership.

OHR is in the process of responding to the Resolution on Improving Academic Staff Workplace Conditions and Morale and the Resolution Urging Implementation of Paid Family Leave Benefits for UW-Madison Employees.

Business

• ASEC Planning Subcommittee Reports

The transportation subcommittee will meet after ASEC’s visit with Patrick Kass.

The DEIB subcommittee is meeting tomorrow and will provide an update next week.

The CASI subcommittee drafted the CASI communication that the Provost will send to the deans, as well as a CASI best practices document. ASEC reviewed and finalized these drafts.

• April Assembly Meeting Agenda

The Chancellor is no longer able to attend. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor will be invited to present a general update, along with Sarah Nolan to provide an update on student mental health. ASEC will review the Resolution on the Staff Climate Survey and provide feedback before their next meeting.

• Topics for Guests

CDO: status of institution-wide diversity training, strategic plan refresh next steps and how ASEC can help, information about the group looking at diversity initiatives on campus as they relate to Supreme Court decisions, what does CDO role on campus as a convener for S/C/D DEI units look like, reaction to the Resolution on Improving Academic Staff Workplace Conditions and Morale, reaction/thoughts on how units CDO oversees scored in the staff climate survey

Patrick Kass: discussion of potential for a tiered pricing structure for parking to address concerns about equity with the current structure; status of reduced-cost parking program; updates on communication on flex parking; update on changes to Metro bus service and state van pool program; update on traffic issues related to campus construction projects

Meeting adjourned at 4:52 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Lesley Fisher, Deputy Secretary of the Academic Staff