Topics Map > Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) > 2021-2022 > 09. March
Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 03-31-22
Approved 04-07-22
ASEC
Minutes
1:55 –
4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31, 2022
53
Bascom Hall
https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/93936751067
Members Present: Donna Cole; Jenny Dahlberg; Tim
Dalby, chair; Stephanie Elkins; Shane Hubbard; Stephanie Jones; Mallory Musolf; Lindsey Stoddard Cameron
Guests: Steve Ackerman, LaVar Charleston, Alissa
Ewer, Lesley Fisher
The meeting was called to order at 1:57
p.m.
The minutes of March 24 were
approved.
Guest: LaVar Charleston, Chief
Diversity Officer
Chief Diversity Officer Charleston
has been giving a series of presentations to help the university community
conceptualize the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement (DDEEA) differently. DDEEA is doing
a lot of internal work to serve as a central resource for the university. The
division is finalizing the hiring of two assistant vice provosts, one for high
impact practices and the other for student engagement and scholarship programs.
The division is also looking for ways to partner with other offices on campus
in areas such as reducing potential barriers to scholarship programs,
increasing utilization of data in decision-making, and thinking about
affirmative action and disability resources. Lack of capacity has been an issue
in several spaces. The division recently hired a new finance director, who will
be looking to create administrative efficiencies where possible. A new director
for the Center for Educational Opportunity has also been hired. Filling these
staffing needs allows the division to put its theoretical framework into
practice. The division is working to convene DEI officers at the
school/college/division level. With respect to the R.E.E.L.
Change framework, the division is also working on assessing progress and
thinking about the next iteration. Analysis of initial results from the student
climate survey is underway. Communication strategy is also a focus area, with a
search for a new communications director underway. The division is working on
questions around both recruitment and retention of staff, as well as thinking
about ways to find out reasons why people stay with the institution in addition
to why they leave. It is also important to look at best practices among units
and divisions and looking at where efforts might be duplicated so that impact
can be maximized, which leads to conversations about reimagining the Diversity
Inventory.
General Reports
Tim Dalby, ASEC Chair, reported on
the recent meeting of the chiefs of staff, chairs, and secretaries. Campus is
watching the new B2.A variant, and case counts continue to be low. The staff
climate survey will start on April 12. It will be online with paper forms
available for those who need them. There should be a high-level report available
sometime in the fall semester. At the March 30 listening session, topics
included advising salaries and the ad hoc faculty committee on administrative
burden.
Jake Smith, Secretary of the
Academic Staff, reported that mandatory testing of unvaccinated employees and
students will be paused effective April 4. There is a small working group that
OHR is helping to coordinate regarding issues with titles in distributed IT
functions. The latest academic staff chat was focused on challenges and best practices
for outreach personnel. Jake reported that the standing committee elections are
live and will close on April 14.
Guest: Steve Ackerman, Vice
Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education
Vice Chancellor Ackerman discussed
remote work within the Office of the VCRGE. Since he
was a center director, there has been focus on the job the individual was
performing as well as the access the individual had to needed equipment when
making decisions about remote work. There was a great deal of thought put into
how to keep people on campus when absolutely necessary
when the pandemic hit, how to bring employees back to campus when it was safe
to do so, as well as the question of what we learned around the value of
flexible work schedules, the viability of hybrid work, and the value of
in-person collaboration to creating workplace culture. OVCRGE
is approving requests through June at this time.
ASEC expressed concern about
staffing in Research and Sponsored Programs. During FY18-21, there were between
7 and 11 open positions. For FY22, there are 18. There has been some movement
of OVCRGE employees to the Administrative
Transformation Program, as well as a budget reduction. There are postings out
to try to fill these positions, and consultants have been hired to temporarily
fill some of these positions. In the longer term, there have been requests for
multiple positions in the newest budget plan beyond filling the ones that are
currently open.
On the topic of ATP, Vice
Chancellor Ackerman expressed confidence that the research administration tools and the program as a whole will work well for our
campus and address UW-Madison’s unique needs as the flagship institution within
the UW System.
Liaison Reports
Donna Cole reported that the SMPH CASI will be meeting again with Jon Audhya and Nancy Raymond to discuss use of the research
professor title in the school.
Stephanie Elkins reported on the
recent meeting of the Librarians Assembly. The professional concerns committee discussed
masking in the libraries.
Mallory Musolf
reported on the meeting of the UW System Reps. The group is working on
processes around maintaining institutional knowledge related to turnover within
the group. UW System has put together a repository for working documents. The
reps heard from Interim President Mike Falbo and reemphasized the necessity for
strong advocacy within the presidential role. Progression, benefits, and
overall morale were also topics of discussion. The reps are planning to request
a meeting with incoming System President Jay Rothman either this academic year
or as part of a special meeting during the summer.
Motion to Convene in Closed Session
Pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to Discuss Appointments to the Student
Panels (Stoddard Cameron). Seconded. Approved.
Motion to Reconvene in Open Session
(Musolf). Seconded. Approved.
Business
·
Appointments
– for vote
Motion to appoint the Director,
Associate Director, and Student Conduct Coordinator from the Office of Student
Conduct and Community Standards to the Student Panels as ex officio members for
Title IX and sexual misconduct cases through June 30, 2025 (Stoddard Cameron).
Seconded. Approved.
·
April
Assembly Meeting Agenda
Motion
to approve the April Assembly meeting agenda (Stoddard Cameron). Seconded.
Approved.
·
Briefing
Materials for New Chancellor
ASEC
began discussing briefing materials for the incoming chancellor. The document
will include priorities and issues related to academic staff. ASEC will
continue its discussion at the April 7 meeting.
·
Topics
for Guests
VPTL: progress in the mentoring space,
update on diversity initiatives within the center; engagement stats, how is
success measured for the center
OHR:
data/resources available to appellants from local/campus HR in making their
cases through the TTC appeals process; how TTC appeals process will work SJDs undergo further changes; loading employees’ new TTC responsibilities into PMDP; impacts of changes to
degree requirements in TTC
Meeting adjourned at 4:21 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Jake Smith,
Secretary of the Academic Staff