Approved 05-09-22

 

ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY MEETING MINUTES

272 Bascom Hall

Monday, April 11, 2022

3:30 to 5:00 p.m.

 

Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning John Zumbrunnen called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m.

 

Memorial Resolution for Allison Rose Murray (ASA #785)

Annette McDaniel presented the memorial resolution for Allison Rose Murray.

 

Memorial Resolution for Carlos Peralta (ASA #786)

Kerry Martin presented the memorial resolution for Carlos Peralta.

 

Guests: Patrick Sheehan, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer; and Karen Massetti-Moran, Director of Total Rewards, Office of Human Resources

Patrick and Karen presented an update on post-implementation activities related to the Title and Total Compensation Project. Phase 1 of the project was about laying the foundation with a market-informed title and compensation structure with consistent titles, enhanced data, and an overall job framework. Since implementation, OHR has been working on several resources, based on feedback from governance and others, including training for the HR community. After implementation and up until February 4, there were a number of questions and concerns received regarding titles, FLSA status, and salary grades. The OHR team has been working through these as well, not only for UW-Madison but also for UW System and how System issues may impact our campus. OHR has been prioritizing and addressing concerns from the HR community, governance, and individual employees. This is an iterative process, and when new titles are added, the TTC team will communicate any changes via the local HR community, direct employee emails to those impacted, as well as posting on the “Under Review” page of the TTC website.

 

As of March 30, over 400 title concerns have been resolved through informal resolution. There are 277 formal appeals that have been submitted, with about 120 resolved. The TTC Project Job Title Appeals webpage has additional resources for employees on the process and navigating the system. Due to the addition of new standard job descriptions (SJDs) in the library, it is more than likely that the appeals process will go into the fall. There will be rolling appeal deadlines for those SJDs that are added. The appeals process is a five-step process, with independent reviews at Steps 3-5 by individuals who were not involved in the title assignment for the appellants. Not all employees will go through all five steps. OHR continues to review a number of SJD requests and gaps identified by HR leads. OHR has heard concerns about consistency of how titles are used, due to the breadth of the SJDs, and is looking to set up groups in the near future to look at title guidelines. Promotions can occur via recruitment (i.e. applying and taking on a new job), as well as a change in responsibilities and title due to organizational needs and when a different SJD is more appropriate.

 

OHR has been working through issues with the salary guidelines and ranges with the HR community, discussing what kinds of salary reviews they might do, and taking feedback from local HR reps on the overall campus compensation strategy. Training for the HR community includes information on determining starting salary for new hires, pay progression within a job, promotion to a new job due to responsibility changes, addressing parity issues, performance increases, and pay increases due to market. After rolling these out to the HR community, resources for employees and supervisors will be next. The salary structure has different quartiles, with placement based on knowledge, skills, performance, experience, and education/certification/licensure. The salary structure will evolve, and salary survey data from higher education and the private sector are available on a yearly basis. New titles will continue to be added to the library, and salary ranges will remain current with the market. There is more work to be done in the areas of long-term compensation strategy, career development to build pathways for employees, and opportunities for benefits enhancements.

 

Automatic Consent Business

The Academic Staff Assembly minutes of Monday, March 14, 2022, were approved.

 

Academic Staff Executive Committee Election Results (ASA #787)

Secretary of the Academic Staff Jake Smith presented the 2022 ASEC election results. Stephanie Elkins, Alissa Ewer, and Julie Johnson were elected to three-year terms. Albert Muniz was elected to a one-year term. Terms of office begin on July 1, 2022.

 

Reports

ASEC member Jenny Dahlberg presented the ASEC report. Jenny reminded the Assembly that the 2022 Standing Committee elections are live. They will close on Thursday, April 14. There is a need for more individuals to serve as hostile and intimidating behavior (HIB) liaisons. Those interested should complete the form linked in the ASEC report. ASEC has engaged with Patrick and Karen frequently not only about TTC but also about challenges related to remote work. Jenny also reminded attendees that the Staff Climate Survey is launching on April 12 and encouraged employees to complete the survey. There is a new office with the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration called the Office of Administrative Innovation and Planning, which is intended to ensure the needs of UW-Madison are met by the Administrative Transformation Program. Jenny also reminded attendees to attend the public forums for the VCFA candidates occurring during the week.

 

Jenny Dahlberg presented the ASPRO report. The Governor successfully vetoed four pieces of legislation that ASPRO had requested that he veto, largely related to UW System policies and procedures or instructional mandates. There is one item that he has not yet acted on, which is Senate Bill 409, which relates to Critical Race Theory. He is expected to take action on this bill by April 21.

 

Resolution on an Accessible and Inclusive Campus (ASA #784)

Donna Cole, ASEC Member, moved the approval of the Resolution on an Accessible and Inclusive Campus. The resolution was amended since the first reading in March, and the document now includes a reference to explicit evaluation of the physical campus infrastructure, with examples therein. Seconded. Approved.

 

Provost Report

Provost Scholz reported that, with regard to COVID, people have been respectful to others’ wishes about mask-wearing in our current environment with no mask mandate. There have been very few issues, particularly in the classroom. We continue to monitor cases carefully. Regarding recent reporting on hostile and intimidating behavior, we continue to be leaders among higher education institutions in this policy, and we need to further improve on campus to create a culture of care and belonging. The Staff Climate Survey for all academic staff and university staff launches on April 12. Provost Scholz encouraged everyone to complete it. Greater participation will inform the quality of the actions that campus may take in response to comments received through the survey. On the topic of surveys, there is a student survey on free speech that was designed by the Menard Center at UW-Stout. The survey is designed to capture student views on their ability to voice opinions in the classroom and their knowledge of the First Amendment. There wasn’t much involvement from other campuses in the creation and deployment of this survey. Chancellors at other campuses expressed concern about both the timing of the survey and its content. The survey has been postponed to the fall semester. The UW Police Department also has a survey out that closes on April 12 focusing on communications from the UWPD. As everyone knows, there are multiple leadership searches in progress right now. While we are seeing turnover in some roles, there is also a great deal of stability in the institution as a whole.

 

Meeting adjourned at 5:02 pm.

 

Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Secretary of the Academic Staff