Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 04-30-2026

Approved 05-07-26

ASEC Agenda

1:00 – 3:30 p.m.; Thursday, April 30, 2026

53 Bascom Hall; https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97722653207

Members present: Richard Barajas, Aaron Crandall, Alissa Ewer (chair), Eunsook Jung, Terry Paape, Diane Stojanovich, Nola Walker

Members absent: Hanna Blazel

Guests: Rob Cramer, Jenny Dahlberg, Barret Elward, Jen Oasen, Emily Reynolds, Dave Schroeder, Jordan Siegler, Scott Wildman

The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m.

Motion to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to discuss appointments to the Campus Diversity and Climate Committee; Campus Transportation Committee; Committee for Women in the University; Committee on Disability Access and Inclusion; Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid; Dean of Student Advisory Committee; Professional Development and Recognition Committee; Retirement Issues Committee; Student Misconduct Panels; University Curriculum Committee; and the University Research Council (Jung). Seconded. Approved.

Motion to reconvene in open session (Barajas). Seconded. Approved.

Business

• Appointments – for vote

Motion to appoint Emma Bekele and Virgina Lee to the Campus Diversity and Climate Committee; Wendy Johnson to the Campus Transportation Committee; Danielle Fletcher to the Committee for Women in the University; Liz Mahnke to the Committee on Disability Access and Inclusion; Paul Compton to the Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid; Carol Rose Heins-Daniels to the Dean of Student Advisory Committee; Deb Abel to the Professional Development and Recognition Committee; Carmela Diosana to the Retirement Issues Committee; Arturo Diaz, Andrew Hinz, Audra Koscik, Damien Parks, and Cole Verbeten to the Student Misconduct Panels; Leslie Dickmann to the University Curriculum Committee; and Enes Akyuz to the University Research Council (Jung). Seconded. Approved.

Automatic Consent Business

The minutes of April 9 and April 23 were approved.

General Reports

ASEC Chair Alissa Ewer reported that the recent Operational Excellence Advancement Program (OEAP) Advisory Committee meeting focused on position management. More deep dive sessions are planned in May. Information on these sessions is available on the OEAP website: finadmin.wisc.edu/oeap/.

Secretary of the Academic Staff Mallory Musolf reported that Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau was named founding dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence. The Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff will book Bascom 260 for ASEC’s fiscal year 2027 meetings. There was also discussion about moving ASEC’s meeting time to 1:30 p.m. for next fiscal year.

Guest: Dave Schroeder, Academic Staff Representative, UWPD Police Advisory Council

Dave has been on the Police Advisory Council (PAC) since it was created about 3 years ago. It is intended to be an advisory body composed of various stakeholders on campus. PAC meetings are topic based; typically, there is a report out from UWPD and then an opportunity for PAC members to ask questions and provide feedback. The meetings are not open to the public. Academic staff members can send concerns to Dave, and he will bring them to the PAC.

Guest: Jordan Siegler, Executive Director of Wisconsin Public Media

Wisconsin Public Media (WPM) houses 2 award-winning, nationally recognized public media brands: Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin. These brands currently have separate leadership teams and budgets. There is also the Director’s Office, comprised of staff in administrative, finance, and human resources roles. Siegler’s top priority, the One Team initiative, aims to restructure WPM into a single organizational structure. This will be a cultural shift for staff.

Siegler aims to provide visibility and transparency into the One Team process. He published an internal WPM website where he aims to provide weekly One Team updates. There is also an opportunity through the website to send questions and feedback directly to Seigler. Additionally, surveys are used regularly as a tool to solicit feedback.

Siegler attends and provides broad updates at CASI meetings unless asked to present on a specific topic. He recently began hosting quarterly meetings with all WPM elected officials of shared governance to share information and address concerns coming out of shared governance bodies.

Guest: Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration

Vice Chancellor Cramer visited with colleagues from other AAU research institutions last week. They discussed issues facing higher education (e.g., changing demographics, international activities), as well as challenges faced at their institutions (e.g., new finance and HR systems, budget).

The Office of Strategic Consulting is working on a change management framework for campus. The goal is to create consistency in change management across campus and to make the change management process more predictable and people centric.

UW–Madison is moving to the new budget approach on July 1. The Budget Committee will be a point of accountability.

The Administrative Quality Satisfaction Survey (AQSS) recently closed. The AQSS has been conducted every 2 years since 2022. Fewer responses were received this year compared to the last survey conducted, but there was an increase in the amount of qualitative feedback.

A compensation exercise was announced earlier this week. The current fiscal year exercise focuses on one-time monies for recognition of service above and beyond. Employees will receive the 2% pay plan in Fiscal Year 2027. Salary ranges will also be adjusted in July.

Liaison Reports

Eunsook Jung reported on the recent ASEC listening session. Discussion revolved around changes in administrative support for grant submissions.  

Business

• May Assembly agenda – for vote

ASEC discussed topics for Vice Chancellor Lori Reesor’s presentation. They also discussed a resolution with Assembly District 300 Representative Barret Elward. Motion to approve the May Assembly agenda (Barajas). Seconded. Approved.

• Topics for ASEC meeting guests:

Office of Compliance: HIB

Provost: USDA funding; strategies to address graduate student funding impacts; National Science Board

Meeting adjourned at 3:35 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Mallory Musolf, secretary of the academic staff