Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 05-21-2026
Approved 06-11-26
ASEC Agenda
1:00 – 3:30 p.m., Thursday, May 21, 2026
53 Bascom Hall; https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97722653207
Members present: Richard Barajas, Aaron Crandall, Alissa Ewer (chair), Eunsook Jung, Nancy Kujak-Ford, Terry Paape, Diane Stojanovich, Nola Walker
Members absent: Hanna Blazel
Guests: Heather Daniels, Sue Fritts, Ralph Grunewald, Megan Prost, Kathleen Smith, Scott Wildman
The meeting was called to order at 1:04 p.m.
Motion to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to discuss nominations for ASEC chair and vice chair (Paape). Seconded. Approved.
Motion to reconvene in open session (Crandall). Seconded. Approved.
Business
- ASEC chair and vice chair – for vote
Motion to appoint Alissa Ewer and Diane Stojanovich as ASEC chair and vice chair, respectively, for July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027 (Paape). Seconded. Approved.
Automatic Consent Business
The minutes of May 7 were approved.
General Reports
ASEC Chair Alissa Ewer reported on her meeting with University Committee Chair Annie Jones. Effective June 1, 2026, Nancy Kendall will serve as chair of the University Committee.
Secretary of the Academic Staff Mallory Musolf reported that the Engineering Committee on All Staff Issues (CASI) submitted their five-year self-study report to the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff. ASEC will invite Engineering CASI leadership to discuss the report at a future meeting.
Guests: Sue Fritts, Executive Director for Talent Management; Megan Prost, Employment Relations Director; and Kathleen Smith, Employment Relations Manager, Office of Human Resources
The Office of Workforce Relations, within the Office of Human Resources (OHR), houses a number of functional teams: OHR compliance; OHR Employment and Labor Relations; OHR Employment Relations; and OHR Volunteer Management Services. They focus on providing resources and process materials.
Regarding hostile and intimidating behavior, Workforce Relations regularly connects with the Office of Compliance. They also partner with school/college/divisional human resources to consult and advise on options available to address workplace issues. Additionally, they can provide information to employees about available resources.
Guest: Ralph Grunewald, Chair, Ad Hoc Student Evaluation of Teaching Policy Committee
In spring 2025, the University Committee and Provost charged an ad hoc committee to create a UW–Madison student evaluation of teaching policy that would create campus guidelines on teaching evaluations. In creating the draft policy, the committee worked with an interdisciplinary group of people, hosted town halls, and met with all academic planning committees on campus. The policy is meant to provide campus guidelines, while allowing individual units the ability to craft their own process. There will be a website that includes best practices as well as a campus-wide database of questions.
The committee brought the draft policy to the Faculty Senate for approval, but it was tabled at their May meeting. The committee plans to clarify a few things in the draft before bringing it back to the Faculty Senate.
Liaison Reports
Diane Stojanovich reported that the Wisconsin Public Media (WPM) CASI discussed the unit’s reorganization. They also discussed ways to recognize and acknowledge WPM staff work as well as a possible budget for their CASI. The WPM CASI continues to revise their bylaws.
Chair Ewer reported that Vice Chancellor Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska attended her first Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research CASI meeting. Vice Chancellor Grejner-Brzezinska gave an update on the OVCR reorganization, including the formation of a team of full-time associate vice chancellor roles focused on areas within the OVCR portfolio. The OVCR is launching a research development office and is also interested in strengthening staffing in the areas of compliance.
Business
- Topics for ASEC meeting guests:
Provost: Canvas outage retrospective; RISE HQs; U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee on higher education accreditation
Guest: Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Achieving operational excellence is critical to cultural excellence. The Operating Model Prototype aims to improve how human resources and finance services operate on campus. Participating units in the Operating Model Prototype are the School of Business, College of Engineering, and School of Veterinary Medicine.
LinkUW launched on November 3, 2025. Overall, LinkUW phase one units and operations team survey feedback has been positive. Phase two will begin in fall 2026. For a list of units participating in phase two, please see linkuw.wisc.edu/phases/.
Meeting adjourned at 3:31 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Mallory Musolf, secretary of the academic staff