Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 06-11-2026
Approved 06-25-26
ASEC Agenda
1:00 – 3:00 p.m., Thursday, June 11, 2026
260 Bascom Hall; https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97722653207
Members present: Richard Barajas, Aaron Crandall, Alissa Ewer (chair), Eunsook Jung, Nancy Kujak-Ford, Diane Stojanovich, Nola Walker
Members absent: Hanna Blazel, Terry Paape
Guests: Carol Hulland, Kevin Niemi, Mario Pennella, Scott Wildman, John Zumbrunnen
The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m.
Automatic Consent Business
The minutes of May 21 were approved.
General Reports
ASEC Chair Alissa Ewer reported on the Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) Leadership Spring Meeting held on June 5. Chair Ewer asked each CASI about instructional teaching workload engagement at the school/college/division level. The School of Medicine and Public Health hosted listening sessions on the teaching workload policy. The School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Pharmacy have also been engaged with their employees about the policy. The CASI policy (UW-730) will be reviewed this academic year. The Operational Excellence Advancement Program Advisory Committee discussed the operating model prototype. Shared governance representatives encouraged broad campus engagement as this project moves forward. A Deep Dive Session on the operating model prototype is scheduled for June 17. To join the virtual session, please visit finadmin.wisc.edu/oeap/.
Secretary of the Academic Staff Mallory Musolf reminded ASEC that the UW–Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee will host two virtual listening sessions in June. They are scheduled for June 15 and June 22. For those unable to attend a listening session, there is an opportunity to complete a brief survey by Tuesday, June 23.
Liaison Reports
Chair Ewer reported on the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research CASI. Interim Director of Research Security and Export Control Stephanie LeRoy presented on the role of her office.
Guest: John Zumbrunnen, Provost
To address the Canvas outage, campus leveraged a modified activation of the Emergency Operation Center (EOC). As part of the process, an after-action debrief is scheduled for next week.
The three RISE area headquarters (HQ) each have a new director and administrative home: RISE-AI HQ resides in the Data Science Institute (DSI) under the direction of DSI Director Kyle Cranmer; RISE-EARTH HQ is located in the Wisconsin Energy Institute (WEI) under the leadership of Chris Kucharik, professor of plant and agroecosystem sciences in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and investigator with the Nelson Institute and WEI; RISE-THRIVE HQ is housed in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery and led by Michal Engelman, director of the Center for Demography of Health and Aging and principal investigator of the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study in the College of Letters and Science. The three RISE HQ leads will meet regularly, both as a group and with the HQ Core Team to provide updates. The RISE HQs share a common mission: to accelerate and strengthen research collaboration. Additional education and outreach components of RISE are expected to develop over time.
Campus continues to monitor federal activities, including the U.S. Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking committee on higher education accreditation.
In June, the Universities of Wisconsin Presidential Search and Screen Committee hosted a series of listening sessions, including one at UW–Madison yesterday.
Provost Zumbrunnen will meet with deans to discuss the campus strategic framework.
Guest: Carol Hulland, Co-Chair, Retirement Issues Committee (RIC)
RIC Co-Chair Carol Hulland presented on retirement resources and gave an update on the work of the RIC. The RIC places an emphasis on normalizing retirement as another step in the work-life journey. In addition to medical and financial considerations, retirement planning requires attention to mental health and adaptation to social changes. The UW–Madison Retirement Association (UWRA) is represented on the RIC. The UWRA would like to have a more formal relationship with the campus.
Business
- School, College, and Division Committees on Academic Staff Issues (UW-730)
ASEC recommended the CASI policy (UW-730) at an Assembly meeting in 1998, where it was subsequently approved. The policy has remained unchanged since it was approved. ASEC will lead efforts to review the policy this year, with the primary purpose of ensuring the language aligns with current practices and processes. ASEC will form a subcommittee to review the policy. They are also planning to distribute a feedback form to CASI leadership in August. CASI feedback will inform potential revisions to the policy. A draft policy will be discussed with CASI leadership at their fall 2026 meeting. ASEC is also planning to collect feedback from the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee. The goal is to have a revised policy presented for vote at an Assembly meeting in spring 2027.
- Topics for guests
Provost: AI readiness and competency workgroup; CAI; student enrollment; campus planning; strategic framework
VCR: OVCR reorganization; federal updates; partnership with university relations office
OHR: Fall CCF; FY27 salary structure update; HIB follow-up; strategies to promote benefits
Meeting adjourned at 3:04 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Mallory Musolf, secretary of the academic staff