Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 09-03-2026

Approved 09-10-2026

ASEC Agenda

Thursday, September 3, 2026

1:30 – 4:00 p.m.

53 Bascom Hall; Zoom

Members present: Richard Barajas, Hanna Blazel, Molly Censky, Alissa Ewer (chair), Eunsook Jung, Nancy Kujak-Ford, Diane Stojanovich, and Nola Walker

Members absent: Aaron Crandall

Guests: Karl Martin, Emily Reynolds, Scott Wildman, John Zumbrunnen

The meeting was called to order at 1:30 p.m.

Automatic Consent Business

The minutes of August 20 were approved.

General Reports

ASEC Chair Alissa Ewer reported on the Academic Leadership Summit. Interim Chancellor Wilcots provided an update on the university and the campus strategic framework, followed by presentations from campus leaders on the state and federal, legal and compliance, and administrative landscapes. Provost Zumbrunnen and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor discussed Strategic Framework Priority One, and Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska presented on Priority Two.

Secretary of the Academic Staff Mallory Musolf reminded ASEC the UW–Madison Chancellor Search and Screen Committee will host a campus listening session on September 10 at 2pm at Varsity Hall in Union South. The session will include a virtual option. In addition to the listening session and for those that cannot attend, there is a survey available to share input: uwsystemadmin.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_erDwJdX8buRhK0C. The survey is due at 11:59 p.m. on September 13. The Secretary of the Academic Staff (SOAS) office sent out a call for nominations for the vice provost for undergraduate education strategy search and screen committee. The SOAS office did not receive feedback or edits from ASEC regarding the resolution resource document. The document will be incorporated with Assembly resources on the SOAS website.

Liaison Reports

Diane Stojanovich reported that the Professional Development and Recognition Committee held its first meeting of the academic year. There are many new committee members.  

Nancy Kujak-Ford reported that the Engineering Committee Advocating for Staff Interests plan to revise their bylaws.

Guest: John Zumbrunnen, Provost

Provost Zumbrunnen reflected on the Academic Leadership Summit, including the campus strategic framework. The strategic framework is intended as a multi-year guide for organizing priorities and initiatives. Broad participation and input from a wide range of campus stakeholders are desired to shape recommendations and future directions. Provost Zumbrunnen also highlighted the work of Percival Matthews, special advisor to the provost for community belonging and engagement, who spearheaded a campuswide collaborative effort that led to the creation of the Community Commitments: strategicframework.wisc.edu/community-commitments/.

The discussion of five-year reviews for deans emphasized placing them within a broader context of recruitment, onboarding, accountability, and reappointment. Rather than relying primarily on a five-year review cycle, a small group of campus leaders, including Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs Kent Weigel, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) Patrick Sheehan, Dean of the School of Human Ecology Soyeon Shim, and Assistant Vice Provost for Career and Leadership Development Kelly Conforti Rupp, are working on developing a more systematic and continuous approach to dean-related HR processes. Deans have signified this is a positive shift as it creates more regular opportunities for feedback and development. Vice Provost Weigel and CHRO Sheehan are also developing commitment language that outlines principles and values for serving as a dean. The language will include a commitment to excellence in supervision and is intended to create a pathway for expectations and accountability. The effort focuses on strengthening leadership and increasing the visibility and importance of effective supervision.

Regarding instructional workload implementation plans, there is variation across the schools and colleges in the equivalences and exceptions. The Universities of Wisconsin continue to work on finalizing how it will approach reporting. The goal of the Universities of Wisconsin and UW–Madison is to automate the reporting as much as possible. Overall, the campus is in a strong position. He expressed appreciation for the work of the Ad Hoc Committee on Instructional Workload and highlighted the positive partnership with the Universities of Wisconsin.

Business

• September Assembly Agenda – for vote

ASEC reviewed a resolution that will be presented for a first reading at the September Assembly meeting. Motion to approve the September Assembly agenda (Barajas). Seconded. Approved.

Guest: Karl Martin, Dean and Director of the Division of Extension

The Division of Extension has nearly 600 academic staff employees, with staff located across all 72 counties of the state. The top priority of the division is to be an employer of choice. This has been a long-standing priority. This priority informs a collegial and respective workplace culture. Dean Martin wants all employees to feel supported both by colleagues and administration. Recruitment and retention are central to this priority. He stressed the importance of retaining high-quality employees and ensuring they are compensated appropriately.

To support career advancement and retention, the division launched a business title progression initiative becoming the first unit on campus to do so. During the first implementation cycle, they received approximately 130 applications. A committee of academic staff will make recommendations to the dean, who has final decision-making authority. To support this initiative, the division is preserving budget capacity, including holding vacancies. Extension also implemented a retention initiative for newer employees, providing an automatic $2,000 base salary adjustment after two years of service. To ensure more equitable access to professional development opportunities, the division established a centralized fund that provides up to $1,000 per employee, with the ability to carry unused funds forward for an additional year. The Extension Professional Advancement, Networking, and Development (EXPAND) training program is also available to Extension staff.

The Extension Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) was involved in developing the business title progression initiative. Dean Martin or a member of his executive team regularly attends CASI meetings. He also hosts monthly town hall meetings that are open to all Extension employees. At the meetings, he provides divisional updates and addresses employee questions.

Federal funding impacts affected Extension through staff reductions due to significant funding cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as well as to its outreach and program delivering strategies.

Business

• Supporting shared governance letter

ASEC reviewed the draft letter. The draft will go to the University Committee for their review.

• Topics for next ASEC meeting guests

VCFA: Workday; bridge funding; campus cooling issue costs; OEAP, Budget Approach

VPFSA: RISE HQs and academic staff engagement; dean leadership lifecycle

Meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Mallory Musolf, secretary of the academic staff