Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 09-10-2026
Approved 09-24-26
ASEC Agenda
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 1:30 – 4:00 p.m.
260 Bascom Hall; Zoom
Members present: Richard Barajas, Hanna Blazel, Molly Censky, Aaron Crandall, Alissa Ewer (chair), Eunsook Jung, Nancy Kujak-Ford, Diane Stojanovich, and Nola Walker
Guests: Rob Cramer, Barret Elward, Daniel Gaona, Jen Oasen, Emily Von Haden, Kent Weigel, Scott Wildman
The meeting was called to order at 1:31 p.m.
Motion to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to discuss nominations to the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education Strategy Search and Screen Committee (Jung). Seconded. Approved.
Motion to reconvene in open session (Crandall). Seconded. Approved.
Business
- Nominations – for vote
Motion to nominate Kimberly Mueller to the Undergraduate Education Strategy Search and Screen Committee (Jung). Seconded. Approved.
Automatic Consent Business
The minutes of September 3 were approved.
Guest: Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Vice Chancellor Cramer reminded ASEC of his office’s broad portfolio, which includes supervision of Finance, Business Services, Facilities Planning and Management (FP&M), Office of Human Resources, University Housing, UW–Madison Police Department, and Workday and Enterprise Solutions Team (WEST).
Workday continues to experience challenges with reporting. WEST is working with the Division of Information Technology, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research, and other stakeholders to make improvements. Commonly Used Dashboards are available to support employees: https://www.wisconsin.edu/workday/commonly-used-dashboards/.
Costs associated with the summer’s campus cooling challenges further highlight the budgetary implications of the campus’s aging infrastructure. Vice Chancellor Cramer recommended that ASEC invite Associate Vice Chancellor Cindy Torstveit to discuss campus planning and the impacts of aging infrastructure across the campus.
Regarding the Operational Excellence Advancement Program (OEAP), Vice Chancellor Cramer provided an overview of the initiative’s portfolio and described the current stage of each project.
Vice Chancellor Cramer offered a future joint presentation on the Budget Approach to the University Committee and ASEC.
General Reports
Secretary of the Academic Staff Mallory Musolf reported that the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff sent out a call for nominations for the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Search and Screen Committee. Nominations are due September 22.
Liaison Reports
Richard Barajas reported that the Nursing Committee on Academic Staff Issues had its first meeting of the year. The committee elected co-chairs and discussed plans to conduct pulse checks with academic staff throughout the year.
Molly Censky reported that the Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee discussed the central compensation fund and highlighted the need for greater clarity regarding how funds are allocated and dispersed at the school, college, and division level.
Guest: Kent Weigel, Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
Project manager positions for all three RISE HQs are now posted. There will be additional communication positions. The Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research will provide grant writing teams to support large interdisciplinary grant proposals. ASEC highlighted academic staff who function as PIs and encouraged the RISE initiative to further leverage their expertise in support of cross-unit collaboration and shared goals. The RISE Summit is scheduled for November 13.
Advancing priority four of the campus strategic framework has prompted conversations about enhancing supervision and creating greater professional development opportunities. Effective supervision starts with strong leadership. One area of increased attention has been the dean leadership lifecycle, which frames the role through key phases and milestones leading up to the five-year review process.
Vice Provost Weigel highlighted a gap in addressing day-to-day workplace concerns and emphasized the need for additional tools and resources to proactively support employees in addressing these matters.
Business
- October Assembly Agenda
ASEC discussed the draft agenda. Vice Chancellor for Research Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska is scheduled to present at the October Assembly meeting.
- Topics for next ASEC meeting guests
Provost: HIB; supervisory training
OHR: CCF; welcome center; OHR and divisional HR; staffing
Meeting adjourned at 3:54 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Mallory Musolf, secretary of the academic staff