Approved May 23, 2013

ASEC MINUTES
2:00-4:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, 2013
67 Bascom

Members present: Marwa Bassiouni, Heather Daniels, Past-Chair; Denny Hackel, Robin Kurtz, Heather McFadden, Vice-Chair; Robert Newsom, Erin Silva.

Members absent: Jim Maynard, Jeff Shokler, Chair.

Guests: Michael Bernard-Donals, University Committee; Aaron Brower, UW-Extension; Mark Cook, University Committee; Steve Lund, APO; Laurie Silverberg, Communications Committee; Brenda Spychalla, SOAS Search Committee/Mentoring Committee; Anjali Sridharan, APO; Mark Walters, APO.

Vice Chair Heather McFadden called the meeting to order at 2:03 p.m.

The ASEC minutes for Thursday, May 2, 2013 were approved as distributed.

Business

• Convene in closed session pursuant to Wisconsin Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) [Moved by Robin Kurtz. Seconded by Robert Newsom. Approved.]
  -   Move to approve the nomination of Teresa Palumbo for the Academic Staff Appeals Committee and the appointment of Jason Weitzman to the Labor Licensing Committee. [Moved by Heather Daniels. Seconded by Marwa Bassiouni. Approved.]
• Move to return to open session. [Moved by Heather Daniels. Seconded by Robin Kurtz. Approved.]
• Update on Secretary of the Academic Staff Search and Screen Committee: Brenda Spychalla indicated that the committee is contacting candidates and hopes to announce finalists by late May/early June. They will present a list of three to four finalists to the Provost.

General Reports

• Jo Ann Carr, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff: Jo Ann reported that Russell Kutz is the chair of the University Staff Advisory Committee. She and ASEC also discussed the summer meeting schedule.
• Heather Daniels and Denny Hackel, HR Design Advisory Committee: The HRDAC is reviewing a new policy on temporary employment that is impacted by a change in the number of employees of the athletic department who are not funded by state dollars and also reviewing the work of the title mapping work group.

Guests: Mark Cook and Michael Bernard-Donals, University Committee: Dorothy Farrar-Edwards of the School of Education, M. Elizabeth Meyerand of the College of Engineering and the School of Public Health, and Grant Petty of the College of Letters and Science have been elected to the University Committee. Mark encouraged ASEC and UC to consider a joint meeting after July 1. He also reported that the May 6 Faculty Senate meeting included a motion on disinvestment in fossil fuels companies and they are considering naming an Ad Hoc faculty and staff committee to discuss this issue. The Committee on Committee is reviewing the structure of the Transportation Committee. UC is working with the Labor Licensing Committee to develop a new charge. Mark asked ASEC to consider working together on the development of a educational resource for shared governance committees. The naming of a Civic Engagement Committee might be deferred until new chancellor begins. The WARF Committee has met four times and has not yet consulted with ASEC; one possible area of review would be to meet needs that arise from sequestration. This led to a discussion on the need for UC and ASEC to work together in encouraging the development of a sequestration plan for campus.

Guest: Aaron Brower, UW Flexible Degree Program: The program is submitting materials to the Higher Learning Commission for a pilot assessment on non-credit, non-time based programs as well as beginnings discussions with the Department of Education regarding Title IV funding. Cohort one programs include bachelors in Nursing, Information Technology, and Diagnostic Imaging from UW-Milwaukee and a certificate in Professional Communication from UW Colleges. Four units at Madison are considering programs for Cohort two.

Guest: Steve Lund: Steve requested ASEC’s advice on the criteria for pay plan distribution. ASEC felt that, given the lack of a prior pay plan, higher consideration should be given to across the board that to merit based pay. ASEC also advised that individuals who have received base adjustment should receive the average. In response to a request for advice on parameters for pay adjustments based on performance, ASEC asked for time to consider these questions. ASEC asked for data on the average number of people per year who received adjustments.

ASSEMBLY STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIR REPORTS

• Communications Committee – Laurie Silverberg presented a plan for the reorganization of the academic staff web site. ASEC recommended using Knowledge Base to store documents and to adapt the Fact Sheet as part of the home page. ASEC recommended that Assembly members be invited to review the categories.
• Mentoring Committee – Brenda Spychalla reported that a request for applications will be released next week with a closing date of June 7. They anticipate additional growth in the program. ASEC asked if there is an option to provide orientation to university staff that opt to be academic staff when they change classifications in October and the potential for ASEC and MASA to sponsor a brownbag for new AS in the fall. ASEC suggested that MASA also send out the call for the mentoring program following the mailing to all academic staff.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:51 p.m.

Submitted by Jo Ann Carr, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff.