Topics Map > Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) > 2014-2015 > 08. February
Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 02-05-15
Approved 2-19-15
Members Present: Bruno Browning, Trish Iaccarino; Sarah Kuba; Heather McFadden, Chair; Michael Moscicke; Robert Newsom; Kevin Niemi; Deb Shapiro
Guests: Kathi Kilgore, Jake Smith
The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.
The minutes of January 29 were approved without changes.
Guest: Kathi Kilgore, Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization (ASPRO)
Kathi Kilgore reported on the latest information from the governor’s biennial budget proposal. With the public authority, parts of Chapter 36 would be moved in full into Regent policy. There is a proposal for a $2,000 stipend for state employees who decline to take State Health Insurance. Sick leave information is in Chapter 36 and there is a deletion related to sick leave accumulation. It is unclear what this means. The definition of instructional academic staff has been deleted from Chapter 36. This term does not appear anywhere else in Chapter 36. There is a change to the definition of faculty that removes the chancellor and faculty of the institution as the decision makers for which academic staff can be considered faculty and add the Board of Regents as the ones with authority to decide. The Governor has stated that he would be open to additional funding for transportation, K-12 or the UW System if budget projections are more positive later this spring.
In regards to the timeline, the Governor introduced the budget two to three weeks early. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau will take approximately one month to analyze the bill. There will be agency briefings with the Joint Finance Committee that take a few days. There will be public hearings around the state. These steps should be completed by the end of March. Votes could be taken on the budget bill at the end of March or early April.
General Reports
• ASEC Chair Heather Mc Fadden reported on the teleconference President Cross held with faculty and academic staff representatives on Monday, February 2, 2015. UW System will look at fund balances and revenues before deciding the portion of cuts for each individual campus. She distributed the ASEC report for the February Assembly meeting and asked if ASEC had any additions. There were no additions. At the request of a member of the Assembly, Heather M. had a preliminary conversation with Steve Hahn about a CASI in the Division of Enrollment Management. She is planning to send an email to all academic staff following Monday’s Assembly meeting and would distribute a draft of the email on Monday.
• ASEC Vice Chair Kevin Niemi reported on the pre-Assembly discussion held on Wednesday, March 4. There was a good discussion with about ten people in attendance. There was discussion about a possible survey for academic staff regarding some issues in the budget. There was also a discussion about a resolution on the budget, public authority, shared governance and the 30th anniversary of academic staff governance.
• Secretary of the Academic Staff Heather Daniels reported on how academic staff positions were affected as a result of the Mineral Point Preschool Lab closure. There were six academic staff notified of non-renewal. The School of Human Ecology hopes to hire these teachers where they are able using the priority referral program.
Business
• March Assembly Agenda
ASEC looked at the draft March Assembly Agenda. There are several resolutions to be considered including budget cut, public authority, shared governance and celebrating 30 years of academic staff governance. The reports will be from MASA and the Ad Hoc Committee on Classified Research. Chancellor Blank is also scheduled.
• ASEC Communications
Kevin Niemi reported that he had received several requests to speak with academic staff about the budget. There was discussion about whether ASEC should work on a unique message or talking points. The message could be brief, e.g. ASEC would work to minimize layoffs for academic staff.
• Provost topics
The status of the strategic plan document was suggested as a topic for the next Provost visit.
• Next ASEC Meeting, February 19, 2015 – for decision
Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Academic Staff
ASEC Minutes
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, February 5, 2015
Union South
3:30 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, February 5, 2015
Union South
Members Present: Bruno Browning, Trish Iaccarino; Sarah Kuba; Heather McFadden, Chair; Michael Moscicke; Robert Newsom; Kevin Niemi; Deb Shapiro
Guests: Kathi Kilgore, Jake Smith
The meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.
The minutes of January 29 were approved without changes.
Guest: Kathi Kilgore, Academic Staff Professionals Representation Organization (ASPRO)
Kathi Kilgore reported on the latest information from the governor’s biennial budget proposal. With the public authority, parts of Chapter 36 would be moved in full into Regent policy. There is a proposal for a $2,000 stipend for state employees who decline to take State Health Insurance. Sick leave information is in Chapter 36 and there is a deletion related to sick leave accumulation. It is unclear what this means. The definition of instructional academic staff has been deleted from Chapter 36. This term does not appear anywhere else in Chapter 36. There is a change to the definition of faculty that removes the chancellor and faculty of the institution as the decision makers for which academic staff can be considered faculty and add the Board of Regents as the ones with authority to decide. The Governor has stated that he would be open to additional funding for transportation, K-12 or the UW System if budget projections are more positive later this spring.
In regards to the timeline, the Governor introduced the budget two to three weeks early. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau will take approximately one month to analyze the bill. There will be agency briefings with the Joint Finance Committee that take a few days. There will be public hearings around the state. These steps should be completed by the end of March. Votes could be taken on the budget bill at the end of March or early April.
General Reports
• ASEC Chair Heather Mc Fadden reported on the teleconference President Cross held with faculty and academic staff representatives on Monday, February 2, 2015. UW System will look at fund balances and revenues before deciding the portion of cuts for each individual campus. She distributed the ASEC report for the February Assembly meeting and asked if ASEC had any additions. There were no additions. At the request of a member of the Assembly, Heather M. had a preliminary conversation with Steve Hahn about a CASI in the Division of Enrollment Management. She is planning to send an email to all academic staff following Monday’s Assembly meeting and would distribute a draft of the email on Monday.
• ASEC Vice Chair Kevin Niemi reported on the pre-Assembly discussion held on Wednesday, March 4. There was a good discussion with about ten people in attendance. There was discussion about a possible survey for academic staff regarding some issues in the budget. There was also a discussion about a resolution on the budget, public authority, shared governance and the 30th anniversary of academic staff governance.
• Secretary of the Academic Staff Heather Daniels reported on how academic staff positions were affected as a result of the Mineral Point Preschool Lab closure. There were six academic staff notified of non-renewal. The School of Human Ecology hopes to hire these teachers where they are able using the priority referral program.
Business
• March Assembly Agenda
ASEC looked at the draft March Assembly Agenda. There are several resolutions to be considered including budget cut, public authority, shared governance and celebrating 30 years of academic staff governance. The reports will be from MASA and the Ad Hoc Committee on Classified Research. Chancellor Blank is also scheduled.
• ASEC Communications
Kevin Niemi reported that he had received several requests to speak with academic staff about the budget. There was discussion about whether ASEC should work on a unique message or talking points. The message could be brief, e.g. ASEC would work to minimize layoffs for academic staff.
• Provost topics
The status of the strategic plan document was suggested as a topic for the next Provost visit.
• Next ASEC Meeting, February 19, 2015 – for decision
- March Assembly AgendaMeeting adjourned at 4:38 p.m.
- Draft CASI letter
- Guests: Sarah Mangelsdorf (Provost), Michael Bernard-Donals (Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff), Steve Swanson (Dean of Pharmacy)
Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Academic Staff