Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.  

The Academic Staff Assembly minutes of Monday, February 12, 2018, were approved.  

Bruno Browning, ASEC vice chair, reminded the Assembly about this year’s election for members of the Academic Staff Executive Committee and the Standing Committees of the Assembly is now open. The election will close on March 26, 2018. Results will be announced at the April Assembly meeting.  This year’s Budget in Brief is now available.  This year’s Executive Education Grant Program was announced via email in late February.  Applications for Exec Ed Grants are due by April 13, 2018. More information on this can be found at the academic staff website (https://acstaff.wisc.edu).  Finally, the Academic Staff Professional Development Grants program has received an additional $12,000 per fiscal year in funding. These additional funds will be available for grant applications being submitted for this cycle.

Bruno also gave the following report regarding ASEC’s meetings during the past month.  Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Laurent Heller shared his office’s strategic plan. He also gave an overview of the campus IT cost study.  The Ad Hoc Committee on Research Scientist Titles presented its report to ASEC.  Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf discussed the Library master plan with ASEC.  The Campus Protest Oversight Group is crafting a guiding document regarding steps to take when campus begins planning for a possible protest activities.  Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Michael Bernard-Donals shared that the Hostile and Intimidating Behavior liaisons met for an initial discussion of their roles.  ASEC met with Mary Luther about the Title and Total Compensation Study’s benefits analysis and how OHR plans to gather input from employees regarding benefits.  Casey Nagy gave an update on the progress of and issues regarding the reorganization activity of UW-Extension/UW-Madison. Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television will now be transitioning to UW-Madison. The University Committee and UW-Extension will be forming a tenure working group to discuss incoming UW-Extension faculty members.  ASEC proposed a work group made up of 4 UW-Madison and 4 UW-Extension academic staff to work on shared governance issues and policies for the reorganization plan.   ASEC has created an Ad Hoc Committee on ASPRO Membership to explore ways to expand the membership of ASPRO.  ASEC appointed Beth Giles to the Ad Hoc Shared Governance Committee.

Megan Spurgeon, co-chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Research Scientist Titles, presented their report.  The group was charged with evaluating titles at peer institutions and coming up with recommendations for UW-Madison.  The committee broke into two subcommittees: one on internal data and one on external data.  The external data committee selected 20 different peer institutions and surveyed them on their use of the research professor title.  All institutions except Indiana University use the title of Research Professor.  They also looked at the policies associated with the use of this title.  At all instructions it is a distinct track from other titles and parallels the tenure-track professor.  The title is non-tenure track and employees in this title are considered faculty.  

There were variations in the type of institutional support provided through bridge funding and salary support.  This was also true of PI status, although over 80% of institutions surveyed granted automatic PI status for this title.  

The internal data committee reviewed the data for researchers and scientists on campus including length of time in position, salaries, number of PIs, etc.  They also interviewed directors or associate directors at several research institutes across campus.  Those interviewed reported that they believed that current UW-Madison scientists struggle to secure funding compared to their peers and strongly support the Research Professor title.  They felt it would improvement recruitment and retention and also provide additional career opportunities.

The committee recommended that UW-Madison create a Research Professor title that would be distinct from the Researcher and Scientist title series.  The criteria would mirror responsibilities for tenure-track professors.  The title would have automatic PI status at all ranks and could serve as advisors or co-advisors of students as allowed by policy.  A minimum of 5% of their salary would be provided by the institution in flexible funds, and they would be eligible to compete for intramural funding opportunities.  

Sara Nagreen, an academic staff member of the Campus Transportation Committee, provided their 2016-2017 annual report.  She has served on the committee for five years.  The committee is asked to weigh in on different policies regarding transportation all over campus including bus, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic.  They meet approximately 7 times per year.  The major topics that have been discussed is moving from a 3- to 2-rate parking structure.  In the past UW-Madison had as many as 4 different rates.  The Campus Transportation Committee has asked to review these changes each year.  They reviewed the campus bus pass, which was increased from $24 to $36 per year.  They have also reviewed commuter solutions including flex parking.  They also discussed the campus master plan.

Kelly Krein, an academic staff member of the Committee for GLBTQ People in the University, presented the annual report for the last two years, 2015-2017.  In February 2016, this committee became a Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapter 6 committee.  The name of the committee changes as well as the charge.  In 2015 the committee worked on equitable and inclusive health care due to possible changes to Tier 2 drug costs and support for transgender employees.  They put together an ad hoc committee with the University Committee.  This committee issued a final report.  

They are looking to hold a town hall this spring.  Employee Trust Funds has changed HIV co-payment for prescription drugs back down to $50.  They also want to discuss the domestic partnership benefits, and the gender inclusive facilities project.  Kelly is co-chairing this project committee with Gary Brown from Facilities Planning and Management.  They issued a report that will be sent to the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration on March 13.

Jenny Dahlberg (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve this resolution.  Seconded.  Motion Approved.

The Academic Staff Assembly voted to elect Josh Hanson to the Nominating Committee.

The Provost announced that ASEC would be withdrawing this agenda item, and it would be brought back to the Assembly in April.

Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf provided information about the Library Master Plan.  There has been some controversy about the plan on campus.  The libraries hired an external consultant to complete a master plan that was suggested by Facilities Planning and Management.  The consultants came to campus to present their draft report, and one of the things they suggested was to reduce the footprint of the stacks in Memorial Library.  The entire plan would cost about $200 million.  Part of the challenge the libraries face is that they purchase 60,000 new books every year and don’t have enough shelf space to hold them.  In addition, Memorial Library stacks do not have climate control or fire suppression.

In regards to the UW-Madison and UW-Extension reorganization, extension and public broadcasting are both coming back to UW-Madison.  This will be a very complicated process.  They are hundreds of employees, and they do many things differently than we do on the Madison campus.  There is a steering committee that meets almost every week and subcommittees to focus on different areas.

There are several searches that are wrapping up.  The finalists for the Vice Provost for Libraries are coming on March 20, April 2 and April 4.  Public presentations will take place from 1-2:30 in the Biotechnology Auditorium.  

The CIO finalists are due to visit in mid-April.  

Adjourned at 4:17 pm.