Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 3-5-20

Approved 3/19/20

ASEC Minutes

2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5, 2020

53 Bascom Hall

Members Present: Jenny Dahlberg; Tim Dalby, chair; Mallory Musolf; Leslie Petty; Deb Shapiro; Lindsey Stoddard Cameron; Bill Tishler

Guests: Diane Blaskowski, Ron Harris, Laurent Heller, Alex Peirce, Mark Walters

The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m.

The minutes of February 27, 2020 were approved.

Guest: Laurent Heller, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration 

Vice Chancellor Heller introduced Alex Peirce as his new Director of Communications. He discussed budget exercises that schools/colleges/divisions have been doing. He also shared that there is a new financial projection model that does 10-year forward projection results taking into account a variety of factors. Vice Chancellor Heller also talked about the Revenue Innovation Study Group, which is a group that was formed by himself and the Chancellor in the summer to look at some basic questions about evolving funding model for public higher education. The group, which was chaired by Kris Olds, met over the summer and into the fall. The report of this group is being drafted, and it will be brought to governance at some point. Laurent would like to present this to ASEC and possibly the Assembly as well.

Vice Chancellor Heller addressed a question from ASEC about the Rotation Program, which is a cohort program that offers full time jobs for people early in their career (e.g. recent college graduates) in financial and HR fields. They have brought in the first cohort and are getting ready to launch the second. This program is also open for people who are early in their career who are already on campus. The idea is to do four 6-month rotations through different parts of campus, working closely with mentors, with the goal of moving them into open positions at the end of the rotations (e.g. starting at the central campus level, then moving to a school/college/division level position, then perhaps an auxiliary, etc.). The program also has a focus on recruiting more women and people of color.

ASEC asked a question regarding notions of a more modernized work environment, like part time options, job sharing, and remote working. Vice Chancellor Heller has discussed this with Mark Walters and would like to explore how we can be more flexible as an employer. Vice Chancellor Heller will discuss further with Mark about how to move this forward.

General Reports

Tim Dalby, ASEC chair, reported that he met with J.J. Andrews, co-chair of CURAFA, about a call from the committee to advance diversity and inclusion issues on campus. ASEC will discuss this further at their March 19 meeting. At their March 2 meeting, the Faculty Senate passed resolutions approving the professor of practice title as well as the addition of emergency helpline numbers to new Wiscards.

Jake Smith, Interim Secretary of the Academic Staff, reported that the current ASEC election will close on March 18. He also reported that Steve Ackerman has been announced as the new Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education. ASEC has been asked for an appointee to the ASM Ginsburg Family Award Selection Committee. Jake will issue a call for this, and ASEC will appoint someone at their meeting on March 19.

Liaison Reports

Lindsey Stoddard Cameron reported that the Committee on Women in the University will be issuing a short pulse survey to faculty, academic staff, and university staff. It will be sent to faculty this week and academic staff early next week. University staff will receive it at a later date, so that there is no conflict with the EID survey that is currently in the field.

Bill Tishler reported on the March 2 University Committee meeting, where they discussed the teaching faculty title as well as the search for the next UW System President.

Guest: Diane Blaskowski and Mark Walters, Office of Human Resources

ASEC inquired why the recently approved professorial titles for academic staff were in the library when the guidelines have not yet been finalized. OHR was asked to put them in the library, but there is a disclaimer about the process to map people into the title. Until guidelines are finalized, individuals who might have been mapped to teaching professor are being mapped to the teaching faculty title.

As of March 1, the SJD library is frozen for anything new or any verbiage changes. Requests that were already in process will be completed by March 16. After that, the library will be final. If individuals need to be remapped, it needs to be to a title that is already in the library. The team is keeping a running list of requests and will evaluate any emergent situations as they arise.

Standard job descriptions are currently being scrubbed for jobs that “may” and “must” supervise as part of the quality assurance process. This will be completed by tomorrow and published on Monday. Supervisory guidelines are live and on the website. ASEC also discussed the need for clearer communication on rules around the use of business titles.

The question was raised as to how position vacancy listings (PVLs) would be posted. The SJD (80%) and the position description (20%) will go into the applicant tracking system, along with 15 different tasks in the posting if desired. Additional information can go into the “Additional Summary” section.

Motion to Convene in Closed Session Pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to Discuss Nomination to the Protest Administrative Review Team. (Stoddard Cameron). Seconded. Approved.

Motion to Convene in Open Session. (Shapiro). Seconded. Approved.

Business

· Nomination – for vote

  Motion to nominate Jamie Gratrix to the Protest Administrative Review Team (Stoddard Cameron). Seconded. Approved.

· March Assembly Agenda Prep

  Bill will move the ASPP changes at the meeting.

· April Assembly Agenda

  ASEC reviewed an initial draft of the agenda for the April Assembly meeting.

· Diversity Committee Charge Discussion

  ASEC approved the charge language for the committee. ASEC discussed the membership of the committee further. Jake will reach out to potential   university staff candidates.

· Committee Representative Selection Process

  ASEC discussed Donna and Mallory’s work on a proposed rubric and further refinement of the established guidelines for selection of ad hoc     appointees and search and screen committee nominees.

· Topics for Guests

  Provost – update on land acknowledgment, update on companies soliciting lecturers to create work for sale, what are you looking for in VP     candidates, update on his initial priorities, VPFS voice for emeritus faculty/staff?

Meeting adjourned at 4:31 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Interim Secretary