Approved 05-26-22

ASEC Minutes

1:55 – 4:15 p.m. Thursday, May 19, 2022

198 Education Building

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/93936751067

Members Present: Donna Cole, Jenny Dahlberg; Tim Dalby, chair; Stephanie Elkins; Stephanie Jones; Mallory Musolf; Bill Tishler

Guests: Alissa Ewer, Lesley Fisher, Jessica Karls-Ruplinger, Karen Massetti-Moran, Karl Scholz, Patrick Sheehan, Becca Raven Uminowicz, Scott Wildman

The meeting was called to order at 1:57 p.m.

The minutes of May 5 were approved with one correction.

Guests: Patrick Sheehan, Interim Chief Human Resources Officer, and Karen Massetti-Moran, Director of Total Rewards, Office of Human Resources

Patrick discussed working with Imogen Hurley, Director of the Office of Postdoctoral Studies, on a leave policy for postdoc employees. The policy is still under review and will hopefully be finalized soon.

The Office of Human Resources is working on a number of recruitment and retention efforts for staff. OHR wants to make people aware of what is already in place in terms of expediting recruitment, and they are also looking at potential bonus programs at sign-on and for referrals.

Patrick was present for the May Assembly meeting during the discussion of issues related to remote work. This is an important recruitment and retention issue. OHR is working on materials around remote work/the future of work, including information on what studies are showing as the positive and negative impacts. It is an important consideration for many employees, and OHR is continuing to strategize regarding clearer communication around this topic. ASEC raised concerns about how the execution of remote work agreements within schools/colleges/divisions are being linked to current space utilization.

Regarding the TTC appeals process, the Compensation Team is currently working through a substantial number of SJD title requests and modifications, as well as a number of title change requests from UW System. The team is currently figuring out the model for working through these requests. Between this and addressing staffing issues, they will soon have a better sense of how long it will take to address appeals. The team provides a detailed response for every appeal, whether it is approved or denied, and OHR will be communicating with all individuals who have appeals in the system on timelines as necessary. OHR is continuing to work on the question of how new title requests will be reviewed across schools/colleges/divisions for equitable use, as well as the process for new SJDs evolving over time. There have been discussions of an annual or semi-annual call to HR leads about new SJDs, with OHR vetting changes and managing the rollout. There has also been discussion of regular salary reviews, with supervisors being provided with a list of their employees and where they are in terms of compensation. This process could potentially be linked to performance management, and OHR wants the compensation center of excellence to create a template/workbook for this process.

On the topic of career services support that ASEC has raised recently, there was support from the Office of the VCFA, but there need to be more conversations about what resources will be sufficient.

Guest: Karl Scholz, Provost

Provost Scholz discussed prospective enrollment for fall. We had a target of 8100 students for this coming academic year. We have seen a historic high of over 60,000 applications. It is possible that we will have only slightly more students than last year, and the Provost Office and the Office of the VCFA are thinking about impacts to teaching, housing, and SOAR. Some melt is also anticipated prior to fall. UW-Madison is continuing to hit the enrollment marks that the Board of Regents have asked us to hit.

The Provost discussed COVID testing processes for the summer and the fall. PCR and antigen testing have not been available for the week of May 16-20; two antigen tests per person were available the week prior to account for this, and testing will resume the week of May 23. Testing will be continuing through the summer, and administration is discussing what the next academic year will look like.

Provost Scholz will be serving as interim chancellor from June 1-August 4. There will be an interim provost serving as well, and that person will be announced next week. ASEC will meet with the interim provost during the summer.

General Reports

Tim Dalby, ASEC Chair, attended the recent meeting of the Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee, who continued their work on ASPP Chapter 2. Jennifer Mnookin was announced as the incoming UW-Madison Chancellor on Monday, and Tim provided a statement for University Communications on behalf of ASEC. Mallory will chair the meeting on June 26 in Tim’s absence.

Jake Smith, Secretary of the Academic Staff, reported that Glenda Gillespy has been appointed as the next Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. The last Academic Staff Institute virtual session was held on May 10, and there are plans to hold these on an ongoing basis during future academic years. The Spring CASI session will be held on May 20. Jake and Lesley met with the co-chairs of the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic and University Staff Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. They discussed the committee’s draft report and ideas on potential revisions before it goes to ASEC in late June.

Liaison Reports

Stephanie Elkins reported on the recent WPM CASI meeting. The CASI has worked with WPM administration on a process to appoint staff to search and screen committees internal to the division. The diversity, equity, and inclusion team within WPM has been folded under the CASI as a subcommittee, and there is also an events committee that is planning teambuilding activities for staff.

Donna Cole reported on the recent SMPH CASI meeting. The CASI discussed how remote work is being implemented within the School, as well as the research professor title and issues related to DEI.

Mallory Musolf reported on the OVCRGE CASI meeting. There were discussions about remote work, and specifically concerns about prescribed limits for employees and for supervisors. The CASI also raised concerns about staffing issues in some units within OVCRGE. Vice Chancellor Ackerman charged the CASI to put together an ad hoc group to look at how the research professor title is being used in the OVCRGE centers.

Motion to Convene in Closed Session Pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to Discuss Appointments to the Communications Committee, Campus Transportation Committee, Dean of Students Advisory Committee, Committee on Disability Access and Inclusion, Health Care Advisory Committee, Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid (CURAFA), University Curriculum Committee, Committee for Women in the University; and Nominations to the Area Review Committee-Administration/Student Services/Library, Area Review Committee-Biological/Medical Sciences, Area Review Committee-Humanities/Social Sciences, Area Review Committee-Physical Sciences/Engineering, Academic Staff Appeals Committee, Distinguished Status Review Committee, Labor Codes and Licensing Advisory Committee, University Bookstore Board of Trustees, and Athletic Board (Dahlberg). Seconded. Approved.

Motion to Reconvene in Open Session (Musolf). Seconded. Approved.

Business

·        Appointments and Nomination – for vote

Motion to appoint Faye Lux to the Communications Committee; Diane Mayerfeld to the Campus Transportation Committee; Andrew Hahn to the Dean of Students Advisory Committee; Tim Markle to the Committee on Disability Access and Inclusion; Roberta Pawlak and Bil Schneider to the Health Care Advisory Committee; J.J. Andrews to the Committee on Undergraduate Recruitment, Admissions, and Financial Aid (CURAFA); Scott Hartman and Joanna Wangerin to the University Curriculum Committee; and Carrie Backman and Chariti Gent to the Committee for Women in the University. (Cole). Seconded. Approved.

Motion to nominate Eliot Finkelstein, Kelli Hughes, and Sheila Stoeckel to the Area Review Committee-Administration/Student Services/Library; Ruthanne Chun and Rebecca Stepien to the Area Review Committee-Biological/Medical Sciences; Erlin Barnard and Nancy Murray to the Area Review Committee-Humanities/Social Sciences; Noriko Kita and Daniel Den Hartog to the Area Review Committee-Physical Sciences/Engineering; Steven Boldt, Sarah Kuba, and Tianlu Yuan to the Academic Staff Appeals Committee; Pamela Dolittle, James Drews, Emily Hall, Allen Huang, and Mark Matosian to the Distinguished Status Review Committee; Kelly Moran to the Labor Codes and Licensing Advisory Committee; Todd Courtenay to the University Bookstore Board of Trustees; and Andrew Turner to the Athletic Board (Cole). Seconded. Approved.

·        ASEC Planning Subcommittee Reports

Members of the communications subcommittee met with the Communications Committee co-chairs and the SOAS office to preview the newsletter format and schedule. The goal is to launch in the fall semester.

·        ASEC Chair/Vice Chair Election Procedure

ASEC members reviewed the duties list for members, chair, and vice chair. The election will be held at the June 9 meeting.

·        Topics for Guests

VCFA: increased funding for staff salaries via DCF/PBF in 22-23, plans to ensure schools/colleges/divisions have financial resources to address possible salary changes resulting from extended TTC appeals timeline, how remote work is interfacing with space concerns, current building projects being put on hold (e.g. WARF reconfiguration/renovation), facilities design/remodeling for the future

Patrick Kass: decision-making on this year’s increases; impacts to parking from remote work or possible competitors; update on Campus Transportation Services’ advocacy with respect to the Metro system (employee access to bus routes, possibility of half-year commitments); discussion of a possible sliding scale for parking costs

Meeting adjourned at 4:23 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Jake Smith, Secretary of the Academic Staff