Academic Staff Communications Committee
Annual Report
2009-2010

Overview of the Committee

The Academic Staff Communications Committee (ASCC) collaborates and consults with  Assembly standing committees, ASEC, Assembly Representatives, and academic staff  at-large to help guide and facilitate communications amongst these constituencies.   A goal is to aid with the effective delivery of communication to internal and external audiences.   The committee focuses on and works with a number of communications tools to help foster this process, including web, print, email, video, and public relations.   The committee also receives input and feedback, via surveys, from academic staff on various communications strategies and issues that affect academic staff, which in turn is shared amongst academic staff governance groups and other constituencies.

Committee Membership in 2009-2010

Bob Ash (DoIT),  Bob Rettammel (SMPH), Brian Rust (DoIT), Dick Geier (EDUC), Greg Iaccarino (L&S) (co-chair), Mark Lilleleht (International Studies), Mary Possin (ENGR),  Renee Meiller (ENGR) (co-chair)

Committee Tasks and Accomplishments in 2009-2010

* Web site

The Communications Committee continued to serve as an advisory resource for the Academic Staff Website http://acstaff.wisc.edu  .   The site was revised in 2008-2009 largely by DoIT staff, with some financial support from the Secretary of the Academic Staff Office.  Administrative day-to-day operations of the website were carried out by the Secretary’s office.   During 2009-2010, the committee consulted with the Secretary’s office on the day-to-day operations, in partnership with the end users of the site.   To aid with further enhancements and improvements to the website, discussions started later in the year (based on feedback) to move towards proposing a formal contract with DoIT for a new Content Management System (CMS) that would further aid with the overall success of the website.    

*  Academic Staff Survey

To obtain a snapshot of current themes, topics and issues that impact academic staff, as well as obtain feedback about communication practices between the Academic Staff Assembly and its constituents, the Communications Committee surveyed 7,200 academic staff for their input by way of a Qualtrics online survey.  Two goals of the survey were to aid with enhancing/improving communications practices and to help ASEC, the Assembly and its committees with prioritizing goals and initiatives to best aid the academic staff on various issues/concerns.  The top five concerns of academic staff reflected in the survey were: salary; job security, merit salary increases, furlough days and leave.  The full Executive Summary and PowerPoint of the survey results is on the academic staff website at:

http://acstaff.wisc.edu/Committees/eventnote2.aspx?eventnote=3567

Future plans will include additional surveys of the academic staff (by job title and percentage appointment) to help focus on specific issues that pertain to them.

*   Academic Staff Tracking Document (Initial Project with ASEC) 

The purpose of the tracking document (now a full ASEC project) is to track the process and flow of communications of various resolutions, policies, and decisions of ASEC, the Academic Staff Assembly and the Standing Committees of the Assembly.  (The flow of communications also includes University administration and other campus units and entities/organizations that work with academic staff governance).  The tracking would be in the format of an Excel spreadsheet or other relevant document that would make it easier for academic staff governance to followup with the appropriate entity on a certain priority or issue.   ASEC is now (as of Fall Semester 2010) fully responsible for the continual development of the tracking document.

* Communications/Meetings with Chairs of ASEC and Academic Staff Assembly Standing Committees (CEBC, DRC, PPPC, PDRC, and Nominating Committee)

The co-chairs of the Communications Committee met with the chairs of these committees to discuss best practices and current topics and issues in regards to communications.   There was consensus in these meetings that communications should be open,  transparent and efficient between and among the committees, ASEC and the Assembly (which in turn also includes the academic staff as a whole).    There were also suggestions/recommendations for better clarity and clearer information about what the committees do on a regular basis.   Perhaps there could be profiles of committee members and/or academic staff at-large that could be in a newsletter of some sort that would better inform and engage the academic staff at-large.     This would, as a result, help the academic staff at-large become aware of the various ways that they can become involved with these committees and other aspects of academic staff governance.

* Communications plan

The ASCC drafted its first comprehensive communication plan in 2008-2009, to help guide its goals and focus.   The committee continued to follow this plan in 2009-2010, with current and future revisions to occur in 2010-2011.   A copy of the most current plan is in the committee’s section of the academic staff website. 

 

Districting and Representation Committee
Annual Report for 2009-10

Ongoing

For the year July 2009 to July 2010,  the DRC districted an average of 145 new academic staff members and reviewed district assignments for an average of 91 academic staff members with changes in title or department.  This amounted to a total of 2,836 district placements and reviews for the year.  These totals exclude changes that could be handled automatically, as there was little ambiguity as to the correct assignment. As of the end of the 2009-10 fiscal year, the total number of academic staff in the districting database was 7,726. The monthly total of academic staff ranged from a low of 7,474 for July 2009 to a high of 7,836 for April 2010.

Reviewed district profiles and district membership for logic and consistency, making corrections as needed.  Responded to individual queries about districts and/or district placement.

Reviewed districts as needed to fit within required size limits (35 to 75 members per district); prioritized those districts in need of adjustment.

Provided Secretary’s office with monthly lists of new and changed academic staff.

Updated the DRC database of district members on a monthly basis and posted to the DRC website -http://drc.academic-staff.wisc.edu/

Updated FAQ entries and Public District Profiles (PDP), both found on DRC web site.

Contacted representatives as needed regarding “grandparenting.”  This procedure allows a representative who typically would be moved to a new district due to title, department or location change to remain in their district for one year or the next district election, whichever is later.  
2009-10 Committee Members

Brian Deith, Mark Werner, co-chairs
Anne Gunther                                                                           Erica Laughlin
Tori Richardson                                                                            Tom Wright

Academic Staff Nominating Committee
2009-2010 Annual Report

Members:  Luanne Von Schneidemesser, Chair (L&S), Gale Barber (Nursing), Steve Devoti (DoIT), Barbara Gerloff (Education), Will Lipske (L&S), Kim Manner (Engineering), Mara McDonald (CALS), Lance Rodenkirch (Medicine/Public Health), Jennifer Sheridan (Engineering)

• The Nominating Committee (NC) met 10 times during the fiscal year 2009-2010.

• To make it easier for AS to indicate their service interests to the NC, we created a web form. The online form is linked from the AS website under "Get Involved", and allows AS to select any elected or appointed committee that interests them. We advertised the new web form in Wisconsin Week, and we also emailed Assembly members, asked them to fill out the form, and asked them to send an email to their district members alerting them to the form. In 2009/10, we received interest forms from 70 AS members.

• The NC recommended changes to the letter of appointment to committees to include a description of the committee responsibilities, the name and contact information for the committee chair, list of other committee members, when the committee meets and a copy to the staff member’s supervisor.

• The NC took an active role in helping to identify representatives for ASA from unrepresented districts.

• The NC reviewed drafts of a NC Standard Operating Procedures document and discussed whether the role of the committee should be more focused on screening of candidates or facilitating and linking candidates to potential openings.

• The NC identified the need for more complete information on various committees on the Academic Staff and Secretary of the Faculty web sites. 

• The NC identified and forwarded names of 29 candidates to be on the Academic Staff Assembly standing committee election slate.  The committees and number of candidates are:

 

Academic Staff Executive Committee – 8
Communications Committee – 4 
Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee – 5 
Districting and Representation Committee – 3 
Professional Development and Recognition Committee – 5 
Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee – 4

• The NC identified and forwarded the names of 17 candidates for appointment to Academic Staff Area Review Committees (ARC). The committees and number of candidates are:

Distinguished Prefix Committee – 5 
Administrative/Student Services Library ARC – 3 
Biological/Medical Sciences ARC – 3 
Physical Sciences/Engineering ARC – 3 
Humanities/Social Studies ARC – 3

• The NC identified and forward the names of 28 candidates for appointment to campus shared governance committees. The committees and number of candidates are:

Academic Staff Appeals – 4 
Access & Accommodation in Instruction – 1
Athletic Board – 1
Campus Transportation – 1 
Commission on Fraternities and Sororities – 1
Council on Academic Advising – 1 
Equity and Diversity – 1
Health Care Advisory – 1 
Information Technology – 1
Labor Licensing – 1 
Lakeshore Nature Preserve – 1 
Library Committee – 1 
Memorial Library – 1 
Recreational Sports – 1 
Retirement Issues – 2 
Student Misconduct/Student Hearing Examiners – 5
Student Policies and Non-Academic Programs – 1 
University Bookstore – 1 
Committee on Women in the University – 2

Nominating Committee Annual Report 2009-2010rev.docx

ACADEMIC STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AND RECOGNITION COMMITTEE (PDRC)
ANNUAL REPORT 2009-2010

Committee members
Colleen Barrett, Rick Burnson(co-chair), Nichelle Cobb, Donna Cole, Maddy Covelli, Ulrike Dieterle, Lynn Edlefson, Miranda McClenaghan, Carol Hulland(co-chair), Sarah Schutt, Scott Mellor, Jane Terpstra

Professional Development Grants
            
The Fall 2009 round of grants considered proposals for activities occurring from January 1 to June 30, 2010. 30 applications out of 40 received were funded with an average award of $894.  In Spring 2010, for activities July 1 to December 31, 2010, 36 out of 48 applications received an average of  $775.  These funds are matched with departmental 101 funds. In both rounds there was a 75% funding rate, with $54,727 awarded over the 2009/10 fiscal year. Two information sessions were held prior to each award deadlines, one on each end of campus.   Below is a summary of academic staff applications for PD grants, by title.

	FY11, Round 1			FY10, Round 2
	Spring 2010			Fall 2009
Title / Type	# of Apps	% of Apps	Award Rate	# of Apps	% of Apps	% Awarded
Research / Scientist	15	31.3%	93.3%	10	22.2%	60.0%
Instructional	5	10.4%	60.0%	9	20.0%	66.7%
Outreach	6	12.5%	83.3%	8	17.8%	100.0%
Student Services	4	8.3%	75.0%	4	8.9%	75.0%
Academic Support / Technology	9	18.8%	44.4%	7	15.6%	71.4%
Librarian	3	6.3%	100.0%
Clinical	2	4.2%	0.0%	2	4.4%	100.0%
Administrative	3	6.3%	100.0%	4	8.9%	100.0%
University Relations/Media	1	2.1%	100.0%
Child Care Teacher				1	2.2%	100.0%
Technician

            
The PDRC committee developed and approved a new program for distributing professional development funds to Academic Staff members.  The PD Program Sponsorship is designed to promote cross-campus collaboration and to provide group training opportunities for academic staff since this has been a growing trend in the PD grant requests. Funding requests will be considered as needs arise throughout the year.  As with the individual PD grants, funding guidelines must be met, and half of the costs must be covered by the department hosting the professional development opportunity.  This program now has approved funding and will be introduced to all academic staff by the end of the fall 2010 term.
            
The other major goal for the 2010/11 year is to work toward an on-line application process for PD grants, Excellence Awards and Executive Education Awards.

Excellence Awards

Each year the PDRC reviews nominations and selects recipients of UW-Madison academic staff
excellence awards. A framed photo of Bascom Hill was presented to each award winner.
The following awards were given to UW-Madison academic staff during a reception hosted by
Chancellor Martin at the Fluno Center:
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research: Independent Investigator
Robert Meyer, Scientist and Research Professor, Wisconsin Center for Education Research
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research: Critical Research Support
Linda Clipson, Associate Researcher, School of Medicine and Public Health
The Robert Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service and Outreach
Katherine Loving, Civic Engagement Coordinator, University Health Services
            This award is now the Robert and Carroll Heideman award
The Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Service to the University
Veronica Egon,  Associate Faculty Associate, College of Letters and Science
TheWisconsin Alumni Association Awards for Excellence in Leadership: College, School
or the Larger University Community
Katherine “Terry” Jobsis, Research Program Manager II, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The Wisconsin Alumni Association Awards for Excellence in Leadership, Individual Unit
Level
Faramarz Vakili, Associate Director Physical Plant, Facilities Planning and Management
The Chancellor's Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching
Timothy Paustian, Faculty Associate, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
Martha Casey Award for Dedicated Service to the University
Roland Weeden, Asst Director, Student Financial Aid, Enrollment Management
The Ann Wallace Career Achievement Award
Sandra Guthrie, Associate Director, General Library System

In addition to UW-Madison excellence awards, the PDRC also reviews nominations for UW-System and Regent awards and selects nominations to forward to UW-System and Regent committees. The following nominations were chosen to be forwarded to UW-System award committees:
Regents Excellence Award (Names forwarded to System)
Regents Award for Excellence, individual:  none in 2010
Regents Award for Excellence, program: FIGS program
Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award: no nominees in 2010

Executive Education Grants
Through the generosity of the School of Business, all academic staff can take Executive Education courses at a 50% tuition rebate.  In addition, the School of Business sponsored 5 free courses.  Seventeen applications were received in May 2010. 

 

Job Security:

The PPPC worked with the Academic Personnel Office (APO) to revise the annual job security exercise and reinstate the campus-wide review and reporting process. NOTE:  in 2009-2009 the requirement that units report job security data to APO was suspended due to resource constraints.  The PPPC will review and report the 2009-10 job security data in spring 2011.

The PPPC met with several school and college Committees on Academic Staff Issues (CASIs) regarding job security for academic staff and presented a session on job security at the annual Academic Staff Institute.  The PPPC will continue efforts to educate academic staff as well as school and college leaders, human resource personnel, supervisors, CASIs, etc., about academic staff job security. We continue to be concerned by the diminishing use of rolling-horizon, multi-year, and especially indefinite appointments, and we expect this, along with educating academic staff about their rights in layoff situations, to be a focus of our activity in the upcoming year.

Job security data for academic staff by year is available at: http://acstaff.wisc.edu/Employment/default.aspx

Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASPP):

The PPPC completed a line-by-line review of ASPP, Chapters 1-5 and submitted those changes, along with some changes to Chapter 14, to the Academic Personnel Office and the Academic Staff Assembly, which approved the revisions in spring 2010. The PPPC will submit the revised version of ASPP to the Board of Regents for final approval in fall 2010.

Area Review Committees (Indefinite Appointment Review) and Distinguished Prefix Committee:

Of the four Area Review Committees (Administrative/Student Services/Library, Biological/Medical, Humanities/Social Science, and Physical Sciences/Engineering), only the Administrative/Student Services/Library Committee met and submitted an annual report, which included the review and approval of two indefinite appointments in the General Library System.  The Distinguished Prefix Review Committee report is pending.

Academic Staff Appeals Committee (ASAC):
            
The PPPC and the Secretary of the Academic Staff revised the procedures whereby the ASAC reports its activities, and the PPPC reviewed the 2008-2010 ASAC report.  In general we feel that the appeals process is working well, though we do have some concern that an uptick in activity may result in workload issues for the ASAC.  The PPPC continues to work with the ASAC chair and the Secretary of the Academic Staff to streamline the reporting process. 

Communication and Consultation:
The PPPC continued to review, update and make recommendations for improving the PPPC and Academics Staff websites. The PPPC also met with CASIs and the committee on Women in the University and participated in a Madison Academic Staff Association (MASA) brownbag on job security and in the Academic Staff Institute. During the coming year we expect to be active participants with  ASEC, APO and the Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff with regard to the Academic Staff Rewards Initiative and other policy developments.

 

Respectfully submitted to the Academic Staff Assembly.

Committee members:

Melissa Amos-Landsgraf
Mo Noonan Bischof, co-chair
Deborah Brauer
Bruno Browning, co-chair
Sandra Guthrie
Jeanne Hendricks
Nancy Krattiger-Ziltener
Marsha Mansfield
Rebecca Ryan

August, 2010

 

2009-10 Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee Annual Report

Members: Cheryl Diermyer, Linda Pittz, Dennis Ray, Kay Schoenherr, Eliza Waters, Alec Widerski, Jim Wollack (guest) Beth Workmaster, and Miriam Simmons, chair
“Implications of Category A Salary Maxima for Academic Staff”
The major accomplishment, representing four years of effort, was the report “Implications of Category A Salary Maxima for Academic Staff,” led by Jim Wollack. The report was accepted by ASEC and revised at their request in January, 2010.  It was then submitted to Chancellor Martin, Provost Paul DeLuca and Vice-Provost for Faculty and Staff, Steve Stern. A copy was sent to the Interim Director of Human Resources, Steve Lund. Steve Stern’s Academic Staff Excellence-Rewards Initiatives (Updated, 4/10 presented to the Dean’s Council) will include the 
 the Category A salary ranges and maxima issue.

Academic Staff Excellence-Rewards Initiative 
The Academic Staff Excellence-Rewards Initiative recognizes the contribution of academic staff to the University’s strength (Updated, 4/10, presented to the Dean’s Council). Aspects of last year’s CEBC report, “Instructional Leaves for Instructional Academic Staff: Proposal for a Four-Year Pilot,” are referenced in Item 3 of the Initiative, “Professional Development (including Instructional Leave for Academic Staff):”
 
            We are following up on the ground work already laid for an initiative on instructional           leave for academic staff, and will insert it within the wider context of professional          development  opportunities and enhancement. . . A work team has been established to   follow up and is expected to produce an assessment and proposal in Summer 2010, for         consideration in the next academic year.

The Distinguished Prefix issue, a topic the CEBC has worked on for several years, is included in Item 4, of the Initiative, the “Agility Agenda.”  Item 4 refers to, “a flexible pathway to “Distinguished” titles or an equivalent fourth step.”  The CEBC and the Personnel, Policies and Procedures Committee tabled the issue this year when UW System refused to consider the  recommendation of the Academic Staff Assembly.

FAQ
The Academic Staff FAQ  was updated with information on the Extraordinary Salary Range (ESR) and with the passage of Domestic Partnership Health Insurance Benefits.  A CEBC email was sent to all academic staff in March by Secretary of the Academic Staff, Donna Silver, regarding this new FAQ information.