ASEC Minutes
2:00 – 4:30 p.m. Thursday, January 29, 2015
67 Bascom Hall
Members Present: Bruno Browning; Trish Iaccarino; Sarah Kuba; Heather McFadden, Chair; Michael Moscicke; Robert Newsom; Kevin Niemi; Deb Shapiro
Guests: Darrell Bazzell, Denny Hackel, Eden Inoway-Ronnie, Noel Radomski, Jake Smith, Bill Tishler
The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m.
The minutes of January 22 were approved without changes.
Guest: Darrell Bazzell, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
Vice Chancellor Bazzell began by mentioning UW System freeze on hiring, promotions and out of state travel that had been reported in the news. These only apply for UW System Administration, and this has been communicated to campus. Darrell Bazzell along with the Chancellor and Provost have met with all deans and division directors regarding the fall budget cutting exercise. They plan a more formal response to the proposals following the budget announcement. For the current funding period, UW-Madison has managed a $23.5 million cut with reserves. The traditional share of the proposed cut in the budget would be $56 million for UW-Madison. Building flexibilities will not help the base budget, as the capital budget is separate from the base operating budget. Planning is in the works for some campus-wide forums on the state’s biennial budget proposal once it is introduced.
General Reports
• ASEC Chair Heather Mc Fadden reviewed the University Committee (UC) meeting. The UC was supportive of the changes to the definition of academic staff. The Faculty Senate will be voting on changes to FPP for the Recreational Sports Board and the Committee on Diversity and Climate (CDCC). The academic staff will lose one seat on the Recreational Sports Board. The change to the academic staff composition will not occur until a member rotates off the committee in 2017. The changes to the CDCC do not affect academic staff membership. Jo Ellen Fair is working on a charge for the Ad Hoc Committee on Hostile and Intimidating Behavior. She also discussed changes to the ASEC meeting next week given the conflicting Board of Regents meeting. Heather D. will send out a poll to determine the best time to hold a shortened ASEC meeting.
• Secretary of the Academic Staff Heather Daniels reported she will be meeting with Barb Lanser, Corissa Myers, and Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee (PPPC) regarding ASPP and accommodations and probation period. She announced that the Academic Staff Institute keynote speaker will be Darrell Bazzell. She has also been invited to attend the PPPC meeting next week.
Liaison Reports
• From the UW System Academic Staff Representatives meeting, Kevin Niemi reported that the UW System will face a $300 million reduction in its base budget in the governor’s proposal. The UW System public authority will be in a new Chapter 37 in state statute.
Guest: Rachel Jeris, Office of Legal Affairs
Rachel provided some background on sexual discrimination under Title IX. In April 2011, the US Department of Education issued a Dear Colleague letter that provided significant guidance on the issue. There are institutions who are being investigated on the basis of this letter. While Title IX concentrates on students, the laws do apply to all employees as well. The laws have a broad reach from training to intervention to disciplinary processes. One major issue is that the institution has to take steps to make the complainant safe as soon as an issue is known. Standards of evidence and the role of the complainant in the disciplinary process are also specified.
UW System is taking the steps to change UW administrative code to become compliant. That means changing UWS 11, which concerns dismissal of academic staff for cause. Once changes are made to UWS 11, the Academic Staff Policies and Procedures will need to change to be in line with UWS 11. ASEC does not have any recommended revisions for the pending changes in UWS 11.
Business
• February Assembly Agenda
Motion to approve the changes to ASPP 1.03. Seconded. Approved. Motion to approve the February Assembly Agenda. Seconded. Approved.
• Charge for Ad Hoc Committee on Teaching Titles
Motion to approve the charge for Ad Hoc Committee on Instructional Titles. Seconded. Approved. Heather McFadden will announce this committee at the Assembly meeting. There will be a Qualtrics survey distributed to districts with instructional staff and the Teaching Academy.
• Shared Governance Resolution
ASEC looked at two versions of this resolution. They will continue to work on the resolution for the March Assembly meeting.
• Next ASEC Meeting, February 5, 2015 – for decision
- March Assembly Agenda
Convene in Closed Session Pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c), and (f) to discuss nominations to the Nominating Committee and appointment to the Mentoring Committee (Moved. Seconded. Approved.)
Reconvened in Open Session (Moved. Seconded. Approved.)
Motion to approve Sri Ram to the Mentoring Committee. Seconded. Approved.
Meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Academic Staff