Minutes for May 1, 2023

Interim Provost Eric Wilcots called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. with 134 voting members present (99 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus John Elton Ross (Faculty Document 3090) and Professor Emeritus Franklin Wilson (Faculty Document 3091).

Interim Provost Eric Wilcots thanked outgoing University Committee member and chair Lauren Papp and welcomed University Committee members Annie Jones and Michael Bernard-Donals, who were elected to serve three-year terms. Incoming Provost Charles Isbell, Jr. will begin his position on August 1, 2023. Finalists for the new vice chancellor for strategic communications position will visit campus in late May or early June. The vice provost for libraries search was launched and finalists will be on campus in early fall.

There was a groundbreaking for the new Computer, Data and Information Sciences building. It will be complete in spring 2025 and feature more than 350,000 square feet, serving as a home to several departments and centers.

The new Bakke Recreation and Wellbeing Center opened with a line of more than 600 students. It has more than 29,000 square feet of fitness space including a pool and hockey rink. It also features spaces dedicated to massage therapy, cooking demonstrations and meditation.

The state biennial budget process is in progress with votes expected on the UW System portion of the budget in late May. The capital budget is likely to be voted on in early to mid-June. More information is available online at: https://budget.wisc.edu/.

The Public History Project released its final report detailing its campus engagement over the past four years. The permanent center will be the Rebecca M. Blank Center for Campus History. Kacie Lucchini-Butcher will direct the new center with the existing staff. More information on the new center, including its advisory committee and location, will be shared this summer.

Professor Lauren Papp, University Committee chair, reported that the University Committee shared information with Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Rob Cramer regarding challenges around travel; a new travel manager has been hired recently and will be looking into the issues. The University Committee will be seeking nominations for a working group on divestment and sustainability efforts. The University Committee developed a proposal to align UW-Madison spring break with those of local school districts, which will be further discussed in the fall semester.

LaVar Charleston, Chief Diversity Officer, reported that the Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement is working on closing out the R.E.E.L. (RETAIN. EQUIP. ENGAGE. LEAD.) Change plan and starting the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Plan. The Division of Diversity, Equity & Educational Achievement priorities for 2022-2024 include building a culture of organizational learning and belonging, facilitating an effective model of distributed strategic diversity leadership, and utilizing and maximizing data to inform policies, practices and decision making. UW-Madison has been looking at the institutional effects of the SCOTUS Harvard/University of North Carolina decision that is expected this summer. Deans with diversity responsibilities throughout UW-Madison have been meeting monthly to share best practices. In the fall of 2022, a newly formed learning community for indigenous students, the Network for Development & Growth of Indigenous Scholars, began.

During the question period, a faculty senator inquired about more support from International Faculty and Staff Services to international faculty and postdoctoral trainees, and inquired why junior faculty are not consistently sponsored for visas and permanent residency; the University Committee indicated that this is sometimes college or department dependent and Interim Provost Eric Wilcots indicated that they would look into this further. A faculty senator asked about the status of the TOP program; Interim Provost Eric Wilcots indicated that the current TOP program has ended but there are active conversations about a newly visioned program.

The minutes of the April 3, 2023 meeting were approved by consent. Changes to Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP) standardizing membership information for the Faculty Consultative Committee on Financial Emergency (Faculty Document 3092) were approved by consent.

Professor Nathan Sherer (Oncology, district 93) presented the Recreation and Wellbeing Advisory Board annual report for 2021-2022 (Faculty Document 3093). Professor Adrian Treves (Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, district 107) presented the Teaching Academy report for spring 2023 (Faculty Document 3094). Professor Fernando Tejedo-Herrero, University Committee member, presented the spring 2023 faculty committees election results (Faculty Document 3095). There were no questions on these reports.

College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Associate Dean Karen Wassarman presented the establishment of the Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences and discontinuance of the Departments of Agronomy and Horticulture (Faculty Document 3096). College of Engineering Dean Ian Robertson and Department of Engineering Physics Chair Paul Wilson presented the name change of the Department of Engineering Physics to the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics (Faculty Document 3097). There were no questions on these items.

Professor Ann Sheehy (Medicine, district 89) moved approval to amend Faculty Policies and Procedures to allow faculty athletic representatives to continue past their term on the Athletic Board (Faculty Document 3088). The motion was seconded and approved.

Professor Lauren Papp, University Committee chair, moved approval to amend Faculty Policies and Procedures to clarify and rearrange the language regarding the dean’s action in the granting of tenure (Faculty Document 3089 rev). The motion was approved.

Professor Steph Tai (Law, district 44) moved approval to amend Faculty Policies and Procedures to allow greater flexibility in the director of the LGBTQ+ Studies certificate ex officio seat and to add an ex officio seat representing expertise in LGBTQ+ recruitment and retention matters (Faculty Document 3098). The motion was seconded and approved.

Interim Provost Eric Wilcots adjourned the meeting at 4:29 p.m.

Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Faculty