Academic Staff Assembly Minutes 05-09-16
Approved 9-12-16
Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.
Automatic Consent: The Academic Staff Assembly minutes of Monday,
April 11, 2016, were approved.
Memorial Resolution: Carmen Hotvedt read a memorial resolution for Daña Alder.
Introduction of the Excellence Award Winners: Chris Lupton, member of the Professional Development and Recognition Committee, introduced the 2016 Academic Staff Excellence Award Winners. They are: Sharon Thoma, Chancellor’s Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching; Martin Rouse, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Service to the University; Mary Ann Croft, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research: Independent Investigator; Tracy Drier, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research: Critical Research Support; Margaret Birrenkott, WAA Award for Excellence in Leadership: Individual Unit Level; Bethany Pluymers, WAA Award for Excellence in Leadership: College, School or the Larger University Community Level; Wendy Johnson, Robert and Carroll Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service and Outreach; Ronald Harris, Martha Casey Award for Dedication to Excellence; Jeanne Hendricks, Ann Wallace Career Achievement Award.
Guest: Mark Walters, Office of Human Resources
The Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is being revised by the federal government. There are two tests to determine if a position is exempt from FLSA: duties test and salary. The salary threshold is being raised significantly from $23,660 to possibly as much as $50,440.
UW-Madison has approximately 2,000 positions that are salaried, but will not meet the new proposed salary threshold. Employees in these positions will be required to track their time in 15-minute increments and also be paid overtime for more than 40 hours worked in a week.
The final rules were sent to the Office of Management and Budget about a month ago. Mark is anticipating that the new rules will be published within the next couple weeks and could be as soon as Monday, May 16. The compliance date could be as early as July or possibly September.
Employment categories will not change for any positions affected by the new rules. The campus will use the duties test to determine whether a position is university staff or academic staff.
Standing Committee and Other Reports
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) – Heather McFadden, Chair of ASEC, thanked Trish Iaccarino for serving on ASEC for the past three years. She also provided an update on campus climate issues. Much of the current discussion regarding hate and bias has centered around students and faculty. ASEC has been advocating for the inclusion of academic staff in these discussions both as a resource for students as well as those who might be affected by these issues.
Heather M. announced that this week a survey on campus work life for academic staff will be sent electronically to all academic staff who do not have a visiting title and did not receive the WISELI survey. The survey is a revised version of the WISELI survey and will allow for a comparison between academic staff and faculty responses. Academic staff will have approximately six weeks to complete the survey. The data will be collected by the Secretary of the Academic Staff office and will remain confidential.
She thanked all academic staff who participated in governance this year especially those serving as representatives and alternates in the Assembly.
Academic Staff Professional Representation Organization (ASPRO) – Heather McFadden reported the ASPRO board would be meeting in June to work on strategies for the next biennial budget. Madison board members plan to communicate with UW-Madison ASPRO members more often during the upcoming year both through email and with additional programming.
Reports
Report from Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction
Tim Markle shared a suggested syllabus statement regarding instructional accommodation with the Assembly. The Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction encourages all instructors to include this statement in their syllabus.
The statement is as follows: “The University of Wisconsin-Madison supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12), and UW-Madison policy (Faculty Document 1071) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared faculty and student responsibility.
“Students are expected to inform faculty [me] of their need for instructional accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized. Faculty [I], will work either directly with the student [you] or in coordination with the McBurney Center to identify and provide reasonable instructional accommodations.
“Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student’s educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.”
Report from Ad Hoc Committee on Assembly Engagement
Tim Markle reported that last fall, the Assembly voted to create the Ad Hoc Committee on Assembly Engagement. The committee held a listening session after an Assembly meeting and also collected feedback on meetings electronically.
The feedback generated a lot of positive comments including references to the Secretary of the Academic Staff office, ASEC, and committee chairs.
The committee has made 21 recommendations. One of the recommendations is changing the orientation for Assembly members into three parts (August orientation for new members only, 30 minutes before 1st meeting in fall for an orientation of the room and players, and a skills workshop in late September/early October). The committee looked at remote participation in meetings and found that the technology isn’t there yet for this type of participation to be possible. The recommendations ask for committee work to be brought to the Assembly for feedback prior to the final report. Another recommendation asks the Assembly to modify Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASPP) to allow chairs of Academic Staff Assembly committees to bring forward motions to Assembly meetings. The committee also recommends that the Assembly create a campus policy supporting academic staff shared governance participation.
Business
Recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Staff Assembly Engagement
Tim Markle (#446) moved for the Academic Staff Assembly to endorse and direct ASEC and the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff to implement these recommendations and report on progress in implementation to the Assembly by May 2017. Seconded. Motion was approved.
Shared Governance Values Statement
Heather McFadden (ASEC) moved to approve the statement. Seconded. Approved.
ASPP Changes-Types of Appointments Chapter 2
Bruno Browning (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve the changes in ASPP. Seconded. Approved.
ASPP Changes-Election Ties Chapter 13 and 14
Bruno Browning (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve the changes in ASPP. Seconded. Approved.
Resolution on Cultural Competency
Michael Moscicke (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve the resolution on cultural competency. Seconded.
Tom Zinnen (#401) moved to amend the resolution by replacing the word “bias” in the second sentence with “bigotry.” Seconded. Amendment approved.
Michael Moscicke (ASEC) moved to amend the first bullet to say “To support comprehensive racial awareness for all academic staff” and add a second bullet which says “To support professional development for all academic staff regarding inclusion.” No second was heard.
Christopher Harrison (#421) moved to postpone until the fall. No second was heard.
David Parter (#482) moved to recess for 5 minutes. Seconded. Approved.
Assembly recessed at 4:43 pm
Assembly reconvened at 4:48 pm
Benjamin Schultz (#461) moved to amend the first bullet point to read “To support comprehensive racial and cultural awareness and inclusion through professional development activities for all academic staff.” Seconded. Approved.
Michael Moscicke (ASEC) moved to amend the last bullet by inserting “and with” after the word “division.” Seconded. Approved.
Mat Gunshor (#356). Moved to amend the last bullet by adding the words “academic staff” after the words “university staff.” Seconded. Approved.
Resolution approved as amended.
Provost Report
There is a proposal regarding the academic calendar which will be going to the Faculty Senate. The proposal includes adjusting 9-month appointments by moving them a week earlier in August. This means the contract would end early enough for those teaching in the first 4-week summer session to be paid directly for that work. There is also a recommendation to standardize the length of both semesters and to eliminate exams on commencement day. There are also other slight changes suggested to the registration periods and grading periods.
Adjourned at 5:02 pm.
Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Academic Staff
ACADEMIC STAFF ASSEMBLY MEETING MINUTES
272 Bascom Hall
Monday, May 9, 2016
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Monday, May 9, 2016
3:30 to 5:00 p.m.
Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf called the meeting to order at 3:34 p.m.
Automatic Consent: The Academic Staff Assembly minutes of Monday,
April 11, 2016, were approved.
Memorial Resolution: Carmen Hotvedt read a memorial resolution for Daña Alder.
Introduction of the Excellence Award Winners: Chris Lupton, member of the Professional Development and Recognition Committee, introduced the 2016 Academic Staff Excellence Award Winners. They are: Sharon Thoma, Chancellor’s Hilldale Award for Excellence in Teaching; Martin Rouse, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Service to the University; Mary Ann Croft, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research: Independent Investigator; Tracy Drier, Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research: Critical Research Support; Margaret Birrenkott, WAA Award for Excellence in Leadership: Individual Unit Level; Bethany Pluymers, WAA Award for Excellence in Leadership: College, School or the Larger University Community Level; Wendy Johnson, Robert and Carroll Heideman Award for Excellence in Public Service and Outreach; Ronald Harris, Martha Casey Award for Dedication to Excellence; Jeanne Hendricks, Ann Wallace Career Achievement Award.
Guest: Mark Walters, Office of Human Resources
The Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is being revised by the federal government. There are two tests to determine if a position is exempt from FLSA: duties test and salary. The salary threshold is being raised significantly from $23,660 to possibly as much as $50,440.
UW-Madison has approximately 2,000 positions that are salaried, but will not meet the new proposed salary threshold. Employees in these positions will be required to track their time in 15-minute increments and also be paid overtime for more than 40 hours worked in a week.
The final rules were sent to the Office of Management and Budget about a month ago. Mark is anticipating that the new rules will be published within the next couple weeks and could be as soon as Monday, May 16. The compliance date could be as early as July or possibly September.
Employment categories will not change for any positions affected by the new rules. The campus will use the duties test to determine whether a position is university staff or academic staff.
Standing Committee and Other Reports
Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) – Heather McFadden, Chair of ASEC, thanked Trish Iaccarino for serving on ASEC for the past three years. She also provided an update on campus climate issues. Much of the current discussion regarding hate and bias has centered around students and faculty. ASEC has been advocating for the inclusion of academic staff in these discussions both as a resource for students as well as those who might be affected by these issues.
Heather M. announced that this week a survey on campus work life for academic staff will be sent electronically to all academic staff who do not have a visiting title and did not receive the WISELI survey. The survey is a revised version of the WISELI survey and will allow for a comparison between academic staff and faculty responses. Academic staff will have approximately six weeks to complete the survey. The data will be collected by the Secretary of the Academic Staff office and will remain confidential.
She thanked all academic staff who participated in governance this year especially those serving as representatives and alternates in the Assembly.
Academic Staff Professional Representation Organization (ASPRO) – Heather McFadden reported the ASPRO board would be meeting in June to work on strategies for the next biennial budget. Madison board members plan to communicate with UW-Madison ASPRO members more often during the upcoming year both through email and with additional programming.
Reports
Report from Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction
Tim Markle shared a suggested syllabus statement regarding instructional accommodation with the Assembly. The Committee on Access and Accommodation in Instruction encourages all instructors to include this statement in their syllabus.
The statement is as follows: “The University of Wisconsin-Madison supports the right of all enrolled students to a full and equal educational opportunity.
“The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Wisconsin State Statute (36.12), and UW-Madison policy (Faculty Document 1071) require that students with disabilities be reasonably accommodated in instruction and campus life. Reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities is a shared faculty and student responsibility.
“Students are expected to inform faculty [me] of their need for instructional accommodations by the end of the third week of the semester, or as soon as possible after a disability has been incurred or recognized. Faculty [I], will work either directly with the student [you] or in coordination with the McBurney Center to identify and provide reasonable instructional accommodations.
“Disability information, including instructional accommodations as part of a student’s educational record, is confidential and protected under FERPA.”
Report from Ad Hoc Committee on Assembly Engagement
Tim Markle reported that last fall, the Assembly voted to create the Ad Hoc Committee on Assembly Engagement. The committee held a listening session after an Assembly meeting and also collected feedback on meetings electronically.
The feedback generated a lot of positive comments including references to the Secretary of the Academic Staff office, ASEC, and committee chairs.
The committee has made 21 recommendations. One of the recommendations is changing the orientation for Assembly members into three parts (August orientation for new members only, 30 minutes before 1st meeting in fall for an orientation of the room and players, and a skills workshop in late September/early October). The committee looked at remote participation in meetings and found that the technology isn’t there yet for this type of participation to be possible. The recommendations ask for committee work to be brought to the Assembly for feedback prior to the final report. Another recommendation asks the Assembly to modify Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASPP) to allow chairs of Academic Staff Assembly committees to bring forward motions to Assembly meetings. The committee also recommends that the Assembly create a campus policy supporting academic staff shared governance participation.
Business
Recommendations from the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Staff Assembly Engagement
Tim Markle (#446) moved for the Academic Staff Assembly to endorse and direct ASEC and the Office of the Secretary of the Academic Staff to implement these recommendations and report on progress in implementation to the Assembly by May 2017. Seconded. Motion was approved.
Shared Governance Values Statement
Heather McFadden (ASEC) moved to approve the statement. Seconded. Approved.
ASPP Changes-Types of Appointments Chapter 2
Bruno Browning (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve the changes in ASPP. Seconded. Approved.
ASPP Changes-Election Ties Chapter 13 and 14
Bruno Browning (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve the changes in ASPP. Seconded. Approved.
Resolution on Cultural Competency
Michael Moscicke (ASEC) moved the Academic Staff Assembly approve the resolution on cultural competency. Seconded.
Tom Zinnen (#401) moved to amend the resolution by replacing the word “bias” in the second sentence with “bigotry.” Seconded. Amendment approved.
Michael Moscicke (ASEC) moved to amend the first bullet to say “To support comprehensive racial awareness for all academic staff” and add a second bullet which says “To support professional development for all academic staff regarding inclusion.” No second was heard.
Christopher Harrison (#421) moved to postpone until the fall. No second was heard.
David Parter (#482) moved to recess for 5 minutes. Seconded. Approved.
Assembly recessed at 4:43 pm
Assembly reconvened at 4:48 pm
Benjamin Schultz (#461) moved to amend the first bullet point to read “To support comprehensive racial and cultural awareness and inclusion through professional development activities for all academic staff.” Seconded. Approved.
Michael Moscicke (ASEC) moved to amend the last bullet by inserting “and with” after the word “division.” Seconded. Approved.
Mat Gunshor (#356). Moved to amend the last bullet by adding the words “academic staff” after the words “university staff.” Seconded. Approved.
Resolution approved as amended.
Provost Report
There is a proposal regarding the academic calendar which will be going to the Faculty Senate. The proposal includes adjusting 9-month appointments by moving them a week earlier in August. This means the contract would end early enough for those teaching in the first 4-week summer session to be paid directly for that work. There is also a recommendation to standardize the length of both semesters and to eliminate exams on commencement day. There are also other slight changes suggested to the registration periods and grading periods.
Adjourned at 5:02 pm.
Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, Secretary of the Academic Staff