Faculty Senate Minutes 2017-03-06

Minutes approved as amended April 3, 2017
March 6, 2017: as approved and amended
Recording
Transcription

Chancellor Rebecca Blank called the meeting to order at 3:32 p.m. with 138 voting members present (112 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus George L. Bush (Faculty document 2669) and Professor Emeritus C. K. Wang (Faculty Document 2670). Chancellor Blank acknowledged UW-Madisons national standing as first in Peace Corps volunteers and among the top producers of Fulbright awardees, and also announced the initial launch of the campus Black Cultural Center. Each announcement was received with applause. Blank also provided updates on her meetings with state legislators, positives and negatives of the governors capital budget proposal, and meetings with our federal congressional delegation. She concluded with announcements on the status of the search for a new Wisconsin School of Business dean and several key retirements. There was one question about the Badger Promise initiative for first-generation transfer students. The minutes of the meeting of February 6, 2017 (Faculty Senate Minutes 2017-02-06 ), were approved as distributed.

Professor Amy Wendt (University Committee, District 120) presented the annual report of the Kemper K. Knapp Bequest Committee (Faculty document 2671), on behalf of the chair of the committee, who was unable to attend. There were no questions or comments. Associate Professor Steph Tai (Law and member, Committee for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People in the University) presented the final report of the ad hoc committee on equitable and inclusive health care (Faculty document 2674). There were three comments, congratulating the ad hoc committee on its work, highlighting the timeliness of the issue, and asking about HR flexibilities. Professor Ivy Corfis (Spanish & Portuguese and chair, Committee on Committees) presented an update to the annual report by the Committee on Committees of nominations for elected committees (Faculty document 2663). There were no questions or comments.
Professor Wendt (University Committee, District 120) moved adoption of Faculty document 2672, which incorporates the Health Care Advisory Committee into Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP). There was one question regarding appointment authority. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. Professor Wendt then moved adoption of Faculty document 2673, which changes the name of the Social Studies Division to the Social Sciences Division, with related updates to FPP. There was no discussion and the motion passed by voice vote without dissent.

Professor Wendt moved approval of revisions to the campus post-tenure review policy (Faculty document 2639, modified). Professor Tom OGuinn (Business, District 24) moved to amend section C.7.a. of the policy as follows. 
Review by the provost, or review by the dean which is not submitted for the provosts review, shall be the final review. The dean and provost should, on questions of post-tenure review, as in other matters where the faculty have primary responsibility, concur with the faculty judgment except in rare instances and for compelling reasons which should be stated in detail.
The motion to amend was seconded. Several people spoke to the amendment, both in favor and against, following which Professor OGuinn withdrew the motion to amend. No objection was heard. Several people spoke to the original motion. A voice vote was called, with a request made to include a call for abstentions. After apparent passage by voice vote, a request for a show of hands was made. The post-tenure review policy was approved by a hand-count vote of 77 aye, 2 nay, with 51 abstentions.

The meeting was adjourned at 4:47 p.m.


Steven K. Smith
Secretary of the Faculty
Approved as amended April 3, 2017