University Committee Meeting Minutes 2020-01-27

University Committee Meeting Minutes

Minutes approved 02/03/2020

UC members expected present: Campagnola, Halverson, Sandgren, Ventura, Warfield (chair), Wolf

Also present: Heather Daniels, Jake Smith, Jack O’Meara, Bill Tishler, Michelle Felber, Amol Guyol, Greg Bump, Matt Mayrl, as well as those mentioned in the text below.

Chair Warfield called the meeting to order at 1:30 and 59 seconds. Heather Daniels was introduced as the new Secretary of the Faculty, and congratulations were given to Erica Halverson who received a Distinguished Teaching Award. Sandgren is setting up a committee to review the campus protest policy and looking for more faculty members. Sandgren moved and it was seconded to allow the Law School Dean Search & Screen Committee to proceed without replacing a faculty member who’d dropped out. The motion was approved unanimously. The minutes of the meeting of January 13, 2020 were approved by consent.

Athletic Board chair Pete Miller highlighted the work of two of the AB subcommittees of Personnel (which focuses on the student experience with one AB member per sport), and Finance, Facilities, & Operations (big issues this year are a Camp Randall renovation, Kohl Center academic support spaces, and student welfare costs). Adam Barnes is the new director of business operations in the Athletic Department. There was ample discussion.

Provost Karl Scholz touched on the slightly-faculty-short Law School Search & Screen Committee. Regarding the Policy Library Advisory Committee, the Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC0 suggested that its composition include: 1 graduate and 1 undergraduate student, 2 people from libraries, and as ex officio, the SOF, and the SOAS. ASEC had some suggestions for the teaching professor guidelines, too, including a committee to be set up by the UC to work out kinks in the position description and implementation process. There was much discussion.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank mentioned the very well-attended and energized MLK, Jr. Day event with astronaut Mae Jemison; there are 4 finalists for the VCRGE; the director of the CDC, Robert Redfield canceled his speech to attend to the concern over the potential coronavirus threat (2 students were under observation and both cleared). She talked about the Super Bowl commercial by WeatherTech featuring Scout the dog that asks for support for the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. The DreamUp project is heading into its second year, starting with organizations giving presentations asking for funding.

Sandgren moved to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) and (f) to discuss personnel matters. The motion was seconded and passed at 2:50 p.m. Two rule waivers were approved, as was one tenure clock extension request, and candidates were considered for a search and screen committee.

Ventura moved to convene into open session which was seconded at 3:29 when Warfield adjourned the meeting.