FACULTY SENATE MINUTES

03 February 2020

Chancellor Rebecca Blank called the meeting to order at 3:33 p.m. with 123 voting members present (112 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus Donald Hester (Faculty Document 2863), Professor Emeritus William Hoekstra (Faculty Document 2864), and Professor Emeritus Dale Norris (Faculty Document 2865). Chancellor Blank announced that the new Secretary of the Faculty will be Heather Daniels, currently serving as the Secretary of the Academic Staff, and she thanked Jane Richard for serving as interim secretary. She mentioned WeatherTech’s Super Bowl ad that follows the owner’s dog Scout’s journey as a cancer patient at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine. The chancellor’s talk to the Board of Regents focused on three major trends in higher education: A changing revenue picture; Increasing competition from peer institutions; and, Changing public views of higher education. She reported on the search for the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education (VCRGE), and how coronavirus updates will be provided. She restated the administration’s commitment to combat hostile and intimidating behavior.  

University Committee chair Terry Warfield continued the practice to take a moment to reflect on one sentence of the Our Shared Future plaque at each senate meeting. There were no questions. The minutes of the meeting of December 5, 2019, were approved.

Professor Dorothy Farrar Edwards (Kinesiology), chair of PROFS, presented their annual report (Faculty Document 2866) and emphasized the importance of service. Professor Stephanie Robert (Social Work), presented, for informational purposes, the report on the name change of the School of Social Work to the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work (Faculty Document 2867). The Committee on Committees presented the preliminary slates for the elections to faculty committees and announced that the elections will be held in early April (Faculty Document 2868); there is still an opportunity for nominations. There were no questions or comments on any of these reports. 

Professor Warfield (University Committee, District 120, Business) moved adoption of a change to the Committee on Committees appointment structure for the entire faculty vote on four divisional seats rather than just being voted on by the Faculty Senate (Faculty Document 2869). The motion was seconded and there were two questions. The motion passed by voice vote without dissent. Professor Warfield presented Faculty Document 2870 for a first reading to review the language of the Professor of Practice title that could be used for academic staff with expertise in a professional field. There were several comments; the senators were encouraged to send other comments to the University Committee to be incorporated into the document as it is brought forward for vote in March. 

Submitted by:

Jane M. Richard

Interim Secretary of the Faculty