Academic Staff Executive Committee Minutes 01-15-2026

Approved 01-22-26

ASEC Agenda

1:30 – 3:30 p.m., Thursday, January 15, 2026

https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/97722653207

Members present: Richard Barajas, Hanna Blazel, Alissa Ewer (chair), Terry Paape, Nicole Senter, Diane Stojanovich

Members absent: Aaron Crandall, Nola Walker

Guests: Mel Freitag, Lucien Gerondeau, Julie Schaus, Patrick Sheehan, Scott Wildman

The meeting was called to order at 1:33 p.m.

The minutes of December 18 were approved.

General Reports

ASEC Chair Alissa Ewer reported that she met with Vice Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs Kent Weigel and Secretary of the Academic Staff Mallory Musolf to discuss the Ad Hoc Committee on Age in the Workplace’s recommendation to join the Age-Friendly University Global Network. Chair Ewer will bring this up with the other governance group chairs. The Academic Staff Institute will be held on Thursday, April 16. The keynote speaker is confirmed, and the planning committee is working on finalizing breakout sessions.

Deputy Secretary of the Academic Staff Lesley Fisher reported that a call for nominations for the Dean of the College of Computing and Artificial Intelligence Search and Screen Committee was sent last week. ASEC will review and vote on nominations at their February 22 meeting.

Liaison Reports

Nicole Senter reported that the Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee (CEBC) compiled feedback on the Office of Human Resources’ recently launched Employee Guide to Job Loss or Income Loss webpage. CEBC also discussed the UW–Madison Strategic and Financial Assessment Final Report prepared by Deloitte.

Hanna Blazel reported that the Librarians’ Assembly Steering Committee is planning their spring Assembly meeting.

Chair Ewer reported that the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) is working on creating a co-chair position, creating a mechanism for OVCR staff to provide anonymous feedback, and updating their bylaws.

Guest: Mel Freitag, Co-Chair, Campus Dialogue and Reflection

Mel provided an overview of Campus Dialogue and Reflection. The group, which functions similarly to a community of practice, is made up of staff from around campus that are focused on inclusion and belonging. Recent meetings have focused on immigration related concerns and general education requirements.

Guest: Patrick Sheehan, Chief Human Resources Officer, Office of Human Resources (OHR)

Regarding job applications, there was a 47% increase in the average applicant pool size in FY25 compared to FY24. Time to hire remained consistent. LinkedIn Recruiter seats have helped reach more diverse applicant and talent pools. In FY25, 7% of all recruitments utilized the internal hiring process. OHR supports a number of activities to promote equitable hiring and recruitment. The Recruitment Community of Practice provides a space for human resources community members to share experiences and best practices. OHR has updated the Recruitment Toolkit for human resources professionals and created a Supervisor Recruitment Toolkit.

The increase in H-1B visa fees is concerning. We employ about 300 H-1B visa holders, more than 100 of which hold teaching titles. These employees are a critical source of unique expertise. OHR is working with International Faculty and Staff Services (IFSS) to provide information on the IFSS website.

CHRO Sheehan discussed the potential risks associated with international remote work, particularly when it is not tied to a legitimate UW–Madison business need.

Business

• February Assembly Agenda

ASEC reviewed the draft agenda.

• Topics for guests:

Interim Provost: Title VI lawsuit; Wisconsin Exchange; partnering with academic staff governance

VCFA: H-1B visa fees; LinkUW data

Meeting adjourned at 3:29 p.m.

Minutes submitted by Lesley Fisher, deputy secretary of the academic staff