Minutes for December 04, 2023

UC members present: Bernard-Donals, Jones, King, Tejedo-Herrero, Thibeault (chair), Zweibel

Others present: Greg Bump, Michelle Felber, Julie Scharm, Jake Smith and Monica Welke

Chair Thibeault called the meeting to order at 2:16 pm.

The minutes from November 27, 2023, were approved by automatic consent.

Secretary of the Faculty Heather Daniels reported that her office is working to put the various pieces of the academic calendar passed by the Faculty Senate into a single policy.

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin provided an update on how the Hamas/Israeli conflict is affecting campus. She has met with students, faculty and staff on all sides. She is struck that the concerns expressed by the groups are often parallel.

The Vice Chancellor for Research search is underway. Charlie Hoslet, Vice Chancellor for University Relations, has announced his retirement. Chancellor Mnookin plans to hold a national search for this position, but she recognizes how important Wisconsin ties are for this position.

She has been looking into how to make entrepreneurship stronger on the UW-Madison campus and is being advised by Abram Becker, Interim Director of Discovery to Product, and Jon Eckhardt, Professor in the School of Business.

The Chancellor shared that there has been a lot of progress in negotiations regarding the pay plan and other issues in the legislature.   

Thibeault adjourned the meeting at 3:05 pm.