Minutes for March 31, 2025

UC members present: Bernard-Donals, Jones, Kendall, Li, Stein, Zweibel

Others present: Gillian Drummond, Michelle Felber, Lesley Fisher, Paige Kirkham, Mallory Musolf, Julie Scharm, Jenny Skibba, Lindsay Stoddard Cameron

Chair Li called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm.

The minutes from the March 17, 2025, meeting were approved by automatic consent.

Thomas Niepsui and tyrell haberkorn, co-chairs for the LGBTQ+ committee shared that the committee worked on 4 areas last one. They monitored how electronic system on campus propagate individuals chosen gender, pronouns, and chosen names throughout campus. They worked on understanding and providing supplemental information for campus members receiving gender confirming healthcare and insurance coverage. They also tracked relevant legal and policy changes and worked to create a more welcoming campus climate for members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Nasia Safdar and Hannah Silber, co-chairs of the Committee for Women in the University reported that the committee made recommendations regarding childcare resources on campus. They also looked at lactation spaces in comparison to peers. The committee spent time looking and providing feedback on the Hostile and Intimidating Behavior website and reviewed compensation data.

Doug McLeod, chair of the Athletic Board, indicated that students participating in athletic programs continue to do well academically. There is a new study space that has opened at the Kohl Center. In regards to the budget, it has largely recovered from drops due to COVID. They are looking at revising the coaching evaluation process to receive more robust response rates.

For board structure, they have reduced committee sizes so that faculty serve on two committees and non-faculty serve on one. To make sure Athletic Board members feel like they have a full picture, there will be a state of athletics address at the first meeting of the board in the fall and committee co-chairs will be asked to provide full reports to the full board.

Items that the board is currently monitoring include the transfer portal and concerns about a cohesive academic program as well as direct payments to student athletes that may be part of the settlement. Athletic departments across the country have been cutting their budgets in order to have money to pay athletes. There could be roster and scholarship cuts in the future.

Provost Charles Isbell hopes to announce the new CIO before the end of April. Finalists for the Director of Strategic Consulting have been interviewing this week.

The strategic visioning committee continues to move its work forward. There will be messages going out about community engagement sessions and a survey. The committee has identified four theme areas and hope to release a document in the fall.

The Provost and the chancellor have asked the deans to engage in budget cutting exercises of 5 and 10% for fund 101. They are still moving forward with the regular budget process for the coming fiscal year.

Visas for students have been revoked in several places around the country. There have not been any revoked yet at UW-Madison. Campus administration will be sending out a message to international students soon.

Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska, Vice Chancellor for Research, and Kurt McMillen, interim director of Research and Sponsored Programs shared that there are significant impacts with proposals not being reviewed and new grants not being issued as quickly. Submissions from campus are continuing at the same rate as previous years. There have also been a small number of grant cancellations. A small number of employees have received layoff notices. There are considerations about a bridge program, but funds would need to go to projects that could expect to be funded on grants in the near future. Vice Chancellor Grejner-Brzezinska recently traveled to DC and met with almost everyone in the Wisconsin delegation. The conversations were generally positive.

Stein motioned, and it was seconded and approved, to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) and (f) to discuss waivers at 3:15 pm. One tenure clock extension was approved.

Bernard-Donals motioned, and it was seconded and approved, to reconvene in open session at 3:20 pm.

The University Committee decided to move forward with the special Senate meeting on April 28. 131 senators and alternates indicated they could attend. This is more than 20% above the number needed for quorum.

The University Committee discussed and finalized the April Senate meeting. There will only be two resolutions on the meeting agenda. The bereavement resolution and those submitted by April Haynes could go on the special meeting at the end of April.  

Jones adjourned the meeting at 3:49 pm.

Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, secretary of the faculty.