Minutes for April 7, 2025

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

Others present: Greg Bump, Michelle Felber, Lesley Fisher, Becky Jacobs, Paige Kirkham, Mallory Musolf, Julie Scharm

Chair Li called the meeting to order at 1:08 pm.

The minutes from the March 31, 2025, meeting were approved by automatic consent.

Dom Zappia, ASM chair, Landis Varughese, ASM vice chair, and Ashley Hagen, ASM shared governance chair, indicated that ASM elections just concluded and new officers would begin on May 1. Recent ASM legislation is about increasing graduate student career services and denouncing deportations.

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 1:26 pm. One faculty hire, one leave of absence and one contract correction were approved.

Bernard-Donals motioned, and it was seconded and approved, to reconvene in open session at 1:55 pm.

Jesse Winters shared information about a space utilization study. They are looking at all types of space on campus including laboratory, offices and instructional space. They are using data such as wifi data and enrollment numbers. They have completed 60% of the study at this point and expect to finish the report this summer.

Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin indicated that community conversations regarding the strategic framework are coming up later this month. There is also a survey. They may need to slow down this process at some point, but believe it’s important not to pause or halt the process.

She has been meeting with members of the state legislature and is highlighting how UW-Madison is contributing to Wisconsin. She also recently traveled to DC and had constructive conversations with the Wisconsin delegation.

The administration has put in place some additional fiscal controls and are asking campus leaders to prepare for some type of budget reduction in the next fiscal year. They are also exploring ways to address bigger fiscal challenges in the federal research space.

Li adjourned the meeting at 3:03 pm.

Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, secretary of the faculty.