Minutes for November 3, 2025

UC members present: Bernard-Donals, de Leon, Jones, Kendall, Mathieu

Others present: Paige Armstrong, Greg Bump, Ava Diener, Michelle Felber, Lesley Fisher, Becky Jacobs, Genevieve Lambert, Sabine Martin, Mallory Musolf, Julie Scharm, Landis Varughese

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

The minutes from the October 27, 2025, meeting was approved.

John Zumbrunnen, Interim Provost, discussed the draft policy on instructional workload. Once the policy is approved by the Regents, it will be sent to the Joint Committee on Employment Relations for their consideration. There will be a number of things that will need to be defined in campus policy. The ad hoc instructional group will be helpful in thinking through how to develop campus policies.

He also talked about the Wisconsin Exchange, which is a campus initiative to encourage pluralism, dialogue across differences, etc. There is a broadly representative steering committee. There will be speakers, a postdoctoral fellowship, and grants for both new opportunities and existing programs.

The University Committee discussed their response to the instructional workload policy. Discussion centered on removing UW from in front of Extension, removing health sciences language for clinical instructors, and asking for an exemption to teaching both semesters in order to accommodate field research needs. 

The University Committee discussed a request by the School of Education to allow dual-roles in the School of Education. They decided to allow exceptions for cases when instructional academic staff are being made whole by teaching due to a loss of research funding for a period of 3 years. A justification would still be needed.

The University Committee discussed the town hall meeting on November 10. It will begin with an introduction about the timeline and process from here as well as answering some of the questions that were submitted with registrations. If John Zumbrunnen and Taylor Odle are able to attend, they can speak for a few minutes at the beginning.

Mathieu 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 2:21 pm. One dual role waiver was approved.

Bernard-Donals motioned, and it was seconded and approved, to reconvene in open session at 3:01 pm.

Jones adjourned the meeting at 3:11 pm.

Minutes submitted by Heather Daniels, secretary of the faculty.