Recording

Chancellor Rebecca Blank called the online meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. with 153 voting members present (105 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus Larry Dahl (Faculty Document 2970), Professor Emeritus Hans Reich (Faculty Document 2971), Professor Emeritus Edward Jackson (Faculty Document 2972), Professor Emerita Nancy Johnson (Faculty Document 2973), Professor Donata Oertel (Faculty Document 2974), and Professor Emerita Joan Wildman (Faculty Document 2981).

Chancellor Rebecca Blank reported that UW Foundation celebrated the end of the successful All Ways Forward fundraising campaign, which raised $4.1 billion, well over its initial goal of $3.2 billion set in 2015. Many of the donations are earmarked for specific purposes, are part of planned giving, or have been added to the endowment. Donors funded 4,620 new scholarships and 324 new endowed faculty positions. Donations to fund new buildings on campus during the campaign include a recent gift of $20 million from Jeff and Marv Levy, in memory of their parents, for the Irving and Dorothy Levy Hall, which will provide 26,000 square feet of new classroom space for the College of Letters and Science.

She noted that upcoming events include the Diversity Forum, and the raising of the Ho-Chunk flag on top of Bascom Hall, which is believed to be the first time a flag of a sovereign nation other than the United States has been flown on the building. 

Vaccination rates continue to rise and case counts in Dane County and on campus continue to be low. Booster doses for the COVID-19 vaccine are available through University Health Services (UHS). An executive order from President Biden requires that for any institution receiving federal contracts, employees be vaccinated; this includes UW-Madison. UW System has made it clear that they will comply with the executive order. 

Chancellor Blank provided remarks on her departure from UW-Madison in summer 2022, from a role she will have served in for 9 years. In the midst of difficult challenges, she has been continually amazed by the strength of the UW-Madison community, the character of the people (faculty, staff, and students), and the capacity of UW-Madison to do great things. She has been honored and privileged to serve as the Chancellor of UW-Madison.

University Committee Chair Eric Sandgren outlined his priority to address campus climate, challenging the faculty to think specifically about the Our Shared Future statement and putting them into practice.

Annie Jones (Professor, Organization Development Specialist and Tribal Nations Liaison), Omar Poler (American Indian Curriculum Consultant), and Aaron Bird Bear (Director of Tribal Relations) provided an update on the Native Nations_UW initiative. There is a Tribal Advisory Council appointed by the 11 tribes, a 12-member implementation team for Phase 2 of the project, and a forum where faculty, staff and students collaborate with Native Nations or engage in American Indian studies. There are 7 Phase 2 focus areas: Indigenous Student Well-Being; Indigenous Language Infusion and Revitalization; Curricular Infusion and Indigenization; proposed Indigenous Research Center; Indigenous Land Acknowledgements; Indigenous Placemaking and Native Education Pathways.

There was a question if Ho-Chunk language courses are being offered on campus and a statement that the UW needs more tenured faculty to teach native languages.

The Faculty Senate Minutes 2021-10-04 were approved by consent. Provost Karl Scholz presented the University Academic Planning Council annual report for 2020-2021 (Faculty Document 2975), Professor Anja Wanner (English) presented the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities report for 2016-2021 (Faculty Document 2976), Professor Willie Choi (Business) presented the Budget Committee annual report for 2020-2021 (Faculty Document 2977), and Professor Grant Nelsestuen (Classic and Near Eastern Studies) presented the University Curriculum Committee annual report for 2020-2021 (Faculty Document 2978). There were no questions on these reports.

University Committee Chair Eric Sandgren moved approval of a revision of Faculty Policies and Procedures Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, which would add language allowing electronic meetings. The amendments were approved (Faculty Document 2969 Rev).

University Committee member Lauren Papp moved approval of a resolution supporting academic freedom to teach race and gender justice (Faculty Document 2979). The resolution was approved.

University Committee member Susan Thibeault moved approval of revisions to Faculty Policies and Procedures to standardize the language and format of the committees which present annual reports at this Senate meeting (Faculty Document 2980). The revisions were approved.

University Committee member Erica Halverson presented a first reading of revisions to the Evening Midterm Exam Policy (Faculty document 1585 Rev). A comment was received.

University Committee member Fernando Tejedo-Herrero presented a first reading to remove the program for Honorific Research Titles (Faculty document 1489i).

The meeting adjourned at 4:31 pm.