Minutes for January 24, 2022

UC members present: Babcock, Halverson, Papp, Sandgren, Tejedo-Herrero, Thibeault

Others present besides those listed below: Michelle Felber, Lesley Fisher, David Giroux, Jane Richard

Sandgren called the meeting to order at 1:33.

The minutes of the meeting of January 10 and 14, 2022, were approved by consent.

The University Committee reviewed a draft charge for the Ad Hoc Committee on Administrative Burden. Dorothy Farrar-Edwards plans to chair the committee.

Bill Karpus shared that graduate school applications around many Big Ten peers are declining especially numbers of applications from under-represented minorities (URM). Maryland seems to be an exception. At UW-Madison, URM applications are down 7%. Overall Ph.D. applications are flat and master’s degree applications rose.

The competitive counter-offer program has ended and replaced by a just in time recruitment program for URMs. The counter-offer program was successful the first few years in attracting additional students but has lost its effectiveness.

The University Committee had a wide-ranging discussion with the Provost about COVID. Topics including plans for spring semester, how peers are faring, and decision-making process for short-term changes in modality.

Rob Cramer, Interim Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, reported that Shop@UW is continuing to work on improvements. They plan to put together some focus groups for feedback on continuing issues. The Chemistry building will be open to classes.

Steve Ackerman, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, reported that the federal government has issued a guidance memo to funding agencies about implementing disclosure standardizations. Hopefully all funding agencies will implement the requirements in the same way. In the HERD survey, UW-Madison remained at #8 about $40 million from #6. 3 internal research initiatives are currently underway: library collections enhancement, research forward and research core vitalization.

Sandgren moved to convene in closed session; it was seconded and approved at 3:05. One track transfer and dual role waiver were approved.

Sandgren moved to reconvene in open session; it was seconded and approved at 3:31.

Sandgren adjourned the meeting at 3:40.