Chancellor Rebecca Blank called the online meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. with 150 voting members present (109 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus William C. Boyle (Faculty Document 3009), Professor Emeritus Robert Ammerman (Faculty Document 3010), Professor Emeritus Andrew Levine (Faculty Document 3011), and Professor Emeritus Keith Yandell (Faculty Document 3012).

The 2022 Hilldale Awards were presented to four faculty members representing their divisions: Arts and Humanities Division: Professor Michael Bernard-Donals (English), Biological Sciences Division: Professor Anna Huttenlocher (Pediatrics), Physical Sciences Division: Professor Stephen Wright (Computer Sciences), Social Sciences Division: Professor Timothy Smeeding (LaFollette School of Public Affairs).

Chancellor Rebecca Blank reported that COVID-19 case levels remain low both on campus and in Dane County. The university will continue to consult with public health and infectious disease specialists and change current policies if it becomes necessary.

Due to a series of articles in the Wisconsin State Journal regarding Hostile and Intimidating Behavior, Chancellor Blank reiterated the position of the university that this type of behavior is unacceptable. UW-Madison was one of the first universities to adopt a policy regarding Hostile and Intimidating Behavior and offers training and resources.

Former Regent Michael Falbo is serving as interim president of the UW System until Jay Rothman begins the position on June 1. The Chancellor had a good conversation with the incoming president about the achievements and challenges on campus. She emphasized the unique position UW-Madison holds as the flagship campus of the system.

Steve Ackerman, Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education, reported that UW-Madison was again 8^th on the NSF Higher Education Research and Development Survey (HERD) for fiscal year 2020 expenditures. UW-Madison ranks 4^th in Dept of Energy research expenditures, 10^th for NSF and in the top 40 for the other main federal funding agencies including 21^st for Health and Human Services, which includes NIH. He shared WARF resource allocation by division, which supports faculty recruitment and retention, graduate student support, fall competition, matching grant funding, faculty fellowships and strategic initiatives (typically competitive grants).

This year’s strategic initiatives include the Pandemic-Affected Research Continuation Initiative, Research Forward, Library Collections Enhancement Initiative, and Research Core Revitalization Program. The Graduate School has two new initiatives, the Minority Serving Institution Partnership Program and the underrepresented student cohort recruitment effort.

The Faculty Senate Minutes 2022-03-07 were approved by consent. Also approved by consent were changes to Faculty Policies and Procedures (FPP), standardizing membership information for the Advisory Committee to the Office of the Dean of Students (Faculty Document 3013). Amber Epp (Senator District 24, School of Business) and Dean of Students Christina Olstad presented the Advisory Committee to the Office of the Dean of Students annual report for 2020-2021 (Faculty Document 3014), and Michael Bernard-Donals, PROFS president, (Department of English) presented the PROFS (Public Representation Organization of the Faculty Senate) annual report for 2020-2021 (Faculty Document 3015). There were no questions on these reports.

University Committee chair Eric Sandgren moved approval to amend Faculty Policies and Procedures 7.20 Leave of Absence removing the UW System Approval for leaves exceeding five years, which is no longer required. (Faculty Document 3016). The motion was approved.

University Committee member Lauren Papp presented a proposal to replace the words emeritus/emerita in Faculty Policies and Procedures to “emerit” and encourage other units to adopt this term as a gender inclusive word for a first reading (Faculty Document 3017).

Chancellor Blank adjourned the meeting at 4:36 pm.