Minutes for May 20, 2024

UC members present: Bernard-Donals, Jones, Li, Tejedo-Herrero, Thibeault, Zweibel

Others present: Michelle Felber, Ashley Hagen, John Horn, Julie Scharm, Jim Stein

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

Rob Cramer, Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, discussed new student enrollment and housing. There is a need to add more housing for new undergraduate students, transfers and some returning students. They have enumerated a new residence hall with up to 2000 beds that will go forward to UW System for consideration by the Board of Regents in August. They are also working on the design of that building. In addition, partnering with a private firm to build a new dorm and partnering with current housing providers are also being explored.

Last year, there was a large increase in the number of students wanting to return to housing. There is less demand this year. Housing has started a new program to assist students with finding off campus housing. They are also looking at how to increase the density in Eagle Heights.

In regards to the budget approach, the reports from the task forces on undergraduate tuition and indirect costs are complete. The graduate tuition task force has been populated and will be chaired by Dean Bill Karpus and Dean Soyeon Shim with work expected to be completed in June. The Wisconsin Idea task force is being put together. The project is still on track to start a shadow year this coming fiscal year.

In regards to Workday, the campus is 13 months away from go live. The current work plan is yellow. User experience testing will happen this summer with training for all employees in March 2025. They are working to make data flow from Workday to other systems. It will take 1.5 to 2 years for campus to see the benefits from the change.

The minutes from May 13, 2024, meeting were approved by automatic consent.

Dean Bill Karpus reported on his concern about the variety of schools and colleges represented in GFEC. The UC encouraged the dean to talk with his dean colleagues about encouraging their faculty to serve.

They have been surveying students who chose to attend graduate school at UW-Madison and faculty and institutional reputation were the most important reasons for attending. The most common concern of graduate students is mentoring.

Charles Isbell, Provost, reported on the various search and screen committees. The dean of the School of Education is nearing completion. The dean of the College of Engineering will begin this summer. The School of Medicine and Public Health search and screen will start next week, and the Secretary of the Academic Staff is nearing completion.

Jones 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 and committee appointments at 2:32 pm. Five tenure clock extensions were approved and names were forwarded for the College of Engineering Search and Screen Committee.

Jones motioned to reconvene in open session at 3:17 pm. It was seconded and approved.

Thibeault adjourned the meeting at 3:21 pm.