December 21, 2015

UC members present: Broman, Edwards, Litovsky, Meyerand (chair), Wanner, Wendt

Others present: S. Smith, Daniels, Richard, Hampton, Felber, O’Meara

The meeting was called to order by chair Meyerand at 1:00 p.m.

Broman summarized the Graduate School listening session with graduate students on the new pay plan. Edwards summarized her conference call with the provost and legal services on the upcoming UWS tenure task force meeting. Discussion. Smith alerted the UC to upcoming search for Hygiene Lab director. The UC agreed to discuss possible FCEB commission charge with VCFA on 4 January.

Minutes of the meeting of December 14, 2015, were approved.

O’Meara updated the UC on a little ray of sunshine coming from the Capitol: several faculty attended the announcement of forthcoming legislation to put shared governance back into state statute. PROFS met with the leadership of the Assembly Committee on Colleges and Universities.

Chief Diversity Officer Patrick Sims said implementation of the diversity framework is moving apace. Current targeted initiatives include a campuswide climate survey (to launch in fall 2016) and DIP (Diversity Inventory Project, gauging diversity efforts across campus). Ample discussion. Sims indicated that overall goal is not to determine what success looks like, but to establish basic tenets, themes, and agreement on broader picture.

Current URC members Mark Anderson, Miron Livny, and Carol Ryff offered insight into how URC functions and input on ways to move forward on incorporating the body into FPP. Charge and selection method seen as fundamentally different issues. Advice and perspective of researchers are crucial to well-functioning OVCRGE and the bulk of what URC does. URC still incipient and finding its feet. Ample, animated discussion. Focus of meetings so far has been how we measure up with competition in terms of research profile and what we can do to be even more competitive. Consensus that UW2020 initiative is phenomenal and could really be shot in arm to competitiveness. Other items discussed by URC have included center reviews, interactions between centers and VCRGE and other units. Current URC works well together, has not taken any actions, focuses on recommendations and advice. Body that thinks strategically is refreshing. Current membership admirably focused on campus, not their own projects. Many current members would not consider running for election. Desire for a committee that includes both excellence and broad representation. UC willing to consider anything, but have mandate to institutionalize the inaugural group. Or as Broman put it, no particular way this has to be done, it just has to be done. 

Chief of Police Sue Riseling provided an update on the “first 45 days” initiative, which studies alcohol consumption behavior among heaviest users (students sent to detox). Really longer than 45 days, student-to-student based, provides baseline information for year. Number to detox are fairly consistent over years. The chief provided data on drinker profiles. Ample and extremely engaged discussion, including connection to high-school behavior, parental role, ticketing policies, and consequences. Challenge for campus is consistent messaging and connections to other areas of concern (sexual assault, etc.). One of biggest things faculty members can do is to hold Friday classes, give Monday assignments. The chief also briefly addressed guns and will return in January to discuss this topic.

DSOF Richard distributed handouts on and provided overview of biannual Senate redistricting. Discussion. 

Wanner moved to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) and (f) to discuss personnel matters. Seconded. Motion passed: 2:50 p.m. The UC considered and approved one academic staff waiver hire, two dual role waivers, one leave of absence extension with a recommendation to the provost, one tenure clock extension pending revised materials, one tenure clock extension sans caveat, one temporary assignment, and zero partridges in pear trees. At 3:15 p.m., Wanner left. The University Committee concluded its 2015 activities with the nomination of one faculty member (with three backups) to serve on the HR Advisory Council. Meyerand moved to reconvene in open session. Seconded. Motion passed: 3:20 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:21 p.m., although several committee members remained for some time, answering emails and eating chocolates.