December 5, 2016
Recording
Transcription

Chancellor Rebecca Blank called the meeting to order at 3:31 p.m. with 152 voting members present (111 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus Robert Bless (Faculty Document 2652), Dean Arnold Brown (Faculty Document 2653), and Professor Emeritus Lloyd Peterson (Faculty Document 2654). Chancellor Blank provided updates on campus research rankings, post-tenure review, tuition rates, undocumented students, and compensation, concluding with good news announcements on fellowships and hiring. There were no questions or comments. The minutes of the meeting of November 7, 2016, were approved as distributed.

Professor Laurel Rice (Obstetrics & Gynecology) presented the annual reports of the Athletic Board for 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 (Faculty Document 2655). There were questions on gender equity, cash balances, and injuries and concussions. Professor Tom DuBois (German, Nordic, & Slavic) presented the annual report of the University Lectures Committee for 2014-2016 (Faculty Document 2656). There were no questions. Professor Judith Burstyn (Chemistry, District 48) presented the annual report of PROFS (Faculty Document 2657). There was one question about campus carry legislation. Patrick Sheehan (Office of Human Resources, Director of Workforce Relations) presented a new campus policy on Minor Protection and Adult Leadership (Faculty Document 2658). There were several questions and comments about discipline and due process, adult-student ratios, connections to campus carry, and events with students from other campuses.

Assistant Professor Andrea Ruppar (Rehabilitation Psychology & Special Education, District 26) moved approval of Faculty Document 2659 [original text], a resolution on solidarity with students, staff, and faculty experiencing discrimination. The motion was seconded. Professor Chad Goldberg (Sociology, District 71) moved to amend the resolution as follows:

The University of Wisconsin-Madison comprises faculty, staff, and students from a wide array of ethnic, racial, national, and religious backgrounds, and the diversity that results from their presence in our community enriches our social interactions and our intellectual exchanges. In recent months we have witnessed a distressing increase in verbal abuse and other kinds of discriminatory behaviors against a variety of groups. In particular, the Muslim members of our community have become the targets of violent actions and abusive language, hostility that is longstanding and has intensified in recent months. 

We as a faculty respond to this intolerable situation by confirming that these groups are an integral part of our community. Any faith, philosophical commitment, or idea held by any of our community members is a part of our whole. Together with deep respect for all beliefs, we value Islam and those who profess it for what they contribute to the university community. We value these groups for what they contribute to the university community.

Whereas the UW-Madison is an institution that proudly upholds and fosters freedom of expression and belief without fear; and

Whereas we prize and count as integral to our institution the individuality and the different diversity of beliefs, religious and otherwise, of all of our students, staff colleagues, and faculty colleagues; and

Whereas Islamophobic and other discriminatory actions and statements have arisen in mainstream American culture; and

Whereas we understand the high costs of religious prejudice and bias to the mission of an academic setting;

Therefore be it resolved that the UW-Madison Faculty Senate stands united with targets of discrimination everywhere, and particularly with Muslims in our academic community. Disparagement of one group is disparagement of us all.

The amendment was seconded. Following two comments, Associate Professor Christa Olson (English, District 55) moved to amend the amendment to change the word “for” in the new language in the second paragraph to the word “and.” The amendment to amend was seconded and passed unanimously by voice vote. The amendment as amended passed unanimously by voice vote. There were several comments on the resolution as amended, which then passed by voice vote. (Fac doc  2659 text as approved)

Assistant Professor Jerome Camal (Anthropology, District 45) moved approval of Faculty Document 2660 [original text], a resolution to support UW-Madison undocumented students. The motion was seconded. Professor Mark Etzel (Food Science, District 11) moved to amend the resolution by appending the following to the end.

Therefore, be it resolved that the UW-Madison faculty call on the UW-Madison administration to:

1. Not release immigration status or related information in confidential student records, without permission from a student, to federal agencies or other parties without a judicial warrant, a subpoena, a court order or as otherwise required by law.

2. Forbid campus police from joining those state and local law enforcement agencies that enter into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), or undertake other joint efforts with federal, state or local law enforcement agencies, to investigate, detain or arrest individuals for violation of federal immigration law.

3. Forbid campus police from contacting, detaining, questioning or arresting an individual solely on the basis of suspected undocumented immigration status or to discover the immigration status of an individual, except as required by law.

4. Forbid campus police officers from detaining an individual in response to an immigration hold request form ICE, or any other law enforcement agency enforcing federal immigration law, unless doing so is required by law or unless an individual has been convicted of a serious or violent felony.

5. Not provide information for any federal effort to create a registry based on any protected characteristics, such as religion, national origin, race or sexual orientation.

The motion to amend was seconded. Several people spoke to the amendment. Professor Etzel moved to table the resolution to the next Faculty Senate meeting. The motion was seconded. Several people spoke to the motion to table. Professor. Etzel withdrew the motion to table with no objection. There were additional comments on the amendment. The motion to amend failed by voice vote. Professor Terry Warfield (Business, District 24) moved to call the question. The motion passed by voice vote. The resolution passed unanimously. (Fac doc 2660 text as approved )

Professor Lee Blasius (Music, District 65) moved to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) and (f) to consider the recommendation of the Committee on Honorary Degrees. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously at 5:00 p.m. Professor Leann Tigges (Community & Environmental Sociology and chair of the Committee on Honorary Degrees) presented background information on the nominees for honorary degrees. Senators voted by paper and electronic ballot whether to award the degrees. All four candidates (including one alternate) were approved. Professor Blasius moved to reconvene in open session. The motion was seconded and passed at 5:20 p.m.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:21 p.m.

 
Steven K. Smith
Secretary of the Faculty