UW-Madison Faculty Senate

Minutes for February 5, 2018

Rebecca Blank called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. with 126 voting members present (109 needed for quorum). Memorial resolutions were offered for Professor Emeritus Burr Fontaine (Faculty Document 2717), Professor Emeritus Stephen Nelsen (Faculty Document 2718), Professor Emeritus Edwin Vedejs (Faculty Document 2719), and Professor Emeritus Howard Whitlock, Jr. (Faculty Document 2720). Chancellor Blank reported that student applications are up significantly this year. She also reported on what the university is doing to address sexual misconduct and she provided an update on the campus response to the Senate resolution on sustainability, and concluded with updates on actions in the state legislature related to faculty and a preview of the upcoming Madison-hosted Board of Regents meeting. Chief Human Resources Officer Wayne Guthrie provided an update on the Title and Total Compensation Study and Professor Steve Ventura (University Committee, District 120) presented an update on the return of UW-Extension to the UW-Madison campus. Professor Anja Wanner (University Committee, District 120) updated the Senate on University Committee activities. There were two questions for the chancellor, one relating to UW System’s handling of the restructuring of Extension and Colleges and the other about consensual relationships. The minutes of the meeting of Faculty Senate Minutes 2017-12-04, were approved. 

Professor Alberta Gloria (Counseling Psychology) presented the annual report of the Kemper K. Knapp Bequest Committee (Faculty Document 2721). Associate Professor Noah Weeth Feinstein (Community & Environmental Sociology, District 18) presented the Committee on Committees Annual Report for 2018 (Faculty Document 2722), which contains nominations for faculty-elected committees, as well as the slate of nominations for election to the Committee on Committees. There were no questions for either report. 

Professor Wanner moved adoption of Faculty Document 2715, creating a new Faculty Policies & Procedures section about the Divisional Committee Review Council (DCRC). Assistant Professor Betsy Stovall (Mathematics, District 63) moved to amend the functions of the committee from “The DCRC serves as a consultative resource to the provost on matters relating to tenure, including promotion review and post-tenure review (under section 7.17.C.7.).” to “The DCRC serves as a consultative resource to the provost on post-tenure review cases under section 7.17.C.7.” The motion was seconded. Several people spoke to the amendment. The motion failed by hand count. Following additional discussion, the motion passed by voice vote. 

Prof. Wanner moved adoption of Faculty Document 2716, which retires the Research, Safety, and Compliance Oversight Committee and merges its functions into the University Research Council (URC). To reflect the fact that the Office of Research Policy named in the document no longer exists, Prof. Wanner’s motion included the following modification to the second of the new URC charges: “Advises and consults with the Office of Research Compliance, the Office of Research Policy and Integrity, the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, and other safety and compliance units.” Following some discussion, the motion passed by voice vote.

Prof. Wanner presented Faculty Document 2723, which proposes several changes to Faculty Policies & Procedures Chapter 4 intended to clarify and simplify divisional membership, bring FPP in line with practice on some points, and modify practice on other points, for a first reading. There was some discussion. With no objection, Chancellor Blank removed the final agenda item regarding the academic calendar for future discussion and adjourned the meeting at 4:52 p.m.

 

Steven K. Smith

Secretary of the Faculty