Approved minutes for October 8, 2018          Approved on October 15, 2018

UC members present: Amasino (chair) (arrived 1:12), Bowers, Ventura, Warfield, Wolf

UC member absent: Campagnola

Others present: S. Smith, E. Sandgren, H. Daniels, C. Springer, M. Mayrl, D. Fratta

Barb Bowers called the meeting to order at 1:11 p.m. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor updated the UC on searches for her permanent executive assistant, UHS director, and Dean of Students. Reesor held her first meeting with the new student cabinet and student leadership will also have a gathering at Olin House. Reesor and the UC discussed emerging student issues and concerns, community involvement, and other topics.

Athletic Board chair Pete Miller reported on the just-completed Athletics Safety Review (see also this document), providing context and summarizing major themes of the findings. The latter include creating and maintaining safe facilities and environments, the central role of athletic trainers, and the importance of student health, including mental health. As illustration of the logistics and complexities involved in safety in athletics, Miller distributed a sheet showing all the activity on just one fall weekend. Discussion was ample. UW seen as exemplar in nation on these issues, not only because of the infrastructure and communications and other systems in place, but also by the very fact that we are one of very few universities to have even conducted such a survey. Our Athletic Board, one of the largest and most active in the country, likely explains much of this.

Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Steve Cramer updated the UC on developments related to the student digital ecosystem, focusing on the elements of academic integrity, learning analytics, and course/classroom scheduling. Especially on the first and last of these, we are behind, still approaching the topics in a pre-digital manner. The minutes of the meeting of October 1, 2018, were approved. Jack O’Meara reported on a meeting earlier in the day hosted by PROFS with Regent Vice President Drew Petersen, attended by several UC members. All reports positive.

Vice Provost for Libraries Lisa Carter and University Library Committee chair Sabine Gross discussed the ULC annual report and Carter’s first months on the job. Carter shared some early observations from her listening and learning tour, including positivity about the libraries in general and the staff in particular. Challenges include physical spaces and need for enhanced partnerships. Gross followed up on discussions about consultant report and master plan from last year, thanking the UC and others for their help and pointing to what appears to have been a positive outcome so far. Stakeholders have been heard and there is agreement on need for positive way forward. Primary challenge in this regard has been and will be budgetary. Ample discussion ensued about master plan, collections, management, funding, and more.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank, just returned from a dean’s retreat, reported on upcoming events, including her community advisory committee (end of week), Family (formerly Parents) Weekend (Oct 12-14), Go Big Read event (October 16), Homecoming (Oct 19-20), and her travel over the coming weeks. Blank had expected more press on the computer science report, but reported that L&S in particular is already working on the recommendations. Ample discussion, primarily about that report, but also about the BoR meeting and the last two years of the capital campaign. CURAFA chair Nick Hillman and member Dante Fratta discussed a proposed Faculty Senate resolution. AAUP chapter president Eric Sandgren discussed his proposal for a working group on productivity in higher education. The UC discussed at length issues yet to be resolved in relation to the return of UWEX to the Madison campus. They will consider a memo on this topic at a future meeting. Rick Amasino adjourned the meeting at 3:35 p.m.