Approved Minutes for October 15, 2018          Approved October 22, 2018, with one correction.

UC members present: Amasino (chair), Bowers, Campagnola, Ventura, Warfield, Wolf

Others present (in addition to those on the agenda or below): S. Smith, J. Richard, J. O’Meara, D. Murphy, H. Daniels

Chair Rick Amasino called the meeting to order at 1:16 p.m. The UC reviewed the November Faculty Senate agenda and revisions to the UAPC’s “Departments and Department-Like Academic Units”. Terry Warfield reported on the TTC focus group he attended on behalf of the UC. Barb Bowers reported on the VCRGE search. The WC reviewed a letter regarding merger issues and agreed to send it on to the UWEX UC for co-signing. The minutes of the meeting of October 8, 2018, were approved. Bowers presented and discussed the annual report of the Commission on Faculty Compensation and Economic Benefits, which will be presented at the November Senate meeting.

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Laurent Heller introduced Associate Vice Chancellor for Finance David Murphy, who has just begun his third month. A general discussion ensued about graduate student support and mandatory fees, the shared governance Budget Committee, the TTC project, the CHRO departure, and assessment of business systems. Heller reported that the assessment is completed and it is abundantly clear that a great deal of work needs to be done on IT and other systems (including workflow) in the core areas of student and financial and HR data. We spend a great deal on multiple systems that do not meet our need. We are in the beginning stages of defining a major, multiyear project to completely re-do these systems.

Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf discussed the annual UAPC report that will also be presented to the Senate in November. Mangelsdorf and the UC also discussed winter term possibilities and options. The provost is very supportive of continuing to develop our winter offerings. OSOF and DCS will do some benchmarking and surveying. Mangelsdorf reported that that there is a faculty grievance in UWEX related to minimum salary payments. Interim Vice Provost Casey Nagy reported that working groups for Cooperative Extension and Public Media are still on schedule. Backup plans in case the “finely tuned choreography” is “knocked sideways” are being developed. Nagy is now responsible for UWEX facilities. A major new project is to craft baseline policy documents that will serve as basis for the vast number of technical changes to statutes, policies, and rules at all levels that are needed. These changes range from the purely technical (such as replacing “Extension and Colleges” wherever that appears) to the very important (such as where the decision is made on how to allocate 104 funds). Much discussion followed. One other detail that has been decided is that faculty with emeritus status at extension will be integrated into our data systems and they will continue to identify as faculty emeriti of Extension but will have full Madison benefits. 

Warfield moved to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) and (f) to discuss personnel matters. The motion was seconded and passed at 2:31 p.m. The provost updated the UC on a clock extension issue; the UC supported her resolution of the matter. The UC considered and unanimously approved a dual role waiver request and two tenure clock extensions. The UC reviewed and unanimously agreed to a slate of members for the EI Advisory Committee and decided not to fill a vacancy created by a retirement on the CFCEB, which will be filled next election cycle. There was some discussion of the ad hoc working group on productivity issues, but at this point the membership of that committee is on hold until a response is received from CURAFA and the UAPC. The UC considered a grievance at length and determined that the bulk of the grievance is outside its purview. The UC and SOF will follow up with the appropriate offices and return to this at a future meeting. Warfield moved to reconvene in open session. The motion was seconded and passed at 3:39 p.m., and as the clock ticked over to 3:40, Amasino adjourned the meeting.