Approved Minutes for November 19, 2018          Approved November 26, 2018

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

UC member absent: Bowers

Others present: S. Smith, A. Goyal, J. Richard, H. Daniels, E. Sandgren, G. Bump, M. Mayrl 

Chair Rick Amasino called the meeting to order at 1:01 p.m. The minutes of the meeting of University Committee Meeting Minutes 2018-11-12 were approved. PROFS lobbyist Jack OMeara discussed the legislative lame duck session and the gubernatorial transition. The UC reviewed and discussed the December Senate agenda and materials. The UC has asked the Budget Committee for information on the graduate assistant support resolution and has remanded the professor title resolutions back to the original committee. 

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Lori Reesor reported on the first meeting of PART, the protest advisory group, which she described as very helpful. A topic discussed at that meeting was how to help faculty who bring in someone who turns out to be controversial; campus-wide speakers are easier to manage and predict, but some guidance/guidelines (not rules) for speakers brought in by units is needed. Reesor also reported on the Dean of Students search and the redesign process for the VCSA/DOS portfolio. Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Laurent Heller discussed how the shared governance Budget Committee might help inform the graduate assistant support issue. Ample discussion followed about that resolution and financial elements therein. Heller also reported on the assessment of financial, HR, student, and research information systems. Both vice chancellors talked about combining environmental health and safety currently in UHS and safety unit in FP&M.

Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf discussed how best to respond to the draft program productivity policy now that the comment period has opened. All agree that a formal response is a good idea rather than multiple responses via the online comment form. Mangelsdorf and the UC also discussed the professor title resolutions. There was some discussion also of the Extension merger and recent press coverage of a sexual harassment investigation. Interim Vice Provost Casey Nagy updated the UC on the Extension-Madison re-merge. Nagy says the ball is now in the UWEX UCs court as to how to organize tenure homes and structure the academic organization. Things are still on track to have an integrated game plan for the final transition pulled together by the end of December. There was some discussion.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank discussed new federal sexual assault guidelines out for comment, which represent substantial change in many ways, including narrowing the definition of sexual assault, making the process more court-like, and seriously decreasing jurisdiction (limiting campus action only to cases that occur on campus), not to mention very likely chilling effect on reporting. Ample discussion. Campus working with APLU, AAU, and others to respond. Following up on a previously discussed topic, Blank said that a campus group is starting to look at security issues stemming from discussions at APLU meetings. She also indicated that the biannual December request for professional school tuition will go to the BoR next month and outlined several events she will be attending in the coming days and weeks.

Budget Committee chair Ankur Desai presented that bodys annual report (prior to Senate next month) and the graduate assistant fee resolution. Much discussion. Terry 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 3:10 p.m. The UC discussed a grievance, nominated faculty replacements for UW System titling advisory council, confirmed the Retirement Issues Committee co-chairs, and considered additional names for a de novo review committee. The UC deferred acting on two dual role waiver requests. Steve Ventura moved to reconvene in open session. The motion was seconded and passed at 3:39 p.m., at which point Amasino adjourned the meeting.