Approved Minutes for July 29, 2019          Approved August 19, 2019

UC members present: Campagnola, Halverson, Sandgren, Ventura, Warfield (chair)

UC member absent: Wolf

Others present: B. Tishler, S. Smith, J. Smith, J. Richard, M. Aust, M. Felber, J. O’Meara

Chair Terry Warfield called the meeting to order at 1:33 p.m. The UC reviewed and commented on a draft of the annual shared governance letter. The UC discussed a potential external survey of faculty attitudes about the Senate, a survey that has now been postponed to spring 2020. The UC discussed at length the following question from a department: “If a tenure track professor applies for promotion to tenure more than one year before their tenure clock expires, and the Divisional Committee advises against this promotion, can the professor then apply for promotion the year after?” After due deliberation, the UC’s responded that, by reading the totality of FPP and other campus policies, it agrees with the understanding that UW-Madison is an “up or out” institution. While adverse decisions do have recourses including “reconsideration” and “appeal,” once a negative decision has been made and upheld through those various recourses, promotion cannot be requested again by the same assistant professor in the same position, regardless of how much time was on the clock at the time of the original consideration. The UC is considering options to revise FPP to make this policy more explicit.

The minutes of the meeting of July 08, 2019, were approved. Interim Provost Jim Henderson hinted at his plans for re-retirement and then reported that L&S Associate Dean Sue Zaeske has been appointed as interim director of the division of the arts. Henderson also reported that a working group has been appointed to look into the issue of visas discussed at an earlier UC meeting. This committee, chaired by Dean Shim, will be charged with recommending a structure (not a policy) to meet the needs of the university with regards to the granting of visas. Noting the lack of shared governance representation on the committee, the UC and SOF encouraged Henderson to include the Immigration and International Issues Committee (FPP 6.61.) as a contact for this working group, which he committed to doing [and did immediately following the meeting]. Henderson also followed up on an earlier discussion about faculty outside commitments. A group is being put together to look at best practices at other universities and then this will be brought to the UC to consider policy development. Henderson also provided brief updates on the Target of Opportunity Program and the search process at UWS to fill his former position there. 

Eric Sandgren 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 2:06 p.m. The UC considered and approved one dual role waiver and three clock extensions, one for 2 years due to clinical duties, one for 1 year, and one for one semester. The UC nominated faculty candidates for the rebooted search for an Assistant Vice Chancellor for Environmental Health & Safety, and made some preliminary suggestions for two other searches (Dean of Extension, Vice Chancellor for Research & Graduate Education), which will be followed up on at a future meeting. The UC also selected nominees for the Labor Code Licensing Advisory Committee and it considered, extensively discussed, and approved a response to a request from a faculty member to provide its opinion on the creation of an ad hoc committee. Steve Ventura moved to reconvene in open session. The motion was seconded and passed at the same time Warfield adjourned the meeting: 3:47 p.m.