Minutes for October 7, 2019
approved October 14, with corrections

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

Others present: Jane Richard, Jake Smith, Heather Daniels, Michelle Felber, Amol Guyol, Greg Bump, and those noted below

Absent: Campagnola

Chair Warfield called the meeting order at 1:17. Sandgren reported on the upcoming AAUP annual meeting agenda in Milwaukee, and Wolf recounted a meeting with Regent Tracey Klein, who is interested in keeping the faculty-board of regents conversation going. The minutes for the meeting of September 30, 2019 were approved by consent.

Since it had been +/-10 years since Wisconsin Union director Mark Guthier last talked to the UC and the union has been very active, there were many updates. He shared a handout illustrating the union’s goals, activities, and highlights, which include celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Concert Series and a $4 million endowment campaign; creating a 3-year Student Affairs Advancement Plan: determining who are the constituents and to set priorities, all to be in an eventual report; overhauling the Dining & Hospitality Division; enhancing the understanding on the relationship of Registered Student Organizations (RSO) to campus (with Legal Affairs, ASM, and others; Sandgren interested in working on this effort). There were several questions, particularly about food service; the plan to develop a campus-wide approach to student leadership using the Leadership Framework and the relationship of that with Reesor’s “kitchen cabinet” of student leaders, and if there will be a plan to address the involvement of faculty advisors to RSOs. There’s also an evaluation of event services/reservations to make sure that speakers (for instance) are scheduled into an appropriate space. There’s a new director of union theatre, Elizabeth Snodgrass; the Tong Family Marina is safer and offers better boat access. The Union Council actions include providing free menstrual products; creating a social justice collection; a story kiosk, and it asked for a sustainability coordinator be added. Staffing is a challenge. Student employees want 2 2-hour shifts and it takes 1800 students to cover shifts when it used to take 1200. Reserves are mainly used for capital improvement building projects and the next one will be the 2^nd level decks. Guthier also distributed the Wisconsin Union annual report.

Vice Chancellor for Faculty and Staff, Michael Bernard-Donals, walked the UC through a report from a working group tasked to clarify Faculty Policies and Procedures for promotion to full professor. Besides guidance on the process, it introduces the concept of a “Council of Fulls” (full professors in the department). The process lies within schools/colleges and departments and asks for: annual evaluations; that provisions be provided for jointly appointed faculty; that the timing of promotion be discussed with council; and that the associate professor can request promotion discussion/decision at any time. The Council of Fulls will work with chair, and, in parallel to the process of assistant to associate, it will require a dossier and external letters of support. Associates can come up for promotion later if turned down, though there is a limit to appeals (process appeals are handled by CFRR and the provost’s word is final). There was much discussion, and Bernard-Donals welcomes further comments from the UC.

Bernard-Donals then presented the draft teaching professor guidelines, a report triggered by a resolution passed by the Faculty Senate. Teaching professors may do some service, and will not be asked to do research except related to “scholarship in teaching and learning” in which nothing has to be produced; the intent is to encourage involvement in discussions and whatnot. Teaching professors are assumed to be career-track positions falling between lecturer and tenured faculty and at least ½ time. Four things were addressed: How will one be mapped into the series; What happens after the Title and Total Compensation Project to slot someone into this series; How to hire from outside; How to deal with promotions. This report will be sent to the Office of Human Resources, but does not have to go back to the Faculty Senate for vote (information only).

Chancellor Rebecca Blank had gone to the University of Rochester for former UW-Madison provost Sarah Mangelsdorf’s installation as president there, which was a very nice ceremony. Regarding the STARS announcement on sustainability initiatives, Madison got a “Silver” ranking which is typical for a new participant, and is good place to start. She lamented the WAA video that caused students of color to feel invisible. Homecoming is this weekend and Senator Tammy Baldwin will be on campus later this week; she’s been a wonderful supporter of the university.

Sandgren moved and it was seconded to adjourn. Warfield adjourned the meeting at 2:45.