Minutes for May 13, 2024

UC members present: Bernard-Donals, Li, Tejedo-Herrero, Thibeault, Zweibel

Others present: Greg Bump, Michelle Felber, Ashley Hagen, Julie Scharm

Chair Thibeault called the meeting to order at 1:00 pm.

Zweibel motioned, and it was seconded and approved, to convene in closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) and (f) to discuss waivers at 1:01 pm. Two tenure clock extensions were approved.

Bernard-Donals motioned to reconvene in open session at 1:04 pm. It was seconded and approved.

The minutes from May 3, 2024, 1:00 pm, May 3, 2024, 4 pm, and May 6, 2024, meetings were approved by automatic consent.

The College of Letters and Science has removed the word “foreign” in front of their language requirement.

Susan Thibeault shared information about the Indirect Costs Task Force. The task force looked at two models: one would distribute overhead based on 50% grant expenditures and 50% overhead generated vs only using overhead generation. They also looked at the level of return of overhead to the PI’s home department in addition to distribution of remaining overhead to additional co-PIs, Co-Is or schools and colleges. The information about indirect costs is complex and difficult to understand. It would only affect the distribution to schools and colleges.

Keith Woodward, faculty senator from the Department of Geography, discussed the request for a special Faculty Senate meeting to take up resolutions regarding the student encampment related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He brought two resolutions for discussion: one on divestment and another on police violence. The University Committee provided feedback on both resolutions and discussed whether there was an urgent need to consider these resolutions right now.

Dean Glenda Gillaspy from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences discussed the college’s priorities: student belonging, sustainability agriculture, and Wisconsin rural communities. They are working to increase the impact of CALS on UW-Madison’s teaching mission, improve the climate and strengthen their business practices.

The University Committee discussed their concerns about the upcoming special Faculty Senate meeting including whether there would be quorum, whether those able to attend would be as representative as a regularly scheduled meeting, and whether departments would have enough time to discuss the resolutions with their departments. They also discussed reservations about the accuracy of the resolutions and information not included in the resolutions. 

Thibeault adjourned the meeting at 3:40 pm.