UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE

UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING

VOL. 37, NO. 9

 

February 27, 2001

 

 

Members Present:

 

Marcia Bollinger, Dick Boyum, Jack Bushnell, Terry Classen, Stephen Drucker, Rodd Freitag, Mitchell Freymiller, Andrea Gapko, Marc Goulet, Jeannie Harms, Susan Harrison, Erik Hendrickson, Tim Ho, Ann Hoffman, Rose Jadack, Debra King, Carol Klun, Fred Kolb, Lisa La Salle, Tim Lane, Kate Lang, Robert Langer, Tim Leutwiler, Jane Linton, Barbara Lozar, Barbara Mac Briar, Maureen Mack, Donald Mash, Joanne Mellema, John Melrose, Rick Mickelson, Mark Olsen, Jane Pederson, Bobby Pitts, Cleo Powers, Donna Raleigh, Vicki Reed, Lori Rowlett, Richard Ryberg, Kathleen Sahlhoff, Ronald Satz, Nola Schmitt, Robert Scott, Roger Selin, Nick Smiar, Lori Snyder, David Steele, Todd Stephens, Paula Stuettgen, Jodi Thesing-Ritter, Roger Tlusty, Thomas Wagener, Cecilia Wendler, Michael Wick, Jean Wilcox, Karen Woodward, Steve Zantow

 

Members Absent:

 

Randy Beger, Linda Carpenter, Gene Decker, Joel Duncan, Margaret Hallatt, Sean Hartnett, Larry Honl, Gretchen Hutterli, Mona Majdalani, Kathie Schneider, Mehdi Sheikholeslami, Kent Syverson

 

Guests:

 

Justin Hentges, Jan Morse, Andrew Phillips, Connie Russell, Sara Schultz, Andrew Soll, Barbara Stevens, Steve Tallant, Ted Wendt

 

The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order at 3:06 p.m., Tuesday, February 27, 2001 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center.

 

1.        Minutes of February 13, 2001 meeting of University Senate approved with correction

·         Page 7, Motion 37-FP-032 in two instances

2.        Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Mash

·         Governor delivered budget recommendations for coming biennium last week

·         Did not realize platform referred to at last Senate meeting upon which legislature would build would be so low

·         Governor very conservative with respect to revenue; legislative leaders indicate some money may be available for selected investments

·         Have much work to do in legislature

·         Have talked to several leaders of our legislative delegation about budget

·         Chancellors of Eau Claire, Stout and River Falls will get regional legislators together

·         Continue dialogue about budget

·         What is in it

·         What isn’t in it

·         What we might do to make our case more clearly

·         Governor apparently surprised at UW-System criticism of budget

·         Criticism based not only on what is not in it, but also confusion over funding certain items in it

·         Examples

·         Fifteen positions included in budget to improve academic advising across System

·         However, no state money attached

·         Money would come from raising tuition

·         Governor indicates support for Madison Initiative, Phase II

·         However, only $2 million of $11.9 million is state GPR funding

·         Rest is UW-Madison Foundation money and tuition revenue

·         At times state support, but no real dollars attached to support

·         Governor has commented Regents have flexibility to raise tuition, but they already had that authority

·         Chippewa Valley Initiative not funded specifically

·         Is collection of items in workforce development

·         Possibility of some state money; mainly expectation that dollars will be raised from additional tuition generated

·         Have spoken with student government leaders about tuition issue

·         Do not object to tuition increases if state doing its share and additional financial aid dollars to offset some of tuition increases available for students with demonstrated need

·         Challenge will be for legislature to bring GPR support into budget to keep tuition increases reasonable

·         UW-Day March 7^th in Madison to focus on University of Wisconsin budget request and what will happen in Wisconsin if request funded

·         Governor to attend, speak at dinner, and talk with legislators throughout day

·         At moment additional dollars not in budget to move forward to meet needs of Wisconsin

·         UW-System position: that’s too bad for Wisconsin

·         Budget largely cost to continue with all dollars tied up

·         Based on last legislative session, when additional revenue announced midway through, won’t write off budget request until few months into session

·         Now hearing in press about billion dollar deficit in state

·         For last five or six years, state carrying structural deficit of $500 million

·         Simply means push things into next year that could pay for this year

·         Last legislative session chose not to pay structural deficit but provide tax relief

·         Believe when now say $1 billion deficit, adding two years of biennium together and dropping word structural, but same position as last five or six years

·         Will work very hard on behalf of budget request and pay plan

·         Pay plan does not enter into discussions until later

·         Is number one priority of UW-System; your chair reported Katharine Lyall stated will do 4.2% pay plan somehow

·         Challenge will be to get state to fund fair share of pay plan and not simply turn to tuition

·         Have read this is leanest budget in 30 years

·         Legislators, both Republicans and Democrats, not at all happy with governor’s budget message

·         More than matter of UW-System out there complaining

·         Hear others saying budget doesn’t square with what they know about revenues

·         Response to Questions from Floor

·         New governor was participant in Economic Summit in Milwaukee

·         Said some supportive and helpful things; hard to know how he came to budget recommendations

·         Don’t think tuition will have to bear total cost of 4.2% pay plan

·         Traditional way is state paying 70% and tuition paying 30%

·         If state funds portion, say 2% traditional way, with tuition paying remainder of 4.2% pay increase, would probably amount to increase in tuition at comprehensives of 6.8 to 7.0%

·         Hope and expect state to share in pay plan in typical fashion

 

3.        Chair’s Report – Chair Harrison

·         Welcome new senator Vicki Reed from University Recreation

·         Student Senate elections take place next week

·         Encourage students to vote

·         Debates tomorrow in the Cabin

·         Requested popcorn and water available on way to Senate meeting; will not be furnished in Tamarack Room

·         Most of chair’s report self-explanatory

·         Chancellor holding Senate nepotism policy action passed previously for further consideration

·         Consultation with Executive Committee, as required by handbook in such circumstances, took place at last meeting

·         Proposed language discussed by administration with System Legal Department; substitute language suggested

·         Executive Committee voted to establish ad hoc committee composed of members from each personnel committee to review issue

·         To examine current System policy on nepotism and proposed revisions previously passed

·         To report back to Executive Committee

·         Will keep Senate posted

 

4.        Academic Staff Representative Report – Senator Wilcox

·         Distributed with Senate mailing

 

5.        Old Business – Fall Break Friday

·         Brought up as miscellaneous business at last meeting; tabled until this meeting to allow for proper notification

 

Motion 37-US-20

Moved by Senator Mac Briar and seconded to bring to the floor the debate on Motion 37-US-18 to rescind the previous action establishing a Fall Break Friday within the 2002-03 academic calendar

 

Vote on Motion 37-US-20: Motion PASSED

 

Discussion on Motion 37-US-18 to rescind Fall Break Friday

·         Good idea, particularly for new students adjusting to college and being away from home for first time

• Variety of competing interests concerning placement in calendar include lab science courses, recruitment by Admissions, home football games, etc.
• Compromise date of October 4^th just too early to match intent of original motion
• Should come up with alternative date or rescind

·         Rescinding only Fall Break Friday portion of calendar, not entire 2002-03 calendar

·         Speak against motion because although date not perfect, concept worth keeping

• October 4^th falls at end of fifth week of classes; eight more weeks until Thanksgiving Break

·         Without this break, students have 13 weeks of classes without any break whatsoever

• Target audience of new freshman class on campus five or six weeks

·         Had some time to adjust to campus life; now chance to return home and reconnect, come back invigorated

• Suggest trying one year to see how it works

·         Support keeping break and discuss moving to weekend of Minnesota Teachers Convention

• If notified classes would not be held that Friday, parents anticipating touring campus would plan itinerary appropriately

·         Justin Hentges, Student Senate President

• As freshman, first weekend home was first week in October; able to connect as Homecoming weekend
• Would be nice to have break after mid-terms, but break before mid-terms even nicer; can adjust to fact going to have to work a lot harder
• At least worth a try

·         Administrative Officer Morse indicated for Minnesota break 822 visitors on campus

• 408 on Thursday; 414 on Friday
• Would be difficult for campus to handle that many visitors in one day

·         Have problem with particular date; speak in favor of revisiting date in regard to other departments on campus

• Occurs on weekend of home football game

·         Although not Homecoming, still impacts attendance and revenue-generation for Athletics

·         Athletics Department has not discussed date in department meeting although Department Chair knows about it

• Parent’s Weekend traditionally held that weekend

·         Housing and Residence Life would change Parent’s Weekend

·         Usually try to get parents here quickly in fall semester during weekend of home football game

·         Would put it after Homecoming

·         Date placement also counter to student development theory currently practicing

·         Plan extensive programming first six weeks students here to increase retention

·         Would not have to add day elsewhere because 172 contact days remain; System guidelines require 170

 

Vote on Motion 37-US-18: Motion DEFEATED; 23 For; 29 Against (two-thirds not required because body properly notified; Fall Break Friday remains as October 4, 2002)

 

6.        Election to fill at-large University Academic Staff Senator vacancy

 

Elected as at-large University Academic Staff Senator – Linda Spaeth, Academic and Career Services

 

7.        Committee Reports

¨       Academic Policies Committee – Senator Lozar

• Next meeting March 6, 2001
• Continued discussion of assessment and student outcomes

¨       Academic Staff Personnel Committee – Senator Wilcox

• Next meeting March 1, 2001
• At last meeting passed motion recommending University Senate support new Instructional and Research Academic Staff titles as stated in draft report attached to Academic Staff Representative’s Report; motion coming forward at next Senate meeting

¨       Budget Committee – No Report

¨       Compensation Committee – Senator Wick

• Subcommittee continues to meet every Monday morning – 10:00 a.m., Eagle Room, Davies Center
• Discussing modification of pay plan to comprehensive plan appealing to both those on alternative pay plans and those on standard pay plan

¨       Executive Committee – Chair Harrison

• Next meeting March 6, 2001
• Discussing request for non-Senate membership on three Senate committees
• Provost responding to questions on professional development program
• Chair to provide findings on process used for Excellence in Advising Award

¨       Faculty Personnel Committee – Senator Mack

• Next meeting March 6, 2001
• Continuing discussion on Wisconsin Senate Bill 132 concerning collective bargaining
• Update from subcommittee on final authority of DPC plans

¨       Nominating Committee – No Report

¨       Physical Plant Planning Committee – Senator Stuettgen

• Next meeting March 6, 2001
• To discuss speeds in parking lots and disposition of surplus property

¨       Technology Committee – Senator Lang

• Next meeting March 6, 2001
• Discussing returned web-counseling motion
• Expect report back from Senator Goulet, as member of Provost’s advisory committee on laptop computers

 

8.        Miscellaneous Business – None

 

9.        Announcements

·         Affirmative Action Director Barbara Stevens distributed Summary Report of the Affirmation Action Plan to keep Senators abreast of what that office doing

 

10.     Open Discussion on Instructional Academic Staff

·         At last Senate meeting supplied information regarding integrating Instructional Academic Staff into university community

·         Today in Academic Staff Rep’s Report, received additional information about proposed titling changes

·         Provost Satz asked to address three questions

1)       Number of instructional academic staff

2)       Current practices

3)       How instructional academic staff fit into long-range plans

·         Most information from Board of Regents 21^st Century Study on Teaching Academic Staff and our Handbook

·         Wisconsin differs from most other public universities in nation in that nontenure-track instructors not called faculty

·         By statute, referred to as Instructional Academic Staff with own set of personnel policies and procedures

·         Primary responsibility of instructional academic staff to provide instruction and training for students including classroom and/or laboratory and/or clinical teaching

·         Not to provide full range of responsibilities of faculty

·         Teaching academic staff members evaluated only on assigned responsibilities stated in contract

·         Guidelines not intended to permit or encourage excessive dependence on academic staff to perform teaching duties

·         Staffing position by appointment of teaching academic staff member rather than probationary faculty member may be appropriate, but not mandatory, if any following conditions apply:

1)       Position to be filled by someone lacking minimal academic credentials for tenured faculty appointment

2)       Position being filled does not include full range of responsibilities of faculty member

3)       Need for services expected to be short-term

4)       Funds supporting not expected to be available beyond given period of time or not continuing part of institution’s base budget

·         Has been trend, in Wisconsin and nationwide, to increase use of people in kind of position filled here by instructional academic staff

·         Has increased from about 15% of total instructional staff in 1987 to about 23% in 1997 at  institutions in UW-System

·         At UW-Eau Claire

·         Using numbers from October 2000 frozen file, have 111 instructional academic staff

·         Decreased from 130 in fall 1996; high was 151 in 1997

·         Depended upon particular needs of institution during particular time

·         Board of Regents 21^st Century Study completed in 1998 recommended examining role of instructional academic staff with intent of improving status, roles, rights, and responsibilities

·         Recognized complexity of staffing decisions dependent on programmatic needs, fluctuating demands, availability of qualified faculty, and budgets

·         Also recognized need to integrate instructional academic staff into educational process and to review personnel decisions relating to them

·         One way to integrate into life of institution is granting faculty status to those with 50% or more appointments in teaching and/or coaching whose letter of appointment does not include statement “no intent to renew”

·         Of 111 instructional academic staff at UW-Eau Claire, 25 have faculty status

·         Faculty status does not confer rank or tenure, or convert academic staff appointment to faculty appointment but aids integration because

·         Become voting members of department, except where limited to tenured members

·         Become eligible for election to departmental committees

·         Become voting members of college faculty

·         Become eligible for election to school or college committees and University Senate

·         Become voting members of general faculty

·         Other means of integration to university community

·         Opportunity for promotion – dramatically increased at UW-Eau Claire over past few years

·         Multiple year contracts for those expected to remain for longer periods of time – increasing slowly at UW-Eau Claire

·         Increased compensation – continued conscious effort to bring salaries for instructional academic staff to higher levels

·         BOR study intended to begin dialog to raise our collective awareness and consciousness about employment practices relating to instructional academic staff

·         Response to questions from floor

·         Decision on faculty status made at time of hire; formal recommendation by department to grant if eligible

·         Total number of part-time vs. full-time not known; 111 is head count

·         Majority probably 50% or more; according to Jan Morse, 43 are full-time

·         Statewide ratio to faculty not researched

·         At UW-Eau Claire in fall 2000, 413 faculty, 301 academic staff (including nonteaching), 430 classified staff 

·         Reduction to 111 does not necessarily represent reduction in overall teaching staff

·         If retiring faculty members replaced due to time constraints with instructional academic staff, instructional component of university remains same

·         Balancing act for given year, but in recent past have not had net loss in instructional personnel

·         For more long term would have to go to data

·         History of two-tiered system in Wisconsin started in 1974

·         Can be found on Internet in two-page history of academic staff document from 1998

·         Apparently function of merger

·         At that time, argument made for five types of faculty: administrative, instructional, research, student services, and extension

·         Battle lost with all institutions pulled into system at UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee and Green Bay and Parkside where had academic staff because of different mission

·         Part of economic difficulties and retrenchment

·         Senator Freymiller overview on committee work being done at System level and at UW-Eau Claire

·         In June of 1998, Board of Regents accepted report on teaching academic staff in UW-System

·         Focused on instructional academic staff (IAS) and those research academic staff whose responsibilities include teaching students

·         Out of that report came system-wide guidelines for appointing and integrating instructional academic staff

·         Part of chair’s report from last Senate meeting

·         In April of 1999, a system-wide Instructional Academic Staff Forum convened in Madison to discuss report

·         Each institution sent team

·         UW-Eau Claire team included Mary Ellen Alea (English), Jan Quarderer (then from Management Information Systems), Margaret Hallatt (Academic Staff Representative), Susan Harrison (Senate Chair), Jan Morse (Academic Affairs Officer), and Mitch Freymiller (Biology)

·         Teams charged with returning to campuses to develop initiatives based on discussions on integration

·         UW-Eau Claire team has met several times

·         Discussed orientation and mentoring programs for IAS; sponsored brown bag seminars to open dialogue; today’s open discussion continues that dialogue

·         Progress has been made since system-wide forum on number of issues

·         1993 System recommendation that instructors be designated in course bulletins as either faculty or academic staff now being rescinded

·         Two IAS members being added to OPID Council (Office of Professional and Instructional Development Activities)

·         Likely one of those members to come from UW-Eau Claire

·         New titling scheme for IAS has been proposed (included in Academic Staff Representative’s Report) to create more accurate parallel titling program

·         Retains four-level faculty associate series which applies primarily to Madison

·         According to Don Reynolds, UWEC’s representative to System Working Group on IAS, no one at UW-Eau Claire in this series

·         Retains four-level lecturer series currently in place and used at UW-Eau Claire

·         Associate lecturer, lecturer, senior lecturer, and distinguished lecturer

·         Series redefined to cover temporary instructional staff with bachelor’s or master’s (or above) degree appointed with no expectation of renewal, or part-time ongoing instructional academic staff with less than 50% appointment

·         Creates new instructional professor series covering two groups of IAS

·         Assistant and/or Associate Instructional Professor

·         Qualifications at master’s degree level or above in field

·         Ongoing instructional appointment of 50% or more

·         Active participation in instructional activities within department

·         Other level would be Instructional Professor

·         Terminal degree or equivalent in field

·         Ongoing instructional appointment of 50% or more

·         Active participation instructional activities within department

·         Recognized as exceptionally meritorious

·         Also research staff series primarily for doctoral institutions

·         Again Don Reynolds indicates no one at UW-Eau Claire appointed in this category

·         Response to questions from floor by Don Reynolds

·         Observation that good communication has been established by Don Reynolds with academic staff

·         Don Reynolds assured audience that report on Internet (no longer marked draft), in which caveat that institutions should be encouraged to make appropriate use of academic staff which should not be used to fill positions appropriately filled by tenure-track faculty, was not the final draft

·         Statement is in current draft and confident will be included in final document somewhere

·         Working group wants statement included because clear not all institutions using academic staff appropriately; wanted to call to their attention guidelines as to how and when instructional academic staff should be appointed

·         New titling not an attempt to undermine notion that is an appropriate use for instructional academic staff (even though some descriptions sound a lot like tenure-track position descriptions)

·         On contrary, proposal attempts to recognize vital contribution IAS make to entire system and to recognize and reward contributions

·         Right now, very limited number of titles describe broad range of contributors

·         Term lecturer used for people here teaching one course for one term never be heard from again; also used to describe individuals with us for 20 years with long-term commitment to institution and to whom institution committed

·         Think there should be some distinction between those appointments

·         Instructional professor series allows for that sort of appointment, and correspondingly research professor series allows for primarily research appointment

·         Please send comments to Don Reynolds as he continues work on draft document as part of system working group

·         Final product will come back to this body for official response and comments

 

11.     Open discussion on Status of Women

·         Introduction by Kate Lang, Chair of UW-Eau Claire Commission on Status of Women

·         Report Barbara Stevens wrote, edited, and submitted to System in time for deadline on December 31^st seen as model report by Women’s Studies Consortium Director at System, Helen Klebesadel

·         Report included input from constituencies all over campus

·         Next step is implementing initiatives in report –long process

·         To that end, commission divided into working groups so members of commission pursue areas of interests

·         Jodi Thesing-Ritter and Sarah Schuh working on Women’s History Month

·         With Women’s Studies and other departments and units on campus creating panoply of events for Women’s History Month which starts Thursday

·         After current Women’s History Month over, will try to implement reported initiative of creating a permanent committee and source of funding for Women’s History Month so no need to start over each year

·         Issue of student safety arose on almost every campus; we didn’t realize was an issue here until solicited input

·         Particularly regarding sexual assault, two issues arose

·         Students don’t know where to go to report what they perceive to be an assault

·         Perception that if they work through channels, female students reporting assaults will not be able to talk to women – seems to be some fear about that

·         Bob Shaw has coordinated conversation to be held at commission’s next monthly meeting on March 6, 2001

·         Representatives from Health Services, Counseling, Dean of Students Office, Student Senate, University Senate, and campus police, in addition to commission members will be there

·         Very preliminary, exploratory meeting

·         Goal to figure out how to better disseminate information to students about what to do if they feel an assault has been committed and also increase sensitivity to students’ perceptions

·         Jill Prushiek working on issue of benefits for domestic partners

·         Jack Connell and Mary Hayden working on issues that impact classified staff and LTEs

·         More flexibility for classified staff to take university courses

·         Would benefit classified staff; also send message to students about how value education here

·         Resource issue regarding safety shoes

·         Classified staff get $15 stipend since required to purchase safety shoes; LTEs don’t

·         Jennifer Shaddock and Kate Lang working on strengthening Women’s Studies

·         Goal to strengthen curricular integrity of Women’s Studies program by working with Arts & Sciences Dean’s Office where program now housed to come up with incentives for departments encouraging faculty to teach in Women’s Studies

·         Rita Webb and Kate Lang working on family friendly campus group

·         Issue of how to address demographic shift occurring on campus

·         At time universities have limited resources

·         More people caring for small children in workforce

·         More people seeking university education at different points in lives

·         Yet universities frequently operate using system created before this demographic shift

·         Adding segment in advising handbook on how to advise non-traditional students

·         Chancellor’s Office very supportive on this issue

·         Kate Lang attending CUWFA (College and University Work Family Association) sixth annual conference tomorrow

·         Hope to bring back ideas of how other campuses address issues arising out of demographic shift

·         Nice that Eau Claire represented

·         Types of initiatives in report require two things

·         Resources always an issue

·         Also require imagination

·         Barb Stevens working very hard with every working group

·         Louise Root-Robbins of UW-System to hold DE discussion on Status of Women in UW-System March 9^th at 2:30 p.m.

·         UW-Eau Claire participating in Old Library 1132

·         Open to looking at any other items brought forth to commission

·         Response to questions from floor

·         Commission listed in Handbook, has been revived, and will be ongoing

·         Meet first Tuesday of every month at 1:00 p.m. in Potawatomi Room

·         Women’s History Month schedule to be out soon

 

·         Don Reynolds mentioned connection between two open discussion issues (Instructional Academic Staff and Status of Women)

·         See working group on Instructional and Research Academic Staff as opportunity to deal with gender equity issues at system-wide level

·         Final report notes disparity that currently exists

·         According to November 2000 data, 51.1% of instructional academic staff are female compared with only 31.1% of faculty

·         UW institutions must remain vigilant to ensure gender-related inequities do not exist and are not perpetuated

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:46 p.m. without objection.

 

Respectfully submitted by,

 

 

Wanda Schulner

Secretary to the University Senate