UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN – EAU CLAIRE

UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING

VOL. 44, NO. 2

 

October 9, 2007

 

 

Members Present:

 

Rose Battalio, Ned Beach, Judy Blackstone, Janice Bogstad, Jennifer Brockpahler, Michael Carney, Barbara Davis, Patrick Day, Margaret Devine, Gary Don, Michael Dorsher, Jeff Erger, Leslie Foster, Mitchell Freymiller, Andrea Gapko, Susan Harrison, Ann Hoffman, Robert Hollon, Larry Honl, Robert Hooper, Rosemary Jadack, Jeff Janot, Debra Jansen, Dale Johnson, Lia Johnson, Harry Jol, Fred Kolb, Heather Kretz, Amanda Krier, Lisa La Salle, Kate Lang, Brian Levin-Stankevich, Bruce Lo, David Lonzarich, Barbara Lozar, Brian Mahoney, Sean McAleer, Sue Moore, Mike Morrison, Jill Pastrana, Geoffrey Peterson, Jill Prushiek, Donna Raleigh, Rick Richmond, Sherrie Serros, Earl Shoemaker, Jeanne Skoug, Linda Spaeth, Laurie St. Aubin-Whelihan, Jan Stirm, Steve Tallant, Troy Terhark, Charles Tomkovick, Charles Vue, Sharon Westphal, Scott Whitfield, Marty Wood, Deborah Wright

 

Members Absent:

 

Robin Baker, Jacqueline Bonneville, January Boten, Karl Markgraf, Tarique Niazi, Scott Robertson, Mehdi Sheikholeslami, Nick Smiar, Rebecca Wurzer

 

Guests:

 

Mary Jane Brukardt, Donald Christian, Chip Eckardt, Stephanie Jamelske, Andrew Nelson, Andrew Phillips, Kathy Sahlhoff

 

 

The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order by Chair Wood at 3:03 p.m. on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center.

 

I.        Minutes of September 11, 2007 University Senate meeting approved as distributed

                                                                   

II.      Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Levin-Stankevich

·         Thank everyone who participated  in charrettes, or directors, deans, and senate meetings on strategic planning

·         Over 200 participants in charrettes, evenly split between faculty and staff

·          916 comments which continue to come in

·         Number of departments and other entities held own discussions around proposals

·         Work groups reviewing all comments; refined proposals due November 12, 2007

·         To hold campus dialogues around questions of culture and will and next steps as prepare to hear recommendations coming out of work groups

·         Then to University Planning Committee to write up in format of strategic plan with goals, strategies, and outcome measurements

·         At same time with Work Group 5, which is budget, infrastructure and facilities group, and Senate Chair Wood, need to put together strategic budgeting process committee to look at linking budget process to strategic directions adopted in strategic plan

·         Budget models already exist; need to pick which model and variation we can adapt

·         Also cover question of transitions that can be planned as priorities and costs shift

·         State budget still not passed; legislators called to special session on budget issues next week by governor

·         Much discussion at Board of Regents meeting last week

·         Much support from across state in editorial comments and from business communities

·         Local legislators hearing from supporters; starting to see change in attitude about need to get budget instead of just not having any new taxes and fees

·         Will continue to watch; chancellors conference call immediately follows governor’s press conference

·         Measures like cancelling classes in spring semester as some chancellors called for not being considered here

·         Doesn’t save much money and creates lot of dislocation for students and faculty

·         Are looking at existing commitments against biennial budget and various possible scenarios, such as no budget or Assembly proposal, to get real sense of gap between spending and resources

·         Have salary increases to cover; minimal individually, but add up collectively

·         Also have well-deserved tuition remission veteran benefit

·         Returning veterans don’t pay tuition

·         Since also get no state money for them, results in other students paying for veterans’ education

·         May engage in Delaware Cost Study – lot of work to feed in information, but allows us to norm ourselves nationally for spending by discipline or major to educate an undergraduate student

·         Can uncover discrepancies internally and externally; would be useful information to have

·         Others don’t see current situation as a crisis because budget remains same as last year

·         Is crisis for students not knowing about scholarships to replace loans forced to take

·         Is crisis for institution because started spending money once year began; may leave smaller pot for second year

·         Governor has persistently said he will support higher education; certainly higher education has supported governor’s initiatives

·         Wisconsin Taxpayers Association reported that if followed percentage of budget in 1994:

·         Universities would have $68 million more

·         Corrections would have $66 million less

·         All other state agencies would be a wash

·         Not sure that is best investment can make for future

·         Although looking at vacancies as they occur, not in favor of freezing vacancies because that is haphazard way of dealing with budget cuts

·         Board of Regents has asked us to start looking at scenarios

·         Resolution pointed to two options: reducing number of students served and tuition surcharges

·         All trying to figure out what that gap will be – probably significant percentage of tuition

·         Faculty/staff to do battle against women’s hockey team on October 13, 2007 at Hobbs Arena

 

III.   Unfinished Business

·         None

 

IV.   New Business

·         None

 

V.      University Senate Chair’s/Faculty Representative’s Report – Chair Wood

·         Sent brief report over email – refer you to that

·         Exhortation borrowed from Madison faculty representative with instructions on how to write legislators

·         Report on clicker elections

·         Worked very well

·         Were 58 voters: 36 faculty, 2 academic staff with faculty status, and 20 University Academic Staff

·         59 clickers used; one replaced because ran out of battery

·         All votes aligned with correct eligibility of vote casters except in two cases

·         One faculty person voted in Academic Staff Personnel Committee election; vote was negated and did not change outcome

·         One University Academic Staff person voted in Academic Policies Committee election; again vote negated and outcome not affected

 

VI.   Academic Staff Representative’s Report – Senator Brockpahler

·         See pink academic staff representative’s report; if have questions, feel free to ask me

 

VII.    Reportable Items from Committees

¨       Faculty Personnel Committee – Senator McAleer

¨       Nominating Committee – Senator Don

·         Met and reelected Senator Don chair

 

VIII. Special Reports

·         None

 

IX.   Miscellaneous Business

·         None

 

X.      Announcements

·         None

 

Without objection, meeting adjourned at 3:23 p.m.

 

Submitted by,

 

Wanda Schulner

Secretary to the University Senate

 

 

Post-Meeting Program

               

                Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff Higher Learning Commission Focus Groups