UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-EAU CLAIRE

UNIVERSITY SENATE MEETING

VOL. 43, NO. 2

October 10, 2006

Members Present:

Rose Battalio, Judy Blackstone, Janice Bogstad, Marcia Bollinger, Jacqueline Bonneville, Don Bredle, Jennifer Brockpahler, Maria DaCosta, Barbara Davis, Patrick Day, Gary Don, Michael Dorsher, Selika Ducksworth-Lawton, Jeff Erger, Leslie Foster, Jessica Franson, Mitchell Freymiller, Warren Gallagher, Alan Gallaher, Andrea Gapko, Susan Harrison, Ann Hoffman, Robert Hollon, Larry Honl, Robert Hooper, Rose Jadack, Debra Jansen, Jennifer Johs-Artisensi, Harry Jol, Fred Kolb, Heather Kretz, Jennifer Lee, Brian Levin-Stankevich, Tim Lippold, Bruce Lo, David Lonzarich, Barbara Lozar, Steven Majstorovic, Karl Markgraf, Susan Mc Intyre, Sean McAleer, Mike Morrison, Jill Prushiek, Donna Raleigh, Scott Robertson, Sherrie Serros, Earl Shoemaker, Laurie St. Aubin-Whelihan, Jan Stirm, Kent Syverson, Lois Taft, Steve Tallant, Charles Vue, Sharon Westphal, Scott Whitfield, Michael Wick, Deborah Wright

Members Absent:

Robin Baker, Paul Butrymowicz, Margaret Devine, Todd Hostager, Bill Jacobsen, Sue Moore, Tarique Niazi, Mehdi Sheikholeslami, Nick Smiar, Lorraine Smith, Troy Terhark, Max Von Klein, Marty Wood, Rebecca Wurzer

Guests:

Kris Anderson, Donald Christian, Stephanie Jamelske, Jim Oberly, Katherine Rhoades, Mike Rindo, Andrew Soll, Christopher Wagner

The regular meeting of University Senate was called to order by Chair Harrison at 3:03 p.m. on Tuesday, October 10, 2006 in the Tamarack Room of Davies Center.

I. Minutes of September 12, 2006 University Senate meeting approved as distributed

II. Chancellor’s Remarks – Chancellor Levin-Stankevich

· Continues to be busy semester catching up with everything and undertaking new things

· Have gone to number of department annual meetings

· Helpful and informative; opportunity to learn more about university at program/major level

· Searches ongoing

· Have constituted provost search committee – Jim Oberly to update senate on progress

· Talked to committee about my perception of provost/vice chancellor position

· Mentioned to committee that I did not come here with a provost in the wings; this is completely open search

· Do know number of people and have colleagues out there that I will encourage to apply

· One reason I did not proceed in spring as chancellor-designate to begin search was needed time to meet faculty, staff and students and understand campus and our students, nature of university and system in which we work

· Now have better sense of most desirable characteristics for provost for University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire as opposed to generic what would I like in a provost

· Look forward to successful search

· Search for Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research and Sponsored Programs has begun

· Last year had failed search for position; Karen Havholm fortunately stayed as interim

· Election coming up for members of search and screen committee – will have results by October 23, 2006

· Chancellor will probably add one or two other members to committee

· To fill position as soon as possible

· Concluded interviews for Assistant to Chancellor for Affirmative Action; waiting to hear back from candidate on that position

· Have agenda item today on selecting members of search committee for Assistant to Chancellor for Strategic Planning

· Going to University Planning Committee for two additional members from there

· Will also be moving forward on that search

· Visited last week by John Maliyakal, Executive Director of WiSys, a branch of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)

· Impressed with presentation

· WiSys parallels at comprehensive universities in system what WARF does at Madison

· Encourages development of research leading to patents, marketable products, and intellectual property

· Means we don’t have to replicate those resources at university level

· Already worked out formulae for intellectual property compensation

· As university, will actively participate through in-kind contributions and support as needed on project by project basis with WiSys

· Director confident he can continue to build these relationships on our campus

· Bill Ponder, a former colleague, came to campus for three days; now working on final report looking at student recruitment and retention efforts around diversity

· Met with faculty in arts and sciences and education as well as staff involved with recruiting and working with student diversity programs on campus

· Got sense of flavor of Eau Claire and kinds of experiences students who come to our university might have

· Will make report available as soon as received

· Homecoming was good weekend

· Gratifying to see number of arrests was down – that is positive considering larger crowds of students and alumni because of good weather

· Unfortunately also was reported sexual assault now being investigated

· Events like these always worrisome

· Karl Markgraf and Steve Tallant leave tomorrow for China

· Trip sponsored through American Association of State Colleges and Universities One-Two-One Program

· Chinese student participants attend their Chinese university for one year, come to American counterpart university for years two and three, and then go back to China for final year

· Student success rate for obtaining visas much higher (96%) than those coming under 2 + 2 programs where finish degree in US and less likely to return to China

· Universities successful in getting into this program attract good and interesting students from China to their campuses as well as using program to develop additional linkages with Chinese counterpart universities

· Students completing program get dual degree from both universities

· All privately funded; parents footing bill

· Ultimately, should we be successful at entry into this program, will need to look at curriculum issues around dual degree and what we can count towards various degree requirements with Chinese institutions

· University team met for first time with Mike Huggins, Eau Claire City Manager; will continue to meet with his administration

· Have bridge program that works with neighborhoods around university on town/gown relationship issues

· Lot more that we can do

· Share facilities, particularly athletic facilities, with common interests around physical plant issues and maintaining river banks

· One of topics in wake of death of LaCrosse student was safety of river site

· Talked about doing river walk with community people, students, police and city officials to discuss efforts to reduce accidental student entry into river

· University Police do have student patrols paying particular attention to entries into river – will work with city to try to expand that presence and awareness

· Have spent much of week preparing for release of most recent audit of UW-System by Legislative Audit Bureau (LAB); due on Friday

· Two primary areas of focus; are some little ticklers on side that could blow up into issues too

· Use of consultants

· Do not use a lot of consultants here; used for chancellor searches, talking about one in provost search

· Have number of people on payroll using consultant title because is legitimate state title for short term

· Director of development is consultant – that is high visibility position so will have to deal with that

· This university has higher proportion of consultants than most of others due to historic factors

· Use of personal sick time by faculty and staff is focus of bigger part of audit

· Use of sick time considerably less than employees at other agencies

· Audit sees that as misuse of sick time

· Will lead to more detailed look at institutional practices – enforcement issues and educating people about policies

· Audit in 1980’s resulted in limit on number of sick days counted per year toward retirement benefits; as institutions showed greater compliance with regulations, those limits waived

· Responses to questions and comments from floor

· If candidates for public office come to door, you can tell them whatever you want; there you are private citizen

· Better to start talking more about importance of university system to state and citizens and less about things that have little to do with outcomes

· Many states are reinvesting in universities with surplus tax revenues from improved economy; if Wisconsin does not see same reinvestment, will continue to be less competitive for faculty recruitment and retention

· Want to get legislators to focus on UW-Eau Claire, when talk is very complimentary; as distance further to talk about UW-System, it turns bad

· Try to explain University of Wisconsin is getting hit but still doing great things here

III. Chair’s Report – Chair Harrison

· Process used for establishing search committee for Assistant to Chancellor for Strategic Planning

· Position not part of any established unit on campus, nor is it considered an academic administrator position; handbook silent on rules of forming such search committees

· Chancellor had prerogative of appointing committee of any size of anyone; he chose to involve governance in process

· So University Senate and University Planning Committee will each provide two members to search committee

· Students will provide one member

· Chancellor will, at his discretion, add two members of his own choosing

· Commend chancellor for including governance in process

IV. Faculty Representative’s Report – Senator Wick

· Faculty representatives met two weeks ago – talked about number of issues specific to reps; few things came up that would like to make you aware of

· Governor is talking about another 10% administrator reduction at system level

· Lot of discussion about whether made good case for needed salary increases; basic conclusion was that we have not and no one had idea as to what good case might look like

· Brought up star funds and how those are being used

· Are now faculty recruitment and retention funds

· Use varies by campus

· Doing survey to find out how campuses react to salary savings when someone retires and someone new comes in at lower salary; what happens to those funds

· Talked about LAB audit report and that we need to get our responses back very quickly

· Board of Regents committee dealing with UWS Chapter 7 meeting to go over latest feedback on October 17, 2006

V. Academic Staff Representative’s Report – Senator Blackstone

· Report sent in senate packets

· At first meeting, President Reilly talked about Growth Agenda, upcoming elections, and position of Board of Regents on questions of interest

· Included Growth Agenda and questions for candidates for elective office in packets as President Reilly requested

· Also talked about UWS Chapter 11 – expedited disciplinary process for academic staff

· Next meeting will be teleconference on October 12, 2006

VI. Announcements

· Next meeting of University Senate is October 24, 2006

· Open forum on October 31, 2006 will be discussion of goals of baccalaureate

VII. Unfinished Business

· None

VIII. Reports of Committees

¨ Executive Committee – Chair Harrison

• Committee met on October 3, 2006

· Decided representation in Homecoming Parade was optional

· Chancellor presented plans for forming search committee for Assistant to Chancellor for Strategic Planning

· Draft document on Establishing and Implementing Criminal Background Check Policies and Practices discussed

· Committee went into closed session to consult with Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor Havholm on appointments to University Research and Creative Activity Council and the Professional Development Advisory Committee

¨ Faculty Personnel Committee – Senator McAleer

• Met in open meeting on September 19, 2006 and approved response to UWS Chapter 7 which included

· Concern with proceedings being triggered when person merely charged

· Concern that back pay was discretionary and not mandatory if person not terminated

• On October 5, 2006, discussed reaction to criminal background checks; response reported to Jan Morse

FOR THE RECORD

Without objection, Response to UW-System Final Draft Chapter 7 entered into record

¨ Academic Staff Personnel Committee – Senator Blackstone

• Met in September to discuss and formulate response to UWS Chapter 11 – response available on website
• On September 29, 2006, met to talk about local implementation policies for criminal background checks that system now requires for all new employees
• Will be discussing background checks policy again on October 13, 2006

FOR THE RECORD

Without objection, Response to UW-System Final Draft Chapter 11 entered into record

¨ Academic Policies Committee – Senator Hollon

· Next meeting October 17, 2006

FOR THE RECORD

Without objection, International Education items entered into record as follows:

1 Remove dormant International Education Programs in LaRochelle, France, Nursing England Study Abroad, and London Student Teaching

2 Close Study Abroad Program in Caen, France

3 Close Wisconsin in Scotland Program and open Study in Scotland Program

¨ Physical Plant Planning Committee – Senator Kolb

· Meet October 17, 2006

· Respond to input from people around campus – if have issues please contact committee

¨ Budget Committee – Senator Whitfield

· No report

¨ Compensation Committee – Vice Chair Gapko

· Met on September 26, 2006

· UW-System Advisory Committee on Compensation to meet on October 13, 2006 in Madison; members Gapko and Wick to attend

· Will schedule next meeting after final committee member elected today

¨ Nominating Committee – Senator Don

· Met on September 26, 2006

· Elected chair, set standard meeting time, and contacted academic staff to find names to put forward for Compensation Committee

¨ Technology Committee – Senator Jol

· Met September 26, 2006 – organizational meeting to discuss where to go this year

· Next meeting October 16, 2006

· Soliciting information from all technology committees on campus to find out which are active and what issues they are looking at

· Next meeting also getting update from Craig Mey, Director of Learning and Technology Services

· Feel free to contact committee on any issues

IX. Special Reports – Report on Provost Search and Screen Committee – Chair Jim Oberly

· Senators that are members of committee are Karl Markgraf and Sue Mc Intyre; have thirteen members in all

· Search for provost and vice chancellor is wide open – important to hear that from chancellor

· Chancellor welcome to nominate people; so is everyone in room

· Want to get deepest, widest pool possible; off to a good start

· Handout includes draft of position announcement, position description and campus organizational chart

· Committee looking for help and guidance on position announcement

· Soliciting opinions and ideas to effectively craft announcement to attract very best people

· If there are things we have overlooked, please call it to our attention

· Position description taken directly from Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook

· Don’t believe it has been changed for some time; are things that are outdated

· If you see things that require changing, please let us know

· Call on people in University Senate and campus community to consider nominating good people on and off campus

· Will ask those nominees to submit applications

· Committee later will review those applications, develop list of candidates, and eventually present at least three finalists to chancellor, any one of which we would welcome as next provost and vice chancellor

· As for timeline, will be thorough and expeditious

· Hope to have three good finalists for chancellor’s consideration before April

· Expectation is that next provost and vice chancellor will start on July 1, 2006

· Will be on senate agenda regularly to report

X. Miscellaneous Business

A. First Reading – Motion from Academic Policies Committee

Report on Holistic Admissions – Senator Hollon

· Committee bringing forward motion to review admissions policy as suggested by system-wide advisory group in response to legal decisions that require moving away from quantitative measures

· Proposal would increase flexibility in admission policy with more freedom to make sound decisions about who is being admitted to university

· Response to questions on clarity of report

· These are changes in catalogue copy

· In admissions, will have expectation sheet for both freshmen and transfer students that will lay out some numbers about class rank and ACT/SAT scores; would give students some sense of odds of admission

· Intent of holistic admissions is to move away from minimums

· As a result of University of Michigan case, can use race as factor in admissions, but not as part of formulaic, mechanical process

· Need to take non-academic factors into consideration

· Would like to remind people that most of our marginal students are not minorities

· Basically formalizing what admissions already doing

· Academic advising provides much data – characteristics of freshman class

· Clearly class rank is best determinant for retention and graduation

· Is real break point below which students are at risk

· ACT scores and core curriculum also important

· Most students on bubble would be postponed students

· Admitted depending upon room in freshman class; don’t really have data on those 40 to 50 students each year

· Data indicate freshman to sophomore year retention is 83%, don’t see gap between standard admits and students from wait list

· For students of color, freshman/sophomore retention last year was 84%; on track for closing achievement gap

· Core requirements are Board of Regents requirements; UW-System takes integrated math 1, 2, and 3 as equivalent to algebra, geometry, and algebra 2

· Students need exact sequence, but system has accepted those for three years of math

Motion 43-AP-01

MOVED and seconded by Academic Policies Committee (9 for, 0 against) that the holistic admissions policy described in the attached document be approved.

Debate

· System legal has asked that our policy be to them by October 15, 2006; date is already an extension

· Our transfer admission requirements are tied to our freshman admission requirements; so if we are going to amend freshman requirements, must also amend transfer requirements

· Need to get rid of minimum requirements

· Eau Claire has highest credit requirement for transfer students (30 credits), but lowest GPA requirement (2.0)

· Part of discussion APC held was do we want to get those kinds of students later in process or would we like to get better students earlier in process

· Will have same kind of sheet indicating average GPA for specific programs; are number of programs that have higher transfer admission requirements

· Geared toward flexibility, but also toward giving us latitude on year to year basis to be able to hold to some higher requirements

MOTION by Senator Gallaher that we suspend the rules to vote on this today seconded and PASSED by two-thirds vote.

MOTION by Senator Ducksworth-Lawton to move the previous motion died for lack of second.

Continued Debate on Motion

· None

Vote on Motion 43-AP-01: Motion PASSED by University Faculty Senators.

B. Election for Vacancy on University Senate Compensation Committee

· Nominees: Robin Baker, Athletics; Paul Butrymowicz, University Centers; Heather Kretz, Admissions

· No additional nominations from floor

POINT OF ORDER: Handbook language states Compensation Committee includes two University Faculty and two University Academic Staff elected by the senate, two members elected by and from the University Faculty and two members elected by and from the University Academic Staff.

· Members from senate are elected by the senate – so elected by all senators

Elected to the University Senate Compensation Committee – Heather Kretz

C. Selection of Senate Representatives on Screening Committee for Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Strategic Planning

· Method for responding to this request not in bylaws; appropriate at this time for motion to determine that process

MOTION by Vice Chair Gapko because position is university wide and affects all faculty and academic staff at the institution and since request is for two members, that one faculty and one academic staff member from this body be elected seconded and PASSED.

MOTION by Senator Hollon that nominations for both categories be solicited from floor and election be conducted by ballot today seconded and PASSED without dissention.

Continued Discussion and Nominations from Floor

· Charge was for two members from senate – chancellor turned to senate for names, intent was for university-wide body to present university-wide perspective on search as opposed to more constituent-based perspective

· Don’t have preference, would seem reasonable someone involved in senate would have that perspective

· Elections can be held today if nominees are members of senate and agree to run; if nominees from outside of senate, election would not be held today because would have to confirm willingness to serve

· Position funded through vacant administrative position and non-state funding

· Intent of motion was that it would be from this body; without objection, nominees will be from senate

· Nominees

· Jennifer Lee – Academic Staff

· Marcia Bollinger – Academic Staff

· Steven Majstorovic – Faculty

· Janice Bogstad – Faculty

· No additional nominations from floor

Elected to the Screening Committee for Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Strategic Planning – Jennifer Lee and Steven Majstorovic.

Additional miscellaneous business

· None

Without objection, meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m.

Submitted by,

Wanda Schulner

Secretary to the University Senate