Chair’s Report for February 27, 2000

 

Senate update

1.        Important links to agendas, minutes, Chair's Reports and other sites of interest are available
on the Senate web site: http://www.uwec.edu/Usenate

2.        During debates, Senators may speak only twice to any motion or amendment. Each speaking term is limited to 10 minutes. The Chair will add names of those wishing to speak to a speaker's list upon recognition.

 

 

Open Forum Items from Senate Executive Committee Meeting minutes

1.        Request that Executive Committee bring motion to University Senate floor to open committee membership on three University Senate Committees (Academic Policies, Budget, and Technology) to non-University Senate members

·         Reasoning for request

·         Practical – interested in serving on such committees, but not Senator

·         Philosophical – why all University Senate Committees not treated equally?

Discussion by committee

·         When changed makeup of Senate concern was that some University Senate Committees contained more non-senators than senators

·         Also required chairs of Senate committees to be senators

·         Some committees made up partially of non-senators for specific reasons; others all senators for specific reasons

·         All committees meet openly; those with positive contributions to make can attend any meeting

·         Consensus of committee to put as agenda item on March 6^th Executive Committee meeting for discussion prior to talking to specific Senate committees involved

 

2.        Question raised why university with student focus does not have full-time Dean of Students

·         Used to be Assistant Vice Chancellor for Students Affairs

·         Position eliminated during major reorganization

·         Do have part-time Dean of Students and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

·         At time of search for Dean of Students, already had two full-time associate deans; no funding for full-time dean

 

3.        Faculty around campus asking about $300,000 Faculty Development Program recently announced by Provost

·         Where $300,000 coming from?

·         Other concern is 20% release time for new faculty

·         Appointments to committee to review proposals for faculty development funds to be considered at next Executive Committee meeting

·         Do we need third committee (in addition to Academic Staff Professional Development Committee and NET) or could role of NET be expanded for this purpose?

 

Other Items from Senate Executive Committee Meetings

1.        Article Two of University Faculty and University Academic Staff Constitution lists Nonteaching Academic Staff Awards Committee; Chapter 6 contains section on faculty and academic staff awards

·         Some of recommendations suggested by Chair Harrison to clarify

·         University Faculty Awards Committee be included in constitution

·         Excellence in Advising Award be included in Chapter 6; process for advising award be established

 

2.        University Senate action on Nepotism policy being held by Chancellor Mash for further consideration

• Revisions referred to System Legal Department

·         UW-Eau Claire Handbook outdated; saw need to clarify proposed revisions

• Ad hoc committee with members from personnel committees to be established to review issue, both current System policy on nepotism and revisions suggested by Faculty Personnel Committee, and report back to Executive Committee

 

 

Legislative Update

 

March 7-UW Day: Building Wisconsin’s Future

Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison. A major celebration of public higher education. Governor McCallum will give remarks at 6:30 p.m. Each of the 15 UW institutions will be presenting exhibits that include cutting edge technology, educational partnerships and community involvement.  More information is available at: www.wisconsin.edu

 

Assembly Bill 148: Prohibits High School Graduation Exam to be Required for UW admission.
Representative Wasserman (D-Milwaukee) and Senator Grobschmidt (D-South Milwaukee) proposed legislation that prohibits the UW System from requiring students applying to a UW institution to have taken the high school graduation exam. Referred to Committee on Colleges and Universities.

 

Budget address = http://www.doa.state.wi.us/debf/sbo/state_budget/0103_exec_budget/pdf_files/0103bib.pdf

 

Selected key points related to UWEC:

The Governor recommends providing an additional $56 million GPR to the University of Wisconsin System over the biennium, a portion of which will help fund a number of significant initiatives.

§         To address expanding employment opportunities in knowledge-based occupations, provide $3,407,500 PR-O (fees) in FY02 and $5,836,500 GPR/fees in FY03 to increase undergraduate enrollment in information technology and biotechnology disciplines. The overall funding should allow the University of Wisconsin System to increase enrollment by approximately 600 students over the biennium. It is expected that increased enrollments will generate a significant amount of fee revenue.

§         To address the needs of adult and lifelong learners, require the University of Wisconsin System to offer at least 15 percent of all undergraduate courses in the evening, on the weekend or electronically.

§         To address the opportunities to expand the University of Wisconsin System’s on-line offerings:

o         Provide $3 million PR-S in FY02 to the University of Wisconsin-Extension’s Learning Innovations to expand its capacity to produce Internet-based, for-credit courses.

o        Provide $250,000 PR-S in FY02 to Learning Innovations to implement Wisconsin Worldwide, a program to market Wisconsin on-line courses internationally.

o        Provide $1 million PR-S in FY02 to the Wisconsin Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory, a collaborative effort between the University of Wisconsin System, the Wisconsin Technical College System and the Department of Defense to standardize systems for delivering on-line instruction.

§         To enhance the University of Wisconsin System’s research and data sharing capabilities:

o         Provide $2 million PR-S in FY02 to implement Internet 2 access on University of Wisconsin campuses, which will greatly expand the system’s capability to transmit data and conduct research over the World Wide Web.

o        Provide $500,000 PR-S in FY02 for wireless networking to create portable links to the Internet.

§         To improve the link between undergraduate education and the state’s work force needs, provide $750,000 PR and 15.0 FTE positions in FY03 to enhance student career counseling and advising services.

§         To address the University of Wisconsin System’s need for additional flexibility:

o        Provide the Board of Regents with full flexibility to set tuition rates consistent with programming needs. The ability of the governing board to set tuition and expend the resulting revenues is an authority delegated to boards in many other states.

o        Authorize the board to create GPR base-funded positions with the approval of the secretary of the Department of Administration.

o        Authorize the board to create PR-funded positions for courses that charge tuition on a fee recovery basis. This will enable the University of Wisconsin System to respond to the demand for customized courses and other instructional programs for which participants pay full cost.