Chair’s Report for May 8, 2001

 

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. Senate Chair’s Report will be available on this site by noon on the day of the Senate meeting.

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.

 

Faculty Reps Meeting

1.        It is now law that all PI in charge of research funded by Federal Grants need to complete special Humans Subjects training. Steve Bialek, Academic Planner at UW System, presented 3 options for conducting such training within System. Something will be up and running by August. (1) Each institution develops its own training. (2) Central Administration develops one type of training for everyone. Probably would be similar to current Madison system involving 167 screens of text. (3) Buy into a consortium at $800 for the first year and $500 thereafter which provides on-line training, quizzes, and certification of completion. Each institution could customize one module of the on-line training. Training takes 4-6 hours to complete.

2.        PK-16 Leadership Council update. In April 2002 System will receive a report card from the Federal Government on Teacher Education. This report will cover all schools/colleges in the state. We are being asked to make sure we what we teach in the University prepares PK-12 teachers to teach the students in order to meet PK-12 standards.

3.        Request to look at establishing common spring breaks across the system – too difficult. Each campus has specific reasons, typically community-based reasons, for setting spring break. Idea will probably not be pursued.

4.        Update on feasibility of 12-month pay plan for academic year unclassified staff. Response from Sue Chamberlain, Director of Staff Benefits and Payroll Policy:  “Our current payroll system does not support paying academic year appointees over a period of 12 months”. George Brooks, Associate VP, Human Resources responded: “Why they want to give interest free loans to the state is beyond my comprehension. We will not pursue this issue as long as we still operate our legacy payroll system. However, this flexibility may be offered in the Lawson software and if it is, we’ll make it available.”

5.        Brief survey around the table of reps was conducted to determine how many campuses link tenure with promotion to associate professor. While commonly done, only two campuses appeared to have the link a written rule.

6.        System Legal Council, Pat Brady, will be invited to a future Reps meeting to help clarify rules surrounding Open Records and what should and should not be put in a personnel file in terms of employee evaluations.

 

Board of Regents Meeting – next meeting May 10-11 in River Falls

 

Legislative Update - http://www.uwsa.edu/univ_rel/govrel/lupdate/index.htm

1.        Joint Finance Committee, May 4. Joint Finance Committee votes to NOT include the UW System in Department of E-government. Senator Brian Burke (D-Milwaukee) wrote a budget amendment to exclude the UW System from the proposed Department of E-government that passed the committee today on a 9-7 vote. Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) joined all eight Democrats in passing the amendment. The Burke amendment was a modification to a larger amendment offered by Rep. John Gard (R-Peshtigo) creating the new department. The Gard amendment (modified by the Burke amendment) was then passed unanimously by the committee. This vote follows a recommendation by the secretary of the Department of Administration to the committee that the UW System be excluded. This is just the first step in the budget process. Each house of the legislature will have to approve this action.

2.        Assembly Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, May 2. Voted 10 - 0 in favor of AB243: prohibits the Board of Regents of UW System and Higher Educational Aids Board from providing state financial assistance to a student who is required to register with Selective Service and has not done so.

3.        Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, April 17. Voted 9 - 1 in favor of AB320: creates income tax and franchise tax credit for businesses that pay tuition for an individual to attend a university, college, or technical college.

4.        May 15: Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee, 10:00 a.m., Legacy Room, University Center, UW Stevens Point. AB 371 (formerly LRB 2914) will be discussed. This bill requires that the governor appoint one student regent from a list of recommendations submitted by student governments and creates a second student position on the BOR for a non-traditional student. UW System representatives will give a presentation on class options for non-traditional students.