Chair’s Report for
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
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.
1.
Change deadline
for Promotion Decisions
2.
Ownership
Interests for Online Courses Frequently Asked Questions
1.
Leaders of Colleges and Universities Committees in State Assembly and
Senate now seem to agree that UW-System has taken fair share of cuts; Apparently
they intend to write letter to Governor Doyle stating just that; letter not yet
sent
2.
Wondering about UW-System stance on increased health care premiums during
year when talking 0% pay increase; President
Lyall asked System Compensation Advisory Committee
for reaction to possibly increasing what willing to pay for health care
premiums even further in exchange for larger increase in pay plan; She is looking
for what to go to Board of Regents with in October - Seen as more than just
trade-off – is structural change; Health care costs also expanding at faster
rate; Starting in January, will be three tiers with premiums becoming
progressively higher - Should know soon what exact premiums will be; already
know providers in each tier; Option of choosing plan at no cost no longer
available; everyone will pay something; As of yet, does not include people
covered by collective bargaining; For people in certain plans, may not be a big
difference in employee cost
Faculty Reps Meeting –
August 29
1.
Reps discussed what it means to be a Faculty Rep and suggested topics
for discussion for the future – retention, assessment, collaboration, health
insurance, workload, program array, faculty member’s
retention criteria. Reps serving on the five Regent working groups for
“Charting a New Course for the UW System” were noted. Others serving on each
committee include: academic staff, faculty, student, Chancellor, Regent as
Chair, two other Regents, and system personnel.
2.
Chancellor Bill Messner of the Colleges
provided an overview of the Board of Regents. He then spoke about the role
differences of the Tech colleges and the two-year colleges within the UW
System. Legislators continue to ask for a seamless system between the two
systems.
3.
Institutional reports: Whitewater – low replacement rate of faculty,
increased teaching load for AS, great concern is the potential for increased
cost of health care; UW-Milwaukee – increased enrollment, chancellor search;
Extension – reaching adults locally, rising cost of health care results in
actual pay cut, will host outreach scholarship conference; Colleges – no
layoffs but fewer hires, working on salary improvement plan, concern about
health plan cost, need info on merit systems; Oshkosh – seeking opinions on
compensation, hosting October Board meeting, looking at policies for cost
savings, increased number of AS and contracts are shorter, most of summer
school eliminated, number of sections and numbers of computers replaced was
down; Stout – 2nd year of wireless laptops for students, centralized
advising center, reorganized School of Ed, increased focus on
assessment…especially for quality of instruction, push to lower credits to
degree… philosophically controversial; Superior – new mission “liberal arts
college of the UW System”, no sabbaticals, no travel to speak of, concerned
about 0% salary increase, finalizing grade appeal process; River Falls – instituted
program assessment, midst of GE revision, examining administrator evaluation
system; Green Bay – workload, pay, morale, strategic budgeting; LaCrosse – lost 18 faculty, looking at reorganization,
campus morale, loss of younger faculty, planned drop in enrollment; Parkside – examining FYE from bookstore to classroom,
teacher ed council; Stevens Point – new instrument for student evaluations of
faculty, educating students, faculty, administration in appropriate use of
instrument, salary inequities.
Board of Regents Meeting –
Sept. 4-5
1.
Prior
to the official beginning of the Committees, five separate working groups met
to work on various aspects of the study “Charting a New Course for the UW
System”. These groups include: Research & Public Service Missions, Revenue
Authority & Other Opportunities, Redefining Educational Quality, Achieving
Operating Efficiencies, and Our Partnership with the State. http://www.uwsa.edu/srvpadm/study/index.htm;
summary at http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2003/09_sept2003/030905b_ggsummary.pdf
2.
The
new chair of the Education committee, Jose Olivieri,
opened the meeting by stating he wants to have more discussions and fewer
presentations. Cora Marrett, UW System vice president
for academic affairs, outlined the role of and agenda for the Education
Committee.
3.
The
committee also: had the first reading of a proposed new program authorization
for a master's of science degree in physician assistant studies at UW-La Crosse;
accepted the 2002 Report on Undergraduate Drop Rates; and appointed
Dr. Susan Goelzer to the Blue Cross & Blue Shield
Oversight and Advisory Committee.
4.
In
the Business & Finance Committee, members heard a final report on the
limited-term employee conversion pilot program at UW-Madison. The program
converted 51full-time LTE to permanent classified status and has helped produce
a more stable workforce for the university.
5.
The
Physical Planning & Funding Committee approved $277,400 to construct a
parking lot on UW-Eau Claire's upper campus and $417,000 for a lighting project
at UW-Eau Claire's Bollinger Fields.
6.
At
Friday’s full-board meeting, the 12th Annual Regent’s Teaching
Awards (Dr. Janna Cowen, Economics – UW-
7.
President
Lyall Lyall reminded the
board that budget cuts have meant noticeable changes for students and employees
on all UW campuses. Both internal and external members of the UW community will
notice fewer courses, longer lines and slower services…. Lyall
also said that in addition to the $250 million reduction in state funding for
the UW System over the next two years, the Department of Administration has not
yet decided how to allocate additional cuts stemming from the Governor’s
vetoes—which could add up to as much as another $20 million to the UW System
cuts. In addition, Lyall noted that the UW might have
to spend as much as $8 million more for increased health insurance costs; is
still facing a $6 million shortfall in utility funds; and could lose up to
$700,000 from the state to assist disabled students.
8.
In
accordance with state statutes, the Board of Regents made its annual adjustment
of salary ranges for UW senior executives earlier this week in a teleconference
meeting. No pay raises were approved. At Friday’s meeting, Regent Nino Amato of
Legislative Update
2.
The Speaker’s Task Force on the Wisconsin Technical College System has
invited UW System President Katharine C. Lyall and
WTCS President Richard Carpenter to address the committee about credit transfer
issues on Tuesday, Sept. 9.