Chair’s Report for
Senate reminders
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.
1. Post-Tenure Review
Faculty Reps Meeting –
October 1 teleconference
1. Inclusivity Initiative –
System administration now interested in expanding benefits; implications on
economic development; looking for ways to garner support; proposing UW
Environment Climate Study – now in planning stage; task is to develop and
recognize all talent; overwhelming endorsement on Inclusivity by both
chancellors and provost; bringing concept before Board in November.
2. Many senates working on
resolutions related to defense of marriage and desire for domestic partner
benefits. (see web site http://www.uwec.edu/usenate/DP_Links.htm
); concern if we push forward on resolutions, may anger legislators – not good
in budget year; System trying to calculate cost of funding domestic partner
benefits – depends on who covered – all domestic partners or just same sex
partners; plan to discuss merits of issue first in terms of recruitment then
discuss cost later
3. Desire of UW to ‘get our
from under state control’. Big cost to state to let us separate; no apparent
benefits to state to let go – only to UW; will be part of future conversations
with Governor
4. Suggestions given on
what faculty speakers should include when presenting to Regents on problems
with recruitment and retention given current overall benefit package.
5. Much discussion on the
Legislative Audit (see web site for Day 1 of UW Regent’s meeting)
6. Reports from the institutions
(major items noted): Green Bay –
questioning type of funding for summer school; La Crosse – student advising initiative, review of GE goals, review
of past budget reductions; Madison –
talking about data collected on faculty lost and replacement costs; Milwaukee – discussing need for criminal
background checks, HR directors met, consensus that requiring background checks
for recruitment and hiring would create chilling effect; Oshkosh – looking at process for transition to retirement, keeping
those retired close to campus; Parkside
– endorsed part of credit transfer
agreement but attached assessment piece on to the transfer course selections; Platteville –conducting study on status of
librarians, conflict arising between faculty and administration over tri-state
initiative which involves first few years of initiative being taught by
non-tenure line faculty, administration inserted line in faculty search ads
[something like] ‘may have to teach distance courses … needs office skills’;
senate concern for lack of resources for full faculty meetings where cost to
hold meeting unbelievable and no budget to support meetings; Stevens Point –discussing marriage
amendment, working on salary compression issue; Superior – will bring forward marriage resolutions, also resolution
on budget; personnel reviewing each department plan for faculty review of
promotion and retention, producing ‘Superior Yellow Book’ a role model for
faculty to use, trying to eliminate the need for parking permits in summer; Whitewater – concern about cuts on
campus, SCH and FTE discussion, internal problems in IAS hiring, repeat policy
adjustment; Extension – department
asked to give position statement on how to address controversial issues, trying
to create a preamble for extension, workshops for probationary faculty to
include: standards, tenure orientation, forum on scholarship, portfolio system
showing how to document work.
Board of Regents Meeting
– October 7 & 8 at UW-Superior
1. The UW Regents news
summaries are available online: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2004/r041007.htm
and http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/2004/r041008b.htm.
Key items include:
·
Legislative
Audit Bureau’s report – presentation and discussion on the review of university
staffing levels (Powerpoint presentation available on-line)
·
Advice
from Frank Goldberg, UW System associate vice president for policy analysis,
gleaned over six years of analyzing data as indicators of UW System quality
·
Faculty
Retention and Recruitment discussion [HIGHLY
RECOMMEND READING THIS SECTION]
2. Listening sessions on UW
System priorities – first session October 18, here at UWEC from