Chair’s Report for April 12,
2005
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.
Other Items
discussed with the Chair
1.
Open Forum in University Senate Executive Committee
Issue of administrators with backup faculty positions being on University
Faculty ballot for chancellor search and screen committee candidates discussed;
Academic Staff has similar issue with several directors on ballot; Name
recognition helps them get elected; also advantage at system level where may be
known; Seems clear-cut anyone above department chair level would be an administrator;
Administrators serving on other faculty and academic staff committees has also
been issue; Question whether eligibility should be contingent on maintaining
50% or more appointment in academic department; As long as elected, would not
want to exclude those faculty and academic staff; if they win election, others
apparently think appropriate for them to be on committees; Will put item on
agenda at later date for discussion
2.
Special Regent Committee for the Chancellor Search &
Screen consists of Regents Peggy Rosenzweig (chair),
Charles Pruitt, Jesus Salas, and Eileen Connolly-Keesler.
Chair Rosenzweig and President Reilly will be on
campus May 17 from 1:00 to 3:00 to charge the search and screen committee.
Faculty Reps
Meeting – April 1 in
1.
Universal Design – Ways to promote the concept of
universal design in an effort to make our institutions more accessible for all
people, including those with disabilities were discussed.
2.
The public release of information gathered via faculty
evaluations by students was discussed. It was generally agreed that if the
questions were used for formative purposes, the results would not go into a
personnel file. Faculty reps decided a more definitive answer was needed and requested
a future meeting with System Legal.
3.
The concept of a holistic approach for undergraduate
admissions was discussed. One cannot look only at students who are diverse, but
must look at the entire set of qualifications of a person in view of the campus
diversity plan.
4.
Questions concerning the role of faculty in approving
courses for distance education were raised. Are all courses delivered for
credit on-line also approved by a curriculum committee? What about non-credit
courses? Are all instructors hired through regular processes? Are all
for-credit certificate programs also approved?
5.
System Administration has a hiring freeze on all
administrative vacancies at system. Academic Affairs area now taking on
responsibility for Academic Staff as well as Faculty Reps meetings.
6.
Institutional Reports: River Falls – new chancellor; in search for Dean of Students
position required Masters level only, faculty said ‘no way’; GE still being
reviewed. Superior – looking at
academic calendar; very public review of budget cuts. Oshkosh – drafted resolution to ask administration to review all
requests for social security numbers; requested information on gender gaps on
campus between male & female retention; looking at Post-Tenure review. LaCrosse – was
searching for Dean, now stopped due to budget; moving to “E”grading;
IAS employment issues and titling; resolution on proposed administrative cuts. Parkside –
Chancellor recommended dismissal of tenured faculty member based on request of
dean, will be open hearing. Milwaukee
– faculty recruiting continues, administrative recruiting paused, major
searches; discriminatory conduct policy reviewed. Whitewater – Chancellor search in full
swing; public hearings held to see what community wanted in chancellor; salary
plan being negotiated. Stevens Point
– administration consulting with senates for budget cuts; dealing with salary
compression issues; hard time hiring, lost faculty. Platteville – Academic Freedom issue resolution passed; salary
savings resolution; community businesses working together; non-renewals being
reviewed; lined up author for collective bargaining bill. Colleges – administrative integration meetings, charges to working
groups; fighting Kreibich proposal, so time
consuming; ethnic studies policies, freshman seminar policies. Green Bay – clarified voting and
non-voting status of ex-officio members on committees, Academic deans on senate
committees voted down; Senate chair now voting member of Chancellor’s cabinet;
rewriting GE; proposal stating that when faculty member retires, position is ad
hoc for 1 year before search can begin. Stout
– pay plan reviewed; university-wide strategic planning sessions, came out with
need for more generic degree completion programs especially for those coming
from tech programs, want to transfer in more credits; program array reviewed,
committee suggested to eliminate all colleges and deans and restructure so no
more than 50 in any unit. Madison –
discussion of how to pay TA’s who have out-of-state tuition.
Board of
Regents Meeting – April 7 & 8 in Madison – next meeting May 5 & 6 at
UW-Stout
1. Summary of the April 7
& 8 meetings can be accessed at: http://www.wisconsin.edu/news/index.htm.
Day Two summary describes UW-Eau Claire Foundation’s Carole Halberg accepting
her 2005 Academic Staff Excellence Award.
Legislative
Update
1. Sen. Rob Cowles, has introduced a substitute
amendment to SB 53, a bill which requires the Department of
Administration to create rules guiding the cost-benefit analyses of certain
service procurement contracts. The
amendment will limit the number of procurements to be analyzed by state
agencies to contracts of more than $25,000, a move in response to concerns
raised by UW System. Under the original
bill, compliance would have required the UW System to employ the services of up
to seven FTE.
2. Spirit Week begins
April 10: Remember to wear your campus colors on Friday, April 15!