2004-05 University of Wisconsin System
Council of Academic Staff Representatives

Thursday, March 17, 2005 Meeting Minutes

DRAFT

Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Cora Marrett opened the meeting with the introduction of the new Executive Senior Vice President Don Mash.  Mash updated the group on some of the state relations issues.  The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) has been touring the state hearing testimony on Governor Jim Doyle’s budget, which has been very much in favor of the current document.  Doug Bradley, Director of Communications, addressed the representatives, and encouraged them to find stakeholders to make the budget case for the UW.  If reps have a JFC member in their district, contact the member with your concerns about the budget.  Please share any feedback from your elected officials on budget communications.  Continue to contact the Governor about any concerns, as he will have the last say about the budget document. UW System will address the JFC on March 29.  The committee vote on the UW System budget is planned for April 12.

If you need specific information about the budget, go to:

http://www.wisconsin.edu/budget/toolbox.htm

The Capital Budget was to be voted on March 18 by the Building Commission, and the University portion of the budget was 85% of all projects. 

Mash indicated that there are guidelines to the campuses on personnel cuts.  These are:

1.      Faculty and Instructional Academic Staff are not to be reduced.

2.      Administrators who do not work directly with students should be targeted for cuts.

3.      One-time reduction opportunities should be taken, so that the Provosts/Chief Business Officers (CBOs) group can plan for the long-term.

In 2006, UW System must demonstrate to the Department of Administration (DOA) that cuts were made to personnel.  Samantha Surowiec from UW-Green Bay indicated that her campus had recommended cuts and the Chancellor requested feedback.  A number of representatives indicated that by not filling positions through attrition, the students could be hurt, as everyone is trying to perform multiple jobs.  Mash reiterated the Governor’s request that “administrators” had to be cut and that these were being identified on the campuses and should be done in conjunction with governance groups.  The representatives stressed that the cuts should be handled as layoffs.

The Provosts and the CBOs are meeting to identify administrative efficiencies.  They are thinking about the UW System and how the budget supports or does not support the functions that are provided.  The first joint meeting was on February 18, where guiding principles were developed to study further budget cuts.

Ron Singer, Associate Vice President for Academic and Student Services, invited the representatives to be a part of the groups discussing the issues. 

Marrett then discussed the purpose and the format of Council meetings.  As the System point person for the Provosts and Faculty Representatives meetings, Marrett has the advantage of communicating agenda topics across the constituency groups.  She encouraged the group to share ideas with the Board of Regents, and think of ways to ensure the Regents understand where the academic staff interests lie.  She also encouraged the council members to think of the things that UW System does not bring value to the campuses.  Marrett then instituted a “roundtable,” where each representative could speak about issues to the group.  The roundtable was well-received and will be added to the next meeting agenda.

Also on the next agenda, Ron Singer will be asked back to report on the Provosts/CBOs progress on UW System planning.

Niemcek-Druecke will check on how to create a list serve for the academic staff representatives.