Back to Regent Minutes
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
of the
BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN SYSTEM
Madison, Wisconsin
Held in Room 1820 Van Hise Hall
Friday, March 11, 1994
9:03 a.m.
- President Steil presiding -
PRESENT: Regents Barry, Benson, Budzinski, Davis, Gelatt, Grebe,
Gundersen, Hempel, Lubar, MacNeil, Nicholas, Orr, Schilling, Steil
and Tregoning
ABSENT: Regents Dreyfus and Krutsch
Approval of Minutes
Upon motion by Regent Davis, seconded by Regent Nicholas, minutes of the
meeting of the Board of Regents held on February 11, 1994, were unanimously
approved as distributed.
-
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD
Report of the February 18, 1994, Meeting of the Higher Educational Aids
Board
The report on the February 18, 1994, meeting of the Higher Educational
Aids Board was distributed in the agenda materials.
-
Report of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Regent Benson spoke to the Board about the Department of Public
Instruction's Urban Initiative. This program creates a task force that is
intended to: (1) help school districts find solutions to the problems of low
academic achievement, truancy, high drop-out rates, teenage pregnancy, and
violence; (2) give advice to the Department of Public Instruction on what that
agency can do to help the school districts with these problems; and (3)
develop ideas for an improved framework of statewide policy.
The 34-member task force represents the diversity of Wisconsin's urban
population and is composed of representatives of business, labor, education,
parents, students, social services, and government. Two members are from the
UW System. The report of the task force is due by July 31, 1994.
Regent Benson encouraged members of the Board to support the work of the
task force and to share with the members their views and ideas.
Regent Lubar commended Regent Benson and the Department of Public
Instruction on their effort to address these serious problems.
-
Report on Legislative Matters
A written report on pending legislation was provided to the Regents.
-
Association of Governing Boards' National Conference
Announcing that the annual conference of the national Association of
Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges will be held from April 16 to
April 19 in Washington, D.C., Regent President Steil noted some highlights of
this year's conference: A town meeting on the federal higher education
agenda; a panel discussion on the recent report of the Wingspread Group on
Higher Education; and sessions on enhancing system governance and
strengthening board performance. President Steil encouraged other Regents to
join Regent Krutsch, Board liaison to the AGB, in attending the conference.
-
March 9, 1994, Meeting with State Legislative Leaders
Regent President Steil reported on a March 9 meeting with legislative
leaders to discuss enrollment management issues. Legislators attending the
session included Senators Joseph Leean, Barbara Lorman, David Helbach,
Margaret Farrow, Dale Schultz, Fred Risser, Cal Potter, and Mary Panzer.
Assembly representatives were unable to attend because the Assembly was in
session at the time of the meeting. The Regents who participated at the
meeting were Regent President Steil, Regent Vice President Grebe, Regents
Gelatt, Krutsch, Barry and Tregoning. President Lyall and Senior Vice
President Portch addressed the group and participated in the discussion.
Stating that the session was very worthwhile and productive, Regent
President Steil felt encouraged that considerable headway had been made in
improving relationships and understanding mutual problems. The remaining
steps in the planning process, he remarked, will be much improved as a result
of the excellent dialogue established at the meeting. He expressed
appreciation to the legislators, system officers and Regents who had
participated in this important discussion.
-
Fundraising
Noting that the UW System is state assisted but not state supported,
Regent President Steil recalled his emphasis since becoming President of the
Board on the necessity of improving the UW's private fundraising ability.
Citing the critical role of private university presidents in major fundraising
activities, he remarked that the UW had learned from this experience and had
conducted training sessions for chancellors in fundraising from private
sources. In the years ahead, he predicted, fundraising will be an
increasingly important part of the public university chancellor's role.
Highlighting some recent fundraising accomplishments, President Steil
commended the chancellors and others involved for the important successes they
had achieved. In the most successful campaign in its history, UW-Madison
netted $472 million, exceeding the goal by $122 million--an achievement which
was due to major efforts by Chancellor Shalala, Chancellor Ward and the UW
Foundation.
Under the leadership of Chancellor Sorensen, UW-Stout received several
gifts in excess of $1 million, including a $1.3 million federal grant to
establish the Northwest Manufacturing Outreach Center.
UW-Stevens Point, with the leadership of Chancellor Sanders, increased
private fundraising dollars from $600,000 in 1989 to $3 million in 1993--an
increase of 396 percent.
UW-River Falls, President Lyall added, received substantial funding from
Mr. and Mrs. Willard Woodman to endow a Woodman scholarship fund.
At UW-La Crosse, a gift from Russell and Gail Cleary allowed the
university to complete its campaign to build a much-needed alumni and friends
center at the front entrance to the campus. The facility will welcome alumni
as partners in UW-La Crosse's future.
- - -
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SYSTEM
UW-Eau Claire Presentation: "WONDER, A Fiber Optic Distance Education
Network Consortia"
In a continuing series of Board of Regents programs on the theme of
distance education, the UW-Eau Claire presentation focused on a newly-formed
distance educational consortium called Wonder, which stands for Wisconsin
Overlay Network for Distance Education Resources.
Chancellor Larry Schnack first called the Board's attention to the fact
that distance education has been a vital and effective part of the University
of Wisconsin's academic offerings for over 100 years, with correspondence,
radio, and television-based instruction. While recent technological
developments have multiplied the ways that educational resources can be
electronically shared and disseminated, Chancellor Schnack also cautioned
against being carried away with "technical wizardry" at the expense of finding
effective ways to use technology for high quality learning experiences.
The Wonder network links electronically a variety of learning
institutions, including five UW institutions, four Wisconsin Technical College
campuses, several K-12 school districts, and two regional medical centers.
This multi-agency and multi-institutional network evolved over years of
regional and statewide cooperative work and planning. Dr. Russell Paulsen,
Executive Director of Resource Development for Northcentral Technical College
in Wausau, which is one of the major partners in the consortium, described the
project's collaborative history, its funding structure, and its impact on the
WTC's program offerings.
William Hogue, UW-Eau Claire's Vice Chancellor of Information and
Technology Management, concluded the presentation by commenting on the
enhanced accessibility to university coursework and services that the network
will provide, the cost effectiveness of a network built with shared resources,
and the relevancy and responsiveness of grassroots collaborative efforts.
In follow-up questions, Regent Gundersen asked if the competitive
telecommunications market provided an opportunity for cost savings; Vice
Chancellor Hogue responded that the marketplace is a major factor in their
current business negotiations. Regent Grebe asked about the faculty's views
on using technology to improve teaching. Chancellor Schnack said that while
it is too early to provide definitive answers, his observation is that
distance education provides faculty with the opportunity to review their
current teaching practices and curriculum and to provide greater structure and
organization to their lecture presentations.
Regent Gelatt asked about the ability of the network to link all of the
UW institutions together. Chancellor Schnack responded that Wonder is still
in the experimental stage, but the goal is for statewide, inter-institutional,
interagency interconnection. Regent Tregoning asked about the impact of
distance education courses on student achievement, to which Chancellor Schnack
answered that students at a distance have fared very well, sometimes even
better, than campus-based students. However, he reminded the group that a key
to such success is to assure that the faculty remain accessible to the
students. Chancellor Schnack concluded the presentation by saying that the
side benefits of distance education (e.g., well-organized course
presentations, electronic access to faculty and university resources) are as
exciting as the technological developments themselves.
-
Collaborative Initiatives: UW System and Wisconsin Technical College
System
Noting that Wisconsin is unique in the nation in having separate two-year
vocational and academic institutions, President Lyall observed that the
Wisconsin model has served the state very well, permitting the technical
colleges to be fully responsive to the needs of employers and UW Centers to
offer first-rate liberal education for those planning to complete a
traditional baccalaureate degree.
Over the years, the two systems have functioned in parallel but separate
ways. In the last several years, however, efforts have focused on ways the
two systems can collaborate more closely to facilitate better student
advising, transfer of credits and sharing of facilities.
Facilitating Student Planning and Credit Transfer
Last year, 1,566 WTCS students transferred to UW institutions, and 2,044
UW students transferred to technical college campuses. WTCS students in
college-parallel programs may transfer up to 72 credits to any UW institution;
and students completing an associate degree in Applied Arts or Science may
transfer up to 15 general education credits. In addition, more than 125
articulation agreements are in effect, which enable students completing
certain specialized WTCS associate degree programs in fields such as nursing,
agriculture, business and allied health, to transfer additional credits beyond
their general education credits to specialized programs in the UW System.
The UW System and WTCS have jointly developed a computerized Transfer
Information System (TIS) that by fall 1994 will serve all UW System
institutions and all Wisconsin Technical College districts that have
implemented WISCNET. The TIS enables a UW or WTCS student to design a
schedule and to see what degree requirements are satisfied and which remain to
be satisfied if they were to transfer to any specified UW or WTCS institution.
In addition, a brochure titled Educational Alternatives is distributed to
high school students and potential transfer students in both systems, in order
to encourage them to plan their study programs carefully and minimize the time
and cost of a degree.
Building School-to-Work Options
The UW System, Wisconsin Technical College System and Department of
Public Instruction are three-way partners, President Lyall reported, in
implementing Tech Prep and other initiatives that provide a solid
postsecondary option for students whose interests at graduation from high
school are more applied than academic. Faculty from UW institutions are
participating with their counterparts in developing competencies for Tech Prep
courses so that these credits can be transferred if students later wish to
pursue a traditional baccalaureate program. Similarly, WTCS faculty are
participating in developing competency-based admissions standards for the UW
System. These efforts, she noted, are key to assuring that school-to-work
options expand future choices and do not become boxes that automatically limit
later choice.
Superintendent of Schools John Benson, WTCS Executive Director Dwight
York, Secretary Carol Skornicka of the Department of Industry, Labor and Human
Relations, and President Lyall met recently in the first of what will be
regular sessions to share information and discuss ways to further integrate
planning for a seamless flow of educational opportunities in Wisconsin.
Regent Benson expressed appreciation for the excellent cooperation he is
receiving from President Lyall and for the productive partnerships being
established between the UW System and the Department of Public Instruction.
-
UW-Stevens Point Accountability Report
President Lyall called attention to UW-Stevens Point's accountability
report--Preparing for a New Millennium. The report outlines progress made in
implementing the seven goals of the university's original strategic plan and
identifies key challenges for the future. This report, President Lyall
commented, is an example of the way that strategic planning and accountability
are improving the UW System institutions.
-
REPORT OF THE BUSINESS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE
Regent Gelatt, Chair, presented the report of the Committee.
Consent Agenda
Regent Gelatt moved adoption by the Board of Regents of Resolutions
6620-6626, which had been approved unanimously by the Business and Finance
Committee. The motion was seconded by Regent Lubar.
In response to a question by Regent Davis concerning what expert advice
the Committee had received on Resolution 6620, Regent Gundersen explained that
there is an extensive approval process for such studies, involving internal
review boards and research committees. He felt the Board could be satisfied
that there had been appropriate review of the content of the research project
and that great care is taken to make sure that people involved in such studies
have full information.
Regent Lubar added that UW Hospital Superintendent Gordon Derzon had
assured the Committee that the project had gone through the proper review
process.
Replying to a question by Regent Gundersen about recovery of indirect
costs, Vice President Marnocha indicated that there is a 43 percent indirect
cost rate for federally funded projects. For privately funded projects, the
policy is to recover all indirect costs that would be paid to any other
contracting party.
With regard to Resolution 6625, Regent Gelatt requested that the final
contract with Chartwell Midwest be returned to the Board.
Put to the vote, Resolutions 6620-6626, were adopted unanimously by the
Board.
Agreement with Private For-Profit Organization: Medco Research, Inc.
Resolution 6620: That, upon the recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System and the Chancellor of
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Board of
Regents accept the agreement with Medco Research, Inc.
entitled, "An Open Label Pharmacokinetic Safety and
Efficacy Study of Adenosine Additive to Cardioplegic
Solutions for Prevention of Post-Ischemic Myocardial
Dysfunction Following Open heart Surgery."
Agreement with Private For-Profit Organization: Elan Pharmaceutical
Research Corporation
Resolution 6621: That, upon the recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System and the Chancellor of
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Board of
Regents accept the agreement with Elan Pharmaceutical
Research Corporation entitled, "Safety and Efficacy of
the 44 Mg Nicotine Patch: Use With Different
Adjuvants."
Bequest: Lucile M. Jirikow
Resolution 6622: That, upon the recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System and the Chancellor of
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the bequest of the
late Lucile M. Jirikow, of Manitowoc County, Wisconsin,
be accepted; and that the Trust Officer or Assistant
Trust Officers be authorized to sign receipts and do
all things necessary to effect the transfer for the
benefit of the Psychology Department and School of
Social Work, University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Wisconsin.
(The Will states:
"All the residue of my estate, wherever situated,
including lapsed legacies and devises, but expressly
excluding any property over which I may have a power or
appointment at my death, I give and bequeath as
follows:
A. Thirty (30%) percent to the psychology department
of the University of Wisconsin located at Madison,
Wisconsin, for a fellowship in the memory of my first
husband, Roderick Menzies;
B. Twenty (20%) percent to the School of Social Work
of the University of Wisconsin located at Madison,
Wisconsin, to be used as a scholarship in the name of
Helen I. Clarke, the terms and conditions of said
scholarship to be determined by the appropriate
representatives of the School of Social Work;"
The Psychology Department has received $75,000 and the
School of Social Work has received $50,000 to date from
partial distributions.
The persons memorialized were graduates of the
respective department and school.)
Bequest: Arno P. Stoelting
Resolution 6623: That, upon the recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System and the Chancellor of
the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the bequest of the
late Arno P. Stoelting, of the Town of Herman, County
of Sheboygan, State of Wisconsin, be accepted; and that
the Trust Officer or Assistant Trust Officers be
authorized to sign receipts and do all things necessary
to effect the transfer for the benefit of the McArdle
Laboratory, University of Wisconsin, Madison,
Wisconsin.
(The Will provides for the distribution of the residue
as follows:
"1/6 thereof to MC ARDLE LABORATORY, UNIVERSITY OF
WISCONSIN, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, to be used for
research purposes."
To date $50,000 has been received.)
1994-95 Annual Budget Allocation Decision Rules
Resolution 6624: That, upon recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System, the Board of Regents
approves the 1994-95 annual budget allocation decision
rules.
Authorization to Form a sec. 501(c)(3), IRC, Non-Profit Corporation
Resolution 6625: That, upon the recommendation of the Chancellor of the
University of Wisconsin-Madison and the President of
the University of Wisconsin System, that authority be
granted to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to
establish and support a non-profit corporation for the
purpose of entering into a joint venture with Chartwell
Midwest to provide home therapy services in Wisconsin
and parts of neighboring states.
Revision to Policy regarding Investments in Corporations Doing Business
in South Africa
Resolution 6626: That, upon the recommendation of the Regents Business
and Finance Committee, the Board of Regents amend
Resolution 1615 (Interpretation of Policy Document 78-1
[Resolution 1590] relating to Divestiture) by deleting
Section 1 and re-numbering the remaining sections.
---
Update on UW Processing Center Merger
Assistant Vice President Durcan provided the Business and Finance
Committee with an update on the Processing Center merger. Since the update
provided in December, the University of Wisconsin Processing Center Board of
Directors approved the formation and governance documents. Three institutions
are now submitting data using the new record layout, and the project is
proceeding according to schedule. Visits to each of the institutions by
representatives of the systemwide Users Group, System Administration and the
Processing Center are currently in process. These visits will enable the team
to gain a better understanding of the payroll and personnel systems currently
in use.
-
CQI Presentation: UW System Continuous Quality Improvement Self-
Assessment Guide
Continuous Quality Improvement Consultant Sue Rohan presented the UW
System CQI Self-Assessment Guide to the Business and Finance Committee. The
purpose of the guide is to provide a framework for addressing quality issues
and is based on the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, as adapted for
higher education. It is intended for a variety of audiences, especially
senior administrators, leadership teams, and CQI steering committees. Because
the UW System exhibits diversity and flexibility in the implementation of CQI,
the guide is designed to be used with many alternatives for CQI
implementation.
-
Report of the Vice President
Governor's Budget Adjustment Bill
Vice President Marnocha reported to the Committee on the status of the
Governor's budget adjustment bill. The Dairy 2020 Initiative had been removed
from the budget bill. The items that affect the UW System that remain are a
Wisconsin Higher Education Grant increase and recalculation of debt service.
Gifts, Grants and Contracts
Vice President Marnocha reported to the Committee that total gifts,
grants and contracts for the eight-month period ending February 18, 1994, were
$382.9 million, an increase of $5.2 million over the previous year. Federal
awards increased by $10 million, but were offset by a decrease of $4.8 million
in non-federal awards. Federal financial aid has decreased due to the change
to congressional methodology for calculating student need.
- - -
REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE
The Committee's report was presented by Regent Davis, Chair.
Consent Agenda
Having been approved unanimously by the Education Committee, Regent Davis
presented Resolutions 6627 and 6628 and moved their adoption by the Board.
The motion was seconded by Regent MacNeil and carried unanimously.
College Name Change, UW-Whitewater
Resolution 6627: That, upon recommendation of the Chancellor of the
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the President of
the University of Wisconsin System, the Board of
Regents approves changing the name of the College of
the Arts to the College of the Arts and Communication,
to reflect the addition of the Department of
Communication to that College, effective July 1, 1994.
New Program Authorization: M.S., Training and Development, UW-Stout
Resolution 6628: That, upon recommendation of the Chancellor of the
University of Wisconsin-Stout and the President of the
University of Wisconsin System, the Chancellor be
authorized to implement the M.S. in Training and
Development.
---
Report of the Senior Vice President
State Postsecondary Review Entity
Senior Vice President Portch reported to the Education Committee that, in
the 1992 amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, Congress authorized
creation of a State Postsecondary Review Entity (SPRE) in each state.
Governor Thompson designated the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) as the
Wisconsin SPRE, with membership also including System President Lyall and
Board President Steil. Its purpose is to conduct and coordinate reviews of
institutions of higher education with a history of unacceptably high default
in student loan programs. Although no UW institution has a default rate near
the level that could trigger a review, there is concern that other criteria,
such as a missed audit or a pattern of consumer complaints, could identify an
institution for review.
Changes to Accreditation Standards
Senior Vice President Portch alerted the Committee to considerable
changes occurring in regional accrediting and proposed federal regulations
that will implement the changes. He raised concerns about the appropriateness
of having the Department of Education in the position of approving standards
to be used by accrediting bodies as they evaluate institutions.
Campus Assessments
The Senior Vice President concluded his report by noting that two
institutions--UW-Superior and UW-Whitewater--have recently received national
attention for their assessment activities.
-
Faculty Educational Workload Policy
President Lyall presented the proposed faculty educational workload
policy to the Education Committee, which also heard testimony from Professor
G. M. Naidu from UW-Whitewater, representing the Wisconsin Conference of the
American Association of University Professors, and Professor Gloria Toivola,
representing The Association of University of Wisconsin Professionals.
In Committee discussion, it was agreed by consensus to amend the policy
by adding the following goal to the four identified on page two of the policy:
"to take into account budgetary implications when considering the balance of
faculty responsibilities."
The resolution, as amended, was approved unanimously by the Committee.
Adoption by the Board of Regents of the following resolution was moved by
Regent Davis and seconded by Regent MacNeil:
Resolution 6629: That, upon recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System, the Board of Regents
adopts the University of Wisconsin Faculty Education
Workload Policy, as amended, and accepts the guidelines
for implementation.
(A copy of the final policy is attached as EXHIBIT A.)
Regent Gundersen thought it highly commendable to have a workload policy
that will enhance accountability and will have the acceptance of the various
UW campuses. Complimenting UW faculty for the excellence of their work, he
emphasized that the policy should not be viewed as an indictment of the work
that faculty do. Rather, it is an accountability measure to provide needed
information to UW stakeholders.
Concurring with Regent Gundersen, Regent Steil said he recently had met
with the UW-Madison University Committee and was very pleased with their
teamwork in supporting this policy.
Regent Davis noted that it is an umbrella policy, which allows enough
flexibility for campuses to develop their own measures while, at the same
time, calling for tighter evaluation of data which has been collected for many
years. The implementation section of the policy charges System Administration
to analyze these data and make adjustments in campus workload policies if
appropriate and if there are imbalances between institutions with similar
missions. Measures of accountability for the doctoral institutions, he added,
are not as far along in development as for the comprehensive institutions.
System Administration also is charged with reviewing those measures and
requiring adjustments, if appropriate.
In response to a question by Regent Grebe, President Lyall said the
institutional policies will come to the Board in August. With approval of the
umbrella policy, the intention is to move forward with implementation in the
fall of 1994.
Regent Davis asked if there will be a formal review of data analyses on
an ongoing basis. Replying in the affirmative, President Lyall said the
intent is to provide an annual workload report based on the eight measures
specified in the policy, including analyses of the data and an opportunity to
consider trends that may be developing.
Regent Gelatt asked if there is a mechanism for reviewing the measures on
a periodic basis. Noting that the intent of the policy is to focus on
educational efficiency and cost effectiveness, he observed that the way to
cost-effective education may not be to have professors teach more sections,
but to change the entire structure of the way instruction is offered. He
cautioned that policies should not impede progress toward meeting that intent.
President Lyall noted that the policy provides for collecting information
on the kinds of activities in which faculty engage outside the classroom. The
annual reports will be an appropriate time to consider what information is
being received and whether the indicators should be changed.
Put to the vote, Resolution 6629 was adopted unanimously by the Board.
-
Design for Diversity
President Lyall then presented to the Education Committee a mid-point
review of the Design for Diversity initiative. This study, entitled
"Increasing Participation and Graduation," and the refocusing of initiatives
in this area, was the result of an assessment conducted by Dr. Tess Arenas,
Special Assistant to the President for Minority Affairs. Interviewees for the
assessment included chancellors, vice chancellors, admission directors,
financial aid directors, other academic staff, deans, faculty, and students.
Assessment information also was gathered from external groups such as the
Great Lakes Inter-Tribal Council, the Asian American Concerns Committee, the
UW System Administration Statewide Advisory Council, the Wisconsin Indian
Education Association, the Wisconsin Hispanic Council on Higher Education, the
Wisconsin Association of Black State Employees, and the NAACP. The midpoint
report presents two focus areas for the next five years: (1) precollege
programs, and (2) retention/graduation efforts. A number of program
initiatives were eliminated as a result of the review, including a statewide
mentoring project, a number of publications, and a number of scholarly
conferences.
Regent MacNeil asked if there were campus mentoring programs for
freshmen. In response, Chancellor Kerrigan described the mentoring program in
operation at UW-Oshkosh. Other UW institutions also have established
mentoring initiatives.
Regent Krutsch requested a future panel presentation on the evolution and
current state of federal laws on equal employment opportunity and affirmative
action. The Committee and System Administration were supportive of this
request.
In discussion at the Board meeting, Regent Gundersen commented that the
term "diversity" is not specific in identifying the groups intended to be
served by the policy. He suggested that the policy include a statement that
the purpose of the policy is "the creation of opportunities and promotion of
assimilation by increasing enrollment and graduation of cultural minorities
and economically disadvantaged students."
Regent Lubar expressed his positive reaction to the five-year review and
in particular to the emphasis on increasing the pool of qualified students
through focus on the K-12 schools.
Regent Orr cautioned against losing sight of the rapidly growing
Southeast Asian populations in a number of Wisconsin cities. He thought the
UW Centers might be an appropriate vehicle for precollege programming in some
communities. President Lyall concurred, adding that the UW Centers are
working actively with Hmong and other groups around the state.
- - -
REPORT OF THE PHYSICAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Regent Barry, Vice Chair, reported for the Committee.
Consent Agenda
Adoption by the Board of Resolutions 6630-6633, which had been approved
unanimously by the Physical Planning and Development Committee, was moved by
Regent Barry and seconded by Regent Gundersen.
In response to a question by Regent Gelatt, Regent Barry indicated that
Resolution 6633 would allow the Vice President for Physical Planning and
Development to complete land transactions that are within the parameters of
Board policies and budgeted funds.
Regent Gelatt suggested that the Vice President bring to the Board any
transaction in which more than two appraisals are necessary to establish a
price the owner will accept. Regent Barry concurred with that suggestion.
Regent Gundersen complimented Vice President Brown and his staff for
presenting this proposal for streamlining by increasing delegation to
responsible officials.
With regard to Resolution 6632, Regent Lubar questioned the proposed
property exchange on the basis that the value of 234 acres of land near Racine
and Kenosha seemed considerably greater than the value of 83 acres of land
near Bayfield.
Regent Barry explained that acceptance by the UW of Chiwaukee Prairie
land included the encumbrance that the lands be retained in their natural
state. Since the lands do not have development value, it was felt that the
public interest would best be served by making the exchange without cost of
appraisals.
Regent Orr suggested that, if there were a significant disparity in
value, the UW might exchange only that portion of the prairie that provided
equivalent value and retain the rest for some possible future exchange.
Regent Barry noted that the Pigeon Lake property is improved with sixteen
buildings. Vice President Brown added that the value of the prairie property,
about $250,000, was considered approximately equal to the value of the Pigeon
Lake property, which includes lake frontage. The UW, he continued, would be
pleased to own the Pigeon Lake property which contains about $2 million in
improvements which the UW has made.
Put to the vote, Resolutions 6630-6633 were approved unanimously by the
Board.
UW-La Crosse: Authority to Construct North Hall Air Distribution System
Revision Project
Resolution 6630: That, upon the recommendation of the UW-La Crosse
Chancellor and the President of the University of
Wisconsin System, authority be granted to construct a
North Hall Air Distribution System Revision project at
a total estimated cost of $299,000 from All-Agency
Facilities Repair and Renovation Funds.
UW-Oshkosh: Authority to Construct River Commons Conference Room
Remodeling
Resolution 6631: That, upon the recommendation of the UW-Oshkosh
Chancellor and the President of the University of
Wisconsin System, authority be granted to construct a
River Commons Conference Room Remodeling project for an
estimated total project cost of $225,000 of Program
Revenue Funds.
UW-River Falls: Approval of Inter-Agency Land Exchange
Resolution 6632: That, upon the recommendation of the UW-River Falls
Chancellor and the President of the University of
Wisconsin System, authority be granted to exchange
approximately 234 acres of undeveloped land located in
the Chiwaukee Prairie in Kenosha County and owned by
the Board of Regents, for 86 acres of land located in
Bayfield County owned by the state's Board of
Commissioners of Public Lands and leased by the
University for the UW-River Falls Pigeon Lake Field
Station.
Policy for Acquisition of Property within Approved Campus Development
Plan Boundaries
Resolution 6633: That, upon the recommendation of the President of the
University of Wisconsin System, the Board of Regents
delegates to the Vice President for Physical Planning
and Development authority to complete land transactions
within the main campus boundaries established by the
Board of Regents. These transactions would be
completed within the following parameters:
1. Authority to purchase in fee simple, with the
negotiated purchase price at or below the average of
two recent appraisals.
2. Authority to exchange parcels with another party or
parties, with any difference in value being paid or
received.
3. Authority to accept gifts of land.
4. Authority to sell land previously declared surplus, by
Regent action.
5. Funding sources for the purchase of land will be in
accord with Regent Policy 90-3: Funding of University
Facilities Capital Costs.
6. All land transactions resulting in University ownership
will be subject to a favorable environmental audit.
7. Land transactions completed by the Vice President under
this authority will be reported to the Physical
Planning and Development Committee.
8. In undertaking these transactions, the Vice President
will:
a. coordinate transactions with municipalities to
facilitate joint planning;
b. fulfill long-standing commitments with private land
owners.
9. Delegation of approval authority notwithstanding, the
Vice President will seek prior Regent approval for any
land transactions involving extraordinary
circumstances.
- - -
ADDITIONAL BUSINESS
Student Government, UW-Madison
Chancellor Ward summarized for the Board the events leading to a recent
referendum vote to form a new student government at UW-Madison.
In April 1993, the students had voted to disband the existing government
structure; and, for the past several months, there had been no student
government, which presented a problem in meeting legal requirements concerning
participation of students in the governance process.
During fall 1993, students held a number of public meetings and hearings
on formation of a new constitution, which led to a referendum being conducted
in February 1994. A majority of students voting in the referendum supported
the Associated Students of Madison constitution.
Chancellor Ward stated his conviction that the process was fair and the
result was a reasonable reflection of the views of students who voted.
Election of student representatives will provide further opportunity for
participation by any students who wish to become involved.
Referring to a letter from the editorial board of the Badger Herald, a
campus student newspaper, Regent Lubar expressed concern about decisions on
assessment of fees being made on the basis of very low voter turnout and
concern about fee monies being used for political purposes in which the vast
majority of students did not participate.
It was indicated by Chancellor Ward that the turnout for the referendum
was about seven percent, which was higher than the four percent turnout in the
election to disband student government. Student elections have averaged four-
percent turnouts for the past 30 years. Low turnout, he noted, is a
nationwide dilemma. The referendum also included a vote on extension at
current levels of allocable segregated fees for 1994-95. This received the
highest level of support of those voting. Noting that use of fee monies is a
student governance matter, he said he would encourage students to form parties
reflecting debate about such issues.
Regent Barry noted the provision in the constitution requiring a ten
percent turnout and two-thirds vote of those voting to disband the new
government. This would seem almost unattainable given the average four
percent voter turnout. He inquired about the existence of provisions that
also would make it difficult to remove funding from established groups.
Chancellor Ward explained that, while there was an effort to create some
stability, the constitution included a strong plebiscite/recall element which
could be used by students to express their dissatisfaction.
Ron Sissel, President of the United Council of UW Student Governments,
added that large numbers of students had input into the ASM constitution.
This constitution, as well as one recently adopted by UW-Green Bay students,
contains provisions to guard against elimination of the student government
function, so as to protect the rights of students to representation in
institutional governance. He felt that students had ample opportunity to
participate and vote on this issue and that the new governance structure
should be implemented expeditiously so that students can again be involved in
the decision-making process.
-
Report on Telecommunications Infrastructure Legislation
Reporting support for the thrust of the proposed legislation, Senior Vice
President Bornstein noted several areas where it was felt that amendments
would be desirable: (1) With respect to the proposed telecommunications
foundation, there should be less ambiguity in how the foundation is run and
there should be reference to the educational and health care interests of the
state in terms of implementation and eligibility for funding. (2) Education
should be represented on the universal service fund council. (3) Universal
access should be defined to include access to distance education and health
information services.
- - -
There was a five-minute Board recess at 10:45 a.m., after which the
following resolution, moved by Regent Grebe, seconded by Regent Tregoning, was
adopted unanimously on a roll-call vote, with Regents Budzinski, Davis,
Gelatt, Grebe, Gundersen, Hempel, Lubar, MacNeil, Nicholas, Orr, Schilling,
Steil and Tregoning (13) voting in the affirmative. There were no abstentions
and no dissenting votes.
Resolution 6634: That the Board of Regents recess into closed session to
consider personal histories, as permitted by
s.19.85(1)(f), Wis. Stats., including possible action
on an honorary degree nomination at UW-Green Bay,
initial review of honorary degree nomination at UW-
Oshkosh, relating to naming a series of rooms after a
person, UW-Stevens Point, and naming a portion of the
University's Cofrin Arboretum after a person, UW-Green
Bay; for matters involving competitive reasons, as
permitted by s. 19.85(1)(e), Wis. Stats.; and to confer
with legal counsel, as permitted by s.19.85(1)(g), Wis.
Stats.
- - -
The Board arose from closed session at 12:10 p.m. No actions were
announced.
- - -
The meeting adjourned at 12:10 a.m.
_______________________________________
Judith A. Temby, Secretary
March 30, 1994
