Board of Regents

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, April 9, 1999

9:00 a.m.

Approval of Minutes *

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD *

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SYSTEM *

REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE *

REPORT OF THE PHYSICAL PLANNING AND FUNDING COMMITTEE *

REPORT OF THE BUSINESS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE *

Executive Session *

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, April 9, 1999

9:00 a.m.

- President Orr presiding -

Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the meeting of the Board of Regents held on March 5, 1999, are approved as circulated.

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

The Board of Regents received a written report of the March 24 meeting of the Wisconsin Technical System Board.

-

The Board received a written report of the April 7 meeting of the Hospital Authority Board.

-

A written report on legislative matters was provided to the Board.

-

Regent Randall, the Board’s liaison to the AGB, reported that other university systems also are interested in issues related to accreditation. Many have concerns similar to those of the UW System, especially in the area of distance education, which was discussed extensively during the conference. The AGB has offered to consider hosting a forum at the next annual meeting that focuses on accreditation.

-

Accreditation issues also were discussed at a March meeting of Big 10 Regents and Trustees, at which Regent Randall represented the UW System. There also is interest in regular meetings among Big 10 governing board members.

-

Regent President Orr called attention to a piece distributed to the Regents on the High-Tech Library which highlighted the electronic library being developed by UW-Madison. One of the most important thrusts of the UW system budget and the Governor’s budget, he emphasized, is renewed support for libraries that are beginning to erode across the System. Remarking that the Governor’s proposal to the Legislature is an excellent one, he noted that Wisconsin has the only statewide library system in the United States – a system which encompasses public libraries, K-12 libraries, WTCS and UW libraries, all keyed into an electronic statewide library. With few resources,

he observed, UW-Madison has made its library one of the most cutting-edge electronic libraries in the nation. The leveraging of additional resources that will permit building up both electronic and print data bases will make this excellent library system even stronger.

- - -

REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SYSTEM

Introducing the demonstration, President Lyall noted that the Wisconsin Idea means access to UW expertise across the state. In the past, this mission was met in part by publishing a hard copy directory of university contacts and resources, but updating this publication had proven ponderous and expensive. Today, the directory has been put on-line to reach a broader audience of users with a more cost effective and more complete format.

Vice President Lewis recalled that the first Directory of University Resources for Business and Industry had been published in 1982 and the second edition was published in 1990, with funding provided in part by a grant from Kikkoman Foods. This directory, which had about 800 listings, was so useful and popular that it disappeared quickly into offices and businesses around the state. Unfortunately, it also had several disadvantages – the contents became outdated quickly; it was not cross-referenced; and the supply was limited. With the advent of the World Wide Web, it had become possible to overcome these problems.

Two years ago, in response to a recommendation of the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on 21^st Century Jobs, chaired by President Lyall, work began on creating a searchable on-line version of the directory – one that could be constantly updated, never needed reprinting and could be freely accessible to anyone in need of assistance.

The result is the new UW System Directory of Expertise, which functions as a component of a nationwide, proprietary Community of Science database. All 15 UW System institutions are participating, and more than 3,000 faculty and staff have provided information that identifies their areas of expertise. This number is expected to increase over time.

Vice President Lewis introduced Mark Kinders, Director of Public Affairs at UW-River Falls, to assist in demonstrating operation of the directory. A search can be conducted for a single institution, for the UW System as a whole, or for the entire 100,000-name Community of Science database. Direct access is possible within the UW System or through partners in the project – the Wisconsin Department of Commerce and the Wisconsin Association of Manufacturers and Commerce. Elsewhere, access to the database originates with a call or e-mail to an institution liaison. News media inquiries are made to a campus public information officer, while business-related inquiries are made to another liaison designated at each campus for that purpose. Once the request is received, the liaison performs the search. The results are then reported to the person who made the request, as well as to the potential campus contact.

The directory has additional important internal uses. Participating faculty and staff can receive regular information about new grant opportunities in their specific areas of interest. The directory also can help faculty and staff learn about and collaborate with colleagues across the system and nationwide.

The annual cost to maintain the directory and connect to the Community of Science is much less than the cost of annual printing and distributing the directory in book form.

Vice President Lewis recognized partners in the project – the UW System Committee, chaired by Mark Kinders and assisted by Kevin Check of the UW-Madison University-Industry Relations Department; Tony Hozeny, Public Information Manager of the Department of Commerce; Mike Shoys, Vice President of Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce Service Corporation; Bill Haupt, President of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association; and Karl Gutknecht, Wisconsin Newspaper Association Services Director. Vice President Lewis expressed appreciation for the assistance that this group had provided and would continue to provide in publicizing the directory to their memberships and clients.

Vice President Lewis then introduced Brenda Blanchard, Secretary of the State Department of Commerce, to make the first official information request using the new Directory of Expertise.

Secretary Blanchard brought greetings from Governor Thompson and commented that this is the type of project that can make a huge difference for the state. Noting that the directory is the result of an effective public-private partnership, she felt the Governor would be very satisfied due to his strong interest in technology bringing together private organizations, state agencies and the UW System. The directory features user-friendly technology that serves a need, does it quickly and at less cost, and connects to the state and its people in very productive ways. Being a center point of contact for business and industry as they seek expertise, the Department of Commerce, Secretary Blanchard said, will promote the directory to its customer group and looks forward to having a direct connection to the directory.

Secretary Blanchard than asked Mr. Kinders to show how information on faculty and staff with expertise in ergonomics and electronic commerce could be found. Mr. Kinders demonstrated the search function of the directory and found 12 faculty with expertise in ergonomics and four with expertise in electronic commerce. Secretary Blanchard thanked the university for developing what she felt will be an effective tool for Wisconsin’s business community.

In response to a question by Regent Barry, Vice President Lewis said about 30 percent of UW faculty currently are participating in the directory, which is well above the national average of 20 percent. Participation will continue to be encouraged, and an increase in numbers is expected.

It was noted by President Lyall that, if expertise on a particular subject cannot be found among UW participants, the searcher may find what is needed in the national data base.

President Lyall thanked all the partners for their contributions in making the new directory a reality.

-

Introducing the presentation, President Lyall noted that increasing international education opportunities for UW students is one of the priorities for the 1999-01 budget. She introduced UW-La Crosse Chancellor Judith Kuipers and Jay Lokken, Director of the UW-La Crosse Office of International Education to talk about the growing international connections to help prepare students for the global workplace.

Chancellor Kuipers began the presentation by reporting that in 1991, 245 UW-La Crosse faculty, students and staff met throughout the year to dream about what UW-La Crosse could become in the 21^st Century and strategically plan ways of accomplishing those dreams. Part of the dream is to create global connections for students, faculty, and staff in recognition of the fact that the 21^st century citizen is a global citizen.

UW-La Crosse, the Chancellor stated, is grateful that the Governor, Board of Regents, UW System leaders and Legislators support international education. She expressed particular appreciation of planning monies for the university’s new international living/learning center.

Chancellor Kuipers then introduced four students, who made statements on what global connections mean to them.

Lekeliwe Kambandu, from Zambia and Zimbabwe, said that to her global connections means people from around the world coming together for the advancement of political, social, and economic justice.

Thomas Refsland, from Norway, has studied in Chili and Mexico and done an internship in Mexico. To him global connections means finding common grounds with people of diverse culture, language and race. This meeting of the minds then becomes a tool for erasing misconceptions that often originate from ignorance and fear of the unknown.

Yeng Xiong, from Laos, has become a US citizen and has studied for a semester in China. To him global connections means people from different countries and diverse backgrounds coming together to search for common goals.

Colleen Birner, from Wisconsin, has studied and done an internship in Mexico. To her global connections means human connections and respect for the people and cultures of the world through education and experience.

UW-La Crosse then presented a video on its Global Connections program. In the video, faculty and students spoke about travel and study abroad, global learning and living, and the language of culture. They commented that travel and study abroad are important in experiencing different cultures and providing a broader perspective on life. Students prepare for study abroad by foreign language training and orientation to other cultures. It was noted that, in an increasingly global workplace, an international studies minor is an excellent complement to any field of study. In the same way, it was pointed out that the university is greatly enriched by international students, whose cultures broaden the horizons of other students on campus. In conclusion, it was emphasized that the best way to learn a culture is to spend time living in it. Faculty and students commented that living abroad is a life-changing experience that has greatly expanded their breadth of vision.

Chancellor Kuipers introduced Creative Director Jim Jorstad and Technical Director Wayne Adler who put together the video. They received a round of applause for their excellent work.

Explaining that the Global Connections program is a member of the Wisconsin World Trade Center and the Milwaukee World Trade Association, Dr. Lokken said these memberships are utilized to make connections to international organizations and international businesses. These partnerships, he felt, have helped to build the vitality and energy behind UW-La Crosse’s program. Since 1995, there has been a 200 percent increase in the number of students studying abroad, which translates into over 200 students studying at 19 sites worldwide. Most of these sites are linked to a specific foreign university. There also are about 150 international students from 42 countries studying at UW-La Crosse, which brings a valuable diversity to the campus. The campus’ strategic plan calls for this number to increase to 250 international students by 2003.

There has been much discussion, Dr. Lokken continued, at the UW System Council on International Education about what the UW can do as a system to aid in international recruiting. At UW-La Crosse, specific recruiting is ongoing in the Middle East and in Asia, as well as more general recruiting in other areas. There are two types of programs: 1) An exchange program with foreign universities in which students pay the same price to study abroad as they would at their home university. UW-La Crosse has exchange programs with eight institutions, which bring 35-60 international students to La Crosse each year. 2) An international internship program that is combined with the study abroad experience. The university has had considerable success in arranging such internships with help from the Wisconsin World Trade Center and the Milwaukee World Trade Association. In addition, there is a faculty exchange program that has enabled UW-La Crosse faculty to travel to 40 different countries in the last three years. It is exciting, Dr. Lokken commented, to see the benefits they bring to the classroom from those experiences. In conclusion, he announced that UW-La Crosse has been chosen to host the regional conference for international educators in the fall of 2000 and the state conference in 2001.

Regent DeSimone commended UW-La Crosse for its excellent international program.

President Lyall asked the UW-La Crosse students what they were studying and what they intended to do when they finished their degrees.

Mr. Refsland replied that he has a double major in business administration and Spanish. He hopes to earn a graduate degree and work in an international field. Ms. Kambandu, who is studying international management, with a minor in international business, plans to return to Zimbabwe and use what she learned to help bring up the standard of living in her home country. Mr. Xiong, who is studying international management with a minor in French, noted that he wanted a minor in Chinese, but that is not available at UW-La Crosse. His goal is to work in an international corporation and later to become a college teacher. Ms. Birner, who is studying geography and Spanish, hopes to get a Masters Degree in Latin American Studies and, using her knowledge of Spanish, eventually teach in the southwest United States.

Thanking the students and university for the presentation, Regent Smith remarked that the quality of the video is spectacular. He had worked in the countries that the students represent, he noted, observing that he had never found different cultures to be threatening. He asked what the Board of Regents could do to help further international education.

Ms. Birner suggested that it would be helpful to students if more scholarships were available.

Dr. Lokken noted that the current budget request is a good foundation. He suggested continued encouragement of UW institutions to work together as a team and share information, along with help in sharing the vision that "international" is the message of the new millennium. In addition to funding for scholarships, he felt that funding for faculty exchanges would be beneficial.

Regent Orr asked Chancellor Ward about the extent to which it is possible for students on other campuses to study Chinese through collaborative arrangements with UW-Madison. Noting that the Big Ten is putting some less commonly taught languages on line, Chancellor Ward cautioned that there still are pedagogical challenges in on-line delivery when teaching Chinese, Japanese and other Asian languages.

Dr. Lokken added that foundation funding has been obtained for a language program, beginning in fall 1999, with UW-La Crosse as the center. A faculty member from the university’s exchange program in QuanChi, China, will be teaching Chinese through distance education to a consortium of schools.

In response to a question by Regent Staszak, Dr. Lokken indicated that students are informed of international opportunities before starting their freshman year. In fact, the program is incorporated into the university’s recruitment materials that are provided to high schools because a growing number of secondary students are interested in what international experiences are offered by universities to which they might apply.

Regent DeSimone recalled that in 1974-75, with the help of Chancellor Greenhill, the international Rotary started a World Affairs seminar at UW-Whitewater. In the beginning, there were about 125 people, one quarter of whom were international students and three quarters were US high school students. The object was to acquaint students with the different cultures of the world. This seminar, held every year since 1974, has grown to about 1400 students.

Noting that UW-La Crosse has 200 international students on a 9,000 student campus, Chancellor Kuipers referred to her earlier comment that, to be a competent person in the 21^st Century, one must have global understanding, skills, values and attitude. She also noted the great benefits to the UW and community of the university’s program that brings Eastern European bankers to UW-La Crosse for training. She asked the Board to work in partnership with the Governor, Legislature and others to increase funding for these types of international initiatives.

-

President Lyall reported that UW-Superior, in partnership with H.T. Klatzky Associates of Duluth, was recently honored for their admissions marketing campaign and its creativity, execution and impact. The theme is: "Everything you’d expect from a private college, except the tuition." For fall 1999, applications for UW-Superior are up almost 20 percent and admissions are up almost 15 percent.

It was reported by President Lyall that systemwide electronic applications in the first three months of 1999 are running at about 12,000 compared to 5,000 for the same period last year. This shows that students are finding this an efficient and effective way of making applications, and it is expected that the growth in numbers will continue. President Lyall credited Kris McGrew and her HELP staff at UW-Extension for getting word to counselors and students about this user-friendly way to apply to the UW System.

-

President Lyall congratulated UW-River Falls, which is celebrating its 125^th anniversary this year starting with an opening ceremony later in April.

-

President Lyall congratulated UW-Platteville on its second straight men’s Division III basketball title and fourth championship in the 1990’s. She wished Coach Bo Ryan well in his move to UW-Milwaukee and wished UW-Platteville success in searching for a new coach of equal distinction.

-

President Lyall congratulated the UW-Whitewater Warhawk Wheelchair Basketball Team, that defeated the top-ranked University of Illinois team to capture the national title.

-

It was reported by President Lyall that UW-Fox Valley Dean Jim Perry was presented the "Pinnacle Award" by the Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau to recognize his and John Barlow’s efforts in planning, developing, and completing the Barlow Planetarium on the Fox Valley campus. The planetarium has become an important draw for tourists and visitors to that region of the state. At the same time, it is an invaluable teaching resource for students and faculty at UW-Fox Valley.

-

President Lyall reported that UW-Waukesha has signed an agreement with UW-Milwaukee under which UW-Milwaukee will offer its B.A. in Organization Administration at UW-Waukesha by offering all upper-level courses there in the evening. UW-Whitewater also is in the process of arranging to deliver courses at UW-Waukesha. These developments, President Lyall noted, underscore a very positive trend in the UW-System. As recently as 1995, four-year degrees were offered only at four-year campuses. Today, four-year degrees also are offered at nine UW Colleges. This kind of collaboration, she stated, meets the needs of UW clients and makes efficient use of faculty and instructional programs statewide. She commended Chancellor Messner, his Deans and other Chancellors for continuing to extend these collaborative efforts.

-

It was reported by President Lyall that the UW-Oshkosh Model U.N. Team received an outstanding delegation award for the 15^th consecutive year.

-

President Lyall noted the passing of retired Professor George Mosse, one of UW-Madison’s most distinguished teachers of European history. Professor Moose fled Nazi Germany to come to the U.S., where he developed an international reputation for scholarship. He has remembered his students and the university in his will by bequeathing $5 million to support the George Mosse Teaching Fellowship and an exchange program between UW-Madison and Hebrew University in Israel. In his last year, Dr. Mosse was the first scholar-in-residence at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C.

- - -

REPORT OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The report of the Education Committee was presented by Regent Randall, Vice Chair.

Presenting Resolutions 7882-7885, which had been approved unanimously by the Education Committee, Regent Randall moved their adoption by the Board of Regents as consent agenda items. The motion was seconded by Regent Staszak and carried with Regent Olivieri abstaining on Resolution 7882.

Senior Vice President Ward reported that, due to the length of the meeting, Judith Eaton, President of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, was unable to speak to the Committee. She agreed to provide a letter discussing accreditation strategies and to join in a teleconference or videoconference at a subsequent meeting.

In discussion of the report, a number of issues were raised. Regent Smith observed that, despite improvements in the past ten years, a great deal more is expected from Plan 2008. Regent Orr emphasized the importance of pre-college programs in increasing minority student representation, and Regent Staszak stressed the importance of retention. Regent Orr agreed, commenting that pre-college programs should help improve retention, since their purpose is to better prepare students for the college experience. Regent Smith noted that Plan 2008 emphasizes the importance of campus environment and stressed the need for data to determine what happens after the first two years, since most minority student non-retention occurs in the third and fourth years.

Dr. Tess Arenas gave an update on Plan 2008, noting that her staff is: (1) Developing a federal Gear UP application in collaboration with the Department of Public Instruction; (2) meeting with Ameritech to discuss possible funding opportunities; (3) collaborating with UW-Stevens Point to extend a pre-college computer camp to migrant youth in the Stevens Point area; (4) working with University Relations, the Legislature, and the Wisconsin Association of Black School employees to increase the amount of pre-college and financial aid dollars recommended in the biennial budget; and (5) continuing to review campus plans for implementing Plan 2008.

-

Senior Vice President Ward advised the Committee of UW-Oshkosh’s intention to recruit for a Dean, College of Education and Human Services, at a salary below the Executive Salary Group Six maximum.

-

The Education Committee heard a presentation by representatives of the United Council of UW Students on student shared governance in the UW System. Joseph Hardenbrook, United Council Shared Governance Director, discussed student appointments to university committees. Henry Tyler, President of the UW-Stout Student Body, reviewed the fee allocation process. Craig Trost, Student Shared Governance Director at UW-Oshkosh and former Student Body President at UW-Fox Valley, discussed student organizations and the role of shared governance at the UW Colleges. Jorna Taylor, UW-Milwaukee Student Shared Governance Director, outlined the importance of student advocacy on campus. All of the presenters emphasized the importance of the shared governance experience both in ensuring the protection of student interests in the university and as part of the student’s educational experience.

-

Associate Vice President Frank Goldberg reviewed with the Committee the Occasional Research Brief on The Graying of the Faculty. The ORB concludes that, based on historical retirement rates in the UW System, 2,384 faculty members system-wide are projected to retire over the next decade. This represents nearly 40 percent of the total number of UW System faculty in 1997-98.

Regent Orr observed that the quality of replacement faculty will determine the quality of Wisconsin education and stressed the importance of being competitive when recruiting new faculty, noting that the system’s position in this regard is not strong. He also pointed out that, since the reputation of a diploma rests on the current quality of the institution, this is a matter of concern to alumni and current students, as well as to the next generation. Senior Vice President Ward noted that the cost of setting up new faculty members today is significantly higher than it was 20-30 years ago.

Regents generally stressed the importance of the salary package to improving the UW’s competitive position in the area of faculty recruitment.

Adoption of Resolution 7886 was moved by Regent Randall, seconded by Regent Marcovich and carried unanimously:

-

Regent Mohs asked where the UW System stands in ability to defend current admissions practices, in light of recent court decisions. In response, Senior Counsel Pat Brady indicated that there had been opportunity from time to time since the decision in the Hopwood case to reassess how UW System admission policies could be defended against a similar type of challenge. The assessment had not found any practices of the kind that might give rise to litigation. UW policies are consistent with the court’s decision in the Bakke case and provide a careful process for looking at students who apply to UW institutions. Decisions are made on an individual basis without a two-tier system that has been found objectionable in some cases. Legal counsel, therefore, felt comfortable in defending UW policies as they stand.

Regent Mohs indicated satisfaction with this response. No further information was requested.

- - -

REPORT OF THE PHYSICAL PLANNING AND FUNDING COMMITTEE

The report of the Physical Planning and Funding committee was presented by Regent Barry, Chair.

Presenting Resolutions 7887-7890, which had been approved unanimously by the Committee, Regent Barry moved their adoption by the Board of Regents as consent agenda items. The motion was seconded by Regent Mohs, and carried unanimously.

With respect to Resolution 7887, Regent Barry noted that, for the first time, there was approval of a moveable equipment expenditure package that will allow advance planning in distribution of funds and will enable campuses to work more closely with their municipal partners for planning projects on a timely basis. He commended Chancellor Bill Messner, Assistant Chancellor Chris Forrest, and Assistant Vice President Nancy Ives for causing this to happen in a positive way.

The UW Colleges, Regent Barry noted, are roughly equal to UW-La Crosse in student head count, to UW-Green Bay in budget and to UW-Madison in number of freshmen. The Colleges’ 1999-01 budget with local government partners for new projects is $21 million, including significant private funding of $4 million for UW-Baraboo and $1 million for UW-Richland Center.

-

Regent Barry reported that, in a joint meeting with the Business and Finance Committee, the Physical Planning and Funding Committee heard an excellent presentation by Chancellor Julius Erlenbach on the UW-Superior Master Plan. This plan, Regent Barry pointed out, is oriented toward the next 25 years and is strong because it utilizes a great deal of input from all stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and local government. The plan will be guided by the physical planning principles recently adopted by the Board. Themes of the plan are creation of an image of quality and a sense of place by unifying the campus functionally and aesthetically, while blending it with the surrounding community. Features include creation of a central outdoor campus gathering space, better definition of campus edges, identification of sites for peripheral parking and future buildings and opportunities for joint projects with the city. Also included is a minor boundary adjustment to permit reconfiguration of the campus.

Adoption of Resolution 7891 was moved by Regent Barry, seconded by Regent Marcovich and carried unanimously.

-

Reporting on final Building Commission action on the UW System’s 1999-01 Capital Budget, Regent Barry noted that the cornerstone of the request is $160 million of GPR bonding for the Capital Asset Reinvestment Effort (CARE program). The Building Commission recommended 85 percent ($136 million) and renamed the program WisBuild. As requested, WisBuild will enable the UW System to propose an expenditure plan for those funds and large renewal projects will be able to proceed without specific enumeration.

Of the requested $25 million for enumerated GPR projects, $23.1 million was approved for projects at UW-River Falls, UW-Platteville, UW-Madison, and UW-Whitewater. Efforts to retain the 85 percent GPR and 15 percent non-GPR funding split for the Physical Education Facility at UW-Whitewater were successful. The UW also received approval to plan 10 projects in 1999-01 and approval for 16 projects that will use non-GPR funds of $90 million.

- - -

REPORT OF THE BUSINESS AND FINANCE COMMITTEE

Regent Marcovich, Chair, presented the Committee’s report.

Presenting Resolutions 7892-7893, which had been unanimously approved at a portion of the committee meeting to which all Regents were invited, Regent Marcovich moved their adoption by the Board of Regents. With respect to Resolution 7893, he noted that the principle stating, "Any new structure should recognize and meet the needs of the K-12 community" had been changed to read, "Any new structure should reinforce the importance of collaborative efforts among the UW System, the Technical College System, and the K-12 System to use public broadcasting to meet educational needs. The motion was seconded by Regent Randall and carried unanimously.

-

Regent Marcovich reported that the Business and Finance Committee met with the Education Committee for discussion of the Milwaukee Technical High School Agreement. (See page 13 for resolution)

-

Regent Marcovich reported that the Business and Finance Committee heard an update on UW-Extension’s response to Y2K issues involving small business, local government and the general public. Dean Carl O’Connor, of Cooperative Extension, discussed a programming partnership with the Department of Administration, focusing on local government preparedness. Associate Professor Dan Hill, Lafayette County Community Resource Development Educator, spoke on community preparedness activities and the role of education in specific community settings. Erica Kauten, State Director, Small Business Development Center, overviewed the Center’s collaborative response to small business needs; and Jan Gallagher, Director, Business Development Center, UW-La Crosse, spoke about a continuing education workshop to meet local needs and gave examples of specific counseling results.

-

Presenting Resolution 7894, Regent Marcovich noted that it was approved unanimously in committee but that it was not put on the consent agenda to accommodate requests by Regents to comment at this meeting.

Noting that United Council was requesting a 42 percent increase, Regent Smith said that he intended to support the increase because it is supported by the membership of United Council. He did not, however, agree with the models and information United Council had presented in support of the request. He questioned the proposal for a $200,000 reserve and the commitment to seek no further increase for six to eight years. He felt that building a possible loss of 12,000 students into projections could be challenged. Instead, he would have preferred to see a staged fee structure or an adjustment at the time of a large loss of members, rather than building so large a reserve.

John Grabel, President of United Council, explained that the impetus for the proposal came when budgeting last June indicated that United Council would need to begin utilizing the reserves that were carefully put aside to insure stability of the organization. When United Council realized a fee increase would be needed, the membership was asked what they would like to see changed within the organization. The response was that they would like to have another staff position created, so that United Council could have a greater presence on campuses, interact with more students, and assist students with campus projects. In addition to salary, funding such a position would involve increased travel and other costs, some of which were not fully reflected in the budget projections.

United Council also wishes, Mr. Grabel continued, to create a reserve that allows the organization to be stable if a significant portion of funding should be lost due to a defeated referendum. If this should happen, the membership wants the organization to be able to maintain its operations and the services it provides.

Because the process of requesting a fee increase consumes a great deal of time and effort, there is a desire to set the fee at a level that would be adequate six to eight years, or even longer if efforts to explore other areas of funding proved fruitful.

In response questions by Regent Randall, Mr. Grabel indicated that there is a referendum scheduled for UW-Milwaukee next week and that United Council is confident of the continued support of UW-Milwaukee students. Last year, United Council spent about $2,000 to run 13 referenda. That amount includes printing costs and staff travel and lodging.

Upon conclusion of discussion, adoption of Resolution 7894 was moved by Regent Marcovich, seconded by Regent DeSimone and carried, with Regent Staszak abstaining from the vote.

Vice President Bromberg reported to the Business and Finance Committee that, comparing UW to market indices, performance has been competitive and consistent

- - -

-

It was moved by Regent Randall, seconded by Regent Mohs and carried unanimously that General Counsel Elizabeth Rindskopf Parker be elected Assistant Trust Officer of the Board.

- - -

Executive Session

At 11:45 a.m., the Board recessed for 10 minutes. The Board reconvened in open session at 11:55 a.m., at which time Regent Smith moved adoption of the following resolution. The motion was seconded by Regent Randall and carried on a roll-call vote, with Regents DeBraska, DeSimone, Marcovich, Mohs, Oliveri, Randall, Smith and Staszak voting in the affirmative (8). There were no dissenting votes.

The Board arose from closed session at 11:25 a.m., having adopted the following resolutions:

The meeting adjourned at 11:25 a.m.

__________________________________

Judith A. Temby, Secretary