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Minutes
FACULTY SENATE MEETING
September 2, 2014
Cedar/Maple, MSC
2:30 – 4:30 P.M.
CHAIR: Petre Ghenciu
VICE CHAIR: Ana Vande Linde
SECRETARY: Kevin Drzakowski
PRESENT: Amanda Barnett, Lopa Basu, Bryan Beamer, Amanda Brown, Kathleen Deery, David Ding, Kevin
Drzakowski, Barb Flom, Bert Fraher, Petre (Nelu) Ghenciu, Gene Gutman, Ted Harris, Glenda Jones, Anne Kerber,
Adam Kramschuster, Matthew Kuchta, Eun Joo Lee, Kate Maury, Brian Oenga, Marlann Patterson, Christine Peterson,
Forrest Schultz, Loretta Thielman, Ana Vande Linde, Cameron Weaver, Dean Wirtanen, Keith Wojciechowski, Bob
Zeidel, Julie Zaloudek
ABSENT: Michael Bessert, Virginia Lea, Steve Terry, Kevin Tharp, Amerika Vang
GUESTS: Brett Roseman, Chancellor Bob Meyer, Jackie Weissenburger, Doug Mell and Meridith Drzakowski
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IV.
Call to Order (Chair, Nelu Ghenciu)
1. Group Photograph, Brett Roseman
2. Introductions. Each member of the senate introduced himself or herself.
Roll Call – Sign Attendance Sheet
Minutes of May 12, 2014
Motion to approve: (Thielman/Kuchta) Vote. Motion passed unanimously.
Administration Reports
1. Chancellor’s Report.
- The Chancellor participated in (and survived) the ALS bucket challenge, as well as his
first Board of Regents meeting.
- Stout’s mission statement was revised to include a reference to selected engineering
programs.
- System President Cross put forth his budget proposal. Initial responses have been
positive. The budget proposal relies heavily on performance-based funding.
- Two changes have been proposed for compensation. One proposed change is that the
Board of Regents would have sole authority on distributing compensation. Also, the
Chancellor cannot currently give salary adjustments solely for merit; this proposal
would allow that.
- The Regents have asked the state for 95 million in additional compensation money.
- Chancellor Meyer was asked about the timing for the new degrees. Some campuses
have voiced opposition to our proposed new programs. New engineering programs
have been put on hold by System until a state-authored study on the need for such
programs has been completed. The study was due last week, but the provost has yet to
see the study. She hopes that we will be given permission to proceed with planning at
the next Board of Regents meeting.
- Chancellor Meyer thanked the body for its involvement in faculty governance.
2. Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs’ Report.
- The Provost spoke on the mission addendum. Those who are interested in seeing the
addendum, or the mission statement in full, may review it online.
- Preliminary planning is continuing on the Digital Marketing Technology program
(formerly Web Technology). A second Notice of Intent has been sent with the new
name, to allow other campuses to provide their input.
- We will have record, or at least near record, enrollment this year.
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Decisions will be made between now and December about how to deal with the third
year of budget cuts.
3. Final Campus Climate Survey Report shared by PARQ Office
Meridith Drzakowski presented highlights from the Climate Survey findings. Highlights
include:
- Separate reports exist for faculty/staff and students.
- The diversity leadership team has been charged to recommend actions based on the
report.
- Suggestions for actions can be made to Meridith or to Glenda Jones, a senate member
who serves on the committee. Suggestions should be made by October 15th.
- General trends noted were that the campus has a friendly atmosphere, which the
climate is positive for LGBQQ students and staff, and that employment status
occasionally leads to discrimination. A majority of respondents felt their concerns
were not taken seriously when they communicated dissatisfaction with the climate.
- The faculty response rate was around fifty percent.
- We do not have data on how the response rate regarding bullying compares with other
campuses.
- Chair Ghenciu suggested soliciting feedback from departments and presenting
recommendations from the Faculty Senate.
V. Announcements
1. Other.
Chair Ghenciu updated the senators on the following:
- Chair Ghenciu will be meeting with the other Senate chairs in Madison on September
24, 2014. He will report to us on the meeting’s conversation.
- Last year the faculty senate worked as a team and was able to be productive and
secured major changes with the promotion process.
2. Deb Gehrke introducing Erin Dunbar, HR Manager of Employee Relations.
Deb and Erin were not available but may be introduced at the next meeting.
VI. Welcome to New and Returning Senators
1. Faculty Senate Roles and Expectations
a. Guidelines and Training for Faculty Senate Representatives
b. Expectations of Senators
2. Governance White Paper
3. Senate Structure, Simplified Parliamentary Procedure
4. Robert’s Rules of Order Solecisms
Chair Ghenciu recommended all senators read through the documents attached to the agenda.
The documents are helpful resources for the senators.
VII. Unfinished Business
1. Discussion/Decision Items
a. Supplemental Compensation Update – Phase 3.
Chair Ghenciu updated the senators on the following:
- Chair Ghenciu will discuss the possibility of a third phase of supplemental
compensation with the Chancellor.
- Transparency on how the funding occurs was stressed as important.
b. Engagement Session Feedback
Senators provided the following feedback regarding the August 25th Engagement Sessions:
- Senators were unsure how the topics from the Visioning sessions were narrowed down
into the topics for the Engagement Sessions.
- Concern was expressed about the timing of the sessions. It can be an unwelcoming
introduction to campus for new faculty and staff. Possibly look into conducting the
engagement sessions in January.
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Having the students involved would be beneficial. If the engagement sessions were
held in January, the student involvement may be increased.
VIII. New Business
1. Upcoming Elections
a. Election Committee for 2014-15
a. All University Promotions Committee – Ballots sent on 08/27/2014
Vice Chair Vande Linde encouraged everyone to submit their ballots prior to Friday,
September 5th at 11:59 a.m.
2. Committee Approvals
a. Election of College Representatives to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee
Chair Ghenciu charged the senators from each college to confer and elect a representative
to the Executive Committee. The following are details:
 CAHSS – Amanda Brown - Motion to approve: (Jones/Vande Linde) Vote.
Motion passed unanimously.
 CEHHS – Julie Zaloudek - Motion to approve: (Barnett/Peterson) Vote.
Motion passed unanimously.
 COM – David Ding - Motion to approve: (Harris/Kuchta) Vote. Motion
passed unanimously.
 CSTEM – Marlann Patterson - Motion to approve: (Vande Linde/Schultz)
Vote. Motion passed unanimously.
Chair Ghenciu congratulated the new executive committee and Borofka will send meeting
invitations as soon as possible.
3. Discussion/Decision Items
a. EAC to update the credit hour definition.
b.Charge from Chancellor Sorensen dated May 23, 2014
Chair Ghenciu recommend the senators look over the EAC recommendations of the
credit hour definition and the charge memo from Chancellor Sorensen regarding defining
academic rigor. Highlights of the discussion include:
- The definition of the credit hour may be a way of partially defining academic rigor.
- All three governing bodies were charged to make a recommendation on whether/how to
increase the profile for incoming students.
- Chair Ghenciu suggested soliciting the input of the new chancellor before proceeding.
- Discussion turned to how academic expectations should be set at a school with
relatively open access.
- Chair Ghenciu asked senators to get feedback from their constituents on whether to
increase the student profile.
IX.
X.
Information Items were shared:
1. Faculty Senate Meeting Schedule 2014-2015
2. Faculty Senate Dashboard
3. Statement of SCOPE for Administrative Rules –Chapters 4 & 7, Chapter 11 and Chapter 17
Adjournment. Meeting adjourned at 4:19.