Academic Staff Assembly

Academic Staff Assembly Approved Minutes

November 1, 2006

2006-2007 Assembly

Present: Mike Cohen (Chair), Sandi Scott-Duex (Vice), Amy Margulies, Nancy Farmer, Michael Flanagan, Deb Bowen, Paula Mohan, Eric Roche, Wayne Youngquist, Denise Ehlen, George Clokey, Patti Mirsky (Program Associate, Secretary)

Absent: Gail Fox (Excused)

Guest: Jeanine Fassl

1. Approval of Minutes: The meeting was brought to order by Chair Michael Cohen at 12:04 p.m. Minutes of the October 18, 2006 meeting were approved unanimously on a Flanagan/Clokey motion.

2. Addition to Agenda – Instructional Academic Staff Promotion Policy: Guest, Jeanine Fassl, was welcomed to the meeting. The November 1 deadline will be pre-empted as it must be passed by our assembly first and due to agenda time restraints, we haven’t had the opportunity before today.

Fassl provided handouts of the 10/04/06 draft version of the Instructional Academic Staff Promotion Policy. Specifically items 2-c and 3-c are additional information for Promotions in this latest draft version. Discussion ensued and questions were fielded by Ms. Fassl. Approval of the Instructional Academic Staff Promotion Policy Draft 10/04/06 unanimously passed on a Youngquist/Duex motion.

Farmer will direct the Promotions Committee to look at a timeline for the process at the scheduled meeting on Monday, December 18.

On a Duex/Cohen motion, The Academic Staff Assembly unanimously commends Jeanine Fassl for her years of service to the Academic Staff Instructional Promotions and the Title Appeals Committees.

3. UW System Criminal Background Check Policy: Cohen announced we will need to make an official statement. We may wait for the Faculty Senate to see if they make a statement. Youngquist voiced concerns for security in the process and felt it should be operated “in-house” to prevent information from leaking out and that it should be made available only on a “need-to-know” basis. Cohen will get an updated draft from Jeanine Freeman for the Assembly to peruse.

4. LAB Audit Report: Not due out until June of 2007. The Assembly discussed various aspects of the report highlights.

5. Academic Staff Committees and Liaisons

a. Academic Staff Awards Committee/Duex – No Report

b. Academic Staff Economic Issues Committee/Cohen – No Report

c. Academic Staff Elections & Balloting/Bowen- No Report

d. Academic Staff Government/Clokey- Going to call meeting after elections.

e. Academic Staff Organization/Duex – Needs names of instructional people.

f. Academic Staff Professional Development/Ehlen – Handout provided – The committee will meet once per month if there are any applications. Discussed changes that apply to retirement, limit on grants, stipends kept, time & effort (must be tracked), changes to repeat applicants and time constraints on budgets and policy that project monies must be spent between January 1 and June 1 of 2007. Also, please note change in office location – 2237 Anderson. Motion by Ehlen/Bowen unanimously approved for W/2 changes to be “Applicant’s Choice” in the grammar on #5. This was a motion to approve the Academic Staff Professional Development Grant Guidelines with the inclusion of clarification of the eligibility requirements.  The applicant must return to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater the year following the grant (if offered a contract).

g. Academic Staff Instructional Promotions/Farmer- Guest speaker today’s meeting, Jeanine Fassl.

h. Academic Staff Review/Cohen – No Report

i. Academic Staff Title Appeals/Margulies – No report

j. Academic Staff Titling Committee/Clokey – Meeting scheduled in November.

k. Academic Staff Rewards and Recognition Committee/Award letters were sent out to recipients.

6. Announcements:

a. Handout provided on notes from Read Gilgen/Academic Staff Representative from UW-Madison concerning the UWS7/11 expedited dismissals.

7. Future Agenda Items

a. Regents Award for Excellence

Meeting was adjourned at 1:14 pm

Respectfully submitted by Patti Mirsky, Program Associate/Secretary