MINUTES
2006/2007 University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Faculty Senate
Tuesday, May 8, 2:15 p.m.
Andersen Library 2254
http://www.uww.edu/facsenate/archives/2006_2007/minutes/M050807.html

1. Call to Order  2:37 PM
2. Roll Call
   1. Senators present:  Ahmadi, Bren,Bertozzi, Emrey, Erdmann,Ferencz, Gosen, Gruber,Gunawaradena, Henige, Hogan, Huang, Johnson, Kapp, Mercer, Molloy,Ossers, Porter, Portman, Sawyer, Weston, White
   2. Senators absent:  (*informed Secretary) Alario,Albrechtsen, Cartwright*, Chenoweth*,Ghavamshahidi*, Griffith, Habanek*,Kolb*, Leitheiser,Parboteeah, Valadez* (Hertting resigned).  
   3. Chair Hogan expressed his thanks to the retiring senators.
3. Approval of Minutes: 2006/2007 Faculty Senate Meeting, March 13, 2007 (attached to the paper copy and available at http://www.uww.edu/facsenate/M031307.html).  Approved on an Ossers/Portman motion.
4. Reports of Committees
   1. University Curriculum Committee:
      1. Transmittal of actions of Friday, April 13, 2007 (attached to the paper copy and available at http://acadaff.uww.edu/UCC/2006-07/041307/041307T.htm for download links).   Approved on aBertozzi/Emrey motion. FS0607-30.
   2. Campus Landscape and Planning Committee.
      1. Revision to the Reconstruction Plan for the UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve.  Neil Sawyer explained the revisions in the plan which will include a new map.  Sawyer/Ossers moved to substitute the revised plan for the previously approved version.  Passed. FS0607-31.
   3. Faculty Personnel Rules Committee: Virginia Epps, chair of FPRC, explained the rationale for the changes and answered questions. A lengthy discussion ensued.
      1. Resolved that the text in section III, F, 2, c, (1) - (4) be changed
         From
         c. Include a written narrative for each year. Use a maximum of three pages for this
         narrative. The narrative should consider the faculty member's
         (1) critical evaluation of his/her performance in teaching, research and creative activity, and professional and public service,
         (2) description of his/her performance as it relates to the university principles in teaching, research and creative activity, and professional and public service,
         (3) description of his/her performance as it relates to his/her departmental and constituency standards in teaching, research and creative activity, and professional and public service description of his/her performance as it relates to the Document of Intent or annual face-to-face goals.
         To
         c. Include a written narrative for each year. Use a maximum of three pages for this narrative.Because the department goals and mission are consistent with those of thecollege and university as well as the university strategic plan, in the narrative concisely describe your
         (1) approach to teaching and how it is consistent with the select missionof the department and/or the strategic plan of the university;
         (2) research agenda, current projects, and accomplishments and in what way this agenda and the projects are consistent the selectmission of the department and/or the strategic plan of the University;
         3) service activities and how they help support the fulfillment of the select mission of the department and/or the strategic plan of the University. Approved on Portman/Bren motion (discussed and amended). FS0607-32.
   4. Faculty Senate Executive Committee:
      1. Resolution of Appreciation of Chancellor Saunders accomplishments for UW-Whitewater:  
         1. In Appreciation of Chancellor Martha Saunders Accomplishments for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater: 2005-2007
            Whereas Martha Saunders has acted with energy, intelligence, humor, and charm as Chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater since 2005; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has worked diligently to include all constituencies in her decision making process through a series of campus summits at the beginning of her tenure and continued meetings and discussions with various constituencies as she has made decisions affecting them; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has overseen the beginning of several construction projects on campus and has solved problems about them collaboratively and quickly; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has enhanced the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's relationship to its alumni and the community through outreach and through her continued presence at and participation in campus, alumni, and community events; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has instituted a blog to communicate to the campus and community her thoughts and concerns and celebrate the accomplishments of university students, staff, faculty, and alumni; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has encouraged the arts by instituting the Chancellor's Literary Award, annually recognizing a writer with a strong connection to the upper Midwest; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has reenergized the strategic planning process, resulting in a new strategic plan with benchmarks; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has enthusiastically supported the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater sports teams, working for their benefit behind the scenes and cheering them on from the stands; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has brought to a close a nine-year old Title IX complaint; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has been an effective fund raiser; and
            Whereas Chancellor Saunders has worked diligently to raise the morale of the campus through her example of dignity, forthrightness, good cheer, and sincere collegiality;
            Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty of University of Wisconsin-Whitewater thanks Martha Saunders for her leadership as Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and wishes her continued success and pleasure in her return home as President of the University of Southern Mississippi. Approved on an Ahmadi/Portman motion. FS0607-33.
      2. Resolution on the Recommendations of the UW System President's Fringe Benefit Advisory Committee: 
         1. Whereas the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Faculty Senate recognizes the need to respond quickly to the LAB findings and agrees with many of the recommendations of the Advisory Committee (4 April 2007 version), nevertheless the UW-W Faculty Senate has serious reservations about some of the recommendations and urge that they be changed:
            
            Recommendation I.2, "Create a system-wide deadline for submission of the current month's leave report," needs to allow some flexibility in order to take into account circumstances beyond an individual's control that would cause the individual to fail to turn in the report in a timely manner, such as illness and emergencies.
            Recommendation II.2.b, "consider[ing] compliance with leave reporting as a factor in merit increases," would unnecessarily complicate the merit process. Therefore the UW-W Faculty Senate urges that the current Recommendation II.2.b be deleted.
            Recommendation II.2.c, "include[ing] leave reporting requirements in the employment contract as a condition of employment," disproportionately emphasizes the importance of sick leave reports among the many duties of faculty members. Faculty members are required to make a number of reports, reporting grades of students, accomplishments during the year for reappointment and tenure, outside remuneration, and the like, most of them spelled out in the University Handbook as faculty duties. None of these required reports are in initial employment contracts. To include every possible report, duty, etc. would make initial employment contracts unwieldy and would suggest that anything not in the employment contract need not be done. The provision under recommendation I, especially I.4, would be much more effective in conveying to faculty members the need for compliance in reporting sick leave. Therefore, the UW-W Faculty Senate urges that Recommendation II.2.c be deleted in its current form.
            Recommendation II.2.d, "permit[ting] supervisors to correct a leave report," should also allow a supervisor to create a report.
            Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty Senate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater recommends these changes to I.2 and II.2; and
            Be it further resolved that the Faculty Senate strongly agrees that alternative models for defined work schedules be pursued as suggested by Recommendation III.3. Approved on an Erdman/Sawyer motion (discussed and amended). FS0607-34.
      3. Criminal Background Check Policy. Provost Telfer indicated that the document was being reviewed by the System Legal Office. Slight differences in the Faculty Senate and Academic Staff Assembly versions will have to be resolved.
         
         
5. Unfinished Business
   1. None
      
      
6. New Business:
   1. Resolution on Domestic Partner Benefits:
      1. Whereas the University of Wisconsin System's lack of Domestic Partner Benefits has resulted in the loss of valued employees and makes it more difficult to recruit high quality employees; and
         Whereas peer institutions of the University of Wisconsin System afford their employees these benefits;
         Therefore be it resolved that the Faculty Senate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater urges the granting of Domestic Partner benefits to all employees of the University of Wisconsin System. Approved on a Weston/Sawyer motion (amended). FS0607-35.
   2. Retirement Resolutions:  A wording suggestion concerning length of service to the campus was made.  Chair Hogan stated that he would revise as needed.
      1. George R. Adams, Department of Languages and Literatures (attached to the paper copy). Approved on an Erdmann/Ossers motion. FS0607-36.
      2. Richard C. Haney, Department of History (attached to the paper copy). Approved on a Johnson/Emrey motion. FS0607-37.
      3. Steven B. Karges, Department of History (attached to the paper copy). Approved on a Johnson/Sawyer motion. FS0607-38.
         
         
7. Announcements and Information (no action unless noted otherwise)
   1. Report of the Chancellor
   2. Report of the Provost: State employee recognition day is May 9. The governor’s version of the budget has passed the Joint Finance Committee of the Legislature. The Recording Industry of America Association has been in contact with the campus about illegal downloading.   RIAA is very serious about stopping it.
   3. Report of the Associate Vice Chancellor: AVC Monfils provided the following report: Changes in guidelines from the Admissions & Academic Standards Committee regarding the appeals process fro students who are academically dismissed.  Note: all referenced to GPA below refer to UW-W GPA.
      Good standing:  In order to remain in good standing at UW-W, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or above.  Some colleges and/or programs may require a combined UW-W and transfer GPA above 2.00 in order to remain in good academic standing in their programs.
      Probation:  1. Any student who earns less than a cumulative 2.00 GPA will be placed on probation.  2. If a student is placed on probation, then the student must earn a term GPA of 2.00 or higher in the subsequent semester (excludingwinterim or summer terms), or the student will be academically dismissed.   3. If a student is placed on probation, and earns a term GPA of 2.00 or higher in the subsequent semester (excludingwinterim or summer terms), then the student will have one more semester to attain a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher, or the student will be academically dismissed.  4. All students on probation will be limited to 15 units per semester.
      Academic Dismissal:  Any student whose cumulative GPA is 2.00 or greater, but who earns a term GPA of less than a 1.00, will be academically dismissed.  The student will be reinstated upon appeal, provided that the appeal addresses the steps the student will take to return to good academic standing.  Reinstated students are placed on probation.
   4. Report of the Senate Chair   The Board of Regents is studying policies for students’ off-campus behavior.   Guidelines for joint governance will be worked on by a committee over the summer.
   5. Other announcements: A committee is meeting to review campus policy on medical excuses for absence from class.  David Porter of Finance and Business Law explained some of the background and his own concerns about the issue.  Ruth Swisher, Associate Director of Health Services, and Donene Rowe, MD, provided a copy of the Health Service’s present policy and explained the rationale for the policy.
      
      
8. Adjournment: 4:30 PM on an Ossers/Kapp motion.