PROFS offered the following written testimony in support of the 2%/2% pay plan today at a hearing of the Joint Committee for Employment Relations this morning. Two weeks ago, PROFS urged the committee to schedule the hearing and pass the pay plan that was included in the 2021-23 state budget. The plan calls for state employees, including University of Wisconsin faculty and staff, to receive 2% raises on January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023.
Month: December 2021
Legislative Update
The Wisconsin Legislature continues to propose legislation and hold public meetings, and PROFS is lobbying on and monitoring several pieces of legislation:
- Assembly Bill 195/Senate Bill 323 PROFS registered against these bills that prohibit transgender women from participating in UW System and Wisconsin Technical College System intercollegiate, intramural, and club sports. AB 195 passed the Assembly but failed passage 2-3 in a Senate committee. However, it could still be scheduled for vote in the Senate floor this session. Our statement on this legislation is on the PROFS website.
- Assembly Bill 370/Senate Bill 260 PROFS registered against these bills that prohibit UW System and UW Hospital and Clinics from, while in the scope of their employment, performing or assisting the performance of an abortion. This legislation could jeopardize the accreditation of the obstetrics and gynecology residency program. AB 370 failed passage 2-3 in committee but could still be scheduled for a floor vote this session.
- Assembly Bill 413/Senate Bill 409 PROFS is registered against these bills that essentially bans instruction on systemic racism at UW System and the Wisconsin Technical College System. A public hearing was held on AB 413 in October and our testimony in opposition to the bill is on the PROFS website. We are also registered against legislation that targets K-12 public schools (AB 411/SB 411) and training for state and local government employees (AB 414/SB 410).
- Assembly Bill 568/Senate Bill 557 PROFS is registered in favor of these bills that expand the type of revenue the university currently is allowed to invest to generate additional returns.
- Assembly Bill 639/Senate Bill 602 PROFS is registered in favor of this legislation. The bill will provide funding $180,000 in funding in each of the next two years for UW-Madison’s Missing-in-Action Recovery Project.
- Senate Bill 728 PROFS is registered in favor of this bipartisan legislation that would provide $1 million to plan and design a new engineering building at UW-Madison.
UW System Presidential Search and UW-Madison Chancellor Search
The UW System Presidential Search Committee met in closed session last week to discuss and interview semi-finalist candidates. Regents have said they hope to announce a new president in early 2022.
Last month, the Board of Regents voted to approve changes to Regent Policy Document 6.4, which outlines President and Chancellor searches. PROFS worked with UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson and the Regents, and successfully advocated for the changes which will allow for greater representation of shared governance groups on search committees. The UW-Madison Chancellor Search Committee was announced last Thursday. A list of committee members is on the PROFS website.
December Board of Regents Meeting
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet in Madison on Thursday and Friday, December 9 and 10. The meeting will be held in the Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street. Webex coverage of the meeting is also available by registering here.
Regents are meeting in committee Thursday morning:
The Business and Finance Committee has many agenda items that relate to UW-Madison — a proposal to increase out-of-state tuition rates by 2%, generating an additional $8 million for the university; the approval of several agreements and contracts; the annual faculty turnover report; and a presentation that outlines a possible real estate strategy that would benefit the university economically.
The Education Committee will hear several reports, consider approval of 4 new degree programs at UW-Milwaukee, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Stevens Point and UW-River Falls, and discuss extending the temporary suspension of the requirement for ACT or SAT requirements for admission to UW System institutions through 2024-25,
The Audit Committee will hear several updates and reports on compliance and annual audits.
The Capital Planning & Budget Committee will consider granting approval to plan or revise several building projects, including the new Data Sciences and Engineering buildings. The committee will also hear a number of reports, including a presentation on UW-Madison’s proposed real estate strategy for future economic growth for the institution (mentioned above).
The Research, Economic Development & Innovation Committee will hear updates on UW-Madison’s biotechnology research and university-industry partnerships that could grow Midwestern technology hubs.
The full board will meet at 1 pm Thursday. Regent President Ed Manydeeds will provide an update on the UW System Presidential search and the UW-Madison Chancellor search. UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson will also provide an update on winter commencement and legislative and staffing issues before the board moves into closed session.
The board will meet at 8:45 am Friday morning and vote on committee action from Thursday. The board will also recognize the service of Regent Emerita Olivia Woodmansee. An optional closed session rounds out the agenda.
PROFS Requests Leaders to Convene JCOER to Approve the 2%/2% Pay Plan
Today, PROFS sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) and Senate President Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) requesting them to convene a meeting of the Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER) so the committee can approve the pay plan for state employees. The pay plan, which was part of the 2021-23 state budget signed into law on July 8, calls for 2 percent raises on January 1, 2022 and January 1, 2023.
UW-Madison Chancellor Search Committee Named
Last week, University of Wisconsin Board of Regents President Ed Manydeeds announced the UW-Madison Chancellor Search Committee. The 21-member committee will be chaired by Regent Vice President Karen Walsh, and Electrical & Computer Engineering Professor Susan Hagness will serve as vice chair. In addition to Hagness, the committee includes Professors Jon Eckhardt (Business), Adena Rissman (Forest & Wildlife Ecology), Ananth Seshadri (Economics) and Anja Wanner (English).
Last month, the Regents voted to approve changes to Regent Policy Document 6.4, which outlines President and Chancellor searches. PROFS worked with UW System Interim President Tommy Thompson and the Regents, and successfully advocated for the changes which allows for greater representation of shared governance groups on search committees.
The full committee:
- Chair Karen Walsh, Regent
- Vice-Chair Susan Hagness, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
- Amy Blumenfeld Bogost, Regent
- Jon Eckhardt, Associate Professor, School of Business
- Ndemazea Fonkem, Student
- Gail Ford, Director, PEOPLE Program, Division of Diversity, Equity, and Educational Achievement
- Robert Golden, Dean, School of Medicine and Public Health
- Luis Gonzalez-Quizhpe, Student
- Erik Iverson, Chief Executive Officer, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
- Mike Jones, Regent
- Tracey L. Klein, Regent
- Aerin Leigh Lammers, Student
- Edmund Manydeeds III, Regent President
- John W. Miller, Regent
- Adena Rissman, Professor, Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology
- Ananth Seshadri, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Economics
- Jack Salzwedel, Community Representative
- Mike Shannon, Community Representative
- Samantha Skenandore, Community Representative
- Lisa Walters, Administrative Manager, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration
- Anja Wanner, Professor and Department Chair, Department of English