Tag: Regents

June Regent Meeting

by Michelle Felber • June 3, 2015 • Comments Off

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Thursday and Friday, June 4 and 5. Livestream coverage is available here.

The board meets in committee Thursday morning, while the full board meets Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. All meetings will be held in the UW-Milwaukee student union, 2200 East Kenwood Boulevard.

The Audit Committee will review and approve an audit plan, discuss the new waste, fraud and abuse hotline, and hear a report from the Chief Audit Executive.

The Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee will hear updates on UW-Milwaukee’s outreach and economic development efforts and Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation trade missions. The committee will also participate in a panel discussion on the state’s angel and venture capitalists and funding university startups.

The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will discuss proposed building projects and hear updates on the State Building Commission action and and 2015-17 capital budget. PROFS lobbied hard for the Chemistry Building Project and is pleased the Joint Finance Committee approved bonding for the project.

The Education Committee will approve several new degree programs, hear a presentation on M3, a Milwaukee student success initiative, and hear an update from a UW System vice president. A resolution on tenure is also on the agenda, but without supporting documentation.

The Business and Finance Committee will discuss several contractual agreements, review policies related to UW-Madison’s Human Resources Design program, and consider changes to chancellor and senior administrator search and screen procedures.

PROFS is very concerned about the proposed changes and offered this statement to members of the Board of Regents.

Thursday afternoon, the full board will discuss the 2015-17 biennial budget, hear presentations from host UW-Milwaukee, and recognize outgoing Regent President Michael Falbo and retiring UW-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer.

On Friday, UW System President Ray Cross will address the board and provide an update on recent events. The board will also hear committee reports and approve action.

New Regents

Governor Scott Walker recently appointed three new members to the board. Michael M. Grebe and Drew Peterson replace outgoing members Michael Falbo and David Walsh, and will serve seven-year terms. UW-Whitewater student James Langnes III replaces UW-L Crosse student Anicka Purath as the traditional student regent and will serve a two-year term. The appointments are subject to Wisconsin State Senate confirmation.

Michael Grebe Grebe is executive vice president and general counsel for HUSCO International, a global manufacturing company in Waukesha. He graduated Dartmouth College and the University of Wisconsin Law School. He was previously a partner at the law firm Quarles and Brady.

Drew Peterson Peterson is vice president of external affairs and corporate communications for TDS Telecommunications Corporation in Madison. He graduated from Ripon College and earned an MBA from UW-Madison. He served on the board as representative of the Wisconsin Technical College System Board for the past two years and continues with a regular appointment.

James Langnes III Langnes, a UW-Whitewater student majoring in finance, will serve as the traditional student regent. Langnes was recently appointed to fill a vacancy on the Whitewater Common Council. He is originally from Lake Geneva.

Open Letter to UWSA Board of Regents on Chancellor Searches

by Michelle Felber • June 3, 2015 • Comments Off

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Legislative Update

by Michelle Felber • May 5, 2015 • Comments Off

State Budget Update

The 2015-17 biennial budget process continues. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee began meeting in executive session last month, but has yet to consider motions relating to the University of Wisconsin System.

Committee leaders have said they would like to conclude its work by the end of May, with the budget bill then moving to Senate and Assembly for their consideration. The entire process is expected to conclude in late June.

Public authority out of budget Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette) and Senator Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) announced today that the public authority plan for the University of Wisconsin System was dead and the committee would instead consider granting the university greater budget and management flexibilities.

Meetings with legislators PROFS continues to meet with key legislators and lobby on behalf of faculty, focusing on senate resolutions on state budget cuts and shared governance and funding for the Chemistry Building project. Members of the PROFS steering committee have met with more than a dozen legislators and staff since the beginning of the year.

Size of budget cuts While some legislative leaders have expressed a desire to lessen the size of the cut to UW System, both Governor Scott Walker and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) said revenue estimates expected later this week are likely to be lower than hoped and the first priority is K-12 education.

Fitzgerald also said he had less of a commitment to decrease the cut after the Board of Regents approved tuition increases on out-of-state and professional students earlier this month. Despite the unpopularity of the proposed cut — one poll found seventy percent of the state opposed — Fitzgerald said some legislators still have a “bitter taste in their mouths” after the budget surplus issue of the last biennium.

Tuition Freeze Governor Walker said in his budget errata message last month he intends to limit tuition increases to no more than the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) after a two-year freeze. UW System President Ray Cross said tying tuition increases to CPI “is not compatible with the agile, market-driven, and competitive entity the state needs us to be.”

Many higher education experts believe the plan to be unworkable: “Because the costs associated with running universities naturally exceed the costs of basic goods and services as represented in the CPI, limiting tuition increases to increases in the CPI is the wrong yard stick to use and is also very likely to reduce the ability of Wisconsin universities to offer the same quality as they have in the past,” said Professor Michael McLendon of Southern Methodist University.

Board of Regents

The UW System Board of Regents does not have a May meeting scheduled, but will meet in Milwaukee on June 4 and 5. Governor Scott Walker is expected to name three new regents this month as Regent President Michael Falbo, Regent David Walsh and traditional student Regent Anicka Purath complete their terms.

Three UW-Madison faculty members will serve on Regent task forces on shared governance and tenure – Biomedical Engineering Professor Beth Meyerand is a member of the shared governance task force, while Kinesiology Professor Dorothy Farrar-Edwards and Plant Pathology Professor Patricia McManus will serve on the tenure task force.

Board of Regent Resolutions

by Michelle Felber • March 9, 2015 • Comments Off

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents adopted two resolutions relating to the 2015-17 biennial budget proposal last week.

One resolution called for a reduction in the proposed base budget cut and supported management flexibilities either through public authority status or new legislation:

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The second resolution reaffirmed support for shared governance and tenure and asked for authorization to establish policies of shared governance and tenure should they be removed from state statute:

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March Board of Regents Meeting

by Michelle Felber • March 4, 2015 • Comments Off

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at UW-Madison Thursday, March 5. Livestream coverage is available here.

The full board begins its meeting at 9 am at the Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street.

The regents will discuss a sponsored research contract agreement with ExxonMobil and hear a presentation on how faculty and staff are using information technology to improve learning outcomes on campus.

In the afternoon, the regents and UW institution chancellors will discuss the 2015-17 biennial budget proposal and its potential effects.

Regent President Michael Falbo on Increasing Faculty Workload

by Michelle Felber • February 10, 2015 • Comments Off

Michael Falbo

Michael Falbo, President of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents, recently spoke with WisconsinEye senior producer Steve Walters. A two minute video excerpt is below.

The pair discussed Governor Scott Walker’s budget proposal, including the governor’s recent remark that the university’s budget situation could be improved if faculty taught one additional class each semester.

When asked to react to the governor’s remark, Falbo said, “certainly it’s true if they (faculty) taught another class there would be some efficiencies from that.” Falbo went on to say any changes to faculty workload would not happen quickly and would be the result of a collaborative process with all involved.

The full 18 minute video interview is here:

February Board of Regents Meeting

by Michelle Felber • February 5, 2015 • Comments Off

The University of Wisconsin-Madison will host the UW System Board of Regents today and tomorrow, Thursday and Friday, February 4 and 5. All meetings will take place in Varsity Hall in Union South, 1308 West Dayton Street. Livestream coverage of the meeting is available here.

The regents meet in committee Thursday morning, and the full board meets Thursday afternoon and Friday morning. UW-Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank will address the regents at 1:15 pm, followed by a board discussion of the 2015-17 biennial budget proposal.

The Education Committee will discuss sabbatical guidelines for 2016-18 and hear a report from UW-Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf on educational updates. On Friday, the committee, along with all regents, will discuss the engineering needs in the state, including a proposal to create new engineering programs in northwestern Wisconsin.

The Business and Finance Committee will hear the 2014 Finance Report, the 2014 Annual Trust Funds Report, and the Information Technology Report.

The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will hear presentations from UW-Madison and UW-Parkside on their respective campus master plans.

The Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee will hear updates on UW-Madison’s research enterprise and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation partnership.

On Friday, the regents will hear several reports, including UW-Madison’s NCAA Division I Athletics Report. UW-Madison professor Erik Brodt will receive a 2015 Board of Regents Diversity Award.

UW System President Ray Cross’ Remarks to Regents

by Michelle Felber • December 8, 2014 • Comments Off

UW System President Ray Cross

University of Wisconsin System President Ray Cross addressed the Board of Regents Friday, broadly outlining reforms intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness while allowing the university to be more responsive to the needs of the state.

Some of the areas mentioned for reform:

Faculty workload
Class offerings and low-enrollment courses
Search processes for chancellors
Credit requirements
Student segregated fees
Administrative operations

PROFS President Grant Petty told the Wisconsin State Journal that courses are already examined carefully and cautioned against using credit hours taught as the only measure of efficiency:

“(L)ow-enrollment courses here at UW-Madison are often also high-impact courses. That is, they are usually taught to advanced students on a specialized topic by a professor with world-class expertise in that subject. Sometimes losing low-enrollment courses due to budget constraints means that our students lose valuable educational opportunities. Efficiency at UW-Madison cannot and should not be measured strictly in terms of the number of student credit-hours taught.”

Cross’ full remarks are here:

December Board of Regents Meeting

by Michelle Felber • December 3, 2014 • Comments Off

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet Thursday and Friday, December 4 and 5 at at UW-Madison. The meeting will be held in the Symphony and Overture Rooms of Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street. Livestream coverage of the meeting will be available here.

The regents will meet in committees Thursday afternoon and Friday morning:

The Education Committee will discuss UW System baccalaureate engineering programs, including the proposal to create a Northwest Wisconsin Engineering Consortium at UW-River Falls, UW-Stout, and UW-Eau Claire. Earlier this year, UW System commissioned a study to examine the potential need for more engineers in the state.

The Business and Finance Committee will hear a quarterly report on gifts and grants, review the trust funds investment policy, and listen project update reports.

The Capital Planning and Budget Committee will discuss proposed building projects, including projects at Grainger Hall and Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall. The Grainger Hall project to renovate two classrooms will be paid for entirely through gift funds, while the residence hall project requires additional funding authority.

Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch has been invited to address the Research, Economic Development, and Innovation Committee. The committee will also hear updates on Economic Development Incentive Grant recipients, including Discovery to Product (D2P) at UW-Madison.

The Audit Committee will discuss recent UW System audit reports and consider a request for proposals to create a waste, fraud and abuse hotline.

The full board begins its meeting at 9 am Friday. UW System President Ray Cross will address the board, providing his thoughts on transforming the way the university does business. The regents will hear reports from the Higher Educational Aids Board, the Hospital Authority Board, and the Wisconsin Technical College System Board.

November Board of Regents Meeting

by Michelle Felber • November 5, 2014 • Comments Off

The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will meet at 9 am tomorrow, Thursday, November 6, at UW-Madison. The meeting will be held in the Symphony Room of Gordon Dining and Event Center, 770 West Dayton Street. Livestream coverage of the meeting will be available here.

The regents will host several panel discussions on Wisconsin’s workforce issues, and UW System Interim Senior Vice President David Ward and UW-Madison Provost Sarah Mangelsdorf will present accountability reports for 2013-14.

Chancellor Rebecca Blank will be among four chancellors discussing UW System’s response to workforce needs around the state. Other participants include Todd Berry of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance; Reggie Newson, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development; Todd Battle, President of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance; Mark Tyler, President of OEM Fabricators; and Kathi Seifert, former Executive Vice President of Kimberly-Clark.

Governor Scott Walker was invited to the meeting, but a spokesperson said he will not attend.

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