Minutes of the University Committee
for November 24, 1998

The Committee met at 3:35 in 262 CART. Members present were Tim Fossum, Laura Gellott, Fran Kavenik, James Kinchen, and Carol Saffioti-Hughes. Also present were Larry Duetsch, John Hanson, Andrea Simpson, and John Ostheimer.

Dr. Hanson introduced Ms. Simpson to the Committee as the recently appointed Director of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund. Members of the Committee expressed the hope that she enjoys a great deal of success in this position and offered to be of assistance. Ms. Simpson indicated that she will work to bring alumni back to the campus to reconnect them to their major departments; that she would be pleased to provide support and assistance in making arrangements for departmental alumni gatherings; that she plans to establish a number of corporate alumni clubs; that the alumni magazine is being reestablished; and that an alumni directory is now being created and will be made available to departments.

Dr. Hanson and Ms. Simpson left the meeting.

Provost Ostheimer reviewed the sequence of events that has led him to defer completion of two administrative performance evaluations that he began last year. He assured the Committee that these evaluations will be completed in the very near future and that the results will be discussed with staff in the units involved. He indicated that he will continue to use the process he has created for units that report to him, but that he was not sure how the Chancellor planned to evaluate his performance as Provost.

The Provost reviewed changes that have been made in the sabbatical application procedures for 2000-01. It appears that the requirement that applicants seek external support for their sabbatical has led to an increase in the number of full-year applications, as had been hoped. This will make it possible to hire replacements more frequently. The Provost asked the Committee to consider recommending a change in the composition of the campus review committee, to include members of the Committee on Teaching and also members of the Committee on Research and Creative Activity. The Committee agreed to take this matter up early in the next semester.

Provost Ostheimer left the meeting.

The Committee reviewed and approved the agenda for the December 1, 1998, meeting of the Faculty Senate.

The Committee approved a temporary replacement for a member of the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee during of an upcoming appeal hearing. [Subsequent to this meeting, a closer reading of UWPF 7.01(5)(c) led the Committee to conclude that replacement of a member of the Faculty Rights and Responsibilities Committee is only called for when the number of members able to serve falls below five. For this hearing, that is not the case and no replacement will be made.]

The meeting adjourned at 5:10.