Minutes of the University Committee
for November 17, 1999

The Committee met at 8:10 in 262 CART. Members present were Walter Feldt, Laura Gellott, Fran Kavenik, Carol Saffioti-Hughes, and Lee Van Dyke. Also present were Larry Duetsch, Jack Keating, and John Ostheimer.

Professor Gellott said that she and Chancellor Keating had exchanged views regarding the conversion of certain lecturer appointments to tenure-track appointments and had agreed that it would be useful to continue the conversation with the Committee and the Provost. She said that, like other members of the Committee, she feels that lecturers should be given faculty appointments as a matter of fairness when they do work that is indistinguishable from the work that is expected of faculty members. Chancellor Keating said that before he would consider approving any departmental recommendations for conversions of this kind, a general policy would need to be developed by appropriate governance bodies and approved by UW System legal counsel. He wondered how some lecturers (and not others) would be deemed suitable for this advancement. Professors Kavenik and Saffioti-Hughes noted that each of them had been chosen for advancement in this manner. The Chancellor said that he was especially concerned about the potential for liability with respect to people who might have applied for a position as a lecturer if they had known that advancement such as this was possible. Although the discussion produced no agreement in regard to the conversion of appointments, everyone agreed that lecturers are always welcome to apply for tenure-track positions for which they are qualified when searches are conducted. As an alternate way of recognizing exemplary performance, departments should consider advancement to the rank of distinguished lecturer in appropriate cases. The Chancellor and the Provost left the meeting at the end of the discussion.

The Committee agreed on a slate of potential nominees for election to the Committee on Advising. The also agreed on a list of potential appointees to subcommittees of the Admissions, Records, and Student Information Committee.

The Committee set a tentative agenda for the November 30 meeting of the Faculty Senate.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15.