May 5, 2026 – University Committee (UC)-Minutes

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Time: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Lubar N456 and Microsoft Teams

Attendance

Present: Professors M. Kavanaugh, K. Kirshtner R. Leson, L. McHenry, W. Otieno, G. Rodger, M. Schwartz
Excused:  
Guests:  W.J. Chang, B. Church, M. Dabagh, T. Freiburger

I. Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by M. Kavanaugh at 1:00 p.m.

II. Persons Who Wish to be Heard

None

III. Approval of Minutes

The minutes of the April 28, 2026 meeting were approved.

IV. Special Guests

Interim Provost Tina Freiburger

  1. T. Freiburger gave an update on her first few days as Interim Provost. 
  2. The campus has an additional year to meet the federally-mandated Digital Accessibility Guidelines.  Attention is being paid to try to provide centralized resources to help individual units.
  3. Plans for the next year include continuing to work on student success initiatives, and utilizing better data analytics to target interventions. 
  4. The next steps on the realignment process are currently being determined. 
  5. There was a discussion on how to improve the current relationship between campus administration and faculty and staff.  This improvement is complicated by the need to deal with changes in federal and state policies.  Combined efforts to improve higher education’s public image are needed.  Improved communications between faculty and administration are also needed.   

Profs. Woo-Jin Chang, Ben Church, Mahsa Dabagh

  1. The state of the current CEAS budget was discussed.  Concerns over reductions in the number of TA positions and instructor positions were expressed.  The UC was asked to support reverting to the previous method of distributing student credit hour funds, eliminating the mandatory reduction applied to CEAS, and to advocate for strengthening CEAS’ accreditation status and contribution to UWM’s R1 classification. 
  2. The UC expressed interest in supporting a greater discussion on the budget model from a whole university perspective. 

V. Chairperson’s Report and Announcements

  1. M. Kavanaugh reported on the upcoming UW System President search, and informed the UC that there will be a UWM represented on the search and screen committee.  There will be at least 3 faculty from across the System on the search and screen committee.
  2. M. Kavanaugh advocated for improving UWM’s budget allocation during the UW System Reps meeting with system leadership.           

VI. Members’ Reports

  1. K. Kirshtner reported that the Policy Advisory Committee met and recommended approval of a new Emergency Operations Management SAAP, changes to SAAPs 07-02, 07-12 and 10-08, and the elimination of SAAP 07-06 (Employee Assistance Program).  It should be noted that eliminating SAAP 07-06 doesn’t eliminate the EAP, but recognizes that the EAP is now managed by the state rather than by the university and that there was no need for SAAP 07-06 to still exist. 
  2. G. Rodger reported that the Rules Committee set the agenda for the May 14 Faculty Senate meeting.  The APBC will be meeting this week.

VII. New Business

  1. Augmentation of the Executive Committee of the Department of Africology and African Diaspora Studies

The UC agreed with the augmentation request.

  • UC Chair Election

Wilkistar Otieno was elected chair of the UC for the 2026-2027 year.

VIII. Old Business

1.       Revisions to the Department Chair Duties

The UC discussed proposed revisions to the position of department chair and their duties.

IX.  Personnel Matters

None

X. Future Agenda Items

The next scheduled UC meeting is May 12 at 1:00 pm.  Chancellor Thomas Gibson is expected to attend.

XI. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 2:59 p.m.