November 20 2025 – University Relations Committee – Minutes

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Time: Thursday at 11:00 p.m.
Location: Microsoft Teams

Present: Bryce Lord, Danielle Romain Dagenhardt, Jennifer Fink, Kidiocus Carroll, Kyle Norris, Marissa Steinhofer, John Reuter, Sergio Lopez-Pineiro, Tian Zhao, Zachary Durlam, Randall Trumbull Holper 

Absent: Gina Lukaszewicz, Susan Wirka

Guests: Deanna Alba, Keri Duce 

  1. Call meeting to order
    1. J. Reuter called meeting to order at 11:02 a.m.
  2. Auto consent
    1. Approval of the October 2025 meeting minutes
    2. Adoption of the Agenda
  3. Business
    1. Presentation from Keri Duce, Chief Government Relations Officer
      1. Presented on what government relations at the university does:
        1. Federal Relations
          1. UWM works with BGR to support day-to-day federal advocacy efforts.
          2. During potential federal shutdowns, BGR monitors developments and assesses possible impacts on the university.
          3. BGR assists through the congressional liaison process to elevate UWM issues at the federal level.
          4. UWM engages in the federal appropriations process by collecting project ideas from deans, evaluating where federal funding may be available, and collaborating with faculty and community partners to prepare proposals for BGR to advance.
          5. Four appropriations bills remain contentious: Energy, Homeland Security, State, and Treasury.
          6. BGR provides weekly federal updates.
          7. Keri supports deans during visits to Washington, D.C., particularly when discussing individual research projects.
          8. Some federal grants have been canceled; UWM is actively advocating for their reinstatement.
        2. State Relations
          1. Keri serves as UWM’s State Agency (SA) liaison—a conduit to UW System and state agencies in Madison for issues affecting the university.
          2. Responsibilities include navigating constituent concerns and advancing capital project priorities such as the Health Sciences renovation, Engineering and Neuroscience renovation planning, the Lapham Hall roof, and the Maryland Avenue bridge.
          3. Works with partners across campus and in the community to build advocacy strategies.
          4. Monitors and supports UW System operational budget requests, including the state pay plan, especially considering Milwaukee’s competitive labor market and inflation-related pressures.
          5. Tracks and engages on stand-alone legislation relevant to UWM.
        3. Local Government Relations
          1. Covers Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Racine counties.
          2. Collaborates with local zoning committees, alderpersons, and municipal partners on infrastructure and campus-related needs.
          3. Holds quarterly meetings with the Milwaukee Mayor and Milwaukee County Executive to understand city and county priorities and identify areas of alignment with UWM.
          4. This work focuses more on relationship and partnership building than on direct advocacy.
        4. Additional Roles
          1. Supports onboarding of the Chancellor by facilitating introductions to elected officials.
          2. Assists with political events hosted on campus.
          3. Serves as a resource to ensure the university appropriately navigates the line between political and nonpolitical activity.
      2. How URC Members Can Help
        1. Faculty and researchers can support Government Relations by sharing their expertise in areas relevant to state or federal policy discussions.
        2. Providing updates on research achievements, especially those with policy implications, allows the university to highlight UWM experts to policymakers (e.g., recent work from the Center for Water Policy).
        3. Submitting research stories through the new research e-newsletter or the Office of Sponsored Programs ensures expertise can be shared more broadly.
        4. Faculty with projects that may benefit from additional federal funding should communicate needs to their dean or the Office of Sponsored Programs so they can be considered during the annual federal appropriations process.
        5. Increased faculty engagement would allow UWM to submit more federal funding requests and strengthen efforts to secure additional research dollars.
    2. Update from Vice Chancellor Deanna Alba
      1. Division Changes: Government Relations (Keri Duce) now reports directly to the Chancellor and has moved out of the MarComm division. A search for the next Vice Chancellor will be launched soon.
      2. Filming on Campus Policy: The policy will undergo revisions from the version previously shared with the URC; an updated draft will be recirculated.
      3. Social Media Policy: Updates are underway.
      4. Advocacy Communications: The division is evaluating an expansion of its current advocacy-focused messaging, which is now primarily used for board members. The goal is to offer practical, tangible advocacy actions to additional internal groups—including the URC—who can help amplify UWM’s messages within their networks.
  4. Meeting adjourned 11:50 a.m.