We discussed retirement offers that are spreading around the System. Mark Harris joined us to discuss policies and concerns about research at UWM. Putting the RGI, Research Committee Awards and Arts&Humanities Travel Grants on hiatus is being considered, and we expressed our concern that this doesn’t reflect some of our core values. These activities account for about $3.8 million at current spending levels. We typically award 30 RGIs, 20 RCAs and 50 A&H Travel Grants annually. Harris hopes to be able to solidify these programs for the longer term though he wants to study the array first to analyze relevance for our programs. We had a heated conversation about the concrete and symbolic importance of maintaining research support systems. We ask the rhetorical question, “In which kind of institution do I want to invest my career?” regarding such research support. We adjourned after a brief discussion of our relationships with local politicians.