Provost Britz reported on UW System-wide discussions regarding program planning on individual campuses and how these efforts could be integrated more effectively. UWM and UW-Oshkosh are likely to be vaccination sites but there has been no official confirmation from UW System about this yet. The fall 2021 schedule is being planned as a fully face-to-face semester apart from courses that would ordinarily have been online or hybrid. UW System President Thompson has suggested merging technical and two-year colleges based on location and programs.

UC Chair K. Dolan reported that UW System President Thompson has been invited to attend a Faculty Senate meeting in March. Director of Athletics A. Braun and members of the Athletic Board will be joining the UC on March 30 to talk about their efforts to engage in campus and community outreach and education regarding the value of the athletic programs. The UC may extend an invitation to J. Cimpl-Wiemer, Director of Equity and Diversity Services, to attend a meeting to discuss Title IX changes. E-mails were sent to the chairs of eleven committees previously identified in UC discussions as either passive recipients of information without an active governance role or potentially engaged in redundant activities requesting an assessment of the effectiveness of those committees. Reponses will be discussed at a future meeting.

In Members’ Reports J. Snethen reported on the Academic Planning and Budget Committee where the upcoming Townhall meeting, Center for Archaeological Research, and the UW System review of low enrolling undergraduate and stand-alone Masters programs were discussed. N. Rothfels reported that the Affirmative Action Faculty Employment Committee met to discuss data compiled by J. Cimpl-Wiemer on spousal and target of opportunity hires. The committee will invite D. Venugopalan, Associate Vice-Chancellor of Academic Affairs, to respond to the trends identified in the data, which suggest a decline in diversity over time. This issue could be brought before the Senate at some point. I. Hu reported that the Graduate Faculty Committee approved relaxing the requirements allowing academic staff to serve on PhD committees and that a temporary policy allowing departments to waive GRE and other admission requirements has been extended.

ASC Chair K. Esguerra will attend the February 23 meeting.