K. Dolan reported on a discussion with Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Tim Danielson about the UW System audit of procedures for criminal background checks for faculty and staff who come into contact with minors on campus. Annual reports of campus procedures are planned going forward.

Provost Britz reported that implementation of the UW System directive for testing procedures after Thanksgiving are still being worked out for UWM classes that will have to continue f2f after the holiday. Students will need to be tested twice upon their return, which likely means that no f2f classes will be possible the first week after Thanksgiving. Classes in programs in which f2f courses are a requirement, such as Health Sciences, Nursing, Engineering or Architecture, would likely not resume f2f until December 7 and would then continue f2f following existing testing procedures through the end of the semester. The memo that will be sent to administrators and students in affected programs as well as students working on campus is still being drafted.

Freshwater Collaborative discussions with the state continue while funding approval remains unconfirmed.

In the discussion about the criteria used to determine VSIP eligibility the Provost indicated that the initial selection was made by the Deans of individual schools and colleges, some of whom, including L&S and the Peck School, offered the VSIP to all eligible faculty and academic staff. In other cases only a subset of those eligible based on age and years of employment were offered the VSIP. The final decisions will be made by the Deans in consultation with Department Chairs; this round will take place in December and some faculty or academic staff who indicated that they would be interested in taking the VSIP could be refused for strategic reasons.

In Members’ Reports I. Hu reported that the GFC approved an academic leave of absence for graduate students and discussed shifting the responsibility for deciding whether Visiting Professors can advise MS and PhD students to Departmental Executive Committees.

J. Reisel reported that the Competition Review Committee met and elected a Chair; new business will be on the docket for next month.

N. Rothfels reported that the TTC subcommittee charged with defining Non-faculty Professor titles has met and will be reviewing titling resolutions passed in Madison.

In New Business there was a request for EC augmentation from Urban Planning.

ASC Chair Kyla Esguerra will attend the next meeting and there will be an update about MORFS.