UC Chair N. Rothfels reported that:  1) The UW-System-wide Caregiving and COVID Task Force submitted a report about issues for caregivers in relation to COVID, which has now received a formal response from campus administration. Local members of the task force will join the UC meeting on 11-30 for further discussion of their concerns; 2) Campus administration has requested a faculty nominee to serve on the VC for University Relations Search Committee. UC will recommend the chair or some other member of the University Relations committee for this position; and 3) The Office of Legal Affairs requested a faculty member nominee to serve on the campus Compliance Officer Search Committee. After brief discussion the UC did not deem a faculty presence was necessary on this search committee. Additionally, the “Free Speech” bill currently being considered by the State Legislature was discussed and it was agreed that Rothfels will work on a UC statement in response, drawing in part from earlier UW-System communications in connection to similar past proposed legislation.

Chancellor M. Mone provided the following updates:  1) The BOR is discussing the need for more funding commensurate with UWM’s joint research/access missions. While this is encouraging, the possibility of finding new funding is still uncertain; 2) A substantial commitment by campus administration to hiring diverse faculty will be coming soon; 3) The status of the federal COVID vaccine mandate and its impact on UW-System is still uncertain. Currently, 83% of UWM faculty and staff are vaccinated; 4) Finalists for UW-System President are expected to be announced in January 2022, with the possibility of an appointed by February; and 5) Mone will continue consideration of concerns raised by the UC about financial support of campus governance.

Associate VCs D. Venugopalan and T. Danielson, as well as VP M. Harris joined the meeting to discuss issues related to the implementation of the Teaching and Research Professor academic staff titles on our campus. The UC recommended that a committee-of-the-whole on this topic be included in the December Faculty Senate meeting.

Lastly, member D. Misra reported that the APBC will conduct an extensive meeting this week to discuss the campus budget for all units next year.