Provost Johannes Britz attended, and provided several updates. He will meet this week with representatives from SARUP to discuss the search for a new Dean. State Rep. Robin Vos and State Sen. Alberta Darling came to campus on Monday, and met with Chancellor Mark Mone and Provost Britz.

Provost Britz is developing a newsletter-style update for Academic Affairs that he will share with faculty and staff in the next several weeks. GER status and challenges regarding departmental compliance with GER assessment requirements were discussed. Provost Britz said that fall semester enrollment is down 3.7% overall. He is examining contributing factors in order to develop strategies to address them. Enrollment of WI residents, international students, and transfer student numbers are lower than in previous semesters. He will meet with representatives from MATC to discuss barriers to transfers of technical college students. Also being examined are pathways that have contributed a significant number of students to UWM, such as high schools having a history of students enrolling here. Questions were asked about loss of students to other UW System schools and University of Minnesota. He sees enrollment as key to addressing future budgetary issues.

UC Chair Kathy Dolan reported that Provost Britz asked her for feedback on the Academic Affairs newsletter-style update he is writing.

UC Member Tina Freiburger reported that the Academic Planning and Budget Committee met to discuss the new budget model and implications of this semester’s enrollment decline on future departmental budgets. UC discussed how budgetary shortfalls will be distributed across schools and colleges. A goal of enhancing student financial aid was also discussed.

K. Dolan will follow up on her verbal invitation to UW System President Ray Cross with a written invitation to attend a Faculty Senate meeting, in order to determine the date he will travel to campus. Dolan will ask the Rules Committee to generate topics of interest to our campus for his discussion with Faculty Senate.

UC Member Mark Schwartz presented drafts of two documents for discussion: 1) a budget for Milwaukee Organization Representing the Faculty Senate (MORFS) at UW-Milwaukee, and 2) a collaboration agreement between MORFS and Public Representation Organization of the Faculty Senate (PROFS) at UW-Madison.