Quattrucci (right) addresses the Board of Regents at its Dec. 5 meeting in Madison
MADISON – President Ray Cross is calling for a series of internal reforms at the University of Wisconsin System, including an outside review of administrative operations and a thorough reexamination of student fees, as part of continuing efforts to more closely align the University with the needs of the state.
Cross presented his package of proposed reforms to the UW Board of Regents Friday.
“We have started work on a new strategic plan for the UW System, but in the meantime, we continue to look for new reforms that we can accomplish on our own to heighten both our efficiency and our effectiveness while maintaining the quality of what we do,” Cross said.
Other reforms Cross is proposing include holding down the number of required credits to graduate; new approval processes for capital building projects; a review of electives and courses with lower enrollments; developing guidelines for non-instructional workloads; reforming the presidential, chancellor, and vice presidential search process; and creating a new systemwide hotline to report waste, fraud and abuse.
- See the UW System news release
- See text of
- See a summary of the proposed reforms:
“These will not be easy changes, but we are taking these steps in collaboration with our faculty and staff and colleagues on every campus so we can assure that these reforms are done appropriately, effectively, and responsibly,” Cross said. “This is the right thing to do.”
Engineering discussions continue
UW System Administration will work with campuses to develop and bring forward proposals regarding potential expansion of UW engineering programs to the next meeting of the Board of Regents in February.
Following up on discussions in the Education Committee Thursday, David Ward, interim senior vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, said that campuses and System administration will consider the available data and fiscal notes to develop proposals for collaborative efforts and/or individual engineering programs.
- See (from Thursday)
- See (from Thursday)
- See (from Thursday)
UW System President’s Report
President Ray Cross updated the Board on recent activities of the UW System Task Force on Sexual Violence and Harassment, which was formed in September. The group is focusing its attention on several key issues, including policy changes, training and professional development, outreach, and assessment, Cross said. He noted that by the spring of 2015, the Task Force expects to circulate draft policy recommendations as well as a proposed system-wide on-line employee training program.
Reporting on news from around the UW System, Cross offered congratulations to Tayo Sanders, a UW-Eau Claire senior, one of 32 Americans to be named recently as Rhodes Scholars for 2015. Cross called it “a huge honor” for both Tayo and his home campus.
Isabella (Izzy) Quattrucci with President Cross
Student Spotlight
Fourteen-year-old Isabelle Quatrucci appeared before the Board to share her experience with 4-H, the youth development program of UW-Extension. Quatrucci has been a member of the Questars, an urban 4-H club in Madison, for at least eight years.
“4-H has given me so many opportunities to do wonderful things,” Quatrucci said, including her family hosting a Japanese foreign exchange student for a summer and her own experiences at Upham Woods, a 4-H camp in Dane County. “It’s helped me grow confidence,” she said.
Quatrucci closed by leading the room in reciting the 4-H pledge.
UW-Superior Strategic Goals
Chancellor Renée Wachter led a presentation and discussion of UW-Superior’s strategic goals. Four initiatives underpin the campus’ STAR focus: Student experience, Thriving partnerships, Achieving excellence, and Resource management.
- See
In other action, the full Board:
- Heard UW-Green Bay’s annual NCAA Division I athletics report;
- Approved the proposed UW-Stout Bachelor of Fine Arts in Game Design and Development-Art;
- Approved two revised Regent Policy Documents, both pertaining to persons with disabilities: RPD 4-10, Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability, and RPD 4-1, Copying and Recording of Instructional Materials or Lectures;
- Approved UW-Green Bay’s request for an addendum to its mission;
- Approved a two-year master research agreement with TempoQuest, Inc., wherein the UW-Madison Space Science and Engineering Center will work to develop Weather Research and Forecast Modules in accordance with agreed upon research project specifications;
- Approved an exception to Board policy that requires non-endowed gifts in excess of $250,000 to become Board-designated endowments. The exception is being requested by the Chazen Museum of Art at UW-Madison and seeks to allow expenditure of the full $478,750 amount of the bequest;
- Approved UW System’s request for authority to seek enumeration of three additional 2015-17 Capital Budget Projects:
o UW-Extension’s Continuing Education/Outreach E-Learning Building;
o UW-La Crosse’s Fieldhouse;
o UW-Madison’s South East Recreational Facility (SERF) replacement; - Approved UW System’s request for approval of eight All Agency Maintenance and Repair projects with an estimated total cost of $7.3 million at six campuses;
- Approved UW-Superior’s request for authority to adjust the campus boundary;
- Approved UW-Madison’s request for authority to increase the budget of the Elizabeth Waters Residence Hall Renovation project; and
- Approved the development of a systemwide UW hotline to report waste, fraud and abuse.
###
The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents will hold its next meeting on February 5-6, 2015, to be hosted by UW-Madison