The University Committee discussed a number of issues related to marginalized student inclusivity and safety, as well as issues of tenure and funding, at its meeting Monday.
Noose costume controversy
The committee heard updates from Athletic Board Chair Laurel Rice, a professor in the School of Medicine and Public Health focused on the Athletic Department’s response to a fan’s noose costume at a football game. Rice praised the university for changing athletic venue policy and apologizing for both the incident itself and the university administration's initial response to the incident. However, Rice said she recognizes there is more work to be done.
“I think that there’s opportunity for the Athletic Board to engage in a more meaningful way in this dialogue,” Rice said.
In the wake of this controversy, Rice said the Athletic Board is emphasizing diversity in other ways. The board is working on initiatives to promote the rights of black student athletes and looking to make membership of the board itself more diverse.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
The committee also discussed the Associated Students of Madison’s call for the Faculty Senate to recognize the second Monday of October, currently known as Columbus Day, as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. ASM also requested the recognition of various other ethnic heritage months on campus.
Committee members were generally in favor of the action, but expressed concern over the weight it would carry. The committee decided to approach ASM for further discussion about how programming for native students could be introduced to back up the resolution. Chancellor Rebecca Blank also said the university is in the process of putting together information to make students more aware of initiatives for native students the university is already operating.
Marginalized groups and election fallout
In another measure to support marginalized students on campus, the University Committee also considered a resolution by faculty urging the Faculty Senate to formally stand in solidarity with Muslim community members on campus. The committee discussed the possibility of expanding language in the resolution to include other marginalized groups on campus that may feel threatened after the results of the election.
Blank also addressed the committee concerning post-election sentiments on campus. Blank expressed worries about safety concerns on campus, and noted there was some backlash to the message she sent the day after the election encouraging respect and inclusivity.
“There have been a series of incidents around other universities … I think what happens next will depend an enormous amount on what the President-elect says, and how this evolves at a national level,” Blank said.
The chancellor also said she expects more protests to come, and talked about how the election will affect the university at a state level.
“I think with the election and the increased strength in Republican numbers in both houses, we are going to see a return of a number of issues that we’ve fought in the past,” Blank said.
The committee also discussed a letter circulating urging the university to protect undocumented students and staff on campus in fear of President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign promise of mass deportations. Blank asserted that the university cannot become a sanctuary without approval by the state legislature. The committee did suggest, however, that the various shared governance groups could consider resolutions in support of protecting undocumented persons on campus.
Tenure and funding
The meeting also included a discussion of the post-tenure review policy recently adopted by the Faculty Senate. The committee will submit the policy for consideration at the Board of Regents meeting in December, although members expressed concerns that there is already some resistance to their proposed tenure policy language changes.
Redefining academic staff titles was also discussed as an option to emphasize the need for tenure-tracked faculty members, which are declining.
The committee also discussed the future of the biennial budget with the recently solidified Republican state legislature, expressing optimism that there will be more money for the university in the upcoming budget. They also mentioned the possibility of tying funding to institutional performance in the upcoming biennial budget, expressing concern over inconsistencies across institutions.
