1. Call to Order - Dean Richard Meadows called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m. in MER 131.
   1. Announcements - Dean Meadows reported that he had been informed by the Graduate School Dean, Abbas Ourmazd, that 285 RGI proposals had been submitted, of which 280 have had their first external review. Proposals were reviewed in three dimensions: quality, degree of risk, and importance. About one quarter of the proposals received an alpha rating; that is, they fit into the top 10% when compared with similar proposals across the nation. The next 30% received a beta rating. (A gamma rating means the proposal is not ready for "prime time.") Five different panels reviewed the proposals. On Saturday, all external reviewers are flying into O'Hare. They are likely to concentrate on the alpha and beta proposals that have high payouts. Information on the final rankings probably will be available next week. The following week, Abbas will try to develop a balanced portfolio (across areas, risk, etc.). The negotiation stage, which involves the discussion of budgets with the principal investigators, comes after that.
      
      The dean then discussed the merit exercise. Salary compression is the most pervasive problem in the College. Comparisons with CIC data revealed that associate professors average $10,000 below the CIC average and full professors run $20,000 to $30,000 below. A recommended base budget adjustment of $500,000 would not fix all the problems, so the College is faced with a huge challenge - how to continue to serve an increasing student body. We need to do this more efficiently and economically. The campus has two somewhat competing goals: ensuring access and increasing research activity. The College is at the spear point for both initiatives.
      
      
   2. Question Period (10 minutes maximum) - Mark Schwartz asked if the half-million base budget adjustment is in addition to merit funds. Dean Meadows said it was. He noted that we have budget problems due to the rescissions the past few years. He added that we have the possibility of hiring an excellent minority candidate in Psychology, but we don't have the money to do so. The campus will help support this hire for three years.
      
      Jay Moore said that Mark Harris had chaired a committee about 5-6 years ago that looked at salary data, but not much came of it. The CIC data used different benchmarks. If the compression exercise is aimed at specific individuals, the variance will be reduced. He asked if any attention was paid to variance due just to compression. Dean Meadows indicated that CIC data are compiled by discipline. The mean salary at each level and ratios of the associate professor to assistant professor salary and professor to assistant professor salary were calculated. The typical differential was about 17% for AP to aP and 50-75% for P to aP. These ratios were applied to our current starting rate in each department to get average salaries for AP and P. In all departments, some individuals are over those averages, but many are under. An estimated 100 individuals below the averages were identified; ten or so individuals were $10,000 or more behind. Following that exercise, individuals in each department were reviewed on the basis of merit, productivity, etc. (More should have been done at the higher end of the professors' range, but there just was not enough money.) The College probably will have to do this for several years.
      
      Jay Moore expressed his concern that we are trying to teach more students with fewer dollars by relying increasingly on ad hoc instructors. He is interested in the number of credits generated by faculty members vs. ad hoc instructors. Dean Meadows said that this information is available in the UWM Fact Book. He did not know the exact figure off-hand, but he is certain that it is eroding. He indicated that we can use technology to extend faculty expertise and involvement over a wider range of courses and sections. Course redesign is one possible answer. Jay stated that the decreasing number of faculty members means that those who remain have to spend more time on tasks that formerly could be spread around to more people. Dean Meadows acknowledged that problem, due largely to the continuing erosion of State support. He thinks there will be some help on the research side of things, but we need to think about how we can do things differently.
      
      
2. Automatic Consent Business - There were no objections to any of the automatic consent business; it stands approved.

   A.	Approval of the Minutes of the December 15, 2005 Faculty Meeting (on web at www.uwm.edu/letsci/committees/)
   B.	Recommendation for Consideration of Candidates for Degrees and Honors for May, 2006		731
   C.	Annual Reports
   	Certificate Program in Digital Arts and Culture Annual Report, 2004-2005		732
   D.	Academic Planning and Governance Committee's Nominations Report		733

3. Old Business -- no later than 4:00pm

   A.

   Status Report on Implementation of Faculty Recommendations to Revise the L&S Degree Requirements (Fac. Doc. 677 amended; Fac. Doc. 727) - Dean Meadows reported that the new requirements, with the exception of the foreign language requirement, will go into effect in Fall, 2006. The foreign language requirement changes will be implemented in Fall, 2008.

4. New Business

   A.	Nominations for L&S Faculty Committees (see report, Fac. Doc. 733) - There were no additional nominations for any committees. It was noted that Keith Sverdrup is likely to remain in Washington for the next year.
   B.	Recommendation to Grant a Request for an Entitlement to Plan a Master of Arts in Spanish - It was moved and seconded to recommend to the Dean approval of Fac. Doc. 734. Connie Jo explained that an earlier entitlement request lapsed when the Department lost faculty members and was unable to support the program. Ismael Márquez spoke in favor of the motion, emphasizing that the Department has rebuilt its faculty and is ready to move forward. Dean Meadows noted that Spanish currently contributes to the MAFLL program, and that program will continue with support from the Department. Ismael pointed out that the interpretation program, which is extremely well subscribed, will remain in MAFLL. The motion was approved.		734

5. Adjournment (no later than 5:00 p.m.) - The meeting was adjourned at 4:15 p.m.
   
   
   

Respectfully submitted,

Connie Jo, Assistant Dean
Secretary to the L&S Faculty