Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI)

Academic Staff Professional Development Grant Program

The grant proposal forms and process are currently being reviewed and updated, please check back for updates on the processes soon! For information, contact Noel Radomski at Noel.Radomski@wisc.edu.

CASI Professional Development Grant Proposal Form

Grant Objectives

School of Education Academic Staff Professional Development Grants assist academic staff participation in meaningful professional development activities for which funding might not be otherwise available. Stated objectives, by Dean Underwood and the School of Education Committee on Academic Staff Issues (School of Education CASI), are:

• Individual Professional Development: A staff development program should specifically enhance and refine those abilities most directly related to the mission and goals of personal and professional development in current School of Education positions and new developing position description objectives.
• Improved School of Education Program Quality: Staff development opportunities will improve program vitality and address rapidly changing administrative and educational needs that enhance capacity to work in a diverse environment.
• Improved School of Education Effectiveness: The program should provide an opportunity for academic staff to enhance their effectiveness in meeting changing needs and roles in higher education and consider strategic priorities of the School of Education and the university.

Professional development proposals should focus on training and/or development that improves the effectiveness of the academic staff members in their current roles. Proposals that benefit a group of academic staff members performing similar roles are encouraged. Through these proposals, the School of Education CASI will help the Dean identify high need areas of professional development on a school-wide basis.

Grant Criteria

The School of Education CASI Professional Staff Development Recognition Committee will evaluate grant proposal along the following criteria:

• A clear and convincing narrative about the value of the professional development experience to the individual, the unit, and the university. Reflects how this opportunity will improve or enhance the effectiveness of the individual.
• Addresses the changing needs and roles in higher education and has a positive effect on campus and units.
• Supports or enhances the mission and goals of UW–Madison, School of Education, the department or unit, and the individual.
• Facilities and training locations are justified (i.e., sole provider of training/retraining only available at given locations; not locally available, etc.)
• Reflects appropriate request for fund, i.e., travel expenses, conference fees, registration, food, and lodging are within UW travel policies.
• Submission of joint proposals is encouraged. If travel is involved, an itemization for each individual is required.
• All complete and reasonable requests will be considered.  Awards will typically range from $500-$1000.  Applications below or above this range will still receive consideration.
• Individuals may not receive more than one grant per academic year and will be asked to serve on the grant committee within the next year. Award recipients are eligible to re-apply after one year.

The review committee will consider these factors:

• Clear and convincing narrative about the value of the professional development experience to the individual, the unit, and the university.
• Significance and integrity of the proposed activity within the academic staff member’s field.
• Grant proposal reflects academic staff member’s intention to share information, new skill or knowledge with other academic staff on campus.
• Advancement of career in a current School of Education position and community.
• Individual justification for training for personal or professional development
• Training or retraining that does not require travel outside of Madison will receive higher priority along with opportunities that benefit multiple UW–Madison staff, students, and faculty.
• Participation based opportunities will receive priority. (i.e. conference presenter, panel member, poster presentation, hands-on training, scholarly research)
• Matching or additional departmental funding is encouraged.

The review committee will not approve:

• Training that is a fundamental requirement of the current position (including training on equipment purchased by the department) or purchase of hardware, software, certification/license fees, or capital equipment. Departments/units should address these needs through other funding sources and provide the Dean with list of training needs
• Salary of any kind (including student positions) except for limited requests to ensure coverage of essential services.
• Tuition for formal study (i.e., academic semester) leading to a degree. Limited budgets only allow for the funding of ONE event, course, or seminar. For details about the tuition reimbursement program, see Unclassified Personnel Policies & Procedures Chapter 12.07.
• Multiple applications for per individual.
• Incomplete applications or those not having properly followed the application procedures.

GRANT SUBMISSION PROCEDURES

1. Complete the following:
   1. Read and understand the objectives and criteria for the School of Education Professional Development Grant program.
   2. Complete the Proposal Cover Page
   3. Use the two‐page Proposal Form provided and include:
      1. Your name, title, department, unit, and campus address
      2. A description of the nature of the professional development (include current or past brochure, if available)
      3. The location and time of professional development must occur within 1 year
      4. A brief explanation of why this activity is important and how it will improve your effectiveness in your current role
      5. A description of how your proposed activity relates to the needs of your personal goals, department/unit, other staff, students, and the university
      6. A description of how you intend to share your knowledge
   4. Printed documentation is required for expenses. Provide a copy of relevant document, including the name and location of the activity, the provider or host, and the schedule and expenses
   5. Acceptable documentation includes the proposed or previous conference brochure, print‐out of web page describing event, promotional material on class or workshop, letter or e‐mail from outside expert, or other printed material that shows the relevance, quality, and expenses of the activity.
   6. If current material about your professional development activity material is not yet available, outdated material from the same source is acceptable, along with a verifying email from the sponsors/coordinators of the activity.
   7. Complete the Budget Worksheet. Provide evidence of cost‐saving measures where possible.
   8. Prepare a current, concise resume, as it relates to the proposal. A resume assists the committee in determining how well the PD activity relates to the duties and responsibilities of the applicant. Limit the resume to 2‐4 pages. If the proposal is to bring an outside expert to campus, include that person’s resume or other supporting credentials.
   9. Provide at least one letter, preferably from your chair or supervisor, indicating support and/or any additional departmental funding for this training. Matching or additional departmental funding is not mandatory, but is strongly encouraged.
2. Process/Deadlines
   1. By ___, electronically submit the three grant proposal documents to Teri Engelke, Assistant Dean, School of Education, teri.engelke@education.wisc.edu.
   2. The School of Education Professional Development Recognition Committee reviews proposals based on criteria, budgetary flexibility, and programmatic concerns. Each submission is given a suggested grant allocation. Recommendations for funding proposals are then presented to the Dean for final approval.
   3. Funds allocated are handled through the School of Education Business Office. If the award is not used within the budget year (by ___) for the proposed activity, or proposal circumstances change, please contact Teri Engelke, Assistant Dean, teri.engelke@education.wisc.edu, L259 Education Building, 262-6139.
   4. Submission Timeline:
      AWARD DEADLINES: 
      Application Due:  ___                
      Notification Date:  4 – 6 weeks  
      Summary Due:  30 days upon activity completion, submit to School of Education News once received
3. Summary Report
   1. By ___, electronically submit the Professional Development Grant Activity Summary report; failure to submit the report will make you ineligible for future grant consideration. This summary report is to assist with evaluation of the professional development grant program and shared relevant training information across the school of education.

Since the Spring semester of 2004, CASI has provided welcome visits to new School of Education academic staff members that hold a renewable, 50 percent or greater appointment. These visits are brief and informal and are intended to replace the annual group orientation session that had previously been offered during each fall semester.

While typically conducted one-on-one—between a CASI member and the new employee—these visits can be conducted with a small group of new employees if desired. The Ambassador Program provides a packet of informational resource materials that CASI feels would be helpful to new employees. Included in the packet are also a few promotional items from some of the departments or units within the School of Education for our new staff to enjoy.

Twice per year, CASI reviews a list of new academic staff employees in order to coordinate the Ambassador visits.

Welcome Visit Packet

• Contact Linda Endlich for packet copies.

Welcome Visit Scripts

The following scripts are examples of message formats and types of information that CASI members can share with new academic staff members when setting up a visit, conducting the visit and providing follow-up communications.

They are Microsoft Word documents.

• School of Education CASI Ambassador Initial Contact Form (97.50 kb)
• School of Education CASI Ambassador Script (38.50 kb)
• School of Education CASI Ambassador Visit Followup (49.00 kb)

• Parking & Transportation
• Summary of Academic Staff Benefits

At the University of Wisconsin–Madison soft money is the term used to refer to funding that is not part of the University’s state-supported base budget. If your position is on soft money, it is probably funded through grants – usually from state, federal, or private sources. These grant monies are allocated for a specific program or project (e.g., research study) for a specified period of time. Funding agencies periodically review programs and may renew funding. In the case of research projects, when the study is completed, the funds stop, and staff may be nonrenewed or laid off unless other sources of funding are secured.

Other types of soft money may include generated program revenues and flexible internal monies such as those funding credit outreach timetable courses. While some of the soft money information on these web pages apply specifically to grant-funded positions, there is also information that applies to any type of soft-money position.

There are many employees in the School of Education in positions funded on soft money. The first source of information for every employee on soft money should be the supervisor, who can provide details about the funding situation for a specific position. The School of Education Committee on Academic Staff Issues created these web pages to provide employees on soft money with general information, to encourage them to do everything they can to understand the specifics of their own funding situation, and to share ideas and perspectives from some of their SoE colleagues who have worked in soft money positions for a number of years.

Art

Academic staff members in the Art Department do not have voting rights in departmental meetings.

Counseling Psychology

Because of the small number of academic staff in the department, we have decided to grant voting privileges on a case-by-case basis. Our practice has been to extend voting privileges to academic staff with a 50 percent or greater appointment for the academic year. When academic staff’s duties do not involve the doctoral program, the staff do not vote on issues related to the doctoral program. Academic staff on indefinite appointments participate in the vote for departmental chair.

Curriculum and Instruction

All academic staff named in the budget at 50 percent time or more shall be eligible for Executive Committee consideration extending the right to vote at departmental meetings and in departmental committees to which they may be appointed. The Executive Committee will extend these rights on a case-by-case basis. The rights shall extend for a three-year period with the possibility of renewal.

Academic staff may be authorized to vote on any matters before the department with the following exceptions: In general, staff may not vote on any matters relating to faculty positions. For example:

1. Staff may not vote on the hiring of new faculty
2. Staff may not vote on the annual position priority rankings

Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis

1.01. Department Faculty Membership – All persons holding appointments in the Department at the ranks of professor, associate professor or assistant professor, academic staff members with current, renewable appointments of 50 percent or greater and, as determined by the Executive Committee, any instructors, lecturers, visiting associate professors, and visiting assistant professors shall have the right to vote or participate otherwise in departmental faculty meetings, provided that this rule shall not be construed to extend or withdraw any membership understandings or arrangements in effect at the time this rule was adopted.

In effect, this means that academic staff participate as equal members of the department in regular department meetings, with full voting privileges.

We also, as a matter of practice, invite academic staff to serve as members of the Departmental Coordinators Committee, which is composed of the chairs of the department committees, the admissions coordinator, the clinical professor, and the program assistant supervisor. This group sets the agenda for department meetings and provides guidance to the chair on matters of departmental policy and governance.

Academic staff also serve as equal participants with faculty as members of the regular departmental committees.

Educational Policy Studies

At the time of writing [October 2003], EPS has no academic staff with renewable appointments. Nonetheless, for future reference, we adopt the following policy.

Academic staff members with renewable appointments of 50% or more shall be considered by the department’s faculty on a case-by-case basis for voting rights in departmental meetings and, where appropriate, on departmental committees. Rights considered include votes on all matters on which nontenured faculty have voting rights.

Educational Psychology

Academic staff who hold a 75%-time (or greater) appointment as a clinical (assistant, associate, or full) professor are entitled to attend Departmental Faculty Meetings (except portions limited to the Executive Committee) and to participate in discussions and vote on issues raised at those meetings. Such academic staff will also be allowed to participate in any votes that occur outside of regular faculty meetings (e.g., mail balloting for department chair) except in cases where voting is limited to members of the Executive Committee. Exceptions to this rule can be considered on a case-by-case basis following a written request from the academic staff member to the Department Chair, who will present the request to the Executive Committee. Staff will normally be notified of this policy at the time of their appointment. Current staff will be informed immediately.

Kinesiology

All academic staff members are encouraged to attend and speak at the departmental faculty meetings. The academic staff members with 100% renewable appointments within the department are eligible to apply to the Executive Committee for voting privileges. The Executive Committee may grant voting privileges to an individual up to three years with the possibility of renewal. If granted voting privileges, a teaching academic staff member may vote at the faculty meeting on all issues except those related to graduate education, and a nonteaching academic staff member may vote on all issues except curricular issues. The department chair may appoint academic staff members to various departmental committees with voting privileges in the committees where they serve.

Dance

Academic staff members with renewable appointments of 50% or more shall be considered by the Dance Department’s Executive Committee at the start of each academic year for voting rights in department meetings. At least one academic staff member shall be given voting rights each year and shall be allowed to participate in the advisory ballot for the Dance chair. All academic staff members may attend and speak at faculty meetings, and they may be appointed to serve as equal participants with faculty as members of department committees.

Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education

Academic staff on renewable appointments of 50% time or more shall be eligible for Executive Committee consideration granting the right to vote at departmental meetings and in departmental committees to which they may be appointed. The Executive Committee will extend these rights on a case-by-case basis. The rights shall remain in force for a three-year period with the possibility of renewal.

Academic staff may be authorized to vote on any matters before the department with the following exceptions: In general, academic staff may not vote on any matters relating to faculty positions. For example, academic staff may not vote on:

1. the hiring of new faculty or promotion of faculty, or
2. the annual position priority rankings. Additionally, academic staff may not vote on specific student related issues (e.g., admission, retention, dismissal) or issues related to the doctoral programs.

The Academic Staff Assembly

(96 representatives elected by the academic staff of their districts)

ASPP13. The authority of the academic staff is delegated to the Academic Staff Assembly. The Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) is empowered to implement the policies of the Assembly in meeting the requirements of Wis. State Assembly and shall seek advice, consent and ratification of its actions, as necessary or with the academic staff in the performance of its duties. The Assembly shall retain authority to review and, by majority vote, to modify or rescind any action taken by ASEC.

The Academic Staff Executive Committee

(Nine members elected at-large by the academic staff)

ASPP 14.12.A.1. General Responsibilities. The Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) is the administrative executive committee of the academic staff and the Academic Staff Assembly. It provides administrative support to the Academic Staff Assembly. This support includes, but is not limited to, providing the Assembly with necessary information, coordinating and initiating meetings and meeting agendas, transmitting recommendations and decisions of the Assembly to the appropriate office, and implementing the policies of the Assembly in ensuring the role of academic staff in governance as stated in a. 36.09(4m).

ASPP14.12.A.2. Specific Responsibilities. The ASEC and its chair are empowered to carry on the day-to-day activities which are necessary to implement a. 36.09(4m) and which are not otherwise delgated. Day-to-day activites included but not limited to submitting names for appointment to campus committees, representing the position to the Assembly or the academic staff, handling matters of urgency by mail or telephone, and responding to requests for information by the UW-Madison Administration. All of these activities must be reported to the Assembly.

Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee

(Nine members elected by the Assembly)

ASPP 14.12.B.1 Responsibilities. The Compensation and Economic Benefits Committee is charged with the continuing review of policies and procedures relating to academic staff compensation, fringe benefits and other economic benefits and with making recommendations to the Assembly on matters in these areas.

Districting and Representation Committee

(Six members elected by the Assembly)

ASPP 14.12.C.1. Responsibilities. The Districting and Representation Committee is charged with reviewing election and districting processes and rules to ensure that the academic staff members may exercise their institutional governance rights in the most effective, equitable and efficient manner, and to ensure that each district meets the requirements of the Academic Staff Policies and Procedures (ASPP) as stated in 13.02.C, 13.02 D and 13.06. A. 1.

Nominating Committee

(Nine members elected by the Assembly)

ASPP14.12.D.1. Responsibilities. The Nominating Committe is charged with nominating members of the academic staff for election to the Academic Staff Executive Committee and for election and/or appointment to appropriate UW–Madison committees. The Nominating Committee will make recommendations to the ASEC when asked to recommend academic staff for university committee assignments.

Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee

(Nine members elected by the Assembly)

ASPP 14.12.E.1 Responsibilities. The Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee is charged with the continuing review of personnel policies and procedures relating to academic staff and with making recommendations to the Assembly on matters in these areas.

Professional Development and Recognition Committee

(Nine members elected by the Assembly)

ASPP 14.12.F.1 Responsibilities. The Professional Development and Recognition Committee is charged with promoting the concept of professional development and recognition for UW–Madison academic staff; working with campus administration to explore and develop programs that will enhance the professional skills and abilities, and develop a recognition process for academic staff; making recommendations regarding the review of and changes to academic staff professional development guidelines.

UW–Madison Campus Chapter Academic Staff Public Representation Organization (ASPRO)

(11 members appointed by ASEC and confirmed by the Assembly)

ASPRO Bylaws Article III-Funcitons B. to communicate to the Board of Regents, state and local government officials, their agencies when appropriate, and the public the views of the UW–Madison academic staff on legislative issues of concern to the university;

ASPRO Bylaws Article IV, Membership. The UW–Madison Campus ASPRO Chapter is fully controlled by the Academic Staff Assembly and the Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) to ensure that it expresses the views of the academic staff for whose benefit the Chapter is organized.