To: Faculty in the Division of Physical Sciences
From: Danny Fredrickson, Chair, Physical Sciences Divisional Committee
Re: Call for Nominations to Elected and Appointed Committees
The Physical Sciences Divisional Committee invites you to nominate members of the division to serve on the following committees beginning in the 2023-2024 academic year:
Physical Sciences Divisional Committee
Graduate Faculty Executive Committee
Committee on Honorary Degrees (seats will open up again starting January 2024)
Committee on Committees
Kemper K. Knapp Bequest Committee
University Lectures Committee
University Academic Planning Council
Self-nominations are accepted and encouraged. Each committee is limited to one faculty member per department.
Please send nominations to divisional@secfac.wisc.edu by 15 December; we will continue to accept nominations until the vacancies are filled. Nominations should include the nominee’s name and department, confirm the nominee’s willingness to serve if elected or appointed, and identify the committee for which you are making the nomination.
Information about each committee follows:
Physical Sciences Divisional Committee
The Physical Sciences Divisional Committee, the executive committee of the Faculty Division of Physical Sciences, advises deans and directors about appointments and promotions to tenure, names Hilldale Award recipients and Hilldale Lecture Series speakers, and makes appointments to standing and ad hoc committees. Meetings are held during the academic year, on Thursdays, beginning at 1:15 p.m. (committee members are asked to hold the full afternoon).
2023-2024 Meeting Dates
7 September
5 October
2 November
30 November
No January meeting
1 February
29 February
4 April
2 May
Four tenured faculty members will be elected to serve three-year terms. Divisional committee members from the Departments of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Computer Sciences, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Geography, Geoscience, Materials Science & Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics will continue their service in the 2023-2024 academic year. Faculty from these departments are not eligible for nomination.
Graduate Faculty Executive Committee
The Graduate Faculty Executive Committee (GFEC) exercises the powers of the graduate faculty with respect to:
- establishing, reviewing, and modifying graduate degree programs
- setting standards for admission and degree requirements
- evaluating and recommending actions on student appeals
- other graduate education policy issues
Meetings are held during the academic year, typically on the second Friday of each month from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
One faculty member will be elected to serve a four-year term. GFEC members from the Departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics will continue their service in the 2023-2024 academic year. Faculty from these departments are not eligible for nomination.
Committee on Honorary Degrees
The Committee on Honorary Degrees nominates candidates for honorary degrees from the university upon the recommendation of a department, school, or college. The terms on this committee run from January through December and the committee typically meets twice per year (April/May and September/October); all other correspondence is conducted via email.
The divisional committee will appoint one nominated faculty member to serve a four-year term. Committee members from the Departments of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Industrial & Systems Engineering, and School of Pharmacy will continue their service in the 2024 calendar year and therefore faculty from these departments are not eligible for nomination.
Committee on Committees
The Committee on Committees appoints committee members to major campus committees and seeks candidates for election to certain elected campus committees (e.g., Committee on Faculty Rights & Responsibilities, University Committee). The committee meets several times in the fall to select nominees for elected committees and once or twice in the spring to appoint committee members.
The divisional committee will appoint one nominated faculty member to serve the remaining three years of a four-year term.
Kemper K. Knapp Bequest Committee
The Kemper K. Knapp Bequest Committee carries out provisions of the will of the late Kemper K. Knapp, funding ongoing initiatives, such as the Chancellor’s Scholarship Program, and special projects, favoring those “that cross departmental lines and have an impact on the educational and cultural life of the university community, particularly projects that benefit undergraduate students.” The committee generally meets once in the fall semester.
The divisional committee will appoint one nominated faculty member to serve a four-year term.
University Lectures Committee
The University Lectures Committee supports departments, academic programs and student organizations that bring distinguished lecturers to the UW-Madison campus. Lectures are intended to enrich the general intellectual and cultural life of the university community. The committee itself does not initiate lecture arrangements. Rather, it receives and acts on requests from eligible university groups that are interested in inviting outstanding speakers to the campus. The committee meets two or three times per year, and regularly reviews requests for lectures electronically.
The divisional committee will appoint one nominated faculty member to serve a four-year term.
University Academic Planning Council
The University Academic Planning Council (UAPC) advises the provost on major academic program decisions, long-term academic plans, and related developments. The council:
- provides for faculty, staff, and student participation in academic planning
- assures that appropriate review is given to proposals for new academic programs (majors, degrees, or certificates) and changes to academic programs
- makes recommendations on proposals associated with the creation, reorganization, or discontinuation of academic structures (centers/institutes, departments, schools/colleges)
- makes recommendations concerning the evaluation and review of academic programs
- provides governance oversight for the general education requirements and for assessment of student learning
The council also makes recommendations on policy related to all of these areas of action. It is among the most active and influential of all governance committees, and one of the few chaired by the provost (FPP Ch 6.52.). The UAPC meets once per month during the academic year, typically on the third Thursday of the month from 3:30 to 5:00.
The divisional committee will appoint one nominated faculty member to serve a four-year term. (A list of current members is available on the Academic Planning & Institutional Research website.)
Contact Information
Michaela Aust
Office of the Secretary of the Faculty
University of Wisconsin – Madison
133 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706-1380
Phone: (608) 263-5741
divisional@secfac.wisc.edu