Search for new secretary of the faculty underway

A search-and-screen committee has been appointed to help identify and select candidates for the next secretary of the faculty.

The committee is being chaired by Terry Warfield, PwC Professor in Accounting at the Wisconsin School of Business. Other committee members include Rick Amasino, professor of biochemistry; Michael Bernard-Donals, vice provost for faculty and staff; Anja Wanner, Department of English Chair and Eccles Professor of English Language and Linguistics; and Amy Wendt, professor of electrical and computer engineering.

“This position is an important one,” Warfield says. “The secretary of the faculty not only supports effective faculty participation in shared governance, but through engagement with a range of campus stakeholders, also advances broader campus shared governance. The search committee hopes to receive nominations and applications to build a deep pool of qualified candidates.”

The secretary of the faculty facilitates, supports, and assists the effective functioning of the faculty’s role in institutional shared governance, and serves as the primary liaison between the faculty and the administration.

Duties include:

• Serve as the campus resource and expert on the rules of the faculty, and related statutes, rules, procedures and policies.
• Provide advice on and assist with development, drafting, adoption and implementation of amendments to Faculty Policies and Procedures.
• Facilitate and provide support, advice and perspective to the University Committee, the Faculty Senate, the Committee on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities and ad hoc committees. Draft and organize meeting agendas and materials, identify and refer issues to the appropriate bodies, take minutes at meetings, draft and edit documents, record and communicate decisions and actions (making use of various information technologies), draft Faculty Senate scripts for the UC chair, provide follow-up.
• Represent the University Committee in the search-and-screen processes for the recruitment of UW–Madison academic leadership positions (deans, provost and chancellor).
• Collaborate with the chancellor’s office to ensure faculty involvement and event support of UW–Madison’s winter and spring commencement ceremonies. Work with the chancellor’s office, Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, and University Communications to invite honorary degree candidates for the ceremonies and facilitate their visits to campus.

A full position description can be found here. The deadline for applications is Nov. 1.

Steven K. Smith had served in the role since July 2014 and has returned to the International Division ahead of his planned retirement. Jane Richard is serving as interim secretary of the faculty.

Nominations can be sent to Terry Warfield, c/o Carole Kolb at carole.kolb.wisc.edu.