Chancellor Wiley launches effort to review workplace policies

After a summer of controversy over university personnel matters, UW–Madison Chancellor John D. Wiley said the campus community needs to do a better job of protecting those who report wrongdoing and re-evaluate a number of workplace policies.

In his annual State of the University address (13 Mb mp3 file — text transcript) to the Faculty Senate, Wiley said the university is committed to ensuring that those who report wrongdoing can come forward without fear of reprisals.

The chancellor said such an environment is essential on a campus that is trying to improve its climate. In a first step toward that goal, Wiley announced that all UW–Madison staff who are serving in limited appointments – meaning those who serve at the discretion of the chancellor – will be required to undergo sexual harassment awareness training.

“We need to do whatever we can to repair the impression that it’s not acceptable to come forward and report wrongdoing,” Wiley said. “I’m an experimentalist. I’m more impressed with data and evidence and facts than I am with abstract theories and theoretical speculations.”

“When most of the people of color on campus tell me that we have an unfavorable climate, or a hostile climate, in some parts of the campus and when most of the women tell me that it’s very difficult to report sexual harassment, that’s evidence,” he added.

The chancellor also urged a sweeping evaluation of a number of workplace policies.

“We need to show the public that we take these issues seriously,” Wiley told the first senate meeting of the academic year. “This is a good time for us to reflect on some of our policies and rules.”

Wiley urged a re-examination of campus faculty and staff policies on sexual harassment and consensual relationships, and said he intends to meet with campus governance groups to discuss change.

“I don’t say that with any preconceived notion about what the outcome will be. I just want it to be looked at again in light of recent cases,” he told faculty senators.

The circumstances surrounding the extended leave of former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Paul Barrows and three cases of UW–Madison faculty members convicted of felonies drew widespread media attention this summer. Although some lawmakers called for the immediate firing of the faculty members who were convicted, state law prohibits the university from immediately firing any employee based on a court conviction alone. It requires the university to investigate and demonstrate that the offense is related to their employment.

The chancellor said that that he also would like to consider changes to the meaning of “professional integrity” in faculty policy. Wiley added that he would like to reconsider processes and timelines for disciplinary investigations of faculty members.

In addition to limited employees, the chancellor also wants to consider providing mandatory sexual harassment training to supervisors and tougher standards for those holding limited appointments on campus.

“I’d also like to reconsider whether we need to mandate sexual harassment or climate training for everyone having supervisory responsibilities,” he said.

Although Wiley said he is not ready to announce the full extent of how standards for those with limited appointments would change, he said those individuals would be required to undergo sexual harassment and climate training.

Also, the chancellor pledged that tighter, clearer rules for leave reporting would be established to ensure that the reporting of leave is justifiable.