At the University of Wisconsin Faculty Senate meeting Monday, Chancellor Biddy Martin said as a member of the Authority Board, she will have a vote to decide whether UW Hospitals and Clinics would provide second-term abortions.

While not disclosing which way she will vote, Martin said she will play a role in the decision that has sparked controversy since it was announced that late-term abortions may be provided at Madison Surgery Center after the current physician at Planned Parenthood retires.

“I don’t have the power to prohibit or enable anyone to do third-trimester abortions,” Martin said. “I am a member of the hospital board and I will be attending the meeting and I will have a vote, but I will be one vote among many.”

In her initial appearance in front of the Faculty Senate as interim provost, Julie Underwood presented the first draft of a plan to develop UW into a model university for the 21st century.

The document outlines five goals to narrow the focus of the university, including strengthening research and scholarship, reinvigorating the Wisconsin Idea, providing the best possible education, ensuring a quality community and being a model for stewardship and integrity.

“The goal here is to be basically aspirational as well as inspirational … provide some kind of long-term guidance and put together some sort of pathway to get to that aspirational goal,” Underwood said.

Members of the Faculty Senate were quick to point out issues they saw with the content of the plan, mainly dealing with what several called “vague language.”

Faculty Senate member and English professor Richard Knowles was met with applause after comparing reading the document to “riding through a blizzard in a fog” and suggesting that “a sharp editorial pencil” be taken to the text.

Others in attendance also expressed concern that students were not represented enough by the goals outlined while claiming the university was reaching beyond their means in a time of economic trouble.

Underwood explained the plan was the product of two camps seeking to combine “aspirational ideas” with the humble “Midwestern perspective.”

Faculty Senate member and geology professor Mary Anderson described the language as overly grandiose but disagreed with Underwood when she suggested the Midwestern aspect of the plan be increased.

“Humbleness is not the problem,” Anderson said. “There’s no hard choices being made and I don’t think that’s what a strategic plan should be.”

Also discussed at the Faculty Senate meeting was the state of scholarship funds, an ad-hoc committee created to clarify internal procedures in the Athletic Department and the search for a new provost, which will begin this month.

Martin also spent several minutes describing the outcome of the four forums the university hosted to brainstorm ideas for the challenges facing UW during the economic recession.

She said the university would be working in the coming weeks to categorize the ideas produced by students and faculty before they begin to implement short and long-term plans of action.