Members of the University of Wisconsin’s faculty executive
committee asked for input regarding a new committee that would oversee
management and compliance of campus research during Monday’s Faculty Senate
meeting.

The committee in question is a research, compliance and
oversight committee, which according to UW documents would provide advice to
various offices on campus involved with research compliance and policies.

The committee would also field complaints regarding “institutional
processes, policies and procedures that adversely impact the conduct of …
research,” and resolve the problems, the document said.

UW graduate students Erik Paulson and Kyle Vandenlangenberg
also addressed the Senate urging members to consider appointing a graduate
student to the committee.

Paulson said there are many reasons why graduate students
should have input on the committee, noting specifically the committee is
blazing its own trail.

“This committee is sort of going to discover for itself…
what’s important to it,” Paulson said.

Graduate students also invest time and effort in conducting
research and Paulson said many are going to spend their lives doing research,
making their involvement even more pivotal.

In addition, when research misconduct occurs, graduate
researchers are directly impacted, and students in those labs need peer
advocates, Paulson added.

UW professor Jane Mahoney asked whether the University
Committee had thought about appointing a voting graduate student member to the
committee as opposed to the proposed non-voting member.

The ad hoc committee investigating the creation of a
research, compliance and oversight committee recommended non-student voting
members be considered by the Faculty Senate in May, UC Chair Judith Burstyn
said.

So far UC followed the recommendations of the ad hoc
committee strictly, UC Chair Burstyn added, which is part of the reason why UC
brought it up.

“We’re looking to you to get advice on how to craft the
legislation,” she said.

Vandenlangenberg added graduate students should at least be
involved in crafting the mission statement of the committee.

Provost Paul DeLuca said UC could bring the committee up for
a vote at the February meeting depending on how their talks with graduate
students go. He added he thinks student involvement on the committee is a good
thing.

“I find on the topic and subject matter their input
extraordinarily valuable and we’d be missing something if they weren’t there,”
he said.

Burstyn added UC is “aware that there’s a lack of graduate
student representation in the graduate school governance processes” and because
of a Wisconsin State Statute, the argument could be made that student input is
needed to comply with the statute.

She did make clear the UC is undecided on the issue and
asked that any faculty with concerns or questions contact UC as they craft the
motion for February’s meeting.

Also mentioned at Monday’s meeting was Chancellor Biddy
Martin meeting with Gov.-elect Scott Walker before and after the election.
Deluca said they met to ensure Walker knows how detrimental budget cuts would
be to UW.

He added both he and Martin met with deans of UW’s schools
and colleges about where cuts would be, but he said those numbers are purely
speculative and would not go into further detail.