In response to the GOP's open record request for professor William Cronon's e-mails, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution supporting academic freedom.
The Resolution in Support of Academic Freedom is a resolution aiming to protect faculty from ""unfair open records requests.""
After brief deliberation, the resolution passed unanimously.
Also at the meeting, Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell explained how UW-Madison would operate financially as a public authority status.
Bazzell explained the financial aspects of UW-Madison under a public authority status.
The core campus budget, Bazzell said, would come from a combination of state and tuition support.
One attendee said he disagreed with giving pay raises to professors at the students' financial expense, but Bazzell said tuition increase would be modest.
Bazzell said the state support that funds faculty salaries and other salaries has remained stagnant over the last several years. According to Bazzell, that part of the budget needs to improve.
The university will continue to receive the same funding from the state as a public authority model, in addition to receiving funds from other sources like alumni.
Former UW-Madison administrator Harry Peterson said the dependency on outside funding sources worries him.
""Most donors believe salaries are the responsibility of the Wisconsin taxpayers,"" Peterson said. ""It will be extremely difficult to raise this kind of money for salaries. I do not believe it can be done.""
Chancellor Biddy Martin said she needs the entire university's support for the New Badger Partnership to work.
""I'm tired, and if I'm out there completely on my own, I need to know that so that I can make the choices that will be best for the university,"" Martin said.
Also at the meeting, members briefly discussed and passed a resolution that urges the Departments of State and the Department of Homeland Security to process foreigners' visa applications quickly and thoroughly.
According to the Faculty Senate, the resolution, called the Resolution on Problems Caused by Recent U.S. Immigration Practices, would increase international collaboration by facilitating research visits of foreign scholars to the United States.
In addition, Martin presented four professors with the 2010-'11 Hilldale Awards. The awards recognize top professors in the university divisions of biological sciences, physical sciences, social studies and arts and humanities.
Recipients included professors Bruce S. Klein, Biological Sciences; Max G. Lagally, Physical Sciences; Marsha M. Seltzer, Social Studies; and Claudia F. Card, Arts and Humanities.
