Secretary seeks common ground among staff

For several years, Donna Silver has taught and practiced t’ai chi and qigong. The slow, meditative nature of these martial arts stand in sharp contrast to the bustling multitude of tasks and committees she manages in her new position as secretary of the academic staff.

“My teacher always said that the thing we teach is the thing we need the most,” says Silver. “I need balance.”

It seems to be working. In a release announcing Silver’s new role with the university, search committee chair Carla Love praised Silver’s energy and creativity, calling her a “master multitasker whose organizational abilities will keep the committees on track.”

After 22 years as assistant director of the UW System’s Office of Professional and Instructional Development, Silver came to Bascom Hall in mid–July. Her main challenge involves finding common ground among an astoundingly diverse group of professionals. With more than 7,500 academic staffers on the UW–Madison campus, the people she serves might be scientists, nurses, academic advisers, artists or computer technicians.

So how does this mass of people come together? The elected members of the 98-district Academic Staff Assembly debate and vote on policy issues affecting academic staff. In turn, the Academic Staff Executive Committee (ASEC) and members of assembly standing committees (or the Assembly members) present issues to the larger assembly. This body is one of several that advises the chancellor.

As secretary of the academic staff, Silver facilitates the work of each of these groups. While she acts as a liaison between ASEC and university administration, she also serves as a resource for academic staff members and assists in issues related to shared governance. In many ways, she both directs activities and looks for direction from those she serves.

“They hired me as a leader, but I need to listen and help people achieve what they want,” says Silver.

An August planning meeting, facilitated by the Office of Quality Improvement, laid out several priorities for the year: supporting academic staff members as they face furloughs, protecting academic staff during collective bargaining, improving operational effectiveness, updating and expanding policies and procedures, and building strategic relationships with other individuals and organizations around campus.

As the economy forces many staffers to do more with less, this last priority takes center stage. While it is imperative to communicate academic staff issues to the university, Silver also stresses the importance of getting the word out about existing opportunities for professional development and recognition. As part of that, she hopes to emphasize the many roles that academic staff play on campus, showing ways in which they can be appreciated and valued.

Organizing diverse constituencies is nothing new for Silver. Following a degree in art history from Beloit College, she entered library school at UW–Madison with an eye toward becoming an art-history librarian. Soon, though, she became enthralled with community organizing and planning. After a second master’s degree in adult education and some time off while raising children, she began working at a small UW System office called the Undergraduate Teaching Improvement Council.

During the next two decades, as the office grew and morphed into its current incarnation as the Office of Professional and Instructional Development, Silver coordinated a variety of programs and events, many similar to those in her new position. She administered the UW System Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award and co-coordinated the System Advisory Group on the Liberal Arts. In addition, she was also elected to four consecutive terms on the UW System Administration Academic Staff Committee.

So when Colleen McCabe retired as secretary of the academic staff, Silver knew she was well-prepared for the challenge.

“A lot of it has to do with working with lots and lots of different people,” says Silver. “I’m a people person, and managing this kind of office is something I’ve done in the past. It seemed like a challenging position, but one that seemed suited to me.”

Silver’s efforts couldn’t have come at a better time. With furloughs, economic worries and budget cuts across campus, part of her job involves figuring out what role to take amidst such a web of difficult issues. From professional development and awards to collective bargaining and leadership opportunities, her office often focuses on simply getting information out to staff members so they can make educated choices.

One of the efforts Silver is most proud of is a revamped online presence. The Communications Committee worked to put together a clean, easy-to-navigate portal offering resources and information for a variety of users. From meeting announcements and minutes to news and policy links, the site offers timely reminders of vital issues and events via an RSS feed. Silver also hopes to eventually add additional news alerts involving national issues of importance to ASEC members.

Another favorite, though hardly new, is the monthly Roundtable program, offering staffers from across the university a chance to meet new people and hear from the people who are doing interesting things on campus. As strategic partnerships between divisions become more valuable, Silver knows that any opportunity to network can be vital.

Nearly two months into her new job, Silver is still working to understand the structure of governance — what groups are doing, how they’re doing it and new ways to use technology to streamline processes and transparency. As most of her meeting time has been spent with committee chairs, she looks forward to meeting with members of the assembly soon.

A walk into Silver’s office on the second floor of Bascom Hall provides evidence of the first changes — small but meaningful — that she has brought to her position. Instead of a table covered with piles of meeting minutes and informational packets, visitors see a wood bench and a reception desk. Artwork on the walls and a new, more open floor plan brighten the space; the long table has moved to the back, where it can be used as more secluded conference space.

It’s all part of Silver’s desire to make the office more welcoming. In a way, it honors the work done by both her predecessor and the many staffers who go above and beyond their salaried work.

“I’m amazed at how dedicated the people are — how much time, and thought and energy they put into their committee work after putting in a full day in their academic staff positions,” says Silver. “When I get on the phone and hear what they’re doing, it never ceases to surprise me.”

Visit the new Academic Staff web site.