Welcome to Common Council

Welcome from Common Council Chair

Common Council is the representative body of academic staff, faculty, and university staff in UW-Stevens Point shared governance. Shared governance has traditionally played a strong role on the UW-Stevens Point campus. All university personnel (academic staff, faculty, and university staff) play an important role in recommending policies to the administration in many areas; academic and curricular issues are the specific responsibility of faculty and academic staff. Chancellor Patterson has demonstrated a commitment to strong shared governance, the success of which depends upon the administration's openness to listening to and consulting with university personnel, and university personnel's willingness to participate in this important responsibility.  All university members are encouraged to attend and participate in shared governance.

2019-2020 Common Council memberships and meeting schedules
(Please note, each committee, council, and subcommittee is on an individual, separate tab.)

The Constitution of the Common Council is the overarching document of university personnel shared governance.
Constitution of the Common Council

Common Council faciliated committees, councils, and subcommittees meeting agendas are located at: https://committees.uwsp.edu/facsen/agendas/SitePages/Home.aspx

Executive Committee

The members of the Executive Committee of the Common Council include the chair and vice chair of the Common Council, the chair-elect, the past chair, standing committee chairs, and the Constitution and Handbook Subcommittee chair. The main functions of the Executive Committee are to discuss items coming before the various committees and to act as a liaison between the Common Council and administration. The Executive Committee is not a decision-making body, but can bring items to the Common Council for discussion. The Executive Committee may act on behalf of the Common Council and its standing committees when appropriate consideration and action by the council and/or its standing committees is not feasible. Action by the Executive Committee in this regard is reported to the Common Council at its next meeting. 

2019-2020 Executive Committee members include:

  • Mary Bowman, Chair, Common Council (2018-2020)
  • Jason D'Acchioli, Vice Chair, Common Council (2018-2020)
  • Nerissa Nelson, Chair-elect, Common Council (2020-2022)      
  • Rob Harper, Chair, Academic Affairs Committee
  • Lisa Siewert/Sondra Reynolds, Co-chairs, Academic Staff Council
  • Susan Turgeson, Chair, Curriculum Committee
  • Lindsay Bernhagen, Chair, Diversity Council
  • Jennifer Collins, Chair, Faculty Council
  • Kelly Wilz, Chair, General Education Committee 
  • Andy Felt, Chair, Graduate Council
  • Cindy Marczak, Chair, Information Technology Council
  • Richard Brunson, Chair, Marshfield Steering Committee     
  • Ross Tangedal, Chair, University Affairs Committee
  • Mindy King, Chair, University Personnel Development Committee
  • Shelly Janowski, Co-chair, University Staff Council
  • Kristine Prahl, Representative, Wausau Steering Committee
  • Brad Mapes-Martins, Chair, Constitution and Handbook Revision Subcommittee

The Constitution and Handbook Revision Subcommittee is a permanent subcommittee of the Executive Committee and may be constituted according to the authority granted to the Executive Committee (Article 10.2.A., Constitution of the Common Council).

An issue or resolution may be brought to the Common Council through a number of approaches. For information regarding how to bring an issue through governance click here.

Standing Committees

Common Council standing committees are the primary means in obtaining input and giving detailed consideration to issues. Membership on standing committees is not restricted to members of the Common Council; all university personnel are eligible to serve on standing committees subject to personnel category.

Standing committees report to Common Council for final action; standing committee minutes are provided to Common Council for information in agenda materials.

Please note, some issues are reported to the Common Council "for information" and are considered final (e.g., Curriculum Committee course revisions) pending the request of any member of the Common Council for the information item to be changed to "for action."

Specific information for each shared governance standing committee is available under the "Committees" tab.

Interested in serving in shared governance?
Shared governance committees, councils, and subcommittees are filled either through election or by appointment; committee, council, subcommittee membership specifics are specified in the Constitution of the Common Council. If interested in serving, please send an email message to Common.Council.Office@uwsp.edu.


The Integrated Planning and Advisory Council (IPAC) is not a standing committee of the Common Council.  The IPAC was established July 2017 as an advisory committee to the chancellor, providing data analysis and evaluation of university strategic planning and budget options.  IPAC information is available at: http://www.uwsp.edu/ipac. (For questions or additional needed information related to the IPAC, please contact co-chairs, Erin Hintz, 715-346-2644, or Todd Huspeni, 715-346-4250.

The Parking Advisory Board is not a standing committee of the Common Council. The membership is diversified to include students, academic staff, faculty, and university staff, as well as a member of the Parking Services professional staff. There are also two non-voting members of the Parking Advisory Board (i.e., Campus Reservations and Dining and Summer Conferences representatives). The Parking Advisory Board is advised by the Director of Parking Services and facilitated by the Student Government Association. It represents the interests of students and university personnel in the guidance of the university's parking auxiliary fee, parking programs, policies, contracts, and budgets of parking services.  The Parking Advisory Board mySGA site is located at: https://committees.uwsp.edu/sga/pab. Parking Advisory Board agendas are posted outside of the Student Government Association office (lower level DUC) in compliance with Wisconsin Open Meetings law.  For questions or additional needed information related to the Parking Advisory Board, please contact the Student Government Association, 715-346-4592.


University Handbook

The University Handbook contains the essential policies, procedures, and general information regarding employment at UW-Stevens Point. The contents include a wide range of topics dealing with UW-Stevens Point and the UW System operations. The Academic Affairs Office maintains the University Handbook.

For questions or additional needed information related to the University Handbook, please contact the Academic Affairs Office, 715-346-4686.

New or Revised University Handbook Policy proposal template