The University of Wisconsin System’s “Academic Staff” are defined in statute as professional and administrative personnel with duties, and subject to types of appointments, that are primarily associated with higher education institutions or their administration, but does not include faculty and classified staff. Each institution establishes a committee of academic staff members to advise its administration on shared governance issues. Additionally, each campus’s committee delegates a member to attend meetings of the UW Academic Staff Representatives, which are chaired by UW System’s Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.

In May, 2004, the Academic Staff Representatives Council (ASRC) voted to endorse a Statement of Mission and Organizing Principles. The mission of the Council is “[t]o facilitate communication and advocate for all UWS (University of Wisconsin System) Academic Staff in matters related to employment, compensation, professional development, governance, and administrative policy formation.”