July University Distribution, SYS Policy Approvals, Mile Reimbursement Increase, and Federal Fridays

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

July University Policy Distribution

The July university policy distribution contains one (1) revised UW System policy and two (2) UW System policies proposed for recission.

Revised Policies

Policies Proposed for Rescission

Click on the links above to view the drafts and ensure that your feedback is captured for review during the post-comment period. Comments can include attachments, including word documents and PDFs. Feedback on the SYS 232 revisions is due at 5pm on Friday, August 14. Feedback on the proposed rescissions is due at 5pm on Monday, August 24.

DRAFT REVISIONS

SYS 232, Benefit Prepay Deductions and Short Work Break Benefits Eligibility

These revisions will be effective upon the signature of the President.

Summary of Policy and Policy Revisions

  • The purpose of this policy is to set for the provisions for the maintenance of benefit coverage over the summer months for employees on an academic year contract or annual contract that does not include one or more of the summer months, benefit eligibility for employees whose first appointment is a summer service or summer session appointment, administration of benefit changes during a short work break, and maintaining benefit eligibility during a short work break for returning 9-, 10-, or 11-month academic staff, university staff, and limited appointees. Proposed revisions include:
    • Throughout the policy, updating references to “UW System” to “Universities of Wisconsin.”
    • Throughout the policy, removing references to “C-Basis” and “A-Basis” when referencing Academic Year Appointments and Annual Appointments.
    • In Section 5, adding definition for “Seasonal Worker.”
    • In Section 6.A, adding sentence to clarify that employees in an academic year appointment on a short work break during the summer, benefit prepay deductions will start with the second paycheck date in September and go through the second paycheck date in May.
    • In Section 6.A, replacing “OT1 employee category” with “Job Profile of Ad Hoc Program Specialist and Correspondence Tutor.”
    • In Section 6.A, adding a sentence to clarify that if an employee in a continuing academic appointment has a summer basis appointment that ends in June or July, the leave of absence can begin at the end of the summer basis appointment and continue through the day prior to the new academic year contract start date.
    • In Section 6.A and Section 6.B, clarified language around responsibilities for identifying eligible employees.
    • In Section 6.B.I, removed sentences regarding UW-Shared Services, Service Operations.
    • In Section 6.B.II, simplified subsection title by referencing Seasonal Worker.
    •  In Section 6.D, added reference to Wis. Admin Code ETF 10.08(3).
    • In Section 6.G, added subsections II. and III. to address employee benefit election changes due to life events during the academic year and annual premium changes.
PROPOSED RESCISSIONS

SYS 148, Development and Operation of Contractual Training and Sponsored Student Programs

This recission will be effective upon the signature of the President. 

Background Summary of Policy

  • UW System Administrative Policy (SYS) 148 pertains to assumed or recommended practices by a UW university in its provision of contractual training to governmental and non-governmental organizations within or outside of the U.S. SYS 148 articulates assumed roles of the sponsoring organization, the sponsored student, and the host UW university.
  • SYS 148 originated as part of the Academic Information Series (ACIS). ACIS documents blended elements of academic and student affairs policies, procedures, and practices and were converted to UW System Administration Policies in 2016.
  • ACIS 7, Conduct of International Programs in the University of Wisconsin System, was established in 1993. It included a set of four documents: SYS 145, Development and Operation of Off-Campus International Educational Programs for University of Wisconsin System Students (ACIS 7.1); SYS 146, University of Wisconsin System Faculty and Academic Staff Abroad (7.2); SYS 147, Admission and Delivery of Services to International Students and for the Employment and Delivery of Services to International Faculty and Academic Staff (ACIS 7.3); and SYS 148, Development and Operation of Contractual Training and Sponsored Student Programs (ACIS 7.4).
  • The original scope of SYS 148 (ACIS 7.4) inferred non-credit and credit educational programs, referencing coursework offered in collaboration with UW Extension.
  • SYS 148 has not been substantively reviewed since 2008. In 2019, technical revisions were made to align references with current administrative structures and policies. Revisions included removing the reference to UW Extension, which was dissolved as an institution in 2018. Its units were incorporated into UW System Administration or UW-Madison.

Rationale for Rescission

  • Most content within SYS 148 may be considered guidance, as described in SYS 1, Development, Revision, and Approval of UW System Administrative Policies, Procedures, & Guidance. It does not contain any mandatory requirements except where requirements are found in Regent Policy Documents (RPD), or other UW System Administrative policies.
  • Relevant policies and requirements related to the approval of contractual agreements and provision of extramural agreements are found in RPD-13-1, General Contract Approval, Signature Authority, and Reporting; SYS 342, Extramural Support Administration; and SYS 344, Extramural Support for Instructional Programs. Relevant international program administration policies and requirements corresponding to the sponsor, student, and institution roles described in SYS 148 are found in SYS 145, 146, and 147. SYS 145 and 146 are scheduled for review in FY 2027. Reviewers will consider whether elements within SYS 148 should be incorporated as interpretive guidance within these or other academic and student affairs policies.

SYS 170, Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program

This recission will be effective upon the signature of the President. 

Background Summary of Policy

  • The intent of this policy is to provide financial assistance to statutorily designated minority undergraduate students to improve their opportunities for retention and graduation and reduce the burden of student debt.
    • The 1985-87 Biennial Budget provided $1.5 million GPR to begin in 1986-87 an undergraduate minority grant program. For promotional purposes, the program is entitled the Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant (LUMRG) Program.  The legislative intent of the Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program is to provide financial assistance to statutorily designated (Black, Hispanic, Native American and Southeast Asians of Vietnamese, Cambodian or Laotian descent who entered the United States after December 31, 1975) minority undergraduate students to improve their opportunities for retention and graduation and lessen the burden of student debt.
    • Subsequently, in the 2011-13 biennial budget, 2011 Wisconsin Act 32, established a block grant for the UW System. While some General Purpose Revenue (GPR) funds were maintained as separate statutory appropriations, all other GPR appropriations, including the Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program, were combined into a single General Program Operations (GPO) appropriation. This single GPO appropriation, Fund 111 per Stat. § 20.285(1)(a), is what is recognized by the State. The UW System chose to continue using separate funds within the Fund 111 appropriation for tracking purposes, including any funds with statutory requirements, which included Lawton.
    • UW System Administrative Policy 170, Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program, provides UW institutions with guidelines to administer the scholarships authorized by  Wis. Stat. § 36.34.

Rationale for Rescission

  • On June 18, 2026, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin published its decision in Konkanok Rabiebna v. Higher Educational Aids Board, in which it found the Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) Minority Undergraduate Retention Grant Program unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
  • As a result, the Universities of Wisconsin will not award new Lawton grants under the current statutory race conscious criteria, effective as of June 18, 2026. UW System Administrative Policy 170, Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program, related to its implementation has been discontinued effective June 18, 2026 and the policy is proposed for rescission.
  • All allocations made to individual Universities for Lawton grants, with the exception of funds for grants awarded prior to June 18, 2026, must be reallocated as determined by each University to either the Wisconsin Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) or the General Need-Based Financial Aid grant allocations for undergraduate students. Grants for the 2026-27 academic year that were already offered prior to the June 18 ruling will be honored.

SYS Policy Approvals

On July 6, 2026, Interim President Wachter approved the following interim actions:

On July 22, 2026, Interim President Wachter also approved the new policy SYS 650, Public Records Management Roles and Responsibilities.

Summaries of all these items can be found below.

SYS 100-14, Interim: Lawton Undergraduate Minority Retention Grant Program Suspension and Fund Reallocation

This interim policy action will expire on July 1, 2027 or upon the permanent rescission of SYS 170, whichever is first.

Summary of Interim Policy Action

SYS 100-15, Interim: Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP)/Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF) Implementation Guidance

This interim policy action will expire on July 1, 2027 or until permanent guidance is issued, whichever is first.

Summary of Interim Guidance

  • This interim guidance is intended to assist Universities of Wisconsin (UW) institutions in implementing the Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP)/Advanced Opportunity Fellowship (AOF) grant programs for graduate students, and to clarify that as of June 18, 2026, the consideration of “minority” status under Wis. Stat. § 36.25(14) cannot be used to determine eligibility.
  • The purpose of this interim guidance action is to replace the “UW SYSTEM GUIDELINES – ADVANCE OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM (AOP)” guidance document and to direct those UW System institutions on the appropriate future reallocation of funds following the June 18, 2026 program discontinuance.
SYS 650, Public Records Management Roles and Responsibilities

This policy will be effective September 1, 2027.

Summary of Policy

  •  To maintain accountability and to preserve the trust the public and students place in UW System, records must be maintained legally as evidence of our work, decisions, and behavior. Like all state agencies, UW System must adhere to Wis. Stat. § 16.61, which ultimately governs the length of time public records must be kept and how these records must be disposed of or transferred to university archives. Unauthorized disclosure, alteration, or destruction of records constitutes a serious breach of public trust and risks legal and reputational harm to UW System.
  • Per Wis. Stat. § 16.61 all employees of the state of Wisconsin are obligated to manage records according to records schedules approved by the Wisconsin Public Records Board. However, most employees are unaware of the records schedules that apply to their records and therefore are not in compliance with this obligation. The key requirement of this policy is for units to create, maintain, and adhere to a unit records management plan. The unit records management plan:
    •   Identifies the types of records created and managed by their staff and all associated records schedules.
    • Identifies how those types of records are organized and ensures that all pertinent records are stored centrally instead of on individual drives, devices, or accounts.
  • After initial creation, employees will have unit records management plans available for their use which will increase awareness and overall compliance with records management obligations. The unit records management plan will also significantly decrease the time and effort of each individual employee to meet these obligations. Records management plans will help to secure records by identifying those records that require additional protections due to containing personally identifiable or other confidential information required by statute. Records management plans will also be greatly useful in preserving records management functions with staff turnover.

University Comments and Concerns

  • UW-Green Bay, UW-Stout, and UW-Madison commented on the need for clarification of the citation for the training requirement.
    • The citation for the training requirement was removed. The training section was changed to, “Records management training will be available to all employees.” An online records management training will be launched with this policy and will be available to all employees.
  • UW-Madison made several wording and grammatical suggestions.
    • These changes were incorporated.
  • UW-La Crosse commented on a concern for the student records schedule being out of date.
    • Concerns with records schedules are separate from this policy and should be discussed with the university records officer. Records schedules are approved by the Wisconsin Public Records Board for ten years and can be additionally extended while being updated. The student records schedule is currently in the process of being updated and will be submitted to the public records board for approval when ready.

IRS Increases Milage Reimbursement

As of July 1, the IRS standard milage rate went up 3.5 cents per mile to a total of 76 cents. Current and past reimbursement rates can be found online.

Federal Fridays

The Universities of Wisconsin Federal Update Working group has a Federal Updates web page for the public to learn about the federal issues the UW is monitoring. The site provides a dashboard view of the various issues organized by topic, with a summary and links related to the topic.