University Council Minutes

11/28/2012 03:30 PM - Tate Theater, Tate Student Center
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The University Council met on November 28, 2012 in the Tate Student Center's Tate Theatre. President Adams called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm.

The minutes of the September 27, 2012 meeting were approved as distributed.

The President's report to the Council included the following remarks:

  • President Adams opened his remarks by recognizing UGA student Elizabeth Allan on her selection as a Rhodes Scholar. Ms. Allan is UGA's 23rd Rhodes Scholar and the fourth selected from the University in the last six years.
  • Since the last meeting of the Council, ground has been broken on the new $80 million Veterinary Medicine Learning Center, which is located at the corner of Barnett Shoals and College Station Roads. $50 million of the total cost comes from state funding, while the remaining $30 million comes from mostly private funding.
  • The University has hosted three groups on campus since the September Council meeting: the Regents, the UGA Foundation Trustees, and Leadership Georgia.
  • On November 29, the Georgia Economic Outlook luncheon, sponsored by the Terry College of Business, will be held in Atlanta. Governor Nathan Deal is scheduled to speak at the event.
  • The President informed the Council on actions he has taken regarding the passage by the Council of the proposal for implementation of full domestic partner benefits at the last meeting. President Adams stated that he has written a letter to Chancellor Hank Huckaby indicating that he has signed the proposal passed by the Council. Barring prohibition from the Board of Regents, the President plans to move forward on this issue between now and the end of the current fiscal year. The President has already asked the UGA Human Resources office to begin preparation for what would be required to offer voluntary employee paid benefits in areas including dental, disability, life, critical illness, cancer, personal accident, and vision care insurance. He also stated that he has asked for the Board of Regents to approve participation in health insurance for domestic partners as well. A response from the Chancellor on both voluntary benefits and health insurance is expected in due course. The President believes that the University will be able to move ahead with voluntary benefits. He reiterated that he will work to the best of his ability to work on this issue before the end of the fiscal year.
  • In the sixteen years he has presided as President of the University Council, the President has approved approximately 640 actions passed by the Council, vetoing only four passed proposals in that time. Following the April 26, 2012 University Council meeting, the President vetoed proposed amendments to the University Council Bylaws. Specifically, the President cited as a source of the veto the proposed change regarding petitions to the Executive Committee for placement on the University Council agenda. The President stated that he felt the current system as written in the Bylaws is working. The steady movement of legislation through the appropriate committees and then to the Council floor is a system favored by the President. He expressed his belief that the numbers provide credence to this view. He did state, however, that if in subsequent years the Council wants to change this process, it has the right to do so.
  • The SEC championship game is Saturday, December 1, between UGA and Alabama.
  • From December 9th-11th, most of the Georgia state legislature will be on campus for the 28th Biennial Institute for Georgia Legislators.
  • The President stated that he hopes members of the Council will participate in the many events occurring at the University before the campus disperses for the holidays.
  • The President drew attention to the first-ever Spotlight on the Arts at UGA festival that occurred November 3rd-11th. In the nine days the festival was held, over fifty acts were featured and some 13,000 people were in attendance. The President expressed his gratitude to Libby Morris and to all those who had a role in making the festival a success.
  • On December 14th, fall commencement will occur.  The speaker at the undergraduate ceremony will be Arthur Blank, co-founder of The Home Depot.  This concluded the President's report to the Council.

The floor was then opened for the following standing committee and association reports:

The following Action Items were presented to the Council for approval:

  • David Shipley, chair of the University Curriculum Committee, presented the following proposals after delivering his committee's report:
    1. Proposal to revise the Academic Affairs Policy 4.07-11, Write-In Courses. Following a discussion on the proposal, a vote was called and the proposal was approved.
    2. Proposal for the following new Graduate Certificates:
      1. Graduate Certificate in eLearning Design
      2. Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology for Teaching- A vote was called considering both items together and the proposal was approved.
  • Scott Shamp, chair of the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees, presented the following proposal after delivering his committee's report:
    1. First Reading: Proposal for amendments to the University Council Bylaws. Dr. Shamp explained that most of the changes in the proposal were changes that were already approved during the last term of Council but were included in the veto of the Bylaws by the President because all of the changes were considered and approved as a package. The first reading of the Bylaws was presented to the Council; the proposed changes will appear on the next Council agenda for a second required reading and vote.
  • Anne Marcotte, chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, presented the following proposal:
    1. Proposal to approve an updated version of the Current UGA Strategic Plan. A vote was called and the proposal was approved.

There being no old or new business, the meeting adjourned at 4:20 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Jan Hathcote, Registrar
Secretary to University Council





University Council Roster

Abbott, Karen

Griffin, Mary Grace

Medine, Carolyn

Adams, Michael 

Griffin, Michele

Moore, Mary

Adere, Yanet Alemayehu

Griffith, Jennifer

Morehead, Jere

Ainsworth, Scott

Griner, Katie

Morse, Jack

Allen, Sheila

Grossman, Barbara

Mosher, Marshall

Alworth, Leanne

Hall, Jori

Motes, Bethany

Arabnia, Hamid

Hamilton, Shane

Munneke, Henry

Atkinson, Eric

Hammersley, Jackie

Nairn, Joe

Ayers, Ben

Hathcote, Jan

Neville, Michael

Azadi, Parastoo

Hazinski, David

Nix, Rance

Baginski, Steve

Heiss, Christian

Oie, Svein

Bennett, Catherine

Henry, Gerald

Orpinas, Pamela

Bennett, Rodney

Hilton, Nelson

Pagnattaro, Marisa

Berghaus, Roy

Holloway, Jacob

Parker, Candace

Biesecker, Barbara

Houston, Jacquelyn

Popik, Vladimir

Bivins, Danny

Hughes, Elisabeth

Potter, William

Bliss, Thomas

Infante, Carlos

Poudyal, Neelam

Boyhan, George

Ivy, Stuart

Poulsen, Annette

Brum, Jeffrey

Jackwood, Mark

Quesada, Margaret

Burd, Adrian

Jagor, Leigh

Reap, James

Burgess, Tim

Jolly, Laura

Riley, David

Burgess, Will

Jones, Betty

Roberts, Susan

Calabria, Ashley

Jones, Jonathan

Rosemond, Amy

Cannady, Shelley

Kaplan, Betina

Sarasvati, Bala

Chapman, Sue

Karahanna, Elena

Schroeder, Paul

Clark, E. Culpepper

Keen, Brenda

Sellers, Holly

Covich, Alan

Kellett, Kimberly

Shipley, David

Daniels, Richard

Kiepper, Brian

Snyder, Margaret

Darbisi, Carolina

Kisaalita, William

Stabb, Eric

Dorsey, Alan

Landrum, Tom

Stooksbury, David

Dotts, Brian

Langston, Keith

Taha, Thiab

Dove, Robert

Lauth, Thomas

Tessman, Brock

Farmer, Mark

Lawson, Alicia

Threadgill, Dale

Filipov, Nikolay

Lee, David

Tollner, William

Fountain, Emily

Lee, Jung Sun

Trap, Diane

Fox, Linda

Legette, Roy

Tschepikow, Kyle

Frick, Janet

Lockhart, Lettie

Turrentine, PJ

Frum, Jennifer

Long, Timothy

Udutha, Pranay

Garfinkel, David

Luken, Emily

Wallinga, Charlotte

Giraudo, Silvia

Madden, Marguerite

White, Catherine

Gittleman, John

Matic, Gordana

Wilder, Lance

Glass, Anne

Mativo, John

Wilder, Shannon

Gordon, Leslie

Matthews, Paul

Williams, Phillip

Gordon, Robert

Mauricio, Rodney

Wyld, Sandra

Grant, Linda

McDonald, William

Yabsley, Michael

Grasso, Maureen

McEwen, Dee Dee

Zhao, Yiping


Zomlefer, Wendy


Represented by Proxy

Anderson, Mark

Baird, Spencer

Buck, James

Buntin, David

Cramond, Bonnie

Dorfman, Jeff

Graff, Jennifer

Horne, Arthur

James, Jennifer

Kalivoda, Karen

Kelly, Robert

Maerz, John

Naeher, Luke

Parks, Rodney

Reznik, Jordan

Samp, Jennifer

Schuster, Barbara

Sumichrast, Robert

Wilson, Jim