University Council Minutes

03/25/2015 03:30 PM - Tate Theater, Tate Student Center
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The University Council met on March 25, 2015 in the Tate Theater. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 3:32 p.m. by President Jere Morehead.

As the first item of business, the minutes of the February 18, 2015 meeting were approved as distributed.

The President then delivered his report to the Council.

  • President Morehead began his report by discussing a concern that continues to raise issues on the UGA campus as well as across the country: hateful, anonymous postings on social media. The President stated that he remains steadfast in his conviction that isolated postings on social media do not reflect the principles or attitudes of the University of Georgia community. He further stated that he believes the University is a place where everyone cares for one another, where we respect and learn from our differences, and where we realize that by working together we can make UGA a stronger and more welcoming environment.
  • The President stated that he is looking forward to welcoming the new students to the University of Georgia who have been admitted for the Summer and Fall semesters. The University set a new record for applications with 22,300, and the strength of the applicant pool was stronger than ever.
  • The President also offered a special word of thanks and appreciation to Associate Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management Nancy McDuff for her work in Undergraduate Admissions. Ms. McDuff is retiring after 20 years of service in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. A national search is underway for her successor. The President asked the Council to join him in thanking her for her service to the University.
  • A word of congratulations was extended by the President to the Medical Partnership's founding dean Dr. Barbara Schuster, who the President stated he knows is proud of the accomplishments of the Medical Partnership's graduating students. Match Day for the UGA/GRU graduating students was recently held on March 21, and 97% of those students earned matches with a residency program.
  • Dr. Naomi Norman has been selected as the new Associate Vice President for Instruction. Dr. Norman brings a wealth of experience to this position. The President looks forward to welcoming Dr. Norman to this new role on April 1.
  • Campus interviews for the new dean of the Graduate School are underway. There are four candidates for the position. The President stated that he is confident that there will be a successful finding of the right person to lead UGA's initiatives to build and strengthen graduate education at the University. The President thanked Dean Craig Kennedy and his colleagues on the search committee for their work.
  • The President and Provost have launched the Women's Leadership Initiative for the University. The goal of this program is to enhance the representation of women in leadership roles at UGA by examining issues such as recruitment and hiring, career development, work/life balance, and leadership development.
  • The General Assembly's 2015 legislative session will soon be coming to an end. Two major capital projects have been recommended by Governor Deal and have passed the House and the Senate. Those projects include $43 million for phase two of the Terry College of Business Learning Community and $17 million for the Center for Molecular Medicine. Both of these projects having a significant private funding component to them. The University will now await the work of the conference committees and remain vigilant to keep both of these capital projects moving forward.
  • The top priority for the University still remains securing another merit-based salary increase for UGA's faculty and staff. The President, Provost Whitten, and Vice President Nesbit had the opportunity to present the University's budget priorities to Chancellor Huckaby earlier this month. The focus of the presentation was on the fact that UGA has fallen significantly behind its peer and aspirational institutions in faculty salaries which, they believe, puts the University at a competitive disadvantage in retaining top faculty across disciplines. The University has been able to match some offers faculty have received but not always. The President stated that he will submit to Registrar Jan Hathcote a report that was used in the presentation to the Chancellor, and which constitutes the first component of the faculty salary study that the University Council requested last Spring, for inclusion in the meeting's minutes. Dr. Michelle Garfield Cook, who is leading the University's gender equity salary study, and Provost Whitten have informed the President that the project is nearing completion. The Council will receive additional information on the study at that time. The President again stated that a robust and sustained increase in both faculty and staff salaries is absolutely essential to the continuing success of the University. He expects more information on this issue will be known in April, possibly May, as the General Assembly and Board of Regents conclude their work for the legislative term and academic year.
  • Since the last meeting of the Council, Delta Hall was dedicated in Washington, D.C. Twenty-nine undergraduate students are currently living in this facility, which can hold up to thirty-two students. This facility will allow students to live, study, and take classes under the same roof while interning in various capacities across the nation's capital. Delta Airlines contributed $5 million to support this initiative. Private funds also contributed to this initiative, totaling nearing $12 million.
  • The President also informed Council that the University has surpassed the $100 million mark in its capital campaign for this year. Vice President Kerner has informed the President that he believes the University is well on the way to having another record-setting fundraising year.
  • The President congratulated five members of the faculty who recently have been recipients of significant awards. Franklin Professor of Violin Levon Ambartsumian has been named a Regents Professor. As well, Malcolm Adams, a professor of Mathematics, Mark Harrison, a professor of Food Science and Technology, Erica Hashimoto, a professor of Law, and Cynthia Ward, a professor of Small Animal Internal Medicine, have all been named Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professors.
  • The President also congratulated Dr. Libby Morris and the faculty and staff of the Institute of Higher Education, which will commemorate its 50th anniversary with a day-long conference on March 30.
  • Honors Week will occur on campus April 13-17. A variety of events will occur that week to celebrate the outstanding work that is done at UGA.
  • Concluding his report, the President shared with the Council an experience he had on the evening of March 23. He had the solemn honor of joining with more than 150 faculty, staff, and students to remember the life of an outstanding young woman, Mikal Ghirmazghi, who passed away on March 19. This was her final semester of studies at the University, and she touched many lives on campus as an RA in Russell Hall. The President stated that she represented the very best at the University of Georgia, and he offered condolences to her family and friends. The candlelight vigil affirmed for the President the positive power of the UGA community.

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

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

  • William Vencill, chair of the University Curriculum Committee, presented the following proposals:
  • Leslie Gordon, appearing on behalf of chair Silvia Giraudo of the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees, presented the following proposal:
    • Proposal for amendments to the University Council Bylaws and the University Statutes. A discussion occurred regarding the two components of the proposal: a request to change the portion of the bylaws and statutes regarding the scheduling of Council meetings to be in line with the current practice of scheduling meetings and a request to change the name of the Committee on Student Affairs to the Committee on Student Life. Each component of the proposal was voted on individually. Following a brief discussion regarding modifying the bylaws' and statutes' text on scheduling meetings, a vote was called and that specific change in the proposal was approved. A vote was then called on the name change request to the Committee on Student Affairs, and it too was approved by the Council. This was the first reading and vote for these proposed changes to the bylaws and statutes.
  • Peyton Bell, president of the Graduate Student Association, presented the following proposal:
    • Proposal to amend the University Council Bylaws to allocate specific University Council seats for graduate students and undergraduate students.  An extensive discussion regarding the proposal occurred among the members of the Council (see chart 1 and chart 2). First, a question was raised concerning if students in the UGA/GRU Medical Partnership were considered for representation in this proposal. Mr. Bell responded that the Executive Committee had raised that question during its discussion, and it was stated that those students are technically Georgia Regents University students and not enrolled at UGA. A concern from the floor was expressed regarding how this proposal would raise the number of student representatives on Council, thereby diluting the proportion of seats in terms of the other groups that make up the Council, specifically faculty members. A question was also raised regarding if the proposed increase in graduate student representatives on the Council is in proportion to the number of graduate students and undergraduate students at the University. Mr. Bell stated that this proposal, which seeks to obtain greater involvement from graduate students in University Council, was supported unanimously by the Student Government Association and had full support from its undergraduate representatives. He also stated his belief that this was the most effective way to increase involvement from graduate students on the Council and that this proposal seeks to guarantee a graduate student representative from all the schools and colleges. Following discussion from the floor, a vote was called on the proposal. A division of the vote revealed that the proposal was approved with 62 in favor of the proposal and 55 against.  This was the first reading and vote for this proposed change to the bylaws.

There being no old or new business, the Council adjourned at 4:24 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Jan Hathcote, Registrar
Secretary to University Council



University Council Roster

Allen, Sheila

Miller, Joe

O'Neill, Peter

Alworth, Leanne

Hathcote, Jan

Owsiak, Andy

Arabnia, Hamid

Hazinski, David

Pendergrass, Jan

Atkinson, Eric

Heaton, Will

Peterson, Thomas

Baginski, Steve

Heiss, Christian

Poland, Mary

Bayer, Lisa

Henry, Arlana

Popik, Vladimir

Beckstead, Robert

Henry, Gerald

Rathbun, Stephen

Bell, Peyton

Hernandez, Sonia

Reidenbaugh, Patrick

Bierema, Laura

Hollander, Barry

Reyes De Corcuera, Jose

Brush, Ryan

Hughes, Linda

Rhicard, Laura

Cahoon, Lynn

Iyengar, Sujata

Roman, Paul

Cai, Haini

Jackson, Deven

Rose, John

Cameron, Kristen

Jones, Betty

Rossbacher, Brigitte

Christoffel, Chandler

Jordan, Jeff

Rutledge, Peter "Bo"

Chapman, Sue

Kaplan, Holly

Santesso, Esra

Christoffel, Chandler

Keadle, Tim

Sarmiento, Fausto

Coffield, Julie

Keen, Brenda

Sharma, Suraj

Dahlen, Joseph

Lai, Ming-Jun

Shelton, Robin

Dorsey, Alan

Lee, David

Shipley, David

Dotts, Brian

Lee, Kyunghwa

Shrivastav, Rahul

Dunham, Richard

Lewis, Michael

Spivey, Julie

Freeman, Melissa

Lindquist, Stefanie

Spooner, David

Frick, Janet

Lindstrom, Jennifer

Starai, Vincent

Gandhi, Kamal

Madden, Marguerite

Stooksbury, David

Gittleman, John

Malone, Barrett

Tessman, Brock

Glass, Anne

Mason, Charlotte

Toews, Mike

Gordon, Leslie

Matic, Gordana

Tricksey, Lauren

Graff, Jennifer

Mativo, John

Turner, Madison

Gragson, Ted

McDuff, Nancy

Vencill, William

Graham, Toby

McEwen, Dee Dee

Weigle, Chloe

Grantham, Tarek

McNulty, Tom

Wesolowski, Brian

Greene, Dale

Medine, Carolyn

Whitten, Pamela

Griffin, Michele

Melcher, Katherine

Wilde, Susan

Grossman, Barbara

Milot, Lisa

Williams-Woodward, Jean

Hall, Jori

Moore, Allen

Wilson, Mark

Hannings, Ashley

Moore, Mary

Zhao, Yiping

Meller, Abbey

Morehead, Jere

Zomlefer, Wendy

Naeher, Luke

Øie, Svein



 

Represented by Proxy

Angle, J. Scott

Azadi, Parastoo

Cauthen, T.W.

Darbisi, Carolina

Davis, Charles

Dennis, Carla

Dorfman, Jeff

Filipov, Nikolay

Frum, Jennifer

Grey, Timothy

James, Jennifer

Matthews, Paul

Nesbit, Ryan

Pagnattaro, Marisa

Rosemond, Amy

Schuster, Barbara

Wilder, Lance

Williams, Phillip

 

If you require these minutes in an alternative format, please email Neal Lawson at neal@uga.edu.