University Council Minutes

11/18/2015 03:30 PM - Tate Theatre, Tate Student Center
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The University Council met on November 18, 2015 for its second meeting of the 2015-2016 academic year at the Tate Theatre. With a quorum present, President Jere Morehead called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

As the first item of business on the agenda, the minutes of the September 22, 2015 meeting were approved as distributed.

The President then presented the following report to the Council:

  • President Morehead began his remarks by asking the Council to join him in remembering two important members of the UGA community who have recently passed away, Jane Willson and Dr. Charles Gruner. Jane Willson was a great supporter of the University of Georgia, serving as an emeritus trustee of the UGA Foundation and on several boards around campus. The Willson Center for Humanities and Arts was also endowed by Jane and her late husband Harry. Dr. Charles Gruner was a professor emeritus in the Department of Communications Studies and was the founding parliamentarian of the University Council, a position he held off and on for 40 years. The President recalled that Dr. Gruner was presented with a proclamation recognizing his faithful service to the Council at his last meeting serving as parliamentarian in April of 2014. The President asked the Council to join him in a moment of silence in remembrance of these two beloved members of the University of Georgia community.
  • The freshman retention rate is now at an all-time high of 95.2% which is above the national average of institutions of the size and makeup of UGA. The six year graduation rate has reached 85.3% which is another record and well above the national average for four year institutions.
  • The University of Georgia is ranked at number 11 in study abroad participation by the Open Doors 2015 study abroad report. The President congratulated Dr. Kavita Pandit and her team in the Office of International Education, as well as faculty who participate in study abroad programs, for their work with students who attend study abroad trips.
  • Ten UGA students and recent alumni have been awarded international travel-study grants from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program for the 2015-2016 academic year.
  • Enrollment data for Fall semester 2015 indicates that total enrollment is up 2% over last year with large gains coming from the College of Engineering. The President commended Dean Leo and his team for attracting nearly 300 new students to the College of Engineering.
  • UGA is the only university in the nation to have two recipients of the prestigious Beckman award which is presented to faculty members who have inspired their former students to make a significant contribution to society. Dawn Bennett-Alexander of the Terry College of Business and Melissa Cahnmann-Taylor of the College of Education are the professors who have received the award.
  • The President also congratulated four faculty members who have been selected to be a part of the 2015-2016 SEC Academic Leadership Development Program. This is a fellowship program sponsored by the SEC that encourages faculty to take on leadership roles at their institutions. Erica Hashimoto, Jessica Kissinger, Kecia Thomas, and Mark Wilson are the selected faculty from UGA.
  • Provost Whitten has announced nine members of the first class of the University's Women's Leadership Fellows Program. These nine members are Valerie Babb, Marsha Davis, Ellen Evans, Susan Fagan, Jean Martin-Williams, Laura Meadows, Peggy Ozias-Akins, Marisa Pagnattaro, and Usha Rodrigues.
  • The President encouraged Council members to complete the Count Me In survey from the Office of Institutional Diversity by the deadline of November 20. The survey, which was announced by the President at last year's State of the University address, was designed to collect information on the positive and challenging aspects of the campus community in order to foster a climate that is inclusive of all members of the University of Georgia.
  • The President anticipates that within the next few days UGA will extend offers of admission to about 7,400 applicants through the early action process. The President indicated that this is a very academic superior group of early action applicants.
  • Next month, ground will be broken on the new Center for Molecular Medicine on Riverbend Road.
  • On January 1, Karri Hobson-Pape will begin her appointment as the new vice president for marketing and communications for UGA. The President thanked Dr. Jennifer Frum for her work on the search committee for this position. With this new appointment, the Office of Public Affairs will be renamed the Office of Marketing and Communications.
  • Three searches are currently underway for the deans of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the School of Social Work, and the UGA/AU Medical Partnership.
  • Lastly, the President took a moment to introduce the newest member of his staff, Arthur Tripp. Mr. Tripp is serving as an assistant to the President in matters of student affairs and diversity relations.
  • This concluded the President's report to the Council.

The floor was the opened for the following standing committee reports:

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

The following Information Items were presented to the Council:

There being no old or new business, the President announced the Council adjourned at 4:16 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Dr. Jan Hathcote, Registrar
Secretary to University Council



University Council Roster

Aderibigbe, Ibigbolade

Hernandez, Sonia

Ratliff, Joanne

Allen, Sheila

Hughes, Linda

Reidenbaugh, Patrick

Allen, Wesley

Iyengar, Sujata

Reyes De Corcuera, Jose

Bailey, Deryl

Jackson, Chandra

Rizer, Jasmine

Barbour, Suzanne

Jackson, David

Roberts, Susan

Bayer, Lisa

Jackson, Stan

Rogers, Martin

Bharadwaj, Sundar

Johnson, Meredith

Rose, John

Bierema, Laura

Jordan, Brian

Rosemond, Amy

Bliss, Thomas

Kaplan, Holly

Samp, Jennifer

Boynton, John

Kavoori, Andy

Santesso, Esra

Broder, Josef

Keen, Brenda

Schindler, Jacob

Camus, Melinda

Kelley, Laura

Secrest, Scott

Carson, Jamie

Kennedy, Craig

Sharma, Suraj

Carswell, Andy

Lai, Ming-Jun

Shelton, Robin

Cauthen, T.W.

Lamb, Taylor

Shetterley, Karen

Chatterjee, Santanu

Lastinger, Matt

Shipley, David

Chepyator-Thomson, Rose

Leo, Donald

Shrivastav, Rahul

Crawley, Laura

Lewis, Audrey

Shutley, Michael

Creevy, Kate

Lewis, Michael

Sikes, Kris

Dahlen, Joseph

Lewis, Steven

Simpson, Johnelle

Dellaria, Nancy

Li, Changying

Snell, Michael

Dennis, Alyssa

Liggett, Sharon

Snyder, Margaret

Doran-Peterson, Joy

Malone, Barrett

Speakman, Jeff

Dorsey, Alan

Mandal, Abhyuday

Spivey, Julie

Doughtery, Anjali

Mao, Leidong

Stanger-Hall, Kathrin

Dunham, Richard

Martin-Williams, Jean

Sterling, Kyla

Fallaize, Ashley

McGurl, Mara

Taha, Thiab

Fisher, Christen

Miller, Deborah

Thomas, Paul

Freeman, Melissa

Mobley, Stephanie

Tobin, Beth

Frum, Jennifer

Moore, Myra

Twomey, Katherine

Funk, Shelby

Morehead, Jere

Vencill, William

Gaines, Houston

Munneke, Henry

Watson, Eddie

Gandhi, Kamal

Muszynski, Artur

Weeks Leonard, Elizabeth

Giraudo, Silvia

O'Neill, Peter

Wesolowski, Brian

Gragson, Ted

Okech, David

Whitten, Pamela

Graham, Toby

Oliver, Kerry

Wilde, Susan

Grantham, Tarek

Owsiak, Andy

Williams, Brian

Greene, Dale

Pegan, Scott

Williams, Phillip

Greene, Erik

Pendergrass, Jan

Williams-Woodward, Jean

Grey, Timothy

Phillips, Nicki

Wilson, Mark

Griffin, Michele

Poland, Mary

Wilson, Victor

Han, Jeong-Yeob

Prasad, Gurazada

Workman, James

Hansen, Nathan

Pruitt, Hunter

Yabsley, Michael

Hathcote, Jan

Rathbun, Stephen

Yi, Hyangsoon









Represented by Proxy

Bartlett, Ruth

Buda, Nate

Christoffel, Chandler

Clark, Bill

Davis, Charles

Diaz-Perez, Juan Carlos

Durham, Stephan

Dvoracek, Douglas

Hoyt, Rob

Jordan, Jeff

Lee, David

Little, Elizabeth

 

McNulty, Tom

 

Medlin, Sayge

 

Moore, Mary

 

Nadenicek, Daniel

 

Nesbit, Ryan

 

Peterson, Thomas

 

Rhicard, Laura

 

Robinson, Eric

 

Rossbacher, Brigitte

 

Sarmiento, Fausto

von Waldner, Trina

Zheng, George

Øie, Svein