Executive Committee Minutes

02/01/2017 03:30 PM - Peabody Board Room, Administration Building
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The University Council Executive Committee met on February 1, 2017 in the Peabody Boardroom located in the Administration Building. A quorum being present, Chair Janet Frick called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m. Standing committee chairs in attendance presenting action items were David Shipley of the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees and Jean Williams-Woodward of the Educational Affairs Committee. Guests to the meeting included Debbie Bell, Sarah Covert, Fiona Liken, Kathy Pharr, Lee Shearer, Rahul Shrivastav, William Vencill, Sara Wood, and Harrison Young.

Dr. Frick began the meeting by introducing to the Executive Committee Rosemary Segreti, the Interim University Registrar who has assumed the role of University Council Secretary due to the retirement of former University Registrar Jan Hathcote.

  1. The minutes of the November 2, 2016 meeting were approved as distributed.
  2. Action Items:
    1. Proposal from the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees:
      1. Proposal for amendments to the University Statutes. Following a brief discussion on the item, during which it was agreed upon that the word "controversial" would be removed from the last paragraph in the proposal's cover memo and replaced with wording containing the phrase "no substantive changes", a vote was called and the proposal was approved to be placed on the February 15, 2017 University Council agenda for its first required reading and vote before the Council.
    2. Proposal from the Educational Affairs Committee:
      1. Proposal for modifications to the 2017-2018 Academic Calendar (Spring and Summer only) and for the Fall 2018 Academic Calendar. A lengthy discussion on the calendar occurred, including the changes to the Spring and Summer 2018 calendars as well as a discussion on the number of weeks in the proposed Spring and Fall 2018 semesters in relation to UGA's peer and aspirational institutions. EAC's progress on developing Spring and Summer 2019 academic calendars was also discussed. As well, it was agreed that wording would be added to the Fall 2018 calendar denoting for Thanksgiving break which days classes are not in session but faculty and staff report and which days the University is closed. Following discussion, a vote was called and the proposal was approved to be placed on the February 15, 2017 University Council agenda.
  3. There was no Old Business to come before the Committee.
  4. New Business:
    1. Dr. Frick discussed with the Executive Committee questions she has received regarding the membership of the Faculty Affairs Committee from chair Susan Mattern. Currently, non-tenure track faculty are not included in the membership of the Faculty Affairs Committee. Regarding this matter, the questions raised included: Is it in the purview of the Statutes and Bylaws Committee or the Faculty Affairs Committee to examine and approve any changes to FAC's membership? Should the Executive Committee appoint non-tenure track faculty to assist either of these committees with this process? Are there any other University Council standing committees that do not have any tenure-track faculty? A discussion on these questions ensued in which it was concluded that there are other standing committees that do no have any tenure-track faculty members and that any recommendations to modify the Faculty Affairs' membership should be brought forward to the Statutes and Bylaws Committee for consideration.
    2. Dr. Frick also brought forward for discussion by the Committee the topic of the University's response to the recently announced travel ban. She stated that several members of the campus community have contacted her and wondered if the University Council could make a statement of specific support for the students and scholars who are from the affected countries. She opened the Committee up for discussion on the issue of the Council making such a statement. Some members were in favor of issuing such a statement while others stated that such a statement by the Council may be out of the realm of the Council's duties. It was also mentioned that a member from the floor of the next Council meeting could make a motion to put such a statement on the Council agenda. Dr. Frick concluded discussion by stating that if anyone did bring the issue up from the floor of the Council perhaps Executive Committee members present could help guide the discussion.
    3. Lastly, Dr. Frick stated to the Committee that Executive Committee Chair-Elect Scott Pegan attended in October a meeting of the University System of Georgia Faculty Council. Among the topics discussed at the meeting included the topic of undocumented students who can only attend non-research USG institutions and must pay out-of-state tuition. A motion was made at the meeting to write a letter to Governor Deal in support of these students being able to pay in-state tuition. Dr. Pegan voted to table the motion until the group's next meeting, requesting that members should receive feedback from their respective institutions before voting on the motion. The Executive Committee discussed this issue in terms of if the topic should go to the University Council for consideration or remain in discussion at the Executive Committee. It was determined following discussion that the matter would be examined more in-depth with Dr. Pegan at the next Executive Committee meeting.

There being no further new business, the meeting adjourned at 4:25 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rosemary Segreti, Interim Registrar
Secretary to University Council


Executive Committee Members Present
Robert Bringolf
Stephan Durham
Melissa Freeman
Janet Frick
Silvia Giraudo
Jeong-Yeob Han
Michael Lewis
Lettie Lockhart
Henry Munneke
Andy Owsiak
Amy Rosemond
Rosemary Segreti
David Shipley
Michael Snell
Beth Tobin
Pamela Whitten
Patricia Yager

Executive Committee Members Represented by Proxy
Jeff Dorfman (Jean Williams-Woodward)
Luke Naeher (Travis Glenn)
Scott Pegan (Shelley Hooks)