University Council Minutes
04/25/2018 03:30 PM - Tate Theatre, Tate Student Center
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The University Council met on April 25, 2018 in the Tate Theatre. A quorum being present, President Jere Morehead called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
As the first item of business, the
minutes of the March 21, 2018 meeting were approved as distributed.
President Morehead then delivered the following report to the Council:
- The President began his remarks by stating that Reading Day, Final Exams, and the Commencement ceremonies held on Friday, May 4 will mark the end of a successful spring semester at the University.
- The President was pleased to report that the University will offer a merit-based salary raise pool again this year. The merit-based salary raise pool will be self-funded for FY 2019. The merit-increase will be 2% and per guidelines the increases can be provided in the range of 0% to 4%. The effective date for the new salaries is January 1, 2019.
- The Board of Regents will not be increasing tuition in the next fiscal year, so tuition rates will remain constant at institutions around the state.
- The University is also increasing the minimum hiring rate from $24,000 to $24,500 on July 1.
- The President stated that steady, sustained salary increases are critical to the good health and future of the University.
- The contract dispute between Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia and Piedmont Healthcare has been resolved. The President stated Governor Deal's involvement in the negotiations were crucial to bringing the two parties together. On behalf of the nearly 10,000 faculty, staff, and retirees, the President expressed gratitude to Governor Deal and his Chief of Staff Chris Riley.
- Honors Week was held on campus April 16-20 during which outstanding faculty, staff, students, and alumni were recognized for various achievements. As well, the University recognized several recipients of national awards including its 21st Truman Scholar, three new Barry Goldwater Scholars, and a new Udall Scholar.
- The annual CURO Symposium was held earlier in April. A record-breaking 575 students presented their research at the Symposium. They represented 14 schools and colleges, 103 majors, and the support of 330 professors from 78 departments.
- UGA now ranks number one among public flagship universities for the number of doctoral degrees awarded to African-Americans according to data from the National Science Foundation.
- The President congratulated Dr. Denise Spangler upon being named the new dean of the College of Education.
- Nearly 26,500 applications were received for the fall 2018 semester. More applications were denied than accepted for the first time in the University's history. Offers of admission were extended to 48% of the applicant pool. Based on the credentials of this pool, the University most likely will be able to say it has admitted the most academically qualified class in its history. The University is also striving to recruit a diverse class with broad representation. The President thanked such student groups as Road Dawgs, Georgia Daze, and many other students who have joined together to assist the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in showcasing the institution in a positive light.
- The General Assembly has provided funding for all major capital projects during this legislative session, including $35 million in construction funds to launch a new STEM research facility. All of these projects await the Governor's review and signature.
- Earlier in April, the Agricultural Research Facility was re-dedicated on the Tifton campus. The state provided funding for this renovation project.
- The President concluded by requesting that the minutes of the meeting reflect the condolences of the Council to the family and friends of Dr. Karen Tinsley. The President stated that many on Council knew and were friends with Dr. Tinsley. She had recently been promoted to Senior Public Service Associate. Dr. Tinsley was killed in a tragic cycling accident earlier in the month. The President stated that he, along with many others on Council, attended her memorial service at the Chapel. Dr. Tinsley contributed greatly to the University and to so many across the state. Dr. Tinlsey will be among the 24 faculty, staff, and students that will be remembered at the Annual Candlelight Memorial Service on April 26 at the Chapel. This is an important tribute to those who were lost in the past year.
- Before closing his remarks, the President expressed his thanks to those who served in leadership roles this year for the University Council. The President stated he wanted the minutes to reflect appreciation to those in leadership roles in the Council, including those who led a committee as well as committee members. The President also thanked Registrar Fiona Liken; Adam Lawrence of the Office of the Registrar for managing the administration of the Council; Professor Usha Rodrigues for serving as Parliamentarian and providing guidance on parliamentary procedure; and to Dr. Scott Pegan for serving as chair of the Executive Committee. The President asked the Council to join him in thanking these individuals for their service this academic year.
- This concluded the President's report to the Council.
The floor was the opened for the following standing committee reports:
- Executive Committee, presented by chair Scott Pegan
- University Curriculum Committee, presented by Dr. John Maerz, substituting for chair Alison Alexander
- Faculty Affairs Committee, presented by Dr. Barbara Biesecker, subsituting for chair Laura Bierema
- Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, presented by chair Barbara Biesecker
- Strategic Planning Committee, presented by chair David Shipley
- Human Resources Committee, presented by chair Robin Shelton
- Staff Council, presented by president Michael Lewis
- Student Government Association, presented by president Ammishaddai Grand-Jean and former president Cameron Keen
- Educational Affairs Committee (submitted but not presented)
- Strategic Planning Committee Minutes
The following Action Items were presented to the Council for consideration:
- Dr. John Maerz, substituting for chair Alison Alexander, presented the following proposals from the University Curriculum Committee:
- Dr. Barbara Biesecker, substituting for chair Laura Bierema, presented the following proposal from the Faculty Affairs Committee:
- Chair David Shipley presented the following item from the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees:
- Second Reading: Proposal for revisions to the University Council bylaws, part 1. A vote was called and the proposal was approved.
- Item G.3.b., Second Reading: Proposal for revisions to the University Council bylaws, part 2, was withdrawn by the committee prior to the start of the meeting. Professor Shipley stated that following the first reading of the proposal at the March Council meeting he received much feedback, including a need to seek feedback from the particular standing committees affected by the changes in the proposal. There was also the request to examine peer and aspirant institutions' non-tenure track faculty representation on committees. Professor Shipley then stated that he took this feedback to the Statutes and Bylaws Committee, and the committee unanimously approved withdrawing the proposal. The Statutes and Bylaws Committee will revisit this proposal in the next Council term.
There being no old or business, the meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fiona Liken, Registrar
Secretary to University Council
| University Council Roster |
| Adams, Malcolm |
Hunt-Hurst, Patti |
Owsiak, Andy |
| Ahern, Christine |
Ivy, Stuart |
Parker, Kevin |
| Ayers, Benjamin |
Jackson, Chandra |
Phillips, Dennis |
| Baginski, Steve |
Jackson, David |
Prentiss, Amber |
| Barbour, Suzanne |
Jackson, Stan |
Reinberger, Mark |
| Biesecker, Barbara |
Jarrett, Carla |
Rhicard, Laura |
| Birch, Suzanne |
Jarrett, Carla |
Richards, Patricia |
| Black, Joel |
Kavoori, Andy |
Rizer, Jasmine |
| Bliss, Thomas |
Keen, Cameron |
Robinson, Eric |
| Bray, John |
Kong, Fanbin |
Roulston, Kathy |
| Brooks, Kay |
Kostovetsky, Kathryn |
Rutledge, Bo |
| Burke, Kevin |
Lai, Ming-Jun |
Saleh, Eman |
| Byers, Rachel |
Lastrapes, William |
Samp, Jennifer |
| Cade, Jason |
Lewis, Denise |
Santesso, Esra |
| Camus, Al |
Lewis, Michael |
Scheyett, Anna |
| Chatterjee, Santanu |
Lewis, Steven |
Schwanenflugel, Paula |
| Cheypyator-Thomson, Rose |
Li, Changying |
Shen, Ye |
| Cona, Kelly |
Li, Ke |
Shepherd, Shelley |
| Cooper, Diane |
Liken, Fiona |
Shetterley, Karen |
| Cooper, Jamie |
Little, Elizabeth |
Shipley, David |
| Coverdill, Jim |
Magnan, Nicholas |
Shrivastav, Rahul |
| Crawley, Laura |
Malone, Barrett |
Siry, Jacek |
| Dellaria, Nancy |
Mandal, Abhyuday |
Slater, Elizabeth |
| DeMaria, Don |
Mao, Leidong |
Steele, Jada |
| Dorsey, Alan |
Martin-Williams, Jean |
Sumner, Maxwell |
| Dougherty, Anjali |
Masciadri, Milton |
Taha, Thiab |
| Dove, Robert |
Mattern, Susan |
Tobin, Beth |
| Durham, Stephan |
Matthews, Paul |
Tolley, Beth |
| Edwards, Claire |
McDonald, Bill |
Villari, Caterina |
| Epstein, Kira |
Medeiros, Patricia |
Viveiros, Maria |
| Farmerk, Mark |
Medlin, Sayge |
von Waldner, Trina |
| Felt, Anderson |
Miller, Deborah |
Weeks Leonard, Elizabeth |
| Fresk, Kara |
Miller, Shari |
Whitman, William |
| Frum, Jennifer |
Moore, Mary |
Whitten, Pamela |
| Gabara, Rachel |
Moore, Myra |
Wilhelm, Teena |
| Garvin, Chris |
Morehead, Jere |
Williams, Phillip |
| Gaver, Jenny |
Munneke, Henry |
Williams, Susan |
| Greene, Erik |
Muszynski, Artur |
Wilson, Mark |
| Hamstead, Griffin |
Naghepour, Roya |
Wilson, Victor |
| Han, Jeong-Yeob |
Nelson, Scott |
Wolf, Montgomery |
| Harman, Ruth |
Nesbit, Ryan |
Yi, Hyangsoon |
| Hasko, Victoria |
Nesbit, Scott |
Zheng, George |
| Herist, Keith |
Nibbelink, Nate |
Øie, Svein |
| Hill, Janette |
Nimkar, Santosh |
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| Hoyt, Rob |
Oliver, Kerry |
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| Represented by Proxy |
| Auer, Matthew |
| Babiarz, Patryk |
| Bierema, Laura |
| Brock, Caroline |
| Cabrera, Miguel |
| Dahlen, Joseph |
| Diaz-Perez, Juan Carlos |
| Graham, Toby |
| Greene, Dale |
| Grey, Timothy |
| James, Kevin |
| Joye, Samantha |
| Leigh, David |
| Liggett, Sharon |
| Shaffer, Anne |
| Smith, Amanda |
| Snyder, Margaret |
| Sweigart, Andrea |
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