University Council Minutes

11/28/2018 03:30 PM - Tate Theatre, Tate Student Center

View Related Documents Online The University Council met on November 28, 2018 in the Tate Theatre. A quorum being present, President Jere Morehead called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

The minutes of the September 26, 2018 meeting were approved as distributed.

The President then delivered the following report to the Council:

• The President began his report by stating that the University will enroll the most academically-talented class of first-year students for the sixth consecutive year and has set new records in numbers and academic quality of students admitted. Offers of early action have been extended, and the University is in the process of reviewing the remaining applications.
• The President recognized UGA student athlete Keturah Orji on being named the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year. This is the fourth time in UGA's history that a UGA student has received this honor.
• The University's four-year completion rate has moved up two percentage points to reach a record of 68% and 75% of UGA students now earn their degrees in four years plus one semester. The University is now within one point of its most highly selected aspirational institutions. The University's six year completion rate continues to hold at 86%.
• The final enrollment numbers for fall 2018 have been determined. A record 38,652 students are enrolled for the fall semester, an increase of 3% over last fall.
• Interim Provost Morris and the President have announced several funding initiatives to boost faculty hiring as well as to provide facility improvements to support faculty. A one million dollar faculty hiring initiative is underway and is focused on hiring faculty with particular expertise in disciplines such as writing and data literacy.  Three million dollars in new start up funding has been awarded for use in filling tenure and tenure-track positions for which departments have the funding for salaries but for which no search was underway because of a lack of start up funding. A million dollar initiative of supplemental funding is also underway to address some of the most dire faculty laboratory and laboratory support needs on campus.  The hope is that these collective efforts will expand the faculty and provide faculty with greater support.
• The Archway Partnership has won a national award of excellence from the University Economic Development Association. The President congratulated Vice President for Public Service and Outreach Jennifer Frum and her team on receiving this award.
• Ground has been broken on a new 100,000 square foot interdisciplinary STEM research building. The total project budget is $65 million, with $45 million coming from the state. The building will be located on south campus. Also, improvements to the College of Engineering's Driftmier Engineering Center will begin in December. Both of these projects would not be possible without support from the Board of Regents and state government leaders.
• The President recognized Phillip Williams, the founding dean of the College of Public Health, upon his retirement at the end of the month. The President thanked Dean Williams for his 25 years of service and for the achievements of the College of Public Health under his tenure. The President then asked the Council to join him in recognizing Dean Williams for his service to the University. The Interim Dean of the College of Public Health will be Marsha Davis.
• Vice Provost Russ Mumper will be leaving the University at the end of the calendar year. Dr. Mumper has accepted a position as Vice President for Research and Economic Development at the University of Alabama.  The President asked the Council to join him in thanking Dr. Mumper for his service as Vice Provost to the University.
• On November 16, a memorial was dedicated at Baldwin Hall. The President stated the memorial will provide a lasting tribute to the individuals who are buried on the site and serve in the future as a meaningful place of reflection for the University's faculty, staff, and students. The President thanked the memorial task force led by Vice Provost Michelle Cook.
• The President invited Council members to come by the Administration Building to view two new paintings: one of Ms. Mary Frances Early, the first African-American graduate of the University, and one of Dr. Louise McBee, who held leadership positions for more than 25 years at the University before serving more than a decade as a local state representative and who became for UGA a great champion of higher education.
• The President closed his report by stating that he hopes the campus community will continue to celebrate commonalities as well as differences in a collegial and civil manner that respects all viewpoints and perspectives from the faculty to the administration to students and beyond.
• This concluded the President's report to the Council.

The floor was then opened for the following reports:

• Executive Committee, presented by chair Andy Owsiak
• University Curriculum Committee, presented by chair John Maerz
• Educational Affairs Committee, presented by chair Mark Farmer. Additionally, Dr. Farmer stated that a request was made of the EAC to investigate products that deal with academic dishonesty and that the committee was examining such products.
• Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees, presented by chair Scott Pegan
• Staff Council, presented by president Marie Mize
• Student Government Association, presented by president Ammishaddai Grand-Jean
• Graduate Student Association, presented by president Dannie Chalk
• Program Review and Assessment Committee (submitted but not presented)
• Strategic Planning Committee (submitted but not presented)

The following action items were presented to the Council for consideration:

• John Maerz, chair of the University Curriculum Committee, presented the following proposals:
  • Proposal for a new major in Film, Television, and Digital Media (M.F.A.). A vote was called and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal to terminate the major in Veterinary Pathology (Ph.D.). A vote was called and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal for a new Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Food Systems. A vote was called and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal to deactivate the Graduate Certificate in Creativity and Innovation. A vote was called and the proposal was approved.
• Mark Farmer, chair of the Educational Affairs Committee, presented the following proposals:
  • Proposal for a revision to Policy 4.02-3, University Policy on Course Drops and Withdrawals. Following an extensive discussion on the proposal, including the role faculty have in the hardship withdrawal process, a vote was called and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal for a revision to Policy 4.03-1, Presidential Scholar and Dean's List. Following a brief discussion, a vote was called and the proposal was approved.
• Scot Pegan, chair of the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees, presented the following proposal:
  • First Reading: Proposal for amendments to the University Statutes and University Council Bylaws. An extensive discussion on the proposal occurred that included discussion on the proposed changes to the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences' membership on the committees referenced in the proposal. A vote was called and a division of the vote revealed the proposal failed with 55 in favor of the proposal and 71 against the proposal.

The following information item was presented by Mark Farmer, chair of the Educational Affairs Committee:

• 2017-2018 Academic Honesty Report

There being no old or new business, the meeting adjourned at 4:35 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Fiona Liken, Registrar
Secretary to University Council


 

University Council Roster
Adams, Malcolm	Gaver, Jenny	Nolan, Lisa
Ahern, Christine	Glasser, Gary	Nuss, Michelle
Bai, Shuyang	Graffin, Scott	Nutt Hahn, Angela
Barbour, Suzanne	Grand-Jean, Ammishaddai	Okech, David
Bergstrom, John	Hagood, Chase	Oliver, Kerry
Bertioli, Soraya	Happek, Uwe	Owsiak, Andy
Bierema, Laura	Hirt, Sonia	Pardue, Samuel
Black, Joel	Hunt-Hurst, Patricia	Peterson, David
Borron, Abigail	Ivy, Stuart	Poulsen, Annette
Bousquette, Joshua	Jackson, Angel	Prentiss, Amber
Bray, John	Jagnow, Rene	Reinberger, Mark
Briggs, Harold	Ji, Pengsheng	Ribak, Nadav
Brooks, Kay	Johnson, Beverly	Roulston, Kathy
Brown, Mark	Kastner, James	Sabatini, Robert
Brunow, Beate	Kelley, Christopher	Saleh, Eman
Bynum, Josh	Kern, Kathleen	Santesso, Esra
Cabrera, Miguel	Kong, Fanbin	Sawhill, Ronald
Cade, Jason	Lanzilotta, William	Scheyett, Anna
Camus, Al	Lastrapes, William	Schultz, Alisa
Carpenter, Tina	LeGette, Casie	Schuttler, Heinz-Bernd
Carson, Jim	Leo, Donald	Schwanenflugel, Paula
Ceska, Jennifer	Lewis, Denise	Scott, Robert
Chalk, Dannie	Liken, Fiona	Shen, Ye
Chavis, Stacey	Little, Elizabeth	Shepherd, Shelley
Chess, Shira	Magnan, Nicholas	Shrivastav, Rahul
Coco, Lindsay	Mani, Sudhagar	Siry, Jacek
Cona, Kelly	Marotta, Anthony	Smith, Kelly
Cooper, Jamie	Marsh, Charlene	Snyder, Margaret
Coverdill, Jim	Martin-Williams, Jean	Spangler, Denise
Crowe, Doug	Masciadri, Milton	Spektor, Alexander
Crumsey Forde, Jasmine	Massey, Ann	Story, Jessica
Dahlen, Joseph	Mastrovita, Mandy	Sumner, Maxwell
Davis, Charles	Mattern, Susan	Sweigart, Andrea
Dellaria, Nancy	Mayfield, Mark	Tan, Li
DeMaria, Don	McDonald, Bill	Tang, Lili
DeYoung, Sarah	Means, Darris	Thippareddi, Harsha
Dougherty, Anjali	Medeiros, Patricia	Tiller, Lori
Dove, Robert	Michaelis, Vicki	Tompkins, Mark
Dumont, Devin	Miller, Shari	Tuberville, Tracey
Durham, Stephan	Mize, Marie	Villari, Caterina
Elyaman, Ali	Moore, Mary	Vining, Richard
Evans, Jonathan	Morehead, Jere	Viveiros, Maria
Femia, Patrick	Morris, Libby	Whitman, William
Flowers, Rachel	Morrison, Cara	Williams, Jackson
Fox, Linda	Murph, Mandi	Williams, Jarred
Franchini, Caitlin	Murphy, Amy	Williams, Phillip
Fresk, Kara	Mustard, David	Wilson, Mark
Frum, Jennifer	Nelson, Scott	Wilson, Victor
Futris, Ted	Nesbit, Ryan	Wolf, Montgomery
Garvin, Chris	Nesbit, Scott	Woodson, Brock
		Zastre, Jason

Represented by Proxy

Auer, Matthew

Campbell, John

Dorsey, Alan

Epstein, Kira

Graham, Toby

Greene, Dale

Gupton, Timothy

Habteselassie, Mussie

Herist, Keith

Himelboim, Itai

Joye, Samantha

Kelley, Laura

Kerner, Kelly

Leigh, David

Meadows, Braden

Nibbelink, Nate

Phillips, Dennis

Shipley, David

Sumners, Sarah

Taha, Thiab

Williams, Susan