University Council Minutes

11/18/2020 03:30 PM - Online, Zoom Webinar. Please email univcouncil@uga.edu for information.

View Related Documents Online The University Council met on November 18, 2020, via Zoom Webinar. A quorum being present, President Jere Morehead called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
 
President Morehead asked Council Parliamentarian Usha Rodrigues to provide an overview of how voting and discussion would be conducted during the meeting.
 
As the first order of business, the president asked for a motion to approve the minutes of the September 30, 2020, meeting. A motion to approve the minutes was made by Joe Dahlen. The motion was seconded by Stuart Ivy. The minutes were then approved with 171 in favor and 6 abstentions.
 
The president then delivered his remarks to the Council:

• The president opened his remarks by stating that participation in COVID-19 surveillance testing on campus has reached all-time highs, while positivity rates remain low, and the usage rate of quarantine and isolation space remains low. The capacity of the surveillance testing program has been increased to 1,000 tests per day through November 20. The president encouraged Council members to urge students and colleagues to utilize this testing. Those tested by November 20 will receive their results by November 25.
• The president expressed his deep appreciation to faculty, staff, and students for their perseverance and resiliency during the fall semester. The president stated that UGA has faced a host of unprecedented challenges related to COVID-19 and has confronted them all in exceptional ways.
• A record for completion rates has been set again at UGA. The six-year completion rate increased to 87.2%, while the four-year completion rate increased to 71.4%.
• UGA’s retention rate remains exceptional. This year’s figure is 94.4%.
• This fall, UGA received 20,900 early action applications, an increase of 4,433 applications, or 27%, over last year. Meanwhile, overall enrollment has reached a record of 39,147.
• The University continues to invest in faculty whose work directly impacts statewide and global issues. A Presidential Cluster Hiring initiative was recently launched that aims to recruit elite scholars in the fields of integrative precision agriculture and brain and behavioral health. The hiring initiative in integrative precision agriculture aims to recruit five faculty members over two years, with the first two faculty members joining UGA in fall 2021.
• The goal of the brain and behavioral health hiring initiative is to recruit five faculty members over three years. That effort will begin with the recruitment of the Johnny Isakson Chair for Parkinson’s Research and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, a newly established chair which honors the former U.S. Senator and UGA alumnus. These investments are based on recommendations from the Provost’s Task Force on Academic Excellence, which identified several areas of strength where the University can build upon its expertise and maximize its impact on society. The president thanked Provost Hu and the Task Force and stated that he looks forward to the many ways these new faculty will add to UGA's research enterprise and learning environment.
• The president stated that in July he announced a variety of steps UGA would be taking to foster a more welcoming, inclusive, and supportive learning environment. Recently, one of these programs, the "Community Conversations on Race and Racism,” which will engage the campus in open and constructive dialogue around race, was launched. These conversations are being led by the J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development and aim to promote positive change and unity across the UGA community.
• The president stated that he was pleased to have recently approved another recommendation from the Presidential Task Force on Race, Ethnicity, and Community.The University will create a diversity fellowship position to expand access to diversity and inclusion training across our campus.The new role, funded by private dollars, will focus on building new programs to meet the growing demand for participation in the popular Diversity and Inclusion Certificate program.This project follows the establishment of the Horace J. Johnson, Jr. Lecture on Race, Law, and Policy in September. The president stated that he looks forward to receiving additional proposals from the task force in the months ahead.   
• On October 16, the University conducted the rescheduled spring undergraduate commencement ceremony. Vice President for Student Affairs Victor Wilson served as commencement speaker. The fall graduate and undergraduate commencement ceremonies, previously scheduled to take place in Stegeman Coliseum, will be held virtually on December 18. The president thanked everyone who has worked tirelessly to ensure that graduating students are appropriately honored and looks forward to celebrating graduates safely in this unique format.
• Last week was Ethics Awareness Week on campus. A series of events highlighted the University’s core values of integrity, excellence, accountability, and respect. This important tradition is a part of UGA’s ongoing effort to promote an ethical culture and to raise awareness about ethics resources available at UGA.
• This completed the president’s report to the Council.

The floor was then opened for the following reports:

• Executive Committee, presented by Chair David Shipley
• University Curriculum Committee, presented by Chair John Maerz
• Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees, presented by Chair Elizabeth St. Pierre
• Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics, presented by Chair Luke Naeher
• Human Resources Committee, presented by Chair Robin Shelton
• Student Government Association, presented by President Asim Ahmed
• Committee on Facilities (submitted but not presented)
• Program Review and Assessment Committee minutes
• Strategic Planning Committee minutes

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

• Chair John Maerz presented the following proposals from the University Curriculum Committee:
  • Proposal for a new Undergraduate Certificate in Strategic Health and Risk Communication. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 166 in favor, 2 against, and 11 abstentions.
  • Proposal for a new minor in Law, Jurisprudence, and the State. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 168 in favor, 4 against, and 11 abstentions.
  • Proposal for a new minor in Law, Ethics, and Philosophy. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 174 in favor, 1 against, and 9 abstentions.
  • Proposal for a new minor in Swahili Language, Literature, and Culture. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 177 in favor, 1 against, and 5 abstentions.
  • Proposal for a new minor in Quechua. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 171 in favor, 5 against, and 7 abstentions.
  • Proposal to change the name of the Biomedical and Health Sciences Institute to the Biomedical and Translational Sciences Institute. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 170 in favor, 7 against, and 4 abstentions.
• Chair Annette Poulsen and EAC members Dr. Shira Chess and Dr. Laura Bierema presented the following proposal from the Educational Affairs Committee:
  • Proposal for a resolution regarding faculty role in educational affairs and policies. Following discussion on the proposal in which a point of privilege was made by Barbara Biesecker to confirm how mode of delivery is referenced in the proposal, a vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 112 in favor, 46 against, and 18 abstentions.
• Chair Janette Hill and FAC member Dr. Esra Santesso presented the following proposals from the Faculty Affairs Committee:
  • Proposal for a resolution regarding faculty governance. Following discussion, a vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 114 in favor, 31 against, and 23 abstentions.
  • Proposal for a resolution regarding surveillance. Following discussion, a vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 106 in favor, 29 against, and 28 abstentions.
• Chair Elizabeth St. Pierre presented the following proposals from the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees:
  • First Reading: Proposal to add attendance requirement to University Council Bylaws. Following discussion, a vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 114 in favor, 14 against, and 15 abstentions.
  • First Reading: Proposal to add special meetings for standing committees to University Council Bylaws.  Following discussion, a vote was called, and the proposal was approved with 159 in favor, 10 against, and 9 abstentions.

The following information items were presented to the Council:

• An update and report from the COVID-19 Response Committee (CRC) provided by Co-Chairs Janette Hill and Annette Poulsen.
• 2019-2020 Academic Honesty report from the Educational Affairs Committee.
• The Franklin College Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Baldwin Hall Final Report and Supporting Documents. During discussion, David Lee and Ryan Nesbit both requested that President Morehead include as part of the information item a response to the report from May 13, 2019. The president stated that the response would be made available in the minutes and attached to the ad hoc committee’s final report supporting documents.
• Establishment of a new Center on Human Trafficking Research and Innovation from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

There being no old or new business, the meeting adjourned at 5:28 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Fiona Like, Registrar
Secretary to University Council


University Council Members Present
 

Aliya	Abdulla
Koushik	Adhikari
Asim	Ahmed
Sonia	Altizer	(substitute for John Gittleman)
Scott	Ardoin	(substitute for Denise Spangler)
Rebecca	Atkins
Ben	Ayers
Shuyang	Bai
Joseph	Bartges
Randy	Beck
Erin	Benson
John	Bergstrom
Soraya	Bertioli
Laura	Bierema
Barbara	Biesecker
Abigail	Borron
Benjamin	Britton
Megan	Brock	(substitute for Lindsey Coco)
Wayde	Brown
Tamora	Callands
John	Campbell
Alvin	Camus
Mary Ager	Caplan
Tina	Carpenter
Jim	Carson
Jennifer	Ceska
Alex	Cherkinsky
Shira	Chess
Ewan	Cobran
Gregory	Colson
Kelly	Cona
Julian	Cook
Michael	Cotterell
Melanie	Crawford
Douglas	Crowe
Marcus	da Cunha
Joe	Dahlen
Carolina	Darbisi
Marsha	Davis
Nancy	Dellaria
Don	DeMaria
Erin	Dolan
Alan	Dorsey
Devin	Dumont
Stephan	Durham
Puneet	Dwivedi
Juliet	Eden
Lillian	Fant
Mark	Farmer
Patrick	Femia
Isabel	Flanagan
Alisa	Fountain
Linda	Fox
Kara	Fresk
Jennifer	Frum
Nick	Fuhrman
Lisa	Fusillo
Ted	Futris
Jim	Garrett
Gary	Glasser
Morganne	Goddard
Cari	Goetcheus
Adam	Goodie
Leslie	Gordon
Toby	Graham
Connor	Green
Dale	Greene
Timothy	Grey
Mary	Guay
Mussie	Habteselassie
Chase	Hagood
Lindsey	Harding
Bridget	Helms
Savannah	Hembree
Bryson	Henriott
Kyle	Hensel
Nik	Heynen
Janette	Hill
Daniel	Hill
Itai	Himelboim
Sonia	Hirt
Steven	Holladay
Bradley	Howard
Jack	Hu
Patricia	Hunt-Hurst
Stuart	Ivy
David	Jackson
Angel	Jackson
René	Jagnow
Kevin	James
Beverly	Johnson
Lori	Johnston	(substitute for Keith Herndon)
Christopher	Jue
Laura	Kelley
Kathleen	Kern
David	Key
Daehyun	Kim	(substitute for Sarah Sumners)
Paula	Krimer
Cheryl	Kwapong
William	Lanzilotta
Monique	Leclerc
David	Lee
Leslie	Lee	(substitute for Michelle Nuss)
Shayla	Lee
Casie	LeGette
Derrick	Lemons
Donald	Leo
Zachary	Lewis
Fiona	Liken
Elizabeth	Little
Anthony	Madonna
Sharina	Maillo-Pozo
Anish	Malladi
Anthony	Mallon
John	Maltese	(substitute for Matthew Auer)
Sudhagar	Mani
Daniel	Markewitz
Michael	Marshall
Jean	Martin-Williams
Ann	Massey
Mandy	Mastrovita
Mark	Mayfield
Ray	McClellan
Jamie	McClung
Matthew	McDaniel
Michelle	McElhannon	(substitute for Keith Herist)
Daniel	Mead
Alexander	Medina
Kristina	Meichner
Sheba	MohanKumar
Myra	Moore
Jere	Morehead
Tiffany	Mukundi
Mandi	Murph
Amy	Murphy
David	Mustard
Luke	Naeher
Ryan	Nesbit
Lisa	Nolan
David	Okech
Kerry	Oliver
Joseph	Olmsted
Andrew	Park
Scott	Pegan	(substitute for Trisha Branan)
John	Peroni
David	Peterson
Mary	Poland
Annette	Poulsen
Hadden	Powell
Catherine	Pringle
Tarun	Ramesh
Fred	Reifsteck
Margaret	Renwick
Lisa	Renzi-Hammond
Rosanna	Rivero
Chris	Robinson
Amanda	Rugenski
Bo	Rutledge
Robert	Sabatini
Eman	Saleh
Ann Hollis	Sanders
Esra	Santesso
Nina	Santus
Christine	Scartz
Anna	Scheyett
Robert	Scott
Yoo-Kyoung	Seock
Anne	Shaffer
Robin	Shelton
David	Shipley
Rahul	Shrivastav
Ashfaq	Sial
Jacek	Siry
Kelly	Smith
Tim	Smolko
Jeff	Springston	(substitue for Charles Davis)
Nikhil	Srinivasan	(substitute for Mark Huber)
Elizabeth	St. Pierre
Alexander	Stelzleni
Stevie	Stigler
Donnie	Summerlin
Thiab	Taha
Li	Tan
Lili	Tang
Harshavardhan	Thippareddi
Ciera	Thomas
Olga	Thomason
Lori	Tiller
Nick	Toebben
Cynthia	Tope
Tracey	Tuberville
Bram	Tucker
Kari	Turner
Pamela	Turner
Ron	Walcott
Gerena	Walker
Isabelle	Wallace
Avery	Warner
Joseph	Watson
Richard	Watson
Janet	Westpheling
Jarred	Williams
Victor	Wilson
Montgomery	Wolf
Beth	Woods
C. Brock	Woodson
Bradley	Wright	(substitute for George Krause)
Qian	Xiao
Angela	Yao
Jason	Zastre

Voting Results of November 18, 2020 Meeting