University Council Minutes

09/18/2024 03:30 PM - Tate Theater, Tate Student Center

View Related Documents Online The University Council met on September 18, 2024, in the Tate Theater for its first meeting of the 2024-2025 academic year. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 3:30 p.m.  President Jere Morehead welcomed all Council members to the meeting and introduced Parliamentarian Usha Rodrigues, who provided remarks regarding voting and debate at the meeting.
 
As the first order of business, a motion was made by Brian Seagraves that was seconded by Stuart Ivy to approve the minutes of the April 24, 2024, meeting. A vote was called, and the minutes were approved.
 
President Morehead then delivered his report to the Council:

• The President began his report by congratulating two senior administrators on their recent appointments. Dr. Christopher King began his service as UGA’s Interim Vice President for Research on July 1, and Dr. Juanita Hicks was elevated this summer to the position of Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer.
• The President recognized Jennifer Frum, Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, who announced in July that she will be retiring in December after an extraordinary 30-year career at UGA.
• The President welcomed Todd Petty, who began serving as Dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources on August 1.
• Last month, UGA welcomed an outstanding class of nearly 6,200 first-year students who were selected from almost 43,000 applicants. The class of 2028 enrolled with an average high school GPA of 4.13, marking the eighth consecutive year that the average GPA of entering students has exceeded 4.0. These first-year students represent 144 out of Georgia’s 159 counties, 44 states, 12 countries, and over 200 of these outstanding students were valedictorians or salutatorians in their graduating class.
• Forbes recently ranked UGA #19 nationally among public universities, up two spots from last year. Forbes also ranked UGA highly on their lists of best research universities, best employers, and best value.
• The university also was highly regarded in The Princeton Review’s 2025 Best Colleges Ranking. UGA ranked No. 13 in the nation for best value among public institutions while securing top 20 rankings for the quality of our internships, financial aid, and alumni network.
• Total giving in fiscal year 2024 surpassed $275 million, an all-time high for the University of Georgia.In addition, the benchmark three-year rolling average rose to a record $258 million, the fourth consecutive year this number has risen and the seventh consecutive year it has exceeded $200 million. In FY24, donors established 19 new faculty endowments, bringing the total across campus to 375.
• UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center recently received a six-year, $18 million award from the National Science Foundation to launch an ambitious effort to increase awareness, knowledge, and participation in carbohydrate science.
• Former College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences faculty member Dr. Scott Jackson was recently welcomed back to campus as the inaugural GRA Eminent Scholar in Synthetic Biology. Dr. Jackson is the University of Georgia’s 17th current GRA Eminent Scholar. An announcement on the recruitment of two additional GRA Eminent Scholars will be coming in the weeks ahead.
• This summer, the University of Georgia and the U.S. Army signed an intergovernmental support agreement authorized for up to $100 million over 10 years. This groundbreaking partnership will increase the resilience of military installations and enhance economic development in surrounding communities throughout Georgia and the Southeastern region.
• Construction on the southwest corner of Sanford Stadium was completed in time for the first home football game of the season.
• The university also continues to modernize facilities comprising Science and Ag Hill, including the completed Phase 1 renovation, which will be dedicated later this semester.
• The university is pleased to celebrate the completion of renovations on the historic Holmes-Hunter Academic Building.
• Several other significant capital projects are progressing successfully through planning, design, or construction.These include: the new Medical School Building; the First Year Student Residence Hall; the West Campus Dining, Learning, and Well-Being Center; and the new West Campus Parking Deck. The President stated the university is grateful to Governor Kemp, the General Assembly, Chancellor Perdue, the Board of Regents, and donors for their strong support of all these important capital projects.
• The President submitted for inclusion in the minutes the annual Ombudsperson report that was provided by EOO Director Qiana Wilson, whom he met with recently to discuss the report along with UGA’s ombudspersons Dr. Joseph Bartges, Ms. Anjali Dougherty, and Ms. Charisse Harper.
• This concluded the President’s report.

The floor was then opened for the following reports:

• Executive Committee, presented by Chair Eric Rubenstein
• University Curriculum Committee, presented by Chair Susan Sanchez
• Information Technology Committee, submitted but not presented
• Staff Council, presented by President Rebecca Mayo
• Student Government Association, presented by President Rock Rogers
• Graduate Student Association, presented by President William Walker

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

• Susan Sanchez, chair of the University Curriculum Committee, presented the following proposals:
  • Proposal for a new Doctor of Medicine (M.D.). A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal to terminate the major in Music Education (M.Ed.). A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal to offer the existing major in Art Education (M.A.Ed.) online. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal to change the name of the major in Agricultural Communication (B.S.A.) to Agricultural and Environmental Science Communication (B.S.A.). A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal for the following name changes in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
    • From: Institute for Women’s Studies
    • To: Institute for Women’s and Gender Studies
    • From: Women’s Studies (A.B.)
    • To: Women’s and Gender Studies (A.B.)
    • From: Minor in Women’s Studies
    • To: Minor in Women’s and Gender Studies
    • From: Graduate Certificate in Women’s Studies
    • To: Graduate Certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies
  • Proposal for a new major in Global Languages and Leadership (A.B.). A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal for a new Minor in Community Forestry and Arboriculture. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
  • Proposal to terminate the Undergraduate Certificate in Plant Health Management. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved.
• Barbara Biesecker, chair of the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws, and Committees, presented the following proposal:
  • First Reading: Proposed Changes to the University Council Bylaws. Following discussion, a vote was called, and the proposal was approved.

There being no old or new business, the meeting adjourned at 4:11 p.m.
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Fiona Liken, Registrar
Secretary to University Council

 

University Council Members Present	Substitute
Abernathy, Rylie
Ainsworth, Scott
Alabady, Magdy
Allen, George
Allenspach, Karin
Amstutz, Meg (Ex-Officio)
Anderson, Mumbi
Archuleta, Kristy	Warmath, Dee
Atkinson, Amber
Auer, Matthew (Ex-Officio)
Ayers, Benjamin (Ex-Officio)
Bankert, Alexa
Bar-Peled, Maor
Barnes, Brittany
Beer, Jenay
Bendle, Neil
Beyette, Fred
Biesecker, Barbara
Bishop, Matthew
Bolding, Chad	Abney, Rebecca
Bolshoy, Daniel
Bourlai, Thirimachos
Brocato, John
Buck, Mackenzie
Cagliani, Rachel
Campbell, Julie	Campbell, Campbell
Capuozzo, Bob
Carlson Welch, Annie
Cartwright, Katherine
Chapman, Jennifer
Cleveland, Christopher
Colson, Gregory
Cook, Michelle (Ex-Officio)
Coolong, Timothy
Coverdill, Jim
Crandall, Shari	Hall, Kathryn
Daniel, Jeremy
Davis, Charles (Ex-Officio)	Nowak, Glen
Day, Gregory
Dumas, Denis
Dunn, Laurel
Durham, Stephan (Ex-Officio)
Ehlers, Benjamin
Eimers, Jennifer
Estep, Jason	Darbisi, Carolina
Eustace, Joe
Farmer Ford, Kelly
Fitt, William
Frum, Jennifer (Ex-Officio)
Fuhrman, Nick
Fulbright, Patrick
Fusco, Rachel
Fusillo, Lisa
Galiautdinov, Andry
Gallagher, Holly
Gibbs, James
Gottdenker, Nicole
Graham, Toby (Ex-Officio)
Grey, Timothy	Missaoui, Ali
Hall, Cassandra
Halper, Edward
Hanawalt, Christina	Marshall, Michael
Harman, Ruth	Jimenez-Castellanos, Oscar
Hasko, Victoria
Healey, Lauren
Heiss, Christian
Hill, Janette
Hirt, Sonia (Ex-Officio)
Holladay, Steven
Hong, Philip (Ex-Officio)
Hornsby, Reid
Housley, Lauren
Howe, Chad
Hu, Jack (Ex-Officio)
Huang, Ching-Yu
Hunt, Brendan
Hunter, Mark (Ex-Officio)
Ivy, Stuart
Jackson, Angel
Jackson, Dailey
Johnson, Daniel
Johnson, Hunter
Jones, Tom
Katiyar, Samiksha
King, Christopher (Ex-Officio)
Kinsler, Joshua
Klein, Jared
Krause, George
Krunkosky, Thomas
Kurup, Samarchith
Lakuriqi, Enkeleida
Lam, Son
Landers-Potts, Melissa
Lavner, Justin
Lee, Jae-Kyung
Lemons, Derrick	Hovland, Ingie
Levine, Oliver
Leyting, Jennifer
Liken, Fiona (Ex-Officio)
Lough, Kyser
Maher, Steven
Makaev, Sergei (Ex-Officio)
Malladi, Anish
Mandal, Abhyuday
Marotta, Anthony
Marshall, Michael
Masciadri, Milton
Mason, Charlotte
Mastrovita, Mandy
Mayo, Rebecca (Ex-Officio)
McDaniel, Kenneth
Mitchell, Lilly
Morehead, Jere (Ex-Officio)
Moreno, Karma
Morris, Kacy
Mowbray, Orion
Mundy, Mathew
Myers, Michael
Naeher, Luke
Navara, Kristen
Nesbit, Ryan (Ex-Officio)
Nolan, Lisa (Ex-Officio)
Nuss, Michelle (Ex-Officio)
Okech, David	Sinha, Gaurav
Olali, David
Pagnattaro, Marisa (Ex-Officio)
Palmer, Chadwick
Peake, Jason
Peterson, Thomas
Petrongelli, Amy
Place, Nick (Ex-Officio)
Pollard, Amy
Poulson, Rebecca	Haynes, Ellen
Read, Glenna
Redmon, Melissa
Reeves, Nancee
Resutek, Robert
Rice, Jennifer
Roberts-Galbraith, Rachel
Rogers, Rock (Ex-Officio)
Rosenhaft, Pierce
Royer, Angie
Rubenstein, Eric
Rutledge, Peter B. "Bo" (Ex-Officio)	Beck, Randy
Saldanha, Terence
Sanchez, Susan
Santesso, Esra	Sargan, James Dylan
Sawyer, Laura
Schey, Ryan
Schirmer, Trenton
Seagraves, Brian
Sen, Rik
Sharma, Suraj
Sheagley, Geoffrey
Shelton, Braden
Shelton, Kisha
Shelton, Robin
Sial, Ashfaq
Sims, Cynthia
Smith, Demetrius
Smith, Kelly (Ex-Officio)	Fulford, Mike
Smith, Sara
Smolenski, Craig
Spangler, Denise (Ex-Officio)
Sperling, Lisa
Standifer, Alton
Standifer, Brittany
Stanley, Patrick
Stelzleni, Alexander
Stenport, Anna (Ex-Officio)
Stevens, William
Stewart, Lawton
Sullivan, Spencer
Symons, Avery
Tackett, Randall
Tanner, Susan
Templeman, Kellie
Timian, Viki
Turner, Pamela	Chatterjee,Swarn
Urbauer, Jeff
Vallury, Sechindra
Van Rees, Charles	Rohani, Pej
Walcott, Ron (Ex-Officio)
Walker, Jennifer
Walker, William (Ex-Officio)
Weaver, Kyleigh	DeRevere, Thomas
Winter, Amy
Woods, Chip
Xiong, May
Yager, Patricia
Young, Catie
Zhang, Hui
Zhen, Chen
Zvonkovic, Anisa (Ex-Officio)
Voting Record of Meeting