Executive Committee Minutes

02/25/2026 03:30 PM - Peabody Board Room, Administration Building
View Related Documents Online The University Council Executive Committee met on February 25, 2026, in the Peabody Board Room. A quorum being present, Chair Derrick Lemons called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.
 
Standing committee chairs and guests in attendance to present agenda items included Ryan Powers of the University Curriculum Committee on behalf of chair Susan Sanchez; Angie Royer of the Human Resources Committee; and Phillip Griffeth from the Office of Academic Honesty and Student Appeals.
 
Other guests to the meeting included Randy Beck, Keegan Brooks, Abbey Campbell, Joseph Fu, Jeffrey Hepinstall-Cymerman, Juanita Hicks, Allison Injaian, Nathan Moore, Emily Munger, Stacey Neuharth-Pritchett, Lee Shearer, Belinda Stillion Southard, Alton Standifer, Elizabeth Weeks, Eli Werbel, and Yaguang Xi.
 
  1. As the first order of business, a motion was made by David Okech that was seconded by Brian Seagraves to approve the minutes of the January 28, 2026, meeting. A vote was called, and the minutes were approved.
  2. Action Items:
    1. Proposals from the University Curriculum Committee:
      1. Proposal for a Minor in Communication in Healthcare. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
      2. Proposal for a Minor in Communication, Leadership, and Advocacy. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
      3. Proposal for a Minor in Geospatial Applications in Natural Resources. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
      4. Proposal for an Undergraduate Certificate in Artificial Intelligence- Pharmaceutical Sciences. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
      5. Proposal for an Undergraduate Certificate in Ecological Restoration and Nature-Based Engineering. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
      6. Proposal for an Undergraduate Certificate in Religion and Politics. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
      7. Proposal to terminate the Graduate Certificate in Educational Leadership Tier I on the Athens campus only. A vote was called, and the proposal was approved to be placed on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
    2. Proposal from the Faculty Affairs Committee:
      1. Proposed Revision of the UGA Guidelines for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure of Academic Rank Faculty. This proposal was withdrawn prior to the meeting at the request of the Faculty Affairs Committee.
    3. Proposal from the Human Resources Committee:
      1. Proposed revisions to the University of Georgia Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy. Chair Lemons stated that the Executive Committee first needed to determine if the proposal fell within the power and jurisdiction of the University Council as noted in the University Council Bylaws and University Statutes. Chair Lemons stated that this stemmed from an email from the USG Vice President for Human Resources that stated UGA had completed changes to the NDAH policy, and no further changes were expected. The committee discussed this at length. With discussion concluding, Chair Lemons called for a vote. By a majority vote the committee agreed that the proposal did fall within the powers and jurisdiction of the University Council. The committee then discussed whether the proposal should be placed on the March 18 University Council agenda. During discussion, a motion was made by Brian Seagraves to table the proposal to allow time for the Executive Committee to ask if someone from the USG could speak with the committee regarding its questions about the proposal. The motion was seconded by Daniel Johnson. A vote was called, and the proposal was tabled.
  3. Information Items:
    1. From the Educational Affairs Committee:
      1. 2024-2025 Academic Honesty Report. Director of Academic Honesty Phillip Griffeth answered questions from the committee regarding the report, which will appear as an information item on the March 18, 2026, University Council agenda.
    2. Report from the Faculty Representative to the USG Faculty Council. Derrick Lemons, the faculty representative to the USG Faculty Council, provided a brief report to the Executive Committee.
  4. Old Business: There was no old business to come before the committee.
  5. New Business: There was no new business to come before the committee.
 
Before adjourning, Chair Lemons informed the committee that the March 25 meeting would be the last scheduled meeting of the academic year. He also informed the committee that they would soon be confirming new members to the Program Review and Assessment Committee and electing a chair-elect for next year in the coming weeks.
 
The meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Fiona Liken, Registrar
Secretary to University Council
 
Executive Committee Members
Scott Ainsworth
Mumbi Anderson
Benjamin Ayers
Neil Bendle
John Brocato
Bob Capuozzo
Nathan Chapman
Michael Cotterell
Laurel Dunn
Lisa Fusillo
Janette Hill
Lauren Housley
Daniel Johnson
Tom Jones
Derrick Lemons
Fiona Liken
Kyser Lough
Rebecca Mayo  
Amy Medlock
Emerson Moon (absent)  
John Neely
David Okech  
Jason Peake  
Jennifer Rice
Susan Sanchez (absent)
Esra Santesso (absent)
Brian Seagraves
Charles Van Rees

Voting Record for February 25, 2026, Meeting