University Council Minutes

09/27/2007 03:30 PM - Student Learning Center - Room 101
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The University Council met on September 27, 2007 in room 101 of the Student Learning Center.  President Adams called the meeting to order at 3:30 p.m.

The minutes from the April 24, 2007 University Council meeting were approved as distributed.

President Adams' report included the following:

  1. Dr. Adams noted the quality of the incoming freshman class and thanked the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for their hard work.  A few facts about the incoming class were noted:
    • About twenty percent of the freshman class identified themselves as being from under-represented minority groups. The university looks forward to the increased diversity.
    • The incoming class represents fifty-one different countries
    • Two hundred thirty students are from homes where English is not the primary language spoken
    • 144 of the 159 Georgia counties are represented in the freshman class
  2. Four new deans were welcomed to the university:
    • John Gittleman, Odum School of Ecology
    • Robert Sumichrast, Terry College of Business
    • Laura Jolly, College of Family and Consumer Sciences
    • Michael Clutter, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
  3. Dr. Adams expressed his gratitude to Kathy Pharr and Lonnie Brown for their work as chairs of the committee on Emergency Preparedness and Communications and the committee on Evaluation of Psychological Services Protocols.  The university has made commitments to the reverse 911 system and the formation of a Behavioral Assessment group to assist in recognizing potential psychological problems in faculty, staff, and students.  The first test of the UGA Alert system was conducted yesterday with 11,000 people online and had a ninety-two percent success rate.  Dr. Adams encouraged everyone who has not already signed up for UGA Alert to visit http://www.ugaalert.uga.edu/ and do so.
  4. Georgia is currently in a level four drought and the university community was urged to practice water conservation.  An ad hoc committee has been named to prepare a university-wide response to the drought.
  5. Dr. Adams was pleased to announce an update to an issue brought before the Council last year.  A bill for recommended changes to the Optional Retirement Plan was presented to the House Retirement Committee during the 2007 session for their review.
  6. An update on the background check issue will be given by Tim Burgess following this report.
  7. For the second consecutive year the one hundred million dollar mark has been exceeded in fundraising.  Kudos were extended to Tom Landrum, Robert Hawkins, Steve Wrigley, Greg Daniels and their staff.
  8. The Archway to Excellence Campaign has surpassed its goal of five hundred million dollars and is currently at five hundred seventy million dollars.
  9. Dr. Adams noted the following upcoming events:
    • UGA Research Foundation Board will meet September 28 at 10:30 a.m. in the Georgia Center second floor conference room
    • The Presidents' Club Reception will be held at the Classic Center on September 28 at 6:00 p.m.
    • The Lumpkin Indoor Practice Facility dedication ceremony (invitation-only) will be held at 10:00 a.m. on September 29
    • Gameday with the Bulldogs vs. Ole Miss on Saturday with kick off at 1:00 p.m. in Sanford Stadium
    • The Arch Foundation will hold its annual meeting on October 4 and 5, 2007
  10. Dr. Adams said he received the petitions from the Campus Childcare Coalition on the way to the Council meeting and is aware of their concerns and that better child care is clearly a legitimate need.
  11. William Vencill, Executive Committee Chair 2007-2008; Chuck Gruner, Council Parliamentarian; Rebecca Macon, Council Secretary; and Doris Lord, Assistant to the Council Secretary were acknowledged.

Tim Burgess reported that the university is not ready to implement background checks.  Discussions are ongoing with the Board of Regents on the requirement to conduct background checks and policy revisions are incomplete.

The floor was opened for standing committee reports as follows:

Executive Committee (attachment a) 
Benefits Committee (attachment b)
Committee on Statutes, Bylaws and Committees (attachment c)
Committee on Student Affairs (attachment d)
Faculty Affairs Committee (attachment e)
University Libraries Committee (attachment f)
Curriculum Committee (attachment g)

Following the Curriculum Committee report, Professor David Shipley presented the following proposals from the University Curriculum Committee (attachment h):

  1. A proposal for a MAT in Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
  2. A proposal for a Master of Plant Protection and Pest Management (MPPPM) Tifton campus. The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
  3. A proposal to deactivate the minor in Child and Family Development. Following discussion, a motion was made and seconded to recommit this proposal to committee. The vote was called and the motion was defeated. The vote was called and the proposal to deactivate the minor was approved.
  4. A proposal to deactivate the major in Landscape and Ground Management (BSA). The vote was called and the proposal was approved.  

Staff Council Report (attachment i).

Student Government Association report (attachment j).

Susan Quinlan, chair of the President's Honorary Degree Committee read the annual call for nominations (attachment k).

Dr. Nancy Felson, on behalf of the Ad Hoc Committee on the Pay and Benefits of Low Wage Employees sought an endorsement from Council of their recommendations (attachment l).  Dr. Felson shared several sections of the full report from the Ad Hoc Committee with Council. Following discussion, question was called and the vote to call question was taken and passed.  The vote was called to endorse these recommendations and was approved.

The only information item was an update from Provost Mace.  Dr. Mace had informed the Executive Committee on September 13 that the Board of Regents implemented a new policy that when two-thirds of faculty in a unit hold tenure, the university must provide a financial risk management plan for all tenure and tenure-track faculty that must be accepted by the Board in order for the granting of additional tenure to remain at the presidential level.  Dr. Mace indicated that now the Board of Regents has stated that financial risk management plans will be a goal of all system institutions rather than a requirement.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:48 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

 

Rebecca L. Macon
University Council Secretary

University Council Roster

Represented by proxy

Adams, Michael

Allen, Christopher

Allen, Sheila

Angle, Jay

Anderson, Wyatt

Bennett, Rodney

Andrews, Gayle

Bower, Don

Andrzejewski, Sara

Burnett, Wesley

Bamber, Michael

Clark, Culpepper

Bellezza, Alicia

Cooney, Mark

Bernstein, Irwin

Dunning, Arthur

Bothe, Anne

Florkowski, Wojciech

Bowers, Kathryn

Grasso, Maureen

Brown, Mark

Hall, Helen

Brown, Wayde

Hume, Janice

Budsberg, Steve

Jaskyte, Kristina

Bullock, Charles

Kaufman, Alexander 

Bultman, Dana

Landau, David

Burgess, Timothy

Maier, Robert

Capomacchia, Anthony

Nilton, Nelson

Cason, Caroline

Potter, William

Castenell, Louis

Stokes, Garnett  

Childs, Adrian

 

Chinnan, Manjeet

 

Cox, Clayton

 

Crowe, Douglas

 

Curtis, Robert

 

Daniel, Jerry

 

Daniels, Maurice

 

Davis, Jolene

 

DerVartanian, Dan

 

Duncan, Dennis

 

Feldman, Daniel

 

Fowler, Laurie

 

Fu, Zhen

 

Goodie, Adam

 

Gore, Matthew

 

Harriman, Jay

 

Harris, Ruth

 

Harrison, Georgia

 

Herod, Andrew

 

Hoffer, Peter

 

Hollett, Bruce

 

Houser, Thomas

 

Houston, Jacquelyn

 

Hunt-Hurst, Patricia

 

Johnson, Chris

 

Johnson, Mary

 

Jolly, Laura

 

Kamper, Cassie

 

Kavoori, Andy

 

Keen, Brenda

 

King, Jessica

 

Koballa, Thomas

 

Krunkosky, Thomas

 

Langston, David

 

Lauth, Thomas

 

Lee, David

 

Lewis, Steven

 

Lipp, Erin

 

Little, Susan

 

Love, Sarajane

 

Mace, Arnett

 

Macon, Rebecca

 

McCarthy, Conner

 

McFalls, Mason

 

Mewborn, Denise

 

Morehean, Jere

 

Munneke, Henry

 

Noakes, Scott

 

Norman, Naomi

 

Oie, Svein

 

Pruitt, Sonja

 

Quick, Paul

 

Quinlan, Susan

 

Rathbun, Stephen

 

Reber, Bryan

 

 Rhoades, Robert

 

Ritz, Casey

 

Rothstein, Mitch

 

Roulston, Kathy

 

Rumely, Robert

 

Saltz, David

 

Sarasvati, Bala

 

Scott, Larry

 

Scott, Shannon

 

Secord, Cameron

 

Shah, Ashay

 

Shamp, Claudia

 

Shipley, David

 

Simmons, Cara

 

Siry, Jacek

 

Spooner, David

 

St. Pierre, Elizabeth 

 

Stanley, Deborah

 

Sumichrast, Robert

 

Thompson, Claire

 

Tiller, Lori

 

Vail, Cynthia

 

Veliyath, Amrita

 

Vencill, William

 

Vonk, Elizabeth

 

Waraga, William

 

Waxelbaum, Marlee

 

Weaver, Jace

 

Weinberg, Scott

 

Williams, Phillip

 

Wilson, Jeanna

 

Wortham, Becky

 

Yager, Patricia