University Council Minutes

04/22/2008 03:30 PM - (Tuesday) Mahler Auditorium - Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel

The University Council met on April 22, 2008 in the Mahler Auditorium of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel. President Adams called the meeting to order at 3:35 p.m.

The minutes from the March 20, 2008 University Council meeting were approved as distributed.

The report from President Adams included the following:

1. Dr. Adams thanked William Vencill, Rebecca Macon, Charles Gruner, John Hocking, and Doris Lord for their roles in supporting University Council during the 07-08 academic year.
2. Dr. Adams was pleased to make the following announcements:
   • Christina Faust has been named a 2008 Morris K. Udall Scholar and also received a 2008 Truman Scholarship.
   • Vanessa del Valle has been selected as a 2008 Barry M. Goldwater Scholar.
   • Edmond Fomunung has been awarded a Merage American Dream Fellowship.
     These student awards come on the heels of two Rhodes Scholarships that were announced last December which speaks of the quality of students, teachers, and faculty at the university.
   • Congratulations were extended to Jeff Bennetzen, Norman and Doris Giles Professor of Molecular Biology and Functional Genomics and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, who won one of only 190 John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowships.
3. Dr. Adams noted several upcoming events:
   • The 22nd Annual VIP Tour made up of members of the the Georgia–based consulate and trade commission offices will visit campus on April 22 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
   • The NCAA Gymnastics Championships will be held at Stegeman Coliseum April 24-26.
   • The undergraduate commencement ceremony will be held at 9:30 a.m. in Sanford Stadium. In case of inclement weather, this ceremony is divided into two ceremonies at Stegeman Coliseum. U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas will be the speaker.
   • The graduate commencement ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. in Stegeman Coliseum. Michael Bunch, senior vice president of Measurement, Inc. will be the speaker.
   • The Annual Campus Wide Memorial Ceremony will be held at 7:00 p.m. on April 29 in the Chapel on North Campus.
     A special thanks was issued to Dr. Alan Campbell, associate dean for student affairs, and his staff for their work with the families of students who have passed away.
4. An update on child care was provided. Dr. Adams stated that after a survey of the campus community a report was generated which Provost Mace and Vice President Burgess have reviewed. Dr. Adams expects a recommendation from Provost Mace and Vice President Burgess by the end of the summer or in early fall as to which potential model out of the four suggested best serves the needs of the university. The administration is checking to see if a sliding fee scale is permissible under state law, and if possible how it would work. Dr. Adams will report back to the Council at the first meeting in September.
   

President Adams stated that the university has enjoyed a long and beneficial relationship with Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, particularly through the School of Law and the Foundation Fellows Program.  Associate Justice Thomas has also been very helpful to our law students who have aspirations to clerk in the Supreme Court.  Within the past few years, students have heard a variety of voices at UGA: from Associate Justice Stephen Breyer at the Carter Conference to the five former Secretaries of State at a roundtable discussion sponsored by the School of Law and the School of Public and International Affairs.  Dr. Adams stated that Associate Justice Thomas is a friend to the university and is welcome on this campus.  Dr. Adams stressed that he defends everyone's right to speak at the university.

The floor was opened for standing committee reports as follows:

Executive Committee (attachment a)
Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics (attachment b)
University Libraries Committee (attachment c)

Student Government Association (attachment d)

University Curriculum Committee (attachment e)

Professor David Shipley presented the following proposals from the Curriculum Committee:

1. A proposal for a major in Arabic under the Bachelor of Arts degree. The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
2. A proposal for a Master of Avian Health and Medicine (M.A.H.M.). The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
3. A proposal to offer the majors of Early Childhood Education, Middle School Education, Social Studies Education, Mathematics Education, Science Education, Teaching Additional Languages, and  Special Education under the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.). The vote was called and the proposal was approved.  
4. A proposal to terminate the Master of Arts for Teachers (M.A.T.) in French and Spanish and a proposal to terminate the Master of Arts for Teachers (M.A.T.) in German were voted on together. The vote was called and the proposals were approved.
5. A proposal for a non-thesis option in German under the Master of Arts degree (M.A.). The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
6. A proposal for a non-thesis option in Romance Languages, French and Spanish under the Master of Arts degree (M.A.). The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
7. A proposal for an Undergraduate Certificate in Writing. The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
8. A proposal to change the Artificial Intelligence Center to the Institute for Artificial Intelligence. The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
9. A proposal to change the name of the major in Exercise Science to Kinesiology under the M.S., M.S. non-thesis, and Ph.D. degrees. The vote was called and the proposal was approved.
10. A proposal for a Master of Natural Resources. The vote was called and the proposal was approved.

Dr. Mitch Rothstein presented the second and final reading of proposed changes to the University Bylaws from the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws and Committees (attachment f ). The vote was called and the proposed changes were approved.

Dr. Rothstein then presented the second and final reading of proposed changes to the University Statutes (as amended at the March 20 Council meeting) from the Committee on Statutes, Bylaws and Committees (attachment g). The vote was called and the proposed changes were approved.

Dr. Denise Mewborn gave the standing committee report from the Educational Affairs Committee (attachment h).

Under information items/general discussion Dr. Adams was pleased to share that Provost Mace had just returned from Augusta where he spent four hours working on the template for accreditation for the Medical College of Georgia's Athens Campus. While there is still work to be done we are on track to start the first MCG classes in Athens in 2009 or 2010. The university is also very close to having the funds in place for the new collections facility of the Library. Construction will start this summer on the new Pharmacy College building.

Anyone interested was invited to drop by the Tate Student Center and sign the top supporting beam for the ballroom of the new Tate Center addition as they leave the Council meeting. Over 1,000 people have signed the beam so far.

Dr. Adams wished everyone Godspeed and safe travels during the summer.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Rebecca L. Macon
University Council Secretary