FS Cms Reports 012109

The BFC staffed the College Budget Hearings and worked with the administration to get information out to the faculty about space renovations, the SERC occupancy, and getting the Physical Plant to put signs explaining construction projects.

This year, the Budget and Facilities Committee:

Worked with the Administration on the implementation of the increased promotion raises and the Inversion/Compression pool resulting from the Salary Survey completed last year..
Worked with the Administration to increase transparency and faculty participation in issues relating to facilities and construction.
Worked to resolve issues relating to SERC, most recently leading to the creation of a SERC Advisory Committee led by Prof. Stuart Dryer.
Worked with the Division of Research to eliminate (effective Q1 09) the requirement for individual fringe benefits calculations for proposals.
Participated in the Classroom Task Force, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, the Physical Plant Operations Committee, and the Tuition and Fees Committee, and represented the faculty at each of the Provost/Dean Budget Hearings.
Initiated a new Salary Survey focusing on long-term trends.

The COC followed its usual routine of populating University standing committees with faculty representatives. It also prepared the slate for the Faculty Senate election.

REPORT FROM EDUCATIONAL POLICIES & STUDENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, Chair: David Mazella

In 2008, much of the committee’s time was spent in liaison work with the various QEP committees, in efforts to assist in the reaffirmation of SACS accreditation. Dr. Veronique Tran worked closely with this committee to keep EPSAC updated on the budgeting, proposal, and implementation processes for the QEP, and ensured that faculty input was incorporated into the planning and deliberations. Discussions of Student Success were begun within the committee, as were how to define it from a Tier One perspective, that were eventually rolled into the SAG group’s deliberations when that group was formed in the fall of ‘08. Another important example of liaison work was EPSAC’s partnership with the USD task force, chaired by Dan Wells. The committee, along with the Undergraduate Council, recommended that the Interim Provost implement the USD recommendations as quickly as possible, with the proviso of hiring additional advisors. EPSAC also received updates from Agnes de Franco on the Achieving the Dream initiative and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board College Readiness standards.

The Committee has a number of on-going liaisons, including working with Dr. Tran on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), the Enrollment Management Task Force, Achieving the Dream, and the University Studies Division (USD) Task Force. The Committee is focused on students, students experience and student success. Sen. Mazella noted that he and the Committee would continue working with the Student Success Subcommittee of the Strategic Action Group. EPSAC would also be writing a white paper on a Center for Teaching Excellence.

Sen. Mazella stated that the faculty want to go over the data from the first round of QEP proposals and help prepare for next time by looking at training and feedback services. Another major target for the Committee is the Financial Aid process to see how it can improve student success with loans.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS: Senators Clarke (Chair), Chellam, Gao, Haun, Kugler, Linzer, Manny, Middents, Sansgiry & Subhlok.

The Faculty Affairs Committee of the UH Faculty Senate met a total of six times during 2008 with no committee meetings being held during the summer break or September due to Hurricane Ike. The committee dealt with a number of specific issues brought forward by both the UH Senate Faculty Executive Committee and individual members of the Faculty Affairs Committee.

The following specific items were discussed and acted upon by the Faculty Affairs Committee during 2008 and written responses were provided to the UH Faculty Senate (via either the Faculty Executive Committee or directly to the Senate) and where appropriate to the University Administration.

ACTION: The FAC established a sub-committee as an on-going task (Chaired by Dr. Sansgiry and populated with Senators, faculty members and HR staff) in late 2007 that met several time during the Spring 2008 semester. The committee developed a report that was submitted to the FAC that provided a number of suggestions on ways to enhance benefits offered to individual faculty members. One specific item raised by the sub-committee and taken up by the full committee was a proposal to increase the ORP matching rate from the current 6.58% for faculty hired after 1997 with a minimum of five years of service to the 8.5% ORP rate provided to faculty hired prior to 1997. This increase would be funded by savings garnered by the 0.58% ORP increase provided by the State in FY 2008 (see Appendix 1 for details). This proposal was vetted by the FEC and passed to the EVP for Finance, Dr. Carlucci to determine its feasibility. A second item raised by the Subcommittee and taken up by the full committee was an effort to ensure that individual faculty members were fully aware and informed on the IRS-mandated changes that affected the number of ORP providers available to faculty at UH. This resulted in HR taking proactive measures to identify those faculty members impacted by the changes, providing additional information to those specific faculty members and to the faculty at large via directed and mass campus-wide emails and providing additional information on the HR website.

ACTION: The committee considered the existing charge of the FAC and developed a modified version of the committee charge for consideration by the FEC. The modified version suggested by the FAC was as follows: “the Faculty Affairs committee shall review all policies (existing, new or proposed) that impact any aspect of faculty employment and well-being (including issues arising from the implementation of said policies) referred to the committee by the Senate President, Senate Executive Committee, Faculty or University Administrators. The Faculty Affairs Committee, following careful consideration, investigation and deliberation of the issue under review, will make recommendations to the Senate Executive Committee. Individual faculty grievances falls outside the FAC domain and are reviewed by the University Grievance Committee.”

ACTION: The FAC continued to monitor the operation and impact of the Provost’s Travel Award. During the first year of operation (FY 2007-2008), the Provost Travel Award received a total of 101 applications of which 89 were awarded (see Appendix 2 for breakdown by College and rank). In addition, the FAC developed a list of potential modifications to the administration of the award to enhance the overall process (Appendix 2). In addition, modification to the original guidelines of the Provost Travel Award (concerning its use to supplement existing funds) added in the second year of its operation where identified in Fall 2008. These changes were contrary to the original intent of the award and were brought to the attention of the Provost who agreed and has since had these modifications removed from the website and written guidelines.

ACTION: The FAC developed a proposal for the establishment of a bi-annual forum for Assistant Professors elicit direct input on university policy issues and to enhance junior faculty participation in the shared faculty governance process. This proposal was vetted by the FEC and presented to the University Administration who heartedly supported the proposal. The forum will be sponsored by the Faculty Senate and the President’s Office and will involve a morning session attended by a small number of Assistant Professors drawn from all colleges to discuss issues of strategic planning/shared faculty governance as they impact this specific faculty constituency. This focus group discussion will be followed by an afternoon discussion session attended by the President and/or Provost which will be open to all Assistant Professors across campus to address issues raised in the morning focus group discussions.

The Committee will be working on the Scholarship & Community Conference for the Fall. The topic will be Energy. This Spring the SCC will work on Faculty Recognition Dinner and the Endowed Chairs Reception. The group is also working with the Library on sponsoring the Young Faculty Lecture Series. Senators are asked to recommend a young, untenured faculty member to give a presentation on his/her work for this forum. Contact SFerimer@uh.edu to make suggestions.

Sen. Sansgiry thanked the members of his Committee. They did a lot of work on formulating a charge and recommending issues that should be pursued, including how HEAF is allocated, environmental concerns for the University, the Master Plan and what modifications and changes should be considered. The group ranked faculty success and growth of graduate students in terms of programs as the most pressing concerns to be addressed. At the last meeting, Sen. Wells met with the group to discuss its future.