APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES:  The December 12, 2001, minutes were approved.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
     The Faculty Senate would like to welcome the following new senators:  Betty Bollinger from Architecture; Sara McNeil and Cameron White from Education; Bredo Johnsen and Barbara Rose Lange from Liberal Arts and Sciences; Maryhelen Jones from the Library; Garret Etgen from Natural Sciences and Mathematics; and Carole Goodson from Technology.
     If they have not already done so, Senators should fill out their Schedules and return them to the Faculty Senate Office.  This includes Executive Committee members and members of the Committee on Committees.
     Senators should mark their calendars for the 2002 Spring Faculty Senate Retreat.  It will be held on Friday, February 15, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at La Colombe D'or.
 
KUDOS:
     The Faculty Senate offers special kudos to Carolyn Meanley who was a member of the Senate, representing the Library, for the past 3 years.  For the past two years, Sen. Meanley has chaired the Senate's Legislative and Community Relations Committee.  Thank you for a job well done.

     Pres. Freiberg introduced Dana Rooks, Dean of Libraries, who was asked to speak about a University-wide fundraiser for the Library.  Dean Rooks said Pres. Freiberg has agreed to be a co-chair for an effort to raise money on behalf of the Library/Honors building campaign.  Dean Rooks said she wants to approach the faculty about getting involved in this project because they are the ones who can make this happen.  Dean Rooks said the new addition is going to be magnificent.  It is in the final stages of design.  President Smith has committed $25 million to this $45 million project.  The Library is in the process of raising $20 million in private funds, of a little more than $15 million has been raised.  The ground breaking ceremony is planned for April with literal groundbreaking expected in  late summer.  The University really wants to see the faculty be a part of this process because the project will benefit faculty and students.

END-OF-YEAR REPORTS:

BUDGET & FACILITIES COMMITTEE REPORT - John Antel, Chair
 The Budget and Facilities would like to thank the University administrators who visited with the committee and its chair during 2001.  The committee discussed major recurring issues during the year including, new construction projects, the Athletic Department deficit, and graduate student recruiting.  Much of the committee discussions also focused on special issues relating to the legislative allocation of Excellence Funds and the University response to the storm.  Here are the highlights of a few of the committee’s discussions:

The Anderson Library and Honor College Project
– Dana Rooks, Dean of the Libraries, joined the Budget and Facilities Committee to discuss the library’s ongoing fund raising effort, the current library construction plans, and the future needs of the Anderson Library.
       The proposed project will expand the library from its current 300,000 square feet to 455,000 square feet.  Library space will increase about 135,000 square feet while the Honors College will occupy another 20,000 square feet of new space.  The total project cost of $45 million includes construction costs as well as funds for shelving, furniture, computers, and electronic infrastructure.  The $45.0 million does not include money for new volumes or library professional staff.
       A new wing will be added to the south side of the current library building.  The library will also receive a new facade and new entrance.  There are currently no detailed floor plans available, but the new space will include stacks, student meeting rooms, student carrels, a food service area in the lobby, and two new centralized service desk areas in order to more efficiently use library staff.
 
Graduate Student Funding
 – Everyone agrees that increasing graduate student funding is a priority.  Great strides have been made by the administration to increase funding.  For example, in 2001 the central administration awarded $453,772 in Cullen Endowed Fellowships, Presidential Fellowships, and Stella Erhardt Fellowships to 49 graduate students in various departments.  These grants are targeted at a few productive departments and are offered on a matching basis.
     Still, most funding comes from colleges and departments.  Many graduate students are funded out of lapsed faculty salary money.  This money varies from year to year and is often not available in time to make competitive offers to prospective graduate students.  The President plans to increase the University contribution by building a fund earmarked for graduate fellowships.  There will also be added inducements to have graduate student funding, including tuition, written into grant proposals.
     Although progress has been made, the University of Houston needs roughly another five to six million dollars to become competitive.  Support varies across departments.  A typical University of Houston graduate student receives about $900 to $1000 dollars a month.  In order to match the offers of top institutions this monthly support needs to be raised to $1400 or $1500.  Students who register for 9 hours or more can receive a tuition waiver (about $720 per semester for 9 units), but still must pay fees of $611 per semester.
     The committee and Marco Mariotto, Dean of Graduate & Professional Studies, also discussed methods to get graduate students more involved with undergraduate education (in support roles, not as instructors) in order to compensate graduate students through course fees.
     Finally, Dr. Mariotto discussed the mandatory adoption of the new State of Texas graduate student application form.  Adoption will probably involve some costs but the form is fairly flexible, and thus, adoption should not disrupt programs.
 
Discussion of the University Budget with Randy Harris
– Randy Harris, UHS Vice Chancellor and UH Vice President for Administration & Finance, visited the committee in May to discuss a long list of budget issues.  Major topics of conversation were the Athletic Department deficit, faculty concern over the new parking plan, and the PeopleSoft system.  Mr. Harris was most responsive to faculty concerns about the proposed new parking system.
     Another major faculty concern was the design and location of the new science and research building.  The committee strongly urged Mr. Harris to locate the building in the campus academic core and make sure that science classrooms are included in the final design.

1.  Financial Implications of the Storm
    (a) Update on cost,
    (b) Status of FEMA and insurance claims,
    (c) Effect on HEAF allocations next few years.
 
2.  Disposition of Excellence Money
    (a) Allocations to departments and colleges,
    (b) Status of searches,
    (c) Accountability.
 
3.  Athletics Budget
    (a) Documentation of deficit,
    (b) Plan to reduce deficit,
    (c) Opportunity cost of deficit.
 
4.  PopleSoft Update
    (a) Cost,
    (b) Effectiveness,
    (c) Effect on college and departmental operations.
 
5.  New Construction Update
    (a) New science building,
    (b) Library,
    (c) Wellness center,
    (d) Status of medical center initiatives.
 
6.  Parking
    (a) Lots and service,
    (b) Who pays?
    (c) How to allocate close spaces,
    (d) Visitor parking.
 
7.  Campus Security
    (a) Building access,
    (b) Campus police,
    (c) Lighting and other security measures.
 
8.  Info Technology
    (a) Status of network upgrades,
    (b) Availability of student labs,
    (c) IT and the new library,
    (d) Electronic classrooms,
    (e) Faculty computers.

1.  Actions and Topics for 2001:
    The committee met with both faculty and members of the administration to discuss a number
    of issues, including graduate admissions and scholarships, the Scholar¹s Community, advising,
    the use of adjuncts and the teaching effectiveness of incoming faculty.  We also responded to
    the student friendliness report.

2.  Recommendations for next year:
 
     Procedural:  The committee had been close to dysfunctional the previous year and was really
     starting from scratch.  What the committee discovered is that actions were already being taken
     on many of the issues EPSAC wanted to address.  While it is, of course, very encouraging to
     find that identifiable problems are being worked on, it also means that the committee needs to
     think about what it's role in the University is, and what sort of contribution it can best make.
     Here are a few ideas about the committee's role which might be worth considering:  Since a
     number of other units in the University overlap in concerns with the committee, it could consider
     becoming principally an oversight and problem-spotting agent.  Alternatively, the committee
     could become more involved with college-level matters.  Relatedly, the committee could work
     to become more visible to, and responsive to, individual faculty members.  In addition, the
     committee could solicit input from last year's members about these issues.
 
     Substantive:   There are important issues, including advising and admissions, which remain
     unresolved.  In addition, the legislative bill regarding graduate admissions raises important
     questions about appropriate standards in graduate admissions in an urban research university.
     Student reactions to the Sept. 11 tragedy revealed to many professors that there are tensions
     among different groups of students, and this is an important issue to be examined.

• Likert-scale based survey with additional write-in comments to be administered via campus mail

• Telephone or email survey to obtain a better response rate

• Random sampling vs. senators contacting colleagues, etc.

• Focus groups to address concerns on a more in-depth level

• Follow-up to survey

FAREWELL ADDRESS FROM THE 2001 FACULTY SENATE PRESIDENT:  Jerome Freiberg
 Pres. Freiberg said someone asked me this week what will you do after the Senate Presidency?  I shared with him that I was meeting this week with my publisher on a fourth edition of a book that I was supposed to have finished last October.   I have indicated to the publisher that I would get started on the book as soon as I finish this activity.
I learned one important lesson from this past year:

"Some people must have time to look around them, before, behind, on their right hand, and on the left, and then to think, and after all this to resolve.  Others see at one intuitive glance into the past and the future, and judge with precision at once.  But remember you can't make thirteen clocks strike precisely alike at the same second.."

In terms of the Senate, I have learned that people look at problems and decide on issues in different ways.  We need to be receptive to this process, especially as the Senate progresses and grows.
     I have tried to institute some innovations that were based on the "Role of the Senator," a needs-assessment report that we completed last January.   I would like to list a few items we have accomplished:

1)  Have an induction process for members new to the Senate.
 
      The New Senator Orientation Luncheon was instituted last January (2001).  The Orientation
      Luncheon for this year was held just last week and was very well attended.
 
2)  Organizationally:  Have a history of procedures that allows for an organized
      understanding of the Senate's Operations.
 
     We codified the procedures of the Senate into a binder for current and future Senators.
      Up to this point, if you wanted to check something out about the Senate, you couldn't
      do it very easily.
 
3)  Create an Environment with greater participation by each Senator
      during Senate meetings.
 
     I created a procedure of "everyone talks once before anyone talks twice."  That worked
     some of the time.  Pres. Freiberg said he was passing that advice on to Dr. Eichberg to
     see if he could facilitate that in the future.
 
4)  Provide an opportunity for Senators to establish a working agenda for each semester 
     and to assess the goals met and those that remain to be accomplished.
 
     We established the first all-day Senate Planning and Assessment Retreats away from campus.
      Based on the feedback from the first two retreats, these were very well received.

5)  Extend the lines of communication established by previous Senate Presidents
     and open up new lines of communication.
 
     Included in these improvements are the Provost inviting the Senate President to meet
     with the Council of Deans; the Placement of Senators on key ad-hoc as well as standing
     committees (e.g., the Building Committee for the new Classroom, Science, Engineering
     and Research building); and continuing the recent practice of including the President-elect
     of Senate in meetings with the President, Provost and CFO and the President of the Faculty
     Senate with President Smith's Cabinet.
 
6) Create a rapid response to key issues.
 
     University decisions do not wait for lengthy faculty deliberations.  The Senate President
     and Executive committee must be attuned to key developments and respond immediately
     when issues concerning the faculty and other constituencies across the campus arise.
     We've done a reasonably good job of that.

7) Celebrate individual and collective achievements.
 
     I worked to recognize individuals whom have given greatly to the University.  At times
     we may see the parts being greater than the sum, but by supporting the whole of the
     University, it will in the long-run provide greater support for each of us.

8) Improve the working conditions in the Senate office for the staff.
 
     We were able to get new carpet to replace the 20-year old carpet, the suite was repainted
      throughout and better working tools were acquired like new computers.   These
      improvements were all accommodated by Provost Sheridan.
 
9) Recognize the work of faculty on University standing committees.
 
     There are 103 faculty members on University Committees representing approximately
      2,075 hours of support to shared governance at the University of Houston.  That's just
      University Committees.  To recognize this service I sent a letter of appreciation to each
      faculty member of a University committee whose term was expiring.
 
10)  Focus on key faculty issues after much debate with one voice.
 
       Therefore: Open up a range of channels for dialogue with the University administration
       with a consistency of messages. Speaking with one voice but deriving that voice from
       across a wide range of faculty has a significant impact on the Senate's ability to communicate
       effectively and efficiently.

Conducted Climate Survey every third year regardless of the tenure of the administration to measure the overall health of the University as seen by the faculty.  This is a critical issue.
 
Create a shared governance document that is provided to the regents as changes in administration occur to make sure there is continuity.
 
Encourage diversity of ideas by encouraging a diversity of Senate membership.   There has been more of that in the past couple of years, but it needs to be encouraged to continue.
 
Meet with faculty representatives to University standing and ad hoc committees to discuss the wider perspectives of the faculty.  There needs to be dialogue between the 100 plus faculty on these committees and the Senate to discuss what are the priorities and issues.
 
Expand the efforts of the Senate to create faculty who are citizens rather than tourists in the arena of shared governance.

PASSING OF THE GAVEL
     Pres. Freiberg passed the gavel to Sen. Eichberg and welcomed him as President.  Pres. Eichberg thanked Sen. Freiberg for a job well done and presented him an engraved gavel on a plaque.  Dr. Eichberg said during 2001 Pres. Freiberg was able not only to fulfill all of his presidential duties but he also carried on an amazing number of other activities.  Wondering what Sen. Freiberg would do with all this time on his hands, Pres. Eichberg presented him with a poster designed to resemble a giant plane ticket.  The inscription read, "Presidential Airlines:  For an out of this world travel experience" and "Super Elite Status for H. Jerome Freiberg."

INAUGURAL ADDRESS FROM THE 2002 PRESIDENT OF THE FACULTY SENATE:  Joseph Eichberg
     When I first visited the UH campus for a job interview over 25 years ago, it was a sweltering day in March.  In the course of giving me a tour of the campus, the Chairman of the department interviewing me mentioned that, because of the Houston climate, officials assigned to the British consulate here were placed on the hazardous duty pay scale.  I recalled this comment in preparing my address because the President of the Senate must be keenly aware of the academic climate and the job on occasion can be, if not hazardous, certainly challenging.
     In reality, I regard myself as extremely fortunate to be following in the wake of Jerry Freiberg, who I believe has been a remarkably effective President.  As he told you in his presentation, Jerry is responsible for introducing many innovations in Senate operations.  More importantly, he has set and maintained a tone of openness and civility in all his interactions with administrators, faculty, staff and students and has been a real force in moving the concept of shared governance forward.  This campus has been very well served by Jerry's leadership and he can now look forward, to lift a phrase from his own inaugural address, "to finally looking for that exit from the 610 loop."
      To me, the University has always been an exciting place.  This is especially because of the continuous intellectual ferment and the willingness of fellow faculty members to collaborate to further the academic enterprise.  Moreover, during my time on campus over the past quarter century, I think the quality of our faculty has improved markedly and this has been the chief reason that we have made significant strides towards becoming a first rate public research urban university.  Faculty quality is the most important ingredient both in perpetuating the continuity of purpose and in establishing the reputation of any university.  Nonetheless, for faculty potential to be realized, it is essential that faculty and administration work together.
     Much has been written and spoken in academia about the importance of shared faculty governance and it is not my intention to either wax philosophical or to be long winded about this subject.  Perhaps the most important reason to support shared governance is expressed by a recent cover of "Academe," the publication of the American Association of University Professors which stated: "We are indeed IN IT TOGETHER."  If the University is to fulfill its mission and continue to improve, faculty members and administrators must continually find ways to cooperate.  A compelling reason is that we must evolve coherent and unified positions and policies in the face of the economic and political turbulence with which public institutions of higher education must deal today.  For this to be achievable, faculty and administration must have a reciprocal understanding of the roles and responsibilities of each other and develop better means to communicate openly, honestly and with mutual respect.  This should occur at all levels of academic units.  In many ways, I believe we have made impressive progress in this direction, but much remains to be done.  Above all, I will try to foster this goal during my tenure.
     At the same time, I believe the Senate should strive to engage more fully the faculty community on campus beyond this room.  Broad faculty input in discussion of issues and problems is the surest way to arrive at their resolution.  Senators are the most appropriate messengers to convey to our faculty colleagues what it is we do.  At the same time, we can act as antennae to pick up new or persistent faculty concerns and bring them to the Senate's attention.
     What are some of the issues and themes that I think the Senate, largely working through its Committees, should pursue this year?  An ongoing one is to continue monitoring the integration of People Soft into the University infrastructure.  There are other areas with financial implications worthy of attention, such as the athletics budget, new construction and campus security.  Another is to discuss means to encourage expanded and maximally productive interactions between Deans, Chairs and departmental faculty.  This should include working to reach a consensus as to the role of department Chairs in the University structure.  Now that we have secured and allocated excellence funding from the legislature, the Senate should rightly be concerned with following how these resources will make a difference in attracting first rate faculty and improving academic units.
     From the student perspective, we should evaluate the impact of new State-mandated graduate admission regulations on UH graduate programs.  In another area, the University of Houston has a remarkably diverse student population, a distinction of which we can be proud.  Nonetheless, such diversity can be accompanied by or give rise to biased attitudes to which the Senate should be sensitive.  We may wish to explore the extent to which such attitudes exist and whether they are interfering with the educational process.  Another project which is currently under consideration is the development of a "climate survey" designed to poll faculty periodically as to the quality of their campus experience.  A more mundane but nonetheless vital task this year will be to revise the Faculty Handbook.  Also, I suggest that the Senate consider whether representation in our body should be extended to other active full time faculty, namely clinical and research faculty, as well as to emeritus faculty, and how this might be accomplished.  Finally, sometime this year the University may be confronted with the need to plan for budgetary constraints because of the consequences of the economic downturn in the state. If this comes about, I am confident that representatives of the Senate will play a constructive role in these deliberations.
     To pursue these and doubtless other issues that we cannot now anticipate, but will certainly come to the fore, I look forward to working with and being advised by the Executive Committee.  The Committee will be an energetic mix of Senate veterans and relative newcomers.  The members include Anne Jacobson, President-elect, Jerry Freiberg, immediate past President and Chair of the Committee on Committees, Allan Warner, Secretary, John Antel who is continuing as Chair of Budget and Facilities, Katy Greenwood, Chair of Educational Policy and Student Affairs, Giles Auchmuty, ongoing Chair of Faculty Affairs and an as yet to be named Chair of Legislative and Community Relations. In addition, the two at-large members are Peter Copeland and Dave Shattuck.
      I plan to maintain the innovations introduced by Jerry Freiberg.  The most important of these as it affects the entire Senate is our semi-annual retreats.  The two we held last year proved extremely beneficial.  Senators had an opportunity to get to know one another in an informal atmosphere and the experience helped to give direction to the Senate's efforts.  The next retreat will take place on Friday, February 15 from roughly 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM and it will again be at La Colombe d'Or, which everyone who attended the retreat there last September agreed was a superb venue.  A major goal of the retreat will be for the Senate and, more specifically the standing committees, which will be constituted by that time, to define their agendas for the year.  I hope as many of you as possible will attend; I think you will find it rewarding.
 During the year, I plan to maintain what might be called an electronic open door policy.  I encourage all of you to transmit to me your commentary and criticism concerning Senate issues and activities.  Most especially, I would welcome novel ideas and approaches. I will read each message carefully and promise to respond in a prompt and confidential manner.
     In conclusion, it is with a mixture of anticipation, trepidation and considerable humility that I assume the position of Senate President.  I am buoyed by the fact that the Senate is filled with talented individuals who are dedicated to the proposition that the University can and should be both a first rate academic institution and an appealing environment in which to work.  If we strive toward this end, together with our faculty colleagues and the administration, always endeavoring to operate in a forthright and collegial manner, we can indeed make a difference.  I look forward to an exciting and busy year.

REPORT FROM AND DISCUSSION WITH UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM CHANCELLOR AND PRESIDENT: Arthur K. Smith
     Dr. Smith congratulated Dr. Freiberg on a truly outstanding year.  He added that it was a genuine pleasure to have worked with Dr. Freiberg so closely over the past year.   Dr. Smith said he always looked forward to the monthly meetings in his office and to Dr. Freiberg's attendance to the Cabinet meetings.  The President told Dr. Freiberg that he had represented the faculty very well and have a great deal to be proud of in the leadership he gave over the past year.
     Dr. Smith said to Pres. Eichberg that he looked forward to working with him more closely and having him as a member of the Cabinet.  Dr. Smith added that he trusted when Pres. Eichberg concludes his year, he will be able to offer reassurance, just as Sen. Freiberg did, that there is nothing conspiratorial or mysterious going on in Cabinet meetings.  Pres. Smith also congratulated Sen. Jacobson on her election as president-elect.  He told her that he looked forward to seeing her along with Pres. Eichberg at the monthly agenda meetings.
     Pres. Smith said Gov. Rick Perry has directed the heads of state agencies to work with his Director of Budget Planning and Director of the Legislative Budget Board to find areas where money can be conserved.  The Governor is obviously looking ahead to the 2003 legislative session and the 2002 election.  He is reading the fact that there is a national recession.  While the recession has not affected the economy in the State of Texas as severely as in many other parts of the country,  one can anticipate that the 2003 legislature will begin with a deficit.  Instead of deciding where surplus funds should go, they will have to begin by thinking about where to cut and possibility of where to raise additional revenue.  The Governor has directed state agencies heads to begin thinking now and to report to the Legislative Budget Board and his Director of Budget Planning by March 15 areas where they intend to effect possible savings.  This is not a budget cut and agencies have not been directed by the LBB to impose a ceiling on expenditures.  Agencies have been urged to be cautious and prudent.  UH intends to do exactly that.  Dr. Smith has asked the CFOs of the four UHS campuses to consult with one another and to recommend a series of steps or areas for consideration.  Absent any mandated ceiling of expenditure or budget reduction, UH is not going to stop its processes of recruiting new faculty colleagues.  There are about 76 authorized faculty searches underway.  Dr. Smith said he would like nothing better than to see all of these positions filled.  UH doesn't have enough faculty as it is.  Currently there is money, so departments should continue all  faculty searches that are underway.
     Dr. Smith said funds for compensation increases for faculty and staff for September 1, 2002 have been set aside.  Remember the legislature does not appropriate any money for faculty raises.  The legislature did appropriate some money toward a four percent increase for staff last September 1 and has authorized, if the State Comptroller certifies that funds are available, there will be a three percent increase for state employees, not faculty, this September 1.  When the legislature authorizes increases for staff they don't pay for all of it.  In fact they pay for less than half of it, leaving the University to come up with at least half of the money necessary to pay the staff and all of the money to provide faculty increases.  Last September 1, UH gave an average increase of five percent for faculty and staff .  Dr. Smith said he announced the intention for planning purposes that UH will do a four percent compensation increase for faculty and staff this September 1 with the hope that the Comptroller will certify the availability funds and the state will in fact pay for part of the staff increase.  The University has reserved the funds to provide everything other than the state portion of the staff salary increase.  Dr. Smith said it is his intention, absent a state mandated reduction, to carry forward with this commitment to provide an appropriate compensation increase for all faculty and staff.  The President said he would try to do four percent, if he can.  If the state doesn't come through with their share of the money for the staff increase, it might be three and a half percent, but he plans to treat both faculty and staff alike.  Whatever increase is provided for the one will be provided on the average for the other.  Dr. Smith urged everyone who is undertaking faculty searches, to do so liberally with high standards.  He said aim high and find the best people possible.  He added that Texas is in a great market for hiring new faculty.
     Dr. Smith said commencement is something that he has found somewhat vexing ever since coming to UH.  There was a tradition at UH about not attending events.  There was a tradition of not attending football games.  In May, 1997 he learned that college convocation do very well, but the general commencement did not attract as many students or faculty even though it is the only event in the year in which degrees are actually conferred.
     In 1998 to increase attendance at general commencement, Dr. Smith moved it from Saturday mornings to Friday mornings.  He did this when he learned that the colleges were all having their convocations before the general commencement so nobody was around to come to commencement.  The President also stipulated that no college convocation could occur before the general commencement.  That helped some.
     After Provost Sheridan came to UH, other things were done.  The commencement ceremony was made more student centered.  Faculty awards were then given at the annual faculty awards ceremony instead of at commencement.   Students who were graduating with honors, a 3.25 GPA, were recognized individually.  Students were invited to ask a mentor to march in the procession along side them.  All of these things helped.   The selection of a student speaker was instituted with an annual competition run out of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs to earn the privilege.
     Dr. Smith said UH has done some things to try to get truly big name speakers, but this is not as easy as it may sound.  When going after political figures, it is impossible to get commitment from them except a few days before the commencement, and if anything comes up that seems more important to them, there has to be a back up.  Even if the first choice does come to speak, there is no way to publicize the appearance.
     This is the 75th anniversary for UH.  Dr. Smith asked Provost Sheridan to work with the Deans Council to try to come up with some alternatives to make this commencement a special one involving the 75th anniversary celebration.  The deans working with a committee chaired by Andy Achenbaum came up with a number of alternatives.  This is what has been decided:  Commencement is being moved back from Friday to Saturday morning.  Dr. Smith said, with the exception of the four professional colleges, all the college convocations will take place Saturday afternoon as closely as possible following the general commencement.  The intent is to lure students and their families and faculty to come to the general commencement and also to participate in the college convocations.  Last year the Law Center was allowed to have a commencement of its own.  Most universities Law Schools and Medical Schools have separate commencements.  It worked well last year, so Law will hold its commencement on Friday as will Pharmacy, Optometry, and Social Work.  All of the other colleges will have their convocations Saturday afternoon.  In order to try to entice people to come for the general commencement and convocation UH is going to feed them.  People attending the general commencement will receive something that will provide them a free lunch.  Jason's Deli has given a very nice proposal for lunch.  Dr. Smith said a final decision has not yet been made about recognizing individual students this year because the plan is to shorten the general commencement, but students will be recognized by college.  Commencement will be Saturday, May 11.  The commencement speaker this year will be Jack Valenti, chairman and chief executive officer of the Motion Picture Association of America, a graduate of UH,  a man who knows everybody, has great connections and insights, and will be extremely entertaining as well as a symbolically important figure to mark this occasion for the University's history.  General commencement will be at Hofheinz Pavilion.  Dr. Smith said his schedule will have to be juggled because, as Chancellor, he needs to attend commencement ceremonies at UH-Clear Lake, UH-Downtown and UH-Victoria.
     Sen. Paskusz asked, as Enron supported some UH functions, what will happen?  Dr. Smith said the Enron Teaching Awards will be made as usual this year.
     Sen. Pedemonte asked Dr. Smith to comment about the mechanism used to expend the Excellence Money?  Dr. Smith said the Tier I Excellence Money is general revenue money.  The administration has taken the general revenue money and a good deal of what is Ledger Two, designated tuition/local fund money, and various increments of the operating budget of the University and put them in a pot.  From that pool a number of funding commitments have been made, including the creation of 32 new faculty positions, a commitment of providing a faculty salary increase last September and  other faculty salary increases this September.  In the first year of the biennium some of the money that will go to pay these faculty salaries and the salary increases in the second year in the biennium will be used for non-recurring one-time only purposes such as major equipment acquisitions, renovations to classrooms and laboratories, and academic facilities on campus.  Dr. Smith said he hoped it is pretty much an open book distributed to the deans, members of the faculty and the Senate, not just the Executive Committee.  There was a memorandum sent out last year and there will be another one explaining in some detail what it is, where it is, and what UH is doing with it.  Dr. Smith said he always welcomes comments and advice from faculty.  He added that he would prefer to get it through the Senate Executive, but will take it any way individuals choose to channel it.  UH is an open book.

REPORT FROM AND DISCUSSION WITH UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM SENIOR VICE CHANCELLOR AND UH SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS/PROVOST:  Edward P. Sheridan
     Dr. Sheridan said he wanted to start by thanking Sen. Freiberg for really a wonderful year in leading the Senate and for the many ways in which he cooperated with Academic Affairs.  Dr. Sheridan said to Pres. Eichberg that he looks forward to a very good year with him and for a very good year with Sen. Jacobson.
     Dr. Sheridan said UH is planning for a new Science, Engineering, Research and Classroom Building.  He added that Dr. Smith has appointed a committee which the Provost is chairing and that has Vice Presidents Lee, Vailas and Harris on it along with Pres. Eichberg.  It is a kind of steering committee which brings in lots of people to meet with it.  The committee started off by developing a plan for how to solicit proposals from architecture firms to design this building.  Once approved the group went out nationally and approximately 25 firms nationally sent plans.  The committee met with Deans Bear, Flumerfelt and Mashburn, several of the Facilities people, the University Architect and Dave Irvin. Clearly six groups came out above the others in terms of all the things that they submitted.  The group spent the last two days, all day, interviewing these six firms and has now arrived at where it will be making a recommendation to Dr. Smith as to what the next step will be.  It will be an exciting building with innovation both for labs and classrooms.  One of the companies coming in had recently published a book on the building of laboratories.  The plan is once a firm is selected, then the deans will begin to get involved with the chairs and with faculty and  the company will be getting user input before the final design is done, so faculty can participate in planning for the laboratories.  The same thing will be done with classrooms.  UH will probably will go with at least one new 500 seat classroom that may be divided into 250 size classrooms.  There will be a number of new 50-size classrooms.  These things do take time.  This building will not be completed until sometime perhaps in the late spring of 2005.  All of the firms seem to feel that was an aggressive but doable schedule.  No one suggested they could do it much faster.  One group thought they could do it by January 2005 and one group thought UH was being very aggressive with the summer of 2005
     Dr. Sheridan said he has worked in the past with the Senate Faculty Affairs Committee on a document that describes chairs responsibilities in a very broad way.   The document includes how to select chairs at the university and how chairs really do have to be academic administrator leaders.  He will continue to refine this document.
     Dr. Sheridan announced the conclusion of the search for a Director for the Texas Center for Superconductivity, which was an international search.  He added that UH has had some incredibly fine people who have been very interested and interviewed, etc.  Recently, Dr. Sheridan has had discussions with Dr. Smith and with VP Vailas about the future of TCSUH.   He added that Paul Chu and others, like Allan Jacobson, certainly deserve tremendous credit for what has happened and how this center has developed.  The next step in many respects for the center is to become much like the Space Vacuum Epitaxy Center which has had an extraordinary history of growing.  Dr. Sheridan announced that these two extraordinary centers would be merged under Sen. Ignatiev's leadership with the name, the Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials.  This is just a little from TCSUH to TCSAM but in the next year there will be another international conference here on superconductivity which Paul Chu has arranged and certainly it is UH's expectations that Dr. Chu will be coming back here  as a scientist.  Dr. Sheridan said UH is also looking for another internationally acclaimed scientist to add to this effort.
     Dr. Sheridan said this is probably the best year for faculty searches that UH has seen in a long time.  One of the problems  a department encounters when searching is that it is not the only one doing it.  UH has to compete with other very fine universities.  However, this is a year when many of UH's competitors can't search.  The pool of top universities making searches this year is way down.  Dr. Sheridan urged faculty to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity and go after top talent.
     Sen. Leiss asked if the location for the new building has been decided yet.  Dr. Sheridan said the space just beyond the side of SR2 and just past the parking lot of the SR1; across the street from Hofheinz Pavilion.  Dr. Sheridan said it would be in an area that at this stage would take either no parking or just a few spaces.  Any trees in the way would be moved.
     Sen. Antel asked can you report on the status of the search for the dean of the Bauer College of Business.   Dr. Sheridan said UH is bringing in a very promising candidate at the end of February.  Dr. Sheridan said the strategy in the search process has been shifted  with UH targeting people rather than waiting for applications.  The person coming in is someone who has been recommended by a lot of people.  Dr. Sheridan said the search is now being conducted one person at a time until the University gets the person it really wants.
     Sen. Pedemonte asked if the new building would include some parking spaces in it?  Dr. Sheridan said it depends upon on the architect.  Dr. Sheridan said one of the proposals would incorporate a grade with parking on the first level that could not be seen from the street.
 
NEW BUSINESS:  None
 
The meeting adjourned at 1:55 p.m.