032608 min

University of Houston Faculty Senate Last updated: April 14, 200

UNIVERSITY HOUSTON SPRING FACULTY ASSEMBLY & FACULTY SENATE MINUTES – March 26, 2008

President Chin called the March 26, 2008 Spring Faculty Assembly and Faculty Senate meeting to order in the Elizabeth D. Rockwell Pavilion of the M. D. Anderson Library at 12:15 p.m.

MEMBERS PRESENT: [37]

ARCH: M. Sabatino
BUS: W. Chin, C. Pirrong
CLASS: A. Bencomo, E. Brown-Guillory, A. Gordon, M. Haun, W. Herendeen, P. Howard, J. Kotarba, A. Kugler, M. McHenry, J. Middents, F. Schiff, J. Sposato, G. Trail
EDU: M. Clarke, A. Warner
ENGR: A. Kamrani, K. Mohanty, R. Willson
HRM: F. Hall Jackson
LAW: S. Chandler
LIB: M. Bennett, D. Camille, S. Ferimer
NSM: P. Copeland, A. Ignatiev, G. Johnson, T.R. Lee, M. Rea, J. Subhlok, D. Wells
OPT: R. Manny, S. Quintero
PHA: S. Sansgiry
TECH: K. Greenwood

MEMBERS ABSENT: [15]

CLASS: M. Hernandez (w/notice), D. Mazella, D. Montoya
BUS: R. Keller (w/notice), K. Newberry
EDU: C. Craig, J. Freiberg (w/notice)
ENGR: S. Chellam, Y.L. Mo
GCSW: D. Alexander
LAW: M. Duncan, P. Linzer
NSM: X. Gao, K. Kadish, M. Ru

Renu Khator (University of Houston System Chancellor and University of Houston President), Grover Campbell (UHS Vice Chancellor and UH Vice President for Governmental Relations), James Anderson (Executive Associate to the Chancellor/President), Elaine Charlson (UHS Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and UH Executive Associate Vice President for Academic and Faculty Affairs), Marco Mariotto (Dean, Graduate & Professional Studies), Teri Longacre (UH Ombudsperson and Associate Professor, Management), Ed Hugetz (UHS Associate Vice Chancellor and UH Associate Vice President for Planning & University Outreach), David Bell (UHS Assistant Vice Chancellor and UH Vice President, Academic & Faculty Affairs), Dan Gardner (UHS Assistant Vice Chancellor for Planning & Initiatives), Elizabeth Anderson Fletcher (UH Associate Vice President for Research Operations), Agnes DeFranco (UH Assistant Vice President for Undergraduate Studies), John Powell (Assistant to the Chancellor/President, Communications), Oscar Gutierrez (Assistant to the Vice Chancellor/Vice President for University Advancement), Libby Barlow (Executive Director, Academic and Institutional Information), Veronique Tran (Director, QEP Undergrad Research), Steven Craig (Professor, Economics), Joseph Eichberg (Professor, Biology-Biochemistry, VMOE), Pat Bozeman (Librarian, UH Libraries), Maria C. González (Associate Professor, English), Dale Rude (Associate Professor, Management), Evelyn Brass (Associate Librarian, UH Libraries), Alan Delon (Student), Patricia Estrada (Student), Sebastian Magraner (Student)

MINUTES: The minutes for the February 20, 2008 Faculty Senate meeting were approved.

Pres. Chin reviewed the rules of meeting decorum. He reported on various activities of the Faculty Senate, including (1) the New Senator Welcome Luncheon which provided orientation for incoming members. (2) The Faculty Senate Retreat, which took place at La Colombe d’Or. Pres. Chin thanked Sen. Freiberg for making the arranging at a price comparable to what is usually spent on retreats. The Senate discussed issues facing higher education and prioritized work for its committees. The survey of senators is almost complete and will be uploaded to the Faculty Senate website [available on-line at http://uh.edu/fs/2008_FS_Issues_Study_Index.html]. (3) At the suggestion of the 2007 Faculty Senate President, Joe Kotarba, the Provost created the Faculty Travel Awards Program. Over 200 grants are available in this program. Faculty have until May 2, 2008 at 5 p.m. to make a submission for travel funding (available on-line at http://www.uh.edu/provost/grants/fac_travel_fund.html#factravguidelines. (4) The reformation of the Information Technology & Computing Committee is a work in progress. A Task force is working on a proposal that will go to the Committee on Committees for review. [Pres. Chin’s PowerPoint presentation is available on-line at http://www.uh.edu/fs/minutes/mindex.htm listed as Faculty Senate President’s Report under March 26, 2008.]

Sen. Kotarba reported on the Feb. 15-16, 2008 meeting of the Texas Council of Faculty Senates (TCoFS). He announced that the current UH-Downtown Faculty Senate President, Anjoo Sikka, was voted to be the President-elect of TCoFS. The issue of Quality Enhancement Plans (QEP) was a main topic of the meeting. Universities across the state are creating QEPs and most QEPs involve research. There are plans to revive the Summer Fellowship Program which provides a one-week internship for faculty to work with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. For more information, please visit http://www.facultysenates.org/.

STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY ADDRESS, UH System Chancellor and UH President: Renu Khator

She mentioned that a Faculty Club is a neat idea. Dr. Khator belonged to a Faculty Club at the University of South Florida where the faculty would meet every 15 days to socialize over drinks and snacks in the early evening.

Dr. Khator said this is the 73rd day since beginning at the University of Houston. She studied the University prior to submitting her name for candidacy as president. UH is a great University and she commends the faculty on the shape UH is in and for the quality of research; it is remarkable considering the amount of funding it has received. The Board of Regents is comprised of very passionate Cougars who want to see UH become a top tier university

Since becoming president of UH, Pres. Khator has been to Austin five times to meet with legislators. She has also been to Washington, D.C. to meet with Senators and Congressman and she has met with the Mayor of Houston. She is telling everyone that the state of Texas needs another flagship university and UH should be it. The President has also met with volunteers and donors and told them that the University needs partners. She met with the Alumni Organization and challenged them to increase their level of participation with the University. Students graduate from UH and become leaders of the global economy. The percentage of alumni giving needs to be increased. She met with the Prime Minister of India and his cabinet. While there the topic of education policies was discussed and the possibility of collaboration was raised. Higher education is the most prized export of the United States.

Ideas and suggestions being posted to the 100 Days Website (available on-line at http://www.uh.edu/about/offices/president/100-days) are being sorted into “Big Rocks” & the “little rocks.” The Vice Presidents will deal with the “little rocks” and the President will review the “Big Rock” ideas, which will help decide where the University should be in five to ten years. UH was created to be a university for the working class men and women and their children. Student success is a very important criterion. Are they graduating? And if they are, what kind of skills have they acquired?” One of the focal points for Dr. Khator’s administration will be student success. Another concern is Top Tier. “What should be the definition of top tier?” This is something that is being analyzed now.

After the 100 days, there will be a retreat for the Board of Regents to present possible paths for the University and System. A Leadership Retreat for the Deans and academic leaders will be held after that. An Action Plan will be put on the Web and then there will be a call for partners. Once there is a vision, Dr. Khator will work to get people excited about the vision and get them involved in making that vision a reality. She reminded everyone that each person at UH is an ambassador for the University. She urged everyone to believe in the University and talk about it in a positive manner. “People invest in Winners, not whiners.”

REPORT FROM AND DISCUSSION WITH THE UHS VICE CHANCELLOR AND UH VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH: Don Birx

Dr. Birx reported on (1) there is a plan to finish out the Science-Engineering-Research-Classrooms Building (SERC) with a commitment of $6 million per year for the next five years. The first and fifth floors are being worked on now. The first floor will be done by the end of this year. The fourth and fifth floors will be ready for faculty to move into early next year. Dr. Birx said the plan is posted on the web at http://www.research.uh.edu/Home/SERC. (2) UH has $3-4 million for start-up packages. He reiterated the importance of cluster hires, faculty hired by more than one department, and the use of core facilities, work areas shared by more than one faculty member, to maximize resources. He urged the faculty to be thinking interdisciplinary and make the most of the current hiring cycle. When asked about start-up funds, Dr. Birx said that start-up funds will be available for new hires. He is working with Dr. Khator on funding. (3) Dr. Birx is heading up the search for a new Vice President for Administration & Finance. The work started at the end of February and he hopes to wrap it up by April. He said this is a high-speed search. Sen. Kotarba is on the committee. The committee includes representatives from the System and UH. There were 20 applications. There will be full open sessions with the finalists in April. (4) Dr. Birx encouraged faculty to take advantage of the travel grants. (5) Elizabeth Anderson Fletcher has joined the Research Division. She will be working to streamline the processes for grants and contracts. The Research Operations Office was rebuilt in the past year. Dr. Birx said he wants grant writing and support processes to be as efficient as possible.

There are five positions available, each carries a full three-year term. Sen. Kotarba reminded the audience that candidates must be full-time, tenured faculty or senior associate librarians or higher. Members of the administration, assistant deans or higher or department chairs are not eligible to serve on this committee. He called for additional nominations from the floor, but none were made.. The voting will be conducted online between Monday, March 31, and Friday, April 11. Faculty will be notified by e-mail of when the polls are open.