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Core Committee for the Support of Underrepresented Ethnic Groups

ANNUAL REPORT: SEPTEMBER 2005-AUGUST 2006

Membership: September 2005-August 2006:
Ybarra, Miguel A.; Adegboyega, Patrick A.; Cuellar, Ernestine H.; Garvock, Sandra; Gonzalez, Jose L. (Pedi); Houston, Clifford W.; Lashway, Sheryl L.; Lewis, Raymond (SAHS); Mercado, Anita C.; Paniagua, Freddy A.; Peloquin, Suzanne M.; Raeke, Jennifer; Romero, Cecilia M.; Saavedra, Rebecca; Shingleton, Kathy J.; Stanton, Cindy W.; Williams, Melvin

Presentation by Chairs of Clinical Department, Deans, and the President:

The Core Committee continues inviting to its regular meetings chairs and deans to make brief presentations regarding their efforts relative to the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority faculty, as well as to discuss guidelines for search committees and what specific faculty attributes they expect from their faculty. During this reporting period, Dr. Barbara Thompson, Chair of the Department of Family Medicine and Dr. Valerie Parisi, Dean, School of Medicine, and yourself met with the Core Committee and members were pleased with the opportunity to discuss this important topics with each of you.

Development of New Initiatives to Recruit and Retain Ethnic Minority Faculty

1) Gap Funding Program: To enhance the Recruitment and Retention of Ethnic Minority effort a program titled “Gap Funding” was submitted to Dr. Valerie Parisi, Dean, School of Medicine. This initiative would allow chairs to apply for funding to hire ethnic minority faculty during times when a strong faculty candidate from that group expresses an interest in a position in the absence of a vacancy in the department or division. Criteria for eligibility for such funding might be established in advance in order to give chairs either incentive for improving hiring or reward for past success. Dr. Parisi informed the chair of the Core committee (Dr. Paniagua) that she discussed this initiative with the Council of Deans and that the Council considered this initiative favorably. Dr. Pamela G. Watson sent an email to Dr. Paniagua on August 29, 2006 in which she informed that the Council of Deans followed on this Gap Funding initiative in the absence of Dr. Parisi, but that at this moment Mr. Christopher Johnsen advised the Council that “there are constitutional problems; and problems related to access that may not make this viable for [the Council].” Dr. Watson then suggested we defer this issue until next year.

2) The Core Committee also proposed a Multicultural Teaching Scholars Program with the following specific goals:
1. To enhance UTMB’s ability to recruit and retain faculty members of underrepresented groups.
2. To enhance the recruitment and retention of underrepresented UTMB students, residents and post-doctoral fellows at UTMB.
3. To provide personal and professional development opportunities for multicultural teaching scholars.
4. To introduce graduate and undergraduate students to faculty scholars representative of the cultural diversity within the Texas and U.S. health care system.
5. To prepare UTMB students for a successful future in providing culturally sensitive health care, teaching and research related to the health sciences.
6. To increase awareness within the UTMB community of the cultural diversity within the Texas and U.S. health education institutions and health care systems.

This initiative was submitted to you on June 30, 2006 and the Core Committee received a reply from you on July 7, 2006 in which you indicated that you “asked the Council of Deans to review the proposal and give [to you] their feedback.” During this annual reporting period, the Core Committee was not contacted by that Council for more information (as you indicated in your letter). But the Core Committee hopes that this initiative will be considered at a future meeting of that Council and they will then inform you about the Council’s decision regarding the future of this initiative.

3) The Core Committee has also endorsed the Faculty Excellence Center proposed by the Core Committee for the Advancement of Women Faculty and Administrators. This Center would emphasize
(1) faculty development,
(2) mentoring programs, leadership academic programs,
(3) annual evaluation programs,
(4) outcome programs, and the presence of an ombudsperson.

The Center would coordinate faculty development initiatives, data gathering, and needs assessment across the four schools. The Council of Deans recently reviewed this initiative and Dr. Alice Speer informed Dr. Paniagua that the Council would meet with you to further discuss this proposal.

Core Committee Diversity Awards The “Outstanding Achievement Award for recruitment and Retention of Underrepresented Ethnic Groups” is given to individuals who have made substantial contributions in the recruitment and retention of underrepresented ethnic groups. This award is presented during the annual Diversity Week celebration. The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences received this year’s award.

The “Core Committee created a new award entitled The UTMB Core Committee for Underrepresented Ethnic Groups Leadership Award.” This award is given when special recognition is warranted because of the efforts put forward by a member of the leadership in the area of creating a more diverse work force at UTMB. Dr. Valerie Parisi, Dean, School of Medicine, was the recipient of this year award in recognition of her efforts to recruit ethnic minority faculty including two African-American Chairmen in the School of Medicine.

Additional Topics
In addition to the above core topics, the Core Committee also discussed a series of initiatives around its central goal, including:
• Regular reports by Mr. Melvin Williams regarding search committees, recruitment, and retention efforts with emphasis on the underrepresented ethnic groups.
• Assisting with organization activities for the Diversity Week.
• Tracking the implementation of the Action Plan for the Development and Advancement of Faculty and Administrators from Underrepresented Ethnic Groups. The Faculty Minority Council, which discussed it with Dr. Stobo, originally developed this Action Plan and after approval the same plan was then submitted to this Core Committee for implementation of core items. The entity now responsible for the implementation of this Action Plan is the Institutional Diversity Council, and the chair of this Core Committee attends the Council meetings and then reports back to its members regarding the progress of that Action Plan.

Respectfully submitted by:

Freddy A. Paniagua, PhD Chair,
Core Committee for the Support of Underrepresented Ethnic Groups