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Core Committee for the Support of Underrepresented
Ethnic Groups
Meeting Highlights
February 14, 2007
Present: Sheila Chachere, Jason Glenn, Jose Gonzalez, Chair, Raymond
Lewis, Freddy A. Paniagua, Suzanne Peloquin, Amanda Porter, Rebecca
Saavedra, Robinlyn Sayers, Kathy Shingleton, and Melvin Williams.
1. Approval of Minutes The January 10, 2007 minutes were approved.
2. Old Business
a) Diversity Reports – Kathy Shingleton/Melvin Williams
Melvin Williams was delayed by an accident on the Beltway 8 so his
presentation was tabled for another date.
b) Core Committee Action Plan Workgroup – Dr. Ybarra
Dr. Gonzalez announced that Miguel Ybarra will be leaving UTMB for an
opportunity with Walden University. Dr. Suzanne Peloquin gave the group
an overview on the subcommittee’s work in Miguel’s absence. Dr. Peloquin
informed the group that the subcommittee led by Miguel Ybarra, which
also included herself and Dr. Paniagua as members, was charged with
developing strategies for the implementation of Items 1 and 2 of the
Committee’s Action Plan which are:
1) Orient new faculty from underrepresented ethnic groups about
available diversity services and networking opportunities at UTMB.
2) Provide mentorship for underrepresented ethnic faculty at UTMB to
facilitate their service participation, academic promotion and
interdisciplinary scholarly collaboration.
The subcommittee developed a process of implementation for the two
actions items and was submitted for review by the members of the
committee.
The subcommittee proposes:
1) For the orientation of new faculty, the subcommittee recommends
the adaptation of an existing template (see attached) with listed
domains. The committee would then provide summary information for each
domain and include staff/office contact information that shall easily
direct new faculty to current officers/identified representative.
2) The adapted template will include overall university
information/resources (rather than specific departments, etc.)
3) Currently identified domains include:
a. Existing committees (this committee is an example)
b. Diversity resources
c. Professional development opportunities
d. Professional resources
e. Personal resources
4. The final piece of this information packet is a sign-up sheet for
new faculty to request a faculty mentor. The new faculty member would
mark a desire for more information/mentoring in any of the above domains
(or on an “other” category) for easier matching.
5. Before making the mentoring program available, guidelines for “mentor
responsibilities” and “mentee expectations” must be developed. Next, a
call for faculty mentor volunteers would be made and the
guidelines/expectations will be made available to them.
6. Only upon its completion will this “packet of information” be
presented to the responsible person for its inclusion in all future
orientation sessions.
7. Finally, this information and the mentor/mentee matching program will
also be posted on the Committee’s webpage.
Committee members should email Dr. Peloquin with any
suggestions/comments to these two actions items.
c) Scheduling Deans to Meet with Committee Follow-Up – Jose Gonzalez
Dr. Gonzalez informed the Committee that Dean Watson will address the
committee regarding the School of Nursing’s efforts to recruit and
retain a diverse faculty/workforce during the next meeting on March 14.
The remaining Deans will be scheduled to present at future meetings of
the committee.
d) Newly Revised Gap Funding Statement
Dr. Gonzalez and Raymond Lewis met with Christopher Johnsen in Legal
Affairs to draft a revised Gap Funding Statement that meets all legal
requirements. The committee should review the statement and forward any
suggestions/comments to Raymond Lewis.
3. New Business
a) Patrice Yarbough, Chair, Core Committee for the Advancement of Women
Faculty and Administrators
Dr. Yarbough, Chair of the Core Committee for the Advancement of Women
Faculty and Administrators informed the committee of the work involved
to bring a Faculty Excellence Center to UTMB that Dr. Alice Speer had
proposed. Dr. Yarbough met with Dr. Stobo and found that there wasn’t
any funding source available for the Center and that the Center needed
to be funded by those that supported it. Dr. Yarbough and the Core Women
group have been working to implement the pieces of the Center that would
be feasible to include: 1) Campus Resource Center 2) Mentoring with an
emphasis on junior faculty 3) Faculty ombudsman 4) Establish a pilot for
Leadership Academy Dr. Yarbough also informed the committee that the
Core Women could work through a member of the committee that was
selected for membership on the Academy of Master Teachers to bring other
pieces of the Center to fruition.
Dr. Yarbough also informed the Committee that she had taken a proposal
to Dr. Stobo to bring Dr. Luanne Thorndyke to UTMB from Pennsylvania
State Medical School who initiated a faculty development program at Penn
State with a focus on the mentoring of junior faculty after just six
short months of planning. Dr. Stobo took the proposal before the Council
of Deans and secured $3,000 in President’s Cabinet funds. Dr. Yarbough
informed the committee that she, as co-chair of the Faculty Women’s
Caucus brought her proposal before that group and was able to secure an
additional $3,000 in funding. Dr. Yarbough plans to work with the Core
Women group and hopes for a May timeline in bringing Dr. Thorndyke to
UTMB. The funds would be used to host a luncheon in which Dr. Thorndyke
would address the group and after the luncheon, a small workgroup made
up of Deans, Chairs, members of the Core Committees, and representatives
of the four schools to include no more than twenty, would meet to map
out strategies on how to implement a similar successful program at UTMB.
Both committees would like to co-hosts similar events quarterly.
b) Announcements by members; agenda items for next meeting
There were no further announcements.
4. Next Meeting
The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 14,
2007.
Meeting adjourned at 1:05 p.m.
Recorder: Sheryl Lashway, Office of the President
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