UTMB Faculty Senate
August 8, 2005
Caduceus Room 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

MINUTES

Senators Present: T. Albrecht; J. Alperin; S. Ayachi; C. Baker; M. Best; C. Boodley; B. Budelmann (Chair); B. Camune; A. Cass; N. Hughes; H. Jordan; M. Kanz; R. Lederman (Past Chair); H. Li; M. McGinnis; K. Mossberg; V. Parisi; C. Phillips; L. Primeau; R. Rahr; K. Rasmussen; J. Stobo (ex-officio); M. Winter (Chair Elect).

I. Approval of Agenda of 08/08/05

II. Approval of Minutes of 07/11/05

III. President’s Comments – Dr. Stobo

• Dr. Stobo provided a handout to the Senate that provided a chronology of events regarding UTMB’s and Austin’s collaboration since the 1950’s.
• UTMB continues to be an important part of progress in Austin but it would take significant philanthropic support for Austin to become a full-fledged health care center.
• Dr. Stobo announced that the Board of Regents of the UT System in Austin will be on campus Wednesday and Thursday for meetings and will be present for Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony for the Galveston National Laboratory scheduled for 12:00 noon.

IV. Chair’s Comments – Dr. Budelmann

• Dr. Budelmann announced that today’s meeting was the last regularly scheduled meeting for the 2004-2005 Faculty Senate. He recognized Dr. Winter as the 2005-2006 Chairman of the Faculty Senate. Dr. Budelmann gave special thanks to Faculty Senate members who will be rotating off. He recognized Dr. Dallas who is leaving UTMB. Approximately 50% of Faculty Senate members will be rotating off.
• Dr. Budelmann mentioned the need to revise the Faculty Senate Bylaws regarding the percentage of Faculty Senate members rotating off every year, and also regarding some other issues.
• Dr. Budelmann also mentioned the need to get the faculty more interested in what the Faculty Senate is doing and that Dr. Stobo listens to faculty concerns carefully. He said interaction with the Academic Executive Council (AEC) had been very positive.
• Dr. Budelmann advised the Senate of the need for improvement in information transfer. He apologized that the Faculty Senate Newsletter had not gotten off the ground and the updates/improvements to the web page had not been made. As immediate Past-Chair he will focus his attention on these issues.

V. Chair-Elect Comments – Dr. Winter

• Dr. Winter discussed online training issues with the Senate. He reminded the Senators of the need to complete assignments prior to the August 31 deadline. An August 16 scheduled meeting of the online training committee will discuss a replacement course that would combine five separately required online training courses. An additional online training course would hopefully eliminate the need to spend an entire day in New Employee Orientation.
• The online training courses are important to keep in compliance with UTMB and the Joint Commission. He mentioned that the current fee for each course is $7,700 and there is a $4 fee per individual per month. These fees are significant considering UTMB has 13,000 employees. Embella is the company that currently provides UTMB’s online training.

VI. Past Chair’s Comments – Dr. Lederman

• Drs. Lederman and McGinnis gave a report on efforts for tenure retention for part-time faculty. They said that the Academic Executive Council closed the door for further discussion and that Dr. Stobo will not support this issue beyond what is mentioned in UTMB’s IHOP. Other campuses have a full policy on part-time faculty tenure including UT Dallas and UT Health Science Center in San Antonio.
• The academic deans on campus are not very supportive of tenure for part-time faculty. One Core Committee supported tenure for part-time faculty and the other did not. The Senate would like to help faculty who need a part-time appointment, especially established faculty. The Senate would like to see uniformity on all UT campuses, while the Board of Regents has decided to leave the decision to the individual campuses.

VII. Institutional Educational Effectiveness Committee – Dr. Gerik

• Dr. Gerik advised the Senate of the work the Institutional Educational Effectiveness Committee (IEEC) conducting. UTMB is facing review for reaffirmation of accreditation in November 2007. The institution is presently not in compliance with principle 2.5 which states:

“The institution engages in ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research- based planning and evaluation processes that incorporate a systematic review of programs and services that (a) results in continuing improvement, and (b) demonstrates that the institution is effectively accomplishing its mission.”

This is an extremely important and serious issue as UTMB could potentially lose accreditation and federal funding if we do not achieve compliance with all principles per the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The IEEC is working with the SACS Compliance Committee to review all degreed programs across schools and to make recommendations to enhance strengths and remedy weaknesses. Dr. Gerik asked for a volunteer from the Faculty Senate to join and work with the IEEC.

VIII. Senate Business

• Chair’s Comments

Dr. Budelmann advised the Senate of a request from the Institutional Diversity Council for representation by a Faculty Senate member. The Diversity Council meets every 4th Wednesday of the month. Dr. Salah Ayachi volunteered to fill the position.

The School of Medicine needs faculty to interview medical school applicants. Some faculty are overloaded with these interviews while other faculty are not interviewing at all.

Dr. Budelmann informed the Senate that the Faculty Senate Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Monday, September 19, 2005, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Levin Hall Faculty Dining Room. Reports will be given by Dr. Budelmann (outgoing Chair) and Dr. Winter (incoming Chair) and the chairs of the three Senate Committees. An invitation will be sent to all faculty. Lunch will be served and RSVP is required.

• Senators’ and Faculty Concerns – Update

No new concerns were received.

• Committee Reports

Governance: No report.

Acad. & Adm. Affairs: Dr. McGinnis expressed his concern to the Senate that the information he had received indicated that tenure retention for part-time faculty was a closed issue. The Faculty Senate needs to review what role they would like to have – that of an advisory group or one of a different type that would take a stand when controversial issues, such as tenure for part-time faculty, arise. This issue is a potential opportunity to broaden the influence of the Senate. In summary, there appears to be no support at this time for tenure retention of part-time faculty.

Faculty Quality: Dr. Baker gave a PowerPoint presentation on the new Faculty Lounge which celebrated its “soft” opening on August 8. The faculty lounge is a place where faculty from all four schools can come together in a collegial environment to discuss ideas, foster collaboration and scholarship, build relationships, provide mentoring and further strengthen the bonds among faculty.

The grand opening is scheduled for Tuesday, August 23 at 6:00 p.m. The hours of operation are from 7:00 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. The lounge can also be reserved for private functions after 7:00 p.m. The lounge is located on the ground floor of Old Red. Faculty dues are $20 month plus food costs. Cash is not accepted. There will be no dues incurred until November. The lounge is open for breakfast and lunch, and light snacks in the afternoon. The lounge includes wired and wireless internet and intranet access and satellite radio is available. The Senate should help spread the word to other faculty to encourage usage and membership. Faculty should provide feedback and expectations.

Meeting adjourned at 6:10 p.m.

Committee Meetings followed.

Next Faculty Senate Meeting: Annual Meeting and Luncheon, September 19, 2005, 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (Faculty Dining Room).