UT Arlington

No Report

UT Austin

(1) MyEdu: Administrative/Faculty Committee working on drafting campus implementation document.

(2) RR 31102: Drafted campus guidelines for implementing new RR regarding review of tenured faculty; working with administration to revise document; will present to FC soon.

(3) Proposed tuition increase: sent to Regents; response has again been postponed (until May?). Faculty Advisory Committee on Budget and Faculty Council Executive Committee (FCEC) have jointly written to Chancellor urging him to support the recommended increase. (See attachment.) Campus budget is in limbo until action is taken by the Regents.

(4) Improved graduate rates: task force produced a lengthy report with some 70 recommendations with the goal of raising our four-year graduation rate to 70 percent in the next five years. (See attachment.)

(5) Tobacco Free Campus: the campus will become totally tobacco free on 28 February 2013; during the transition 15 areas have been designated for tobacco use and tobacco cessation support is being offered to employees and students. (See attachment.)

(6) Recommendations from the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) will be discussed and voted on by the FC.

UT Brownsville

The separation of UTB and TSC continues to dominate the activities on our campus. During the partnership all faculty (academic and technical ) are employees of UT System. Because of separation, many faculty who teach in community college programs or general education are part of a Reduction in Force. The hope is that these faculty will be hired by TSC and there will be no break in service. Faculty have been involved in all of the processes for right-sizing the faculty.

On March 9, 2012, 30 untenured Master Technical Instructors were sent their termination of employment letters effective May 2013. These faculty members teach in both technical and academic programs.

During April, Department Committees were formed to right-size the faculty in the departments because of the expected drop in enrollment at UTB. Also a University Review Committee served to review the program closures of the community college programs. Four academic departments had Program Review Committees that were presented with reorganization plans or program closure plans. All four were reorganized and so far no academic program is slated for closure due to separation or right sizing. The process follows Regent Rule 31003 sections 2 and 3.4.

This week tenured and tenure track faculty were notified that they have been recommended by one of the committees above to be part of the Reduction in Force. They can submit additional information to the committee to contest the recommendations.

The Academic Senate continued to work towards reorganizing. The revisions of the Senate Constitution were approved and we will become a Faculty Senate. In March, the Academic Senate rejected the proposed changes to the Conflict of Interest in Research policy.

UT Dallas

1. Enrollment figures for fall are expected to be up about 5%. We are trying to edge up admissions standards. The last I heard we will have the largest number of merit scholars of any public university in Texas.
2. We have just elected a new Senate, and as usual we held a caucus meeting of the Senate elect to decide priorities for the year. What emerged was a picture of widespread dissatisfaction with the consequences of recent efforts to hire more faculty “stars,” holding named chairs. There are three main problems. First, the stars are not always notably better than faculty who are not in named chairs. Second, the Senate is not sure of what the hiring processes are. Third, the Senate asked if hiring into these positions are regarded as promotions. Fourth, the Senate wants to consider the propriety and the process involved if people are hired into positions with the promise that they can bring other people of their own choosing with them. We do not presently have a policy on chaired positions; we will consider writing one. In addition, we will review our policies on merit increases and on centers.
3. As noted in my January report, course evaluations went online Fall 2011 after extensive discussion by a faculty/technical committee and a beta-test with the Senate before the Senate approved the final version. Since access requires a student login and is course-specific, I cannot now provide a url that shows a blank form. The Fall iteration only involved questions developed for the campus as a whole. There are 16 questions in three groups: course overall, instructor, and student experience. The form is at: http://eval.utdallas.edu/sample You can see results for the fall term in “Coursebook” http://provost.utdallas.edu/coursebook/soc/term_11f?

Schools and departments can add questions of their own. So far, none have done so. Participation rates have been about 63%, which is the same as with paper forms. We use direct mail to students asking for participation and providing response links, iPad drawings for participants, and meaningful questions.

The Senate is happy with the way the evaluation is working.

UT El Paso

Since last FAC meeting the UTEP Faculty Senate dealt with, and attempted to deal with, several issues.

In February, additional substantive changes to the Academic Policy section of our institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures (HoOP) were passed; these reflected a comprehensive review and edit by our Provost’s Office to bring our HoOP into line with current regential, accreditation, and local policies. Similarly, in March substantive changes were made to the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogue texts, these also were intended to publish mostly admissions and enrollment policies that had been enforced for years without previously being incorporated into the catalogue documents. In April, the Senate approved the local Conflict of Interest in Research “Model Policy” language. We are anticipating action by the Senate next month on a committee recommendation for establishing a fixed Cesar Chavez celebration day, and another recommendation to change our graduation requirements for the last semester of residency. That will pretty much finish off the important Senate business for the academic year.

In April the Senate also had discussion on electronic versus paper student evaluations of faculty. Deep divisions remain among the Senate and faculty-at-large as to the desirability of going “entirely electronic” and abandoning the present paper system for long-semester courses.

We still are working on the local policy for Post-tenure Review. An ad hoc committee of Senate Executive Committee members was appointed to work with the administration on new draft language for our HoOP. The administration promptly presented the committee with a draft dealing strictly with PT review that went back some months/years previously --- and had been tabled in Senate committee pending action by the Regents. That draft did not address the linkage of the annual performance review with the comprehensive review, and present thinking by the ad hoc group is that both annual and comprehensive “faculty performance” review sections of the HoOP should be redone at the same time.

UT Pan American

No Report

UT Permian Basin

UTPB continues to steer through choppy waters. Some days we get to calmer seas, some days we seem on the verge of capsizing. We could use a bigger boat.

There have been three major issues that we have addressed since the last faculty Advisory Council meeting in January. 1) The Faculty Senate has approved (and the administration seems on the verge of accepting) a Post Tenure Review policy that meets the new Regents’ Rules. 2) We have been confronting issues surrounding the implementation of agreements with Academic Partnerships, LLC, a process that at times seems to have been shrouded in mystery and misinformation. And 3) We continue to deal with questions over the ways in which new programs have seemed to materialize at UTPN without even a modicum of shared governance. Issues 1 and 2 derive in no small part from communication failures between administration and the leaders of the Faculty Senate.

Calm Waters: The UTPB Faculty Senate approved a Post-Tenure Review policy that does not actually represent an enormous shift over previous procedures for annual merit review and that coheres with the new Regents Rules for PTR that has occupied so much SYSFAC time and energy this academic year. The response we received from administration was overwhelmingly positive with the exception of an ongoing debate about how we will choose the members of the PTR Committee. We believe that continuing to have the Faculty Assembly nominate and vote for candidates is “pursuant to other process as defined in institutional policies,” language that is in the new Regents Rules and that was in the old rules and that would seem to provide cover for continuing to elect the Tenure/Post-Tenure Review committee as we always have. We believe that our process may well provide a template that SYSFAC is welcome to assess and perhaps to forward to other system institutions.

Angry Seas: The Faculty Senate recently had to confront administration about the university’s association with Academic Partnerships, LLC (AP). Although the contracts with AP come from the system level there was virtually no communication regarding how or whether UTPB is to implement AP on campus. After a year of whispers things came to a head and the Faculty Senate sent forward a substantial list of questions that we wanted answered in writing and an accompanying set of conditions that we expect to see fulfilled if we are to move forward with offering AP-affiliated courses and programs. We are now in the process of going through the responses we received in mid-April and determining our course moving forward. Many of us on Senate feel better now that we have read the answers, but the very existence of so many questions serves as evidence of the serious problem with communication between the administration and Faculty Senate. Many members of the Senate and the faculty as a whole still maintain a deep skepticism about relationships with and commitments to private companies such as AP and with the thought process that went into the system-wide imposition of a contract without significant faculty-wide input.

Storms Ahead: Our ongoing debate continues over the implementation of new programs. As reported previously, UTPB has begun the process of starting a nursing program, but the program itself has never gone through Faculty Senate. It is quite possible that one can read the Regents Rules in such a way that such new programs do not require Faculty Senate approval, at least at the planning stages, but the curriculum for that program certainly requires faculty approval and so it seems to many of us that best practices would dictate running new programs through the faculty’s governing body long before we reach the stage of approving curriculum. More disquieting, however, is the fact that we recently discovered that an actual nursing program, complete with curricular policies, apparently exists without ever having passed through the hands of the University Curriculum Committee or the Faculty Senate.

Forecasts: This, a non-legislative year, was supposed to be relatively easier than both last year and what we expect of next year. If that is the case, next year could be deeply unpleasant.

UT San Antonio

No Report

UT Tyler

No Report

UT Medical Branch at Galveston

EVP/Provost/SOM Dean Search

The search firm hired by UTMB identified twelve candidates for consideration, resumes of whom were reviewed by the Search Committee who then selected the six top candidates for interviews. Interviews will be completed by the end of April, and the finalists among these will be asked to return for a second round. Dr. Callender has announced his intention to make a final decision and render an offer to the final candidate by June.

Clinical Update

On April 20^th, UTMB broke ground on its new hospital.

Correctional Managed Care Contract: State prison officials and UT System are in the process of finalizing the correctional care contract; the Faculty Group Practice will be paid at cost and the contract will be extended until May 20, 2013. During the next legislative session, a decision will be made regarding the future of the contract.

Education:

Interprofessional Education Day and an “Active Shooter on Campus” emergency drill were held on Wednesday March 28, 2012.

A new certificate program in Public Health has received institutional and UT System approval and awaits approval from the Coordinating Board. Recently approved degree programs include:

· MS in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (two tracks)

· MS in Human Nutrition

· MS in Health Professions

· MS in Transfusion Medicine

· PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences

· Clinical Nurse Leader track in the MSN program

· Doctor of Nursing Practice in the School of Nursing

· Certificate program in Public Health

UTMB Connect

UTMB Connect will enable UTMB Health to implement new documentation and coding requirements needed to bill patients for our services. It is an extensive and mission-critical initiative that will replace all revenue cycle information systems such as scheduling, registration and billing. The project will prepare us for the changes required to support a transition to documentation and coding using the latest generation of ICD-10 diagnosis and procedure codes. These systems will maximize the efficiency of our work while improving care for patients through a “one patient, one record" approach. The end result will be:

– One record

– Better, safer care

– More personalized service

– Single patient bill

Provost’s Report

The GSBS Dean has served since 2007 as UTMB representative to THECB Formula Advisory Committee (HRI Subcommittee). The Subcommittee met in Austin monthly from August to December. Committee meets every other year to make recommendations to the THECB Commissioner for requests by THECB for formula funding by the Texas legislature. Committee final report was approved Dec 20, 2011. Report makes recommendations for increased funding over next 2 biennia for all parts of the formula – Instruction & Operations, Infrastructure, Research Enhancement, and Graduate Medical Education (GME). .

The UT System Graduate School Deans (Graduate School Deans Council) met in Austin Saturday, Jan 21, 2012 to discuss responses to the Chancellor’s Framework for Advancing Excellence throughout the University of Texas System. Dr. Patricia Hurn, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research from the UT System, hosted the meeting. The meeting was very successful, and a UT graduate school deans’ council has been formed that will meet formally 2x/year.

Several legislative staff visited UTMB on Feb 29 and heard presentations from the academic, health, and business EVPs. They also visited several facilities.

Budget hearings have been underway for several weeks.

The UT System leadership paid their annual visit to UTMB on March 26.

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

GSBS held the Annual Dean’s Lecture at Homecoming, March 9-10, 2012. This year’s speaker was Dr. Monte Pettitt who joined UTMB Jan 1, 2012 as Director of the Sealy Center for Structural Biology, Professor of BMB, and holder of the Welch Chair in Chemistry. Dr. Pettitt comes from the University of Houston and currently serves as Chair of the Keck Center/GCC Oversight Committee. This was a chance to hear about the research from one of our recent prize faculty recruits.

GSBS Commencement will be held in Levin Hall May 4, 2012 at 4:00 pm. .

GSBS total applications numbers for fall 2012 are down because few international students are applying. Applications still total 10 for every available slot, which is no different from last year.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) will be held from early June-early August (10 weeks). The program will be co-directed by Drs. Giulio Taglialatella and Stacy Sell. This summer marks the 21^st year of the program, and 20 students have been accepted to participate.

School of Medicine

Student Diversity:

UTMB’s Integrated Medical Curriculum has been nationally ranked for graduating students from groups who are underrepresented in the medical profession. The latest update (through 2010) is listed below. The only change for this year is that UTMB ranked #2 in % of URM graduates (was #3 for 2000-09).

* Excluding medical schools at Historically Black Universities and Puerto Rico.

National rankings (2000-2010)*

African-American graduates #9

Hispanic graduates #1

Underrepresented minority:

· Graduates #3

· Percentage of graduates #2

* Excluding medical schools at Historically Black Universities and Puerto Rico.

Commencement Speaker:

Jennifer Arnold, MD, Medical Director of the Pediatric Simulation Center at Texas Children's Hospital and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, will be the keynote speaker for this year’s School of Medicine Commencement Ceremony, which takes place Saturday, June 2, at 10 a.m. in the Moody Gardens Convention Center. Dr. Arnold, along with her husband, businessman Bill Klein, stars in The Learning Channel’s (TLC) “The Little Couple.” The hit TV reality show chronicles the personal and professional lives of the couple, both of whom are little people. Each has a highly successful career and both have overcome major obstacles to live full and productive lives in a world structured for taller people.

Research:

UTMB ranks 53rd in NIH grant funding to medical schools. A survey of NIH grant funding received by medical school departments in 2011 ranked three (3) UTMB Departments in the top 10 in their respective fields. The report, produced by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, found that:

· Microbiology and Immunology ranked sixth (6th) in the nation.

· Obstetrics and Gynecology ranked eighth (8th) in the nation.

· Pathology ranked eighth (8th) in the nation.

Two (2) UTMB scientists received more total NIH funding in their areas than any other individual researcher in the nation:

· In Microbiology, Dr. James LeDuc, Director of the Galveston National Laboratory.

· In Pathology, Dr. David Walker, PI of the Western Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Dr. Gary Hankins ranked twelfth (12th) in NIH funding in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Seven (7) other faculty members received grants that placed them in the top 50 of their respective disciplines for NIH awards.

Match Day, March 16, 2012

The Match Day Ceremony was held on Friday, March 16^th. New this year was the NRMP’s Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program (SOAP^SM). The new Program replaces the Scramble. See details below.

What is SOAP?

· SOAP is not a second match. It is a series of offers by programs.

· It is a process through which positions offered by unfilled programs are accepted by unmatched applicants during Match Week.

· Unfilled programs electing to participate in SOAP offer positions to SOAP-eligible unmatched applicants through the Registration, Ranking, and Results (R3) System.

· The R3 System offers positions to applicants in order of a program’s preference.

· Applicants can receive multiple offers in any round.

· Positions offered/accepted during SOAP establish a binding commitment enforced by the Match Participation Agreement.

School of Medicine Homecoming Highlights

Homecoming for the School of Medicine was held March 8-10, 2012. During this event the President and Mrs. David Callender hosted a reception honoring the classes of 1962 and all distinguished alumni. Five SOM alumni have been selected for the Ashbel Smith Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2012 in honor of their outstanding service to the medical profession. Each year, recipients for this award are honored at a special Alumni Association reception and at the School of Medicine Commencement Ceremony. The award is the highest honor bestowed by the alumni of the School of Medicine. Recipients are as follows:

· Bohn D. Allen, MD, FACS (Arlington, TX)

· Gerald Callas, MD, PhD (Tiki Island, TX)

· John D. Oswalt, MD (Austin, TX)

· Mark W. Newton, MD (Kijabe, KENYA)

· Frank C. Schmalstieg, Jr., MD, PhD (UTMB faculty member)

Recruitment

A joint meeting was held between the School of Medicine and UTMB Health System for the purpose of working collaboratively to prioritize clinical recruiting needs. Discussion included the Clinical Strategic Plan: Recommendations for incremental faculty recruitment over the next eight years (FY2012-FY2020) for the following service lines:

· Cancer

· GI/Digestive

· Heart, thoracic and vascular

· Musculoskeletal

· Neuroscience

· Pediatrics

· Transplant Services.

School of Health Professions

The Department of Physician Assistant Studies is implementing a new curriculum. Students will enter at the end of June rather than August. Ninety students have been admitted.

The SHP is interviewing candidates for the Chair of Physician Assistant Studies and the Chair of Occupational Therapy.

The Departments of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy students and faculty conducted another successful Stroke Clinic. One person who has participated in every clinic offered has been able to recover his ability to walk.

Research:

Dr. Doug Paddon-Jones received $2.6 million NIH grant to study preserving muscle mass and function in bed ridden older adults.

Fiscal Affairs:

The SHP submitted a request for tuition and fee increases to UT System. If approved, this will mean a $500 - $577 annual increase for in-state students.

The SHP maintained a positive contribution margin for the first 6 months of the fiscal year.

Major Initiatives:

· Manage budget shortfalls

· Faculty recruitment

· Expanding enrollment

· New Master’s programs

· Improve research infrastructure

· Expand faculty participation in faculty practice plan

Community Outreach:

The SHP had a successful Dean’s reception on Friday, March 9^th as part of Homecoming activities. Approximately 50 alumni, faculty and staff attended.

School of Nursing

The School of Nursing External Review was held on February 26‐28, 2012. The outcome was positive. The President will receive the Committee’s formal report and a copy will be sent to Dr. Watson.

The School of Nursing has been chosen to participate in the 2012‐2014 Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholar Program. The Jonas Center would like to partner with the UTMB SON in an effort to support the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing goal to increase the number of doctorally‐prepared nurses.

The American Red Cross Student Organization (ARSCO) held a blood drive with the UTMB Blood Bank on January 18. They were able to collect 49 units during a critical shortage period, a great accomplishment. About half of the members are SON students.

The Executive Committee of the Good Samaritan Foundation met and voted to fund the alternative option to the Dedicated Education Unit (DEU) proposal. This option will fund one-day seminars that will focus on the modernization of nursing. The seminar will draw nursing professionals from the Galveston/Houston area.

The School of Nursing’s Student Nurses Association held a Nightingale Masquerade Ball on Friday, February 10, 2011, at the Tremont House.

The School of Nursing announced the first cohort of candidates on campus to begin the new Doctor of Nursing Practice program in the SON.

A Faculty Development Workshop was held on January 30, 2012 at SON. Dr. Sarah Farrell, of University of Virginia School of Nursing, is an expert in the use of information technology and social media in teaching. Dr. Farrell provided a one day wor

UT Southwestern Medical Center

1. The new University Hospital under construction has been named the William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital in honor of the former Governor.

2. Key findings of the UTSW Faculty Senate survey about the “on-boarding” process were summarized in a memo to University Leadership. There was about a 20% response rate of 436 faculty. The topic of the Faculty Senate’s Faculty Assembly in May will be Leadership’s response to the survey. The survey indicated dissatisfaction with resolving issues with Grants Management and Post-Award Administration. This is particularly concerning because we are a research intensive campus.

3. The School of Health Professions is considering a PhD program in Clinical Health Sciences. This program should strengthen the school’s research program as well as increase the pool of potential faculty members in the allied health professions.

4. Dr. Eric N. Olson, chairman of molecular biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, is the winner of the 2012 Steven C. Beering Award for outstanding advancements in biomedical or clinical science.

5.Dr. Eric N. Olson

Dr. Olson is known for his work at the interface of developmental biology and medicine that identified major genetic pathways controlling the formation of the heart and other muscles. Several drugs based on his research are currently under study. The award is given annually by the Indiana University School of Medicine.

5. Dr. Helen Hobbs, a preeminent researcher who studies the genetics of cholesterol metabolism at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has won a prestigious award from the International Atherosclerosis Society.

4.Helen Hobbs, MD

Dr. Hobbs, director of the Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, received the inaugural Antonio M. Gotto Jr. Prize in Atherosclerosis Research at the society’s meeting in Sydney. Her research focuses on identifying genetic factors that contribute to variations in the levels of cholesterol in the blood, especially low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Elevated levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of a heart attack.

UT HSC Houston

No report

UT HSC San Antonio

No report

UT HSC Tyler

Work will begin soon to renovate the atrium, conference room, and class room areas of the Biomedical Research Building. These renovations should be completed in time for the Board of Regents visit in November

The Board of Regent has approved finishing of the 2^nd and 3^rd floors of the new Academic Center.

The Tyler City Council has approved annexation of UTHSCT at their meeting March 28.

The application for SACS Accreditation for the Masters in Biotechnology program has been submitted.

MD Anderson

Faculty Senate Information:

The Faculty Senate

The M.D. Anderson Faculty Senate consists of faculty members elected from each of the basic science and clinical departments. All full-time faculty members with academic appointments at the level of instructor and above, except members who hold senior level administrative appointments (department chair or above), are eligible for election to the senate. Each department is assigned one faculty senate seat per eight full-time faculty members in the department and for any remaining major fraction. However, each department has at least one senator. Any faculty member can attend Faculty Senate meetings and participate in discussions, but only elected members can vote. Senior administrative faculty member (department chair or above) do not usually attend the Faculty Senate meetings and, if they do attend, cannot vote.

The Faculty Senate is an independent body that is advisory to the President, but does not directly report to another office of the institution. It is tasked with recommending faculty membership on major standing committees of the institution including, but not limited to, the Promotion and Tenure Committee, Clinical Faculty Review Committee, Executive Committee of the Medical Staff, Executive Committee of the Science Faculty, and Research Council. It also recommends membership on all search committees for positions at the level of department chair and above. The Faculty Senate chair and chair-elect are members of the President’s Advisory Board, and the chair and past-chair represent the faculty on the UT Faculty Advisory Council. The Faculty Senate has permanent standing committees and may appoint ad hoc committees as needed. As guaranteed by Regents’ Rules and UT System Model Policy, the Faculty Senate is responsible for review and comment on any policy that may affect the faculty before it is codified or modified in the Handbook of Operating Procedures. Finally, the Faculty Senate is responsible for the annual Faculty Honors Convocation and for the selection and presentation of the annual Faculty Achievement Awards in Patient Care, Education, Basic Research, Clinical Research, and Prevention

The Faculty Senate meets monthly and video conferencing is used to ensure that senators at the Smithville and Bastrop facilities of M.D. Anderson Cancer can participate.

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate (ECFS) consists of twelve Faculty Senate members (a minimum of five each from the Clinical and Basic Science Faculty Senate members) elected by the full Faculty Senate. The ECFS meets weekly. In addition, the ECFS meets quarterly with the President and Executive Vice President/Physician in Chief and meets quarterly with the Executive Vice President/Provost. Furthermore, the Faculty Senate chair, who also serves as chair of the ECFS, and the chair-elect meet monthly with the President, Executive Vice President/Provost, and the Executive Vice President/Physician in Chief.

Current Major Issues:

Shared governance

Dr. DePinho, President of MDACC, sent an email to the entire Institution regarding important goals that he hopes to accomplish in 2012. These goals included communication with transparency as a key objective. Communication and transparency are topics that he has also emphasized with the Faculty Senate leadership at monthly meetings (Chair and Chair-elect) and quarterly meetings (entire ECFS). In these meetings, the Faculty Senate has emphasized the faculty’s role in shared governance. However, Dr. DePinho has eliminated several key institutional committees (that had faculty representation) and created new committees in their place (that do not have faculty representation). The Faculty Senate has voiced their concern regarding the lack of faculty representation on these committees and has invited Dr. DePinho to a Faculty Forum scheduled for May 1, 2012 to discuss our concerns.

Potential UT FAC Agenda Items (or for solicitation of information outside of a meeting):

The M.D. Anderson Faculty Senate would appreciate information from our UT FAC colleagues on the following specific topics:

· Feedback from faculty members at other institutions regarding their institution’s policy/procedure for dealing with research misconduct.

· Recommendation for a Faculty Representative on Board of Regents

· Feedback of faculty members at other institutions regarding changes to UT System 403b and 457 retirement plans

· Feedback of faculty members at other institutions regarding their experience and relationship with their institution’s compliance office