GSBS Dean’s Report – Faculty Senate 1/10/11

1) Some good news just before the Holidays:

A major effort since spring 2009 has been our effort to gain final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board THECB for the proposed GSBS PhD program in Rehabilitation Sciences. This program was created in 2001 as a curricular track within the GSBS program in Preventive Medicine & Community Health (now renamed Population Health Sciences). Over the past decade, the proposed program (shared between GSBS, PMCH, And SHP), directed by Dr. Ken Ottenbacher, has evolved and become highly successful, attracting and graduating PhD students, winning training grant support, and being ranked in the top 10 of rehabilitation sciences graduate programs nationally. UTMB, with rapid approval from the UT System and the UT Regents, has petitioned the THECB for final approval as a recognized, stand alone ‘Program”. This request received approval from the Commissioner of the THECB in December 2010. A required site visit and external review from a team constituted by the THECB is planned for spring 2011 so that final approval can be granted by the THECB Board.

2) The GSBS alumni association (GSBS Associates) Executive Committee met

Monday, December 6, 2010 at Perry’s Italian Grille in Clear Lake. Present were: Barbara Sasser, Evelyn Tiffany-Castiglioni, Jacques Baillargeon Jr., Lee Woodson, David Shine, Lexie Nolen, James Templer, Cary Cooper, David Niesel, Dorian Coppenhaver, Michael R. Shriner, Dixie Mullins and Jo Bremer.

Dr. Sasser, GSBS Associates Executive Committee President, opened the meeting at 1:15 p.m. Since many of the committee members and guests had not met before, she invited everyone to introduce themselves.

Mr. Shriner, Vice President, Business Operations and Facilities, presented an update on the progress the university has made in restoring facilities to pre-Ike conditions, with improvements that will facilitate mitigation in the event of another flood or storm.

Dr. Cooper briefly reviewed the Graduate School’s accomplishments in FY2010 and outlined the mission, vision and goals for the coming year. A link to the document from which he spoke is at: http://gsbs.utmb.edu/_pdf/GSBSStrategicPlan2011.pdf.

Ms. Mullins, Assistant Vice President, Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, provided an update giving to the Greatest Needs fund for the GSBS and responses to the request for alumni memberships in the GSBS Associates.

Dr. Sasser led a discussion about how membership dues should be used. Ultimately, the committee decided to use the income primarily to benefit students (via scholarships and awards).

3) On alternate years, the GSBS contracts with the Univ. of Houston Clear Lake Business School faculty to offer our students and postdocs a course in Advanced Business Management. This is basically an MBA survey course that gives basic information and allows participants not only to learn some business principles but also to see whether they might want to eventually get an MBA to go with their PhD. This year the course runs Jan 13-April22 and meets once/week in the evening. An announcement of the course is attached.