“We need to get our hands around what’s going on to fully understand how to come up with solutions,” she said.

Faculty will be involved in some budgeting decisions at the unit level. Each unit has received a budget they have been tasked with achieving relatively quickly. Trucios-Haynes deferred further budget dialogue to Interim Provost Dale Billingsley, who outlined the general timeframe to achieve budgeting goals.

“Your deans have received a number which includes the actual expenditures from last year, the forecast, merit salary increases and salary equity adjustments. That target is the ceiling under which your unit must stay,” he said.

Billingsley said these goals were put into place to ensure UofL keeps its unrestricted net position above $0. According to the Kentucky Public University Comparison, the unrestricted net position of UofL in 2011 was $96 million. In 2016, it was negative $7 million.

“If this is replicated again this year, we will raise red flags from Moody’s and SACS,” he said.

The budget prospectus is .��

Interim President Greg Postel continued the budget conversation, expressing his concerns and how we will try to weather the storm.

‘We are going to do the very best we can considering the circumstances we are in. We are getting input from everyone including faculty, staff and students,” he said. “I’m frustrated. This is not the kind of work we want to be doing. We are going to try to make this as painless as we can but it will not be fully painless. Hopefully it will just be for one year.”

Postel also encouraged some optimism, noting that the budget should be regarded as a starting point from which to build on.

“We’ve been given a tough set of facts and we have a short period of time. But it’s just the way it is,” he said. “I want to emphasize that this is the starting point. We need to be meeting and coming up with a strategy to beat this miserable budget.”

For example, hiring frosts have been implemented, some construction projects have been slowed and “other low-hanging fruit” decisions have been made to cut costs.

Postel also discussed the SACS accreditation status, noting that we are working internally to get our documents synched and accurate in accordance to state law. UofL administrators hope to be on SACS’ agenda for its June meeting to continue rectifying the situation.

“We do not expect these issues to be resolved in June, but to provide them with an update. Then they will have a site visit in September and in December we hope to know more about our status,” Postel said.

Postel also provided an update on the recent Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ�� meeting, which he said was focused almost exclusively on tuition – which does not affect UofL this year, as its tuition remains stagnant.

Finally, Postel noted that the search for UofL’s new permanent president is underway with the formation of a search committee, which includes 16 members – 11 of whom are appointed board members and five members from the community.

Reports:

Dean David Jenkins from the Kent School of Social Work provided an update from his school, which is .��

Meredith Cooksey, SGA, said four SGA resolutions were passed in February, including one that would bring the Belknap campus up to ADA compliance for Braille, and another resolution that offered solidarity with the university’s international students in light of President Trump’s recently signed travel ban.

Students are joining the Attorney General on March 27 for the Voices of Justice event to raise awareness of sexual assault on campuses.

Ginger Brown provided an update from the February Staff Senate meeting, noting that CAO David Adams, COO Lee Smith and AVP of HR Jeanell Hughes presented updates from their respective areas. Staff Senate Chair Will Armstrong has expressed concerns that recent budget cuts may disproportionately affect staff. It was noted that six employees in the President’s Office were laid off as part of a reduction-in-force decision.

More information about the Staff Senate’s recent meeting is .��

Faculty Senate Chair Enid Trucios-Haynes provided her chair report, including the recent Board of Trustees meeting that discussed the budget issues, a freeze on expenditures and immediate expense reductions in all areas. Her report is .��

Krista Wallace-Boaz provided a report from the Executive Committee, which met twice in February, including with President Postel, Provost Billingsley and CAO David Adams. Members shared their general concerns, including bad morale from layoffs at a time when morale is already low, a continued need for shared governance and faculty input regarding the budget plan, and the need for transparency. The entire report is , as is a full list of general concerns from .��

Committee reports are .��

The next Faculty Senate meeting is April 5 from 3-5 p.m. in Chao Auditorium.

The Faculty Senate met Sept. 7, 2016 in the Chao Auditorium of Ekstrom Library, with Pam Feldhoff calling the meeting to order and passing the gavel onto her Senate Chair successor, Enid Trucios-Haynes. Trucios-Haynes is a professor in the Brandeis School of Law.

Feldhoff thanked the body and encouraged senators to carry on their strong voice for the university and to work hard to advance research and academic goals. Trucios-Haynes presented her with a gavel, which was inscribed with the words: “Steady leadership during turbulent times.”

Minutes of a special meeting held in June were approved, as were minutes from the July meeting.

Report

Meredith Cooksey, acting vice president of the Student Government Association, presented an update on her body’s behalf. The SGA worked with the library to increase study hours at the library to 2 a.m. (from 12 a.m. previously).

“This is a big win for students,” Cooksey said. The SGA is also working on growing its Student of the Month Award, which includes some benefits, and is hoping to get more promotional information out soon.

Report

Ginger Brown provided a report from Staff Senate, which did not meet in August. Staff Senate hopes to collaborate with Faculty Senate in the coming year and a message from Will Armstrong, new chair, was provided to Faculty Senators.

Action Item: Redbook

Kurt Metzmeier provided Redbook updates, including a second reading on the School of Music’s minor changes to its statement of purpose. The language was approved.

The first reading of the Brandeis School of Law’s promotion and tenure language took place. A second reading of the minor changes will be done at the next meeting.

Action Item: FS meeting dates

Senators approved the proposed Faculty Senate meeting dates. The calendar for 2016-17 and the next meeting is on the HSC Campus.

Action Item: Committee on Committees & Credentials Election

There were three committees with vacancies and ballots were handed out to senators. Vacancies were for the Academic Programs Committee (two), the Redbook Committee, and the Student Government representative.

Discussion Item: UofL’s next president

The Faculty Senate discussed desirable attributes and characteristics of a 21^st century university president. The discussion will be reviewed by the executive committee. Among the attributes suggested were:

• Academic background
• Awareness of conflict of interest
• Awareness of need for transparency, legal requirements
• Transparency with all stakeholders, including the press
• Prior commitment to community engagement
• Position is one of service
• Committed to and evidence of faculty/shared governance
• Experience in upper administration
• Finance, budget experience
• Advocate for public higher education as a public good

Trucios-Haynes said the Board of Trustees is expected to consult with the faculty, but the Redbook doesn’t outline many details about the process and plans to facilitate further discussion about the process and attributes.

“It’s a good idea for us to be proactive,” she said.

Reports: Standing Committees

• Academic Programs: There are two new certificate programs in the pipeline and both will be available soon – structural engineering and transportation engineering
• Committee on Committees & Credentials: No report other than the aforementioned election
• Redbook:
• Part-Time Faculty: Held its first meeting last week with a goal to generate goals for this year
• Planning and Budget: N/A
• Executive Committee: Both the and the are available online.

Report: Dr. Dale Billingsley, acting provost

Dr. Dale Billingsley, the acting executive vice president and provost, thanked the senate for their support during his transition into the acting provost role. He also provided an update on dean searches that are underway, including at the College of Business and the Brandeis School of Law.

The Title IX coordinate has been hired; Brian Bigelow reports to Michael Mardis, the vice provost for student affairs. James Begany has accepted the position of vice provost for strategic enrollment management and student success and will begin in early October.

A new faculty fellow in undergraduate affairs position has been created. Billingsley said this person will take on many of the meetings he had been attending in his previous position as vice provost for undergraduate affairs.

Billingsley also reported that the search for a new ombudsman will be initiated soon. Dr. Bob Staat fills the role in the interim.

Cedric Powell, from the Brandeis School of Law, has been named the new faculty grievance officer.

Finally, Billingsley discussed the enrollment numbers for the fall semester. UofL fell shy of its goal by about 100 students, however numbers are up from last fall and students’ GPA and ACT metrics are higher. The incoming class also includes the highest number of African Americans and Latinos ever.

Report: Dr. Neville Pinto, acting president

Dr. Neville Pinto opened his remarks by thanking Feldhoff for her work as chair, and reminding senators that they’re in good hands under Trucios-Haynes’ leadership. He said that the job he abruptly found himself in this summer is an “important responsibility that I take very seriously” and that he will work to make sure this university hits all of its goals.

Pinto introduced his team to faculty senators, including Billingsley, Greg Postel, interim VP for health affairs, Harlan Sands, senior VP, CFO and COO, Bill Pierce, EVP for research and innovation, and Leslie Strohm, VP for strategy and general counsel.

“This is your team,” Pinto told the senators. “How I view this year is as a transition. We will continue to pursue the 21^st century plan. We are already seeing some outcomes. The good news is despite the turbulence, there has been no impact on the ability to draw the very best students.”

Pinto also addressed concerns over whether or not the university’s accreditation is at risk with the current board under legal review. He said SACS has sent the university a letter asking for more information about the board of trustees’ makeup.

“If we don’t have a satisfactory answer in December, we will have a meeting to explain what’s going on. What I expect is since it is in the court system that it will be resolved by then,” he said.

Pinto explained the development of a budget model to fit the state’s proposed performance funding requirements, in which 5 percent of the total funding base for all state universities will be put into a pot. The following year, that amount will go up to 15 percent.

The state and university leaders are contemplating a model on how to return that investment to the institutions, considering metrics such as student progress and student outcome. It is very early in the discussion process.

“The discussion is around how you weight those two (metrics). There is not a lot of progress yet,” Pinto said. “Our recommendations will be submitted by Dec. 1.”

Report: Dr. Greg Postel, interim EVP for health affairs

Dr. Greg Postel, interim executive vice president for health affairs, provided a PowerPoint presentation on what is happening on the HSC campus, which includes $8,000 staff, faculty and students in 30 buildings, as well as 16 centers and institutes.

He said key recruitments have been made, including Dr. Thomas G. Bradley as the new dean of the Dental School; Nancy Tierney, interim associate VP of facilities planning and management; Gary Ermers, interim associate VP for finance; and Peter Gouws, interim CFO for ULP. A national search will be underway soon for the director of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center.

There was a groundbreaking recently for the Pediatrics Medical Office Building, and early planning is underway for the east end adult ambulatory facility.

This has been the most successful year ever for clinical trials – totally nearly $11 million. The School of Medicine has moved up seven spots in the NIH rankings. And, HSC plans to hire six additional dedicated development officers this year, while also investing $1 million annually to diversity initiatives and 12 new HSC diversity scholarships.

The HSC campus has focused on deficit reduction and income augmentation, and is on a “hiring frost.”

“We’ve been thoughtful about every position, which has saved about $5 million a year,” Postel said. “We’re preparing to invest in the future, and selectively invest in things that make sense.”

Report: Chair’s report

The meeting concluded with Trucios-Haynes’ chair report, including an update to salary equity goals behind the $2 million that was allotted for distribution among faculty ($1 million) and staff ($1 million). Last spring, an effort was made to get senators’ input on how money should be distributed to faculty. Deans are reviewing unit data on this matter and were expected to provide their comments back to central administration in late August.��

The next regular monthly meeting is Oct. 5 on the HSC campus at a location TBA.