UofL is conducting the study in partnership with Segal, a human resources consulting firm with expertise in higher education, to provide fair and equitable faculty (nonclinical) and staff compensation programs as identified in the university’s 2019-22 strategic plan. The university will use the results of this study to:

• Provide opportunities for career development and advancement;
• Provide a comprehensive and competitive compensation and benefits package; and
• Follow “best practice” philosophy and align the university’s job and pay structure with the market.

According to Mary Elizabeth Miles, vice president for human resources, the two-year evaluation is on schedule to finish in July, at which time the committees will report findings to university vice presidents, deans and vice provosts for implementation strategies. Cherie Dawson-Edwards, vice provost for faculty affairs and an associate professor for the Department of Criminal Justice, added that the market assessment for the faculty portion of the study will finish in March and noted that the study only considers faculty base pay – not administrative supplements.

Learn more on the Compensation and Total Rewards Study .

Col. Steven Green, director of public safety and chief of the University of Louisville Police Department (ULPD), provided an update on department initiatives. Green said that more RAVE alerts are being sent due to a recent decision to include incidences of crime on the outskirts of UofL’s campuses. While on-campus crime rates remain stable, ULPD felt it important that visitors to/from campuses be made aware of any safety concerns in the immediate areas.

Learn more about ULPD services on the department’s .

In other action …

• The senate approved a measure to close the Master of Arts degree in teaching of art history due to lack of enrollment. There are no students currently enrolled in the program, so no teach-out plan is necessary.
• Senator Michael Cunningham introduced a matter to consider revision of Red Book rules that apply to how faculty are consulted in the selection of university senior administrators. The Red Book Committee will consider the matter.
• Senate President Eugene Mueller asked senators to send him their thoughts on how to address the emergence of artificial intelligence-generated programs, such as Chat GTP.

Committee reports and other information from the March 1, 2023, UofL Faculty Senate meeting are available on the senate’s . The next meeting of the UofL Faculty Senate will take place Wednesday, April 5, at 3 p.m. in the Elaine Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, Belknap Campus.

“It seemed like something really important to be educated about,” said Meadows, a student success ambassador with UofL’s Student Success Center.

A comprehensive strategy called focuses on preventing sexual violence, dating violence and stalking. Changing campus norms by empowering bystanders to take action is a big part of the program’s goal, says Kathleen Elsherif, program coordinator for Green Dot and the .

“Combating power-based personal violence is a public health issue, and we all have a role to play. Green Dot gives faculty, staff and students shared language and a shared understanding of the small choices we can each make every day to change our culture – we say that no one has to do everything, but everyone has to do something,” Elsherif said.

A key component of creating this community is through campus-wide campaigns, mobilization events and targeted bystander intervention trainings that teach the model: direct, distract or delegate. A direct intervention involves a bystander confronting a situation to stop it, the second strategy aims to create some type of distraction to diffuse what’s happening, while delegating enlists the help of someone else, perhaps a friend or if necessary, police.

“The main takeaway from the training for me is whether I use my voice, behavior or attitude to promote safety it doesn’t matter – what matters is that I step up and help those around me,” said Meadows, an early elementary education major.

It’s been seven years since Green Dot trainings have been offered at UofL, as additional campus buy-in and resources were needed to continue and upscale the initiative. When the program relaunched this past spring semester, Elsherif says they started with student influencers, which included Meadows.

This fall,  have been extended to individual schools and departments, along with faculty and staff. Although the PEACC Center manages the program, there are now more than 20 members of the Green Dot initiative across UofL’s campuses.

“It is so important to become aware of the Green Dot initiative because in college we sometimes find ourselves or others in uncomfortable and maybe toxic situations. If you know about Green Dot, then you might have ways to get out of those situations,” Meadows said. “The training can give you some great tips and resources to use for yourself or to help others.”

Faculty Senate Chair David Schultz noted that that development of the policy was a two-year process which was reviewed by the senate on two occasions. In addition to the Faculty Senate, several other university units were asked to provide feedback. The policy is similar to accountability policies for UofL administration, staff and students.

Michael Cunningham, UofL chapter president of the American Association of University Professors, expressed in a statement to the trustees concerns that faculty didn’t have enough appropriate input and involvement in the development of the policy. He asked that ratification of the policy be tabled for further consideration.

Given that the policy is subject to revisions after ratification, Schultz recommended that the policy be implemented as written.

University Provost Lori Stewart Gonzalez added that such a policy is common among several other universities. In her response to concerns raised by the AAUP, Gonzalez said that the policy: was established within the appropriate scope of her authority; is constitutional and contains all hallmarks of due process; embodies principles of shared governance; and encourages collaborative discussion and problem-solving among faculty members. Gonzalez will report to the board occasions when the policy is used.

In other action, the board:

• Approved the revised Board of Trustees Personnel Policy and the Memorandum of Understanding with the UofL Real Estate Foundation, both submitted by the Governance, Trusteeship and Nominating Committee.

• Approved a report submitted by the Audit, Compliance and Risk Committee, which included audits of UofL and UofL Research Foundation financial statements. The audits, conducted by CliftonLarsonAllen LLC, yielded an “unmodified” opinion, which is the cleanest evaluation report.

• Approved the designation of the Cardinal Stadium Club as the Angel’s Envy Club. Formerly designated as the Brown & Williamson Club, the facility will undergo renovations and other updates.

Additional meeting highlights

Campus Police Chief Gary Lewis shared information about changes his department has made to improve safety on and around the Belknap Campus. Lewis specifically addressed additional security around affiliated housing in response to recent reports of crimes in that area.

University President Neeli Bendapudi announced three designations honoring longtime friends and supporters of the university.

Basketball court six in the Sports and Recreation Center was named to honor Intramural Sports and Recreation Director Dale Ramsay, who, on Nov. 1, retired after 41 years of service.

Gallery space in the Ekstrom Library will be named in honor of Julius Friedman, an internationally known artist, award-winning graphic designer and co-founder of Images design studio in Louisville.

The Allen Courtroom in the UofL Brandeis School of Law has been redesignated as the Breit Courtroom in honor of Marc and Lisa Breit. Renovations to the courtroom began in the spring 2021 semester.

Jason Smith, chief medical officer at UofL Health, provided information about the organization’s ongoing efforts to provide services in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as expansion of services in Bullitt County, Brownsboro and Shelbyville. UofL Health will provide nearly $32 million to the university for mission support.

Student Government Association President Ugonna Okorie shared information about the SGA’s efforts to increase its visibility throughout the UofL community, create an inclusive and equitable learning environment for students, increase students’ compliance with COVID-19 vaccinations and testing and advocate for affordability in higher education.

The next scheduled meeting of the University of Louisville Board of Trustees is Thursday, Jan. 13.

Chief of Police Gary Lewis provided senators an overview of the current state of campus security. Lewis reported that the number of security cameras across UofL has nearly doubled over the past year. In addition to the increase in number, many of the new cameras are more advanced and offer a wider range of visual coverage. Lewis also informed senators of the continuing effort to standardize access control among all university campuses.

“On Belknap campus, only about 60% of the campus is access controlled. Health Sciences Campus is 100% access controlled. We’re improving some technologies [on Belknap] so that card readers will be able to provide you with the ability to gain access entry into all buildings,” Lewis stated. “Our goal is 100% access control on Belknap campus similar to HSC.”

Senators were also introduced to Kari Aikins, the recently appointed director of Total Rewards. Mary Elizabeth Miles, VP of Human Resources, informed senators that Total Rewards encompasses retirement, compensation and benefits. Aikins will also serve as co-chair for

Keith Sherman, chief operating officer and executive director of the , provided senators with an overview of the foundation’s record-setting portfolio. The UofL Foundation and the UofL Real Estate Foundation boasted combined Total Assets of just over $1.3 billion, the highest in the history of both foundations. Total Endowment Assets also reached an all-time high at $922 million. The main endowment pool, which serves as the source of nearly all available endowment funding across the university, also reached a record $817 million as of July 12.

Sherman stated, “We saw 33% returns in the stock market through May; for perspective, our goal is 6.2% a year. Over the last year, we’ve returned five times what we expect to get in the marketplace, which is unbelievable. That 33% return for an endowment will probably put us in the top 10% of all endowments across the country.”

Sherman credited the overwhelming growth of the main endowment pool to several changes made by the foundation over the past year.

“We made a lot of changes this year. We changed investment advisors, we changed our investment strategy, we simplified things and sometimes it is just important to be good as well as lucky. We made some good, thoughtful decisions and when the market went crazy after the COVID-19 drop last March, we were perfectly positioned to maximize our returns,” Sherman said.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be found on the .

The Staff Senate will not meet during the month of August in order to provide orientation for the 21 first-time Staff Senate representatives. The next Staff Senate meeting is scheduled for Sept. 8 via a hybrid format with the option of remote attendance via Teams, or in-person attendance at Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.

UofL’s Police Department and Louisville Metro Police Department on Wednesday announced a partnership to help increase patrols and maximize safety on and around UofL’s campuses.

ULPD Chief Gary Lewis recently reached out to the LMPD asking for some extra help due to concerns that have been raised by students and employees.

“In response, our officers have teamed up directly with UofL officers at focused times based on where the crimes were occurring. In addition, we tried to concentrate some more of our resources down to the (Belknap) campus area,” LMPD 4th Division major Josh Judah said during a press conference.��

Lewis, who noted that “24-hour policing is very important,” said one of his goals is continued education for the community. To achieve that goal, he is reminding those on campus about ways to decrease “opportunity thefts,” by locking car doors and securing office doors.

For example, last year during a school break, the ULPD worked with the housing department to launch an initiative that encouraged students to bring their bikes inside while they were gone. Because of this work, bicycle thefts dropped from 15 to one.

“Seeing that type of education and partnership in looking at that data, we were successful with seeing a significant reduction in bicycle thefts,” Lewis said.��

Lewis also encourages the UofL community to take advantage of various school resources, such as the safety escort service, which is available from dusk until dawn. In September 2018, the school launched a new, free shuttle option called Cardinal Cab for students seeking after-hours transportation across campus that operates between Monday through Saturday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

Lewis said beyond adding more resources, the units are being strategic in their efforts. For example, at the HSC campus the department is evaluating data to hone in on peak hours for crimes and adjusting schedules on a weekly basis.

“Clearly the bottom line is to continually educate, high visibility, make the arrests, and send a message,” Lewis said.

Prior to their presentations, however, committee reports were provided. Highlights include:

Credentials and Nominations: Three senators were added, including Keri Donahue, from the Speed School, Jim Becker, from the Brandeis School of Law, and Steven Lindsey, programmer. This results in 93 staff senators and six vacancies.

Policy, Economics and Development: This report is .

The committee recently met with Jeanell Hughes, executive director of HR, to discuss how to work with HR on some initiatives and support the university’s 21^st Century Initiative.

Grievance: No grievances were filed within the past month. The committee has finished a document to present to the executive committee outlining the grievance process.

Morale: The committee allocated $100 to prepare a meal on behalf of the Staff Senate for the Ronald McDonald House. A discussion ensued on whether or not such an allocation fell within protocol. Also, a new pamphlet is in the works to describe the Staff Senate and what it does. Members anticipate handing these out at fairs, new-hire orientations and other campus events.

Sabrina Haug provided the treasurer’s report to senators, including:

• $14,648.30 balance in the general fund
• $1,674 balance in the technology fund
• $12,133.46 balance in the SHARE fund

Report: Harlan Sands

SVP for Finance and Administration/COO Harlan Sands opened up his presentation with photo updates from the SAC renovation, and also discussed other construction projects, including the former Crawford Gym space and the Pediatric Outpatient facility downtown.

“It’s very exciting for us to really grow our campus and it’s something we’ll be seeing for the next 18 months,” he said.

Sands also discussed campus safety and noted that the university is committed to being vigilant. After recent incidents that happened on the fringe of campus, his team looked at what we could do better from a safety perspective. Sands met with the chiefs of both the Louisville Metro Police Department and UofL Police to work on action items.

He also noted that we now have access to real-time crime center dispatch through the LMPD. Also, UofL police are wearing cameras now, and we are evaluating use of cameras selectively placed around campus. Lighting, Sands said, remains a high priority.

UofL has ramped up its escort service and escorted more than 700 students in the months of September and October.��

Additionally, Sands discussed recent instances of graffiti found on campus after the Presidential Election and said UofL is “amping up” its walking patrols.

“We want to encourage expression in more constructive ways than defacement,” he said.

Jeanell Hughes, executive director of HR, discussed the FLSA changes, which affect about 800 employees on campus who will move from exempt to non-exempt status.

“We have put a lot of time and effort into this. There are 4.2 million people across the country who are affected by this. It’s a transition. It’s a change. But for many, it’s a raise,” Hughes said.

Discussion followed on whether or not UofL will be affected should President-Elect Trump overturn President Obama’s legislation.

“Our intent is to keep this. It is not viable to roll it back if it is changed under Trump,” Sands said.

On the topic of Trump, another senator asked if Sands is worried about further cuts to higher education under the new administration.

“We are a $1.3 billion operation that receives stable, diverse funding from a variety of different sources. We’ve got a plan in place to grow our campus,” Sands said. “We’ve had 15 years of budget cuts and we’re still growing our campus.”

SGA report

The Student Government Association has drafted a resolution asking the UofL Foundation to allow for student representation on its board. An SGA member asked staff senators for their support. Also, an update was provided on raiseRed, the largest student-run organization on campus. This year’s event is Feb. 24-25, but there are a number of events leading up to the dance marathon. This year’s goal is $450,000.

Report from Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for Sustainability Initiatives

Justin Mog provided an overview on UofL’s Sustainability Initiatives.��These objectives mostly stem from a 2008 climate commitment signed by then-President James Ramsey, which led to UofL being one of only 100 schools in the world rated Gold.

Mog also discussed UofL’s Sustainability Council, which helps solve some of the challenges we have to overcome in order to achieve our goals. Senators are welcome to join the council.

More information about UofL Sustainability and its initiatives are .��

University Police Advisory Committee report

The UPAC report is .��

Chair’s Report and other business

Finally, Senators returned to the discussion about whether or not to offer support to the SGA for their resolution asking for UofL Foundation Board representation. More will be discussed on this later. Chairman Will Armstrong offered up his report, which is .

The next meeting is Dec. 12 in the Chao Auditorium.

The ranking has a comprehensive definition of student security, including student health and well-being. College Choice includes specific ratings for general safety, anti-discrimination, women’s safety, party scene and fire safety.

No other Kentucky college was mentioned in College Choice’s top 50 list, highlighting UofL’s unique and concerted effort to promote campus safety in this state through the  program. CardSafe is a multifaceted approach to addressing the safety needs of not only our students, but our faculty, staff, and visitors through the following programs:

1. The L Trail: This well-lit, patrolled route promotes safe travels from the middle of Belknap Campus to the Swain Student Activities Center, the Ville Grill, and to some of the affiliated residence halls. When you’re out walking, follow the white signs with the large red “L.” See for the L Trail route.

2. CardGuard: With this mobile app, you can instantly dial 911 or , send a tip if you see a crime happening, or set a timer to alert your friends and police if you are late in arriving to a pre-determined destination.��

3. UofL Alerts: All UofL students, faculty and staff should sign up for UofL Alerts, which will send you a text message in case of an emergency on campus. It’s also the fastest way to hear about snow days and other weather cancellations. (All members of the UofL family receive UofL Alerts emails, but you must sign up for the text service). You can add a second phone number or family members’ phones to the system or .��

4. Campus Escort: When walking on campus during the evening hours, you should walk with another person and use well-lit, well-traveled routes like the L Trail. But that’s not always possible. If you get stuck out late at night studying or working on campus and don’t want to walk alone, request an escort. This service is provided for any member of the university community from dusk to dawn any day of the year. Escort Service boundaries on Belknap extend within the campus, to University Park Apartments and up to four blocks off campus. At the Health Sciences Center, escorts also are available to the parking lots or nearby vehicles. Call 502-852-6111.

5. Cardinal Safety App: This phone app offers tips on how to respond to emergencies ranging from an active shooter to an earthquake. It also offers tips on how to avoid becoming a victim and preventing thefts, as well as what steps to take if a crime occurs. This app also includes Belknap, HSC and Shelbyhurst campus maps and an auto-dialer to 911, the University Police and the campus escort service.��

6. Green Dot: Sponsored by our PEACC Center, the Green Dot Bystander Campaign is our community response to violence. A Green Dot highlights a behavior, choice, or statement that makes it less likely that someone will experience sexual assault, partner violence, and stalking. More information about .  

7. Campus Shuttle: Need to get from one side of campus to the other? The university operates a shuttle Monday-Friday from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium to sites around Belknap Campus. The West Campus Shuttle connects the residence halls to the main campus Monday-Friday evenings. And the Health Sciences Campus shuttle circulates to many of the key buildings on and around HSC. Find more information .

8. If You See Something, Say Something: Students, faculty and staff play a role in keeping our campus safe. UofL is part of the If You See Something, Say Something national campaign that encourages citizens to report suspicious objects or behaviors. If you see something suspicious, call UofL Police at 502-852-6111.

9. UofL Police: The UofL Police Department is a fully accredited force that serves UofL’s three campuses 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The department consists of about 45 sworn officers, 30 security guards, and a K-9 unit. (Look for Sampson, a black Labrador, training around campus.) ULPD patrols all UofL campuses on foot, bicycles and ATVs, as well as patrol vehicles. The university fire marshal also is part of ULPD. Find out more about ULPD, including updates on new initiatives and the latest crime reports, .��