UofL News: Tell us a bit about your position as professor of chemistry. How did you land at UofL and what interests you in this work?

Eugene Mueller: I started at UofL in August of 2007 – they hired me away from the University of Delaware, and I remain very happy with my decision to come here. In regard to how I ended up in chemistry? Well, spring break of my freshman year I was working on a lab report in my sister’s unfinished basement, and I read that “molecules have to collide in order to react.” I had taken two years of high school chemistry and half a year of college chemistry, and I never thought about how reactions happen. I’ve been hooked ever since that moment. I wanted to continue to do the research and learn more, but a big and delightful surprise is that teaching has proven to be equally rewarding.

UofL News: What motivated you to pursue the role of Faculty Senate chair?

Mueller: I decided I had two choices: I could either become a curmudgeon who just complains about decisions, or I could try to put myself in a position to make the decisions better.

UofL News: The Faculty Senate is tasked with many responsibilities. Which responsibility is most consistently appreciated by the faculty, considering its impact on faculty culture.

Mueller: We approve and give close scrutiny to new academic programs, and our recommendations are then forwarded to the Board of Trustees. While it is just a recommendation, we help change and clarify roles of those programs. We also frequently have the ability to get modifications in other matters and policy when we are a part of the process early. A major thing the senate chair does is provide the faculty with an explanation of why certain decisions are reached.

UofL News: What would you say are some of the unique benefits and opportunities of your position?

Mueller: The best thing is to be able to help guide policy development. Also, some of the invitations I receive have the great advantage of what I call “soft advocacy.” For instance, at a recent football game I could talk with some other trustees about a few things that are coming down the pike, and enjoy the informal socialization of getting to know each other better for the times we do have formal meetings.

UofL News: What are some of the unique challenges?Ìę

Mueller: The senate doesn’t make laws like the U.S. Senate. We are a part of governance, but for us that is mostly consultation, questioning and persuading the administration by voicing concerns. There are viewpoints which are very different between the appointed trustees versus the representative trustees. Some things, for example, from the budgetary point of view, may seem innocuous to appointed trustees, but they don’t seem that way to faculty. However, we can make a difference through persuasion, and that requires homework, analysis and good argument.

Much of what my predecessors and I have done is essentially invisible, taking place in confidential conversations. Often, all I can say to others is, “it’s not as bad as it might have been,” or “yes, that position was voiced,” but I cannot go into much more detail. In all cases when I have been bound by confidentiality, I feel the restriction on me to speak publicly was very reasonable. I’ve discovered that the administration and trustees really do want the staff, the faculty and the students to be happy here, to be productive. It’s something that’s very genuine. Exactly where priorities fall does not always please faculty, staff or students, and viewpoints are so different certainly for professional administrators who have not been faculty. But it’s an unavoidable fact that when someone puts on a new hat, their view changes because their responsibilities are so different. Yet, I have found the trustees and the administration very ready to listen. The tension of different viewpoints coming together is one reason it is called “shared governance.”

UofL News: Tell us something you have come to appreciate about the faculty culture here at UofL.

Mueller: I have been really impressed by how many of my colleagues are willing and ready to serve, and do it in a very reasonable and productive manner.

UofL News: What do you personally hope to accomplish for the faculty at UofL through your position?

Mueller:

• I am hoping for a more structured and lasting method of consultation before major decisions are taken. In particular, I hope for the development of the annual budget to include a broader consultation of more senators.
• Regarding presidential searches, the Redbook specifies an advisory committee made up of an elected faculty member from each school, but “it shall be consulted” is all it says. So, amending and clarifying that language is a current work in progress.
• I aim to spread the culture of consultation to campus construction projects, giving more thought to the impact on pedestrians and traffic.

UofL News: What is an element of Faculty Senate that you wish people better understood?

Mueller: I wish people understood that the senate represents all the faculty, including junior faculty, part-time faculty and part-time lecturers. They can talk to their senators or to me if there is a problem, because we can be proactive. The summaries of our meetings are beneficial and informative for any faculty to read. While in my position, I would like as much input as possible.

To learn more about the Faculty Senate, visit .

• Inflammation and Microbiome
• BioinformaticsÌę
• Medical informatics
• ImmunogenomicsÌę
• Pandemic preparednessÌę
• Nutrition and health
• Improved health outcomes
• CybersecurityÌę
• Energy storageÌę
• Nano-enabled medicine and healthcare

Interim Provost Gerry Bradley addressed the faculty senate with information on student enrollment and departmental budgets. Data collected through last fall semester revealed student enrollment was under projection for both undergraduate and professional students. For this reason, the university entered the spring 2022 semester with roughly $4 million less than anticipated. Although a similar budgetary loss was anticipated for this spring term, strong enrollment and retention rates mitigated this effect, leaving the spring semester budget at a deficit of $1.5 million.

“All in all, we were down about $5.5 million dollars. The budget teams, especially in the units that have been impacted by lower enrollment than expected, have carried a lot of weight trying to work through that. We also made adjustments centrally and allocated discretionary funds to support those units,” Bradley said. “Overall, we are confident we can go forward, finish out the budget year and break even as we do every year.”

Bradley attributed this confidence to an overall increase in first-year student applications and admits for next academic year. All budgets for the next academic year are currently being developed, and increases to employee pay have been identified as an institutional priority.

“As we are developing our budgets now, we certainly want to build in things we know are important. We need to build in a pay increase, and we are committed to that. That is certainly critical for us to recruit and retain our faculty and staff here in this institution, who we know have gone through a trying two years with COVID-19,” Bradley said.

Faculty members Lauren Freeman and Avery Kolers presented senators with the proposal for a new academic program, the . The proposal moved for transition of the current master of arts in interdisciplinary studies-health care ethics, which is housed in graduate school, to the department of philosophy under the rubric of applied philosophy. The 33-credit hour program offered through the College of Arts and Sciences was proposed for implementation during the fall 2022 semester. Senators unanimously approved the proposed academic program.

Committee reports and a of the meeting can be accessed on the . The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for April 6 via a hybrid format with the option of remote attendance via Teams, or in-person attendance at Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.

Overseeing the Compensation and Total Rewards Study are co-chairs Kari Aikins, director of total rewards for UofL, and Krista Wallace-Boaz, associate dean of the School of Music. An additional of UofL faculty and staff members was also selected to serve as the voices of the campus community and provide feedback throughout the studies.

This comprehensive study comprises several studies that assess total rewards- employee wages and employee benefits (e.g., health care, tuition remission, paid leave, etc.). During May 2021, the six-phase compensation study began with the help of Segal, an HR consulting firm with expertise in higher education, and will conclude 18-24 months after the launch date. For a further look into the six phases, visit the .

Findings from the studies will provide the necessary framework for employee wages and employee benefits moving forward. If the compensation study shows a market position at a lower salary grade, UofL will not lower the employee’s salary.

During Phase 2 of the study, the university reviewed and/or developed job descriptions, minimum requirements, preferred qualifications, and essential duties for most university positions. This review ensured that position descriptions were up-to-date, accurate and consistent across all schools and departments, and was essential to obtain benchmarks comparable to similar jobs in the market.

“The goal was to submit job descriptions reflective of the role, not reflective of the employee in that role” said Aikins. “When we’re benchmarking for our compensation structure, we’re benchmarking the positions. Once we have our compensation structure in place and jobs are classified and graded based on comparable market data, we can then review and recommend equitable pay.”

More specifically, said Vice President of Human Resources Mary Elizabeth Miles,Ìę “once we have the baseline data, the consulting firm will conduct a gap analysis that will look specifically at any unintended disparities that may cause women and minority employees to be paid less. These gap analyses will help us honor some of the other commitments made in the strategic plan and our anti-racism agenda.”

The study is now in phase three, with Segal and university leadership working to define a compensation philosophy for the university. This philosophy, developed by university employees in conjunction with Segal, will serve as guiding principles throughout the study.

“Our compensation philosophy will be a high-level statement that outlines our values as they relate to how we will compensate our employees, both through wages and benefits,” said Miles. “A compensation philosophy is needed so that we can establish our parameters moving forward.”

During this phase of the project, employees will receive a brief survey to complete on the university’s compensation and total rewards. A link to the survey will be distributed to all full-time (non-clinical) faculty and staff via email on Feb. 7, 2022. Responses will be confidential, and all are encouraged to participate.

For a description of future project phases, a project timeline and subcommittee members, visit the . Additional information can also be found on the .

Michael Wade Smith, vice president for university relations and chief of staff, provided senators with information on the vice president for diversity and equity search. The search committee evaluating candidates for this role include Wade Smith and 18 other university leaders, faculty and staff, with representation from UofL’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, AAPI Employee Resource Group, Hispanic Latin@ Faculty and Staff Association and LGBTQ+ Faculty and Staff Association.

“We are now at the stage where the committee will be meeting to take in the feedback from those folks who met with the candidates and make a recommendation on the candidates that the committee believes are viable based on our experience, feedback and a provided unranked list of the strengths and weakness of those viable candidates,” stated Wade Smith.

The VP of diversity and equity will report directly to the university president, serving as a member of the president’s cabinet, senior leadership team and other key institutional committees. This position serves to create and maintain a campus environment that reflects UofL’s mission, vision and values as a premier anti-racist metropolitan research university.

“We brought in five candidates, and I think was an incredibly strong pool; two of the individuals are in associate deans for diversity roles at significant institutions, one candidate has been an experienced chief diversity officer in the government sector and two of the candidates are sitting vice presidents of diversity at large top-tier research one, division one athletic institutions,” Wade Smith said.

Interim University President Lori Gonzalez, then serving in her capacity as executive vice president and university provost, provided senators with COVID-19 vaccination rates and an update on the status of university-wide vaccine mandates. Gonzalez reported that UofL’s vaccination rate remains at 91% campus wide.

“We have been transitioning data collection for the health records from public health, so there has been a delay in tracking,” Gonzalez said. “We were talking about the vaccine mandate and to be ready for that, the COVID-19 call center has been contacting the 633 staff, faculty and student employees that we had no records on, and they whittled that number down.”

Gonzalez reported that as of Dec. 1, 2021, a total of 162 university employees were unvaccinated and that the Business Operations COVID Support Team is in the process of confirming vaccination status for 146 other employees. Additionally, senators were informed that vaccines will not be mandated by the university at this time due to a .

“On Nov. 30, we received information about the injunction from the 5th Circuit Court that blocks the contractor COVID-19 mandate. Because of that, we’re pausing our vaccine mandate,” said Gonzalez. “We are still highly encouraging [vaccination], we are still keeping up with our masking, we’re not pausing in the requirement for testing and we will see that’s the mandate for unvaccinated people.”

Senators were presented with a proposal for the addition of a new program in the School of Business, a master of science in accountancy and analytics (MSAA). The proposal included revisions addressing concerns voiced during last month’s senate meeting and received approval from the academic programs committee. UofL’s Faculty Senate unanimously passed the proposal, and the 34-hour master’s program has proposed implementation in fall 2022.

Committee reports and a of the meeting can be accessed on the webpage. The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for Jan. 12 via a hybrid format with the option of remote attendance via Teams, or in-person attendance at Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.

Executive Vice President and University Provost Lori Gonzalez provided senators with updated information on enrollment, endowments and the recent federal COVID-19 mandate. When compared to figures from fall 2020, enrollment is down 48 students. Although institutions nationwide are experiencing a drop in enrollment, the national average is a loss of only 2.3 students. Gonzalez reported that student retention was also down by 4.3%. Senators were informed that student enrollment and retention will be a targeted initiative for the university and administration for the foreseeable future.

Gonzalez also provided senators with information on the current state of the university’s endowment funding.

“So many of our endowments were previously underwater, but this past year they’re all above water,” Gonzalez said. “Our return on investment for our endowments was 33%. This means endowments will go up for the next fiscal year, since they are done on a three-year rolling average.”

A university-wide informed members of the Cardinal community of a recent federal mandate regarding COVID-19 response. The executive order requires all federal contractors and covered contractors to implement a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Due to the numerous federal contracts that the university depends upon for operation, this federal ordnance will apply to UofL.

“The federal government allows medical and religious exemptions; however, the state-approved conscientious objector exemption is not allowed by the federal government. It’s my understanding that Kentucky’s attorney general may be challenging this rule, but we must wait for the outcome of that decision on conscientious objector exemptions,” Gonzalez said.

Executive Vice President of Research & Innovation Kevin Gardner gave a presentation on UofL’s impressive fiscal year 2021 research impact. The presentation highlighted the record-breaking $201.5 million in competitive research funding, which was over $30 million more than the previous record set in FY20. Gardner also featured several UofL research initiatives that addressed the three Grand Challenges of research and innovation outlined in the : empowering our communities, advancing our health and engineering our future economy.

Committee reports and a of the meeting can be accessed on the . The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for Dec. 1 via a hybrid format with the option of remote attendance via Teams, or in-person attendance at Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.

“Every faculty member has their time allocated across teaching, research and service, but there is no guidebook on how to structure your time to get all these things accomplished,” he said.

The program is facilitated through the , an organization that provides on-demand access to mentoring, professional development and support. UofL has paid for an institutional membership to NCFDD, and anyone employed by the university may .

This year, several faculty of color are being supported by their school’s dean and the to participate in NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program aimed at helping them increase research and writing productivity, while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. This opportunity provides needed resources as the faculty pursue tenure and other academic goals.

Amirah Jackson, assistant professor, School of Dentistry, is new to academia. After working a few years for a private dental practice, Jackson returned to her dental school alma mater in January 2021 to teach.

“This program is helping me understand the many aspects of being a faculty member, and it is fruitful to learn about how others navigate their professional careers,” she said.

Each participant is divided in groups, with four faculty and one coach from throughout the United States. They are each given homework assignments and meet weekly to discuss progress.

Barr-Pulliam says the program is helping him get a better handle on how to manage his time to accomplish both present and future tasks.

“Last week we talked about putting together an individual strategic plan and this week we are placing goal objectives onto our calendars. This creates accountability. During our weekly meetings, we are encouraged and give a report on what we’ve committed to do,” he said.

He says the program is about a mindset shift, helping faculty think about roadblocks that could keep them from research and writing and how to move past those hurdles.

“One of the things I’ve learned is the importance of writing research-related content 30 minutes every day,” he said. “I’ll get more done if I do a little each day.”

For Jackson, social media can sometimes be a distraction. She’s learned one way to manage that is to take the app off her phone on days when it could interfere with a particular task. Participants also are encouraged to calendar a set time for social media, making it part of their weekly activities.

Barr-Pulliam has worked at UofL since 2019, and says it’s great to be part of an organization committed to NCFDD membership.

“I wanted to work at an institution trying to improve access for multiple populations,” he said.Ìę

Jackson agrees, and gives heartfelt thanks to those who supported her in this program.

“I am so grateful to Faye Jones, Diane Whitlock and the Office of Diversity and Equity, and to Dean Bradley for making this possible for me,” she said.

Barr-Pulliam encourages other faculty and staff to and take advantage of the basic NCFDD offerings.

“This is a good program and no matter where you are in your journey, there are nuggets you can take away. It provides skills that are hard to acquire otherwise,” he said.

Other UofL participants of the NCFDD’s Faculty Success Program include:

• Claudia Angeli, assistant professor, J.B. Speed School of Engineering
• Aishia Brown, assistant professor, School of Public Health and Information
• Kimmerly Harrell, assistant professor, School of Medicine
• Kalasia Ojeh, assistant professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• Shaun Owens, assistant professor, College of łÉÈËֱȄ and Human Development

The 12-week program ends in November.

The Web Improvement Project is focused on enhancing the daily lives of students, faculty and staff by modernizing and improving all university web-based experiences, as well as the processes behind developing and maintaining them. This digital overhaul will allow the university to attract great new students while fostering a stronger relationship with the community.

Due to the complexity and breadth of the project, it has been divided into three main phases with overlapping timelines. This phased approach will allow for the quick transformation of the highest traffic sites and ensure that all websites at UofL will be revamped for their appropriate audiences.

The project is currently in Phase 1, which focuses on how the university interacts with audiences externally, measurably closing the gap between expectation and experience on our web properties. By identifying the needs and building necessary pathways for our external audiences, prospective students, parents and community members will be more prepared to take meaningful action. The second phase will address the needs of current students to be informed and engaged, to further support their paths to academic success. Improving the digital workflow, creating processes and promoting collaboration between departments will be the focus of the final phase, impacting the platforms university employees use on a daily basis.

Overseeing this project is the Executive Committee, which is comprised of members from the President’s Office, Information Technology Services, Enrollment Management, Compliance and the Office of Communications and Marketing. The Executive Committee provides vision, direction and scope for the initiative while ensuring that improvements align with the university’s mission and values.

The Executive Committee is led by Michael Wade Smith, chief of staff and vice president for external affairs.

“The web is the first stop on many, maybe most, journeys with UofL. The outcome of this project will be a university website that increases the value of our UofL brand, quickly drives visitors to the information they seek, and makes it easy for those wanting to more deeply engage with UofL – by applying, donating, partnering and more – to do so,” Smith stated.

Recommendations to the Executive Committee on the topics of tools, support, processes, governance and change management across all three phases are generated by the Steering Committee. This committee has provided an avenue for open and honest conversations with the university community about our digital environment and facilitated necessary workgroups throughout the multi-year project. These groups have created the opportunity for more in-depth discussion and collaboration around various digital topics, helping us leverage the expertise spread across the university in a way that benefits all of our organization.

Co-leading the Steering Committee and the progress of the project overall are Amber Peter of the Office of Communications and Marketing and Brad Andersen of Information Technology Services.

“We’ve been really intentional, ensuring this project not just be about the replacement of an enterprise technology system, but a change in the way we work in this space. Even more important to our success than the system that is chosen, is the environment around that system. Providing everyone with the resources, training and support they need to accomplish their goals in this digital environment is paramount to the success of this project,” Andersen stated.

In addition to addressing the system and the resources available, woven throughout this project has been continual campus involvement. According to Peter, “From the beginning, we set out to get as many varied perspectives on this topic as possible, and that has not only helped keep our recommendations balanced, but has also provided an invaluable reminder of the cascading impact decisions such as these carry.”

To-date, surveys, committees and workgroups have been the most tangible ways campus has been able to engage with the project. Employees have also been encouraged to get involved by contacting members of the Steering Committee to share concerns or questions or through requesting involvement in . There will even be an opportunity in the coming months for campus community members to provide feedback regarding final CMS selection. Faculty and staff members can stay informed about the project through multiple channels, including UofL Today, UofL News, the as well as communications from leadership as significant milestones are achieved.

In preparation for the return to campus, President Bendapudi and Provost Gonzalez stressed the importance of in-person work through a .

“This fall, we expect to offer a majority of in-person classes and highly engaging experiences on campus that support the whole student body. To do that, we must have a strong, welcoming presence in our classrooms and student-service areas. This means front-facing and student-service positions will need to have a consistent presence on campus,” the communication noted.Ìę

Although many have eagerly awaited the return to pre-COVID conditions, the impending transition back to in-person work has left employees throughout the nation feeling anxious. Over the past year and a half, individuals rose to the occasion and adapted to the difficulties of isolation and remote working conditions. Just as employees have fully adjusted to these changes, employers are now requesting personnel to return to in-person operations. Several universities have proposed stringent policies that will make remote work difficult for employees, which has caused mounting tensions and high turnover rates among university workers nationwide.

While there is an emphasis on in-person work at UofL, leadership has been committed to providing flexible work options for employees when possible. The went into effect on July 1 and allows UofL employees to request remote work arrangements with their respective department leaders. To help supervisors and employees navigate the process, HR provided a series of training sessions during the month of May to review both the Remote Work Policy and Remote Work Agreement.

The flexibility offered through UofL’s Remote Work Policy intends to lessen the anxieties of both faculty and staff as they resume on-campus work. Employees like Kevin Ledford, enterprise systems programmer with Information Technology Services, see potential for lasting positive changes for employees at UofL.

“During COVID-19, our staff has been largely acting remotely and been doing a fantastic job in the face of challenges. We have proven that a number of our workers can work remotely and be as effective, if not more so, than they were before,” Ledford stated. “Allowing workers flexibility goes a long way towards making UofL a great place to work. Giving the worker the flexibility to request what works best for them and work with their department to come up with a plan is a good step forward.”

Despite the flexibility of working from home, many faculty and staff members have been yearning for in-person interactions with students and colleagues. Sherri Wallace, professor of Political Science, is among the employees eager to return to campus this August.

“I’m looking forward to the energy I get from my students during in-person instruction, the looks on students’ faces that indicate where they are and the dynamic discussions that emanate from being in the moment or in the room. I’m looking forward to the casual or vigorous intellectual exchanges that occur in the hallway or on the way to a meeting with colleagues and staff,” Wallace said. “I realize and appreciate virtual or electronic discussions are now part of the norm for communication; however, nothing can or will ever replace social interaction from working in-sync and in-person with those around you.”

Whether employees are returning to campus, continuing remote work or some hybrid fashion of the two, a cautious optimism is felt throughout as UofL begins transitioning back to pre-COVID operations. For more information on the Remote Work Policy and the return to campus, students and employees can refer to . All remote work requests should be submitted and finalized by Aug. 1, 2021.

President Bendapudi and Dan Durbin, chief financial officer, provided senators with an overview of the . The budget was approved by the Board of Trustees on June 24, 2021.

Highlights of the budget included the return of employer retirement contribution to pre-Covid levels and an additional $3 million in endowment funding for the university. Durbin reported that for the second consecutive year, no increases were made to employee health insurance premiums or to employee parking permit fees.

Senators were informed about three proposed program closures. The Academic Programs committee recommended the closure of the master of arts in French, language and literature and the graduate certificate in translation and interpreting, as well the joint executive master in business administration degree previously offered in conjunction with the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics. All three proposed program closures were approved and will go into effect on Aug. 1 of this year.

Two new academic program proposals were also presented to the Faculty Senate. The proposed programs include a bachelor of science in general studies through the College of Arts and Sciences and a master of science in health professions education through the College of łÉÈËֱȄ and Human Development. The suggested implementation for the bachelor of science in general studies is the fall semester of 2022 and the master of science in health professions education is suggested to start for the spring semester of 2022. Both programs received approval from the senate.

Committee reports can be accessed on the . Due to technical difficulties, a video of the full meeting is not available, but a recorded portion of the meeting can be found .

The Faculty Senate does not meet in the month of August; the next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for September 1 via a hybrid format with the option of remote attendance via Teams, or in-person attendance at Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.