President Bendapudi addressed Staff Senators and highlighted recent accomplishments from members of the UofL community. In September, a surgical team with UofL Health – Jewish Hospital performed the world’s first total artificial heart implantation in a female patient, for example.

“In September, the first artificial heart transplant for a man in the United States was performed at Duke University. A week later, the second artificial heart transplant for a man in the United States was here at the University of Louisville. We followed that up by performing the very first artificial heart transplant for a female patient in the world right here at UofL,” Bendapudi said. “I mention that because going forward, I hope I can share these bragging points with our employees because these are genuine, world-wide accomplishments for the university.”

Bendapudi also addressed Staff Senator’s questions and concerns regarding compensation. She said future annual 1% raises for university employees will be contingent on revenue and student enrollment figures. Student enrollment and retention is the largest contributor to revenue for UofL and also affects state funding. Projections estimate that the number of college students in Kentucky will decrease 15% by the year 2025. For this reason, Bendapudi prompted senators and their constituents to reach out and encourage students on campus.

“The best chance we have of our increasing our revenues – the part of the world that we can control and influence – is student enrollment and retention. It is the biggest contributor to revenue and controls where and when we can provide raises,” Bendapudi said. “I believe that everybody who works at UofL should feel confident that every year they will get a raise. To do that, we’ve got to work on our enrollment and retention.”

Vice President of Human Resources Mary Elizabeth Miles informed senators that will be available Oct. 20 through Nov. 3. Employees wishing to make no changes to their plan will not need to take any actions; however, those with a flexible spending account will need to reenroll to retain their balance.

Kari Aikins, director of Total Rewards for UofL, provided senators with additional information on Open Enrollment. Aikens addressed some of the recent changes made to health care plans, including the transition to Optum Health for HRA and FSA administration and moderate increases to vision and dental plans. Senators and their constituents were encouraged to attend one of the four Open Enrollment Benefit Information Sessions offered by Human Resources via Microsoft Teams. Employees who were unable to attend one of the four sessions may view a or reach out to their designated for additional information.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The next Staff Senate meeting is Nov. 9 via Microsoft Teams.

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. 

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 ����ֱ�� 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.

Bendapudi informed senators that effective July 1, retirement contributions will be restored to their pre-COVID levels, 7.5%. She further reported that a 1% increase to base pay is pending approval by the Board of Trustees. If approved in the upcoming July board meeting, the 1% increase will go into effect on August 1.

“Every year, everyone who works here should have some increase to keep up with cost-of-living adjustments. Something to show we believe in you and we’re investing along with you,” Benadpudi said. 

Unit elections closed on May 28 and resulted in the seating of 50 Staff Senators, including 21 first-time Staff Senate representatives. Credentials and Nominations received a total of 106 applications, both from returning Senators and first-time applicants. The seating of the senators was approved unanimously.

Due to COVID-19 scheduling conflicts, the Staff Senate meetings were moved from the second Monday of each month to the second Tuesday. After a senator poll revealed overwhelming support for Tuesday meetings, changes to Article IV of the Senate bylaws were proposed that will allow for flexibility in meeting scheduling moving forward. Senators will vote on the proposed bylaw changes at next month’s Staff Senate meeting.

On May 25, President Bendapudi announced the observance of Juneteenth as a university holiday starting this year and moving forward. In response to the university’s inaugural observance of Juneteenth, the Committee on Anti-Racism Efforts (CARE) prepared recommendations for the Staff Senate.

The chair of CARE, Leondra Gully, presented the recommendations before the Senate. CARE proposed that a statement on behalf of the Staff Senate that recognizes the university’s commitment to observe Juneteenth, as well as the historical significance of the holiday. Additionally, the statement will inform recipients how they can celebrate within the campus community or individually. The proposed Juneteenth statement was approved by senators.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on July 13 in a hybrid format via Microsoft Teams; more information is forthcoming.

Bendapudi informed senators that the university recently received positive ratings by Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. These credit rating agencies evaluate several different industries, including higher education institutions.

“We were downgraded by these agencies for a couple of years, but this year, they took notice of the fact that we have stabilized our finances. We took some important corrective measures that we needed to, and I am pleased to tell you that both of them changed the outlook of the university from negative to stable,” Bendapudi said.

Bendapudi also provided senators with preliminary information on budgeting priorities. She asserted that her highest priority will be the restoration of retirement benefits, pending approval from the Board of Trustees. If passed, retirement benefits will be restored to 7.5% effective July 1.

Bendapudi also addressed her priority on employee healthcare, stating “we are making a commitment that there will not be any health care cost increases. Last year, we felt that given everything going on, the university would absorb those additional costs and not pass it on to our employees. So, I am pleased to tell you that for a second year in a row, the university will absorb those increases.”

Mary Elizabeth Miles, vice president for Human Resources, informed senators about upcoming training sessions for the Remote Work Policy. The policy was developed over the past year with the assistance and feedback of several members of the university community, including the Policy and Economic Development Committee of the Staff Senate.

Referencing the Miles stated, “department leaders may offer flexible work options to employees as long as a strong presence is in our classrooms and student-service areas are maintained and the overall operations of our schools, colleges and departments are continued without compromising the quality or productivity.”

The new Remote Work Policy and the Remote Work Agreement will be released on June 1. At that time, employees wishing to work from home may submit the Remote Work Agreements to their first- and second-line supervisors. Any denials will be directed to the department head for final review and determination.

In response to feedback from staff and faculty members, HR will be providing a series of supervisor and employee HRtalks training sessions to review the Remote Work Policy and Remote Work Agreement. All faculty and staff were encouraged to attend the upcoming trainings, which can be accessed from the .

Executive Vice President and University Provost Lori Gonzalez announced that her office is interviewing for a chief of staff to the provost. Gonzalez stated that the position will increase the responsiveness of the Office of the Provost. Four candidates were interviewed for the Dean of the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development, and Gonzalez announced that a decision should be expected in the near future. 

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on June 8 via Microsoft Teams.

Bendapudi provided senators with current information on the mass COVID-19 vaccination site located in the purple lot of Cardinal Stadium. The 28-lane vaccination location, which estimates a 10-minute wait time for scheduled vaccine recipients, is currently open to anyone from Kentucky over the age of 16. Information on vaccination appointment scheduling at any of the four Louisville area locations can be found through the UofL Health website .

“You should be proud of your university for stepping up and doing this for the community,” Bedapudi said.

Benapudi also responded to senators’ concerns about the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. The one-dose vaccine was provided through UofL Health in the beginning of April, but current administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine has been suspended by the CDC and the FDA pending an investigation into some rare cases of blood clotting. 

“Out of the 6.3 million vaccinations, there were about six people who developed blood clots. It truly is one in a million, but that doesn’t mean it’s trivial. The CDC is putting out information, and we will be sure to share that,” Bendapudi said.

At present, UofL Health is only administering the Pfizer vaccine and will stay informed of the CDC guidelines and recommendations concerning the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who receive the vaccine and develop severe headaches, blurred vision, slurred speech, leg swelling or severe abdominal roughly one to two weeks after administration are encouraged to contact their health provider or Campus Health Services. Additional information was shared through a university-wide update on April 14, which can be found .

Jennifer Steier, chair of the Credentials and Nominations Committee for the Staff Senate, shared the results of the committee’s proportion calculations for senate seat distribution among departments. The J.B. Speed School of Engineering, the School of Dentistry, the School of ����ֱ��, the School of Business, the Office of the Executive Vice President of Research and the Office of the President gained one seat; the Office of the Provost gained two seats. The Chief Operating Officer lost two seats, the VP of Health Affairs lost one seat and the School of Medicine lost five seats.

A total of 49 seats will be up for election in 2021, and 50 seats will be vacant in 2022. Applications for Staff Senate are currently closed. Additional information on the Staff Senate voting process will be presented at the May Staff Senate meeting.

The Staff Grievance Committee reported one grievance since the last full Staff Senate meeting. The hearing committee is being led by Barbara Bishop, the committee vice chair, and interviews concerning that matter are currently ongoing.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on May 11 via Microsoft Teams.

Bendapudi informed senators that as of April 12, the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Cardinal Stadium will be open to anyone over the age of 16. Information on vaccination appointment scheduling at any of the four Louisville area locations can be found through the UofL Health website .

“We have the capacity to give about 4,000 vaccines a day. As we look at the registrations, there are still plenty of openings. Receiving the vaccine is something that I strongly recommend,” Bendapudi said.

Senators voted on two certificate proposals from the Academic Programs Committee. A graduate certificate in Family Business Management and Advising from the College of Business was presented to senators, as well as a post-graduate certificate in Pediatric Acute Care Nursing provided through the School of Nursing. Both certificates received unanimous support from the Faculty Senate.

Tracy Eells, vice provost of faculty affairs, presented senators with the proposed faculty accountability policy. In December 2019, the provost charged a committee to make recommendations regarding expectations of faculty behavior and appropriate disciplinary actions. The proposed policy is intended to add consistency and equity in disciplinary actions across all departments and will be independent of the faculty grievance policy. The Faculty Senate will respond to the proposed policy at the next senate meeting in May.

Findings from the 2020 Part-time Faculty Survey, which was administered to part-time faculty between Oct. 27 and Nov. 11, were shared with Faculty Senate. While over 70% of respondents reported being either satisfied or very satisfied with their employment at UofL, the results also identified some concerns for part-time faculty members. Results indicated that some part-time faculty were not receiving, or were not made aware of, annual performance evaluations. Respondents also voiced concerns about the lack of compensation for course preparation time when those courses are later cancelled. Roy Fuller, chair of the Part-time Faculty Committee, indicated that additional research and part-time faculty surveys will be employed to address these concerns.

Members of the W2 committee provided senators with the preliminary findings of the fall 2020 cultural wellbeing survey. The survey boasted over 2,300 responses from faculty, staff, students and alumni. The survey gauged cultural wellbeing using three metrics for inclusion among UofL community members: hope, belonging and trust. The W2 committee plans to align the data from the survey with each of the nine Cardinal Principles, then identify and recommend the lectures, workshops and other ongoing university programs that can improve cultural wellbeing across the university community.

Theo Edmonds, who presented the preliminary findings to senators, stated, “the survey allows us to show that the culture of our organization has empirically improved and improved in a way that supports an increase in inclusive innovation. Using this culture change process, we can support more innovation in the university by finding new ways to unlock the latent potential in all the different groups that are a part of our UofL family.”

Committee reports and a video recording of the virtual meeting can be accessed on the . The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for May 5 via Microsoft Teams.

Bendapudi provided senators with updates and reminders about the COVID-19 vaccine. State government constraints limit the number of available vaccines, which restricts how quickly vaccines can be offered to the entire university community. Bendapudi further reminded senators that age will be the determining factor for when vaccines will be offered to employees. An email notification from UofL Health will alert those who are next in line to receive the vaccination. All staff, faculty and students were encouraged to take advantage of the vaccine when it is made available to them.

“If you have a chance to get a vaccine please do it, as all of the scientific evidence right now is that you’re better off taking the vaccine,” Bendapudi said.

Bendapudi presented key findings from the Counsel on Postsecondary ����ֱ��, which oversees all Kentucky higher education institutions. The counsel assesses all colleges and universities on 29 different metrics of progress. Bendapudi reported that since the 2015/2016 academic year, the university has improved on 26 of the 29 measured metrics. Adult learners over the age of 22, diversity of tenure track staff and student performance in English were among those areas with room for growth. The CPE findings further highlighted fall 2020 enrollment rates for the university.

“In fall of 2020, we led all Kentucky public colleges and universities by actually growing our freshmen enrollment by about 2.5%, when nationally the trends were down. This is the direct result of staff contribution at every level,” Bendapudi said.

Senators were also joined by M. Rehan Khan, vice president of information technology services and chief information officer, and Katherine Stevenson, executive director of enterprise technology services. As part of the ongoing effort to keep the university secure, access to campus resources will be restricted for devices with unsupported operating systems.

Stevenson informed senators that now obsolete operating systems, including Windows 7 and early variations of macOS, are no longer receiving necessary patches. As a result, these operating systems are increasingly exposed to vulnerabilities and possible cybersecurity threats.  

“It’s important that people keep their operating systems up to date to receive these patches. If you don’t, your machine is very vulnerable to ransomware and other forms of malicious software,” Stevenson stated.

At the close of business on Feb. 26, these unsupported operating systems will no longer be able to access the campus VPN. At that time, devices running Windows 7 and the obsolete versions of macOS will not be able to access PeopleSoft HR. Employees were encouraged to take advantage of the free upgrade to Windows 10 through the university’s Microsoft contract. Updates to macOS are also available free of charge. Up to five personal devices can be updated to compatible operating systems by contacting the

Brian Buford, director of employee development and success, provided senators with information about the launch of the new Employee Success Center. The ESC was formed as part of the 2019-2022 to help make the university a great place to work. Leadership training, mentoring and coaching will be provided through the center to improve workplace culture and promote employee engagement.

To celebrate the launch of the Employee Success Center, President Bendapudi will host a virtual fireside chat with special guest, Simon Sinek, on Feb. 22 at 1 p.m. Sinek is a renowned speaker, author and presenter of the third most watched TED Talk of all time. Employees can register for the free virtual event

Committee reports and a full video recording of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on March 9 via Microsoft Teams.

As of Jan. 10, spring semester enrollment was up by 578 students compared to 2020. Bendapudi acknowledged that new online learning opportunities in both the College of Business and the College of ����ֱ�� and Human Development heavily contributed to this figure. She thanked advisors, admissions staff, the financial aid office, student success coordinators, and faculty members for their efforts and contributions toward student success and retention.

Bendapudi provided senators with information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine availability. Vaccination of all university health care faculty and staff is expected to be completed by late January. Next, the vaccine will be offered to UofL employees and students in order of their age groups. “Our best judgement is to distribute it by age, which is what the best science is telling us. Whether you are faculty, staff, or a student, those who are 65 or older will get it first,” Bendapudi said.

Executive Vice President and University Provost Beth Boehm provided additional information on the age categories for vaccine distribution. They will be available to students, faculty and staff over the age of 65, followed by those 50 and older, and then those under 50. Boehm further noted that there will be four rounds of required testing for individuals operating on campus. Those working completely off campus are not required to be tested. 

Boehm addressed senator concerns about recent vandalism at the Belknap Theatre building on the corner of Floyd and Warnock. The damage has been repaired and the building will have increased security as the matter is investigated further.

Faculty Senate Chair David Schultz presented the charge for the ad hoc committee on inclusion, diversity, anti-racism and equity. The committee will be comprised of one faculty representative from each of the 12 senate units, as well as chair and vice-chair of the Faculty Senate. While non-senators will have the opportunity to serve on the committee, a majority of the representatives must be faculty senators. 

Gary Becker, director of University Parking & Transportation Services, provided updates on campus parking. Parking fees were approved for increase in the year 2020, but the increases were suspended due to the pandemic. Becker reported that the previously approved increase will be recommended to move forward in 2021. The increase will vary between the different types parking permits and will range from a $10 to $21 addition to annual fees.

Becker further reported that university parking has an expected $1.3 million revenue loss due to COVID-19. This expected loss has deferred maintenance on some university parking facilities. Becker informed senators that maintenance on all university parking facilities is planned to occur in the next three to five years.

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be accessed on the . The next faculty meeting is scheduled for Feb. 3 via Microsoft Teams.

Lewis provided an overview of the current state of the University of Louisville Police Department. Despite a rise in violent crimes reported to the Louisville Metro Police Department, Lewis informed senators that the university community has seen a decrease in violent crimes. Lewis stated, “I credit that decrease to the men and women of the ULPD, who create a barrier of stopping and deterring potential crime as it’s happening.”

Senators were informed about the success of several programs including the ULPD and Criminal Justice Internship Program. A former participant from the program that started as an intern has now graduated and will be hired on to become an officer within the department. Lewis highlighted this successful program as an important alignment with the Department of Criminal Justice and a worthy investment in students.

ULPD also reported community-wide upgrades to security and surveillance technology. Additional cameras have been placed around the Cardinal Towne apartments to eliminate a low visibility zone around the building. Similar improvements will continue to be implemented across all three university campuses.

Lewis also addressed concerns raised after an incident at University of Louisville Hospital that was not identified to the university community through the RAVE alert system. The incident was handled internally by the hospital’s security staff rather than ULPD forces. Lewis also provided clarification on the Clery Act, the federal law requiring colleges and universities to disclose information about crime on campus. After meeting with risk management and legal advisors, the determination was made that the incident in question fell outside of the geographical scope of the Clery Act. Lewis cited that this is due to the University of Louisville Hospital retaining private security and the Louisville Metro Police Department serving as the primary responding agency.

Staff Senate Chair John Smith followed up by announcing the launch of a new Comprehensive Emergency Response Center. The center will handle a wide range of emergencies on a university-wide scale. The center will be housed on the Health Science Campus on the first floor of the Nursing School building.

Bendapudi provided senators with highlights from the past semester. She reported that enrollment reached 23,000 in the fall 2020 semester, the highest it has been in the past 20 years. Research funding was at an all-time high at $170 million, and Bendapudi reported that it will continue to increase. She also highlighted the positive effects of last year’s university healthcare enterprise expansion.

“I am so grateful that so many people came together to allow us to back the acquisition of the Louisville-based assets of Kentucky One, It’s been a little over a year since we took over all of the assets. Imagine where we would have all been with COVID-19 without Jewish hospital, without Mary and Elizabeth. It’s a scary thought so I’m very grateful that continues to go well,” Bendapudi said.

The Staff Senate Grievance Committee reported one grievance filed in the last month. A small hearing committee met with the grievant, a first line supervisor, and a witness in the case. The recommendation was submitted to all parties, the grievant authority agreed with the grievance committee’s recommendation, and the disciplinary action was upheld.

Committee reports and a full video recording of the virtual meeting can be found on the . The Staff Senate will not meet in the month of January. The next Staff Senate meeting will be held on Feb. 9 via Teams.