UofL alumni are invited to a session Tuesday, May 10, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in rooms 116 and 117, Swain Student Activities Center, Belknap Campus.

The community at large is invited to a similar session Wednesday, May 11, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Chao Auditorium, Ekstrom Library, Belknap Campus.

The public sessions will be both in person and on . If you cannot participate in the discussion, please use the on that site to provide your feedback.

Additional sessions will be held for students, faculty and staff. These sessions are not open to the public. Meetings also will be held with on-campus constituency groups, including the Council of Academic Officers; the executive committees of the Faculty and Staff senates; Student Government Association leadership; the Presidential Search Faculty Consultation Committee; and representatives from the Commission on Diversity and Racial Equality, the Commission on the Status of Women and diversity leaders.

The search committee will use feedback from all these sessions to create a leadership statement/job description for the presidency and to inform decisions made during the search process.

He said the operations unit is working on a 5-year plan that includes making data-based decisions, improving communication within units and getting staff involved in decisions.

“I am thrilled to be here and I am excited about the direction we’re headed in,” Han said.

Also during the meeting, SGA’s newly-elected president Jonathan Fuller gave the group’s report, which includes a resolution to establish course fee evaluations. Fuller asked faculty senators for input on where this information should go (for example, at the end of a course evaluation). The resolution objective is to make clear to all students enrolled in a course with associated fees what the intended use of those fees is. The full resolution is .��

Faculty Senate Chair Enid Trucios-Haynes provided her report, which included an update on several board meetings and subcommittee meetings since February. She said 53 candidates have applied for the presidential position, calling it a “good pool of candidates.” That number has since been whittled down to about 10. The presidential decision is expected in April or May. Her full report is .��

Trucios-Haynes opened the floor for discussion on recently-held budget forums, survey results and other university priorities. Concerns were raised about the process behind dropping low-enrollment programs and which metrics are used to determine their fate.

“We shouldn’t be cutting any programs if our goal is to grow enrollment by 40 percent,” one senator said.

Another expressed concern about how to scale for such ambitious growth, including digital and physical infrastructure, support staff and services.

Interim Provost Dale Billingsley provided an update on the state budget process, noting that UofL will not know if any cuts are on the table until mid-April.

“The House passed a budget proposal that removed most of the governor’s cuts to university budgets; while this more generous budget is likely to be tightened up in the Senate, the university’s advocacy work, led by assistant vice president Shannon Rickett, seems to be having good effects,” he said.

Billingsley also reported that about 500 employees and students participated in President Postel’s budget forums in February, noting that while there was good discussion, none of the ideas proposed have been unexplored already.

UofL is reconsidering tuition sharing plans and whether they’re beneficial. Billingsley also discussed the university’s enrollment growth goals, which will become more clear when the revenue targets are further along by the end of April.

“Enrollment growth is many different things. The cheapest is retention, so we’re focusing very heavily on retention efforts,” he said. “Part of the reason for growth is not just to get money, but to improve the programs we have and to provide our students with the education and experience they need to become productive citizens.”

Billingsley also noted that, at 2018 tuition rates, discounting fees of any sort and thinking only of resident undergraduate tuition, an increase of 5,000 full-time undergraduates will yield almost $28 million dollars in gross tuition revenue per term.

Other general interest items from Billingsley’s report include:

• Cardinal Core, the program that replaces the General ����ֱ�� Requirements of 2002, has been accepted by the undergraduate faculties and will be promulgated for all undergraduate students in the undergraduate catalog to be issued in May. The Cardinal Core makes some significant but not radical changes in the current program, especially in the areas of quantitative reasoning, historical understanding and diversity.
• CPE has proposed a new academic program review policy with more CPE control over curriculum and program administration.
• Campus Climate Survey action plans should be released later this month.
• Dean search updates: The Speed School search committee hosted four campus visits, which concluded at the end of January. The committee submitted unranked recommendations. The Nursing School search committee selected five finalists for on-campus interviews. The SIGS decanal review is underway and expects to complete its work in May. The Music decanal review and SPHIS decanal review are getting underway with the election/appointment of members as required by the REDBOOK. Medicine decanal five-year review will begin in July.
• For other searches: With the resignation of Bryan Robinson, President Postel is overseeing advancement activities until a consultant can be retained. VP Enterprise Risk Management and Compliance: Rhonda Bishop, Vice President for Enterprise Risk Management, Audit and Compliance, starts April 16. VP Finance and CFO: Preparations for a renewed search have begun. University Ombuds: Dr. Bob Staat has agreed to take up this assignment (again) until June 30.
• The SACS reaffirmation team will visit the university March 26-29 for onsite review of the focused report issues and the QEP proposal.

Billingsley’s full report is .��

Committee reports, including academic programs, part-time faculty, ULAA and the president search faculty consultation committee, are also .��

The next Faculty Senate meeting is April 4 from 3-5 p.m. in Chao Auditorium.

Grissom updated the board on the presidential search at its meeting Thursday. He said 138 names had been submitted to Bill Funk, head of the firm that is helping with the search. Of those, 47 are considered active candidates, a number that Grissom expects to grow to at least 50.

Although applications are still being accepted, candidates were encouraged to submit their information by Thursday, Feb. 15.

After reviewing information on every candidate, Grissom is “very pleased” with the pool, which includes current interim President Greg Postel, he said. He did not elaborate on how many candidates are internal or whether there are candidates from Kentucky.

Grissom set a meeting for Thursday, March 8, at which the search committee, which includes all the trustees, will trim the list to eight to 10 names. Those candidates will be invited to meet with the board, after which the list will be cut to three or four.

The finalists and their spouses will be invited to campus to meet with the UofL community, Grissom said. Candidates who choose to remain anonymous will meet with the board, the Presidential Search Faculty Consultation Committee and a small group of faculty, staff, students and administrators.

The aggressive timeline could lead to selection of a president by late April or early May.

The forums were part of a listening tour conducted by the UofL Board of Trustees. The board is seeking input as it puts together the leadership statement/job description as part of the presidential search.

“We all have the same desire,” said Bonita Black, chair of the trustees’ Listening Tour Committee. “We all want the best possible president for the university.”

Common themes arose through two open community events and small-group meetings with the executive committees of the Faculty and Staff senates and the Council of Academic Officers (deans and other key administrators). Those themes included a need for the next president to have a strong academic background and to value diversity, integrity and transparency. In addition, forum participants suggested the next president should be politically savvy, committed to community service and student focused.

The listening tour will continue Thursday with several small-group meetings, as well as open forums at 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the University Club. The open forums will be live streamed at this link: http://uofl.me/UL-Video.

Questions and comments also may be submitted on the , or on Twitter using the hashtag #uoflprezsearch.

Senate committee elections were held, and an action item was approved to add a graduate certificate in biostatistics. All courses already exist as part of the master’s program, so no additional resources are needed to launch the certificate program.

Chair Enid Trucios-Haynes presented highlights from the chair’s report, which is available .

She noted her efforts urging board of trustees’ chair David Grissom to advise the campus community about the planned framework for the presidential search process, which he has reported will be a closed search throughout the process. The BOT has received numerous responses to his proposal, including from faculty, chairs, deans and the AAUP.

The Faculty Senate Executive Committee also responded and, after a lengthy discussion, it was motioned and approved that the senate endorse the XC’s letter, which reads:

Dear Members of the Board of Trustees,

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate is thoroughly opposed to the decision of the Board of Trustees to conduct a closed Presidential search. We feel that severely limiting the input from faculty and other constituents will damage the efforts to cultivate greater transparency, undermine the importance of shared governance, and negatively impact the future working relationship and trust between the faculty and senior leadership.

We believe that more input from constituents, particularly faculty, will assist the search committee throughout the process by providing important institutional history, and thus result in a better outcome. This more inclusive representation would also help restore the confidence of the University’s donors. We urge the Board to reevaluate the search process, and open the search once finalists are selected, allowing faculty, staff and students to interact on campus with each of the finalists. We also strongly recommend that the search committee be expanded to include a broader representation of campus and community constituents, along with a robust engagement of the .

Collaboration is essential to restoring the morale of the faculty, and greater collaboration will serve to unify the administration, students, staff and faculty so that we, the community of the University of Louisville, can focus on moving forward with our values, goals and initiatives.

Sincerely,

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate & The Faculty Senate

Todd Mooradian, dean of the College of Business, was introduced to the Senate. He has been in the post for a little less than a year and provided some of his background, including his proximity to higher education throughout his entire life, growing up near the campus of the University of New Hampshire.

Mooradian outlined three of his priorities in the decanal role, including promotion of a culture of inclusiveness, innovation and efficiency.

“I want to the school to embrace and celebrate each individual and invest in their success wholeheartedly. We’re also spending a lot of time thinking about value propositions so the community embraces us more,” he said. “We’re working hard to engage the community and finding ways to contribute to Louisville, Kentucky and the world. I am so pleased to be a part of an institution that gives students a public service opportunity.”

Report: Interim president Dr. Greg Postel provided an update on a variety of issues, including SACS. Last week, SACS sent six visitors to campus to gauge UofL’s progress in addressing the organization’s concerns that initiated probationary accreditation status last year. Specifically, SACS representatives were looking at 10 issues and UofL was cleared on eight of them.

The two that remain a concern have to do with the university’s affiliated entities and the qualification of administrators.

Postel said a memorandum of understanding is being created to define UofL’s relationship with the UofL Real Estate Foundation. He added that many searches are underway for administrative positions and he hopes to name a few permanent positions soon to help with the second concern.

More information about the SACS visit is .��

Postel noted that September marked UofL’s biggest research month in the history of the institution, led by Dr. Roberto Bolli’s $13.8 million grant from NIH to study a promising new heart failure treatment.

He pivoted to donor activity, which he described as “good, surprising,” and noted that the Advancement Office is working on enhancing stewardship efforts and programmatic support.

Postel provided an update on UofL Hospital, describing it as “busy, busy, busy.”

“The hospital is full. It hired 108 nurses in two months. Prior to July, it couldn’t hire a nurse to save itself, so that just shows the kind of work UMC is doing,” he said.

Postel discussed the budget, noting that 2016-17 is done and favorable. It will be available next week. The 2017-18 budget, meanwhile, is balanced, including the $48 million deficit.

“We’re right on target in every category,” he said. “I’m obsessed with finding new revenue streams. My biggest worry right now is how much education could be a victim to a decrease in state appropriations. It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘how much.’ But it’s reason for us to get motivated to find ways to stand on our own,” Postel said. “This is why we’re focusing on priority setting and hosting open forums to get faculty and staff to help us understand our priorities.”

Finally, Postel touched on the athletics scandals taking place, nothing the NCAA appeal for the prostitution scandal is in process and expected in mid-December. He said he is not optimistic because of the more recent FBI allegations against the men’s basketball team.

“The real issue here is reputational. To see another hit is painful,” he said. “There is nothing good about this (FBI) story. We are working very hard to stay current about the information as it comes in. The university is not a target in this, we are viewed as a victim. But that means we will have financial and reputational exposure again.”

Postel said he received about 3,000 emails last week about this scandal via email.

“It’s important to note that none of the decisions being made are personal. They’re all being made to protect the university,” he said.

Report: Interim Provost Dr. Dale Billingsley provided a brief update that will be available online soon. He mentioned the diversity plan is now available online and individual units will be required to work on their own plans soon. He also noted that there have been requests for more support for tuition revenue sharing plans for new programs and his office is working on getting a single template launched to tuition revenue sharing plans are transparent.

Report: Brian Bigelow, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, introduced himself to the Faculty Senate, having been in his position for the past 15 months. He provided an overview of what the university’s responsibilities are in response to last month’s changes to Title IX, introduced by Secretary of ����ֱ�� Betsy DeVos.

“There are new regulations, but we don’t know what they say yet and we don’t know how long it will take for them to go into effect,” he said. “In the meantime, it doesn’t affect UofL specifically. We’re in a holding pattern, but we’re alert to changes coming down the pike.”

Other reports are available online:

The next Faculty Senate meeting is Nov. 1, 3-5 p.m. in Ekstrom Library’s Chao Auditorium.

The senate approved the qualifications and qualities of an A+ University President, including:

• Visionary with a focus on strategic planning
• Terminal degree
• Commitment to academic excellence
• Experience in academic leaderships
• Experience with demonstrated knowledge of sources of income, revenue and managing fiscal affairs.

The full list is .��This list was pulled from feedback from all staff employees via a survey on Survey Monkey.

Another ad hoc committee created a new mission statement for the Staff Senate:

“The University of Louisville Staff Senate, as a partner in the Shared Governance structure, is an advocate for the interests and concerns of staff, in support of the University community and its mission.”

The statement was approved.

Report: Dr. Greg Postel, interim president

Postel opened his PowerPoint presentation with an overview of the UofL Hospital/James Graham Brown Cancer Center management transition, which was completed without incident July 1. Postel said 2,500 employees now work for UMC, which has a “strong” balance sheet and a balanced budget. Also, employee enthusiasm and engagement over the transition is “profound.”

“There were a number of people outside cheering when they were changing the signs. They’re excited about the opportunity to manage their hospital,” he said. “This is a real economic engine for the University of Louisville. This is one example of how to bring into our control and asset and a growth opportunity versus a cut.”

Postel provided a quick overview of the four construction projects underway – Belknap Academic Building, Swain Center renovation/expansion; Pediatric Medical Office Building; and Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium.

“I’m most excited about the academic building. It will include all of the things that go into making sure our students excel,” he said.

All projects remain on track for completion about a year from now.

Postel wanted to reiterate to the Staff Senate that the administration is not immune to the budget issues, noting that a number of positions will go unfilled, such as his chief of staff and the Chief Administrative Officer.

“The office of the president is down to four people. We had over 20 a year ago,” he said.

There are a number of appointments and searches underway:

• President, interim, Board of Trustees process
• Provost, interim, no search plan
• EVPHA, interim, no search plan
• Chief of Staff, will not be filled
• CAO, will not be filled
• VP of Advancement, interim, no search plan
• VP of Community Engagement, interim, no search plan
• VP of HR, interim, no search plan
• CFO of HSC, national search completed
• CFO of Belknap, interim, national search underway
• COO, interim, under consideration
• Ombudsman, search conducted by provost
• VP, ERM, under consideration

Postel provided an update to UofL’s SACS accreditation status, noting the leadership had an “excellent” meeting in June with SACS. Postel and a few other administrators are going to visit SACS in Georgia to talk about anything extra the university can do to ensure the September site visit is successful.

“It is a way for us to be proactive and for us to get our faces out there,” he said.

One of his biggest concerns is the financial stability of the university.

“SACS will want to see that we have a balanced budget. This institution has not had a balanced budget in years and they’re going to make sure we’re sticking to this. I’m very focused on this. “Now is not the time to be lax on expenses and revenue,” Postel said.

Postel said he has received a lot of feedback from donors and members of the public about the recent NCAA ruling about the men’s basketball team.

“This is frustrating, but it’s a part of our life and we have to get past it. There were four sets of findings and they were not appealing. This is a bad story and we’re not making excuses,” he said.

UofL is not appealing any of the findings.

“We want to send a message to the community loud and clear that we’re not trying to make light of anything that happened,” Postel said.

UofL is, however, appealing two of the penalties: vacation of wins/titles and financial claw back from conference proceeds.

“It’s hard to find precedent with these penalties. We are appealing these two with a ‘non-emotional’ justification. We feel that there were errors made in the way these penalties were decided. Some of the players ended up not even playing for UofL, for example,” Postel said. “We have to balance being fair but accepting our punishment.”

The appeal process will run at least until the fall, when the next hearing is scheduled.

Postel said there is not much to update on the UofL Foundation’s forensic audit. The board of trustees continues to study the report and a detailed discussion will take place at the next board meeting, July 20. This, he said, will kick off additional conversations.

The Jewish Hospital/Frazier Rehabilitation Center are on the market. These are KentuckyOne Health’s largest facilities and UofL owns the ground and much of the programming that takes place there (about half of the admissions).

“We’re trying to understand what we can do that produces no-to-minimal risk for the university but is in the best interests of the community because these facilities provide a big safety net for many, many people,” Postel told the Faculty Senate a week prior. “Two of the three busiest ERs in the city are for sale and as a service we can’t look away, but we can’t do something at the peril of the university.”

Finally, UofL will “reassess” the current, “extremely conservative” budget in the fall to see if we can change strategies.

“Will we have to be as harsh about hiring? Procurement? We should be able to know more by then. Nothing is going to be easy or popular,” Postel said. “But we are busy trying to make this as painless and short term as possible. I am also confident we are going to have donors back again and soon. We’re all in this together.”

Postel conducted a Q&A after his presentation, fielding many questions about the 6-percent procurement tax that has been proposed to each unit to help reach a $10 million procurement savings.

“I think it’s for the birds, but it’s a step that is being taken to kick off this savings effort. It may very well morph into something different, but this is a start,” Postel said.

Postel added that the procurement tax will be assessed soon and encouraged faculty and and staff to cut back on purchases and buy only what is needed.��

Report: Jeanell Hughes, AVP of HR

Hughes said the HR Tours launched in the spring have been well attended. HR is currently developing reports on attrition so we will know where we are month to month. The department is also developing a compensation report.

A program is being developed for any RIF employees that allows them to put their resume into a pool to be notified should any opportunities come up across campus. It is an opt-in program.

Hughes noted that July 21 is her last day with UofL.

Report: Faculty Senate

Dr. Bob Staat provided the Faculty Senate report from the week prior, which is . Staat is retiring Dec. 31.

“It has been a great pleasure serving in this role. You learn what’s really going on at this university with this group,” he said.

Chair Will Armstrong provided the Staff Senate Chair’s Report, also .��

Also at the meeting, new senators were welcomed and committee reports were provided, including �����Ի� .��

The treasurer’s report indicates that there is $2,347.53 in the general fund as of the end of May. The SHARE fund is $14,712.47, and the tech fund is $1,674.

The Staff Senate will not meet in August. The next meeting is Sept. 11 at 2:30 p.m. in Chao Auditorium.

Interim President Greg Postel told the board that work is under way to address the $48 million budget shortfall forecast for the 2017-18 fiscal year. University leadership is studying a variety of proposals for dealing with the situation, including the possible elimination of 1,000 currently open positions. Avoiding mass layoffs remains a priority, according to Postel.

Postel said that by not filling 1,000 open positions, delaying some deferred maintenance and enacting other belt-tightening measures, the university has managed to trim about $22 million from the current year budget.

In his report to the board, the interim president noted that the state House of Representatives this week passed Senate Bill 107, a measure that officials hope will satisfy concerns raised by UofL’s accrediting body over the issue of university governance and whether it had come under undue political influence.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools placed UofL on probation last year. SACS is scheduled to visit the university in September and review its status at a December meeting.

BOT Chairman David Grissom told the board that the forensic audit of the foundation is scheduled to be completed in early to mid-May. Alvarez & Marsal Disputes and Investigations, the firm conducting the audit, recently expanded the scope of its review. For that reason, the firm has doubled the cost of its work, Grissom said. The audit will now cost the university about $1.8 million.

In other news, the committee charged with selecting a new permanent president for UofL held its first meeting on March 15. The decision was made to split the 16-member body into two groups for some of its work. One group, led by Grissom, will be tasked with creating a job description for the position. The second, led by trustee and Papa John’s International founder John Schnatter, will develop a request for proposals for a search firm.

Grissom said the goal of the committee is to have a new president in place in a year and a half—in time for the start of the 2018-19 academic year.