Those subcommittees include one to identify grand challenges, and nine (three each) for our strategy focus areas of making UofL a great place to learn, work and invest.

The grand challenges subcommittee has met its January 2020 timeline and has passed along recommendations for priority research areas in which UofL can make the biggest impact on local and global communities. These recommendations will be reviewed by the president, provost and EVPRI and announced in late February/early March.

The strategy subcommittees start meeting this month.

For the Learn strategy, the objectives are to attract and graduate the most talented, diverse student body through meaningful and structured commitment to student success; engage every undergraduate student in required meaningful experiential learning opportunities; and engage students in increasing research that will bolster our prominence.

For the Work strategy, objectives include becoming an employer of choice that intentionally attracts and retains the most talented and diverse faculty and staff; inspiring a culture of care, trust, accountability, equity and transparency by embedding the Cardinal Principles; and providing all faculty and staff fair and equitable compensation.

For the Invest strategy, objectives include increasing productivity and innovation in research, scholarship and creative activities addressing the grand challenges; improving the ease and impact of partnering with the university by building and stewarding mutually beneficial relationships that support student success, faculty productivity and staff development; and creating social, cultural and learning opportunities that bring people to campus or campus to people.

The implementation update is . Also, regular updates will be posted on the Strategic Plan website: my.louisville.edu/strategic-plan.  

Provost Beth Boehm provided an update to the Faculty Senate, noting that a budget planning and monitoring committee has been formed and includes three subcommittees – funding requests, budget model discretionary allocation, administrative activity. She said the goal is to make sure the campus community is better informed about the budget process.

The provost search committee has been created, co-chaired by Dentistry Dean Gerry Bradley and Kent Dean David Jenkins. The provost will replace Boehm, whose two-year term ends June 30. Airport interviews will be conducted in mid-March, with on-campus interviews taking place in April.

Boehm also reported that the search is also underway for a new Arts & Sciences dean and that UofL has suspended travel to China as the coronavirus proliferates.

Krista Wallace-Boaz provided the Faculty Senate Chair report, including the provost search timeline, and a call for faculty representation on the shared governance workgroup and the strategic plan implementation subcommittees.

Finally, Speed School Professor Olfa Nasraoui presented details on an Athena grant received from the National Science Foundation, which includes a Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher ����ֱ�� (COACHE) Faculty Satisfaction Survey.

There are two main objectives for this survey: to improve the recruitment, retention, promotion and advancement of faculty, particularly women in STEM fields; and to provide education on implicit bias.

Survey themes include research, teaching, service, resources and support, interdisciplinary work/collaboration/mentoring, tenure and promotion; institutional leadership; shared governance; department engagement/quality and collegiality; appreciation and recognition; and retention and negotiation.

More information about the COACHE Survey is available online.��

Additional committee reports are .��The next Faculty Senate meeting is March 4 in Chao Auditorium.

Among the attributes UofL needs in its next provost, as agreed upon by the Faculty Senate, are:

• Understanding of, and dedication to, the context, vision, and strategic goals of UofL
• Ability to cultivate a cohesive university community by making fair and just decisions
• Creates a unity of purpose through coherent and consistent messaging, and through transparent internal communication
• Effectively communicates the goals of the University and the President’s Office to the University community

Essential qualifications include a PhD or equivalent, earned tenure, demonstrated excellence in academic leadership (departmental/decanal/provostial) and demonstrated commitment to academic freedom/shared governance and – added during the meeting – Constitutional rights.

Core competencies include demonstration of the highest ethical integrity, prepared to advance the metropolitan mission of both a Carnegie Highest Research Activity university and a Carnegie Community Engaged university, ability to develop a clear and coherent vision for the academic mission and more.

The . It was passed unanimously by the Faculty Senate.

President Neeli Bendapudi provided a number of updates about the Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ��, noting that more money is being allocated for performance-based funding, as well as deferred maintenance. The finance committee asked for a 10 percent increase for performance-based funding.

Bendapudi said the business community in Kentucky is starting to push harder for education initiatives to support economic development.

“This is needed. It’s encouraging,” she said.

She also reflected on the past year in the office, expressing pride in UofL’s graduation rate increases within just one year, as well as the fact that UofL students graduate with the lowest amount of debt of all public universities in the state, among other accomplishments.

Bendapudi also talked about the Strategic Plan, which is officially underway.

“This has truly been a campus-wide process and I am optimistic about achieving our biggest goals,” she said.

Finally, Bendapudi said the hospital process is “coming along well,” since UofL agreed to acquire .

“There is a sense of excitement and trepidation. This will be good for us. We are finally in charge of our own destiny,” she said. “Had Jewish closed, that would have been 2,500 jobs lost, $100 million in payroll. The human impact was what was most important to me – 600 people a month in the community need a hospital room. Where would they go?”

Provost Beth Boehm said the new student well-being committee has been formed.

“It is a big group and I’m delighted so many people wanted to be a part of this,” she said.

Also, an advising task force has been charged, as has an IBM implementation committee.

Boehm also provided an update from the Council on Postsecondary ����ֱ��, noting that a program review consultant has been hired by the state to review programs at all public schools. They will look at which programs to sustain, grow, start or sunset. This work will require an “enormous” data pull, Boehm said.

A search firm has been chosen for the provost search. Airport interviews continue for the EVPRI position. Boehm is meeting with Arts & Sciences faculty next week to discuss the school’s dean search. Finally, Boehm is attending an ACC Provost Conference at Clemson and will provide an update upon her return.

Dr. Ralph Fitzpatrick, senior vice president for Community Engagement, Susan Jenkins and Heidi Cooley Cook discussed the Cards Come Together initiative. This inaugural week of service, led by UofL President Neeli Bendapudi, will feature several service projects across the city as well as collection sites on campus. The objective is to get 1,000 faculty, staff and students to participate. A complete list of projects is available online at events.louisville.edu/cardscometogether.

A kickoff celebration will be held at the Red Barn Oct. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Cedric Powell, faculty grievance officer, provided his annual report. From Sept. 20, 2018 through Sept. 30, 2019, there were nine Type I faculty grievances filed and four Type II grievance. His full report is .

Ombudsman Diane Tobin also provided a report from her office. She said the trends she is seeing that cause people to use her services include communication issues, budgetary issues, understanding policies and procedures and lack of positive recognition. Throughout the past year, 122 people across campus have used the ombudsman’s services. More information about those services is .

Sabrina Collins provided an update from the SGA. She recently attended the College Completion Summit in Salt Lake City with administrators and staff with an objective of learning how to become a more student-centered campus.

Also, two resolutions recently passed in the Student Senate:

• A resolution to implement an anonymous evaluation system of academic advisers following advising appointments;
• A resolution to excuse students from class for election day due to absentee ballot issues.

The Faculty Senate voted to endorse the latter.

The Staff Senate report from September is . Committee reports are also .

The next Faculty Senate meeting is Nov. 6 in Chao Auditorium.