“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. 

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 łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development

The 12-week program ends in November.

Jim Begany, vice provost for enrollment management and student success, presented updated enrollment figures. As of June 1, overall enrollment was down by 636 students. Begany reported a 710 decrease in undergraduate enrollment, a decrease of 17 in professional enrollment, as well as an increase of 91 for graduate enrollment. No change was reported for the total of incoming freshmen students.

In order to address these declines, the Enrollment Lightning Response Team was formed to assist with student registration. The ELRT is currently reaching out to non-registered students through multiple channels, including email and one-on-one meetings. In addition to the efforts made by members of the ELRT, faculty were encouraged to reach out to non-returning students.

“We have lists of these (non-registered) students that we can break down by major. A student’s connection with faculty is extremely important, and we encourage faculty to reach out to these students,” Begany said. 

Executive Vice President and University Provost Lori Gonzalez reported that email notices were sent to faculty members concerning tenure and promotions. Gonzalez informed senators of plans to compile past tenure and promotion decisions in order to provide interested faculty members with transparent and useful data. Past decisions will be organized by college and the names of the faculty members will be omitted.

“My approach to tenure and promotion is that there should be no secrets for anyone. You should know at every step what is happening,” Gonzalez stated.  

Gonzalez also announced two recent staff appointments in the Office of the Executive Vice President and University Provost. Douglas Craddock Jr. from the College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development will serve as chief of staff, and Sarah Lopez from the Office of Communication and Marketing will serve as deputy chief of staff. Gonzalez stated that the appointment of Craddock and Lopez will increase the responsiveness of the Office of the Provost.

Executive Vice President of Research & Innovation Kevin Gardner informed senators that new awards for fiscal year 2021 are at an all-time high. Gardner reported 60 research disclosures to date and an all-time high in sponsored research agreements.

“Through March, our awards are higher than they were all of last year. Between the record levels of awards and an anticipated increase in endowment spending, that should see us in good stead for our research expenditures, which is how we get measured as a research university,” Gardner said.

Senators were presented with three proposed program closures by the Academic Programs Committee. The programs included a bachelor of science in atmospheric sciences through the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as a master of education in instructional technology and a master of education in literacy education both through the College of łÉČËÖ±˛Ą and Human Development. All three proposed program closures received unanimous approval by the Faculty Senate.  

Committee reports and a of the virtual meeting can be accessed on the . The next Faculty Senate meeting is scheduled for July 7 via Microsoft Teams.

John Paul Nelson, from the College of Business, was recognized for 50 years at UofL. Nelson is professor of Economics. 

All recognized faculty members and their years of service include:

College of Arts & Sciences

• Augustus A. Mastri, Classical and Modern Languages (40)
• Robert M. Buchanan, Chemistry (35)
• Susan M. Griffin, English (35)
• Barbara L. Hanger, Fine Arts (35)
• Beth A. Boehm, English (30)
• Alan Golding, English (30)
• Suzanne Meeks, Psychological and Brain Sciences (30)
• Prasanna Sahoo, Mathematics (30)
• Patricia Gagne, Sociology (25)
• Elizabeth Grossi, Criminal Justice (25)

College of Business

• John Paul Nelson, Economics (50)
• Archie W. Faircloth, Accountancy (45)
• Alan N. Attaway, Accountancy (40)
• Jay T. Brandi, Finance (35)
• P.S. Raju, Marketing (30)
• Robert M. Barker, Computer Information Systems (25)

School of Dentistry

• Carmine J. Esposito, Oral Health and Rehabilitation (40)
• Susan W. Grammer, Oral Health and Rehabilitation (40)
• Douglas S. Darling, Oral Immunology and Infectious Diseases (25)

Brandeis School of Law

• Russell L. Weaver (35)
• John T. Cross (30)

School of Medicine

• Jeffrey P. Callen, Medicine (40)
• Richard D. Miller, Microbiology and Immunology (40)
• Richard W. Stremel, Physiology (40)
• Gordon R. Tobin, Surgery (40)
• Michael E. Brier, Medicine (30)
• William Gerald Cheadle, Surgery (30)
• Royce D. Coleman, Emergency Medicine (30)
• Steven R. Ellis, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics (30)
• Mary E. Fallat, Surgery (30)
• Mark P. Pfeifer, Medicine (30)
• Gerard Paul Rabalais, Pediatrics (30)
• Michael J. Voor, Orthopedic Surgery (25)
• Gordon Strauss, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (25)
• Vicki L. Montgomery, Pediatrics (25)
• Karen W. Krigger, Family and Geriatric Medicine (25)
• G. Rafael Fernandez-Botran, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (25)
• Rif S. El-Mallakh, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (25)
• Tracy D. Eells, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (25)
• Vernon Cook, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health (25)

School of Nursing

• Carla P. Hermann (30)

J.B. Speed School of Engineering

• James Charles Watters, Chemical Engineering (40)
• Patricia Ann Stark Ralston, Engineering Fundamentals (35)
• J.P. Mohsen, Civil and Environmental Engineering (35)
• Adel S. Elmaghraby, Computer Engineering & Computer Science (35)
• Geoffrey Cobourn, Mechanical Engineering (35)
• John S. Usher, Industrial Engineering (30)
• Glen Prater, Jr., Mechanical Engineering (30)
• Mark N. French, Civil and Environmental Engineering (30)