2016-2017 Officers

Officers • Chair John Mayer (College of Arts & Sci) • Chair-Elect Mike Wyss (Joint Health Sci) • Past-Chair Alecia Gross (Optometry) • Secretary Ria Hearld (Health Professions)

Parliamentarian: Pat Higginbottom (Lister Hill Library)

Mindful of our centrality to the teaching, research, and service missions of this university and with the support of the President, the members of the faculty of the University of Alabama at Birmingham have come together as a community of scholars in order to consider their responsibilities and needs, represent them to the administration and trustees of the university, and provide advice to the President…

Preamble to Constitution of UAB Faculty Senate

Senate’s Role

…The faculty members are committed to the principles of shared governance (inclusive and transparent decision-making, open communication among all members of the UAB community, accountability and mutual respect and trust) and recognize the interdependencies of all governance entities of the university as essential to achieving the defined mission, vision, values, goals, and objectives of the university.

Preamble to Constitution of UAB Faculty Senate

Senate’s Role

Shared Governance

• Representation & participation of faculty on University, Academic Unit or Departmental Committees

• Involvement of faculty in review of policies and procedures that involve faculty

• Faculty participation in evaluation of Administrators at the University, Academic Unit or Departmental level

• Work collaboratively with administration to help UAB achieve excellence in all activities

Who is the Faculty Senate

• 4 Officers, a Parliamentarian and 64 Senators & Alternates

• Represents more than 2,408 faculty from 13 Units*

• Faculty are responsible for teaching more than 18,568 students and 142 different degree programs*

• Faculty Senate Committee structure: – 6 Standing committees – Faculty Senate Executive Committee

*From UAB Facts and Figures 2013-2014

• College of Arts & Sciences (CAS)

• Joint Health Sciences (JHS)

• Libraries (LIBs)

• Collat School of Business (BUS)

• School of Dentistry (DEN)

• School of Education (EDU)

• School of Engineering (ENGR)

• School of Health Professions (HP)

• School of Medicine (MED)

• School of Nursing (NURS)

• School of Optometry (OPT)

• School of Public Health (PH)

Units Represented

Senate Standing Committees

• Curriculum Chair: Cheryl Robinson (NUR) – Curriculum, the environment for learning and information dissemination

• Research Chair: Karen Gamble (MED) – Research, the environment for research and dissemination of research knowledge

• Faculty Development Chair: Mike Sloane (CAS) – Faculty career enhancement (teaching, service, scholarship, mentoring, leadership)

• Finance Chair: Jamey Worrell (BUS) – Budgetary matters related to faculty

• Governance & Operations Chair: Yabing Chen (JHS)

– Organization and procedures of the senate, senate meeting attendance and elections

• Faculty Polices and Procedures Chair: Michael Froelich (MED) – Reviews existing UAB policies and procedures which affect faculty and considers

changes to the UAB Faculty Handbook and Policies

Faculty Senate Executive Committee • Provides leadership for Senate • Members:

– 4 officers (Chair; Chair-Elect; Past Chair; Secretary) – 6 Senate standing committees chairs – 2 senators-at-large

• To be selected at the September 2016 Senate meeting

– Parliamentarian • Meets monthly

– (4th Wednesdays) To set agenda for Senate meeting and prep for mtg with President & Provost

– (1st Tuesdays) Meet with President and Provost

Other Senate Roles

• Senate Liaison – Point of contact between senate and their unit and for unit

faculty to the senate

• Alternate Senator – Represents unit constituents when regular senators are

unavailable

• Senator-at-Large – Representatives of senators and alternates on FSEC

• Senate Liaisons on University-wide Committees – Senate member or non-Senate faculty member nominated by

Senate for appointment by President to represent and coordinate with the Faculty Senate on selected committees

Senate Liaisons

• Coordinate Senator activities for their academic unit.

• Serve as a point of contact between the Senate and the faculty of their unit.

• Inform faculty of their unit regarding issues and topics of concern to faculty.

• Solicit feedback from faculty in their unit for Senate discussion.

• Faculty can find their unit’s Senate Liaison on the Senate Roster page of the Senate website: www.uab.edu/faculty/senate/roster (2016-2017 Liaisons will be posted on Sept 1)

2015-2016 Faculty Senate Representatives to University Committees

• Advisory Committee of the Graduate Council – Elizabeth Sztul

• Advisory Council to the Center for Teaching & Learning – Philip Musa

• Americans with Disabilities Act Committee (ADA) – Lee Moradi

• Athletic Advisory Committee – Pam Paustian

• Benevolent Fund - Edgar Underwood

• Bookstore Advisory Committee – Cheryl Robinson

• Campus Planning & Facilities Advisory Cmte – Susanne Fogger & Pam Paustian

• Campus Recreation Advisory Committee – Imelda Vetter

• Chemical Safety and Environmental Management Cmte - Claudio Busettini

• Commission on the Status of Women – Steve Miller

• Committee of Academic Advisors – Mike Sloane

• Council of Center Directors - David Chaplin

• Council for Translational Science - David Chaplin

• Deans Council - Alecia Gross

• Diversity Council – Ed Bradford

• DSS Existing & Emerging Technologies Cmte – Shannon Morrison

• eLearning Advisory Council – Betty Nelson

• Fringe Benefits Committee – Jeanne Hutchison & Jamey Worrell

• Institutional Biosafety Committee – Claudio Busettini

• Information Security Advisory Committee – Jamey Worrell

• Radioisotope and Radiation Safety Cmte – Edgar Underwood

• Retention and Graduation Committee – Susan Spezzini (+Subcmte reps report to Susan)

• Sustainability Committee – Hessam Taherian

• University Compliance Committee – Mike Wyss

• University Safety Committee – Tammy Than

• Web Presence Committee – Pat Higginbottom (a.k.a. Digital Communication Operating Cmte)

Plus other committees and search committees (all listed on Senate website)

Faculty or Senator

Senate Chair

Standing Committee

Chair

Senate

President/Provost

FSEC

Recommendations

Flow of Senate communication and recommendations

Senate Meetings

• Open to the entire UAB community to attend

• The regular meeting of the Senate is on the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30-9:30 a.m. and is open to all faculty. Volker Hall, Room 302.

• “Robert’s Rules of Order” used for all items and sections of the agenda.

• Senators coordinate to ensure unit attendance/representation.

• Resolutions/motions approved are posted on website.

• “Open Forum” is an opportunity for any senator to raise an issue for discussion by senate.

Main Senate Website

- Senate roster

- Senate meeting announcements

- Senate events information

- Links to calendar, agendas, minutes, reports (on Senate SharePoint website)

- Information about Senate committees

- Connected to Faculty Portal webpage (linked, our articles push to Faculty Portal webpage “Announcements”)

www.uab.edu/faculty/senate

Senate Document (SharePoint) Website

- Senate & committees calendar

- Senate meeting agendas, documents for review, minutes, presentations & reports

- Senate Constitution, Bylaws & Appendices

- Senate committees’ meeting agendas, minutes & reports

- Faculty Senate Executive Cmte agendas and minutes

- Faculty Development Grant Program

- Senator nominations & elections

www.uabweb.ad.uab.edu/senate

Benefits

Benefits of serving as a UAB Faculty Senator

• Obtain better understanding of all aspects of UAB activities and how the university functions.

• Opportunity to build relationships with faculty across all academic units and become an active part of the UAB community.

• Contribute to supporting and implementation of shared governance.

• Work collaboratively to help UAB achieve excellence in teaching, research and community outreach.