MEETING OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY
September 8, 2005
MINUTES
MEETING OF THE GRADUATE FACULTY
September 8, 2005
MINUTES
Present: Waymire, Acting Chair, Buja, Cantor, Dent, Goka, Hewett-Emmett, Hickson-Bick, Hittelman, Jackson, L. Jones, Knutson, Koehler, Krahe, Kulkarni, Kulmacz, Liao, Mattox, May, Morano, Mourtada, O'Brien, Pate, Stancel, Starkschall, Strobel, Tomasovic, Wiener, Wriggers, Y. Yu
Student Rep: Frey
Staff: Chappell, Darlington, Gaughan, Hatcher, Helton, Perez, Pham, Porter, Spitzenberger, Theriot, Weinberg
The meeting began with a moment of silence for those affected by Hurricane Katrina.
1. Approval of the minutes of the meeting of April 14, 2005
Minutes were unanimously approved.
2. Report of the Graduate Student Association
Vice-President Frey reported for President Bhagat who was out of town.
a) The new GSA officers are: Rina Bhagat, President; Jennifer Frey, Vice-President; and Hilary Marks, Secretary.
b) Activities of the prior administration included a GSA meeting on April 21, 2005, GSA elections which had an extremely good turnout, and a bowling party to celebrate and announce the new GSA officers.
c) Completed activities of the new administration are:
d) The GSA is involved in various Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and sent a memo to students highlighting the need for safety at home and in the Medical Center given the large crowds at the Reliant Center complex.
e) Future GSA activities include attending an Astros game on September 29, a GSA meeting in early November, and other social events and activities.
f) The GSA's goal is to have greater student involvement and participation in activities at the GSBS, HSC, and TMC. The GSA officers appreciate all of the support from the GSBS Faculty and staff and look forward to a productive year.
3. Report from the Vice President for Academic Affairs, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
a) Dr. Tomasovic reported that the UT Regents have approved the construction of the Faculty Center Tower which should open in Spring 2008. The new building, which will be next to the Faculty Center, will house the Research Medical Library as well as the academic support departments currently located in the Houston Main Building.
b) The South Campus Research Building 2 and Conference Center will open this month. It will house the Departments of Molecular Therapeutics and Molecular Pathology.
c) MDACC has four new department chairs:
d) An online MDACC publication called Faculty Notes (available through the MDACC intranet) plans to publish stories about the Academic VPs at MDACC. So far, they have written about Dr. Bernard Levin and Dr. Tomasovic. Copies are available for those who do not have access to the MDACC intranet.
e) A six year Capital Improvement Program has been approved for the South Campus. It will provide resources for extensive remodeling of the older buildings and support for other initiatives. By the end of the six year period, approximately 30% of MDACC's research activities will take place at the South Campus.
4. Report from the Office of Academic Affairs, Health Science Center
a) Dr. Buja reported that the Health Science Center is working hard to accommodate students who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. A number of relief efforts are underway as well.
b) As part of the periodic review of HSC Deans, Dr. Stancel will be reviewed during 2005-06. This should be a positive and interactive experience. A committee consisting of members of the Faculty and staff, general administration, a student representative, and outside consultants will conduct the review. As a first step, Dr. Stancel will provide a self-study of his accomplishments. Faculty members will soon receive a survey to complete.
5. Dean's Report
a) Dr. Stancel gave the sad announcement that Dr. Grady Saunders died recently after a long illness and asked that everyone stand for a moment of silence in his honor. Dr. Saunders was an outstanding scientist who was major advisor to 24 students and served on countless student committees. Plans are underway for a memorial in recognition of his esteemed service.
b) Access to the BSRB should be much better after October 1, 2005. We understand that a receptionist will be located at the main entrance and the front doors will be open during regular business hours. The side door to the Commons will be open during lunch. We appreciate Dr. Tomasovic's assistance in getting this done and the Faculty's patience.
c) A building update: the opening of the Institute for Molecular Medicine has been postponed from this Fall to Spring 2006; the Medical School's renovation should be operational in early 2007.
d) We are now required by law to recognize Constitution Day. This year the HSC has arranged for Dr. Carl Hacker, dressed as James Madison, to present a program on September 21 at the School of Public Health. All Faculty, students and staff are invited.
e)
Institutions have been asked by the UT System to develop policies for student background checks. This is largely for students in clinical settings who must be cleared before they are given permission to enter medical facilities, but it also helps to ensure a safe working environment for all. After discussing the issue, the GSBS Deans have proposed the following due diligence plan which will be submitted to Dr. Willerson:
g) May 12 and 13, 2006 have been selected as the tentative dates for the GSBS Faculty retreat. Dr. Stancel will send a memo about the retreat to all Faculty in the next few days.
h) MDACC and GSBS received glowing reviews from the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS) site visit team. This is a credit to Dr. Tomasovic and his staff and the many GSBS students and Faculty who participated. The following is an excerpt from the preliminary SACS report (note: when they say M. D. Anderson Cancer Center that includes GSBS):
"Part III Observations and Comments After reading the documentation provided and having two days of questions with over 90 faculty, staff and students, the Committee understands the unique relationship that exists between M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the UT Health Science Center – Houston in their collaboration to provide the best possible education for the Ph.D. and M.S. students in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. They truly are stronger together than being independent. The Committee was most impressed by the world class research and clinical programs at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center as it fulfills its vision of the premier cancer center in the world. The student body, whether in Houston, Smithville or Dallas is of the highest quality and most impressive. At the end of the student session when they were asked if there was something anyone would like to say that was not asked in the questioning by the committee members, one student indicated that “it was a great place to go to school”. The Committee would like to compliment the institution in the resources it has devoted over the past few years to enhance the student environment. Students in Houston and in Smithville commented on how such has improved in the last few years. It was readily apparent to the Committee that the Institution lives its strategic mission in making the decisions based on its values. The Institution has a strong culture and faculty are true team players who are proud of their institution – their esprit de corps is of the highest level." The suggestion was made to schedule future SACS reviews of the HSC and MDACC so that they coincide, if possible.
i) During the site visit we became aware that SACS requires a minimum of 30 hours for an M.S. degree. Although the GSBS Catalog states that a minimum of 24 hours is required, Dr. Wiener checked our records and learned that the average number of hours completed by recent GSBS M.S. graduates was >70. Instead of debating the issue with SACS, and in view of Dr. Wiener's data, Dr. Stancel made a de facto decision to change the GSBS requirement for M.S. degrees to a minimum of 30 hours.
j) Shortly before the site visit we learned from a consultant that SACS expects annual reviews of teaching faculty by the Dean. Therefore, Drs. Stancel, Tomasovic, and Wiener evaluated the faculty members who taught during the past year by reviewing their c.v.'s, GSBS educational activities reports, and student course evaluations. Almost all of them were recommended to be retained unconditionally on the GSBS Teaching Faculty. In one or two cases, a Course Director was asked to meet with an instructor to address deficiencies identified in the review. Also, the names of a few faculty members who have not published papers or been awarded grants in a number of years were forwarded to the Membership Committee for further review.
The reviews are kept in a separate file in the Dean's Office -- not in individual faculty files or personnel files. Dr. Stancel wants Faculty involvement in future reviews and so will ask the Membership and Curriculum Committees to develop a process that would meet SACS' requirements.
k) Thanks go to all Faculty and students involved in this year's orientation -- this is our largest entering class.
6. Reports of the Standing Committees
Academic Standards Committee
Admissions Committee
Curriculum Committee
Membership Committee
Program Coordinating Committee
Student Affairs Committee
7. Report of the Executive Committee
8. Report of the Academic Affairs Office
a) Dr. Wiener pointed out that this was our first orientation at BSRB and it went very well. Many of the major sessions were held in the Olmstead Auditorium which has impressive audiovisual capabilities. Dr. Wiener thanked the GSBS Faculty, students and staff for being so receptive to our new students, and he thanked the Admissions Committee for selecting such a great group of motivated students.
b) The 2005-2007 GSBS Catalog and addenda are now online. The change in the minimum number of hours required for the M.S. degree explained in Dr. Stancel's report will be effective for students who matriculate in Fall 2006.
c) Dr. Wiener plans to have Saturday afternoon workshops again in topics like writing Ph.D. candidacy exam proposals and finding postdoctoral fellowships. He reminded the Faculty that students are encouraged to attend the outstanding Professional Development Seminars coordinated by Dr. Toya Candelari in the MDACC Trainee & Alumni Affairs Office.
d) All GSBS instructors are urged to post their grades on time! Currently about 200 grades are missing which can have disastrous results for international students or those who are graduating. Dr. Wiener agreed with a comment that the Registrar's system is not user-friendly and said they are trying to improve it. He also pointed out that faculty members can appoint a designee (like a secretary) to enter their grades to save time. There is also hope that in the near future a new system will make it easier for HSC and MDACC computers to communicate with each other.
e) Each year GSBS budgets $28,000 for student travel awards and then supplements that amount with private monies received through the Development Office; in 2004/05, we awarded $44,000. With tight budgets and an increasing number of students needing bridge support from GSBS due to their advisors' funding difficulties, the Dean's Office recently asked the Executive Committee how student travel funds should be handled in the future. The Committee recommended continuing the travel awards but limiting them to a total of $28,000 per year. To avoid penalizing students who attend meetings late in the year, Dr. Wiener has proposed that we award $7,000 per quarter on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students will be encouraged to get their travel requests in early.
9. Old Business
No old business was discussed.
10. New Business
a) Vote on Chairs and New Members of Standing Committees
Standing Committee Procedure
Slate of Candidates
Motion was made and seconded to accept the slate as presented. Motion passed unanimously.
b) Nominations of candidates for 2005-2006 Vice President/President-Elect of the Graduate Faculty
Dr. Sharon Dent Curriculum Vitae and GSBS Educational Activities
Dr. Waymire called for nominations from the floor.There were no nominations from the floor. Motion was made and seconded to close nominations and approve Dr. Dent as Graduate Faculty Vice President/President-Elect for 2005/2006. Motion passed unanimously.
c) Announcement of GSBS Representatives on HSC Interfaculty Council for 2005-2006
Dr. Nachum Dafny will continue as the HSC representative and Dr. Warren Liao will be the MDACC representative for 2005-2006.
d) Request to add a third student representative to the Curriculum Committee
Dr. Kulmacz said that the Curriculum Committee has greatly increased its review of courses and would like to add a third student representative. Students play an important role in the evaluation process because they have direct experience with our courses. The consensus was that this is a reasonable request. It requires a change in the Bylaws which will be voted on at the November Faculty meeting.
e) Appreciation awards to outgoing Program Directors
With heartfelt appreciation, Dr. Stancel gave an award to Dr. William Mattox to acknowledge his excellent leadership of the Genes and Development Program. Similar awards will be given to Drs. Ann-Bin Shyu (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology) and M. Neal Waxham (Neuroscience) who are also outgoing Program Directors but were unable to attend the meeting.
MEETING ADJOURNED at 1:15 p.m.
Jack C. Waymire, Ph.D.2003-2004 President, GSBS Faculty