UTK Faculty Senate President's Page for 2021-2022

Louis J. Gross, Chancellor's Professor and Alvin and Sally Beaman Distinguished Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mathematics


Faculty Senate Home Page

I will be posting to this page my correspondence with various administrators, the Senate leadership, the leadership of other UT campuses and individual faculty that I consider to be of general interest. I will include written responses when those are available.

My position statement to the Faculty Senate as a candidate for election as Senate President for 2021-2022 April 24, 2021

NEW - open full-time position for the Faculty Senate Administrative Assistant (.txt file) July 14, 2021

Faculty Senate President's Covid FAQ page for UTK Faculty (link) August 9, 2021

Faculty Senate Committee Membership for 2021-2022 (pdf) August 16, 2021

Faculty Senate Membership for 2021-2022 (pdf) August 16, 2021

Faculty Senate Retreat

Faculty Senate Retreat Schedule for August 27, 2021 (docx) Retreat Schedule as text file with links (.txt) August 18, 2021

Presentation slides for New Senator Orientation presented by Professor Beauvais Lyons (pdf) August 26, 2021

Panel Questions for Chancellor (pdf), Vice Chancellor for Research (pdf), Provost (txt), Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration (pdf) August 27, 2021

Data requested from Provost at Retreat on History of Faculty Size Ten-year history of Total Full-time Faculty (png), Five-year history of Tenured/Tenure Track Full-time Faculty by College (png) and Five-year history of Non-Tenure Track Full-time Faculty by College (png) illustrating that the Total Full-time Instructional Faculty grew by 17% over ten years, the non-Tenure Track Full-time Instructional Faculty grew by 61%, and Full-time Instructional Tenure-Track Faculty grew by 4%. The Number of Total Students (undergrad and grad full-time) per Full-time Total Faculty in Fall 2011 was 18.7 and in Fall 2020 was 17.8 while the Number of Total Students per Tenured/Tenure Track Faculty in Fall 2011 was 24.2 and in Fall 2020 was 26.0 August 27, 2021

Afternoon Committee and Council meetings links here August 27, 2021

Topics for Meetings with Campus Administrators

Topic agenda for meeting of July 29, 2021 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) July 29, 2021

Topic agenda for meeting of August 27, 2021 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) August 27, 2021

Summary note to Chancellor on comparison of UT System and campuses budgeted expenditures changes from 2016-2017 to 2021-2022 (txt) and accompanying graphic bar chart of percent changes in expenditures at each campus (pdf) )Note that these figures are based on budgets passed by the UT Board of Trustees in June 2015 and June 2020 so the data plotted are actually over the time period from 2015-2016 to 2020-2021) August 29, 2021

Topic agenda for meeting of Sept. 22, 2021 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) Sept. 22, 2021

Topic agenda for meeting of October 14, 2021 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) Oct. 14, 2021

Topic agenda for meeting of November 11 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) Nov. 11, 2021

Topic agenda for meeting of January 18, 2022 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) Jan 18, 2022

Topic agenda for meeting of February 15, 2022 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) Feb 15, 2022

Topic agenda for meeting of March 24, 2022 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) March 24, 2022

Topic agenda for meeting of April 19, 2022 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) April 19, 2022

Topic agenda for meeting of May 17, 2022 with Chancellor and Provost (txt) May 17, 2022

Topic agenda for meeting of June 9, 2022 with Chancellor and Provost (tct) June 9, 2022

President Reports to Meetings of Senate and Senate Executive Council

Report to Executive Council Meeting of September 13, 2021 (txt) Sept 13, 2022

Report to Senate Meeting of September 20, 2021 (txt) Sept 20, 2021

Report to Executive Council Meeting of October 4, 2021 (txt) Oct 4, 2021

Report to Senate Meeting of October 18, 2021 (txt) Oct 18, 2021

Report to Executive Council Meeting of November 1, 2021 (txt) Nov 1, 2021

Report to Senate Meeting of November 15, 2021 (txt) Nov 15, 2021

Report to Executive Council Meeting of January 24, 2022 (txt) Jan 24, 2022

Report to Senate Meeting of February 7, 2022 (txt) Feb 7, 2022

Report to Executive Council Meeting of February 21, 2022 (txt) Feb 21, 2022

Report to Senate Meeting of March 7, 2022 (txt) Mar 7, 2022

Report to Executive Council Meeting of March 21, 2022 (txt) March 21, 2022

Report to Senate Meeting of April 14, 2022 (txt) April 14, 2022

Report to Executive Council Meeting of April 18, 2022 (txt) April 18, 2022

Report to Senate Meeting of May 2, 2022 (txt) May 2, 2022

GlobalTech courses issues

Requests from Senate Executive Council to Provost and Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration arising from Concerns about GlobalTech program (.txt file) June 14, 2021

Response from Provost regarding concerns about GlobalTech program (.pdf file) June 15,2021

Response from Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration regarding concerns raised from GlobalTech program (.txt file) June 15, 2021

Correspondence with Provost Office's regarding SACS accreditation requirements for credentialing of instructors (.txt file) June 18-21, 2021

Note to Senate Executive Council on GlobalTech as followup from meeting with Provost Office on July 14 (.txt file) July 14,2021

Summary of response of CGE to concerns raised by faculty (txt) Sept. 24, 2021

New Senators

List of newly elected Senators and re-elected Senators from Spring 2021 elections - terms begin August 1, 2021 (.docx file) July 1, 2021

Welcome to newly elected Faculty Senators (.txt file) July 1, 2021, and Committee Preference Survey due July 12, 2021 (link)

Covid response of campus issues

Petition regarding Covid and campus planning signed by 591 faculty, students and staff (.pdf file) June 3, 2021

Response of Chancellor to Covid petition along with transmittal letter for petition (.pdf file) June 14, 2021

Request to Chancellor Plowman from Faculty Senate Leadership regarding planning for Fall with response from Chancellor Plowman (.pdf file) June 21 and June 24, 2021

Note to Ryan Stinnitt, Office of General Counsel as follow-up to UniversityFaculty Council meeting of July 12 regarding possible Senate actions on mask policy in classes (.txt file) July 12, 2021

My response to a posting to a departmental announcement regarding campus Covid response and vaccination questions (.txt file) July 22, 2021

Faculty Senate President's Covid FAQ page for UTK Faculty (link) August 9, 2021

Questions for President Boyd on System Covid response from David Patterson and Louis Gross for University Faculty Council Meeting (txt) August 13, 2021

Letters to Chancellor Plowman requesting change to face covering requirements in all indoor campus spaces from AAUP and UCW Leaders and Faculty Senate President and Faculty Representative to UTK Advisory Board (.txt files) August 12-13, 2021 and Chancellor's response (pdf file) August 13, 2021

Letter to Chancellor Plowman regarding campus mask requirements following remarks from President Boyd at the University Faculty Council Meeting (txt) August 18, 2021

Letter to Chancellor Plowman imploring that UTK follow CDC and Tennessee health expert guidance regarding indoor face coverings (txt) August 21, 2021

Report on UTK Expenditures of HEERF federal funding for Covid relief from Chancellor Plowman (pdf) August 30, 2021 Followup questions from President Gross on HEERF expenditures and response from Vice Chancellor Cimimo (txt) Sept. 9, 2021

Note to UTK faculty regarding campus mask mandate changes announced by Chancellor Plowman on Dec 1, 2021 (txt) Dec. 1, 2021

Note to Faculty Senate regarding changes in campus masking and vaccination policy including email from Provost to Deans (pdf) Dec. 1, 2021

Requests to Chancellor and Provost from Faculty Senate Leadership regarding Exam Period and change in Mask Mandate (txt) Dec. 2, 2021

Note from Faculty Senate Leadership to FacultyInfo Listserv regarding Mask and Covid responses (txt) Dec. 2, 2021

Faculty Member Suspension Issue

Notes to Chancellor and response regarding suspension of a faculty member and associated news stories from Faculty Affairs Committee Chair (.pdf file) June 18-23, 2021

Correspondence with Senator Gao regarding suspension of a faculty member and Senate responses to date (.txt file) July 4-5, 2021

Further correspondence with Professor Gao following meeting with Provost and General Counsel (.txt file) July 14, 2021

Response of Provost to questions from Senate leadership on the suspension case (.txt) August 4, 2021

Email from Chancellor Plowman to Faculty Leadership regarding UTK response to acquital of former Professor Hu (pdf) September 10, 2021 Response from President Gross to Chancellor email (txt) Sept. 10, 2021 Response from Professor Lyons, UTK Advisory Board Faculty Representative, to Chancellor email (txt) Sept. 10, 2021

Memo from Senate Faculty Affairs Committee to Provost Zomchick with questions as a follow-up to his response of Aug. 4 (pdf) Sept 13, 2021

Response of Provost to Questions from Faculty Affairs Committee (pdf) September 17, 2021

Response of Faculty Senate Affairs Committee to Provost response and linked correspondence (txt) September 17, 2021

Further clarification from Provost regarding inability to address personnel questions at September Senate Meeting (txt) September 19, 2021

Response of President Gross to Provost regarding Senate Meeting and response to questions (txt) September 19, 2021

Several reports have been published about this case in various venues including Nature on Sept. 24, 2021 and Inside Higher Education on Sept. 24, 2021 and I was asked by the Provost to share any evidence I had that UTK's action was the cause of Dr. Hu's loss of his work authorization and this was my response (txt) September 24, 2021

SEC Emerging Scholar Program

Correspondence with Graduate School Dean and Provost, including thier responses, regarding this new SEC Program (.pdf file) June 30 - July 5, 2021

ERP Planning

Notes with University Faculty Council regarding the new System Enterprise Resource Planning product (.txt file) July 2-3, 2021

Correspondence with Tammy Lemon, ERP Project Manager, UT System regardng ERP (.txt file) July 6-7, 2021 and My Comments on the UT Board of Trustees Presentations on System Effectiveness and the associated plans for the ERP (.pdf file) June 25, 2019

Further correspodence with Tammy Lemon regardng the areas of scope for the new ERP (.txt file) July 23-26, 2021 and Budget Process Review Overview from Accenture for the new ERP (.pdf file) July 23, 2021

Pre-read information about the new ERP planning for the University Faculty Council discussion on employee self-service with Accenture contract team (.pdf) July 30, 2021

Post-session summary of UFC conversation with Accenture Team (pdf) August 4, 2021 and My response to the Post-session summary noting topics discussed (txt) August 11, 2021

Response to my comments by System CIO Ramon Padilla and my follow-up comments to him (txt) August 13 and 17, 2021

Budget Allocation Model issues

Correspondence regarding recommendations of the BAM Steering Committee with the faculty representative to the Committee, Senator Phillip Daves (.txt file) June 21, 2021

April 2021 Recommendations to the Chancellor on the BAM Organizational Framework from the BAM Steering Committee (.docx file) June 26, 2021

Questions posed to Associate Vice Chancellor McCullock prior to BAM meetng with Senate leadershiop on Nov. 11, 2021 (txt) November 11, 2021

Summary by Senate leadership of the BAM meeting discussion on November 11 with the BAM development team and Associate Vice Chancellor MCullock (pdf) November 17, 2021 Website with details of the BAM Procedures from the UTK Office of Budget and Finance (link)

NIL Athletics Issues

My correspondence on implications of NIL on UTK Athletics (.txt file) July 1, 2021

System Parental Leave Policy

UT System Policy HR0339 on Parental Leave (.pdf file) Announced July 15, 2021

Correspondence with UTK Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources regarding start date and miscommunication of the policy (.txt file) July 15-19, 2021

Correspondence with University Faulty Council regarding policy and start date confusion (.txt file) July 16, 2021

University Faculty Council

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for Aug 2021 UFC Meeting (txt) Aug. 13, 2021

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for Sept 2021 UFC Meeting (txt) Sept. 11, 2021

Summary of UT System Admninistration Finances and Changes from 2016-2017 to 2021-2022 provided by CFO to UFC (pdf) Note that all the piecharts should be labeled FY22 and the barchart shows changes from the budgets passed by the Board of Trustees in June 2016 and in June 2021. Sept. 15, 2021

Note to UFC on Governors Chairs and Chairs of Excellence Lack of Gender Diversity after October 2022 UFC Meeting (txt) Oct 25, 2021

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for November 2021 UFC Meeting (txt) Nov. 17, 2021

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for December 2021 UFC Meeting (txt) Dec. 15, 2021

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for January 2022 UFC Meeting (txt) Jan. 19, 2022

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for April 2022 UFC Meeting (txt) April 20, 2022

My Note to UFC on Crap Faculty Have To deal With following October 2022 UFC Meeting (txt) April 22, 2022

Questions from UTK Senate to President Boyd for May 2022 UFC Meeting (txt) May 18, 2022

Speeches

Speech on behalf of the Faculty Senate to welcome new faculty (pdf) August 9, 2021

Talk to UTK Undergraduate Student Senate on Sept 14, 2021 (pptx) Sept. 14, 2021

Script of talk to APA Justice meeting (pdf) October 5, 2021

Lunch talk to UT Board of Trustees October Meeting (pdf) October 22, 2021

Undergraduate Council

Update from Undergraduate Council on couses for Vol Core and deadlines to add courses for Fall 2022-2023 catalog (txt) October 5, 2021

Faculty Senate Meeting Materials

Zoom protocols for Faculty Senate Meetings (pdf) September 20, 2021

Meeting of September 20, 2021 Agenda (pdf) , Minutes from Senate Meeting of May 3, 2021 (pdf), Resolution of honor for Sharonne Winston Underwood (pdf), Resolution of honor for Past-President Shawn Spurgeon (pdf), Resolution from Teaching and Learning Council on Course Modelity (docx)
Return to L. Gross Home Page
http://lgross.utk.edu/
lgross@utk.edu
Last Modified: August 29, 2021