Emory Report

April 26, 1999

Volume 51, No. 29

Issues in progress: Employee Council The March Employee Council meeting began with the announcement that the University Senate passed the Council's retirement benefits proposal to lower the matching contribution age from 26 to 21 at its February meeting. Guest speakers from Emory Clinic, Gilbert Grossman, Pat Glisson, Penny Castellano and Jeff Corn, were on hand to answer questions previously raised regarding the future of the clinic-the problems that continue to plague the health care industry, what we can be done to overcome them and how the health care experience can be made more positive. Many council members complained that once they had obtained a primary care physician, he or she would leave after 3 months, prompting the need for another PCP and having to wait an additional 6 months for an appointment. The panel explained that, unfortunately in the '90s, physicians move around a lot, causing remaining physicians to absorb the care for the existing patients. The clinic has a lot of patient demand and are having to recruit additional physicians to see the many patients currently trying to visit primary care physicians. The panel told of the challenges the clinic focuses on a daily basis but stressed its commitment to continuing to provide to the Emory. The meeting continued with recognition of members who are leaving the council, including Marsha Hendricks, Carolyn Meriweather, Jean Thigpen and Milton Thomas. Awards were presented for perfect attendance to Susan Cook, Larry Frederick, John Snipes and John Ward and recognition was given to members who performed as heads of committees and officers-Leann Bauch, Susan Cook, Ann Holt, Kathy Hovatter, Ann Rouse and Jo Taylor. Before the meeting closed, outgoing Council President Ron Foust introduced new President Ann Rouse. Rouse introduced the new officers: Susan Cook, president-elect, Lynn Magee, secretary-elect, John Snipes, parliamentarian, Julia Leon, historian, and Margie Varnado, treasurer. Susan Cook will chair the special issues committee, Kathy Hovatter will chair the communications committee and Lavon Gainey will chair the membership committee. --Stephanie Scott Faculty Council After Chair Virgil Brown called the semester's final meeting to order April 13 in 400 Administration Building, President Bill Chace confined his remarks to informing the Council of the death of College sophomore Melissa Ross. Details regarding Ross' death were unclear at the time, but "recognition must be paid," Chace said. Provost Rebecca Chopp reported on the progress of dean searches. She said Emory alumna Dana Green has been named the new dean of Oxford College and will begin her duties in July. After an "extensive review" of the law school, Chopp said Dean Woody Hunter has been reappointed. The theology school is holding internal discussions before beginning its dean search in earnest next fall, and Chopp said Marla Salmon will head up the nursing school. Responding to the Council's request from a previous meeting, Chopp gave a presentation elaborating on what initiatives have arisen in the wake of Emory's two recent strategic planning documents: Choices & Responsibility and A Vision for Emory. She said 85 percent of the recommendations in Vision "have been addressed in some substantive fashion." Chancellor Billy Frye, who authored both documents after extensive conversations with people across campus, said he was "amazed by their lasting power" and attributed this largely to the commitment of Chace and Chopp to see the principles come to fruition. (See story on p. 4 for more detailed information.) The Council then heard final committee reports. Speaking on behalf of the ad hoc committee on student disabilities, David Pacini said his group continues to discuss resources both for teachers and for students with disabilities. "There will be no lowering of the bar of excellence [to accommodate these students]," he said. "Instead, this is about finding new ways to get students over the bar." Bill Cody, chair of the Emory-Carter Center Liaison Program, said the program is "alive and well" even though not as many faculty participated this year as in the past. One problem, he said, is many faculty who applied could not be placed in an appropriate Carter Center program. Dean Danner reported on the year's activities from the University Research Committee. There were many changes this year, he said, such as offering two application periods instead of one and raising the maximum stipend to $30,000. Representing the Teaching Fund committee, Tanya Sudia-Robinson said the fund received 36 proposals requesting $500,000 in grants during the first funding cycle, of which 18 were approved, for a total of $126,549. The second cycle yielded 28 proposals requesting $331,848, and Sudia-Robinson said the committee would meet May 4 to decide on these proposals. Rich Freer said the Faculty Hearing committee held one hearing during its first year of operation, and "the procedures worked very well." Freer said the committee will continue to push for the University to establish some kind of mediation process. John Boli of the Distinguished Faculty Lecture committee said Chace had approved one of the nominees submitted to him for the 2000 lecture. Randall Strahan and Sharon Lewis of the ad hoc committee on junior faculty development said they were able to "piggy-back" questions regarding junior faculty onto a faculty survey conducted by Harriet King in the provost's office. Strahan asked Chopp to comment on the issue of affording young faculty more opportunity to balance family and professional life. In response, Chopp said the current discussion of tenure guideline revision relates to this dilemma. She said the Council of Deans will study aspects of tenure at Emory over the summer for possible action next year. --Michael Terrazas Return to April 26, 1999, contents page