FACULTY COUNCIL RESEARCH COMMITTEE REPORT

22 FEBRUARY 2014

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The faculty Council Research Committee last met on January 29, 2014 and will meet again on Wednesday, February 26, 2014. The Committee’s focus has shifted to a focus on the adequacy of the resources to achieve the research goals of the University (Carnegie “very high activity”).

 

At the January 29th meeting the Committee met with Ramesh Sharda (Business) to discuss the University “overload policy” and with Ken Bartels (Veterinary Medicine) to discuss issues associated with animal care facilities. In there current form the University’s “overload policies” do not recognize research activities as a form of “overload” activity. Further, they appear to discourage activities that do not require University laboratories from being included as University activities. These problems appear to b correctable with small wording changes. The Chair of the Committee, Gilbert John, will take this up with the Council Executive Committee.

 

The issues related to the University’s animal care facilities are more complicated. They involve questions related to the accreditation of the facilities and the potential for the accreditation to be revoked and with the revocation the loss of funding for research involving animals. At a minimum the Committee is recommending the employment of a second “compliance veterinarian” to improve compliance of animal care facilities with the required standards.

 

As a result of the Committee’s meeting with the Associate Deans for Research and the meeting of Associate Deans and Faculty Council leadership with the relevant University administrators and President Hargis, I think the Research Committee is coming to a consensus that the University’s administration needs to allocate more resources to the research element of the University’s mission.

 

DKL

 

DAVID K. LEWIS

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FAX: 405-744-3530

E-Mail: davidlewis@suddenlink.net