Senate Summary | January 2021 – @theU
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Senate Summary | January 2021

If you missed the Academic Senate meeting on Jan. 11, 2021, or need a refresher, then keep reading for the highlights from the meeting.

If you missed the Academic Senate meeting on Jan. 11, 2021, or need a refresher, then keep reading for the highlights from the meeting. For more information on the Academic Senate, click here.

Consent Calendar

Graduate Certificate in Tribal, Rural, and Underserved Medicine

David Sandweiss, M.D., presented the following:

This is a four-year, 15-credit University of Utah School of Medicine Graduate Certificate proposal in Tribal, Rural, and Underserved Education (TRUE) to help fulfill the Rural Utah Underserved Training Experience Program’s (RUUTE) stated mission: “To increase medical education opportunities in rural and underserved areas of Utah by expanding the interest and awareness of rural health, maintaining and growing quality educational experiences, and developing and enhancing community partnerships with stakeholders.” Additionally, developing such a program is an expectation related to the four-year HRSA Grant #T99HP39203: Medical Student Education Training Program. The curricula encompass a defined set of clinical, didactic, online and community-based learning and training activities, emphasizing the practice of medicine in rural, tribal and/or medically underserved communities, conferring foundational knowledge and skills necessary for physicians caring for these communities.

Policy 6-002 Change/SACD Updates

David Derezotes, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on Diversity (SACD), presented the following:

Proposed name and policy language change

The Senate Advisory Committee on Diversity (SACD) would like to change our name to the Senate Advisory Committee on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (SAD-EDI). We would also like to amend our policy statement to include some minor additions to SACD functions, consistent with the proposed name change. We believe that these changes reflect both the evolution of the relevant literature and the current goals of the University of Utah.

The proposed changes to our policy statement are outlined below and are taken from the current policy covering SACD in University Policy 6-002-III-D-1-h: The Academic Senate. The proposed new wording is in red below (essentially replacing the word or implied word “diversity” with the phrase “equity, diversity, and inclusion.”

  • Functions: The committee shall provide leadership and expertise to the university community in promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion in their various roles and activities and; serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas within the university. The committee should respond to directions from the Academic Senate while retaining the freedom to set its own agenda. The committee's principal role is to identify issues, projects and proposals that would further a positive climate of equity, diversity, and inclusion on the university campus, would enhance relations with diverse elements in the community and would promote appreciation of diversity in the wider community. The committee's role includes forwarding information and recommendations to the Academic Senate. The committee will submit an annual report with any appropriate recommendations regarding equity, diversity and inclusion to the Academic Senate of its activities.

Proposed new membership position

The SACD would like to add another university position to our membership list. This position would be the assistant vice president position that Myra Washington currently has. This addition would be in support of the proposed name and policy language changes outlined above.

Debate Calendar

Career-Line Parental Leave: Proposed revisions to Policy 6-315

Margaret F. Clayton, Ph.D., FNP-BC, FAAN, College of Nursing and Robert Flores, special assistant for faculty; associate vice president for academic affairs; senate policy liaison; College of Law presented on a revision of policy 6-315, proposing the addition of Parental Leave benefits for career-line faculty, analogous to similar benefits enjoyed by tenure-line faculty and staff.

Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute

Rachel Hess, M.D., M.S., professor of population health sciences and internal medicine, co-director of Utah Center for Clinical and Translational Science, associate dean for clinical and translational science presented a proposal to transition the existing Center for Clinical and Translational Science to a university-designated institute: Utah Clinical and Translational Science Institute.

Information & Recommendation Calendar

Interim Abusive Conduct Policy

Sarah Wilson, Amy Tolman, Bob Thompson, Wendy Peterson and Rick Smith presented the following proposal:
"The University of Utah (University) is committed to an academic and work environment that promotes, facilitates, and encourages mutual respect and collegial relationships. The University is committed to maintaining and promoting trust amongst all University employees in an ongoing effort by all employees to be collectively responsible, set a positive example, and treat each other with professionalism, courtesy, civility and respect in all interactions. This maintains the strong culture that is vital for the success of the individual as well as the whole Organization. The University complies with state laws that prohibit Abusive Conduct in the workplace."