Responsibilities and Goals
Responsibilities: Specific areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, policies and recommendations related to the following:
- Faculty Handbook sections related to communication issues
- Providing input for development of Record
- Establishment and maintenance of faculty data base
- Faculty forums
- Alumni relations
- Public relations
Goals:
- Continue to press for modification of current UT policy that prohibits or greatly restricts faculty communications between legislators, and governmental officials (especially state and local officials). Attempt to get this policy in line with previously assigned roles of FSEC as intermediary with such officials and the media.
- Faculty Club - is it realistic to pursue? (1) find out annual membership costs, etc. for faculty clubs in comparable medical centers; (2) poll UTHSC faculty to determine current interest and what they are willing to pay for dues, and how much use they believe they would make of a faculty club at various times of the day.
- Electronic communication [joint with T&C Committee]: continue to monitor the new procedures for faculty listserve, campus calendars and bulletin board.
- Development office: in light of the Chancellor's May, 2004 'State of the Campus Address', clarify what role, if any, the faculty has in the affairs of the Development office.
- Student Alumni Center (SAC): Determine the functions of the recently renovated SAC, particularly with respect to its use for faculty events that might promote communication. Disseminate this information campus-wide.
- UTHSC Library: Work with the library, UT administration, and Legislature to increase substantially the sharing of library resources, particularly with UTK and its affiliated libraries, as well as with those within Shelby County (e.g., St. Jude, Univ. Memphis). Explore ways to enhance the influence of the Library Advisory Committee.
- Explore the issue of a faculty member's "scope of duty: what is it?, how and how often will it be spelled out? how broad is it? who is the arbiter?, " and under what conditions will it be deemed to be exceeded when a faculty member communicates with other people, especially those off-campus?
- The Record: Work with the staff of The Record to greatly increase publicity of faculty-obtained research grants and publications. For example, using well-delineated search terms on PubMed (for publications), and rapidly getting funded grant and contract information from the UTHSC Research Office. Find out the response rate for the Editor's biweekly email that requests information for the Calendar and articles for The Record. Find ways to enhance the flow of information from faculty to the Office of Communications and Marketing, including The Record.
- Others, as assigned or as they develop over the year.
