•  Zubrow introduced President Tripathi who gave the annual State of the University message.  Zubrow said that opportunities at UB for service, research, education, shared governance, and transparency are remarkable.
   

• President Tripathi’s State of the University message.

• The University’s overall goal is to improve its AAU rankings.  Scholarship is the measure that has the most impact.  Four categories determine university quality according to AAU standards:

• Receipt of competitive federal grants.
• Number of faculty that have membership in the national academies.   
• Citations of written work in peer reviewed journals.
• Number of fellowships and memberships.

• UB hopes to hire 300 additional faculty and create 100 endowed chairs in coming years, increase the amounts of time available to faculty for research, and improve undergraduate graduation rates.  Tripathi emphasized that quality education, quality faculty, and quality student-faculty interactions are far more significant than quantity.
• Although UB lost over $80 million dollars from budget cuts in recent years, the NYSUNY 2020 will still contribute towards UB becoming a better institution.
• Search committees for senior leadership positions are active.  The most significant one is for Provost.  Tripathi hopes to appoint a candidate before the end of this academic year.  The committee for Vice-President for Development and Alumni Relations selected 2 semi-finalists, and a search for the Dean of the Nursing School is nearly completed.
• UB hired 80 new faculty in the fall 2011, 58 of which are either tenured or are on a tenure track. Diversity breakdowns include 12 Asians, 2 African- Americans, and 2 Hispanics.  Unlike recent years where approximately half of new hires were women, this year 19 of the 58 tenure track hires are female.  Areas of hiring include:

• The President believes new endowed chairs are important for maintaining support for outstanding faculty.  UB currently has fewer than 60 while most AAU schools our size has more.
• Despite the importance of endowed chairs, the future of the University depends upon appointment and retention of qualified junior faculty.
• Passage of NYSUNY 2020 enables UB to plan for the next 5 years.  The increased tuition revenues will help attract 300 new faculty and quality students.  Students and their families can now better plan for future tuition costs.  The students will be given the tools they need to graduate within 4 years. 
• During the past 3 years, UB renovated 11 classrooms ($2.2 million), upgrading technology, equipment, and aesthetics.
• Tripathi spent time meeting alumni and believes they are enthusiastic about donating to the University.  UB must raise $200 million to create endowments that support scholarships.
• Plans for relocating the Medical School downtown cleared both the Division of the Budget and SUNY.
• Half of the 101 3E proposals received require collaboration among more than one unit.  The 9 non-partisan reviewers will look for proposals that show returns on investment.
• Campus construction continues as engineers are now moving into their new building.   Crosby, Kimball, and Hayes Halls are undergoing renovation.  The School of Nursing is now located in a refurbished Wende Hall.

•  Questions asked of and comments made to the President

• Uriel Halbreich commented that listening to those outside the University’s “inner circle” of leaders will contribute towards improving the school.  Additionally, UB’s mission is to educate students, not to become an engine for economic development.  Halbreich also said there are other ways besides establishing endowed chairs that will attract top faculty to the University. Zubrow responded to Halbreich stating that freedom of speech is the best thing for faculty.  He continued maintaining that the voices of all faculty will be heard in the Faculty Senate.
• Asked about support for those who are not research faculty, Tripathi replied that professional and other support staff represents a vital part of UB’s infrastructure.
• The President responded that UB follows guidelines for new classrooms after someone noted that many renovated classrooms have fewer seats.  Tripathi did not indicate specifics of the guidelines.
• When asked how the University expects to compete with other institutions for better quality students, Tripathi spoke about asking Student Affairs to evaluate the student experience.  Innovative programs, such as the Honors College and the Undergraduate Academies, are drawing points. 
• Edward Herman asked the President how the University responds to students who have difficulties.  Tripathi said that freshman mid-year reports help identify undergraduates who have difficulties.  Additionally, several 3E proposals deal with improved safety nets for struggling students.  Zubrow stated that resources for academic advisors are insufficient.
• A Senator commented that UB must be accountable for its spending.  Also, hiring additional faculty is the easy part of the equation, but retaining them is the hard part.
• A commenter noted that some areas of the University must develop a culture and infrastructure enabling them to deal with large grants.  Tripathi responded that all departments must do so.

Prepared by
Edward Herman,
Secretary, Faculty Senate

© Copyright University at Buffalo Faculty Senate | UB Home | Accessibility | Legal Notices | Website Acknowledgements