Dear Colleagues, There has been a flood of emails in your Inbox from us, but I feel that I should update you on some critical items. Mental Health and Well-being: Given the two tragic suicides on our campus in a short span of five weeks, we all are facing emotions that are complex and intense. Provost Chase and I have received many emails, some filled with frustration and anger, and others offering support and advice. I know that you have demonstrated strength and offered support to our students while also experiencing pain and anxiety yourself. Let me thank you on behalf of our students and all of us in the administration for the role that you have played. While we continue to reflect and grieve; we, as a community, must forge ahead and find short and long-term solutions to the issues that have surfaced. Here is a quick list of steps that have been or are being taken.
I have spoken with our faculty experts for advice and my presidential colleagues at institutions that have experienced similar traumas. I have also met with the faculty and staff of Agnes Arnold Hall, to listen to their issues and perspectives. If you have any suggestions and advice for the task forces or me, please do not hesitate to write or submit your feedback on the Task Force website. Legislative Update: Vice President of Government and Community Relations Jason Smith and his team are monitoring more than 650 bills that, if passed, would have some potential impact on higher education and he provided a recent update. Five of the bills are of critical importance and I wanted to bring your attention to these.
We continue to work with our legislative leaders and their staff to ensure that our perspective is considered as the legislative process moves forward. Search Launch for VP of Research: I am initiating a national search for our vice chancellor/vice president for Research for the University of Houston System/University of Houston by appointing a 14-member Search Committee. The Search Committee will be co-chaired by Provost Diane Chase and Dean Daniel O’Connor and will begin its work this month. New Budget Process: While we will not know our budget distribution until the legislative session ends, we have started our budget process. I know that our needs are always more than the available resources and this year will be no different. Our process will begin in two weeks by making revenue projections and then we will finalize the priority list. From there, we will build alternative plans. Depending on what happens in May or June, we will be able to take a budget to the UH System Board of Regents in August. As I had expressed earlier, talent retention will be our top priority. On the enrollment side, we have not seen an enrollment increase in two years, which limits our ability to enhance revenue. I have asked Provost Chase to review our academic funding model to align rewards with enrollment so that units can plan appropriately. Once the legislature establishes the endowment for research investment (as discussed above), the pressure on the general academic fund to support research will decrease and more resources should be available to support the teaching mission of the university. Athletics: We will be joining the Big 12 Conference on July 1. Despite the disappointment of not playing on our home turf in the Final Four, we must celebrate the tremendous success of the Men’s Basketball team. We have had three Sweet 16 appearances in four years, and as a result “Houston Cougars” has become a household name. It is time that we leverage it and highlight our academic prowess. As you know, the college sports world is getting more complex and challenging every day, but we can make it worthwhile if we leverage our athletics successes to better serve our core mission and lift the university. Thank you for your attention, engagement and hard work. I have one final request of you. Without sacrificing academic rigor, if you can please show students that you care, it will mean a lot to them. Meanwhile, please do not forget to take care of your own health and well-being. With my warmest wishes, Renu Khator |
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