UTHSCSA Faculty Senate Meeting

Wednesday, June 12, 2002

Minutes

Senators Present: Ellen Kraig, Judy Teale, Roger McCarter, Keith Krolick, Alice Gong, Robert Nolan, Tod Sloan, Sally Taylor, Mary Heye, Margaret Brackley, Janet Banks, Karin Barnes, Cheryl Burns, Barbara Boucher.

1. Judy Teale, Senate Chair, opened the meeting.

2. UTHSCSA Brisco Library: Plans for the Libraryís Future.

Dr. Teale opened the topic by explaining that currently there are 3 plans concerning the libraryís future services, use, collections and space. These 3 plans have different focuses. Dr. Virginia Bowden, Library Director, provided a brief overview of the libraryís role and history at UTHSCSA. Following her presentation, committee members of each plan presented an overview of the respective plans. The plans have been designated as Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. Each plan is included below in the Appendix. Additional information about the 3 plans and their differences may be found at the Brisco Libraryís web site at http://www.library.uthscsa.edu.

Dr. Kathleen Steven, Family Nursing, provided the summary of Plan A. A 5-person team appointed in February 2002 by Dr. Steven Wartman, Executive Vice President for Academic and Health Affairs developed this plan. Team members included: Kenneth Kalkwarf, Dean, Dental School; Bradley Pollock, Director, Center for Epidemiology & Biostatistics; Kathleen Stevens, Professor, Family Nursing, Michael Wick, graduate student; and Dr. Wartman.

Issues and concerns about the libraryís future: Following the brief presentations of each plan the Senators and guests discussed issues about these plans as summarized here:

• Scientists need access to journals/texts, which may be 10+ years old, on an immediate basis for supporting documentation of grant proposals. UTHSCSA scientists must have this information available within hours so that grant deadlines are met and grant funding is not jeopardized.

• Researchers need "older" journals available for research of historical, explorative and obscure data. Research in these areas involves physically searching through materials until desired data are gleaned.

• The journals used by researchers from smaller departments, such as physical therapy, need to be available, even if the "official count" of these journals is relatively small.

• Concern was expressed that library space might be removed from the library services and be used for nonlibrary purposes.

• Space for small meeting rooms for students and faculty was discussed. A guest stated that students have voiced need for additional small meeting rooms in the library.

• The concern of the availability of computer technology within the library was discussed. The Senators weighed the need to use up-to-date computer technology with the financial limitations of many students, faculty and the community. While it was recognized that the Brisco Library must remain in step with current computer technology, concern was expressed that if all computer stations were removed and patrons were required to bring their own computers, the access to scholarly data would be seriously limited due to patronsí lack of computer equipment.

• Concern was given about electronic libraries scope for thorough research. For example, some electronic journals provide only abstracts.

• Concern was voiced about the status of professional accreditations if library "hard copiesí were removed.

• UTHSCSA student bodies (i.e., SGA) have not been apprised of these 3 plans and their input is needed.

• Faculty expresses satisfaction with current library services & space.

• Concern was expressed about the perceptions of the San Antonio and South Texas communities if public access to the library is limited.

Following the discussion of the three plans, the Senate past a resolution that an ad hoc committee be formed to study the pros and cons of each plan. This committee should be comprised of a) representatives of each plan, b) librarians, c) a representative of the Faculty Senate, and d) representatives of student organizations.

3."Upward evaluation and downward reporting" of UTHSCSA Administrators. The Faculty Governance Subcommittee prepared a report and recommendation involving Regentís rule (37.432-4) for administratorsí evaluations and the UT Faculty Advisory Council resolution to provide a summary of the evaluation to the faculty affected directly by the administrator being evaluated. The senate discussed the report. Dr. Wartman expressed concern that the 30-day reporting deadline was too short for completion of reports. He suggested that 120 days would be a more reasonable length of time. The senate agreed to amend the deadline to 120 days. The amended resolution was past by the Senate. See appendix below.

4. Update on the new Student Services/Academic Administration Building.

Summary Project Description:

5. No old or new business was presented.

6. Dr. Teale adjourned the meeting.

Appendix A

Plan A

Mission
The Library is symbolically the intellectual heart of the campus. As such, its mission is to provide an environment, both physical and virtual, that facilitates learning and information management.

Vision

• A predominantly electronic repository of resource materials relevant to the missions of the Health Science Center offering rapid, convenient, 24-hour/7 day a week high speed electronic access on- and off-campus to all students, residents and faculty.
• A comfortable, functional space for students, residents, faculty and the public that stimulates and facilitates learning in individual or small group formats.

Role of Library Staff
The role of the library staff principally involves information management
Library staff responsibilities will reflect the following functions:

• Information management, including increasing the capacity of faculty, residents and students to manage information resources
• Electronic collection management
• On- and off-site print collection management
• Facility staffing

Library Space
The physical space of the Library to be re-configured as follows:

• Except for current journals (2 years worth if electronically subscribed or 5 years if not electronically subscribed) and other selected assets (e.g., newspapers), all print assets will either be stored (on- or off-site), donated, or destroyed.
• Items stored will be retrievable within 48-72 hours.
• Two floors to be designated as 24-hour unmonitored, controlled access study space for students and faculty. Space to be designed to optimize individual and small group formats and support technology-based functions.
• One floor to be designated as "public space" with limited hours and will contain items and information of general interest.
• One floor will be designated for information management.

Electronic Access
In general, Library users are expected to bring their own hardware and connect through high-speed wireless network access points distributed throughout the building. Some core information management functions will be supported by onsite hardware and connections. Faculty, students, residents and staff will have ready access to off-site broadband network connections.

Next Steps

• Discussion with Library leadership and staff, Library Committee, Executive Committee, Deans, Departments, faculty, faculty committees, students, residents and other users
• Final draft with modifications and specifics completed
• Final plan approved
• Implementation/phase-in plan developed with appropriate timelines and resources

Plan B

Mission
The mission of the UTHSCSA Library is to advance the teaching, research, patient care, and service programs of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and the health care programs of South Texas by providing library services and access to health sciences information.

Vision
The Library is a center of excellence providing premier and innovative health sciences information services, programs, and information to customers when and where they need it and in the most appropriate format for their need.

Goals
The Library's goals include (a) providing quality library services that are effective and efficient in meeting the unique needs of diverse customer groups; (b) providing access to information resources that effectively meet the health sciences information needs of Library customers, utilizing technology, programs and services appropriate to customer requirements; (c) providing Library customers with a welcoming environment, maintaining a customer-oriented, quality management philosophy in all Library programs and services; and (d) providing Library staff with a supportive workplace.

Resources and Services
The Library will be staffed by a team of librarians, information professionals, and support staff to provide health sciences information resources and services to UTHSCSA faculty, students, and staff, on and off-campus, with emphasis on providing information electronically to the desktop. The resources and services include:

1. Supporting faculty research through (a) licensing electronic full-text documents and indexing and abstracting databases, (b) purchasing print resources to be housed in the Library, and (c) providing timely access to off-site resources if licensing or ownership is not cost-effective.
2. Providing consultation, assistance, and instruction in research and information retrieval skills that develop critical thinking, support classroom instruction and learning, and prepare students for careers in a technologically sophisticated society.
3. Providing hours and services that are responsive to the needs of UTHSCSA students, faculty and staff, and to community users needing health sciences information, including San Antonio and South Texas health professionals, patients, and students of educational institutions.
4. Providing easy access to electronic information technology, including laptop computers available for in-library use, and wireless Internet access.
5. Providing a comfortable and safe late-night study space in areas of the Briscoe Library building. This study space will be limited to UTHSCSA students and ID holders at specified hours.
6. Providing special collections that preserve and share the knowledge of the past.
7. Assisting in maintaining UTHSCSA accreditation by providing appropriate report data regarding Library support for academic programs.

Library staff will continuously review and revise services and information strategies based on new learning, changing needs, and changing environments and opportunities, including:

1. Expanding the information resources available by establishing mutually beneficial partnerships with educational institutions and other organizations.
2. Maintaining the Library's space and equipment to provide an environment, both physical and virtual, that facilitates learning and information management.
3. Encouraging users to bring their own computer equipment to the library building.
4. As rapidly as practical from both use and cost perspective, removing little used library materials to physical or virtual storage allowing prompt retrieval, or discarding.
5. Balancing carefully the need for currency of information and the realities of fiscal resources.

Review
The process for review and adoption of a Library Plan should be open and well defined.

Plan C

The major missions of all the schools of our Health Science Center (HSC) are the creation of new knowledge, through research, and the dissemination of existing knowledge, by teaching and performing clinical services. Given this, our Library, as the portal to all existing biomedical information, may appropriately claim itself to be the key service entity for our HSC. Libraries, though, are in a time of rapid and profound transition. The World Wide Web has altered how libraries deliver services. No longer are libraries primarily print repositories to which users must come physically. Rather, they are becoming gateways to electronic and network-accessible collections and services. We are in the midst of this change, which holds not only great promise but also significant challenges, particularly as our Library must not only serve our faculty, students and staff (at all their locations), but should also provide health information services to appropriate professionals in 43 counties of South Texas.

Results
Collections Subcommittee Recommendations

• Provide sufficient state dollars to the Library to cover 90% of its collection costs, both here and at its extension campuses.
• The Library should move aggressively to increase its electronic publications, sacrificing print publications if necessary.
• Large informational databases such as molecular biology databases must be acquired and maintained. Responsibility for instruction on their use and their maintenance can reside either with Library staff or staff of the Chief Information Officer. Either way, trained professionals must assume this responsibility.
• Develop a consumer health collection for the non-professional community served by the Library.

Physical Operations Subcommittee Recommendations
The Briscoe Library should be redesigned to:

• provide better computer classrooms, meeting space, small group study rooms, and a dedicated teleconferencing area;
• merge the information and circulation desks;
• provide a 24-hour study area; and
• provide a "not very quiet" area that would serve a social/academic function (e.g., journal reading area, beverages available, etc.)
• Fees for services should be sufficient to maintain high quality equipment.
• Patient education materials and consumer health information resources should be acquired and actively promoted on a fee basis.
• Library services at the Brady-Green, PI Nixon Medical Historical Library, and the University Archives should be evaluated to determine whether and at what level they should be continued.
• Library staff positions should be reviewed to make certain that all current positions are needed in view of the Library's changing role and to ensure that positions are created and filled to deliver new and different services.

Connections Subcommittee Recommendations
This subcommittee's report consists primarily of recommendations (based on data obtained from the Library staff and that of the Chief Information Officer) for what will be needed for our Library to have adequate electronic access for those on-site as well as off site.

• State dollars should be provided to cover 90% of the collection costs, both here and at our extension campuses. Expenditures on the collection here should be about $1,800,000 yearly, rather than its current level of $1,150,000. State funding currently only provides about $750,000 of that total. State funding in the amount of $1,620,000 must be provided to the department to stop its dependency on one-time funds. Thus, state funding for the collection here needs to be increased by $870,000.
• Physical modification of the Briscoe Library to better serve its clientele is an additional $620,000. This figure does not include funding for service enhancements.

Appendix B

Resolution past by UTHSCSA Faculty Senate, June 12, 2002:

Suggestion for Post-tenure Review of Administrators

Prepared by the Faculty Governance Subcommittee of the Faculty Senate

Regentís rules 37.432-4 states:

The institutional academic senate or other representative faculty body should be consulted in the development of the review policies and procedures. Institutions should also address avenues for faculty input into the review of other administrators who have significant impacts on campus academic affairs. The review process should provide an opportunity for input by all faculty members in the academic unit(s) reporting to and /or affected directly by the administrator being evaluated.

A summary of faculty input, to be provided to the administrator under review and to the administratorís supervisor, should constitute a significant component of the evaluation report.

The UTHSCSA handbook of operating procedures states that, "it is proposed that the evaluation of administrators at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio occur in conjunction with post tenure review for those academic administrators who have faculty appointments with tenure."

After much discussion and research our committee support the following: "Resolution from Governance committee (University of Texas Faculty Advisory Council): In support of Regentís Rules dealing with the evaluation of administrators, quantitative and brief written summaries of the evaluation shall be presented to the unit reporting to and /or affected directly by the administrator being evaluated within 120 days from the date of the evaluation."

We support the concept reporting back to the unit affected directly by the administrator because (1) it completes the process for it allows the people who completed the evaluations to have an opportunity to see a summary of the reports; and (2) it allows for a system of checks and balances and accountability.