Welcome to the Faculty Senate

• For the latest COVID-19 updates at the University of Houston, please visit https://uh.edu/covid-19/

Closing Sept. 21 – A Childcare Needs Survey (CNS) was distributed via email and will close on Sept. 21. The survey is sponsored by the Faculty Senate, Student Government Association, and the Staff Council. The CNS aims to gather information about childcare needs during these challenging times. The results of this survey will be used to try to find workable and realistic solutions to our community’s childcare needs by working with the administration. The survey is anonymous and should be completed in one sitting.

Sept. 23, 12:15 - 1:15pm – The Faculty Senate Community and Government Relations Committee (CGRC) is delighted to kick-off this year’s Assistant Professor Excellence (APeX) Speaker Series with a presentation by Professor Andrew Michaels of The Law Center. Michael’s lecture, “Artificial Intelligence, Legal Change, and Separation of Powers” will discuss issues surrounding the use of “AI judges” as a replacement for human legal decision making in certain situations. It is the first of four presentations in the 2020-21 APeX lecture series that will showcase the breadth and depth of groundbreaking research, scholarship, and creative activity by UH early career faculty across disciplines. The session will be held in Microsoft Teams. For more information regarding the session, view the APeX Talk flyer.

Recently Announced – The book selected for the 2020-21 Provost Summer Read program is Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, a South African comedian, political commentator, and host of “The Daily Show.” The book entails Noah’s experience growing up under the apartheid government of South Africa in the 1980’s and what he learned from his mother regarding how to navigate racism and violence with grace and humor. Faculty are encouraged to email provost@uh.edu to obtain an electronic copy and then to integrate the book in their classes this year to foster meaningful dialogue around issues of inequality and identity.

Sept. 22, 6-7pm – Dr. Rob Nicol (‘92 UH alumnus) is the featured speaker for an upcoming Powerful Voices webinar, titled “The Biotechnology Era: A Systems Engineering Perspective.” The virtual session is part of the Honors College New Grand Challenges Forum and is in partnership with the Division of University Advancement. Faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community guests are invited to join in this inspiring and influential conversation. The session will be held in Zoom, and registration is needed. For more information, visit the Powerful Voices website.

Upcoming on Oct. 5-7 – The UH Human Resources has partnered with The Rose to provide on-site mammograms. The Rose’s mobile mammography unit will be located in Lot 19F near the M.D. Anderson Library during the day on Oct. 5-7. Pre-registration is needed for the approximately 20-minute exam. There are some patient requirements, details about insurance coverage, and further information for pre-registration that can be accessed in the complete announcement.