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Faculty Council

Faculty COUNCIL


Welcome to the University of Houston Faculty COUNCIL

Welcome to the pages of the UH Faculty Council website. Here, we hope you will find the informational resources you are looking for. Our goal when developing and managing this website is to bring under one umbrella a variety of links and resources that might impact the day-to-day work of a faculty member. Of course, we wish to also provide information on the workings of the faculty council itself and on all the proceedings and documents related to the council committees. In that sense, the council website is designed to be both “outward-looking,” that is, a resource for UH faculty and “inward-looking,” that is, a resource for faculty council members.

Read our Message from the Faculty Council Presiding Officer

ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • No Announcements at this time

FEATURED EVENTS

  • No Events at this time

UH Together

Key Updates from the March Meeting
Faculty Engagement & Governance

  • Leadership emphasized active faculty participation and constructive, solution-focused dialogue.
  • Continued efforts to improve communication between Faculty Council and colleges.

Academic & Administrative Updates

  • New Watermark Faculty Success system launching to streamline annual reviews, promotion/tenure, and reporting.
  • Faculty handbook update nearing completion; feedback still being accepted.

State & Policy Landscape

  • Texas moving toward performance-based funding, which may impact future budgets.

Student Success & Well-being

  • Survey data shows concerns around financial stress, belonging, and mental health.
  • New UH Well-being Collective aims to improve student support campus-wide.

Curriculum & Research

  • Over 60 curriculum proposals approved, including new degree programs.
  • New initiative underway to gather faculty input on research infrastructure needs.

Looking Ahead

  • Task Force working on resource guides (teaching, syllabus design, AI use).
  • The core curriculum review and the future higher education speaker series continue this spring.

Stay engaged via UH Together and upcoming Faculty Council communications.

Survey Completion Request
The Justin Dart, Jr. Student Accessibility Center Subcommittee of the Faculty Affairs Committee invites faculty to provide feedback on the Center’s services. Your insights are essential in identifying areas for enhancement and shaping future initiatives to better support our campus community. Please take a few minutes to complete this brief survey by April 6.

Help Improve DART Center Services: Faculty Input Survey – Fill out form

ADA Compliance Reminder for Faculty & Staff
All members of the university community share responsibility for ensuring accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This includes providing equal access to course materials, digital content, and campus services for individuals with disabilities.

Recent federal updates require institutions to ensure that websites, course materials, videos, and digital tools meet accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA), with compliance deadlines beginning in 2026 for public universities. (Accessibility.Works)

What this means in practice:

  • Ensure documents (PDFs, slides, syllabi) are accessible
  • Provide captions for videos and audio content
  • Use accessible learning platforms and tools
  • Design courses with inclusive practices in mind

Failure to comply can limit equitable access and may result in legal and institutional risk. (Level Access)

For official guidance and resources:

If you have questions or need support, please contact your campus accessibility or instructional design office.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility—thank you for your commitment to inclusive teaching and learning.

Cafe Conversations: Provost Chase April 1, 2026, from 2:00-3:00 PM

Call for APEX speakers for 2026-2027

Nominations should include a proposed talk title and a brief abstract and can be submitted via the APeX Nomination Form. The deadline for submissions is April 24, 2026.

Additional details about the call are included here.

The Future of Higher Education Talk Series, April 24, 2026
Mr. Eric Kelderman, Senior Writer, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Talk: Has the U.S. Passed Peak Higher Education?

Location and Time: Room 210, Ballroom (East), Student Center South 1:00-2:00 p.m. 

Registration: Please register to confirm your in-person seat for this event. You may also join the session online if you are unable to attend in person. We request that everyone please register so we can plan accordingly.

Do you have ideas, feedback, or topics you would like to see featured in UH Together? We would love to hear from you! Share your thoughts here: https://forms.office.com/r/iDkuvcvbWB.