The next Faculty Council Meeting will be on March 25, 2026, from 12:00 to 2:00 PM.

Faculty Self-Evaluation Resource
The Curriculum Committee thanks the many faculty members across multiple colleges and programs who provided thoughtful feedback on the draft Faculty Self-Evaluation Guidelines for Curriculum Review. The Committee received substantive faculty input, much of which included detailed, discipline-specific analyses of how the guidelines would affect teaching in their fields. We heard you, and we took this seriously.

Drawing on the Curriculum Committee's independent analysis and faculty feedback, the Curriculum Committee Chair prepared a comprehensive response that identified strengths, concerns, and specific recommendations. The Committee also developed constructive alternatives to the current draft framework, informed by contributions from Committee members. These materials have been presented to the Faculty Council Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee has established a joint task force between the Curriculum Committee and the Faculty Affairs Committee. The task force will review the Committee's feedback and alternatives, determine the appropriate path forward (including defining the function), and distribute materials to all faculty for a review period. The timeline for the all-faculty review period has not been finalized but will be communicated as soon as it is established.

The Faculty Council remains committed to a process that respects faculty expertise, protects academic freedom, and produces an outcome that serves our students and our institution.

Spring Break Calendar Alignment
Faculty Council has received multiple inquiries from faculty seeking clarification about how the academic calendar—particularly Spring Break—is determined and how alignment decisions are made with local K–12 school districts. We have communicated these concerns to university leadership and requested additional insight into the calendar development process. We will share updates as they become available.

SAM 06.A.09 (Academic Personnel Policies) impacts faculty members’ daily work by establishing systemwide standards for appointment, annual review, and promotion and tenure evaluation. The policy outlines expectations for documenting performance across the core areas of teaching, research or scholarly activity, and service.

Because these areas form the basis of annual evaluations and promotion and tenure decisions, SAM 06.A.09 shapes how faculty plan their workload and document their professional activities throughout the academic year. Maintaining clear records of instructional effectiveness, scholarly output, grant activity, and service contributions helps ensure that annual reports and future review materials accurately reflect faculty accomplishments.

The Faculty Café is OPEN! https://www.uh.edu/fed/index.php 

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: A link for registration will be sent via UH Together after Spring Break. 

Faculty Awards

Please visit https://www.uh.edu/provost/faculty/faculty-recognition/faculty-awards/ to learn about the nomination process, eligibility, and more.

Your input helps shape the UH experience for all of us. Since the forum’s launch in October, we have received 39 items for discussion. The majority are addressed in the UH Together Newsletter, distributed each Monday morning. Other items are referred to the relevant Faculty Council committees or forwarded to appropriate administrative units for clarification and follow-up.

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.