The Regents of the University of Michigan

This document is a Regents Communication from the University of Michigan, detailing construction activities on its projects during February 2017. It provides updates on projects recently completed, lists new projects in the planning phase with proposed budgets and architectural appointments, and outlines active construction projects with their respective budgets, start dates, completion timelines, and funding sources.

The Regents were requested to authorize the execution of Investment Agreements, under the Accelerate Blue Fund or similar Innovation Partnerships Managed Funds, for financing Ocutheia, Inc., a company focused on developing novel therapeutics for retinal degenerative diseases. The proposed investment falls under the State of Michigan Conflict of Interest Statute because interested individuals (employees of the University) have a pecuniary interest as partial owners and/or senior officers/board members of the Company. Approval by a 2/3 vote of the Board is required for this transaction, which does not obligate University services or facilities.

The meeting agenda documented several personnel actions for the Ann Arbor Campus, including new appointments and promotions for regular associate and full professor ranks, both with and without tenure. Specific actions involved appointments/promotions for Gorav Ailawadi, Norman D. Bishara, Philip Boonstra, Aimée T. Classen, and numerous reappointments and joint/additional appointments for various faculty members across different schools and colleges. Additionally, there were recommendations for establishing and renaming professorships and academic administrative positions, and other personnel transactions, including transfers and interim appointments across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses.

The Regents meeting, held in Grand Rapids, featured a welcome from the Public Museum director and comments from the UM Club of Grand Rapids president regarding their large scholarship fund. Key discussions included a report on the Grand Haven Aquatic Research and Education Center and its planned facility, as well as initiatives by the School of Social Work in Western Michigan, particularly concerning welfare reform impacts. Significant time was spent debating the Michigan Student Assembly's proposal for student representation on the Board, with the administration emphasizing the need to preserve constitutional autonomy by avoiding an amendment process. Fee assessments for MSA, Student Legal Services, and the University Health Service were reviewed, with minor increases approved for SLS and UHS. Business also covered the acceptance of the State Auditor General Report, authorization of temporary expenditures for FY 1998-99, approval of maintenance projects, the UMH Wayfinding Improvement Project, a CT scanner upgrade, approval of the UM-Dearborn Environmental Interpretive Center budget, and approval of several purchasing contracts and license agreements involving conflict of interest disclosures (Dan Vaassen Farm, Clark-MXR, Inc., HealthMedia, Inc., and VisiTek, Inc.). Additionally, the acquisition of the Northbank Center Building for UM-Flint was approved, and the academic calendar for 2000-2001 was adopted. The Board also addressed the economic status of faculty salaries at UM-Flint, noting they lag behind peer institutions.

The document presents reports of regular instructional transactions administratively approved during the past month (March 2017). This includes new appointments of regular instructional staff across various schools such as Dentistry, Engineering, Literature Science and the Arts, and the Medical School. It also details corrections to previously approved new appointments, cancellations of new appointments, promotions, joint appointments, transfers, discipline changes, emeritus faculty appointments, granted leaves of absence (sabbatical, retirement furlough, intergovernmental personnel leave, sick leave, family medical leave, childcare leave), and terminations (resignations, retirements, appointments completed, or death). Specific actions covered departments like Aerospace Engineering, Orthodontic/Pediatric Dentistry, Emergency Medicine, Internal Medicine, and many others across the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses.