Staff Senate to Meet Thursday, April 16; Report from March Meeting

Staff Senate Meets Thursday

The Staff Senate will have its regular monthly meeting Thursday, April 16, from 2 to 3 p.m. The meeting will be held via Zoom and is open to the campus community.

On the agenda:

• Report from Damon Davis, interim human resources officer, on the McLean Survey results
• Membership Committee update
• Update on upcoming staff appreciation pop-up event
• Other business.

Report from March 19 meeting:

Capital Projects Update from Executive Vice Chancellor Raaj Kurapati

Kurapati highlighted multiple ongoing and planned facility initiatives.

• Gross Anatomy Lab: The current basement lab is outdated and poses challenges. The state appropriated approximately $30 million and UT Health Sciences contributed approximately $2 million for a total cost of approximately $32.6 million. The new lab will occupy the top floor of the GEB, featuring modern ventilation and safety systems that enhance cadaver-based instruction.
• Nash Building Build-Out: Located behind Mooney in the Historic Quadrangle, the Nash Building is being completed in phases as dedicated research space. The second through fourth floors are complete and occupied by Physiology faculty from the College of Medicine. Plans include a vivarium in the basement and dry lab space on the first floor. As units move into Nash, vacated spaces will be evaluated for upgrade or retirement.
• Elevator Modernization: A campus-wide elevator replacement initiative is underway. The 930 Madison elevators are fully replaced, and work continues in 910 and 920 Madison, with the goal of modern, reliable service across campus.
• Holiday Inn Site and Soma Apartments: The former Holiday Inn has been demolished, and contractors are removing residual materials. UT Health Sciences is negotiating to acquire the Soma Apartments on the Pauline side of the space; demolition by the seller is pending State Building Commission approval. Together, these sites will provide a unified gateway footprint at Pauline and Madison.

Campus Infrastructure and Safety Initiatives

A fencing and lighting project is underway to improve perimeter definition and safety visibility of the campus. Decorative brick-and-metal fencing with branded signage will mark campus boundaries.

New lighting and analytics-enabled camera systems will enhance monitoring of parking and building perimeters. Visible progress can be seen along Union, with further completion expected by late summer.

A campus-wide space utilization study continues to guide space allocation, renovation priorities, and demolition of obsolete facilities. This analysis informs both the updated Campus Master Plan and current planning for the proposed new College of Medicine Interdisciplinary Building.

Health Science Ambassadors

The senators also heard an overview of the Health Sciences Ambassadors program, developed under the strategic enrollment plan to support university-wide recruitment and brand awareness.

In 2025, the UT Health Sciences Ambassadors attended 54 events, worked 97 hours, and called 150 students.

Program purpose and scope:

• Ambassadors support:
  • Recruitment at high school and college events
  • General university visibility and institutional presence at fairs and open houses
• The program is intended to complement college recruitment efforts, particularly assisting programs that have limited recruitment resources.

ITS Surplus Campaign

Information was provided on the device spring cleaning campaign in preparation for the upcoming project being launched this summer

The campaign engages everyone who has UT-owned computers to review computer inventory for both in-use or stored equipment.

• Review and evaluate it to see if it is still useable, still security compliant, is going to surplus, or no longer of use to the respective departments.
• The upcoming project is not just for items worth $1,500 or more. This is for all computers departments own.
• Admins, business managers, or anyone who is responsible for procurement and inventory should start reviewing the information now in preparation for the project.