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May 25, 2010,
Volume 56, No. 34
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The following is published in accordance with the Faculty Senate Rules. Among other purposes, the publication of SEC actions is intended to stimulate discussion among the constituencies and their representatives. Please communicate your comments to Sue White, executive assistant to the Senate Office, either by telephone at (215) 898-6943, or by e-mail at senate@pobox.upenn.edu.
Faculty Senate Executive Committee Actions
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Chair Harvey Rubin thanked outgoing SEC members and introduced and welcomed incoming Chair-Elect, Camille Charles.
Past Chair’s Report. Faculty Senate Past Chair Sherri Adams reported on the work of the Academic Planning and Budget Committee.
Patent Policy Committee Update. Steve Fluharty, Senior Vice Provost for Research, updated SEC on the work of the Patent Policy Committee actions to date and the Center for Technology Transfer’s (CTT) new goals and objectives. Dr. Fluharty reported that CTT has outlined the following benchmarks: service improvements for faculty satisfaction, pipeline development to increase the number of deals and agreements signed including increasing industry sponsorship, and ways to increase revenue growth. He noted that disclosures are up 12% over FY2008 and 46% over FY2007 and that non-medical school disclosures are up 46%.
Dr. Fluharty explained that the Patent Policy Committee was charged by the President and Provost and outlined the composition of the committee. He reported that the committee has had bi-monthly meetings since October 2009 to revise the Patent Policy to review revenue distribution, return to inventor provisions, appeal process, and guidelines for student inventors and emeritus faculty. Dr. Fluharty explained that historically Penn’s Central Pool has been subsidizing annual unreimbursed patent expenses and CTT operations costs. He reported that the Patent Policy Committee proposed a revised revenue distribution formula that will deduct unreimbursed patent expenses from gross revenues.
Dr. Fluharty explained that the appeals process was revised to create a Standing Appeals Board with appropriate membership for the resolution of disputes between CTT and Inventors. Faculty Senate Chair Rubin recommended that Dr. Fluharty include a stipulation that the revised policy be reviewed a few years after implementation. (Ed. Note: See page 5)
Vote for faculty members for University Council Steering Committee. SEC members voted for four faculty members to be on the 2010-2011 University Council Steering Committee.
Senate Committee Reports. SEC heard and briefly discussed annual reports given by the chairs of Senate Committees. Senate committee reports were published in the May 11th issue of Almanac. Faculty Senate Chair Rubin requested that SEC members forward their ideas for new committee charges to Sue White, executive assistant to the Faculty Senate.
New Business. Faculty Senate Chair Rubin thanked Past Chair Sherri Adams for her service and excellent mentoring and turned the meeting over to the new Senate Chair, Bob Hornik. He thanked Harvey Rubin and Sherri Adams for their strong leadership.
Repeating comments expressed by each of the reporting committee chairs and on behalf of the tri-chairs, he expressed the universal appreciation for the excellent work and extraordinary support given by Executive Assistant Sue White to all of the Senate’s work.
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