University Council for Sponsored Scholarship (UCSS) at Middle Tennessee State University
Mission Statement/Purpose:
The UCSS is dedicated to fostering and enhancing sponsored research and creative activity at MTSU. The council's primary objectives are:
- Advising administrators on research direction and mission.
- Proposing policies and practices to enhance the research environment.
- Reviewing current and forthcoming policies and practices affecting research.
- Strengthening communication amongst faculty researchers, departments, committees, and administration.
- Elevating the university's profile at regional, national, and international levels through the expansion of externally sponsored research, scholarship, and creative activities.
Composition of the UCSS:
Total Members: The UCSS comprises 21 voting members, supplemented by non-voting members from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (ORSP) and Faculty Senate.
- Associate Deans for Research or Research Coordinators: Appointed for a 3-year term by respective college Deans to represent their college.
- Faculty Representatives: Ten (10) members, chosen based on the sponsored activity level of their college, serve three-year rotating terms.
- At-Large Faculty Members: Three (3) members appointed by the VPR for two-year terms.
- Faculty Senate Representative: A non-voting member who bridges communication between the UCSS and Faculty Senate.
- ORSP Staff: They serve as non-voting members and consistently update the Council.
UCSS Officers:
Chair & Vice Chair: Elected from the voting members, they serve for 1-year terms, with the Vice Chair automatically assuming the Chair position after the spring semester.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, the Chair is Dr. Ben Sickle, and the Vice Chair is Dr. Racha El Kadiri.
Subcommittees:
The chair can appoint standing, special committees, subcommittees, or task forces as required to facilitate the UCSS's work. The subcommittees for academic year 23-24 are: Workload Policy, Indirect Distribution and Usage, Extra Comp Policies, ORSP Services, Student Research Support and Research Centers.
Contact:
If you have any question or inquiry, please reach out to Ben Stickle (Chair) at ben.stickle@mtsu.edu or Racha El Kadiri (Vice-Chair) at Racha.elkadiri@mtsu.edu.
| UCSS Members | |||||
| Classification | Member | Term(Years) | Term(Dates) | ||
| Chair | Ben Stickle | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Vice-Chair | Racha El Kadiri | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Scott McDaniel | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Kevin Bicker | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Meredith Dye | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Murat Arik | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Ryan "Seth" Jones | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Sanjay Asthana | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Research Coordinator | Karen Nourse | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Allocated Member | Tiffany Saul | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Allocated Member | Greg Rushton | 3 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2025 | ||
| Allocated Member | Vickie Harden | 2 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2024 | ||
| Allocated Member | Katie Schrodt | 2 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2024 | ||
| Allocated Member | Song Cui | 2 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2024 | ||
| Allocated Member | Misagh Faezipour | 3 | 8/1/2023-7/31/2026 | ||
| Allocated Member | Joshua Phillips | 3 | 8/1/2023-7/31/2026 | ||
| Allocated Member | Dan Smith | 3 | 8/1/2023-7/31/2026 | ||
| Allocated Member | Andrew Polk | 3 | 8/1/2023-7/31/2026 | ||
| VPR At-Large | April Weissmiller | 2 | 8/1/2023-7/31/2025 | ||
| VPR At-Large | Carroll Van West | 2 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2024 | ||
| VPR At-Large | Greg Reish | 2 | 8/1/2022-7/31/2024 |
