Herff Leadership & Committees

Dean's Office Leadership

Dr. Okenwa Okoli
Herff Engineering Dean
Mechanical Engineering Professor
ookoli@memphis.edu  
901.678.4306
EA 201D

Committees

Dean's Advisory Committee (elected)

To constitute an organized faculty voice in advising the Dean of the College of Engineering on basic questions of college policy and to prepare and submit recommendations concerning college policy to the faculty and the Dean.  The Advisory Committee and the Dean should maintain an effective and regular communication in order that the needs of the College can be defined and adequately presented to the University administration.  The Committee's agenda will be determined by the Committee and may include items suggested by the Dean, Department Chairs, individual staff members, or any other source.  Committee membership is comprised of the faculty representative to the University Senate elected by each engineering department.

Tenure & Promotion Committee (elected)

Committee membership is comprised of one elected faculty representative from each engineering department.  The Committee's responsibility is to review the tenure and promotion recommendations prepared by each department and to forward the material to the Dean with its recommendations.  In addition, the Committee should review tenure track faculty midway through their probationary period to verify that satisfactory progress is being made in anticipation of the tenure decision.

Awards Committee

Prepare or arrange for the preparation of nominations of faculty, staff, alumni, and students for the various internal and external award programs which are made available to the College. This committee's actions shall not supersede the rights of individuals, departments, or other groups within the College to make such nominations where appropriate.

Computer Committee

To serve as a committee of active computer users providing advice and counsel concerning:

1. Research and education needs of the College of Engineering, including use of the High
   Performance Computing facility.
2. Recommendations for hardware and software acquisition.
3. Policies related to the equipment and facilities.

Diversity Committee

To identify the unique needs and interests of under-represented groups in the College of Engineering and recommend a means by which the College can be more effective in recruiting and retaining students and faculty who comprise these under-represented groups. In addition, the committee is to actively collaborate with the Outreach Committee and each committee member is individually expected to communicate and interact with his/her respective unit in the College in fulfillment of the general charge.

Graduate Council

Review content of new graduate course offerings and proposed changes to existing graduate courses.  Review proposals for new graduate certificate programs, masters programs or concentrations and PhD programs or majors.  Review proposals for the consolidation of graduate programs, elimination of programs or majors.  Publicize available graduate level scholarships and fellowships administered at the College level, review applications for these scholarships and fellowships and recommend awardees to the Dean.

eDay Outreach Committee

Coordinate and develop outreach and recruiting activities within the College of Engineering including the E-Day event.

Safety Committee

To assure the best possible safety conditions in the College of Engineering for students, faculty, staff and visitors.  To make known all safety policies of the University of Memphis including all related legislation.  To assure reasonable and responsible safety procedures are being carried out in each administrative unit of the College as the committee deems appropriate.  To make recommendations regarding safety conditions and procedures in each administrative unit.

Undergraduate Committee

Review content of new undergraduate course offerings and proposed changes to existing undergraduate courses.  Review proposals for the establishment of new undergraduate programs or concentrations.  Review proposals for the consolidation of undergraduate programs, elimination of programs or concentrations.  Establish and maintain regular contact with the College of Arts and Sciences to determine and implement means by which the performance of engineering students in Arts and Sciences courses can be improved.  Publicize available scholarships, review applications for scholarships administered at the College level and recommend scholarship awardees to the Dean.