February 5, 2024

Feb 05 2024
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Meeting Minutes

ACADEMIC SENATE

Minutes

February 5, 2024

 

  1. CALL TO ORDER AND Announcements
    The regular meeting of the Academic Senate, held on February 5, 2024, was called to order at 3:00 pm by Senate President Shanti Deemyad. The meeting was held using the Zoom online meeting platform. 

 

Present:Michael Abrahamson, Rohit Aggarwal, Jensie Anderson, Ademuyiwa Aromolaran, Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir, Erin Beeghly, James Bekker, Adrian Bell, Melissa Bobick, Kenneth Bromberg, Jen Brown, Luca Brunelli, Timothy Brusseau, Sarah Bush, Marc Calaf, Robert Campbell, Marjorie Castle, Jon Chaika, Doug Christensen, Kevin Coe, Katharine Coles, Frank Drews, Nanette Dudley, Katie Durante, Jada Easterly, Atif Ellahie, Lee Ellington, Zhigang (Zak) Fang, Noreen Farley, Stacy Firth, Rick Forster, Leslie Francis , Julia Franklin, Gina Frey, Eric Handman, Rachel Hayes-Harb, Kerry Herman, Heather Holmes, Martin Horvath, Rory Hume, Bryan Jones, Jay Jordan, Sarang Joshi, Seijin Kim, Kai Kuck, Shelley Lawrence, Mark Loewen, Alysse Loomis, ShawnaKim Lowey-Ball, Sarah Lucas, Stacy Manwaring, Nancy McLaughlin, Huong Meeks, Meeyoung Min, Eugene Mishchenko, Anna Neatrour, Will Nesse, Curtis Newbold, Dave Norwood, Yihui Pan, Patrick Panos, Kevin Perry, Wayne Potts, Lorie Richards, Alessandro Rigolon, Hollis Robbins, Carol Sansone, Naomi Schlesinger, Nathan Seegert, Paul Shami, Chris Simon, Jamesina  Simpson, Paula Smith, Ginger Smoak, Wayne Springer, Talea Steele, Caroline Stephens, Casey Tak, Abigail Taylor, Patrick Tripeny, Hannah Truax, David Turok, Margaret Wan, Roseanne Warren, Peter West, Jennifer Williams, Jaclyn Winter, Mia Woychick, Julie Wright-Costa, Zhou Yu, Kilo Zamora

Excused with substitute: Lela Graybill, Tucker Hermans, Jack O’Leary, Susie Porter, Lynn Reinke

Excused:Andrew Anderson, Brent Milne, Sondra Stegenga , Maggie Tesch, Jessica Van Der Volgen, Jim VanDerslice

Absent: Lourdes Alberto, Yoshimi Anzai, Lillian Ault, Bryan Bonner, Cate Carson, Korkut Erturk, Andrea Garcia, Jesse Graham, William Holland, Jack Israelsen, Lindsey Kisielewski, Feng Liu, Janis Louie, Spencer Mukai, Austin Neff, Anna Roelofs, Savannah Romney, Samantha Watrin, Melodie Weller

Ex Officio: Mike Braak, Shanti Deemyad, Angie Fagerlin, Harriet Hopf, Michael Good, Savannah Manwill, Paul Mogren, Mitzi Montoya, Sarah Projansky, Taylor Randall, Sonia Salari, David Thomas, Jane Laird 

 

Announcements

Senate President Shanti Deemyad encouraged Senator members to come to the upcoming Senate Social on February 26.  

 

  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES
    The minutes dated January 8, 2024, were approved upon a motion from Katherine Coles and a second from Katie Durante.  

 

  1. REQUEST FOR NEW BUSINESS

Senate President Deemyad reported that she had received inquiries regarding a memo from the SVPAA’s office that outlined changes to the review and approval process for certain academic programs. This memo will be discussed during the Report from Administration and, if necessary, during the New Business section at the end of the meeting. 

 

  1. CONSENT CALENDAR

Senate President Shanti Deemyad noted the items on the meeting’s Consent Calendar: 

  1. Faculty Matters Report Review 
  1. Teaching Awards  
  1. Community Engaged Teaching and Scholarship Award 
  1. John R. Park Teaching Fellowship for 2023-24 
  1. Calvin S. and JeNeal N. Hatch Prize in Teaching 

Shanti congratulated the individual nominees for all of the 2023-24 Teaching Awards presented. The Consent Calendar items were approved after a motion from Sarah Lucas and a second from Sonia Salari. 

 

  1. REPORTS (ADMINISTRATION; EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE; ASUU)    

 

Report from Administration

President Taylor Randall addressed concerns raised on the passing of Utah legislature House Bills 261 and 257 and the attendant impact on the university community. A website to collect reflections, questions, and suggestions and a continually updated FAQ will be provided on these recent legislative mandates. The important things to note, in respect to House Bill 261, are that that the mission and values of the University have not changed, that the jobs of those working in DEI are secured, and that the student centers (including American Indian Resource Center and Black Cultural Center) will remain open. Additionally, grants, curriculum, academic research, and standards of accreditation will be protected. The removal of the DEI office is non-negotiable. He clarified that EDI committees under college councils or other areas are not expected to be impacted by the legislation so long as these do not violate HB 261 directions. The President that the University will meet the law and the University’s values, including being welcoming campus, have not changed.  

Some Senators expressed frustration that that administration did not appear to fully stand up for the values and principles of the institution and community. President Randall acknowledged these frustrations and offered that he and the rest of the UofU administration had worked, and continue to work, very hard with the legislature to develop compromises that defend the institution’s values. Senate President Deemyad advocated for a faculty Town Hall to discuss ideas and implications of the new legislation.  

Phyllis Vetter, UofU General Counsel, helped explain the scope of House Bill 257. The law does not apply to a restroom unless it is within or attached to a gendered changing room, such as a locker room. It does not otherwise prohibit gender-neutral restrooms. Phyllis clarified that the law clearly mentions ‘sex designated changing rooms’, the definition of ‘sex’ in the bill, and a number of exceptions including caretakers, and maintenance or cleaning of such spaces. 

 SVPAA Mitzi Montoya congratulated those faculty nominated for teaching awards and offered other notable faculty achievement recognitions. Senate President Deemyad explained that multiple Senator inquiries about the January 30, 2024, Revision of Review and Approval Processes of Credentialed Academic Programs memo prompted requests to discuss it at this meeting. Senator Katherine Coles asked that the memo be posted with the meeting materials and expressed that it makes changes to policy without going through the established procedure, although it could have been done inadvertently. The memo as currently written would remove the approval requirements from the EC and Senate for instance, in addition to possibly violating USHE policy. SVP Montoya thanked Katherine for the feedback on these and other language issues. The intended purpose was to develop a procedural memo to clarify curriculum processes for the Undergraduate and Graduate Councils, and not to change any policies. AVP Sarah Projansky offered that a review of the memo is already on the agenda of the next Senate Executive Committee (EC) meeting on February 12, and that discussion with the Senate will inform subsequent memo revisions. Senators offered other insights into shared governance on curriculum, of the consequences of the memo as it is currently written, and more. Senate President Deemyad indicated that she will also bring this topic up during the New Business part of the meeting’s agenda to support more discourse and feedback.  

 

Report from ASUU

ASUU President Jack O’Leary was unable to attend this meeting, reported ASUU VP of University Relations Chloe Shewell. He will be at the next Senate meeting to give ASUU updates.  

 

Executive Committee Report

Senate President-elect Harriet Hopf outlined the items on the meeting agenda that were determined by the Senate Executive Committee at its January 22nd meeting.  

 

  1. INTENT CALENDAR

There were no items for the Intent Calendar

 

  1. DEBATE CALENDAR

New Academic Unit: Division of Public Affairs                 

The Public Affairs program and College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) propose an independent Division of Public Affairs to serve as the shared programmatic home for the CSBS’s three professional public affairs graduate programs: the Master of Public Administration (MPA), the Master of Public Policy (MPP), and the Master of Science in International Affairs & Global Enterprise (MIAGE). David Carter, Programs of Public Affairs Director, and Claudio Holzner, Chair, of the Department of Political Science, explained that an independent Division of Public Affairs would help foster even more public service, scholarship, teaching, and community impact at the University of Utah. After a second from Sonia Salari, Harriet Hopf’s motion to approve the proposal passed with one abstention. [Note: the original vote tally included one objection that was later corrected by that Senator, explaining that the objection vote was an error.] 

 

New Degree: BS in History 

Julie Ault, Associate Chair of the History Department, introduced a proposal to add a Bachelor of Science in History to the department’s curriculum, in addition to the current Bachelor of Arts option. The BS will emphasize connections between the humanities and the sciences through a focus on science, technology, medicine, the environment, and quantitative literacy. She noted that this option would aid transfer students and attract students deterred by the BA language requirement. The quantitative components of the curriculum and the potential collaborations or course offerings with peer departments were also discussed. Adrien Bell’s motion, seconded by Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir, to approve the proposal passed with 1 objection and 3 abstentions.  

 

Initial Phase Authorization: Center of Pasifika and Indigenous Knowledges  

Pacific Islands Studies Director Maile Arvin presented a proposal to establish the Center for Pasifika and Indigenous Knowledges at the UofU. The Center will be an interdisciplinary research center supporting ethical and critical scholarship by and for Pasifika indigenous peoples. The infrastructure of the center, including faculty and administrative support, and its funding model were outlined. The center’s governance will be managed by a faculty director and assistant director, as well as the governing board of faculty and staff, and a community advisory board. Adrian Bell’s motion, seconded by James Bekker, to approve the proposal passed.  

 

Policy 6-404: Test Optional Undergraduate Admissions 

Steve Robinson, Senior Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, and Scott Schaefer, Professor of Quantitative Analysis, reviewed an update to Policy 6-404 that would make test-optional undergraduate admissions requirements a permanent policy, while still allowing the option to require tests in certain cases. Steve explained this revision would codify the existing interim rule, which has yielded positive results at the University since implementation. Because the data used to evaluate those interim results has been limited to a few years, he explained the 5-year review cycle required by the Policy and the planned efforts to continually evaluate the policy’s impact with the Credits and Admissions committee. The presenters discussed similar policies at peer institutions, specific concerns about STEM versus non-STEM student placements, and analytic support for GPA as an indicator of student success. Other discussion items of interest to Senators included asking to have access to current and future data on outcomes as these become available. Kevin Perry’s motion to approve the Policy 6-404 revision was seconded by Pat Tripeny and passed with 3 objections and 5 abstentions. 

 

  1. INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS CALENDAR

Prioritizing Open Access Publishing at the University of Utah 

Sarah Shreeves, Dean of Libraries, and Joel Thornton, Associate Dean for Collections & Scholarly Communication, presented the features and benefits of two new open access agreements. Agreements have been signed with scholarly publishers Wiley and Oxford University Press to support open access publishing at the University of Utah. Joel explained that their offices have a communication strategy to inform faculty, deans, and other stakeholders of the current and new open access publishing developments at the UofU and shared that schedule. Dean Shreeves provided important overview details of what is happening on a national level as far as requirements on open access publication and sustainability supporting this initiative. Included in the presentation slides were positive steps to continue to invest in Transformative Read and Publish Agreements through a coordinated program between the Vice President of Research and Libraries, along with other initiatives. The current open access landscape can be confusing, so they recommended contacting the library for help in these areas. 

  

Required Reporting of Race in Law Enforcement Agencies 

In a follow up to questions posed in the previous Senate meeting, Heather Sturzenegger, Executive Officer in the Chief Safety Office, and Teresa Prior, Public Safety Records Manager, presented a Required Reporting of Race in Law Enforcement Agencies memorandum. The memo outlined state and federal law identifying Law Enforcement Agencies’ required reporting of race. The presenters notified the Senate that there is not a requirement to report this data on the office’s public dashboard, so that has been removed. Teresa gave context on Utah State and FBI crime reporting requirements, and the importance of collecting demographic data to measure the disproportionate level of harm to certain groups (including racial minorities) caused by policing. 

 

Senate Personnel and Elections Committee: Faculty Committee Interest Sign Ups and Spring 2024 Nominations  

Ken Monson, Chair of the Senate Personnel and Elections Committee (SPEC) reviewed the processes and timelines of the upcoming Senate Leadership elections, University Committee nominations and appointments, and Senate Committee nominations and elections. He explained the charge and composition of SPEC, the role that University and Senate Committees have in the shared governance of the institution, and the purpose of the Faculty Committee Interest Survey which will be open from February 6th through March 11th. He emphasized that faculty participation in all the above is an important part of shared governance and asked that Senators help communicate the processes to their colleagues.  

 

Senate Leadership 2024-25 Nominations: Senate Executive Committee and Senate President-elect                                                                                     

Shant Deemyad and Sonia Salari identified the benefits of running for Senate leadership positions. Every year, the Senate needs to elect faculty leaders to serve on the Senate Executive Committee and to be the Senate President-elect. Faculty elected to be a Senate Presidential leader get FTE relief for their service to ensure that these leaders have the time to represent UofU faculty in important shared governance positions. They asked that interested faculty contact them to get more details and insights into what faculty leadership service entails.  

 

Reports and Information  

Senate President Deemyad reviewed the following informational reports posted for this meeting: 

  1. New SCHC Panel Chairs List 
  1. New Emphasis to an Existing Degree: Nursing Leadership 
  1. New Emphasis to an Existing Degree: Queer Studies 
  1. Graduate Council 7-year Reviews       
  1. Department of Educational Psychology 
  1. College of Law 

 

  1. NEW BUSINESS

Senate President Deemyad asked Senators Jay Jordan and Katherine Coles, in reference to the previous discussion on the SVPAA curriculum procedure memo, if they would prefer to have an additional conversation at this point or wait until the Senate Executive Committee had a chance to discuss it with SVP Montoya and AVP Projansky at its next meeting on February 12th. The Senators agreed to continue that conversation at that time.  

                      

  1. OPEN DISCUSSION

There was no Open Discussion at this meeting

 

  1. ADJOURNMENT
    Meeting adjourned at 5:37 pm.