February 3rd, 2025

Feb 03 2025
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Meeting Minutes

ACADEMIC SENATE AGENDA

Minutes

February 3, 2025

  1. CALL TO ORDER AND Announcements
    The regular meeting of the Academic Senate, held on February 3, 2025, was called to order at 3:00 pm by Senate President Harriet Hopf. The meeting was held using the Zoom online meeting platform. The meeting is recorded only for the purposes of meeting minutes. Although Senate meetings are not required to be public under Utah law, the Senate has elected to conduct its business in a transparent way and all attendees are welcome.

Present: Rohit Aggarwal, Jensie Anderson, Andrew Anderson, Elizabeth Archuleta, Ademuyiwa Aromolaran, Maile Arvin, Donna Baluchi , Henry Becker, James Bekker, Erik Bond, Joe Boyden, Christian Brockmann, Timothy Brusseau, Sarah Bush, Marc Calaf, Thomas Cheatham, Sydney Cheek-O’Donnell, Doug Christensen, Kevin Coe, Benjamin Cohen, Katharine Coles, Mark Crowley, Elisabet , Brigham Daniels , Marla De Jong, Kathy Doom, Jeffrey Druck, Nanette Dudley, Katie Durante, Lee Ellington, Zhigang (Zak) Fang, Rick Forster, Henry Fu, Ashley Glenn, Davidson Heath, Brenda Heaton, Kerry Herman, Tucker Hermans, William Holland, Heather Holmes, Jill Jeffe, Mercedes Johnson, Bryan Jones, Sarang Joshi, Myrna Kearse, Seijin Kim, Scott King, Kai Kuck, Shelley Lawrence, Mark Loewen, Alysse Loomis, Lisbeth Louderback, Janis Louie, Kateryna Malaia, Stacy Manwaring, Maureen Mathison, Christine McMillan, Huong Meeks, Kate Menlove, Brent Milne, Will Nesse, Curtis Newbold, Thi Nguyen, Matthew Nielsen, Katherine Pagano, Yihui Pan, Emma Parkin, Sofia Perez, Kevin Perry, Cordina Rada, Firas Rassoul-Agha, Lynn Reinke, Lorie Richards, Thomas Richmond, Suva Roy, Carol Sansone, Naomi Schlesinger, Nathan Seegert, Sherin Shaaban, Sarah Shreeves, Elizabeth Siantz, Chris Simon, Jamesina  Simpson, Paula Smith, Ginger Smoak, Wayne Springer, Oleg Starykh, Caroline Stephens, Alec Stevens, Casey Tak, Matt Tokson, Patrick Tripeny, David Turok, Jack VanDerHeyden, Jim VanDerslice, Margaret Wan, Roseanne Warren, Marie Wintriss, Rachel Wittman, Julie Wright-Costa, Dave Young, Zhou Yu

Excused with substitute: Richard Clark, Atif Ellahie, Alborz Ghandehari, Laura Grantier, Rachel Hayes-Harb, Teresa Hebron, Yvette Romero Coronado, Kathleen Strickland-Cohen

Excused: Frank Drews

Absent: Pinar Bayrak-Toydemir, Bryan Bonner, Jon Chaika, Jack Doughty, Julia Franklin, Martin Horvath, Feng Liu, Olive Nyiramwiza, Christo Pinknys, Alex Rose, Talea Steele, Elvis Valenzuela

Ex Officio: Shanti Deemyad, Angie Fagerlin, Harriet Hopf, Jane Laird, Paul Mogren, Mitzi Montoya, Allyson Mower, Richard Preiss, Sarah Projansky, Taylor Randall

Senate Office: Maddie Hile, Allyson Rocks

Senate President Hopf opened the February 3rd Academic Senate meeting with several announcements. The next Senate social will be held on Tuesday, February 25, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Union’s Bowling and Billiards, with families invited to join for a fun and relaxing event. She also highlighted various resources for staying informed on state and national developments, such as emails from administration and the VPR website for updates on federal funding. She expressed appreciation for University of Utah President Randall and his team, who recently presented to the State Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, effectively showcasing the importance and impact of higher education and academic healthcare.

Additionally, Hopf provided an update on the Senate-sponsored January 27th Cybersecurity Town Hall, presented by UIT and focused on improving communication and identifying key resources.  The town hall’s meeting notes were available in BoardDocs. A Senate-sponsored presentation on the new Gray Decision Intelligence (Gray DI) was summarized by Senate Past President Shanti Deemyad and also available in BoardDocs. For more information on Gray DI, faculty are encouraged to contact their dean’s office.

Senate President Hopf drew attention to a draft Policy Review by Senate Policy Liaison Allyson Mower that addresses a question raised at the January 6 Senate meeting on policies related to the new administrative position for the School and Colleges of the Liberal Arts and Sciences. The Policy Review will be presented to the Academic Senate Executive Committee on February 10, but because of the importance, it was placed on BoardDocs under the Agenda for Senators to review.

  1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES

The January 6th, 2025, Academic Senate meeting minutes were approved upon a motion from Brent Milne, seconded by Mark Loewen.

  1. REQUEST FOR NEW BUSINESS

Senator Katherine Coles asked to bring New Business to the Senate floor as an exception to the requirement that Senate new items be sent to the Senate President in writing by the Friday before a meeting. She explained that some Senators wanted to start an initiative to discuss how to address trust between the faculty and administration. Senate President Hopf allowed the exception. There was a motion by Katherine Coles and a second by Wayne Springer to address the new business immediately and not during the new business portion of the agenda. Senate President Hopf requested the motion included a time-limit of 10 minutes to address this new business. The motion to address the new business out of order from the agenda, with a 10-minute time limit, was approved with 68 in favor, 16 opposed, and 3 abstentions.

The discussion was limited to a presentation to determine the next steps for addressing the new business. When confidential details of an RPT decision were inappropriately shared during the discussion, President Randall stopped the discussion (in compliance with confidentiality expectations, SB 192, and Policies 6-316 and 6-303). After discussion, a motion made by Katherine Coles to table the new business in the Academic Senate and refer it to the Executive Committee was seconded by James Bekker and approved, with 11 abstentions. Senate President Hopf asked Senator Coles to submit in writing a proposal and rationale that she wants the Executive Committee to consider so it can be brought up at its next meeting.

[Note: These minutes were revised in response to a motion at the March 3 Senate Meeting. See the March 3 Minutes for more details.]

  1. REPORTS (EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE)

Senate President-elect Richard Preiss reviewed the items placed on the agenda by the Senate Executive Committee during its meeting on January 13, 2025. He also updated Senate members on the results of the Senate electronic vote to approve three new programs: Architectural Studies BA, Financial Planning and Counseling online MA, and Aerospace Engineering MS. The results of the Senate E-vote were as follows: the BA in Architectural Studies received 73 votes in favor, 1 against, and 4 abstentions; the MA in Financial Planning and Counseling (Online) had 73 votes in favor, 2 against, and 3 abstentions; and the MS in Aerospace Engineering received 74 votes in favor, 1 against, and 3 abstentions. The survey and results are included in Appendix A of these minutes.         

  1. CONSENT CALENDAR

Senate President Harriet Hopf reviewed the Consent Calendar items, which included:

  1. Faculty Appointments

The Consent Calendar was approved after a motion from Lorie Richards and a second from Heather Holmes. There was 1 abstention.

 

  1. REPORTS (ADMINISTRATION; ASUU; UUSC)    

Report from Administration

University of Utah President Randall thanked the faculty for their dedication during challenging transitions and expressed gratitude to Senators for raising important issues. He emphasized that the University of Utah stands out to him for its ability to innovate and foster open discussion. He expressed his support for the faculty and leadership, expressing that administration, faculty, staff, and students will overcome these challenges together.

Vice President for Government Relations Jason Perry provided an update on the ongoing Utah Legislative session, which runs until March 7th. There is a need for feedback on several bills, as President Randall and others have been suggesting modifications based on input. Senate President Hopf will share the tracking list for these bills with Academic Senate members.

Vice President for Research (VPR) Erin Rothwell announced a VPR town hall on February 4th, where more information will be shared regarding the funding freeze on federal grants and guidance for currently funded grant programs. Daily updates will continue to be provided on the VPR website.

Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires discussed immigration-related matters for the campus community. U of U safety services do not enforce immigration laws. The regional ICE field director also confirmed that the University would be informed if ICE needs to come to campus. Associate General Counsel Katie Carreau reassured attendees that faculty and staff who entered the country lawfully should not face issues. Carreau also highlighted that the University’s federal resources website provides guidance on what to do if ICE is on campus. During the subsequent discussion and clarification questions, Robert Payne confirmed that federal law prohibits the University from disclosing student information to ICE.

Report from ASUU

Student Body President Joe Boyden provided an update on student government activities. He highlighted an upcoming event at Brighton Ski Resort for students. Additionally, ASUU leaders are exploring funding food trucks to offer free meals to students and addressing parking ticketing issues. Elections are currently underway, and six candidates for ASUU President.

Report from UUSC

UUSC President Marie Wintriss shared that January 2025 was a productive month for Staff Council, with key activities including a collaborative meeting between the UUSC Presidents and Academic Senate Presidents. Planning for Employee Appreciation Day 2025 has begun and the council also met with the Auxiliary Business Development Office to strategize on enhancing staff development opportunities.

 

  1. INTENT CALENDAR

There were no items on the Intent Calendar.

 

  1. DEBATE CALENDAR

Grade Deadline Changes

University of Utah Registrar Erin Mason and Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Steve Robinson presented a revised Grade Deadline Change proposal that incorporated faculty and student feedback from previous Executive Committee meetings. The proposed changes include a new 5 calendar-days grade submission deadline after the end of term, with exceptions for Medical, Dental, and Law courses.  Members of the Academic Advising Standards Council, the Office of the Dean of Students, University Scholarships & Financial Aid, and ASUU, offered their reasons for supporting the proposed changes. Mason also explained that they had met with the Senate Advisory Committee on Student Course Feedback (SACSCF). UIT is actively working on streamlining the grade change process and Canvas integration solutions and seeking faculty volunteers for feedback. Senators asked clarifying questions, and Senate President Hopf noted that, because this proposal will take effect in the Fall, there will be time for additional conversations. Mason indicated that her office would like to form an implementation team to prioritize these issues raised by Senators. Sydney Cheek-O’Donnell’s motion to approve the Grade Deadline Changes passed after a second from Mark Loewen. There were 2 abstentions.

Program Restructure: Pharmacology & Toxicology MS

Program Co-Directors Misty Smith and Farzana Alam presented a proposal to restructure the Master of Science program in Pharmacology and Toxicology. The restructuring goals are to attract students and better prepare them for careers in industry, government, or academia. The updated program will offer two tracks—thesis and capstone—each requiring 30 credit hours and an update of required courses. Key changes include a focus on pharmacology and toxicology principles and industry-relevant training with professional development and mentorship. Bryan Jones made a motion to approve the Pharmacology & Toxicology MS Program Restructure Proposal, which was approved after a second by Maureen Mathison.

 

  1. INFORMATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS CALENDAR

SPEC 2025-26 Nominations and Elections Announcements

Senate Personnel and Elections Committee (SPEC) Chair Ken Monson presented the first of a series of sessions on the annual process for populating committees, electing Senators, and selecting Senate leadership. He provided an overview of SPEC, which oversees the election of Senators from the Colleges, certifies candidates for President-Elect of the Senate, and nominates faculty for Senate and University committees. Monson also announced the opening of the faculty interest survey on February 3 and will be promoted through mass email, faculty meetings, and college and department councils. The survey will be open for faculty input until March 10, 2025.

Senate Leadership 2025-26 Position Openings 

Senate President Hopf encouraged individuals to consider running for the Senate Executive Committee or President-Elect positions, highlighting that serving in these positions provides a deeper understanding of the university, USHE, and legislative systems. These roles foster connections with diverse colleagues, provide insight into the administration of the University, and creates opportunities to shape the future of the university through involvement in decision-making. Those interested in self-nominating can contact Harriet or other Senate leaders for more information. Senate Past President Shanti Deemyad, Senate President-Elect Richard Preiss, and previous Senate Presidents added their perspectives on the value of Senate leadership roles and encouraged Senators to consider running.

Information and Reports

Senate President Hopf noted the informational reports in the meeting materials for Senate review:

  1. Emphasis Restructure: Design BS
  2. HB261 College Charter Updates
    1. Architecture + Planning
    2. Marriott Library
  3. Administration Report to the BOT
  4. Academic Senate BOT Report
  1. NEW BUSINESS

The new business item was discussed at the beginning of the agenda after Senator Katherine Coles’ motion was approved.

  1. OPEN DISCUSSION

There was no Open Discussion at this meeting.

  1. ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at 5:41 PM