October 7, 2019
Dear Chair Erickson and Trustees:
I appreciate this opportunity to submit a brief overview of the activities of the Faculty Senate since the last trustees meeting in July 2019. During the summer of 2019, the Executive Committee, along with members of various Faculty Senate Standing Committees, worked diligently to draft policy addressing recently enacted state bills and continued work on recommendations for a revised academic advising model. In addition to crafting charges for the Faculty Senate standing committees, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee assisted the General Education Program Director, Becky Pearson, in reviewing transfer student petitions and interpreting General Education Policy. State Bills 5410 and 5166 Two bills affecting the university were signed into state law and became effective 28 July 2019: • Senate Bill 5410, which directs higher education institutions are required to “award as much credit as possible” for AP, IB, and Cambridge dual credit programs; • Senate Bill 5166, which allows students to be absent from class for reasons of faith or conscience, or for an organized activity conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization, after written notice to faculty. Prior to the start of the academic year, the Executive Committee, in cooperation with the Office of Student Success, the Registrar, and the Associate Provost’s office drafted policy language to address both bills. Draft language was then discussed by the Faculty Senate Academic Affairs Committee during the first week of the academic quarter. In order to expedite the process of policy approval, and enhance compliance, Associate Provost Gail Mackin and myself sought the advice of Assistant Attorney General Alan Smith with regard to policy wording. This revised wording was passed by Faculty Senate at the October 2 nd meeting and is expected to arrive at UPAC on the 23 rd of October. I am appreciative of the amount of coordination across all levels of the university in assisting in the passage of these policies.
Advising
Over the summer, the Academic Advising Council continued to refine recommendations for enhancements to the advising model based on the feedback they received in listening sessions and a survey in the spring. They have continued to collect and assimilate data from across
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