If you missed the Dec. 1 Academic Senate meeting or need a refresher, keep reading for the highlights from the meeting. For more information on the Academic Senate, click here.
Meetings are open to the public and held on Zoom. Meetings are 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.
Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, the “university faculty shall have authority ... to legislate on matters of educational policy. ... The faculty has a right to a meaningful role in the governance of the University; ... it has a right to participate in decisions relating to the general academic operations of the university, including budget decisions and administrative appointments.”
“The legislative power of the University faculty collectively will normally be exercised by the faculty through their representatives in the Academic Senate and the college and Graduate and Undergraduate councils ...”
See Academic Policies 6-001-III-B-3, 6-002 and 6-300 to read the policies in full.
Debate Calendar
Policy 7-001 Research Misconduct Updates
In September 2024, the federal Office of Research Integrity (ORI) released an extensive update to the Public Health Services Policies (PHS) on Research Misconduct. The effective date for the updated regulation is Jan. 1, 2026.
In order to maintain PHS funding, including funding from the NIH, the university is required to update its research misconduct policy (i.e., 7-001) to comply with the updated PHS policies.
The updates introduce new and revised definitions, formalize the assessment stage in the proceeding, provide clarity to multiple principles and procedures, improve documentation requirements, elevate evidentiary standards, enhance due process rights and explicitly grant institutions with greater flexibility in making decisions regarding proceedings.
New Program: Criminology M.S.
This new M.S. in Criminology offered by the Department of Sociology & Criminology will equip students for advanced roles in the field of criminology, including careers related to criminal, juvenile and social justice. It will appeal to our current undergraduate students interested in a master’s degree, individuals currently working in the field in the area, and individuals around the state and country. It will offer a unique program in the state and ultimately benefit students, the university, and the state of Utah. It consists of 30 credits covering foundational courses in criminology, including methods, theory and statistics, as well as criminology electives and sociology electives, all taught by award-winning faculty in the Department of Sociology & Criminology.
Program Restructure: World Languages and Cultures B.A.
The Department of World Languages & Cultures is consolidating its current suite of majors as emphasis tracks under the umbrella of the existing World Languages & Cultures (WLC) major. This reorganization will more efficiently allocate course staffing resources, increase departmental collaboration and streamline student pathways toward graduation.
The department implemented the World Languages & Cultures major in 2022 to increase common curriculum across smaller language tracks, which allowed for sharing faculty between them in ways that were not previously possible. The WLC major has since quickly risen to become the second-most popular major in the department and is one of the driving factors in the more than 70% increase in majors the department has seen since the new major’s inception three years ago. There were already plans to fold in additional languages this cycle, but given the new major’s extraordinary success, the timeline to include all programs has been accelerated.
Program Restructure: Theatre B.A./B.S.
The Department of Theatre proposes establishing a new major in Theatre at the University of Utah, with options for students to complete the degree as either a B.A. or a B.S. This degree will replace two existing degrees: the B.A. in Theatre Studies and the BFA in Theatre with an Emphasis in Performing Arts Design. This proposed restructuring of two majors into one aligns with the university’s efforts to streamline curriculum, improve course fill rates, increase the efficiency of instructional resources and boost enrollment numbers. The B.A./B.S. is a more flexible degree path that will effectively serve transfer students and anyone who wishes to pursue a double major or minors. In addition to a shared but flexible core, B.A./B.S. students may select from blocks of electives to develop expertise in a particular area of focus, such as design/technology, performance or playwriting. Students interested in pursuing a generalist approach to the field may choose their own adventure by sampling a variety of introductory and advanced courses from across the department.
Program Restructure: International and Area Studies B.A./B.S.
International and Area Studies (IAS) presently includes Asian Studies, International Studies, Latin American Studies and Middle East Studies as separate and distinct majors. Under the proposed structure, all four of these will become formal areas of emphasis within a single “International and Area Studies” major. This entails no new expenses, aligns with ongoing program enhancements and promotes several core university objectives, including:
- An emphasis on skills required for students’ career success.
- Strengthening pathways to enhance completion rates and decrease completion times.
- Retaining curricular flexibility for students.
- Retaining competitiveness for high-value, high-prestige area studies grants.