If you missed the Nov. 3 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.
Executive Committee Report
Click here to learn more about the Executive Committee's role and membership.
Consent Calendar
College of Nursing Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Revisions and New Post-Graduate Certificate Proposals
The College of Nursing is presenting several proposals that strengthen the alignment of graduate nursing education with community and workforce needs. The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program includes a significant change proposal to restructure and rename the Post-MS DNP Leadership emphasis to Leadership in Health Systems & Practice, reflecting a stakeholder-informed, adaptable, and professionally focused curriculum. Additionally, two new DNP emphases are proposed: Acute Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-AC) and Dual Acute Care/Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (PNP-AC/PC), alongside renaming the existing Pediatric Nurse Practitioner emphasis to Primary Care Pediatric Nurse Practitioner for clarity and alignment with national certification standards. Complementary Post-Graduate APRN Certificate Programs are also proposed to expand access for practicing APRNs seeking additional population foci or leadership training, ensuring responsiveness to evolving healthcare system demands.
Debate Calendar
New Program: BS in English Education
Proposal for a new B.S. in English Education, which will combine training in computer programming and digital humanities with traditional Secondary pedagogical training in English Language Arts and Pedagogy.
B.A./B.S. Health and Human Services
The state of Utah is experiencing a behavioral healthcare crisis, with as many as half a million Utahans not receiving the behavioral health care services and treatment they need. Compounding this issue, all counties in the state are designated as healthcare shortage areas. Given this, elected officials, healthcare industry leaders, and the Utah System of Higher Education have called for the (1) training of paraprofessionals and bachelor’s level students for entry-level behavioral health care positions; and (2) expanding stackable educational pathways from certificates through bachelor's and graduate degrees. To this end, the College of Social Work, with support from the College of Education, College of Health, College of Nursing, College of Social and Behavioral Science, School for Social and Cultural Transformation, and Utah Department of Health and Human Services, is proposing a new undergraduate degree, BA/BS Health and Human Services. An open major that will be available to full- and part-time undergraduate students, the BA/BS Health and Human Services degree (120 credit-hours) is a cross-disciplinary and skill-based degree. The curriculum is multifaceted, with students completing a core curriculum (51 credit-hours), a specialized curriculum (24 credit-hours), anda 200-hour internship (with virtual coaching). The specialized curriculum is comprised of nine tracks: American Indian Studies; Board Certified Assistant Behavioral Analysis (BCaBA); Certified Health Education Specialist; Criminology and Corrections; Disability and Difference; Gerontology; Health Communication; Infant and Childhood Mental Health; and Substance Use Disorder. Students are required to complete the core curriculum, one of the nine specialized tracks, and a 200-hour internship. The degree is intentionally designed as a workforce-focused, stackable pathway that aligns with Utah’s health and human services employment needs. This degree brings together the strengths of multiple programs that prepare graduates to work across health, behavioral health, and social service systems.
New Program: B.S. Neurosciences
We will present the proposal for a new undergraduate major in Neuroscience. This is an integrative major to study the biological mechanisms of the brain that support cognition and behavior and is an interdisciplinary effort proposed by the Psychology Department and the School of Biological Sciences. There is high level of interest among students and similar programs across the nation are popular and growing. The major prepares students for labor market demand as well as graduate school and medical school. The major was developed by an interdisciplinary committee across College of Social and Behavioral Science and College of Science. Psychology will support the first Director of the program, with a vision to rotate Director terms with Biology. The major includes course maps for the B.S., B.A., and pre-med tracks. Supporting departments include Math, Chemistry, Philosophy, Linguistics, and the Neuroscience PhD program. There was unanimous positive support from both of the primary departments (BIOL and PSY), both college curriculum committees (CSBS and CoS), the Undergraduate Council, and the Senate Executive Committee.
Religion, Media, and Journalism Certificate
We are excited to advance a new certificate housed in the Department of Communication in partnership with the Religious Studies program. This certificate will provide an interdisciplinary curriculum, leveraging the academic rigor of the U’s Religious Studies program while operating within the Communication Department. The religion, media, and journalism certificate consists of seven courses (a total of 22-23 credit hours). Four of the seven courses will come from the Department of Communication (COMM), two will come from Religious Studies (RELS), and one will come from an interdisciplinary list of electives that already exists (and previously approved) within the Religious Studies Major.
Information and Recommendations Calendar
Graduate Council 7-year Reviews
Department of Mechanical Engineering (Graduate Degree Programs)
At the graduate level, the Department of Mechanical Engineering offers four master’s degrees; two combined (one B.S./M.S.; one M.S./MBA) degrees, two doctoral degrees and three graduate certificates. Reviewers commended the department for its collegiality and for its notable growth and expansion into innovative disciplinary areas of specialization in recent years, as reflected in faculty hiring and the establishment of several new graduate programs. To sustain and build upon this positive trajectory, the department is encouraged to develop strategies to bolster support for faculty research pursuits; identify ways to increase doctoral funding levels; and ensure efficient curriculum delivery and robust learning outcomes for all of its graduate degree programs.
Environmental Humanities Graduate Program
Founded in 2005 as an interdisciplinary program housed in the College of Humanities, the Environmental Humanities Graduate Program offers a master’s degree in environmental humanities. The program is small but strong; it is commended for its national renown and distinction, financial soundness, strong support of students, and dedicated faculty. To ensure stability of the faculty cohort and maximise this strong foundation, the program is encouraged to hire an additional (to the program director) dedicated faculty member and establish a consistent protocol to secure core and affiliate faculty. As well, reviewers recommended streamlining mechanisms of support for graduate students and identifying additional program funding sources in anticipation of a changed national funding landscape.
