If you missed the Academic Senate meeting on Feb. 5, 2024, or need a refresher, then keep reading for the highlights from the meeting. For more information on the Academic Senate, click here.
Debate Calendar
Division of Public Affairs Proposal
David Carter, programs of public affairs director and associate professor in the Department of Political Science presented on the following:
The Program of Public Affairs and College of Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) propose an independent Division of Public Affairs to serve as the shared scholarly and 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). An independent Division of Public Affairs would help foster even more robust public service scholarship, teaching and community impact at the University of Utah, thereby supporting the university’s mission to advance knowledge and positive societal change.
Bachelor of Science in History
Julie Ault, associate chair of the Department of History presented on the following:
The Department of History proposes to introduce a new major, a Bachelor of Science, to the curriculum. The B.S. will emphasize connections between the humanities and the sciences through an emphasis on science, technology, medicine, the environment and quantitative literacy.
Undergraduate Admissions Test Optional Proposal
Steve Robinson, senior associate vice president for enrollment management, and Scott Shaefer, professor, DESB and special advisor to the president presented the following:
This proposal would make the University of Utah permanently test optional (ACT/SAT) for the purposes of undergraduate admissions. The submission of standardized test scores has been optional since fall 2021 at the university under an interim rule.
Information & Recommendation Calendar
Prioritizing Open Access Publishing at the University of Utah
Sarah Shreeves, Alice Sheets Marriott Dean of Libraries; Joel Thornton, associate dean, Collections & Scholarly Communication; Caren Frost, associate vice president for Research Integrity & Compliance, highlighted the features and benefits of the new landmark open access agreements, signed with scholarly publishers Wiley and Oxford University Press, to support open publishing at the University of Utah.