Kerri Diane Mikulik

The meeting included discussions on several key institutional issues. The university President provided updates regarding the custodial contract, bookstore operations, apparel procurement, and planning for the centennial. The Provost addressed course review processes, spring graduation requirements, accessibility standards for online materials, and the standardization of dual credit courses. The Student Body Vice President noted a disconnect between faculty and students and suggested implementing exit interviews for departing faculty. New business involved the approval of a bylaws revision for an ad hoc service committee and a proposal to modify the annual performance evaluation process for tenured faculty by removing the Departmental Peer Review Committee (DPRC). The session concluded with a roundtable regarding senate term limits and upcoming administrative searches.

The meeting included an update on the search process for a new provost and the implementation of an AI initiative. Discussions were held regarding the spring course review process, future summer and fall course review schedules, and faculty training on sensitive topics. The Senate voted against further discussion on the annual performance evaluation policy for tenured and tenure-eligible faculty. Additionally, the Senate discussed officer elections, the rotation of senator terms, intellectual property concerns, and future standardization of faculty measurement platforms.

Key discussions during the meeting included an update from the President regarding the status of SB37 compliance submissions to the TTU System and upcoming discussions with the ACS committee and Board of Regents. The Provost detailed the course review process under SB37, noting that a significant number of courses were reviewed across four defined buckets, with minimal required content removals being enforced. The Library Services Executive Director initiated a conversation on scholarly communication, focusing on transformational agreements and open access publishing costs, with plans to conduct a campus survey. In roundtable discussions, concerns were raised regarding textbook ordering processes and platform access through the campus bookstore, as well as significant variance in how teaching overloads are handled across departments.

The meeting included updates from the President regarding campus events, student support, and respecting privacy following a recent loss. The Provost detailed an upcoming mandatory course content review process, particularly focusing on gender and sexual orientation disclosures, emphasizing that content must be educationally necessary and not advocacy. The review process is critical due to state funding implications and will ultimately require Board of Regents approval. Discussions also covered appeals processes, potential disciplinary actions for noncompliance, and the distinction between educational content and personal commentary. Further discussions addressed standardizing course content via the ACGM, issues with parking enforcement, inviting contacts for Strategic Enrollment Management, and whether the food drive should become a permanent initiative. The Senate also addressed administrative policy changes regarding policies 06.05 (employee conduct) and 06.01 (Department Chair evaluations), as well as academic freedom standards (OP 04.04) and building security concerns.

This town hall focused on research studies scheduled for Fall 2020 and related safety protocols. Updates were provided by the chairs of the Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The IRB discussed guidelines for human subjects research, emphasizing frequent updates due to CDC guidance, and addressed transitioning face-to-face studies online on a case-by-case basis. The IBC detailed campus-wide protocols for sanitization, face coverings, and social distancing for research activities. The IACUC confirmed that animal care would continue without interruption, implementing CDC guidelines for researcher safety and social distancing. The Director of Sponsored Projects reported that grant processes are moving online and announced upcoming webinars on grants and new services for editing major grant proposals, in addition to monitoring federal funding streams. Discussions also covered contingencies for research continuity should the university move to remote operations, confirming that research involving animals would continue with appropriate safety measures, and addressing mask-wearing protocols for both indoor lab research and outdoor field research based on CDC guidelines regarding heat and moisture.