The University Senate reviewed administrative updates, new institutional priorities and international student regulations in its first meeting on Sept. 1.
Nathan French, vice chair of senate and chair of the Senate Executive Committee, opened the meeting by welcoming senators to the Joslin Senate Chamber in Armstrong Student Center, where the senate will hold meetings for the remainder of the semester.
French discussed last year’s challenge for the senate to become an essential part of the university.
“After revising our enabling acts, our curricular review processes and revising the legislative procedures of this body, I think we took a step towards such indispensability,” French said. “The tectonic shifts that continue to shutter, if not shatter, parts of the higher education landscape across the country echo here in ways both small and large.”
Provost Trent Gould took the senate floor for the first time in his new position, providing updates on several initiatives including plans for a health-focused college.
“There’s been no decision about what this college will look like,” Gould said. “I have permission to go forward and start having the conversations that we need to have with the deans, the department chairs and the faculty that will be involved.”
He said he welcomes feedback and questions from the body as he begins to create a timeline for the project.
Gould also addressed minimum enrollment requirements. The graduate courses will have a new minimum threshold of 10, and the undergraduate courses will remain at the current minimum of 15.
Multiple senators raised concerns about the graduate course minimum threshold requirement being raised from eight, since some courses have been designed around smaller class sizes.
Gould said these requirements will be reviewed following the spring semester.
The senate discussed Ohio House Bill 96, which will require the university to develop a plan to ensure 75% of undergraduate students participate in work-based learning experiences.
Senators brought questions concerning the ability to keep track of student internships and co-ops should the bill be passed.
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Molly Heidemann, director of international student and scholar services, addressed upcoming changes to federal regulations on the “duration of status” system for international students.
Heidemann explained that the new system would be a fixed “admit until” date. Students would be granted stay for their academic program or a maximum of four years. If a student needs more than four years, they may apply through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
“A lawsuit has been filed by a group of several institutions,” Heidemann said. “A preliminary injunction hearing is scheduled for the third … but we are currently acting as if this is going to happen on September 15.”
Adam Biesel, associate professor of sports leadership and management, reviewed recent changes made to improve student athlete GPA and retention rate.
A pilot program last spring included 60 student athletes who were assigned athletic academic advisors to observe their Canvas courses.
“We saw a relatively modest bump in overall student outcomes from academic advisors in athletics having that observer status,” Biesel said, “but there was some meaningful movement in terms of improving these outcomes.”
The plan to move forward with a university-wide rollout for this process was approved for the fall 2026 semester.
Several senators said they were concerned with the lack of communication with faculty about this program. Instructors were not aware of who the observers listed in their Canvas courses were and why they were there.
French closed the meeting thanking both the body and the provost for their robust conversation, “This is a space for principled discussion … I think this is one of the most forthright conversations we’ve ever had from a provost coming to talk to us about a university action before it occurs.”
The University Senate's next meeting will be at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14, in the Joslin Senate Chamber.
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