Faculty Senate, 2026–27

Officers and executive committee

The Faculty Senate has 32 voting senators, apportioned among the seven degree-granting colleges and the library by faculty headcount, plus non-voting seats for the provost and liaisons from Staff Senate and Student Senate. Officers serve one-year terms beginning in May.

The executive committee — the five officers plus the chairs of the Curriculum, Academic Policy, Faculty Affairs and Budget committees — meets the Monday before each Senate meeting to set the agenda.

Meeting schedule

Meetings are on the first Wednesday of the month, 3:30–5:15 p.m., in Halvorsen Library 301, and are streamed on MyPorter. September moved to the second Wednesday to avoid the first week of classes. Anyone may attend; the open comment period is the first fifteen minutes.

Agendas post the Friday before each meeting. Minutes are posted in draft within ten days and become official when approved at the next meeting.

What is on the 2026–27 agenda

• The provost transition. Consultation with the provost-designate, who starts in January, on advising and on the four-year-plan commitment named in the appointment announcement. Dr. Bjorn Halvorsen attends as provost through December.
• Class size in high-demand programs. The reaccreditation team flagged it; the Senate asked for section-level data by college.
• One year of AI literacy. Assessment report on the AI-literacy module required of every undergraduate since fall 2025.
• Writing-intensive courses. Approving the first slate of courses under the two-course requirement.
• New programs. A B.S. in Robotics & Automation Technology, timed to the advanced manufacturing lab opening in fall 2027; see program review for how proposals move.
• Post-tenure review. Revisions to the timeline in the current policy.
• Academic freedom policy. Overdue for its three-year review in the policy library.
• 2027–28 calendar, including whether Winter Term stays at three weeks.

September 9 meeting summary

Approved October 7, 2026. 29 of 32 senators present.

• Open comment: two faculty members asked about the new tiered parking prices. The president noted parking is not a Senate matter and promised to forward the comments anyway, which he did.
• Provost’s report: Dr. Halvorsen confirmed he will teach Statics this fall, as every fall, and described the transition plan. Partway through his report the provost announced that accreditation had been reaffirmed through 2036 with no findings. The Senate applauded, then went back to work.
• Approved: May 6 minutes (29–0) and the 2026–27 committee appointments (28–0, one abstention).
• Referred to the Calendar Committee: the 2027–28 academic calendar.
• First reading: the AI-literacy assessment report. 92 percent of first-year students completed the module; scores on the applied section were weakest in programs that schedule it in spring.

October 7 meeting summary

Draft; to be approved November 4. 30 of 32 senators present.

• Chancellor Vandehey answered questions on the State of the University address for twenty minutes, mostly about the state budget request and the cost of new nursing and cybersecurity sections.
• Approved: September 9 minutes (30–0) and the 2027–28 academic calendar, keeping a three-week Winter Term (27–3, no abstentions).
• Approved: 41 courses for writing-intensive designation (unanimous). Another 18 return with revisions in November.
• First reading: the B.S. in Robotics & Automation Technology proposal. Senators asked for a staffing plan; a vote is expected in December.
• Resolution: asking Institutional Research to add section-level class sizes to the fact book next year. Passed 26–2, two abstentions.