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Senate
Senate moves forward with change
Following a marathon meeting April 7, Senate voted to ratify an earlier decision made by its Board of Undergraduate Studies (BUGS) to cancel the women’s studies and five other majors and two degree programs.
The organic agriculture major was given a one-year reprieve. Senators directed OAC to spend the next 12 months looking at how to attract additional students to the major. The college was also asked to seek new commitments for industry funding and teaching support.
The changes affect only incoming students. Those currently enrolled in women’s studies and the other cancelled majors and programs will be able to complete their degrees.
Prior to making its decisions, Senate discussed and debated the issues for 4½ hours. Members listened to comments from visiting students, faculty and others who were opposed to the changes.
Senate also heard from the colleges and departments that put forward the recommendations to cancel the majors and programs.
“These were difficult but necessary decisions,” says president Alastair Summerlee. “It’s important to keep in mind that, in these trying economic times, we must better utilize our resources. We must focus on the majors and programs with the majority of our students in order to retain quality and improve the learning process.”
The changes to majors and programs are among a bevy of proposals that came out of discussions within units, departments, program committees and colleges as part of the multi-year plans for reaching budget targets.
Colleges, departments and program committees were asked in the fall to discuss courses that consistently have fewer than 10 students enrolled and majors that consistently register fewer than 40 students. Those discussions led to the recommendations that went to BUGS in March.
The other majors that were cancelled include classical languages and urban landscape management.
Senate also took note of BUGS’s decision to approve in principle the elimination of minors in the degree programs, with the understanding that BUGS will study a report to come from the provost’s office by March 2010.
The report will be based on wide consultation with stakeholders, will identify proposals for alternative ways of achieving the academic objectives of secondary areas of study, and will include a list of minors proposed for elimination. Senate voted to consider this a matter of undergraduate educational policy, which means BUGS’s recommendations will return to Senate for discussion and decision.