UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The University Faculty Senate produced 44 major legislative, advisory and consultative reports and 44 forensic and informational reports during 2015-16 year.

"Of course, it is not only the number of reports that matters, but also their high quality and the impact they will have on our University for many years to come," said outgoing Senate Chair Mohamad Ansari, associate professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks. Ansari gave a report on the Faculty Senate, its role, duties and accomplishments from the past year to the Board of Trustees today (May 6).

Implementation of both the new integrative studies requirement in General Education and Project LionPATH, the new student information system, were just two of the undertakings by the University Faculty Senate in the last academic year.

Faculty Senate action from the past year included:

• Implementing changes to the policies on students’ dropping, adding and repeating courses. The changes are part of the University’s transition to Project LionPATH, the student information system. (http://news.psu.edu/story/378395/2015/10/30/faculty-senate-approves-policy-changes-part-move-lionpath )
• Beginning implementation of new integrative studies General Education requirements. The significant change to requirements for undergraduates will take effect for freshmen beginning in summer and fall 2018. As part of their General Education requirements, students will take either two “linked courses” or two “inter-domain courses.” The courses will broaden students’ understanding of the Knowledge Domains — arts, humanities, health and wellness, natural sciences, social and behavior sciences — by allowing them to approach one topic from different directions. (http://news.psu.edu/story/398145/2016/03/16/academics/faculty-senate-approves-implementation-integrative-studies )

• Recommending revisions to the Office of Human Resources policies, including the policies on tenure and promotion review committees; establishing a third rank for promotion of fixed-term faculty; and establishing a fixed-term promotion review committee. The Faculty Senate also recommended lengthening the tenure clock for faculty in the College of Medicine.

Ansari noted that the Faculty Senate also received advisory reports from the Joint Diversity Awareness Task Force on best practices and embedding diversity policy in initiatives moving forward.

The Faculty Senate meetings will resume in the fall, with the first meeting scheduled for Sept. 6. For more information, go to: http://senate.psu.edu/.