UTD Home  
January 2007  
 


 Senate Website


  • Academic Certificate Programs

  • A Policy Memorandum on Academic Certificate Programs was passed. This policy formalizes the approval and reporting procedures for certificates programs defined as a "prescribed set of graded, organized courses". We still need a policy for certificates involving ungraded courses.

 
 

  • Committee Reports

    • Annual Reports from the Distance Learning Committee and the Faculty Mentoring Committee were accepted.

 
 

  • Online Textbook Lists

    • The textbook list issue with Barnes & Noble was discussed. Students need early (before syllabi are posted) access to complete lists of required materials for courses and have been attempting to get this information from the on-campus bookstore for years. The bookstore has deferred to its proprietary textbook order form procedure and has not shared complete data with the students.
    • The Provost's office has agreed to set up a website during the summer to house the required materials data. Faculty will enter book and material orders in a site similar to the syllabus website at textbook order time.
    • Students will then have early access to the required materials lists so that they can make more informed purchasing decisions: buy from the bookstores, order texts online, buy from fellow students.
    • Since this will be publicly available information, any bookstore can access the book orders in a timely manner to have books available to students the following semester.
    • Tracking of textbook orders will be facilitated.

 

 

  • Faculty Senate Elections

    • We have started the election cycle for the next Senate. John Wiorkowski will again chair the elections committee:
      • Nominations due 2/21
      • Ballots due 3/21

 

 

  • Honors in the Major

  • "Honors in the Major" is the new catalog title for School/Department honors.
  • Additional questions were forwarded to CUE and CEP:
    • Should all students have access to an Honors in the Major program (though their school or department may not participate)?
    • What faculty body has oversight (school or university level)?
    • How will costs be handled?
 

Faculty/Staff Club

  • UT Arlington has a new Faculty/Staff Club. Great atmosphere, good food, central location.
  • A future Centralized Dining Facility could house a club at UTD.
 

News From the Administration

  • UTD co-hosted the Chancellor's Council Meeting with UTSWMC. It was a well attended and well received meeting, informing UT System supporters about UTD and work at both UTD and UTSWMC.
  • Requests for bids have gone out for future buildings:
    • Student Services Building
    • Additional Student Housing
    • Centralized Dining Facility

 
 

News From Student Government

  • Dr. Kaplan has been attending Student Senate meetings as a Faculty Senate representative. This representation is in lieu of the inactive Student Life Committee.
  • New service from Mobile Campus - cell phone text messages of coupons from local vendors. This is a fundraiser for Student Senate and free to participants, including faculty and staff.
  • Anti-Barnes & Noble campaign. The Student Senate has tried to negotiate full information of textbooks from the bookstore.  The bookstore has been uncooperative.
  • Student Housing - 10% rent increases have been proposed. The Student Senate condemned the increase.