Academic Senate discusses international student concerns, reorganization plans
CMU holds academic senate meetings at 3:30 p.m every other Tuesday, in the French Auditorium of the EHC building.
During its meeting Nov. 15, the Academic Senate discussed the new committee for international student concerns, reorganization of the College of Arts and Media, end of course survey revision and finalists for Vice President of finance and administrative services.
Ad Hoc Committee for International Students Conveins
The first meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee for International Students was this week, following concerns about opportunities and accessibility raised earlier in the year.
In the current system, international students get their resources from a variety of different departments. Provost Nancy Matthews explained in her report that the committee is intended to be a “one-stop-shop” for international students to get what they need.
“We’re looking at this from a systemic level so that we can make sure that we’re looking at root causes of some of the concerns that students have brought forward before we jump to an automatic fix,” said Matthews.
The committee includes eight members from a variety of departments:
- Brian Bell, director, Student Account Services and University Billing
- Jennifer Evanuik, executive director, Office of Global Engagement
- Erica Johnson, interim vice president for Student Affairs
- Evan Montague, executive director, Office of Student Success & Academic Advising & Assistance
- Nikita Murray, director, Diversity Education
- Tracy Nakajima, director, International Student and Scholar Services
- Erica Peters, executive assistant to the Provost
- Ling Zhang, director, Graduate & International Recruitment
Reorganizing the College of Arts and Media
Jefferson Campbell, dean of the College of Arts and Media started with an announcement introducing the reorganization of the college he leads.
This reorganization was approved almost unanimously by the Communications, Journalism and BCA departments and the representatives from the college as a whole.
This reorganization combines under the umbrella of one department the communications and journalism departments and the School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts. Currently each functions as a separate department, according to the College of Arts and Media website.
“It’s something our alumns have been telling us for a long time that they would like to see to help improve the students’ breadth of knowledge,” said Campbell.
Any dean or provost in the university, according to school policy, can object to the change within the two week period that started during yesterday’s meeting. This opposition would prevent the passage of the change until it can be re-evaluated by a committee.
End of Course Survey Question Revision
For the last two years, the S.O.S., or Student Opinion Surveys, distributed to Central Michigan University students have been under construction.
Bradley Swanson, a senator and professor from the biology department said the questions, structure and even name of the survey are being changed in favor of more neutrality and inclusivity.
“We evaluated several years' worth of responses, and we found that women had significantly lower scores on average than men,” said Swanson. "People of color had significantly lower scores than white people, and if you sere a woman of color, that was even lower than anybody else.”
These changes were discussed at yesterday’s meeting, with the intent to vote on them during the next meeting. If approved, this new survey, referred to as an “End of Course” survey, rather than S.O.S., would go into effect in fall of 2023.
Finalists for VP of finance and Administrative Services
The three finalists for the position of Vice President of Finance and Administrative Services participated in public forums this week:
- Jeremy Alltop, Nov. 14, 1:15-2:00
- Mary Moran Hill, Nov. 15, 1:15-2:00
- Brant L. Wright, Nov. 16, 1:15-2:00
Resumes for each candidate and recordings of the forums are available online.
Academic Senate meetings are held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. bi-weekly on Tuesdays in the French Auditorium. Meeting livestreams and recordings are on the senate website.
