CAA to discuss changes in bylaws, other proposals

Brooke Schwartz, News Editor

The Council on Academic Affairs will have their second meeting of the year on Thursday at 2 p.m. in Room 4440 of Booth Library.

The council has three discussion items on their agenda: potential changes in bylaws, the general education committee structure and the faculty senate shared governance proposal.

At the last Faculty Senate meeting, a new shared governance proposal was discussed.

Todd Bruns, scholarly communication librarian and institutional repository director as well as Faculty Senate chair, said he would support a resolution that included having CAA approvals of new programs listed on the senate’s agenda and liaisons who would not attend every meeting but who would keep up with CAA minutes and agendas.

The first structure proposed to the council at the last meeting included more of a senate oversight, with the senate having to approve all new programs that require Illinois Board of Higher Education approval after having gone through the council first.

Both senators and council members disagreed with this model, and the updated proposal will be voted on next week at the senate meeting. It will be discussed at CAA this coming week.

The general education committee, which was discussed and created last year, has yet to be fully discussed in terms of duties and make up.

The general education coordinator position proposed by the CAA last year is not being created until further moves with the transition process are made.

While the council is still working under suspended bylaws, reinstatement or changes will wait to be made official until restructuring and shared governance discussions are final and in place.

These items will be discussed in more detail and finality at Thursday’s meeting.

Brooke Schwartz can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].