3:47 p.m., Feb. 15, 2008--The University Faculty Senate concentrated on degrees offered by the School of Education at its Monday meeting, approving two new graduate degrees and disestablishing another older one.

Twenty-three items were presented to the senate for challenge and all passed by unanimous vote. Included among those items were program name changes, additions of new majors and minors and revisions to graduate and undergraduate degree requirements.

A resolution to delete a major in educational studies due to limited student enrollment and program resources was passed. The major will be disestablished in the fall of 2008.

Two proposed master's degrees in education were approved provisionally for five years in the School of Education. These include a master's degree in school leadership and a master's program in higher education administration.

An older degree program, the master of education in educational leadership, was disestablished. A major in educational studies will be deleted for the fall 2008 because of declining enrollment and resources.

Senators also gave permanent status to a bachelor of science in information systems, approved for five years in March 2002.

Earlier in the meeting, Provost Dan Rich presented an historical overview of strategic faculty indicators, with charts illustrating trends ranging from 1991-2007. The charts indicate the growth of full-time and part-time faculty over that 16-year period. Other charts illustrate full-time faculty by rank, tenure status, college, gender, ethnicity and sponsored activity. The charts can be found at the Faculty Senate site [www.facsen.udel.edu] under “Information from the Provost's Office.”

Havidán Rodríguez, vice provost for academic affairs and international programs, reported on a task force that has studied UD Online courses. The online classes have “grown 25 percent for each five years of existence,” Rodriguez said, and, after meeting with deans, chairs, faculty and the AAUP, the University's task force has recommended that students in online courses should not exceed the number of those registered in regular courses. Academic departments are to set up a systematic process to insure online courses are evaluated, and online courses must be authorized by assistant deans.

Matt Robinson, associate professor of health, nutrition and exercise sciences and president of the student life committee of the faculty senate, reported that the final report on the student life program will be issued in March. A program for spring has been approved, he said, and the student life committee and the Faculty Senate will be asked to approve the final plan proposed for 2008-09.