A certificate program in composite materials intended for engineering and science professionals was approved by the University Faculty Senate Monday, Sept. 11.

To be offered by the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Center for Composite Materials, the graduate certificate program will be administered through the College of Engineering's Outreach Program. Program courses may be taken pass/fail or for credit if participants decide to apply them later to a graduate engineering degree.

Earlier in the meeting, Fred Siegel, enrollment services, spoke to the senators about the incoming freshman class, and David Hollowell, executive vice president, discussed ongoing and future campus construction projects.

Siegel said the University experienced a "spectactular increase" in applications that "allowed us to bring to you absolutely the very best quality class ever." The new class of 3,188 students has an average SAT score of 1154.

Applications, which totaled 18,166, were up 28 percent over the year before. The admit rate previously had been as high as 70 percent, Siegel said, but the 2004 class had an admit rate of 48 percent and UD expects to bring it down to 40 percent over the next couple of years.

When showing the senators progress slides of current construction on campus, Hollowell noted that renovations to all residence halls on the Mall are ongoing, as part of a four-year, $24 million project.

He also mentioned several new projects that will be launched over the next three to five years, including a new art studio to replace the sculpture and ceramics studios at the corner of Cleveland and North College avenues.

In addition, he said, renovations will be made to Raub Hall, Mechanical Hall, the south and west side of Brown Laboratory and Otis H. Smith Laboratory in Lewes.

–Cornelia Weil