Editor’s note: For more detailed information, including meeting minutes, visit the Faculty Senate website.

The University of Delaware Faculty Senate on Monday, Nov. 6, approved a resolution supporting University President Dennis Assanis in his efforts to raise funds for enhancing innovation and excellence in graduate education and for the potential establishment of a Graduate College at UD.

Interim Provost Robin W. Morgan encouraged the Senate to vote in favor of the resolution, which notes that were it to be approved by faculty and created, a graduate college at UD would “enhance the innovation and excellence of all graduate programs, promote interdisciplinary efforts across campus, support the faculty’s efforts to attract and retain a diverse and highly qualified student body, and centralize and enhance graduate student services, including professional development and career planning.”

The Senate also received an update on the University’s interdisciplinary faculty cluster hiring process. Morgan explained that this hiring approach will enable UD to enhance the scope, impact and reputation of its research enterprise, develop new interdisciplinary and undergraduate programs and diversify and provide mentoring opportunities for faculty.

She encouraged faculty members to attend one of the two interest meetings to provide information and answer questions about the first round of searches in the cluster hiring process. These meetings will be held at 1 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 14, in Trabant Multipurpose Room C and at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 15, in the Trabant University Center Theater.

Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs Matt Kinservik delivered a short presentation to the Senate on the release of a report from the Provost’s Commission on Tenure-Track Faculty. The commission started its work in May 2016, and Kinservik said it proved to be “more challenging than expected,” which slowed the report’s delivery. The report will be discussed during an open hearing from 4-6 p.m., Monday, Nov. 13, in 104 Gore Hall. Faculty Senate President Martha Buell encouraged faculty members to attend.

 “I invite the dialogue that’s going to come from that,” she said.

Buell also made note of the Faculty Senate’s recent presentation to the Board of Trustees about the “three-legged stool” of “teaching, research and service” that represents faculty contributions to the University. And she offered an opportunity for faculty to have speakers visit their classrooms to raise awareness of the University’s kNOw More campaign to raise awareness of sexual misconduct and gender-based violence.

The Senate passed resolutions to place four-year planning guides in the online catalog, change the approval process of multicultural courses and revise the Charge and Membership of the Faculty Senate Committee on Diversity and Inclusion to add a member to the Standing Committee of the Faculty and its Senate.

In addition, the Senate approved a resolution thanking Provost Domenico Grasso for his service to the University.

Acting Director of the UD Honors Program Paul Laux offered an update from the Honors Task Force and said they would like to see the University “sharpen the vision of what Honors is.” He said the task force’s plan to enhance the program will be shared with the faculty and  submitted to Deputy Provost Lynn Okagaki and that proposed resolutions related to the plan will come before the Faculty Senate.

The meeting opened with a moment of silence in recognition of the death of William Allen Spry, son of Karren Helsel-Spry, who is administrative assistant to the Faculty Senate. Mr. Spry worked in Facilities at UD.