• Elections approaching for some committee spots in March
• Provost finalists are to in March
• The Graduate School of Management is adding a new specialization
• Graduate school reforming method for evaluating language competency

On Monday night the Academic Senate tackled such issues as the upcoming committee elections and the ongoing search for a new Provost.

Committee elections

Elections will be held in March for committee positions with three-year terms that are expiring.

Two out of the six academic senate at-large posts will be open. The Academic Senate unanimously approved to extend Associate Professor and Assistant Chair of Psychology Kristy Nielson's term by two years, and Associate Professor and Chair of College of Communication William Thorn's term by one year. The terms were extended to help the transition of the at-large section of the academic senate. Without the extension four new members would be elected in March.

Two positions are also up for election in March for the Committee on Academic Policies and Issues and the Faculty Hearing Committee. The Faculty Council will have three positions up for election and the Committee on Faculty Welfare will have two full-time positions and one part-time position available.

Provost update

The Provost Search Committee is narrowing down finalists, and possibly four candidates are to visit Marquette in March, Nielson said.

"The finalists will come on campus and meet with many constituents such as the academic senate, MUSG, deans and students," Nielson said.

Afterwards, the Provost Search Committee will gather feedback and present recommendations to University President the Rev. Robert A. Wild. The committee seeks to have recommendations complete by early April, Nielson said.

Graduate specialization changes

The University Board of Graduate Studies is adding a new specialization in marketing research for master's degrees in applied economics in the Graduate School of Management starting next school year, said Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School William Wiener.

"It will be for students looking to train as business or government analysts, or in marketing research," Wiener said.

The board informed the academic senate on the discontinuation of specializations in master in business administration and executive master in business administration within the e-Business master's degree.

Wiener said the specializations were no longer needed.

The board also announced a new method of determining language competency to be instated in the fall for graduate students whose requirements include a language. New 204 numbered classes, focused on translating and comprehension, will replace the current 203 classes. A new exam will be available for students who are already competent in language. It is to be more sufficient in determining ability than the current test that asks students to translate a passage.

Too many associate professors?

The academic senate discussed a 2006 Yardley research group study that found 77 percent of associate professors at Marquette have held the status of associate professor for more than five years. The study said this is higher than average for a university.

Wiener said the Committee on Promotion and Tenure wants to explore the possibility of this being a problem, reflect on if it is a problem and if it is a problem, determine why.

The question was opened up to academic senate members and others who stopped-in for the discussion.

Thorn said the promotion from associate professor to full professor is based on teaching, scholarship and service on boards, committees and other positions.

He said the number of associate professors is unusually large, and this could be due to a variety of factors including unclear requirements and a lack of incentives.