At this month’s Academic Senate meeting on March 19, the senate addressed new proposals, enrollment updates and questions about the state of the university — most pointedly concerns about the search for the new dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

The dean search was questioned by Academic Senate chair James South, in response to Provost John Pauly’s report on the search. While basic information was presented to the entire senate, further discussion was held until the executive committee meeting afterward, the details of which have not been made public. South said the executive meeting lasted about 30 to 40 minutes.

Other proposals made at the meeting include a suggested change to the structure of the University Board of Undergraduate Studies and discussions regarding new programs of study and committee structure reorganization.

Christine Shaw, clinical associate professor in the College of Nursing, put forth a motion to make the director of the University Core of Common Studies an ex-officio (limited), non-voting member of the University Board of Undergraduate Studies.

“The University Board of Undergraduate Studies members believe the core is vital to a true Marquette education,” Shaw said in an email. “And that having the director of the core as a committee member will also provide support to that role.”

Another motion made by the University Board of Graduate Studies showed a unanimous vote (8-0) to the senate in favor of approving a new certificate program in the area of nonprofit sector administration.

“The primary rationale is the attempt to provide students that are in the process of a further degree an opportunity to earn a stand-alone certificate as a kind of credential,” South said.

South noted that while there is currently a nonprofit sector degree within the graduate program that holds the same requirements, the new certificate would allow a unique add-on to a graduate’s resume.

“It would show they’ve had some specialized training even if they haven’t completed the degree,” he said.

One of the bigger discussions focused on the idea of moving the Subcommittee on Equity to full committee status. As of now the subcommittee answers to the Committee on Faculty Welfare, which in turn reports to the Academic Senate.

“We had a very robust conversation in which we encouraged the Subcommittee on Equity to look at their proposal a little bit more closely to (address) some of the potential structural objections,” South said. “It’s going to involve an added level of complexity just to get the membership.”

South said one of the issues brought to the attention of the subcommittee was the idea of diversity being an important aspect of campus life. Some wondered whether promoting the Subcommittee on Equity would promote diversity.

A revised proposal will be brought back within the next few meetings for further discussion.