The Metropolitan State University of Denver Faculty Senate met April 20 to vote on four measures and offer two first reads regarding handbook language and graduate curriculum-manual changes. All the voted measures easily passed.
Graduate programming update
Zsuzsa Balogh, Ph.D., professor and program coordinator in the Department of Civil Engineering Technology; Amy Middleton, M.S., director of the Office of Social Work Student Services, Operations and Finance; and Jo Daugherty Bailey, Ph.D., professor and interim assistant dean, College of Health and Applied Sciences, offered an update on MSU Denver’s graduate programs. Since 2010, the University has gone from two graduate programs to 11.
Quick stats:
- MSU Denver has 1,090 graduate students as of this spring (up by 103% from five years ago).
- MSU Denver graduate programs have 34.5% students of color.
- There are 38.2% first-generation students in MSU Denver’s graduate programs.
- About 50% of enrolled graduate students received their undergraduate degree from MSU Denver.
- MSU Denver had awarded 2,198 total graduate degrees as of last fall.
Looking ahead:
- Building the culture
- Student research
- Student support
- Adding support for programs
- Technical
- Marketing
- Enhancing portfolio
- If interested in starting a graduate program, departments can contact [email protected].
Technical changes to undergraduate catalog
Jessica Weiss, Ph.D., associate professor, Art, updated the Faculty Senate about changes that have been made to the undergraduate catalog. These are nonvoting items and changes can be found here.
Undergraduate curriculum-manual modifications
Meredith Jeffers, Ph.D., professor, Modern Languages conducted a second read including changes made to the undergraduate curriculum manual. This measure passed with 63 in favor, one not in favor and eight abstentions.
Graduate curriculum manual modifications
Jeffers also did a first read including changes made to the graduate curriculum manual. Changes, which can be found here, were updated to align with the undergraduate manual.
Task force on free expression statement
David Fine, J.D., general counsel, presented a second read of MSU Denver’s Statement on Free Expression in Inquiry, which was written by a task force of University faculty and staff members at the request of President Janine Davidson, Ph.D. The purpose of the task force is to create a statement that aligns with the University’s mission regarding the importance of free speech. The intent is to create an environment where faculty and staff members can speak freely about critical issues without fear of retaliation. The task force is asking for feedback before presenting the statement to Davidson and the Board of Trustees. Support for the statement passed with 63 in favor, five not in favor and three abstentions.
Change to handbook language
Bethany Fleck Dillen, Ph.D., professor, Psychological Sciences, gave a first read regarding changes to the graduate curriculum manual to give faculty members more voice on how to write and edit guidelines. Changes can be found here.
Handbook revisions to Section II and Section X
Bill Henry, Ph.D., vice provost for Academic Affairs, gave a second read regarding changes to faculty handbook Sections II and X. All Section II changes can be viewed here, with Section X changes viewable here. Section II revisions passed with 65 in favor, three not in favor and four abstentions. Section X revisions passed with 64 in favor, four not in favor and five abstentions.
Executive Committee reporting
After voting, executive committee chairs began end-of-year reports, which will be included in the next Early Bird recap following the final Faculty Senate meeting of the semester.
