UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — At the Penn State Faculty Senate’s March 15 meeting, the senate created a new standing committee of elected senators and introduced a new proposed preamble to the senate’s constitution, learned about Penn State’s 2024 self-study and discussed an assessment of general education across the University, among other business. 

New committee and proposed preamble 

The senate voted to establish a new committee of elected senators to create a mechanism for debate and discussion outside of the monthly plenary meetings of the full senate. Senators in support of this legislation stated this new committee is necessary because faculty senators currently do not have an avenue for high-level discussion, planning and debate about legislation outside of monthly plenary meetings. Some senators, however -- including several ex officio and appointed senators -- expressed concerns that limiting the committee membership to only elected members would exclude certain voices and potentially limit the ability of all senators to contribute to conversations or provide necessary information. 

The legislation passed 102-59, formally creating the new Elected Senator Standing Committee. 

The Senate Self-Study Committee, which is charged with examining the senate’s structure, function and founding documents, also introduced a proposed preamble to the senate’s constitution that would affirm the senate’s operating principles and its role in the shared governance of the University. 

Keith Shapiro, chair of the Senate Self-Study Committee, said the proposed preamble was developed in consultation with the Senate Committee on Committee and Rules and aims to “add an aspirational component” to the senate’s central foundational document. The preamble affirms the importance of shared governance and the senate as a body that works in close collaboration with the University’s administration and the board of trustees, stating this “balanced and meaningful collaboration” must exist to “guard and protect the mission of the University.” 

The proposed preamble, which includes input gathered during faculty listening forums, will be discussed and voted on by the senate at its April 26 meeting, and will also require approval from the University president before implementation. 

Updates from University leadership 

Penn State President Eric J. Barron updated the senate on two recent appropriations hearings held in the Pennsylvania House and Senate respectively, during which he discussed with legislators the University’s commitment to keeping costs low for students and how Penn State uses state funding to benefit and enrich Pennsylvania in accordance with the University’s land-grant mission. Invent Penn State was a topic of particular interest among legislators, Barron said, highlighting the more than 5,000 Pennsylvania entrepreneurs who have benefitted from Penn State’s resources across the commonwealth. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf has proposed providing $2.35 million in funding for Invent Penn State. 

Barron said the University’s presidential transition is underway, with Barron and his staff working closely with President-Elect Neeli Bendapudi. He said he spoke with Bendapudi about the importance of each of Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses, and noted that she plans to visit each of the University’s campuses before the end of the spring semester. 

Executive Vice President and Provost Nick Jones shared an update on the University’s ongoing COVID-19 mitigation efforts, and said that updated guidance from the CDC has led to a partial relaxation of Penn State’s indoor masking requirements. Jones said the University is closely monitoring the CDC’s guidance and COVID cases within our communities, the commonwealth, nationally and globally, with an eye toward making further updates to the University’s testing strategy and remaining masking requirements. 

Jones also discussed the University’s ongoing compensation modernization process; reminded the senate that annual compliance training is now available; and affirmed that Penn State Global and the entire University is working to support Ukrainian Penn Staters and partner universities in Ukraine during the ongoing conflict. He also mentioned the need to increase Penn State’s information security posture in light of anticipated increased cyber threats. 

2024 self-study 

Vice Provost for Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research Lance Kennedy-Phillips and Associate Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses David Callejo joined the senate to discuss the 2024 self-study — a central component of the University’s reaffirmation of accreditation. 

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education requires all member institutions, including Penn State, to complete a comprehensive self-evaluation as part of the regular process of reaffirming the institution’s accreditation every eight years. Penn State’s self-study will include extensive opportunities for input, comments and feedback from all members of the University community — including faculty, students, staff and alumni — throughout the next two years.  

Penn Staters from every location are encouraged to get involved and sign up for both short- and long-term volunteer opportunities, which will provide a chance for Penn Staters from across the University community to play an active role in helping the University continue to operate at the highest levels of educational excellence. 

Assessment of general education 

As part of the senate’s regular monitoring and evaluation of general education requirements implemented in 2015, the Standing Joint Committee for General Education Assessment presented a report that makes three broad recommendations for the senate’s consideration. 

The committee recommends streamlining the process for recertifying a class as a general education course; simplifying the requirements for students to take integrative studies credits; and expanding opportunities for faculty to participate in collaborative discussions and learning assessment to strengthen students’ experiences. 

By implementing these recommendations, Penn State Assistant Dean for General Education Maggie Slattery said the Faculty Senate can continue to build on the successes seen since implementing the 2015 requirements. These recommendations will inform the ongoing work of the senate’s Committee on Curricular Affairs to monitor, assess and continually improve general education and outcomes for students.  

Other business 

In her remarks to the senate, Faculty Senate Chair Bonj Szczygiel noted that updates passed by the senate in 2019 to University policy AC14, providing for anonymous faculty and staff review of their direct administrators, are now in effect and faculty and staff should soon receive an email with more information on how to provide feedback. 

The senate also: 

• Voted to approve a revision to University Policy 45-00 to allow faculty members to have the option of teach their courses remotely during short-term campus closures, such as for weather;  

• Heard a report from the provost detailing Penn State’s 2021-22 operating budget; 

• Voted to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) into the standing rules of its Committee on Education as part of the senate’s efforts to incorporate DEI into the work of each of its committees where appropriate; 

• Received a report on the University’s capital budget from Bill Sitzabee, vice president of facilities management. 

• Approved updates to the standing rules of its Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics to clarify policies related to the senate’s Faculty Athletics Representatives; 

• Learned about Penn State’s urban engagement initiatives through the Penn State Center Philadelphia and Penn State Center Pittsburgh, and; 

• Approved two slates of nominees to Senate leadership positions and the Faculty Advisory Committee to the President and several extra-senatorial committees. 

The next meeting of the senate will be held on April 26 in an in-person format, with the location to be announced on the senate website in the near future.