Academic Senate announces program changes, highlights students' role

Gabriel Ward

DAYTON, Ohio – The University of Dayton hosted an Academic Senate meeting on Jan. 30. in Kennedy Union’s ballroom. Senators discussed many topics, ranging from dropping graduate programs to instituting AI-Engineering as a co-major.

Most students do not realize just how important the Academic Senate is to their day-to-day lives. At most universities, including UD, the senate has the power to completely change the academic curriculum of entire programs. Students, however, have the ability to have their voices heard through the Student Government Association. 

Academic Senate President Jackie Arnold spoke on the students’ importance in both the Academic Senate and the subcommittees saying, “In our Academic Senate structure, in the constitution, it delineates that there is one SGA Senator for every division.” 

Arnold added, “Students sit on every one of those committees as well, so that there’s voice both at the subcommittee level and at the Senate level, and they all have a vote in both of those structures.”

One proposal that was voted on at the meeting was the suspension of both the master's programs in chemistry and applied math. These changes both passed easily with 85.7% of senators voting yes.

Decisions like these don't just come from the administrators; student voice is also taken into account, and as Arnold put it, “Student voices are critical here; it is absolutely central to our mission.”

But the SGA is not the only representation of students wanted at these meetings. All Academic Senate meetings are open for any student to attend, and Academic Senate Vice President Nancy Haskell explained that “It’s great to hear it for yourself and have the opportunity to ask your own questions,” but also understood that people are often busy, saying, “We recognize that students are busy, faculty and staff are busy, you have representatives who are at the table.”

With the Academic Senate consistently evaluating programs and policies, UD leaders said student engagement remains essential. Through paying attention to who they vote into the student government or just attending meetings on their own, students have a unique chance to influence decisions that greatly impact their academic experience or future degree plans.