On Monday, Florida Atlantic University’s Faculty Senate met for its first meeting of the fall semester to discuss the presidential search, general education and textbook updates.

The Faculty Senate is a governing body that works with the general education policies of the college including curriculum, degree programs and more. Senate members had discussions about the agenda of the meeting and also approved a music minor for undergraduate students.

Presidential Search

Sherry Murphy, the chair of the Presidential Search Committee, attended the meeting to hear what senators want to see in the next president of FAU. Murphy has held 16 listening sessions since Aug. 29. 

The senators’ wants for the upcoming president varied from forming more connections with the student population to valuing diverse backgrounds and helping to build a new vision for the university. 

Sen. Mark Kohlbeck, an FAU accounting professor, believes the president should be more accessible to the FAU community. 

“I see the president as the major face of the university, and I think what’s lacking in the past was making stronger connections to our students and parents,” Kohlbeck said. “I would like to see a president active in significant fundraising.”

Other members, including FAU vocal studies professor Stacie Rossow, agreed with Kohlbeck about a president’s connection with students. She added that it’s important for the president to be familiar with Florida so they can work to make FAU stand out from other universities. 

“How do we elevate our status not just nationally but in South Florida specifically? You gotta know South Florida to do that,” said Rossow.

Sen. Andrés Ramirez brought up how he wants the new president to focus more on the Hispanic community since FAU is a Hispanic-serving institution. He believes the university is “struggling” with that title.

“What does that mean for FAU?” he asked. 

Senators also noted how important it is for a university president to embrace student diversity. 

“The president should be aware and excited about who our student population is, right?” Meredith Ellis, an FAU anthropology professor, said. “… we are a particular institution that is proud of our student body, and it would be great if our president did as well.”

General education updates

James Capp, the associate vice president for Strategic Planning and Student Success, presented the latest update regarding general education courses to the senators. He said more than 48 courses in communications, mathematics, natural sciences, humanities and social sciences have been removed or revised. 

This is due to a new law that does not allow “identity politics,” which Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May 2023. This law has enacted extensive reforms to the state’s higher education system, affecting all public universities and state institutions’ general education requirements and curriculum. 

Frustration began to spread in the room because of plans to remove these courses from keywords and special topics. Senators also shared concerns about accommodations for teachers who cannot teach certain classes anymore.

Chris Robé, a film studies professor, suggested this topic be tabled as he believed senators needed more time to review revisions before ratification. He said even with the ratification from the senate doesn’t mean this decision could be overturned. 

Although the decision can’t be changed, Robe still emphasized the importance of the Senate voting “no” to the law. 

“There’s multiple ways academic freedom is being violated; we need to be on record that we are not okay with it actually,” said Robe.

Textbook updates 

In late August, State University System of Florida Chancellor Ray Rodrigues reported to the Board of Governors (BOG) a summary of the State University System’s initiatives and efforts addressing textbook and instructional materials affordability. 

Rodrigues said he believes textbooks should prevent antisemitism. He wrote a letter to the FAU Faculty Senate explaining new policies and regulations they will need to enact. These policies include that all materials for each course they teach each semester must be reviewed, such as textbooks, test and assignment questions, assigned and supplemental readings and any other instructional material the faculty member plans to assign to students to read.

In addition, any textbooks including the following words would be flagged for review:

“Israel, Israeli, Palestine, Palestinian, Middle East, Zionism, Zionist, Judaism, Jewish or Jews will be flagged for review,” stated the letter to the Senate.

The BOG sent another letter saying that teachers’ academic freedom was at risk. The letter reads, “Academic freedom is not a license to promote antisemitism.”

At the meeting, the Senate reviewed these letters that were sent back and forth with the chancellor. Sen. Michael Harris, an anthropology professor, shared his frustration with the chancellor.

“They can’t control what we say and what we actually do,” Harris said.

Sen. LeaAnne DeRigne shared concerns about what instructors can teach in the classroom.

“The bigger issue here is that it’s limiting what teachers can do in their classrooms in terms of what you can assign to read. It’s certainly not that you are agreeing with what is in that article, but it is setting up a place for higher education where things are meant to be debated,” DeRigne said.

Other recognitions 

Kevin Wilt, the music department chair, proposed a music minor for undergraduate students. This minor gives students access to facilities that only music majors may access and the opportunity to gain credit in all music ensembles.

“We try to put together a minor so that students can even get credits for those courses [music ensembles] and also have access to those facilities that right now only music majors can use,” said Wilt. 

The senators approved this proposal and passed the music minor.

Juanita Olarte is a contributing writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email juanitaolarte9@gmail.com.