Senators approved several consent calendar items and received a special report from Senior Associate Provost Carolyn Haynes regarding rationale for the elimination of select programs. Senators were provided updates on the Department Planning and Improvement Process. Dr. Leighton Peterson presented additional details regarding the revised Miami Plan. Vice President and Dean, Dr. Ande Durojaiye, presented updates regarding VORA Technology Park plans. The approved resolutions are below.

Minutes of the University Senate meeting for February 12, 2024, were approved.

The following Consent Calendar items were received:

1. Curricular Items _02.21.2024 
2. Graduate Council Minutes_02.13.2024 
3. LEC Meeting Minutes_02.06.2024 
4.  

Minutes of the February 12, 2024, meeting were approved, and with this approval, the following resolutions were approved:

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that University Senate approves changes to the Sense of the Senate: Department of Comparative Religion Elimination as outlined below:

Whereas we, as representatives of the Miami Community, have an unwavering commitment to liberal arts undergraduate education; 

Whereas Miami University’s founding charter commits Miami to “the instruction of youth in all the various branches of the liberal arts and sciences, for the promotion of good education, virtue, religion and morality, and for conferring all the literary honours granted in similar institutions”  (from Miami’s founding charter (“An Act to Establish the Miami University,” February 17, 1809, referenced in Miami University Policy Manual, 3339.01);

Whereas we recognize the historic and ongoing contributions of the faculty of the Department of Comparative Religion to teaching, learning, service, and life at Miami University;

Whereas we recognize that Miami University’s Department of Comparative Religion, founded in 1927, is one of the two oldest departments dedicated to the study of religion among public universities in the United States;

Whereas we recognize the continuing and essential importance of the interdisciplinary academic study of religion to this institution, state, and nation;

Whereas we understand that higher educational institutions across the United States face historic challenges;

Whereas we understand that Miami University is not immune to these historical challenges;

Whereas we understand the decision to close an academic department will have a meaningful effect on the careers of faculty who have devoted their work to its maintenance and its fields of study and is therefore not undertaken lightly;

Whereas we recognize that the faculty in the Department of Comparative Religion are acting to preserve the academic study of religion at Miami, in a time of rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, threats to national security, and debates over our constitutional rights and liberties, especially religious freedom, in the United States;

Whereas we affirm that University Senate is the legislative body of the University in matters involving educational programs, requirements, and standards – including matters of curriculum, programs, and course offerings – as delegated by the University’s Board of Trustees;

BE IT RESOLVED

We, the members of the Miami University Senate, recommend to the Office of the Provost, pursuant to Section 8, Appendix A (SR 14-01) of the University Senate By-Laws, to accept the plans for the Department of Comparative Religion proposed by the faculty of the Department, to commit to the continued existence of the academic study of religion at Miami in our curriculum and research, to commit to the reassignment of the Department’s faculty in alignment with extant policy, and to proceed with the assignment of a process coordinator to to explore possible futures for the Department, inclusive of elimination, consolidation, or partition. Senate strongly recommends retention of our valuable employees currently serving in Comparative Religion, tenured, TCPL and staff.

SR 24-09

MME - Mechanical and Smart Manufacturing Engineering, Master of Engineering

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED that University Senate endorses the proposed program, MME-Mechanical and Smart Manufacturing Engineering, Master of Engineering

AND FURTHERMORE, that the endorsement by University Senate of the proposed degree will be forwarded to the Miami University Board of Trustees for consideration.