Faculty Senators met to expand on discussions from the previous week, pertaining to the goals of the academic year. Members elaborated on topics including enrollment, the university’s perception to high school students and ways to collaborate with the honors college for further undergraduate research.
Here are five takeaways from the meeting:
1) Faculty Senate started by briefly discussing the common experience theme for the 2018-19 school year, hoping to find more ways for faculty to implement the common experience program into day-to-day classroom activity.
 2) Graduate and undergraduate enrollment was discussed as well. The university is attempting to increase the number of graduate students enrolling at Texas State. Senators discussed a drop in international applications, due to Canada and Australia outreaching to those students.
Undergraduate enrollment is at a flat due to the larger freshman class, more graduate students are graduating quicker and fewer transfer students.
3) The Honors College, celebrating its 50-year anniversary, is looking for collaboration to increase support for undergraduate research. The senate strategized ways to help the undergraduate research effort by having a table at Bobcat Days dedicated to the cause.
 4) Faculty Senate then began discussing the initiatives and goals of the body, building off earlier conversations at previous meetings. The goals of the conversation resulted in an effort to strengthen community and faculty lives on campus. Senators advocated for faculty dialogues, faculty exclusive lounging areas and creative ways to mingle faculty across different departments and colleges together.
5) Lastly, the senators voted on a motion to keep the Faculty Senate bulletin as is.