Faculty Senate discussed a new Health Science major, Zoom Rooms police chief candidates Nov. 28 at its weekly meeting.
At the meeting, Faculty Senate’s University Curriculum Committee announced Texas State will introduce a new multidisciplinary Bachelor of Science major in Health Science in fall 2019. Director of School of Health Administration Matthew Brooks joined Faculty Senate to discuss the new program.
According to Brooks, the School of Health Administration at Texas State receives around 2,000 student applicants each year and only 600 students are accepted. The new bachelors of science major in Health Sciences is designed for students who came to the university for a specific degree in health professions and meet the prerequisite requirements of the major, yet, are not accepted into their desired college.
University data shows each year several hundred students leave Texas State because they are not accepted into their desired major, according to Brooks. Juniors and seniors who participate in the new B.S. in Health Science program will be taking their remaining classes at the main campus, and two faculty members will be hired to accommodate the new program.
Texas State will replace ITV rooms with Zoom rooms. These rooms will have microphones in the ceilings and a camera for video conferencing. According to Faculty Senate Chair Alex White, the university’s current ITV rooms are expensive, and introducing Zoom rooms will be more cost effective for the university.
Faculty Senate said Texas State’s Management and Funding of Faculty Fellowships policy currently allows faculty members who receive a prestigious fellowship that does not pay their full salary to be paid up to 50 percent of their salary. Faculty Senate will review the policy with changes in mind.
White, Vice President of Finance and Support Services Eric Algoe and several other Texas State faculty members will have dinner with each of the candidates for Chief of Police.