Davies updates vaccination rates, enrollment, search for provost
In the first Academic Senate meeting of the fall semester, President Bob Davies gave updated vaccination rates for the campus community following the Sept. 3 deadline for submitting a vaccination card or COVID-19 test. The rates are 52 percent of students, 71 percent of faculty and 82 percent of staff.
Davies did not say whether a vaccination mandate would be put in place but said administration will continue to monitor case counts and vaccinations.
Davies also reported that Fall enrollment is up in some areas, but freshmen enrollment is lower than projected budget numbers. Numbers of transfer students, graduate students, global campus students and international students have all increased, Davies said. Freshman to sophomore retention was 77 percent, and 89 percent for all students.
Davies will assemble a search committee to replace Provost Mary Schutten “within the next two weeks.” Schutten announced her decision to step down late last week. An interim provost will likely be required for the spring semester, which Davies will appoint.
On top of asking questions about the provost search committee, faculty senators also expressed concerns with the new “marquee” programs, which has been an effort lead by Schutten.
Senator Tracy Collins asked how “watchlist” programs will be treated compared to marquee, specifically what will happen to the programs on the list. Schutten said the only focus so far has been on marquee programs and no “master list” is available yet for the watchlist programs, which will be the least likely to receive funding and marketing.
Senate meetings are recorded and can be viewed on the Academic Senate homepage, along with livestream links.
