Academic Senate delays General Education Committee vote
The Central Michigan University academic senate met for the first time of the 2026-2027 school year in French Auditorium on Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (CM-Life | Jasmine Brookins)
The Academic Senate postponed a vote on changes to the General Education Committee after faculty raised concerns about how different academic areas would be represented at the Academic Senate meeting on Sept. 29.
The proposed changes are part of CMU’s transition to its Central Education framework, which was approved by the Senate last year and aims to restructure the university’s general education program. The Senate considered changes to the committee’s charge, membership and transition plan.
The proposed membership would give some academic areas representatives on the committee, while other areas would be consulted when their input was needed.
One concern raised is that the library still does not have a regular seat on the committee. Under the proposal, the library would instead be consulted when needed.
Senator Kathy Irwin, dean of University Libraries, said the library faculty had not been given a chance to discuss the change before the meeting.
“Nobody from the Gen Ed committee discussed that with us,” she said. “So I am feeling a little, perhaps blindsided by this myself.”
Ben Heumann, chair of the General Education Committee, said the committee wanted to keep the group from becoming too large. He said the library position had been empty for most of his four years as chair. A library representative attended meetings when issues involving the library came up.
Senator JoEllen DeLucia also raised concerns about removing the library from the committee. DeLucia said information literacy is an important part of the General Education program and that a librarian should be part of the committee.
“It does seem awkward and odd to me that we wouldn’t have a librarian on the general education committee,” DeLucia said.
An amendment was approved to add a faculty librarian as a voting member of the committee.
Senator Aiden Kosciesza, an assistant professor of communication also raised concern about representation of the school of Communication, Journalism and Media and the Department of Theater and Dance. These areas were listed as groups that consulted when needed rather than a full time committee membership.
Kosciesza said the proposed change had not been discussed within the communication area.
"I would love the opportunity to bring this to the communication area before voting on it," Kosciesza said. The Senate postponed the membership vote until its next meeting.
Members also discussed a transition plan for moving current committee members into the new structure. The plan would give new representatives proposed initial terms of one, two or three years depending on their area of representation, so that all members would not be replaced at the same time.
Senator Christopher Hamlyn questioned whether the faculty members who would automatically move into the new positions had been checked against the proposed eligibility requirements.
Ben Heumann, chair of the General Education Committee said he believed faculty members met the requirements, but the committee had not reviewed each person individually.
The membership vote, which would change the number and representation of faculty on the General Education Committee was also postponed until its next meeting. Senators voted during the meeting with 39 in favor, three opposed and two abstentions.
The membership and transition plans will return to the Academic Senate meeting on Oct. 20.
