MSU Director of Libraries Clifford Haka presented at Tuesday’s University Council meeting and drew attention to campus libraries, which he said are “massively under-invested in.”

Haka said there is a need for more staff because MSU’s library staff is exponentially smaller than that of peer institutions, such as the University of Michigan.

He also highlighted the newer services the libraries are offering, including staff capable of assisting students in areas of big data and data visualization. Haka said the libraries aim to hire 20 new librarians over the next five years.

University Council also heard the final report from the Ad Hoc Committee on Social Media, Pedagogy and Academic Rights and Responsibilities.

The committee was first formed in response to an in-class rant by English professor William Penn that made national news and was spread on social media.

University Committee on Faculty Affairs Chairman William Donohue gave the final presentation from the committee and outlined student and faculty responsibilities.

Donohue suggested that since professors have the right to give or deny permission to students hoping to record or post lectures and course materials online, students similarly have the right to allow or deny a professor use of a student work created within the course.

For instance, a professor hoping to use a student work in their own portfolio as an example of the effect of their teaching or as a class example of exceptional work has to ask a student’s permission first.

Donohue previously gave the final presentation to the Steering Committee at the March 11 meeting, but the committee recommended sending the report to University Council for further consideration.

The University Council meeting took place without President Lou Anna K. Simon and Acting Provost June Youatt, who were both away in California on university business.