The Executive Committee of Academic Council spent the majority of their meeting Tuesday talking about where to send a proposal that would change what colleges hold the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
The committee debated at length about whether to change where food sciences is located. The department currently resides in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the College of Human Ecology.
Officials from the department want the colleges of Agriculture and Natural Resources and Natural Sciences to run the program.
Acting Dean of Human Ecology Bill Abbett said the change could help the department become more entwined with the natural sciences school.
"This would help in terms of continuing our strong reputation and having a secure future," Abbett said.
The disagreement arose whether the proposal should be sent to the University Committee on Faculty Affairs. Executive committee Chairman Jon Sticklen said he wanted it to be reviewed by the faculty affairs committee to make sure faculty were given adequate input.
"This is a substantial move in the life of a department and we owe it to the faculty to let their voices be heard," Sticklen said.
Abbett, however, said faculty had plenty of input in the move.
"I assure you that this has been thoroughly discussed within the faculty," Abbett said.
Acting Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition chairwoman Gale Strasburg said the faculty's only concerns dealt with graduate studies, which could be dealt with by other committees.
In the end, the executive committee decided not to send the proposal to the committee on faculty affairs.
The executive committee also dealt with a proposal by board member and ASMSU Academic Assembly External Vice Chairperson Vinayak Prasad.
The proposal would add a line to the Code of Teaching Responsibility that Prasad said would help to make the issue of professors handing back testing materials more uniform. The proposal would add the sentence "If instructors choose to allow students to retain examination materials, these materials should be accompanied by guidelines for how they may be used."
Prasad's initial proposal, which was later changed, would have required professors who hand tests back to their students to post the tests online for all to access.
"It's a great first step, and the proposed change would add accountability to all of the loose exams floating around," Prasad said.
The proposal will now go back to the University Committee on Student Affairs before it is sent back for further review.
The board also set the agenda for the Sept. 21 Faculty Council meeting and Sept. 28 Academic Council meeting.
