The Miami University Senate approved the merger of the department of communication and the journalism and film programs at its meeting Monday.
Phyllis Callahan, dean of the College of Arts of Science, and Richard Campbell, interim chair of the department of communication and director of the journalism and film programs, gave a report about the proposed consolidation of these departments and the specific changes to majors and curriculum that would be implemented in conjunction with this merger.
According to Callahan, the new department would be called the department of media, journalism and film.
Under this department, journalism and communications students would no longer have to complete pre-major requirements, Callahan said.
"There was some initial, and maybe some lingering, objection, but it has been resolved," Callahan said in response to questions about faculty opposition to the consolidation. "We've put everyone under an umbrella that I think will work and I think our focus has been on what's best for the student...and I think by far and away the vast majority of faculty has full support for this and are really looking forward to moving forward."
The Senate also voted on a proposed measure for a stricter university smoking policy.
Carol Hauser, senior director of human resources, proposed a resolution that would ban all tobacco use on campus, ban people from smoking in cars parked on university property and ban smoking on all sidewalks on campus.
"The emphasis here is, we want to help people quit smoking," Hauser said.
Senate members raised a number of objections to this measure, namely how fair it would be to prohibit smoking in someone's private property - a car.
The Senate passed this measure, but with an amendment that would still allow smoking in vehicles on campus.
Carolyn Haynes, interim associate provost, reported to the Senate about the Oxford Pathways Program. This program would help applicants from the Oxford area get into Miami. Under this plan, these students would enroll at one of the regional campuses as part of a cohort and then matriculate to the Oxford campus during their second semester, according to Haynes. It would start next semester.
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"It would help us to develop a better partnership among the Oxford campus and the regional campuses," Haynes said. "It would also help to advance our public mission, to be able to serve a greater diversity of students, and it would also enable us to fill the slots that are vacated by first-year students...with new students...that genuinely want to be on this campus."
The Senate also debated at length some proposed changes to the composition of senate committees, heard an update from the Task Force for the Prevention of Sexual Assault and heard about an agreement between Miami and Columbus State Community College that would facilitate the transfer of community college students to Miami.
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