Faculty Senate met March 3 for their weekly meeting at the University of Idaho.
Big-ticket items:
Library budget update
- Budget, inflation and continuing subscriptions are among the library’s main challenges, according to Library Dean Ben Hunter. Librarians are struggling to manage the rising costs of subscriptions in addition to their budget cuts.
- The library plans to consider student input and data when making decisions on material cancelations.
- Hunter’s said their goal is to keep costs low for students and improve access to open resources. The library also wants to enhance interlibrary loans.
Library staff requirements
- Faculty Senate changed language in the Faculty Staff Handbook to make hiring library positions less restrictive. The previous language required staff to have a degree accredited by the American Library Association, which limited candidates for consideration.
Coronavirus response
- The university is taking measures based on the Infectious Disease Response Protocol to address potential novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) spread on campus.
- Concerns of the coronavirus in Moscow began after a student from a participating Jazz Fest high school was diagnosed with COVID-19 — the affected student was not at Jazz Fest.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) moved from national testing to local, including Moscow Torrey Lawrence, Faculty Vice Provost, said.
- The university encourages students and faculty to stay home when sick.
Haadiya Tariq can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @haadiyatariq