April 24, 2026
UNDERGRADUATE COUNCIL
MINUTES
April 24, 2026
2:30 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Voting: Jackie Mosley, Chris Schulte, Laurence Hare, Judith Anne Garretson Folse, Matthew Ganio, Cory Butts, Kevin Hall, Megan Hull, Chris Goering, Rhett Hutchins, and Ellen Urton
Non-Voting: Suzanne Kenner, Gina Daugherty, and Lisa Kulczak
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Voting: Garry McDonald, Ethel Goodstein, Timothy Yeager, Manuel Rossetti, and Muskan Taori
Non-Voting: Ed Bengtson, Lindsey Aloia, and Tiffany Murphy
GUESTS: Lexi Woods
Chair Matt Ganio called the meeting to order at 2:30 p.m.
I. The minutes for the March 20, 2026, meeting were approved.
II. Old Business:
A. None
III. New Business:
The following programs on the CIM Program Report were reviewed by the Council. All were approved except for the proposal forwarded by the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, which was tabled by the Council. The approved program proposals will be forwarded for consideration at the Faculty Senate meeting scheduled for May 6, 2026.
A. Program Proposals
Additional details on program proposals can be viewed at: https://nextcatalog.uark.edu/programadmin/. Search for the program(s) you want to view. If the program is still in workflow,
you will see a date and time of Undergraduate Council approval in the Approval Path
along the RH side of the page. If the program has completed all approval steps and
is "at rest", you can still view prior proposals by clicking on the links in the History
section along the RH side of the page.
1. Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences
a. None
2. Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design—TABLED by the Council
a. Proposed undergraduate program change for Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, Department of Architecture and Design Dean – ARCH Honors – Architecture School and Departmental Honors Requirements
3. Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences
a. Proposed undergraduate program change for Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Department of English – ENGLBA-RHWR – English: Rhetoric and Writing Concentration
4. Sam M. Walton College of Business
a. None
5. College of Education and Health Professions
a. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Education and Health Professions, Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy – CSDIBS – Communication Sciences and Disorders, Bachelor of Science
b. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Education and Health Professions, Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy – PCSDI – Communication Sciences and Disorders (Pre-Communication Sciences and Disorders)
c. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Education and Health Professions, Department of Curriculum and Instruction – STEMCP – STEM Education, Certificate of Proficiency
d. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Education and Health Professions, Department of Curriculum and Instruction – CATEBS-FCSE – Career and Technical Education: Family and Consumer Sciences Education
e. Proposed undergraduate program change for the College of Education and Health Professions, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation – PHEDBS – Teaching K-12 Physical Education and Health, Bachelor of Science in Education
6. College of Engineering
a. None
7. Honors College
a. None
B. Consent Agenda
All course proposals were approved without opposition. The approved courses listed
on the CIM Course Report will be forwarded for consideration at the Faculty Senate meeting scheduled for May
6, 2026.
1. Course Proposals (PDF Report)
Additional details on course proposals can be viewed at:
https://nextcatalog.uark.edu/courseadmin/. Search for the course(s) you want to view. If the course is still in workflow,
you will see a date and time of Undergraduate Council approval in the Approval Path
along the RH side of the page. If the course has completed all approval steps and
is "at rest", you can still view prior proposals by clicking on the links in the History
section along the RH side of the page.
IV. Additional Items/Announcements:
A. Arkansas Research Institute for Electronics Systems (ARIES)
The establishment of the Arkansas Research Institute for Electronics Systems (ARIES) unites complementary expertise and facilities at the University of Arkansas to accelerate the state’s leadership in electronics while lowering barriers to innovation and real-world impact. Positioned to become a national research leader, ARIES will address critical military and commercial needs and strengthen the U.S. microelectronics infrastructure. It will operate and sustain MUSiC, the nation’s only open, low-volume SiC prototyping fab supporting wafers, power devices, integrated circuits, sensors, and optoelectronics. Through these efforts, ARIES will catalyze economic development and cultivate a future-ready workforce, advancing Arkansas’s innovation economy, national competitiveness, and technological leadership.
B. Council Membership Updates
Several colleges (AFLS, WCOB, COEHP, and ENGR) have representatives whose terms expire in 2026. Please notify Lisa Kulczak of the individuals who will fill these vacancies as soon as the information becomes available.
C. Chair Matt Ganio engaged the Council in a discussion on the shortened program approval process workflow regarding changes made to the 8-semester degree plan. The Council was asked to consider whether they might wish to recommend changes to the current policy. It was noted that, due to changes in the State Minimum Core, we will have an estimated 91 programs that will only need a change to the 8-semester plan. Current policy will require them to go through full campus approval. There was a discussion as to whether a suspension of current practice would be warranted for these 91 proposals, or if a more permanent change in policy is warranted. Members were asked to send feedback for continued conversation at the next Council meeting in August (see attached document).
D. The Council recognized our undergraduate student representative, Muskan Taori, on being awarded the 2026 Harry S. Truman Scholarship.
The meeting was adjourned at 3:25 p.m.