Faculty senate commenced on Monday with important admission information announced by Provost David Gregory.
Belmont expected to receive students’ Free Application for Financial Aid on March 11, but the Department of Education announced they would not release the information to schools until March 18.
As a result, students have not been able to receive their full financial aid packages, contributing to a decrease in deposits.
“We’re down almost 23% in deposits,” said Gregory. “That’s scary.”
As a result, the university’s budget will most likely be postponed in its delivery to the Board of Trustees, as full financial information regarding the class of 2028 has not been determined.
Additionally, Gideon Park, a representative of the Asian and Pacific Islander Committee, spoke to the senate about events being held for Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
Nationally, AAPI Heritage Month is celebrated in May. However, Belmont celebrates it in April so that events can be held during the academic school year.
On April 3, Dr. Jessica Wai-Fong Wong of Azusa Pacific University will be speaking at a chapel titled “Racial Myths and Racial Injustice.”
The Rev. Sabrina S. Chan will also be leading a chapel titled “Bring What You Have” on April 15.
Chan is the national director of Asian American Ministries for InterVaristy Christian Fellowship, an organization that aims to create and foster Asian American Christian leadership.
“As a committee, we’re very thankful for the support, and we hope that this will grow as a committee and support Asian student organizations on campus,” said Park.
Discussions continued with textbooks and Belmont’s “digital-first” initiative, with Amy Rasmussen reporting progress with the Ad Hoc Committee on textbook processes.
The committee concluded that the choice of whether textbooks be digital or physical should be decided by the faculty, and clearer instructions will be given to students on how to access and order their books.
“We thought it would be helpful if they clearly state the ordering instructions and that materials may be print or they may be digital,” said Rasmussen.
Processes and conversations surrounding textbook processes will continue through the spring semester.
But if issues continue, a new Ad Hoc Committee will be formed to address them by the 2024-2025 faculty senate.
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This article was written by Anna Blubaugh