ISU students will have one less academic option if a proposal approved by the Faculty Senate is adopted by the Board of Regents.

At its meeting Tuesday, the Faculty Senate approved a resolution to discontinue a secondary major in pest management. There are no students currently enrolled in the program.

According to the proposal, the pest management major “can only be taken in conjunction with a primary major.”

One such primary major, plant health and protection, was eliminated, contributing to the decline in interest in the program.

“It’s just not operationable at this point in time,” said Carol Roskey, professor of human development and family studies and chairwoman of the Senate’s Academic Affairs Council.

The Faculty Senate also introduced a proposal to create a minor in engineering studies, which will be voted on at their next meeting.

The proposal cites a survey conducted in January among juniors and seniors not majoring in engineering as support for the minor. Out of 379 respondents, 152 said “they would have enrolled in the proposed minor in engineering studies if it had been available when they were freshmen.”

Discussion centered on questions over the funding of the program.

“I say this is controversial only because it was not supported whole-heartedly by the College of Engineering Curriculum Committee,” Roskey said.

The plan includes three new classes to be launched with the creation of the minor, and another eight to be added over the first four years of the minor.

The Faculty Senate also heard presentations from Government of the Student Body President Angela Groh and President-elect Emily Jensen, as well as Athletic Director Jamie Pollard.

“The athletic department is a front porch to this university,” Pollard said.

The next Faculty Senate meeting will be held from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 11 in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.