Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correctly reflect the focus of tax advisory services. The Daily regrets this error.

Assessing possible improvements to the division of Operations and Finances, Shawn Norman, the division’s new vice president, discussed the university’s flexibility for unpredictable events Tuesday.

Norman gave an overview of his aims for the division as he wraps up his assessment of the university.

Norman said he has heard of some things the division could improve on in the realms of communicating processes and collaborating with the rest of the university.

Norman said he hired Grant Thornton, an audit tax and advisory service company, to help assess the division. He said they are looking at three areas: streaminglining communication, operations and the resources management model Iowa State utilized for its budget.

Norman said he is also looking for solutions to setting up finances in Workday to allow for more flexibility.

“I’m all about automation and being flexible with all the things that come and change,” Norman said. “ISU, probably about two and a half years ago, when COVID was here, […]had to be flexible for that.”

Norman said he would like to ensure Iowa State is flexible in the event of other unpredictable happenings.

The senate elected chairs for the Academic Affairs, Faculty Development and Administrative Relations and Resource Policies and Allocations councils.

The new council chairs are assistant teaching professor for natural resource ecology and management, Jennifer Schieltz for academic affairs, agronomy professor Brian Hornbuckle for Faculty Development and Administrative Relations and associate professor for electrical and computer engineering Tim Bigelow for Resource Policies and Allocations Council.

Micheal Martin, associate professor in landscape architecture, motioned to accept the three nominees by acclamation instead of voting on them. The motion passed and the three nominees were accepted.

The senate also voted to discontinue a bachelor’s program in speech communication.

Rahul Parsa, a teaching professor in finance, said the program has seen a decline in enrollment over the past five years with fewer than 10 students currently enrolled in the program.