Pending approval from the Board of Regents, the College of Business is set to have a new major available to its students. 

The Faculty Senate met Tuesday in one of its last meetings of the spring semester and approved the motion to add “Major in Entrepreneurship” to the list of majors available in the College of Business.

The new course of study aims to focus on “creating, recognizing and exploiting opportunities by either individuals, start-up organizations or existing businesses,” according to a release. 

The Senate also heard reports from the Study Abroad program an Faculty Athletic Representative Tim Day. 

Staff members Katie Davidson and Trevor Nelson spoke on behalf of the Study Abroad program, updating the senate on their recent activities and initiatives. 

A higher percentage of study abroad students graduate within four years as apposed to traditional students, Davison said, but right now the issue is finding a consistent method to measure what experiences students are learning abroad, and how that translates to intercultural competence and employability.

The program is currently reviewing assessment instruments, and hopes to see continued student growth moving forward. 

“It’s something that’s become part of the college experience,” Nelson said. “It’s something that wasn’t available 20 years ago.”

Tim Day’s presentation updated the Senate about student athletes on campus and new rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA.

Although student athletes often have a stereotype for being lazy when it comes academics, Day said, that isn’t always the case. 

“Some of the most remarkable students on campus are student athletes,” Day said.

Student athlete GPA’s mirror those of non-student athletes, with student athletes averaging 2.95 compared to 2.98 for non-athletes, said Day

The Senate approved the motion to add a major to the College of Business, which will be called “Major in Entrepreneurship.”

Iowa State will be the first public university in the State of Iowa to offer a stand alone entrepreneurship, if approved by the Board of Regents.

Three council chairs and the secretary position were up for nomination at Tuesday’s meeting. No new nominations were announced at the meeting and the ballot was unanimously approved, re-electing the current chairs.

The Faculty Senate also approved a motion to revise the Faculty Handbook in regards to visiting appointments. The motion is intended to resolve some of the confusing language around visiting, collaborator and affiliates appointments.

In its upcoming meeting on May 3, the Faculty Senate is set to approve the spring graduation list, and vote on an issue involving the establishment of non-tenure-eligible clinical professor titles.