The Council on Academic Affairs met for the last time of the semester on Thursday, where it discussed a new proposal format and elected positions for next year.

Nathan Atkinson, a web developer in the Center for Academic Technology and Support, showed a program he has been working on for years, which would allow the council’s course proposals to be submitted in an online form.

“It’s essentially a workflow where a faculty member could submit a course proposal form, and then it goes to the department, then to the college, then to CAA,” Atkinson said.

With some changes, Atkinson and the council hope to start using the form in the upcoming year.

The positions for chair and vice chair/recording secretary for the upcoming year were voted on at the meeting.

Marita Gronnvoll, associate chair of the communication studies department, was voted to be the chair of CAA next year, and Richard Wilkinson, a family and consumer sciences professor, was voted to continue on as vice chair for next year with the added role of recording secretary.

Next year, the council will continue looking into alternative course proposal plans, as well as start looking at implementing a shared governance model.

The council will go into the next year with suspended bylaws, with plans to reinstate them after the restructuring of the university is finalized.

The council has been operating under suspended bylaws ever since its secretary left so a voting member could act as the recording secretary.

Brooke Schwartz can be reached at 581-2812 or at bsschwartz@eiu.edu.