At their Nov. 4 meeting, University Librarian Deborah Masters gave the Academic Senate an update on the state of the availability of the library.

The library will close its doors for the duration of the renovation beginning Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. Main library services will begin in Library Annex I, also called “The Big Bubble,” on Nov. 24. It will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, until it transitions to 24-hour availability on Dec. 1.

The library is closing for a seismic retrofit, but also so the building can accommodate students with a 1/3 expansion and much needed extra electrical outlets for laptops and other devices, Masters said.

Those in need of a book do not have to make the trek to the Big Bubble’s location at the north end of campus on Winston Drive. Books can be reserved online and picked up in HSS 101, 102 and 107.

The psychology department submitted a proposal for an overhaul of its bachelor’s degree program citing a need to ensure students’ timely graduation, said Dr. Sacha Bunge, department chair. The changes would also help “manage enrollment,” as the program already has 1,553 majors, Bunge said. However, after facing a slew of questions from several Senate members on the elimination of required outside electives, advising changes, required online courses, and instituting a minimum C grade for prerequisites and extraneous language, the proposed changes were set aside for some retooling before the issue could be voted on.

The journalism department also submitted a proposal to restructure its bachelors program. Department Chair Venise Wagner outlined a need for changes to keep journalism students concurrent with emphasis on online skills. The new structure changes the minimum grade to a C for prerequisite classes. This ties in to controlling enrollment, as there are already 650 declared majors, which was an issue during the re-accreditation process. The proposal was approved and the changes will be integrated over the next year and a half.