The full USF Board of Trustees (BOT) will meet today to discuss a number of important issues that are up for approval.

In its ongoing effort to maintain a roster of competitive and high-quality degree programs, USF conducts a review of every program every two years. The requirements for each program include at least 45 bachelor’s, 30 master’s and 15 doctoral degrees in each five-year period.

The BOT will decide today whether they believe the linguistic and applied language studies Ph.D program will be able to meet those standards. In addition, the program will have to prove viable in postgraduate employment potential and sustainable from a faculty contribution standpoint.

According to the agenda for today’s meeting, the program “supports USF’s strategic plan as it is fully aligned with the Quality Enhancement Plan” and will prepare graduates for academic and private sector positions that require language expertise.

Meanwhile, the BOT will decide whether to terminate both the bachelor’s degrees in American Studies and also foreign language education, as well as the master’s in the former.

According to the agenda, both programs have seen declining numbers of graduations, and termination would allow the university to refocus the current curriculum.

Additionally, the BOT will have to reach a decision regarding a proposal to extend the Campus Development Agreement, which the university currently holds with the City of Tampa.

The agreement — to improve certain facilities and services on campus — was set to expire Dec. 31 of this year.

Also on the agenda is the approval of USF President Judy Genshaft’s Presidential Evaluation. 

Genshaft, whose contract is up for renewal as it ends next year, has met most of the goals she has set in her 15 years as president. Among those goals have been increasing USF’s research ranking to the top 10th percentile, fundraising millions of dollars for the university and improving USF Health’s relationship with its teaching hospital, Tampa General Hospital.

The BOT will also discuss updates to the proposed on-campus Publix, which will go before the Florida Board of Governors in January.

The next BOT meeting will be for the Academics and Campus Environment Workgroup on Feb. 9, 2016.