CHICAGO — The University Senate Conference (USC) told trustees on July 25 that it has advanced a major statutory overhaul known as ST83 and has been closely involved in consultation over Discovery Partners Institute governance and other shared‑governance matters.

Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, chair of the University Senate Conference, summarized USC’s work during the 2024–25 academic year. He said USC appears 33 times in the text of the statutes, reflecting its formal role, and noted the ST83 process has included multiple rounds of feedback from the three campus senates and consultation with system administration.

“The s t 83 process continues, and I expect we will see a positive outcome in the coming academic year,” Jenkins said. He described a statutes and governance committee working to synthesize senate input and produce a final draft for the president’s office and emphasized that the revision process is iterative and requires further senate consideration on academic‑freedom and tenure issues.

Jenkins also said USC engaged in discussions about shared governance in the context of changes to the Discovery Partners Institute (DPI), noting USC representation on DPI’s executive committee during the institute’s development. The conference reviewed DPI steering‑committee reports and forwarded synthesized feedback to university leadership, Jenkins said.

Why it matters: Statutory revisions and shared‑governance arrangements shape faculty roles, tenure protections and the involvement of faculty and academic senates in university policy. Changes to DPI’s governance could affect how the system coordinates research and external partnerships.

What trustees recorded: USC will continue consultations with system leadership on ST83 and DPI and expects further steps in the next academic year; no formal board action was taken at this meeting beyond receiving the report.