5.1 Overview
Each college/school shall have the necessary committees to ensure compliance with all applicable accreditation requirements, including but not limited to committees to develop the curriculum; assess teaching and student learning; review faculty candidates for appointment, promotion, tenure; and conduct college governance. Each college/school committee shall have written charges and documented procedures sufficient to meet all applicable accreditation requirements.
The college’s Executive Committee shall determine the means by which the faculty are represented to standing committees of the college, whether by election or appointment, and can provide more specific requirements for membership of the standing committees of the college as long as the minimum requirements outlined in these Bylaws are met.
With the approval of the provost and the Executive Committees of the relevant colleges and schools, colleges and schools may form multi-college/school standing committees as long as function and membership requirements outlined below are met.
The following standing committees of the college exercise their authority by making recommendations to the Executive Committee of the college: Committee on Faculty Affairs, Committee on Curriculum, Committee on Academic Outcomes Assessment, Committee on Student Affairs, and any college-level ad-hoc committees created pursuant to these Bylaws.
5.2 Procedures of College-Level Standing Committees
Procedures for standing committee membership and representation shall be administered by the college’s Committee on Governance in consultation with the dean. Procedures may be updated from time to time, as approved by the provost.
As a general matter, and unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws, when considering faculty membership on standing committees, a college Committee on Governance should balance the importance of the experience and gravitas of the Senior Faculty with the perspectives and developmental needs of the junior faculty. A college may elect or appoint other members to the standing committees of the college as needed to meet specific accreditation requirements of programs within the college.
Unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Faculty Handbook, faculty members serving on college standing committees shall serve for a two-year term and may be elected or appointed to a second term. Appointments to such committees should be staggered to prevent complete committee turnover at any one time.
The college/school dean or designate is a voting ex-officio member of all college standing committees, unless specified otherwise.
The chair of each college standing committee will be selected by and from among the Senior Faculty members of said committee at a meeting convened by either the outgoing chair or the Committee on Governance; the dean of the college/school shall abstain from this vote.
In the event the college is unable to meet a requirement for membership to a college standing committee or in the event a college standing committee is unable to meet the rank requirement for election of a chair to a college standing committee, the matter shall be referred to the college’s Executive Committee for resolution, in which case the Executive Committee shall have the authority to deviate from the Bylaws’ requirement for membership to such committee or for chair rank.
Each required standing committee will adhere to established policies and procedures for standing committees, as outlined in the Faculty Handbook.
In the event any additional standing committees of the college are deemed necessary pursuant to Section 5.1, the Executive Committee of the college shall recommend those committees’ function, membership, and authority, as approved by the provost.
5.3 Subcommittees and Ad Hoc Committees
The dean may establish subcommittees and ad hoc committees within a college subject to review by the Executive Committee. Membership shall be recommended by the Committee on Governance in consultation with the dean.
5.4 Required College-Level Standing Committees
5.4.1 College Executive Committee
A. Function
Unless specifically delegated elsewhere in these Bylaws, the Executive Committee has primary authority for academic and faculty affairs in the college, including responsibility for policies related to the educational programs of the college. Standing committees of the college submit recommendations and annual reports to the Executive Committee.
Except where a college standing committee is afforded by these Bylaws authority specifically to make decisions (Committee on Admissions and Committee on Student Promotions), the Executive Committee shall receive the recommendations of the standing committees of the college and shall vote on matters brought before it by the standing committees. In areas where the faculty of the college have authority as outlined in these Bylaws, action of the Executive Committee may be reversed by the Voting Body of the General Faculty of the college. Reversal of an Executive Committee action shall require the support of a majority of the voting members of the eligible faculty in the college. Procedures for addressing reversals of Executive Committee actions will be established by the colleges, as approved by the provost.
A. Membership
A college’s Executive Committee shall consist of the dean, who shall serve as chair; regional campus deans, school deans, department chairs, and two (2) elected representatives of the full-time Senior Faculty in the college. In colleges not organized into departments or schools or when the membership of the Executive Committee would otherwise be less than eight (8) members, the Committee on Governance, in consultation with the dean, may appoint up to five (5) additional members from among the college’s Senior Faculty who serve in leadership roles (such as ancillary dean, standing committee chair, academic program leader), to serve on the Executive Committee. These leaders may rotate membership on the Executive Committee by a method and time interval determined by the college’s Committee on Governance.
The elected faculty representatives should represent different constituents of the college where possible and should not be from the same program, department or school within the college.
Deans may invite others, such as ancillary deans and chairs of the college’s standing committees, to attend the Executive Committee meetings as non-voting guests.
B. Meetings
The Executive Committee must meet at least six (6) times per year. At their discretion, the deans may establish a more frequent meeting schedule. The meeting schedule shall be published prior to the start of each academic year.
5.4.2 College Committee on Governance
A. Function
The Committee on Governance shall oversee the membership of college-level standing and special committees as well as college representation to university-level committees, unless specified otherwise in these Bylaws.
The Committee on Governance shall administer the nomination and election process for those university and college-level committees requiring election of faculty representatives. In cases where appointment to university and college-level committees is required, the Committee on Governance shall appoint faculty to committees after consultation with the dean. The Committee on Governance shall ensure faculty proposed for election or appointment to university or college-level committees meet established requirements for said committee.
Upon a majority vote of any committee, the Committee on Governance may authorize the replacement of a committee member for absenteeism, failure to participate in the committee process, or other good cause shown, but a committee member shall not be replaced on the grounds that the committee disagrees with the committee member’s position on issues before the committee. In the event the Committee on Governance authorizes such replacement, the committee member shall be replaced with a new member selected in the manner in which similarly situated members of the committee in question are typically selected.
The Committee on Governance shall announce election outcomes for committee assignments to the full faculty of the college. It shall maintain the official list of the college’s representatives to university committees and college committees, per procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook.
B. Membership
The Committee on Governance shall be composed of members of the college’s faculty who have just completed terms as the college’s elected representatives to the Faculty Council or the college’s Executive Committee. The Committee on Governance should be comprised of between three (3) and six (6) individuals, each of whom will serve a two-year term. In the event there is an insufficient number of eligible faculty to meet the minimum membership, the dean, in consultation with the Executive Committee, will appoint members. In the event there are more than six (6) individuals who meet the criteria for service, the Executive Committee will choose members by lottery.
A chair will be selected by and from among the faculty members of the committee. Members of the Committee on Governance may not be on ballots for college or university committees during their service. Members of the Committee on Governance may serve on a college or university committee as appointed members if requested by the college’s Executive Committee.
5.4.3 College Curriculum Committee
A. Function
The work of the College Curriculum Committee transcends the interests or responsibilities of a college’s individual departments and academic programs. The committee has general authority and responsibility for the overall design, management, integration, evaluation and enhancement of the educational programs within the college. The committee ensures the integrity, cohesion, and excellence of the curriculum of each of the educational programs within the college, per the procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook. The committee monitors compliance with program policies, such as policies on timeliness of grades and student workload.
The committee shall also consider proposed changes in the college’s general academic policies regarding admission; academic achievement, progression, and graduation requirements, after consultation with the college’s committees on admissions and student promotions, as applicable.
The committee may establish subcommittees, which may include members of the committee and/or other members of the faculty as necessary for intensive study or investigation of a curricular matter, curricular innovation, revision, or priority.
B. Membership
The College Curriculum Committee must consist of at least three (3) members of the Voting Body of the General Faculty. Additional members may be added at the recommendation of the Committee on Governance. Committee members should represent the broad spectrum of contributors to the college’s educational programs. The College Curriculum Committee may have representatives of the student body; the number should be appropriate to the type and size of the college student body and shall comply with any applicable accreditation requirements. The term of student representatives and whether students are voting or non-voting will be determined by the college’s Committee on Governance.
The chair, to be selected by and from among the members of the committee, generally also serves on the university Committee on Academic Programs and Policies.
5.4.4 College Committee on Academic Outcomes Assessment
A. Function
At the discretion of the college, this committee may be a subcommittee of the College Committee on Curriculum and report its findings to the College Committee on Curriculum. The committee will promote and sustain a college-wide culture of assessment. The committee will focus on program-level learning outcomes and educational objectives, student-learning objectives for courses in a program’s curriculum, and educational offerings within the broader context of the university’s institutional learning outcomes and other areas as required by accreditation standards. As applicable, the committee ensures that student experiences and learning outcomes are comparable across instructional sites. The committee will establish guidelines and a schedule for assessment tasks for the academic year.
B. Membership
A college’s Committee on Academic Outcomes Assessment shall consist of at least three (3) members of the faculty, who sufficiently represent the college’s range of departments and academic programs. Faculty may serve multiple, consecutive terms.
Members should not be academic program leaders. Members may not serve simultaneously on the college Committee on Academic Outcomes Assessment and College Curriculum Committee.
The chair, to be selected by and from among the members of the committee, also generally serves on the university Committee on Educational Quality.
5.4.5 College Committee on Faculty Affairs
A. Function
The Committee on Faculty Affairs reviews and makes recommendations to the Executive Committee regarding academic appointments of ranked members of the faculty, including initial faculty appointments, subsequent faculty promotions, the awarding of tenure, and applications to the university’s sabbatical program, that have been reviewed by and received initial approval of the dean of the college. At the discretion of the dean, the committee may be asked to provide peer review with respect to the academic achievement of faculty as it relates to the reappointment of the faculty member.
With regard to faculty appointment, promotion and tenure, the committee ensures compliance with the policies and procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook. Members must maintain confidentiality and discretion in all matters handled and discussed by the committee.
B. Membership
The Committee on Faculty Affairs will be comprised of at least three (3) Senior Faculty. Additional members may be added from among the Senior Faculty if needed to conduct the committee’s business. At the discretion of the dean, the Committee on Governance may be asked to appoint members of the volunteer or affiliated faculty who hold a rank of associate or professor.
The chair is selected by and from among the members of the committee.
Ad hoc committees may be formed to assist committee members in the evaluation of faculty candidates during the promotion or tenure process.
The dean shall have a vote on all matters that come before this committee with the exception of appointment, promotion, and tenure.
5.4.6 Dean’s Faculty Advisory Council
A. Function and Membership
The college’s faculty elected to serve on the university Faculty Advisory Council will comprise the dean’s Faculty Advisory Council. This body will serve in an advisory capacity to the dean on matters of faculty welfare and affairs specific to the college. The council will assist the dean in setting the agenda for the college’s General Faculty meetings.
5.4 Creation of Additional Standing Committees
When applicable accreditation standards require, the college Executive Committee may, with the approval of the provost, establish college committees on admissions or student promotions.
Additionally, a college Executive Committee may, with the approval of the provost, establish a college Committee on Student Affairs as well as additional college standing committees deemed necessary to conduct the business of the college.
5.5.1 Function and Membership of Additional Standing Committee
Unless specified below, the function and membership requirements of each additional college standing committee will be determined by the college’s Executive Committee and approved by the provost.
In the event a college receives approval for a Committee on Admissions, Committee on Student Promotions or Committee on Student Affairs, those committees shall be established as set forth below.
5.5.2 College Committee on Admissions
A. Function
The Committee on Admissions shall be responsible for the selection of students and shall have the power to act in all matters pertaining to admissions in accordance with general policies adopted by the faculty of the college. The committee’s decisions on specific individuals may not be reversed by another individual or faculty body. The committee shall have the overall responsibility of ensuring that the integrity of the admissions process is maintained.
Members of the Committee on Admissions shall have access to all applications for admission and other data regarding applicants. They may interview applicants and otherwise assist in the survey of applications, however, all correspondence with applicants, including the notification of acceptance or rejection, shall be conducted through college or university channels other than the committee.
B. Membership
The Committee on Admission shall have the number of faculty needed to conduct its business and may have representatives of the student body; the number should be appropriate to the type and size of the college student body, and shall comply with any applicable accreditation requirements.
The term of student representatives, and whether students are voting or non-voting will be determined by the college’s Committee on Governance. Faculty may serve multiple consecutive terms.
5.5.3 Committee on Student Promotions
A. Function
The Committee on Student Promotions ensures all students in the educational program meet the standard for advancement and graduation established by the faculty of the college. If the committee decides a student does not meet the standard for advancement or graduation, the committee provides a fair and formal process for taking any action that may affect the status of a student, including timely notice of impending action, disclosure of the evidence on which the action would be based, an opportunity for the student to respond, and an opportunity to appeal any adverse decision related to advancement, graduation or dismissal. The faculty hearing body for an appeal shall not include faculty involved in the original decision. The committee shall review and recommend evaluation procedures, requirements and general policies for satisfactory scholarship. The committee shall apply such policies as the faculty and the Executive Committee may adopt from time to time. The committee’s decisions with respect to individual students may not be reversed by another individual or faculty body.
B. Membership
The Committee on Student Promotions shall be composed of at least three (3) members of the Senior Faculty representing the diversity of educational programs and content within the college. Current academic program directors should not serve on the committee.
5.5.4 Committee on Student Affairs
A. Function
The Committee on Student Affairs is responsible for monitoring student welfare in the college, including but not limited to: monitoring student retention, student workload, academic progression, academic advising, and student-related resources. The committee shall provide oversight of sanctioned college-specific student organizations and extracurricular activities.
B. Membership
The committee shall be composed of at least three (3) members of the faculty and may include up to four (4) student representatives. The committee may include additional members as determined by the college Executive Committee.