1. Committee Charters And Membership
A. Faculty Steering Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of five (5) faculty members, one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the President, and two (2) non-voting ex officio student members. The faculty members must all be tenured and include at least one from each division.
2. Responsibilities
a. In all matters involving communication to and with the college administration, the Faculty Steering Committee serves as the primary voice of the Faculty, representing its perspective, views, and priorities to the administration. In fulfilling this responsibility, the Faculty Steering Committee shall:
i. Serve as the formal representative of, and the advocate for, the collective vision of the Faculty, and may serve as an advisory council in partnership with the President and VPAA/Dean of the Faculty.
ii. Regularly reach out to relevant faculty constituencies to gather and share information.
iii. Advance questions and proposals to the Faculty as a whole, when appropriate.
iv. Invite, receive, and consider comments in matters of concern to the Faculty.
v. Represent minority views in good faith.
b. The Faculty Steering Committee serves as the primary long-range governance planning body for the Faculty. In fulfilling this responsibility, the Faculty Steering Committee shall:
i. Prioritize and set the annual agenda for faculty work, based on input from other committees, the Faculty as a whole, or other appropriate groups.
ii. Set the time and agenda for faculty meetings. The committee will publish the agenda for faculty meetings a minimum of five calendar days prior to the meeting.
iii. Receive and review all proposed motions before possible placement on the faculty meeting agenda.
iv. Prioritize, coordinate, and oversee Faculty committee activities including a regular review of faculty governance effectiveness.
v. Serve as the main communication hub for committee work. The Steering Committee will regularly communicate with other committees and keep the Faculty up to date in relation to ongoing work.
vi. Coordinate with the Faculty Trustees to ensure effective communication with the Board of Trustees.
vii. Oversee the scheduling and organizing of faculty forums and collaborate with the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty on the planning of faculty workshops.
viii.Oversee faculty elections and make or recommend faculty appointments when appropriate.
ix. Oversee the development and availability of documents related to faculty governance policies and procedures, including committee charters and procedures.
B. Academic Planning Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of (four) 4 faculty members, one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the president, and two (2) non-voting ex officio student members. Faculty membership must include two tenured members and at least two of the three divisions must be represented. The chair of the committee must be tenured.
2. Responsibilities:
a. Oversee the design and facilitate the implementation of the Central College curriculum.
b. Ensure that the Central College curriculum is responsive to the evolving needs of the college and oversee its revision as appropriate.
c. Identify, explore, and prioritize academic-related initiatives in conversation with other committees, faculty members at large, administration, and students. Initiatives could include developing new academic programs, revision of Core requirements, undergraduate research day, study abroad, and other broader, big picture perspectives related to curriculum.
d. Work in conjunction with the Program Review Committee and the Curriculum Approval Committee regarding academic issues and planning.
e. Collaborate with Student Development or other areas of the college in further developing integrated learning as appropriate.
f. Recommend to the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty the appointment of faculty members responsible for current and future interdisciplinary majors and minors.
g. Make recommendations to the Steering Committee on academic calendar matters.
h. Maintain regular dialogue with faculty coordinators of programs (e.g., Honors and Emerging Scholars, Intersections) and academic directors (e.g., Director of Writing, Director of Geisler Library) as appropriate.
C. Faculty Planning Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of three (3) faculty members and one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the President. At least two of the faculty members must be tenured. The chair of the committee must be tenured.
2. Responsibilities
a. Identify, prioritize, and address ideas/concerns regarding collective faculty interests and general welfare in conversation with the Faculty Personnel, Faculty Welfare, and Faculty Development committees and others as appropriate.
b. Advocate for Faculty in areas of general welfare, benefits, workload, gender equity, funding for faculty development, promoting scholarship, and other concerns.
c. Coordinate the regular administration of a faculty climate survey and review results for further action.
d. Analyze and monitor annual comparative data and trends in higher education.
e. Maintain regular dialogue with faculty representatives to campus-wide committees that relate to faculty interests.
D. Academic Program Review
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of three (3) faculty members and one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the President. At least one of the faculty members must be tenured and at least two of the three divisions must be represented.
2. Responsibilities
a. Coordinate, in consultation with the department or program, the college-wide schedule for the program review cycle.
i. As a general guideline, all departments and programs should undergo a program review every seven years.
ii. Ensure departmental and program reviews incorporate sound assessment data, by helping departments find appropriate support resources and by providing feedback and guidance, as necessary.
iii. Departments and programs that undergo accreditation by external bodies can use previously prepared accreditation reviews as the foundation for their program review process.
b. Provide academic departments with guidelines, models, and assistance for the internal review process as appropriate to the department.
i. Possible elements include: departmental mission statement, institutional history and context, professional growth and development activities, scholarly and artistic activities, student learning outcomes report, staffing and resource needs, and future plans.
ii. The internal review process should be flexible and designed with needs of departments in mind, and it should not be burdensome on departments.
iii. Provide guidance and feedback in developing and implementing assessment measures for academic departments.
c. Coordinate the review process for non-department-based curricular programs.
i. These programs include, but are not limited to, the Core, the Honors and Emerging Scholars Program, interdisciplinary programs, and the academic integrity of international programs.
ii. Possible elements include: program mission statement, institutional history and context, student learning outcomes, student learning outcomes reports, staffing and resource needs, and future plans.
iii. Appoint an Ad hoc committee to assist in these reviews, as appropriate.
iv. Provide guidance and feedback in developing and implementing assessment measures for non-department-based curricular programs.
v. Work in conjunction with program directors of these programs, including the Intersections Director, the Honors and Emerging Scholars Program Director, and the Writing Center Director, and with other disciplinary representatives, as appropriate.
d. Advocate for the acquisition of resources to facilitate the review process including the possibility of an optional external reviewer for those departments or programs that request one.
e. Ensure that ongoing assessment of academic programs occurs.
f. Work in conjunction with the Faculty Academic Planning Committee and the Curriculum Approval Committee on matters of shared interest and responsibility, as appropriate.
g. Ensure the collection and storage of appropriate documents produced as a result of the program review process for future reference by departments and programs.
E. Curriculum Approval Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of six (6) faculty members, one (1) ex officio appointed by the President, and two (2) student representatives. The faculty members must include at least two (2) tenured members, and at least one from each division. The committee is able to request additional non-voting expertise pursuant to their charter.
2. Responsibilities
a. Provide guidance in the development of the curriculum by the Faculty.
b. Review, evaluate, make decisions, and implement policy regarding:
i. Requests for changes, additions, or deletions to majors and minors
ii. Requests for course changes, additions, or deletions
iii. Academic credit hours
iv. Requests for Core Curriculum designations
v. Student petitions concerning the curriculum
vi. Student petitions concerning Integrated Studies and International and Global Studies programs.
c. Provide oversight for the Integrated Studies and International and Global Studies programs.
d. Work in conjunction with faculty governance committees on matters of shared interest and responsibility, as appropriate.
e. Work in conjunction with the registrar and appropriate department chairs on changes to, and implementation of, the curriculum.
f. Establish and communicate to the faculty a timeline for the submission of curriculum change proposals that will allow inclusion in the catalog.
g. Facilitate the communication of curricular changes to the Faculty.
F. Faculty Welfare Committee
1. Membership
Membership shall consist of five (5) faculty members, three of whom must be tenured, and one of whom must be untenured. The chair must be tenured.
2. Responsibilities
In its role of advocating for faculty interests, both individually and collectively, Faculty Welfare Committee will:
a. Invite faculty members to bring faculty welfare concerns to committee members.
i. Collaborate with Faculty Steering Committee on faculty welfare concerns as appropriate.
ii. Collaborate with Faculty Steering Committee on faculty welfare concerns that require the administration’s attention.
b. Conduct appeals of faculty evaluations and reviews and make recommendations to administration regarding termination and serious sanctions of tenure-line faculty. Involves only tenured members of the committee. (Faculty Bylaws FB.1.C; FB.1.D; FB.3.A.4; FB.3.D.4; FB.3.E; FB.3.F)
c. Investigate informal concerns or formal grievances and communicate recommendations to appropriate party(ies) (e.g. administration via Faculty Steering Committee, Human Resources.
d. Coordinate with Faculty Steering Committee regarding the administration and analysis of results from regular formal gathering of campus climate feedback.
e. Represent the Faculty, as requested, on college-wide committees or councils, such as the President’s Leadership Conference or the Employee Benefits Committee.
G. Faculty Development Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of three (3) faculty members (one from each division); one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the President, and one (1) non-voting ex officio student member. At least one (1) member must be tenured and at least one (1) must be untenured; the chair must be tenured.
2. Responsibilities:
a. Oversee the sabbatical leave process. Duties include clarifying guidelines and application process, evaluating submitted proposals, and making recommendations to the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty.
b. Oversee faculty development grant proposals. Duties include clarifying guidelines for proposals, evaluating submitted proposals, and making recommendations to the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty.
c. Oversee student research and travel proposals. Duties include clarifying guidelines in consultation with Academic Affairs staff as well as evaluating and
making recommendations regarding such proposals to the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty.
d. Support and help facilitate professional development opportunities, such as faculty lecture series or workshops, in collaboration with the Faculty Planning Committee.
H. Faculty Personnel Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of five (5) faculty members and one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the President. The faculty members must all be tenured, include at least three (3) at the rank of Professor, and include one from each division.
2. Responsibilities
a. Conduct faculty evaluations.
b. Make non-binding written recommendations for promotion and tenure.
c. Make non-binding written recommendations for renewal of appointment or termination of faculty who are evaluated by Personnel Committee.
d. Make non-binding written recommendations about termination or serious sanctions of tenure-line faculty in the case of financial exigency, for medical reasons, or for Adequate Cause (except in cases involving a violation of the College’s policies related to harassment, discrimination, retaliation, sexual misconduct or relationship misconduct).
e. Serve as consultants to the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty on appointment of department chairs.
f. Regularly meet with candidates for evaluation, department chairs, and second evaluators to discuss criteria and process for evaluation.
g. Facilitate periodic workshops on the candidate evaluation process, assembling portfolios, and writing evaluation letters.
h. Work in conjunction with the Faculty Planning Committee to address faculty-related personnel matters.
I. International Education Committee
1. Membership
The membership shall consist of (three) 3 faculty members, one (1) non-voting ex officio member appointed by the president, and one (1) non-voting ex officio student member. At least one of the faculty members must be tenured and at least two of the three divisions must be represented.
2. Responsibilities
a. Facilitate faculty participation in Mérida and short-term, faculty-led programs
i. Invite proposals from faculty members to teach in Mérida or to offer short-term, faculty-led programs
ii. Act as a resource to faculty in their preparation of academic components of short-term, faculty-led programs and help facilitate the assessment of such academic elements upon their completion
iii. Act as a resource to faculty members as they plan and prepare the courses they teach in Mérida and help facilitate the assessment of those courses
iv. Create and maintain a repository of materials, including past proposals, syllabi, assignments, assessment plans, etc., for both Mérida and short-term, faculty-led programs, as an aid to faculty members who plan to participate in such programs
v. Review proposals for Mérida and short-term, faculty-led programs and make appropriate recommendations to the VPAA/Dean of the Faculty
b. Assists with recruiting students for study abroad programs including summer programs, faculty teaching in Mérida, and short-term, faculty-led programs
c. Coordinate and sustain curricular pathways between departments and study abroad programs
d. Serve as a faculty resource for the Assistant Dean for International Education, as appropriate.
e. Assist, as requested by the Assistant Dean for International Education, in the planning and execution of pre-departure and re-entry programs
f. Advise the Curriculum Approval Committee, the Academic Program Review Committee, and the Academic Planning Committee regarding curricular issues, assessment, and academic planning related to international education
g. Advocate for the integration of international education throughout the curriculum of the college (in conversation with the Curriculum Approval Committee)
h. Plan and implement international education faculty development opportunities (in conversation with the Faculty Development Committee)