Committee on Committees
2005 - 2006 Members:
Beth Cramer (Library)
Bill Jones (Music, Fall 2005))
Monica Lambert (Language, Reading, and Exceptionalities)
Mark Malloy (Technology, Chair)
Jeffrey McBride (Health, Leisure and Exercise Science)
Sam McGuire (Spring 2006)
Appalachian State University
FACULTY SENATE:
COMMITTEE ON COMMITTEES
2005-2006 ANNUAL REPORT
Members of the committee for 2005-2006 were:
Beth Cramer, Monica Lambert, Bill Jones (Fall 2005), Mark Malloy (Chair), Jeff McBride, Sam McGuire (Spring 2006).
I. 2005-2006 ASSIGNMENTS
Responsibilities assigned to the committee during the 2005-2006 academic year and progress toward meeting those responsibilities are listed below:
Recommend faculty members for service on University committees. This responsibility has been discharged. Details are listed in Section II of this report.
Continue to review university committees following the periodic review schedule established in 2001-2002. This responsibility has been met.
Review all university standing committees and add those committees to the Faculty Handbook if needed, update the charge to all committees listed in the Faculty Handbook, and develop a policy on replacement of committee members for the Faculty Senate Guidebook. This responsibility is in progress and should be continued to the 2006-2007 academic year.
II. Appointments to University Committees: D uring the year, the Committee made the following recommendations for appointments to university committees:
October 17, 2005
Academic Integrity Board
Proposed
Scott E. Wilks (A&S) term ending in 2008
Ann-Marie Clark (RCoE) for term ending in 2008
James Ivory (ENG) term ending in 2008
Steve Smith (CMU) term ending in 2006
Heather Waldroup (ART) term ending in 2006
Admissions Committee
Proposed
Barbara Bonham (RCOE) term ending in 2008
Margot Olson (FAA) term ending in 2008
Awards Committee
Proposed
Jose Sanqui (A&S) term ending in 2008
Timothy Dolan (FAA) term ending in 2008
Pam Mitchem (LIB) term ending in 2008
Core Curriculum Committee
Proposed
Heather Clark (RCOE) for term ending in 2008
Lynne Getz (A&S) for term ending in 2008
Jeff Tiller (FAA) for term ending in 2006 (replacing Gayle Weitz)
Sandra Oldendorf (RCOE) for fall 2005 only (replacing Joan Woodworth)
Victor Mansure (MUS) term ending in 2008
Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee
Proposed
Katie Mawhinney (A&S) term ending in 2008
Suzanne Wise (LIB) term ending in 2008
Faculty/Staff Benefits Committee
Proposed
Victoria Massy for term ending in 2008
Library Services Committee
Proposed
Gabriel Fankhauser (MUS) term ending in 2008
Heather Waldroup (Art) term ending in 2008
Non-tenure Track Faculty Committee
Proposed
Jennifer Van Gilder (RC0E) term ending in 2008
Shea Tuberty (A&S) term ending in 2008
Holly Martin (A&S) term ending in 2008
Registration and Calendar Committee
Proposed
Barbara Bonham (RCoE) term ending in 2008
Pam Kidder-Ashley (A&S) term ending in 2008
Nominations were approved.
December 12, 2005
Senators approved the appointment of Dr. Eric Groce (Curriculum and Instruction) to replace Dr. Diana Quealy-Berge on the AP&P Committee (term expires 2006).
February 13, 2006
The Committee on Committees nominated Senator Marland to replace Dr. B.J. Yoblinski on the Traffic Policy Committee.
April 24, 2006 (first session)
Chair Moore presented the nominations for University Committee Service from the Committee on Committees noting changes, deletions, and additions as follows:
Academic Integrity Board
Julie Horton (C&I)
Steve Smith (Communication)
Heather Waldroup (Art)
Admissions Committee
Betsey Williams (Library)
Sunghoon Roh (Political Science)
Awards Committee
Jose Sanqui (Math)
Core Curriculum Committee
James Ivory (English)
Margot Olson (Tech)
Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee
Alecia Jackson (C&I)
Faculty Grievance Assistance Committee
Ray Russell (CS)
Sandie Gravett (P&R)
Stella Anderson (MGT)
Faculty Staff Benefits Committee
John Quindry (HLE)
Library Services
Billy Irwin (LRS)
Erik Rabinowitz (HLE)
Frank Barry (CS)
Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee
Erik Rabinowitz (HLE)
Registration and Calendar Committee
David DeHart (Library)
Traffic Policy
Carol Truett (LES)
Thomas Reeves (Tech)
III. MOTIONS PRESENTED TO THE SENATE
Motion FS 05-06/04-24/02
Whereas, the AP&P Committee has submitted new guidelines for its operation;
Therefore, the Committee on Committees recommends approval of the new guidelines (see below) as submitted to the Faculty Senate.
Proposed text to be stated in Chapter II of the Faculty Handbook, and in Section A. of the
Academic Governance Handbook.
ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE
The basic mission of the University is instruction of students; therefore, the procedures for curriculum modification are most important and should be clear.
The basic and most important unit in determining curricula is the academic department. Departments recommend their own departmental courses and programs after careful consideration by the faculty of that department. Each department should have a representational curriculum committee involving faculty and undergraduate students (and graduate students, if there are graduate programs in that department).
Each college/school shall have a curriculum committee to carefully consider changes to courses, programs, policies, or structures within or affecting that college/school. This curriculum committee should include faculty and undergraduate students (and graduate students, if there are graduate programs in that college/school).
In addition, the Graduate Council, the Teacher Education Council, and the Core Curriculum Council shall each carefully consider changes to courses, programs, or structures within or affecting their programs. These curriculum committees shall include faculty, undergraduate students, and graduate students.
The Academic Policies and Procedures Committee is the final committee to carefully consider changes to the University’s curriculum, policies, and structures.
The Provost and the Chancellor shall communicate to the University in a timely fashion their decisions on proposals and motions involving changes in academic policies, programs, or structures.
GUIDELINE I
Any proposal for changes in a department’s courses or programs must first be acted upon by the department before being submitted to the college advisory council. Any proposal for changes (excluding course changes within existing programs) in a college’s or school’s programs or structures must first be acted upon by the faculty of the college or school concerned before being presented to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee. After a proposal for curricular or structural change has been acted upon by a college or school and after the dean of that college or school has submitted the proposal to all other necessary groups, the dean may then present the proposal to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee.
GUIDELINE II
Recommendations for changes in general academic policies or academic programs must be submitted to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee by any of the following:
A. Department, program, college or school
B. Faculty Senate
C. Student Government Association
D. Graduate Student Association Senate
E. Deans’ Council
F. Council of Chairs
If the proposal does not originate from a specific academic department, it must go through one of the bodies listed above.
GUIDELINE III
The Academic Policies and Procedures Committee is, in most circumstances, the final recommending body to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor. Faculty and student members on this committee serve as representatives for the faculty and students, respectively.
GUIDELINE IV
If a proposal for changes in a department’s curriculum is not approved by that department, the group initiating the proposal may appeal (within 90 days after rejection) first to the advisory council of the college to which that department belongs. If the proposal is rejected by the college
or school, the group may appeal (within 90 days after rejection) to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee.
When a department proposal is not recommended by other necessary groups, the department may appeal to the Academic Policies and Procedures Committee (within 90 days after rejection).
Proposed text to be stated in Chapter VII, Section 7.3.4.2 of the Faculty Handbook, and in
Section B. of the Academic Governance Handbook.
ACADEMIC POLICIES AND PROCEDURES COMMITTEE
Members on Committee: The membership of AP&P shall not exceed fifteen and shall include at least one faculty member from each college or school with additional faculty members based on the current proportions of full-time equivalent (FTE) faculty in the colleges and school. The term for appointment of faculty is three years. The student membership (one-year terms) shall include one graduate and three undergraduate students as voting members and be representative of the five degree-granting colleges and school. The ex officio membership of the AP&P should include one person from each of the following areas: Deans’ office in each college or school, library, registrar, Provost’s office, and General Studies.
The chair of AP&P shall be a tenure-track faculty member and shall be elected from the membership as a non-voting chair. The seat vacated by the chair shall be filled by a voting member from the same college or school. The term of the chair is three years and is renewable. The chair shall receive one-quarter reassigned time per semester.
Report to: The Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Areas of Responsibility: The major area of responsibility shall be the curriculum and academic policy. Other areas are: advanced placement; graduation requirements; appeals concerning academic matters from any college, school, department, member of the faculty or students, and matters referred to it by the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor or the Chancellor.
FS 05-06/04-24/03
Whereas, the basic guidelines for all University committees/ councils is chapter 7 of the Faculty Handbook, and as Chapter 7 is currently not in compliance with recent amendments passed by Faculty Senate and approved by the chancellor, and contains anachronistic and incorrect information;
And Whereas, committee charges and memberships are not in all cases up-to-date, which makes committee work confusing, and burdens the Senate secretary with trying to keep information up-to-date on the Senate’s website;
And Whereas, not all University Committees develop and maintain a continuity file (to contain a full description of the committee's duties and authority, its current membership, its policies and procedures, and its actions and recommendations) and deliver that file to that chair’s successor, as required by FH 7.3.3.2, and that current committee reporting procedures, compliance, recordkeeping, etc. are inconsistent and inadequate, so that some have not made annual reports to the proper authority and none have made reports to the Faculty Senate;
Therefore, the Faculty Handbook Committee of the Faculty Senate should review and update information regarding University Committees and Councils in Chapter 7 of the Faculty Handbook, and provide clear procedures to be followed by all University Committees, especially in FH 7.3.1 – 7.3.3.4;
And Therefore further, that every University Committee, Council, Board, Task Force, etc. must have a website whose basic features adhere to a university adopted template, which can easily be filled up and which lists information such as committee charge, membership, meeting dates, agenda, minutes (including a history of minutes for at least one year), annual reports (including a history for at least two years), links to documents and working materials, and listing a continuity file, all to be done in timely fashion.
IV. REVIEW OF COMMITTEES
The committee is charged with responsibility for periodic review of standing faculty committees. In October 2001, the committee presented to the Senate, and the Senate approved, a plan for review of standing committees on a three-year rotating basis. Under that plan, the standing committees to be reviewed in 2005-2006 were the Library Services Committee, Patent and Copyright Committee, Registration and Calendar Committee, and Teaching Enhancement Committee. It became evident during the review of the Teaching Enhancement Committee that there were ongoing overlaps in responsibilities with other committees. It was further evident during a meeting of the Academic Policies & Procedures Committee that the source of the confusion in policy in many committees was due to in all occurrences to the Faculty Handbook currently in effect. The trouble stems from the failure of the responsible parties to update the published version of the Faculty Handbook in a timely fashion in order to include changes approved by the Faculty Senate, the Chancellor, and the Board of Governors (as appropriate).
These omissions created a situation in which committees followed either the published policies, even if out of date, or the new policies that had been approved by the appropriate bodies, but not yet published in the Faculty Handbook, thus following incorrect procedures at that time. The result of these inconsistencies created a situation where a number of committees were not operating in compliance with current stated policy.
In consultation with the Chair of the Faculty Senate, that the Committee on Committees follow two objectives. First, the Committee would conduct a general review of all committees under its purview. This was completed. Second, the Committee would devise a plan whereby Committees and Councils would create open, searchable online webpages to be accessed from the Faculty Senate webpage. The questions referenced in the Committee Review Form of 2001-2002 would be used as the format for the information to be made available and searchable via the ASU website. The committee submitted such a proposal to the Faculty Senate for approval (FS 05-06/04-24/03).
The following is the schedule of committees to be reviewed and the year in which the review is to take place. All reviewers should research ALL policies of the committee (published as well as approved but yet to be published) prior to the review process, and should report any irregularities to the Chair of the Committee on Committees immediately.
Committee Year of Review
Academic Integrity Board 2006-2007
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee 2006-2007
Admissions Committee 2006-2007
Core Curriculum Council 2006-2007
Faculty and Staff Benefits Committee 2006-2007
Non-Tenure Track Faculty Committee 2006-2007
Awards Committee 2007-2008
Cultural Affairs Advisory Board 2007-2008
Strategic Planning Commission 2007-2008
Traffic Management and Safety Committee 2007-2008
Teaching Enhancement Committee 2008-2009
Library Services Committee 2008-2009
Patent and Copyright Committee 2008-2009
Registration and Calendar Committee 2008-2009
