Constituent Committees

FACULTY COMMITTEES

ACADEMIC STANDARDS AND APPEALS COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Faculty Meeting

Minutes sent to: External minutes that exclude any confidential information should be placed on wc@home within one week of approval of minutes. Internal minutes will be kept by the Associate VP for Academic Affairs or the VP for External Programs.

Presiding Clerk: Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs

Ad hoc members may include Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, Registrar, the Director of Financial Aid and the Director of Admission

Method of assignment: By virtue of office for the administrative staff, appointed for the faculty members and students

Function: The committee will review appeals filed by students for the following issues:

• Additional probationary semester
• Late add/drop of a course
• Grade appeal
• Extension for an incomplete grade
• Academic misconduct charge

The committee may also review any appropriate issues dealing with academic standards. Paperwork and relevant evidence will be collected by the AVPRSS and presented to the committee for consideration in appeals.

Remarks: Since this committee overlaps with Academic Policies, close coordination between the committees will be necessary. The Faculty Conveners and the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty will determine the committee of original jurisdiction in cases where the matter is unclear.

ACADEMIC POLICIES AND CURRICULA COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Faculty Meeting

Minutes sent to: Faculty Conveners, the President, the Clerk of Academic Standards and Appeals Committee

Method of Assignment: At least three faculty members should carry over from the previous year.

Appointments should be sensitive to providing a balanced representation of disciplines across the campus. Faculty appointments to committees are made by the Faculty Conveners and Associate Vice President / Dean of the Faculty.

Presiding Clerk: Presiding clerks of faculty committees are appointed by the Faculty Conveners and the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty with the approval of the faculty.

Functions:

• Evaluates and recommends policies for general education.
• Evaluates and recommends policies for major and minor academic programs.
• Approves minor changes in the curriculum and reports these to the Faculty Meeting in writing, providing the opportunity for questions, comments or additional information. Examples of minor changes are: changes in course titles, numbers or descriptions that do not change the course substantially; editorial changes in the catalog that do not involve substantial program changes.
• Considers major curricular changes and refers them to the Faculty Meeting with a recommendation to approve, disapprove, or with no recommendation. Examples of major curricular changes are: adding or eliminating majors and minors, changes in major and minor requirements, changes in general education requirements, changes in graduation requirements

Remarks: This committee is charged with the general oversight of academic policies governing the entire academic program of the College. It works closely with the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty.  Members of the faculty and student body appointed to this committee should have a strong interest in and significant knowledge of curriculum, philosophy and practice. Because this committee overlaps the Academic Standards and Appeals Committee, close coordination between the two committees will be necessary to avoid duplication of efforts. The Faculty Conveners and the Dean of Faculty will determine the committee of original jurisdiction in cases where the matter is unclear.

ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE

Accountable to:  Faculty Meeting

Minutes sent to: Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty, Faculty Conveners, Academic Affairs and placed on wc@home within one week of approval of minutes.

Method of assignment: By virtue of office for the administrative staff, appointed for the faculty members, and appointed for the students

Presiding Clerk: Presiding clerks of faculty committees are appointed by the Faculty Conveners and the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty with the approval of the faculty

Functions:

• Designs appropriate assessment strategies, assesses the status of academic programs (majors, minors, general education, etc.) and provides results and reports to academic programs.
• Defines and assesses cocurricular programs
• Sends analysis of academic programs to Academic program review Committee and the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty.

Remarks: This committee evaluates student learning and the extent to which students meet institutional goals and objectives. It does not evaluate faculty performance.

FACULTY COUNCIL

Accountable to: Faculty Meeting and Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty

Minutes sent to: Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty, Faculty Conveners, and placed on wc@home within one week of approval of minutes.

Method of Assignment: Elected by the faculty. No more than two faculty members from the same area may serve concurrently on the committee. The Nominating Committee has the responsibility of assuring that this rule is not violated. If after the elections are completed it occurs that members of the committee will be on sabbatical or leave a total of two or more semesters, the Faculty Conveners will conduct an election for an alternate to serve in place of those on sabbatical or leave. The process of election is explained in the Faculty Governance Document.

Presiding Clerk: A member elected annually by the Committee to be selected immediately after elections and before Commencement. The name of the clerk will be reported to the Faculty Meeting as soon as possible.

Functions: This committee functions to reduce the need for numerous ad hoc task forces, etc. The committee is the key committee for issues that arise concerning faculty matters, including but not limited to:

• all faculty handbook amendments
• advocates for faculty salary and benefits
• faculty evaluation systems
• faculty workload

GRADUATE PROGRAM COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Director of the Graduate Program

Minutes sent to: Faculty Conveners, Academic Affairs and placed on wc@home within one week of approval of minutes by the committee.

1. Membership and Tenure 
   1. Director of the Graduate Program: (permanent)
   2. Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty, ex officio: (permanent)
   3. Clerk of Academic Policies Committee: (permanent)
   4. Clerk of Assessment Committee: (permanent)
   5. Clerk of Academic Standards and Appeals Committee: (permanent)
   6. Three faculty teaching in graduate program: ( Two year terms, staggered)
2. Method of assignment: By virtue of office, appointed for faculty.
3. Presiding Clerk: Director of Graduate Program.
4. Functions: Responsibility for oversight and evaluation of the graduate program. The Committee will review academic appeals and proposals for curricular change and oversee the assessment of student learning outcomes.

Addition Approved by Faculty Council 11/2017  

INSTRUCTIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Faculty Meeting

Minutes sent to: Faculty Conveners, Academic Affairs, and placed on wc@home within one week of approval of minutes.

Ad hoc members include Director of Academic Resource Center

Method of Assignment: By virtue of office for administrators, appointed for faculty, appointed for students.

Presiding Clerk: Presiding clerks of faculty committees are appointed by the Faculty Conveners and the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty with the approval of the faculty.

Functions:

• Investigates methods by which the Committee can aid faculty members in improving instruction.
• Monitors and promotes faculty development, recommending improvements, sponsoring contests, lectures, sabbatical presentations, research talks, use of pedagogy grants, and other experiences as appropriate.
• Support and encourage faculty research.
• Reviews applications for faculty research grants when such grants are available

Remarks: This committee is responsible for the broad area of all instructional resources and should work closely with Academic Council to support the value of instructional development and research.

ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Faculty meeting and Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty

Minutes Sent to: Faculty Conveners, the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty, Vice President for Community and Business Development

Method of Assignment: Faculty appointments to the committee are to be made by election. NOTE: No more than one member from an area may be elected. Clerks of Academic Policies and Assessment serve as Ad Hoc members, elected faculty may not be members of either APC or Assessment Committee.

Presiding Clerk: Clerk would be selected by members of the Program Review Committee. No students would be appointed to this committee.

Functions: The Academic Program Review Committee is charged with performing a comprehensive review of all academic programs and their concentrations, licensures, special programs, certificates, etc. The Committee is responsible for managing the academic program review process, including determining cycles of review, developing and distributing evaluative materials, and assessing the program’s contributions to the mission and goals of the institution. The Committee helps assess and guide programmatic and institutional strategies and resource allocation. After evaluating a program, the Academic Program Review Committee will then deliver the full program review submissions to the Faculty Meeting and take comments on them. The Academic Program Review Committee will summarize the combined responses of its own work and that of the Faculty Meeting and deliver them to the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Then, the VPAA, the Vice President of Business and Finance, and the President will meet with members of the academic program to review those findings.

TENURE, PROMOTION AND REVIEW COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Faculty Meeting

Minutes sent to: President, Faculty Conveners, Vice President for Academic Affairs/Dean of the Faculty and posted on wc@home within one week of approval of minutes (See Remarks below).

Method of Assignment: Faculty positions are elected by the faculty. At least one tenured and two non- tenured faculty members must be elected each year. No more than two faculty members from the same Academic Area may serve concurrently on the committee.

• If two faculty members from the same area are continuing on the committee, then no other faculty member from that area may be on the ballot.
• If only one faculty member from an area is continuing on the committee, then any other faculty members from that area may be on the ballot, but no more than one of them may be elected. If more than one of them is among the highest vote receivers, then the candidate with the highest number of votes among them will be declared elected.
• If no faculty members from an area are continuing on the committee, then any other faculty members from that area may be on the ballot, but no more than two of them may be elected. If more than two of them are among the highest vote receivers, then the two candidates with the highest number of votes will be declared elected.

If after the elections are completed it occurs that members of the committee will be on sabbatical or leave a total of two or more semesters, the Faculty Conveners will conduct an election for an alternate to serve in place of those on sabbatical or leave. The process of election is explained in the Faculty Governance document.

Presiding Clerk: A tenured member elected annually by the Committee to be selected immediately after elections and before Commencement. Name of the clerk will be reported to the Faculty Meeting as soon as possible.

Functions:

• Carries out the evaluation procedures described in Section 2.5 of the Faculty Handbook and prepares recommendations on promotion and tenure as described in Sections 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7 of the Faculty Handbook.
• Periodically reviews and revises the criteria for tenure and promotion and then forwards it to the Faculty Council for action.
• Provides advice to the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty on a wide range of faculty matters.

Remarks: This committee has a crucial role in decisions concerning faculty status and for that reason its members are elected. During the review of faculty for promotion and tenure, the meetings are restricted at the discretion of the clerk and all matters discussed in such meetings shall remain confidential. Committee members are cautioned not to disclose the nature of committee deliberations in these meetings. When engaged in a review of faculty for promotion and tenure, the committee should keep internal minutes that are sufficient to refresh a general set of memories about the substantive views of its various members. In all other matters, minutes should be complete and distributed.

GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE

Accountable to: Faculty Meeting

Method of Assignment: Each year three new members are elected by the Faculty to serve three-year terms. Occasionally, continuing members will need to be replaced if they have been elected as Faculty Conveners or to serve on the Tenure, Promotion and Review Committee.

Presiding Clerk: Presiding clerks of faculty committees are appointed by the Faculty Conveners and the Academic Dean/Dean of the Faculty with the approval of the faculty.

Functions: See Section 2.17 of the Faculty Handbook.