EFFECTIVE DATE: October 16, 1995
ISSUE#: 5
PRESIDENT: Max Castillo
PURPOSE
This PS describes the shared governance procedures
through which representatives of the faculty and
administration work together on policies directly affecting
the academic environment.
POLICY/PROCEDURES
2.1 Policy
Academic personnel should have primary responsibility for
developing those policies which directly affect the
academic environment. In developing these policies,
processes should be followed which encourage a free and
open exchange of ideas, promote collegiality, and ensure
understanding and consideration of all institutional
perspectives. The processes followed should also provide
mechanisms for deciding issues in a timely and
accountable manner.
2.1.1 Provisions for University-Wide Shared
Governance Councils and Committees.
The formal components of the university's shared
governance system include:
2.1.1.1 A university academic affairs council which
reviews and recommends to the president all policies
directly affecting the academic environment.
2.1.1.2 Standing university policy committees which
make policy recommendations to the university academic
affairs council.
2.1.1.3 Special standing committees which make
recommendations to the appropriate administrative
personnel on procedural and administrative matters and to
the standing university policy committees on policy
matters.
2.1.2 Provisions for Shared Governance at the
Department and College Levels.
2.1.2.1 The committee/governance process used at the
college and department level should ensure the full
participation of faculty members in the development of
department and college policies directly affecting the
academic environment.
2.1.2.2 Relevant portions of the basic policy stated
above should also guide faculty participation on advisory
committees and task forces established by any unit of the
university to work on specific objectives.
2.2 Departmental Committees
Shared governance begins at the departmental level.
Department faculty will establish such departmental
committees as are necessary to provide for optimal faculty
participation in the formulation and revision of policies
and procedures relating to departmental matters, such as
degree programs, curriculum offerings, departmental
budget priorities, faculty evaluation, hiring of new faculty,
and other appropriate matters.
2.3 College Committees
Structural mechanisms will also be created at the college
level to ensure faculty members a salient role in policies
and procedures affecting the college.
2.4 Advisory Committees and Task Forces
Special advisory committees or task forces may be
established by any unit of the university for the purpose of
accomplishing specifically identified unit objectives. The
members of such groups may be administratively
appointed to ensure that the group has the needed expertise
to carry out its task. When appointed to such a group, a
faculty member serves in an advisory rather than a
representative role.
2.5 University Standing Policy Committees
University standing policy committees are responsible for
developing and/or reviewing all university policies which
directly affect the academic environment. All
recommendations of these committees are sent to the
university academic affairs council. Administrative
representatives serving on these committees will be
appointed by the president, faculty representatives will be
selected through Faculty Senate procedures, and student
representatives will be chosen through student government
association procedures. The term of service for committee
members is one academic year. The chair of the committee
is elected by majority vote of the entire committee
membership.
2.5.1 Faculty Affairs Committee
This committee is responsible for the review and
recommendation of policies pertaining to faculty-related
personnel and workload issues and any other matters
affecting the professional lives of faculty members. The
membership of the committee shall consist of three
administrative representatives and two faculty
representatives from each degree-granting college.
2.5.2 Academic Policy Committee
This committee is responsible for the review and
recommendation of policies pertaining to academic
standards and regulations. The membership of the
committee shall consist of three administrative
representatives, two faculty representatives from each
degree-granting college, and two student representatives.
2.5.3 Curriculum Committee
This committee is responsible for the review and
recommendation of policies pertaining to the development
and approval of new courses and degree programs and
other curriculum changes. It is also responsible for
reviewing and approving curriculum changes made under
those policies. The membership of the committee shall
consist of all the department chairs, one faculty
representative from each degree-granting college, and two
students.
2.6 Special Standing Committees
Special university-wide standing committees exist to
advise certain administrative units on matters directly
affecting the academic environment and/or to provide such
units assistance in the implementation/enforcement of
selected policies. Because they are quasi-administrative
bodies, special standing committees do not make policy recommendations directly to the university academic
affairs council but are free to notify the appropriate
University Standing Policy Committee of any policy
concerns or recommendations.
Special standing committees are established by the
president in consultation with the Faculty Senate. An
updated list of all special standing committees is
maintained in the president's office along with a copy of
each committee's charge and the composition of its
membership. Administrative representatives on special
standing committees are made by the president while
faculty representatives are selected through Faculty Senate
procedures.
2.7 University Academic Affairs Council
The university academic affairs council is responsible for
advising the president on all university policies which
directly affect the academic environment.
2.7.1 The voting membership of the university
academic affairs council consists of the president and vice
president of the Faculty Senate, the academic deans, one
department chair and two faculty members elected from
each degree-granting college. The provost/vice president
for academic affairs serves as the council's chair and votes
only to break a tie.
Non-voting ex officio members include the chairs of the
university standing policy committees, two student
representatives chosen through student government
association procedures, a staff representative chosen
through staff council procedures, the vice president for
administration or his designee, and the chief student affairs
officer or his designee. The chair will invite other
administrative officials and staff to participate in council
meetings as needed. It is the chair's responsibility to ensure
that consideration is given to all relevant perspectives
before final recommendations are made.
2.7.2 The university academic affairs council is a
voting body which makes formal recommendations to the
president on all policy matters having direct impact on the
academic environment. Its primary responsibility is to
review proposed policies and policy revisions which were
developed by one of the university's standing policy
committees. The council may modify committee proposals
before recommending them to the president but the council
must give the originating committee 30 days to respond to
any substantive amendments before making a final
recommendation to the president. If 75 percent of the
members agree that council-made modifications in a
committee's proposal are non-substantive in nature, the
council may act on the amended proposal immediately.
The president, as the chief executive officer of the
university, has final authority for accepting or rejecting
policy recommendations made by the university academic
affairs council. The president will make his decision in a
timely fashion, normally within thirty days. The approval
of the president, as indicated by his signature on the
approval line of the draft policy, must be given for it to
become an official policy of the university. If the president
rejects the recommendation of the council, he will inform
it in writing of the reasons for his action.
2.7.3 The university academic affairs council is also
responsible for a periodic review of the role and scope of
the university and the mission statement which describes it.
2.7.4 Procedures for the University Academic Affairs
Council
2.7.4.1 The university council shall meet at least once a
month during the fall and spring semesters and as
necessary during the summer. Council meetings are open
to all members of the university community.
2.7.4.2 The provost shall set the council's agenda one
week in advance of each scheduled meeting. Proposals
from the university standing policy committees to create
new policies or modify existing ones must be circulated to
all (voting and non-voting) council members at least three
weeks prior to the time they will first be considered by the
council.
2.7.4.3 Items of regular business for the university
academic affairs council shall include a report on the
status of policy recommendations previously considered,
as well as discussion of policy statements and their
revision. Other matters of interest to the academic
community may also be discussed. Any voting member of
the council may introduce agenda items by submitting
them in writing to the provost.
2.7.4.4 Minutes of all university academic affairs
council meetings shall be distributed to all council
members and to all university departments in a timely
manner.
2.8 Faculty Members' Responsibility
Faculty members should be knowledgeable about the
shared governance structure of the university. It is the
responsibility of faculty members to ascertain the
appropriateness of any assignment they are asked to
undertake within the committee structure. The key
distinction is whether the faculty member serves in a
"representative" role or in an "advisory" role. A
representative of the university faculty must be nominated
by the faculty senate or directly elected by fellow faculty
members.
The same role-test applies when a faculty member is asked
to serve on a committee outside the university, e.g., a
system committee or a community committee. If the intent
is that the faculty member represent the faculty of the
university, the nomination must be made through the
faculty senate. Faculty members who are not sure about
the nature of the assignment involved should seek
clarification through the faculty senate.
2.9 Amending Procedure
Amendment of this shared governance policy shall be by
consent of the University’s faculty senate and the
president.
REVIEW AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Responsible Party (Reviewer): President
Review: Biennial
Reprint of original policy statement.
Signed original on
file in the President's Office.
