September 2002

UNIVERSITY COMMITTEES
The Provost, in coordination with the Speaker of the Faculty Senate, will ensure that the University Committees are appointed with the appropriately designated members and that committee membership is made known to the University community.

The Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration, in coordination with the Staff Advisory Council, will solicit staff nominations for appropriate University committees.

Administrative membership will be determined based on the primary function of the committee. The Provost will place administrative appointments on the agenda for the President’s Cabinet.

Unless otherwise specified, the President will formally appoint the committee members annually.

The Faculty Senate, the Staff Advisory Council, the administration, or the committee membership itself can refer relevant agenda items to University Committees. By a designated date in the spring, each committee should report to the University on the progress that the committee made on its agenda items, including any recommendations that these committees might have. These recommendations will be an element of the summer planning undertaken by the University.

Committee Membership Selection Time Line
By April 1, the Faculty Senate, in consultation with the colleges, recommends faculty representatives to committees. The Senate sends the nominations to the Provost who forwards them to the President. The Staff Advisory Council recommends staff members to the Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration who will coordinate and forward them to the President.

By July 15, President’s Cabinet reviews administrative nominations, which have been placed on the agenda by the Provost. These nominations are then submitted to the President.

By August 1, the President (or other designated party) formally appoints committee members for the following year.

During the summer, the Provost’s office produces information that lists councils and committees, identifies their members, indicates when members’ terms end, and lists faculty conveners of committees.

The information is distributed to faculty and staff at the first University meeting of the academic year, or through other appropriate means.

By April 1 of the following spring, each committee sends a report to the Faculty Senate, Staff Advisory Council and the appropriate University administrator on the progress that the committee made on its agenda items, including any recommendations that those committees might have.

This governance structure became operational in Fall 1999.

Membership Rotation
In the first year of operation, committee chairs will ensure staggered terms of the committee members by drawing lots from among the members who are not serving ex-officio, to determine who will serve one-year, two-year and three-year terms. Thereafter, members will be appointed to three-year terms. One-third of the non ex-officio membership will rotate off the committee each year.

UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCILS
University Councils are those bodies formed by a member of President’s Cabinet to deal with ongoing administrative functions or broad University functions. The majority of the membership of University Councils will be administrative. Each council should have its membership specified and distributed to the University community. Councils should not duplicate the work of University Committees, except where the work is being considered simultaneously by several bodies to get perspectives from different constituencies.

Responsible Parties: Each member of President’s Cabinet is responsible for distributing the membership list of the University Councils, which she/he chairs. To be consistent with the University Committees, this material should be distributed at the Faculty/Staff meeting at the opening of the academic year. The Provost will coordinate this distribution.

EVALUATION OF UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE/COUNCIL GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
Every three years the Provost will coordinate an evaluation of the University Committee/Council Governance Structure. The process will involve an intensive look at the membership and functions of each committee and council from the entire University Community. Amendments to specific committee membership should be forwarded to the appropriate University administrator in the committee’s April 1 report. This entire governance structure was evaluated in 2002 and will be re-evaluated in 2005.