Faculty Council

Description of the Faculty Council

In the College of Arts and Sciences, the Faculty Council and the Council of Chairs together make up a two-council structure of governance. The Faculty Council is an elective body that makes recommendations to the Dean concerning College and University matters.

The following information about the Council is derived from Article II of the College bylaws.

Composition

One voting member of the Faculty Council is elected from among the teaching faculty of each Department of the College, and two voting members are elected from the Professional Staff of the College.

The Officers of the Council are a Chairperson, a Vice-Chair, and a Recorder. The Vice-Chair and Recorder are elected for the following year by the combined outgoing and incoming Council at the final spring semester meeting, and they serve one-year terms, beginning May 15. At the end of his or her one-year term, the Vice-Chair becomes Chairperson for the following academic year. In the event that the Vice-Chair completes his or her first or second successive two-year term on the Council at the end of his or her term as Vice-Chair, he or she continues on the Council for an additional year in order to preserve continuity among elected officers.

The Chairperson prepares the calendar of Council and CAS faculty meetings, chairs the Executive Committee, meets periodically with the Dean on behalf of the Council, represents the Faculty Council as a non-voting member of the Council of Chairs, and performs any other duties designated in the By-Laws.

The Vice-Chair presides over Council meetings and represents the Council in any other way in the absence of the Chair, chairs the Nominating Committee, and may represent the Council at Council of Chairs meetings. The Vice-Chair also communicates regularly with University Senators elected from the College, attends University Senate meetings as a non-voting representative of the Faculty Council, and may advise University Senators, on behalf of the Faculty Council, concerning matters of interest to College Faculty. The Vice-Chair serves as a member of the Executive Committee and prepares to serve as Chair upon expiration of his/her term as Vice-Chair.

The Recorder takes and prepares minutes of Council meetings and serves as the Council's point of historical reference and research when necessary.

Powers and Responsibilites

The Faculty Council makes recommendations to the Dean concerning

• Policies related to faculty development
  
  
• Policies related to academic programs
  
  
• Curriculum design and revision
  
  
• Policies related to academic support and support services
  
  
• Nominations for College- and University-wide ad hoc task forces and other administratively-formed committees

The Council establishes policies and procedures for adjudicating student academic grievances that are within the authority of the College.

The Council reports periodically to the Faculty of the College, including an Annual Report of the activities of its Committees.

The Council has authority to constitute standing and ad hoc committees and appoints all members of its Committees, providing that:

• Each standing committee shall include no fewer than three Councilors.
  
  
• No two members of any Committee shall represent the same department.
  
  
• Membership on the Faculty Council is corequisite to serving as Chair of any of the Council's standing Committees.

All actions of the Council's Committees, with the exception of personnel recommendations by the Tenure and Promotion Committee, are reported to the Faculty Council and are subject to confirmation by the Council.