2 . Motion from the Senate Steering Committee (Ms. Eberwein):
MOVED that the Senate approve the changes indicated below in its membership specifications and charges for the General Education Committee, Senate Planning Review Committee, University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction, Senate Budget Review Committee, and Graduate Council.
First Reading: Debatable, amendable, but not eligible for final vote at this meeting.
Comment: Most of these changes respond to the elimination of the post of Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies. That officer had been the ex officio chair of UCUI and that committee's link to both the General Education Committee and the old APPC (now Senate Planning Review Committee) as well as to the Academic Affairs Office. The intention is to designate the faculty leader of UCUI as its official chair and to provide effective interaction among those committees and with the Academic Affairs Office without overburdening one person. Committees consulted by the Steering Committee about these modifications suggested still further changes that are included within this motion, and the Steering Committee introduced yet other changes to maintain parallelism among standing committees. Specific comments about changes in individual committees follow the proposed charge and membership statements. New language appears in bold type and deleted language within brackets.
GENERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE
Charge: To recommend to the Senate policies and requirements for undergraduate general education, to function as a curriculum committee for a university-wide program of general education, [and] to respond to petitions of exception relating to that program, in accordance with Senate authorizations, to communicate through regular exchange of minutes with the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction, and to provide information on petitions of exception regarding General Education to the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction for preparation of a university-wide annual report on petitions of exception.
Membership
Six faculty, one student, and the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs [Associate Provost for Undergraduate Studies] as an ex officio, non-voting member]. The chair, whenever possible, will he chosen from among those members with experience on this committee.
Comment: This change relieves the chair of UCUI from serving on the General Education Committee while retaining a liaison between the two committees in the person of the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs (Virginia Allen). it also maintains a direct link between the General Education Committee and the Academic Affairs Office.
UCUI proposes additional language to clarify how the annual report on petitions of exception is prepared. At this time, while the above practice is followed, it is not spelled out. Without clear mention, the practice may not be properly followed as faculty chairs change.
SENATE PLANNING REVIEW COMMITTEE
Charge:
1. To work with the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, other vice presidents, the Senate Budget Review Committee, and other duly constituted committees in the review of university plans, goals, objectives, role and mission;
2. To advise the President, jointly with the Senate Budget Review Committee, regarding priorities for university resource allocations;
3. To advise the Vice President for Academic Affairs, jointly with the Senate Budget Review Committee, regarding priorities for academic resource,allocations;
4. To make recommendations to the Senate on any changes affecting the academic organization of the university;
5. To advise the Senate on the university-wide implications of relevant changes affecting the organization of the university;
6. To report to the Senate regarding the outcome of organizational changes;
7. To report to the Senate and its committees (as needed, UCUI, the Graduate Council, the General Education Committee) on the university-wide implications of proposed new academic programs or the discontinuance or major reorganization of existing academic programs as may be proposed.
8. To receive reports and recommendations from duly constituted committees, to maintain communication with the Graduate Council, the Senate Budget Review Committee, and the University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction through regular exchange of minutes, and to advise and/or make recommendations to the Senate, as needed;
9. To take on additional duties as directed by the Senate Steering Committee; and
10. To meet jointly, as needed, but at least once each semester with the Senate Budget Review Committee.
Membership: Five faculty (one of whom shall be chair), serving staggered three-year terms; a University Student Congress representative serving for one year; (the chairperson of the Graduate Council, the chairperson of UCUI,] and an administrative- professional appointed by the AP Assembly to a staggered three- year term. The chair, whenever possible, will be chosen from among those members with experience on this committee.
Comment: Even though it is too burdensome for the faculty chair of UCUI to serve ex officio on another exceedingly time-consuming committee, regular communication between UCUI and the SPRC remains important. Current chairs of those committees believe that adequate communication can be achieved through exchange of minutes and by SPRC's invitation to UCUI to send a non-voting representative (preferably its chair) to participate in any meetings devoted to business advanced to the SPRC by UCUI or significantly affecting any undergraduate program. They also call upon the Senate Steering Committee to make special efforts to ensure that committee interactions prove effective.
To preserve structural and symbolic parallelism between graduate and undergraduate education, the Steering Committee recommends that the seat reserved for the chair of the Graduate Council be eliminated along with the UCUI seat so long as connections are maintained between the SPRC and the Graduate Council.
UNIVERSITY COMMITTEE ON UNDERGRADUATE INSTRUCTION
Charge:
1. To recommend to the University Senate academic policies and procedures concerning undergraduate education and, when necessary, seek advice from other appropriate bodies concerning the impact of these policies and procedures;
2. To evaluate and monitor petitions of exception regarding university-wide undergraduate academic requirements except for university-wide general education requirements;
3. To prepare an annual report on all petitions of exception, to be shared with the Office of Academic Affairs, the Registrar, individual Committees on Instruction, and the Senate Planning Review Committee.
4. To make recommendations to the University Senate [and to the Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies] regarding proposed and existing undergraduate programs, including recommendations for program modification, suspension, or discontinuance;
5. To advise the Senate Planning Review Committee [Academic Policy and Planning Committee) concerning proposed new undergraduate programs;
6. To cooperate with the General Education Committee in overseeing undergraduate instruction throughout the university and to maintain regular co=communication with that committee through exchange of minutes;
7. To ensure review of all undergraduate programs in timely fashion and report findings to the Senate Planning Review Committee (APPC] and the University Senate;
8. To evaluate ongoing and proposed undergraduate programs for their consistency with university academic policies and mission and to monitor catalog copy to ensure compliance with all such policies; [and]
9. To maintain regular communication with the Senate Planning Review Co=Committee through and
with the exchange Senate of minutes;
10. To advise the Senate on all matters that body may refer to it concerning undergraduate instruction and the general requirements within which the specifics of undergraduate degree programs function.
Membership: (The Associate Vice President for Undergraduate Studies, who presides as chair and shall also represent UCUI on the APPC;L One faculty member from each organized faculty, appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Senate upon nomination by the Steering Committee, each of whom shall represent UCUI to the Committee on Instruction or equivalent group in her/his academic unit and one of whom shall be chair; the Director of Academic Advising; and two undergraduate students designated by the University Congress; the above to be voting members. in addition, the following shall serve ex-officio and non-voting: the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Student Affairs (or designee), and the Registrar (or designee).
Comment: These changes substitute a faculty chair for the Associate Vice President and relieve that person of responsibility for serving on the SPRC. As close communication with the SPRC remains important, especially when UCUI recommends new academic programs or is involved in discussion of program discontinuance, regular exchange of minutes between these two committees is now added to the charge, and it is expected that each committee will invite a non-voting representative (preferably its chair) to participate in its meetings whenever appropriate. Whereas earlier committee membership specifications required the chair of UCUI to serve on the General Education Committee, the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs will now hold seats on both committees. Exchange of minutes between UCUI and the GEC is also expected.
Changes proposed by UCUI are intended to provide for continuity in UCUI deliberations while channeling its decisions directly to the offices that implement those decisions. UCUI has also proposed an addition to the Senate's charge to the General Education Committee to clarify responsibilities for compiling the annual report on petitions of exception. It further advises three-year rather than two-year faculty terms (analogous to those on the SPRC, SBRC, and Committee on Human Relations) and appointment of an experienced committee member as chair.
SENATE BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE
Membership: Four faculty (one of whom shall be chair), serving staggered three-year terms; an administrative professional appointed by the AP Assembly for a three-year term, the Director of Budget, the Vice President for Development, Alumni and Community Engagement, and the Director of Research and Academic Development. The chair, whenever possible, will be chosen from among those members with experience on this committee.
Comment: No changes have been introduced into this committee's charge. Changes to membership specifications include reference to staggered faculty terms (already the practice) and to appointment. of an AP representative. Although the Director of Budget is, in fact, an administrative professional, his functions on the committee involve representation of the Budget Office rather than the university's administrative staff. The AP Assembly urges the Senate to add a member representing that constituency.
GRADUATE COUNCIL
Charge:
I .To recommend to the University Senate academic policies and procedures concerning graduate education; and, when necessary, seek advice from the Senate Planning Review Committee, the Senate Budget Review Committee, and other appropriate bodies concerning the impact of these policies and procedures.
2 . To recommend to the University Senate concerning new graduate programs;
3 . To confer with the Associate Vice President (Vice Provost) for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Study about program support or other activities in graduate education, as the Associate Vice President .[Vice Provost] for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Study may seek such advice;
4. To recommend and approve modifications in graduate programs with advice from other appropriate bodies as needed;
5 To render advice concerning existing programs or alterations in them as the Associate Vice President (Vice Provost) for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Study may seek such advice;
6 . To review all programs in timely fashion and report findings to the Senate Planning Review Committee and the University Senate
7 .To recommend, when necessary, to the Senate Planning Review Committee and the University Senate, with advice from other appropriate bodies as needed, program suspension or discontinuance based on findings from the program review process;
8 . To appoint subcommittees necessary to assist the Graduate Council in the conduct of its responsibilities;
9 . To assist in all evaluations of ongoing and proposed graduate programs for their consistency with the goals and objectives of the University;
10. To maintain regular communication Planning Review Committee through with the exchange of minutes;
11. To approve all candidates for degrees and report this approval ...
Membership: The Associate Vice President (Vice Provost] for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Study, who presides as chairperson; one faculty member from each organized faculty that currently sponsors a graduate degree program; three faculty to be appointed at large by the Associate Vice President [Vice Provost] for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Study. All faculty representatives are voting members. The Associate vice President [Vice Provost] for Academic Affairs and Dean of Graduate Studies.
Comment: Changes recommended here are intended to maintain parallelism between the Graduate" Council and UCUI in their relationship to the SPRC as well as to introduce current university nomenclature. As the Council's charge is multi- faceted, it seemed reasonable to modify format to resemble that of
3. Motion from the Senate Steering Committee regarding
MOVED that the Senate adopt a policy to the effect that, unless membership specifications for a committee specifically designate its chairperson, the Steering Committee will name the chair, whenever possible, from faculty members with
First reading: Debatable, amendable, but not eligible for final
Comment: This policy essentially articulates longstanding practice. it builds in the expectation that Senate committees have faculty chairs and that those chairs he appointed from among committee veterans. Normally, those would be persons entering the second or third years of terms but could also include veterans returning to a committee after fairly recent service. Currently, the Graduate Council is the only standing committee of the Senate with membership specifications that assign the chair's