A-3
Faculty Committee on Committees
Members:
Lawrence D. Abraham (chair), professor, kinesiology and health education,
and curriculum and instruction
Katherine M. Arens, professor, Germanic studies
David G. Bogard, professor, mechanical engineering
Richard A. Cherwitz, professor, communication studies
Austin M. Gleeson, professor, physics
Linda L. Golden, professor, marketing administration
Edmund (Ted) Gordon,
associate professor, anthropology
Sue A. Greninger, ex officio, secretary, General Faculty,
and associate professor, human ecology
Linda J. Hayes (vice chair), professor, aerospace engineering and
engineering mechanics
Judith A. Jellison, professor, music
Robert C. Koons, professor, philosophy
Angela Valenzuela, associate professor, curriculum and instruction
The Committee on Committees met six times throughout the 2004-05 academic year.
The first meeting was convened by Professor Koons on September 8, 2004. At that
meeting Professor Abraham was elected to serve as chair and Professor Hayes was
elected to serve as co-chair. Professor Bogard, who served as chair in 2003-04,
reviewed the previous year’s report and described committee business carried
forward to the current year. This work primarily consisted of considering requests
for increasing student (especially graduate student) and staff representation
on certain standing committees. The committee decided to request advice from
the Faculty Council Executive Committee and the University administration regarding
the issue of increased, perhaps equal, representation of faculty, students, and
staff on the standing committees. The committee was not in favor of equal representation,
as the majority of members present felt that the current committee structure
was designed to support faculty governance. In addition, the committee decided
to confirm with the new leaders of the Student Government, the Senate of College
Councils, and the Graduate Student Assembly that they were in agreement about
selection of student representatives on standing committees.
In October, Professor Linda Reichl, chair of the Faculty Council, referred several
new issues for consideration by the committee: length of terms of appointment
to standing committees, term limits for service on standing committees, and changes
in mission and title of some committees. The committee met on November 12 to
consider these issues. In preparation, the chairs of all standing committees
were surveyed for reports on current practice and suggestions for modifications
in committee composition. However most committee responses were not received
in time for this meeting, and so action was postponed. The committee did take
action supporting a recommended change in name for Standing Committee C-12 and
modifying a suggested change for Standing Committee C-7.
At the January 24 meeting of the Faculty Council, a motion
was made from the committee to limit eligibility for election
or appointment to a standing committee to individuals who had
fewer than four consecutive years of service. The motion was
discussed and scheduled for a vote at the February meeting. At
the same meeting, a motion to create a new standing committee
addressing issues of information technology was referred to the
committee.
The committee met on February 4 to discuss the continuing issues related to standing
committee composition as well as new business. Recommendations were made for
several committees, namely changing the composition (adding staff or student
members, especially graduate student members). The motion referred by the Faculty
Council to establish a new committee on information technology was supported.
A motion was also passed to change the timing of election of standing committee
chairs from the first fall meeting to early in the preceding spring semester.
The committee met on March 9 to begin the process of nominating faculty representatives
to serve on standing committees. Names were suggested for fifteen committees.
At the March 21 meeting of the Faculty Council, the list of suggested changes
to standing committees was entered as new business, to be discussed and voted
on at the April meeting. The motion to change the timing of electing standing
committee chairs was also made and carried forward for a vote at the April meeting.
At the April 11 meeting of the Faculty Council, both motions passed.
The committee met April 22 to complete its work of generating a list of faculty
nominees for the standing committees in the 2005-06 academic year. A list was
completed designating the specified number of names for each committee and forwarded
Looking forward to the next academic year, there are no specific issues or unfinished
business being carried forward. However the committee could review the issue
of student representation on standing committees, paying particular attention
to representation of graduate students, for committees not reviewed in the 2004-05
year. The committee chair should also remind the leadership of the Faculty Council
about the new procedures for electing committee chairs.
Larry Abraham, chair
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