Faculty Handbook: Section 6

Faculty Committees

Basic Principles of Governance

The standing committee structure of the faculty at Centenary Colleges is designed to involve the faculty as a community of scholars in guiding curricula, academic programs of study, academic policies and standards, student activities, and related matters. In this way, faculty committees are charged with making decisions within existing academic policy and recommending changes in policy to the faculty as a whole. The faculty standing structure is divided into two categories: academic committees and institutional committees. The faculty also has representation on College administrative committees and serves a critical advisory function. All faculty involvement is within the stipulations of the charter of Centenary College. Decisions made by faculty committees and councils may be appealed to the entire faculty at regular meetings throughout the year.
Each faculty committee shall have a secretary or recorder who will keep and circulate minutes to the committee for approval. Once minutes are approved by the committee, they should be submitted to the Faculty Coordinating Council for upload to the college website. At the end of each academic year, each committee chair will deliver a transitional agenda and other relevant documents to the Faculty Coordinating Council and Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Items of a confidential nature will be filed in the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

Those faculty members who serve on committees have a major responsibility to the College and the profession. While classroom teaching is the primary function of a professor, contributing to shared governance of the college is also important to the health of the academic community. Newly elected and appointed committee members shall be empowered effective August 1 of each year. During the period following the April faculty meeting through August 1, newly elected and appointed committee members shall be empowered to act as substitutes when necessitated by committee business.

VOTING PROCEDURES

The following rules apply to the six members of the Faculty Personnel Committee, the three members of the Economic Policy Committee, the three elected faculty members of the Trek Committee, and the six members of the Academic Policy Committee. The election for these positions will be conducted following the election of the Faculty Coordinating Council chair. To be eligible for election, one must be full-time and hold faculty rank. In the event of unfulfilled terms, faculty members shall be elected for partial terms to fill the unfinished terms. After each full or partial term of at least two years, faculty members will be ineligible for reelection until three years have elapsed since the most recent service. No faculty member shall be elected to a full or partial term if he or she will not be able to serve that term.

No faculty member shall serve more than a total of fifteen years on the Economic Policy or Faculty Personnel committees.

Academic Committees

Academic Policy Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the Academic Policy Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning the undergraduate academic programs of the College (except the Trek program which is managed by the Trek Committee). Such policies include those involving curriculum, degree requirements, academic regulations and standards, student classification and class standing, student course load, honors in majors, new programs or degrees, first-year experience, summer school, distance learning, articulation agreements, and all other academic matters that are the responsibility of the faculty. The APC is also charged with reviewing and proposing changes to the College’s general education program, after broad consultation with the faculty. In addition, the Committee reviews and approves program-specific changes (except Trek-related changes which are managed by the Trek Committee), such as new course proposals, Catalogue language changes, individualized major proposals, and special topics courses. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty-at-large, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition

The Committee is composed of six faculty members (two elected by each division from different departments), one student, the Vice President for Academic Affairs/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote) and Registrar (ex officio and without vote). The six faculty members are elected for staggered three-year terms (see Voting Procedures). The student member is recommended by the SGA for a one-year appointment with possibility of renewal. The Committee chair will be elected from the faculty members of the committee. See Voting Procedures for additional guidelines.

Faculty Appeals Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities
Regarding matters of salary, promotion, tenure, renewal or non-renewal of appointment, termination, and any other matters bearing on faculty performance and professional concerns, including alleged infringement upon academic freedom, faculty members shall have the right to a review of their grievance according to the procedure described in Section 13 of the Faculty Handbook.

This committee provides a means whereby an aggrieved faculty member may obtain a review before a well-informed, disinterested body of peers elected by the faculty for that purpose. The Appeals Committee, in order to be well informed, will have access to all relevant information under control of the officers of the College. The function of the appeals procedure is to determine whether a grievance is well founded and to make recommendations regarding the resolution of disputes.

Composition
The tenured members of the faculty shall serve as standing members of the Appeals Committee. Whenever a grievance is filed, Committee members will be asked to take on added responsibility. Annually, the tenured faculty of the College will elect by majority vote a faculty member to serve as chair of the Appeals Committee. The chair of the Appeals Committee may serve for up to a period of three successive years. Faculty Personnel Committee members will not be eligible to serve as chair of the Appeals Committee until their term of service on Faculty Personnel Committee has ended.

Faculty Coordinating Council

Purposes and Responsibilities

The Faculty Coordinating Council is the major coordinating body of the faculty and its committee system. It is the administrative body of the faculty. It also carries on an active dialogue with the Planning and Policy Advisory Council concerning the academic operation of the College.

The Faculty Coordinating Council is charged with assisting in the preparation of the agenda for faculty meetings and carrying out that agenda. In doing this, it is not to review or pass judgment on the material brought to the faculty meeting for consideration but to deliver it to the faculty in the most efficient manner. The Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost will assist in carrying out this function. If no agenda items are submitted for a given faculty meeting, the Faculty Coordinating Council may choose to cancel the meeting.

The Faculty Coordinating Council will encourage and facilitate communication among faculty committees. The Council will interact with the chairs of the Academic Policy Committee, Faculty Personnel Committee, Enrollment Policy Committee, and Economic Policy Committee on a regular basis throughout the academic year. The Faculty Coordinating Council will also collect and make available the minutes from committees of the faculty. In this regard it will attempt to coordinate the activities of any committees working on similar matters. The FCC will maintain a website of the minutes and other pertinent documents issued by the standing committees of the faculty. In addition, the Faculty Coordinating Council will proofread the minutes of each faculty meeting prior to their submission to the faculty at large.

Each year the Faculty Coordinating Council will recommend to the President the names of faculty members to serve as the non-elected members of the committee system of the College. The Council is charged with carrying out all elections in an efficient, timely, and open manner. As needed, the Faculty Coordinating Council will bring revisions of the faculty handbook to the faculty for approval.

Annually the division chairs and the at-large chair shall organize and coordinate input from the faculty regarding the College's administrative officers. This information shall be forwarded to the President.

Finally, the Faculty Coordinating Council, when directed by a majority vote of the faculty, shall act as the official voice of the faculty. When it is necessary that the wishes and desires of the faculty, as a group, be made known to the administration of the College or an outside agency, the Faculty Coordinating Council under the direction of the faculty shall represent the faculty.

Composition
The Faculty Coordinating Council consists of an at-large chair elected by the faculty from among the tenured faculty for a two-year term, the three divisional chairs, who must be tenured members of the faculty and are elected by each division individually for three-year terms, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, (ex officio and without vote). The chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council will be the first faculty officer elected each odd-numbered year. This election shall take place every other January with the term of service beginning the weekday before the start of classes the following month.

The chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council shall serve as a faculty delegate to the Board of Trustees. The chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council will not be allowed to serve more than two terms in any six-year period.

Faculty Personnel Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the Faculty Personnel Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning faculty tenure, promotion, non-reappointment and dismissal; and offers such recommendations and comments to the faculty as a whole. Additional responsibilities of the Faculty Personnel Committee are to recommend to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost promotions to the tenure track and ranks of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor; create and administer a formal evaluation procedure for the Centenary faculty; make recommendations on every full-time faculty reappointment, tenure and termination, and for establishing and conducting annual reviews on which such recommendations are based, including particularly the third-year and sixth-year reviews; serve as an advisory body to the administration on matters dealing with the academic and professional integrity of the faculty; and make evaluations and recommendations concerning merit pay increases and appropriate salary adjustments. In the absence of faculty representation in searches for President, Cabinet and Extended Cabinet positions, and Registrar, the Faculty Personnel Committee will interview the finalists for these positions and make recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

The recommendations in all of these areas shall be guided by standards initially proposed by the Committee, approved by the faculty, and published in the faculty handbook. The Committee’s recommendations shall be made directly to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. The deliberations of the Committee and its recommendations to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost shall be confidential, except in instances when the appeals process warrants access to information. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty at large, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings, taking every precaution to appropriately protect the confidential nature of its business.

Composition

The Committee is composed of six tenured faculty members (two from each division and representing different departments) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote). The faculty members are elected for staggered three-year terms. When filling a vacancy, the division will nominate two divisional candidates from among which the faculty will elect one (see Voting Procedures). Faculty holding college-level administrative appointments are ineligible to serve as elected members of the Faculty Personnel Committee. The Committee shall elect its own chair. The chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee shall serve as a faculty delegate to the Board of Trustees.

Faculty Personnel Council’s Development Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

The committee reports directly to the Faculty Personnel Committee and assists the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in the development and implementation of policies and programs related to faculty development, such as special faculty travel, workshops, sabbatical leaves, and recommendations on endowed professorships, and other scholarly and professional activities. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s Office supports the Committee by making arrangements for workshops and scheduling of public presentations reporting on scholarly accomplishments during sabbatical leaves. Forums for these presentations will be developed in coordination with this committee. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the Faculty Personnel Committee, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition
The committee is composed of three faculty members (one from each division) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote). The members of this committee shall be recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and appointed by the President. The Committee shall elect its own chair.

Graduate Education Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

This committee is responsible for developing the criteria for admission to graduate programs and satisfactory progress toward degrees; and for policies pertaining to personnel, curricula, degree requirements, and finances. The Graduate Education Committee approves program-specific changes and recommends to the faculty college-wide policies pertaining to all programs. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the Academic Policy Committee, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition
The Committee is composed of one faculty representative appointed by each department with an active graduate program, one faculty representative from the Academic Policy Committee, one graduate student nominated by the graduate faculty representatives, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost (ex officio and without vote). Graduate student representation will rotate annually among active graduate programs.

Trek Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

The Trek Committee administers faculty policies related to Trek degree requirements: Centenary in Paris, TREK 115: Credo, TREK 151: Service Learning, TREK 251: Independent Career Explorations and Internships, and TREK 351: Intercultural Experience. This committee approves proposed courses and independent projects that meet the criteria for Centenary in Paris, the career exploration, intercultural experience, and/or the service-learning requirements according to faculty-at-large approved guidelines. On behalf of the faculty, and subject to its authority, the faculty subcommittee of the Trek Committee initiates and recommends to the faculty policies concerning the Trek degree requirements. The Faculty Director of the first-year Trek program (CIP and TREK 115) oversees that program, seeking input from the full committee as needed. The Committee shall report all of its actions promptly to the faculty-at-large, normally through its minutes and reports at faculty meetings.

Composition

The committee is composed of four faculty members who also comprise the faculty subcommittee (one elected by each division and the Faculty Director of the first-year Trek Program – see Voting Procedures); one student; the three staff directors of Career, Community, and Culture degree requirements; and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or representative (ex-officio and without vote).

The three elected faculty members serve two-year, staggered terms. The student member is recommended by SGA for a one-year appointment with possibility of renewal. One faculty member will be elected to serve as committee chairperson.

VOTING PROCEDURES
The following rules apply to the six members of the Personnel Committee, the three members of the Economic Policy Committee, and the three elected members of the Academic Policy Committee. The election for these positions will be conducted following the election of the Faculty Coordinating Council chair. To be eligible for election, one must be full-time and hold faculty rank. Election shall be for a three-year term. In the event of unfulfilled terms, faculty members shall be elected for partial terms to fill the unfinished terms. After each full or partial term of at least two years, faculty members will be ineligible for reelection until three years have elapsed since the most recent service. No faculty member shall serve more than a total of fifteen years on the two committees, and no faculty member shall be elected to a full or partial term if he or she will not be able to serve that term.

Institutional Committees

Conduct Review Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

A primary function of this committee is to consider and decide upon all cases involving non-academic misconduct referred to it by the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or designee. If a student questions the fairness of a disciplinary action taken against them by a previous hearing body, they should be granted on request the privilege of a hearing before this committee. Furthermore, the Committee should stay informed about disciplinary problems and make recommendations to hearing bodies and members of the administration charged with disciplinary responsibilities. At the request of the Executive Council of the SGA, the Committee will rule upon the constitutionality of actions taken by the Student Government Association.

Composition

The Committee shall be composed of one faculty member who will serve as chairperson, a staff member other than the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or other hearing officer to serve as recorder, the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students or designee (ex officio and without vote), and five full-time undergraduate students (one representing each class and one student at large). See the Student Conduct section of the Student Handbook for more information on the composition of the committee.

Convocations Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

The Convocations Committee helps foster a lively intellectual, artistic, and cultural life at the College. Individuals or groups may propose events and seek funding from the Convocations Committee based on the annual budget allocated by the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Student organizations requesting funds should do so with the approval and guidance of their advisor. Additionally, the Committee will review submissions for Attaway Fellows and Scholars and allocate Attaway funds accordingly.

The campus reserves the first Thursday of each month (excluding December, January, and May) during the academic year from 11:10 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. as the Convocation Hour.

Composition

The Committee will be composed of three faculty members recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and one student recommended by the Student Government Association approved by the College President; a representative from Marketing and Communications (ex officio); a representative from Student Involvement (ex officio); and the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost or designee (ex officio). One faculty member will be elected to serve as committee chairperson.

Diversity Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

This committee designs, coordinates, and implements diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in conjunction with the Dean and Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Composition

The Committee is designed to be representative of all campus constituents: faculty, staff, and students. The Diversity Committee shall consist of two faculty members (with at least one tenured faculty), three staff members (a representative from Student Affairs and then two more staff at large, by interest), the Archivist (for institutional history), the Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion/Chief Diversity Officer, and two-three student representatives (one from SGA and 1one-two at large, by interest). The Dean for DEI/CDO will chair the committee and may ask a faculty member or staff member to co-chair the committee.

Economic Policy Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

This committee will make recommendations and provide feedback on matters of economic policy. To this end, it will be able to access and review budget figures and to ensure their consistency with the economic policies recommended by the Committee.

The administration will provide the Economic Policy Committee with the following annually: 1) annual budget report for the previous fiscal year after required approvals are met; 2) whatever fiscal projections are provided to the Cabinet, as available, showing future revenue and expenditures along with the assumptions upon which the plan is based; and 3) regular budget updates as requested.

The Committee will provide candid and informed counsel to the President and Cabinet regarding economic policy, including general compensation recommendations. A faculty sub-committee will meet annually to make overall faculty salary recommendations and when necessary to review academic budgets.

The primary function of this committee is to recommend policy, not review budgets by line item. This group should endeavor to determine in what areas Centenary should commit its resources, in keeping with the strategic plan and mission of the College, and make recommendations to the President accordingly.

Composition

This committee will be composed of three staff members at least one of whom is non-exempt* and one is exempt*, three faculty members, and one student member. Staff members who report directly to the President are not eligible for service to the Economic Policy Committee. The three faculty members, one from each division, will be elected by the faculty-at-large for three-year staggered terms to serve as the faculty representatives on the Committee. Each division will nominate two divisional candidates from among which the faculty will elect one. The student member is recommended by SGA and approved by the President. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Vice President for Finance and Administration will serve as ex officio members of the Committee. Three positions (the faculty chair, the staff chair, and the secretary) will be elected by the members of the Committee at the beginning of each academic year or as necessary. Both chairs will be responsible for setting agenda items pertinent to their constituencies and reporting at relevant times (e.g., at faculty and staff meetings).

• non-exempt staff - one who is neither primarily engaged in academic instruction nor charged with administrative or managerial responsibility, and who is not primarily a student.
• exempt staff - one who holds a position of executive, administrative or managerial responsibility or one that requires recognized professional achievement either by formal training or equivalent experience and who meets the appropriate minimum salary test contained in the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Enrollment Policy Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

This committee will make recommendations and provide feedback on plans for increasing student enrollment and retaining students. These plans would involve all constituencies of the Centenary community. The Committee will also formulate and recommend to the faculty minimum standards for the admission of students; read and make individual admission decisions on the cases of applicants who do not meet the minimum standards; advise the Admission and Financial Aid offices regarding financial aid and scholarships; review and develop policies for awarding scholarships, grants-in-aid and other financial packages; and conduct periodic (three year) reviews of the academic support services.

Composition
The Committee is composed of three faculty members, one from each division recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and appointed by the President, one student recommended by the Student Government Association and appointed by the President, the Vice President for Enrollment and Marketing, the Athletic Director or designee, and a representative from Financial Aid, Admission, Registrar, Student Development, and student academic support services. The faculty members will serve three-year staggered terms. The committee chair will be elected from the faculty members of the Committee.

Institutional Effectiveness Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities
This committee will be responsible for analyzing assessment reports submitted concerning the core courses as well as academic, program, and administrative department reviews. The members of the Committee will look for specific learning outcomes or the achievement of goals associated with courses and programs and make specific recommendations to faculty members, department chairs, committees, and administration. Should the Committee see the need for additional institutional resources to assist a faculty member and/or program to meet its learning outcomes, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee will send such recommendations to the Faculty Development Committee. This committee will also provide faculty members and administrative units with assistance in fashioning assessment techniques.

Composition
Three tenured members of the faculty, one from each division, recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council and appointed by the President, to serve three-year terms; a member of the administrative staff, as designated by the President; the Director of Institutional Research (ex officio and without vote) and the member of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost’s staff responsible for assessment (ex officio and without vote). The committee chair will be elected from the faculty members of the Committee.

Intercollegiate Athletic Committee

Purposes and Responsibilities

This committee assesses the various aspects of intercollegiate athletics with the goal of establishing and maintaining standards of scholarship and sportsmanship consistent with the values and traditions of Centenary College and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It also serves as an advisory body to the administration and faculty on all matters concerning intercollegiate athletic programs. To this end, the Committee should have access to the operational budget of the athletic department, documentation submitted to the NCAA and conference, and all documentation related to compliance issues, academic progress, and athletes’ GPAs. The Committee provides input to the President and standing committees on decisions that directly affect the student-athlete, serves as a liaison between intercollegiate athletics and the academic areas of the college, and serves in an advisory capacity to the Director of Athletics. The Director shall advise the committee of significant NCAA policies, rules, and regulations and provide interpretations of their applicability to the athletic program at Centenary. They seek the advice of the Committee on any major proposed changes in athletic policy and programs. The Committee also serves in an advisory capacity in the employment of athletic personnel, scheduling, and student-athlete travel.

Composition

The Committee is composed of two faculty members (one male, one female), the NCAA faculty athletic representative, two students (one male and one female), the Director of Athletics (ex officio and without vote), the Compliance Coordinator (ex officio and without vote), and the Senior Women’s Administrator (ex officio and without vote). Faculty members are recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council for staggered terms of three years and appointed by the President. Student members are recommended by the SGA and appointed by the President. One of the faculty members shall serve as the chair of the committee. Care should be taken that, with the exception of the Director of Athletics, faculty members of the committee are not involved in coaching or administration within the intercollegiate athletic program in any way.

Planning Committee

Purpose and Responsibilities
The Planning Committee will be a representative body of the faculty, administration, student body, and Board of Trustees responsible for providing direction to the College. To this end, they will annually review and update the goals of the College and assess college operations to determine if it is consistent with the College's goals. This group will also be responsible for maintaining and updating a strategic plan for the College. Since planning, to be effective, must receive input from all facets of college life, this committee is expected to maintain close ties to the Faculty Coordinating Council, the Planning & Policy Advisory Council, the Institutional Effectiveness Committee, and the Student Government Association. The Planning Committee is also expected to work closely with the Economic Policy Committee to ensure implementation of the College's long-range plans. The recommendation of the Committee will go to the President of the College.

Composition
The Planning Committee will be composed of twelve members: three members of the administration, appointed by the President; two Board members; three faculty members recommended by the Faculty Coordinating Council, and appointed by the President; the chair of the Economic Policy Committee; and three student members appointed by the Student Government Association and appointed by the President. The faculty members will serve three-year staggered terms, with each division having a representative. The student members will serve one-year terms, with each member from a different division.

Planning and Policy Advisory Council

Purposes and Responsibilities

The Planning and Policy Advisory Council advises on all aspects of the College's operation, as directed by the President of the College. It provides a broad base of conversation for strategic planning for the College, contributes to the framework of annual budgeting of the College, and approves the academic calendar.

Composition
The Planning and Policy Advisory Council is composed of the President of the College, individuals holding Cabinet-level positions, the chair of the Faculty Coordinating Council, the President of the Student Government Association, and any other members at the discretion of the President of the College.