Committee Bylaws
Purpose
To function as a standing committee of the University to advise the Director of General Education on:
- The program curriculum.
- The learning outcomes for the General Education program.
- The subset of the General Education outcomes that define the General Education program.
- The curricular map defining the courses in which the General Education outcomes are expected to be achieved.
- The rules by which a course is defined as a member of the General Education curriculum.
- Solicit, review and recommend courses for inclusion in the program.
- Assessment of General Education Outcome achievement rates.
- The strategic plan for the General Education program.
A secondary responsibility of the Committee is the care and governance of the program. As a collective coordinator, the Committee must assume a number of critical roles:
- Advocate: To promote the Program among its various constituencies and recruit outstanding instructors to serve as members of the General Education faculty.
- Facilitator: To develop policies, procedures and processes which will expedite the operation of the Program and optimize its impact.
- Ombudsman: To mediate differences and resolve conflict in the university learning community associated with the implementation and content of the Program.
- Reformer: To remind faculty, administration and students that General Education program is a "living" concept susceptible to reform and change.
All recommendations for curricular change will be forwarded to the Academic Affairs committee of the Faculty Senate for ultimate approval by the faculty body.
Membership
- Chaired by the Director of General Education who is appointed by the Provost. The Chairperson shall be the presiding officer and shall administer all business of the committee
- be the presiding officer and administer all business of the committee.
- meet with the Provost at the beginning of the Fall semester to receive the annual charges of the committee, at the beginning of the Spring semester to provide a progress report, at the end of the Spring semester to review the annual report, and as needed to discuss committee issues and transmit information on charges as they are achieved
- submit an annual report, using the template provided by the Office of the Provost, summarizing the committee achievements and recommendations to the Provost at least two weeks before the end of the spring semester.
- Secretary elected by the committee membership from the faculty representatives. The Secretary shall record and transmit minutes of all committee meetings and assist the Chairperson with correspondence of the committee as requested. All committee agendas, minutes and important documents shall be stored in the assigned SharePoint team site. The secretary will submit an annual report summarizing the committee achievements and recommendations to the Provost at least two weeks before the end of the spring semester.
- Ex-officer
- Director of General Education
- Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Faculty Senate
- Goss Distinguished Professor of Excellence in Teaching (English)
- Faculty representatives
- Graduate Council Representative
- Each College 2
- Other
- Library 1
- SGA representatives 1-2 (not counted towards quorum)
HOW APPOINTED: Deans make recommendations for their colleges; senate presidents make recommendations for their individual senates.
ROTATION: Representatives from each of the colleges and the library will serve a three-year term. Student representatives will be appointed annually.
WHEN APPOINTED: Members will be appointed in the spring semester and take their seats at the first meeting of the subsequent fall semester.
MEETING FREQUENCY: The committee shall meet as necessary to conduct the business of the committee, meeting at least monthly during each academic semester.
PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE: Quorum shall be met when a simple majority, that is 50% of the committee plus one, is present. No business can be conducted without a quorum present.