Part VII. – FACULTY STANDING COMMITTEES | Faculty Handbook

Faculty Standing Committees (defined in Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4, subsection A, 1) are as follows: Academic Performance and Integrity; Core Curriculum; Educational Policies; Faculty Affairs; Global Education; Governance; Rank and Tenure. The Faculty Executive Committee is described in the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 3. The membership, advisory membership, general purpose, and specific duties of each committee are described below.

Section 1. ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND INTEGRITY COMMITTEE

Membership:
Three members elected from the faculty for three-year overlapping terms.
Advisory Membership:
Provost; dean of students; a representative from the Office of Student Rights and Responsibilities; a representative from the Center for Student Success; a representative from the Office of the Registrar; a representative from the Office of Student Financial Services; and a student selected by the Associated Students of PLU. Consistent with the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4.B.7-8, advisory members shall have the same rights and privileges as any other member of the committee except the right to make motions and to vote.
General Purpose:
To consider in a coordinative fashion matters pertaining to the academic aspects of university life.
Specific Duties:
1. To review and decide on applications for reinstatement after a first academic dismissal at the request of the registrar or provost and by consent of the committee.
2. To review the university’s policy regarding standards of student academic performance relevant to academic reinstatement and dismissal and the university’s Academic Integrity Policy, as stated in the Academic Integrity Policy, and to recommend changes to the provost or Faculty Assembly.
3. To educate students and faculty on a regular basis about Academic Integrity Policy.
4. To serve as faculty representatives to Academic Dishonesty Hearing Panels, as stated in the Academic Integrity Policy.
5. To help with appointment of student representatives to Academic Dishonesty Hearing Panels as needed.
6. The chair of the Academic Performance and Integrity Committee shall serve on the Conciliation Committee in accordance with the Bylaws, Article VI, Section 1.B.
7. To make a written report to the faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.

Section 2. CORE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

Membership:
Three faculty members elected from the faculty for three-year overlapping terms with the provision that the committee be comprised of one member chosen from the College of Humanities, Interdisciplinary Studies, and Social Sciences; one member chosen from the College of Natural Sciences; and one member chosen from either the College of Health Professions or the College of Professional Studies.
Advisory Membership:
Director of first year experience program; director of international honors program; director of core curriculum; dean of inclusive excellence; registrar; a representative from the Center for Student Success; a representative for academic assessment; a student selected by the Associated Students of PLU. Consistent with the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4.B.7-8, advisory members shall have the same rights and privileges as any other member of the committee except the right to make motions and to vote.
General Purpose:
To support, develop, and oversee the Core Curriculum (which includes FYEP and IHON), with significant administrative oversight by the director of core curriculum, including communication with the faculty regarding programmatic matters.
Structure:
The chair of the Core Curriculum Committee works closely with the director of core curriculum and others who directly interact with curricular and assessment decision.
Specific Duties:
1. To work in collaboration with the director of core curriculum for the purpose of ensuring programmatic quality and consistency. This occurs through:
  1. Initial approval of Core Curriculum designation(s) for courses.
  2. Consistent review cycle of approved courses.
  3. Development and implementation of assessment standards and protocols.
2. To develop and oversee appropriate policies and protocols that facilitate the creation of specific learning outcomes, the development of courses, the assessment of student learning in these courses, and quality assurance for the Core Curriculum.
3. To work in collaboration with appropriate administrators to enact these approved policies and procedures.
4. To develop and oversee policies for regular programmatic curriculum review, revision, and oversight of the Core Curriculum.
5. To work in collaboration with appropriate administrators to conduct the review for and report the results of this review and recommendations to appropriate bodies (e.g., the faculty, the Educational Policies Committee, the provost, etc.)
6. To facilitate general program management and delivery including:
  1. Review and approve new course proposals subject to the regular policies and procedures established by the university faculty.
  2. Review existing courses as part of on-going program review and recommend removal of designations as necessary.
  3. Develop policies for waivers and exceptions to program requirements.
7. To advocate, promote, and represent the Core Curriculum.
8. To coordinate the Core Curriculum with other academic units subject to the regular policies and procedures established by the university faculty.
9. To make a written report to the faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.

Section 3. EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COMMITTEE

Membership:
Four members elected from the faculty for three-year overlapping terms with the provision that the committee be composed of one member from each of the four colleges.
Advisory Membership:
Provost; registrar; associate provost for undergraduate programs; one student selected by the Associated Students of PLU. Consistent with the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4.B.7-8, advisory members shall have the same rights and privileges as any other member of the committee except the right to make motions and to vote.
General Purpose:
To study problems and to make recommendations relative to all areas of academic policy, including the regular semester, January term, summer school, graduate division, and continuing education programs.
Specific Duties:
1. To consider policies of academic and instructional nature:
  1. Requirements for all undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates.
  2. Course additions and deletions proposed by departments and schools, according to procedures established by the Educational Policies Committee and the faculty.
  3. Credit value of courses, seminars, workshops, and so forth.
2. To study and make recommendations to the faculty and the departments concerned regarding new areas in instruction to be entered, old areas to be abandoned, and new trends in higher education.
3. To consider and recommend to the faculty candidates for honorary degrees.
4. To review and recommend to the faculty all proposals for courses intended to satisfy core curriculum elements, after initial approval by the Core Curriculum Committee.
5. To serve in an advisory capacity to the administration of the university in order to express faculty concerns and interests regarding academic effects of the budget.
6. To inform the faculty of EPC policy determinations through the “For Information Only” section of the 30-Day Clock memo disseminated to the faculty via email throughout the academic year.
7. The chair of the Educational Policies Committee shall serve on the Conciliation Committee in accordance with the Bylaws, Article VI, Section 1.B.
8. The chair of the Educational Policies Committee shall receive a teaching load reduction of one (1) course or the equivalent per academic year.
9. To make a written report to the faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.

Section 4. FACULTY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

Membership:
Four members, one from each College, elected for three-year overlapping terms.
Advisory Membership:
Provost; director of personnel; and the faculty representatives to the Board of Regents. Consistent with the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4.B.7-8, advisory members shall have the same rights and privileges as any other member of the committee except the right to make motions and to vote.
General Purpose:
To study problems, recommend policy, and facilitate appropriate action in matters dealing with faculty welfare, and to plan, in consultation with the Office of the Provost, and convene the faculty fall conference. To act in an intermediary capacity in matters concerning the welfare of the faculty as a whole.
Specific Duties:
1. 1. To recommend policy for the utilization of resources available to the faculty.
  2. To recommend policy concerning faculty scholarships and grants.
  3. To recommend policy concerning faculty leaves.
  4. To recommend policy concerning fringe benefits, retirement, and salaries.
  5. To seek to stimulate creative faculty activities.
  6. To express faculty sentiment on appropriate occasions.
  7. To collaborate with the Office of the Provost in the planning and organization of the faculty fall conference.
  8. To designate one member of this committee to serve on the University Budget Advisory Committee.
  9. To designate one member of this committee to serve on the University Benefits Committee.
  10. To designate one member of this committee to serve as a liaison to contingent faculty.
  11. To advise the administration of the university in order to express faculty concerns and interests regarding the allocation of funds in the budget.
  12. To report to the faculty as necessary concerning matters of faculty interest, including the activities of those designated organizations on which faculty representatives have been appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee.
  13. To make a written report to the faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.

Section 5. GLOBAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Membership:
Three members elected for three-year overlapping terms from the faculty at large; one faculty member to represent the PLU Gateway Programs selected each year by the current PLU Gateway Program Directors, with the provision that this representative serves no more than 3 consecutive years and that this person not be one of the three elected members of the committee.
Advisory Membership:
Provost; the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education; one administrative representative appointed by the vice president for student life; one administrative representative from the Center for Student Success appointed by the provost; and one student selected by the Associated Students of PLU. Consistent with the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4.B.7-8, advisory members shall have the same rights and privileges as any other member of the committee except the right to make motions and to vote. Regular attendance/participation of Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education staff and representatives of other university offices is expected when issues related to their areas of responsibility are on the committee’s agenda, in keeping with the intention that the committee be both broadly constituted and consultative.
General Purpose:
To review and oversee off-campus curricular matters related to global and community engaged education programs and initiatives, to advise the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education on related policies and procedures, and to advocate with the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education across the campus.
Specific Duties:
1. Curricular, Program and Planning:
  1. To review and oversee educational objectives and desired outcomes for off-campus courses and programs as they relate to PLU’s mission and to the Integrative Learning Objectives (ILOs) approved by the faculty in May 1999, the Principles of General Education approved by the faculty in December 2004, and the Principles for January Terms approved by the faculty in April 2004.
  2. To recommend action to the Educational Policy Committee (EPC) for all new off-campus courses (elected faculty members only).
  3. To develop, review, and recommend to the faculty guidelines and approval mechanisms for international off-campus courses and programs, as well as for domestic off-campus courses and programs and community-engaged education modules.
  4. To establish and recommend to the faculty timetables and frameworks for program assessment, including the academic quality, learning outcomes, and student experiences related to off-campus courses, programs, and community-engaged education modules.
  5. To approve faculty proposals for off-campus offerings of existing (previously offered) courses.
  6. To review periodically the goals and accomplishments of the university’s strategic plan for global education, and to recommend to the faculty revised goals, plans, and implementation approaches.
  7. To evaluate and approve proposals for student, faculty, and student-faculty Wang Grants.
  8. To identify and recommend new PLU Gateway sites.
  9. To oversee the Peace Corps Preparation Program at PLU.
2. Advisory to the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education:
  1. To evaluate and assess all study away programs (short-term, semester, and year-long) in terms of program operation, organization, orientation, budget, risk, student housing, and other issues identified by the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education.
  2. To advise the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education in matters relating to faculty and staff development in support of study away curricula, outreach programs, and student advising related to global and community engaged education.
  3. To provide input on strategies to further develop collaboration among university departments and administrative offices in ways that strengthen the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education’s mission.
  4. To encourage and provide input on Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education outreach programs, other co-curricular activities, and external networking.
  5. To advise the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education in matters related to new and existing resources allocation as well as other challenges and opportunities related to program development.
  6. To review and consult on other policies and practices as requested by the executive director of the Wang Center for Global and Community Engaged Education.
3. Advocacy:
  1. To support greater coherence and visibility for global and community engaged education by informing the faculty and university community concerning implementation, evaluation, modification, and success of the university’s strategic plan for global education.
  2. To encourage, enhance, and sustain the active involvement of all academic and administrative units of the university in global and community engaged education.
4. To make a written report to the faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.

Section 6. GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

Membership:
Three members elected from the faculty at large for three-year overlapping terms.
General Purpose:
To interpret the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws and faculty legislation as the occasion arises. To facilitate the successful operation of the entire committee system, and to study matters pertaining to the system of faculty governance.
Specific Duties:
1. To study problems and recommend policy regarding faculty governance and changes in the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws.
2. To oversee revisions to the Faculty Handbook.
3. To monitor membership, organization, and functions of faculty standing committees.
4. To prepare a slate of candidates for all committee positions and other positions filled by election at large from the faculty.
5. To present these candidates to the faculty at a regularly scheduled faculty meeting in the spring and accept faculty nominations from the floor.
6. To present nominees when called upon to do so during the school year by act of the faculty.
7. To present nominees when vacancies occur in any committee or other elected office.
8. To nominate two candidates for each position to be filled by election. The list of nominees will be presented at a faculty meeting and nominations from the floor will be received before an election will be conducted. Nominations should attempt to preserve an equitable distribution of service among eligible faculty consistent with committee membership criteria.
9. To conduct all faculty elections by secret ballot. The chair of the Governance Committee serves jointly with the faculty secretary to certify the faculty elections.
10. To report as elected anyone receiving a majority of votes cast for that position. A majority vote is required for election; a run-off secret ballot shall be provided containing the names of the two candidates receiving the largest number of votes for each of the positions to be filled.
11. To review all cases brought before it when a constitutional interpretation is necessary to resolve a bona fide dispute.
12. To hold and exercise full power to decide what cases it will hear and make judgments on.
13. To provide injunctive relief, if deemed necessary by the committee, to litigants pending decision of a case.
14. To resolve by interpretation of the Faculty Constitution all issues approved for hearing by the committee.
15. To communicate each decision in writing to the president of the university, the faculty secretary, and the party or parties responsible for referral of the case.
16. The chair of the Governance Committee shall serve on the Conciliation Committee in accordance with the Bylaws, Article VI, Section 1.B.
17. To make a written report to the faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.
Procedures:
1. 1. To bring a case before the committee the disputants must submit a written statement. It must include the names of the parties involved in the dispute, the issue in dispute, the reasons for the dispute and the relief sought, and why the relief should be granted. Citation of documents relevant to the dispute (for example, the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws and faculty legislation) must be provided by each of the parties.
  2. If the Governance Committee determines by vote that a member or members have a conflict of interest, then the Governance Committee will select a temporary member or members to replace the member(s) with a conflict for that particular case. The Governance Committee shall select the member(s) from former Governance Committee members who are qualified members of the faculty who do not have a conflict. This appointment shall be for the specific case for which the regular member has a conflict.

Section 7. RANK AND TENURE COMMITTEE

Membership:
Five tenured members, consisting of one member from each of the four Colleges and one member from the Library or faculty at large, elected for three-year overlapping terms.
Advisory Membership:
Provost; one student selected by the Associated Students of PLU. Consistent with the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 4.B.7-8, advisory members shall have the same rights and privileges as any other member of the committee except the right to make motions and to vote.
General Purpose:
To consider and recommend policies relative to recruitment, rank, promotion, and tenure of the faculty and to act in an advisory capacity to the administration relative to application of these policies to individual members of the faculty.
Specific Duties:
1. 1. To review all cases for non-retention, promotion, and tenure of individual members of the faculty, and to make specific recommendations to the president.
  2. To review all recommendations for sabbatical leaves and to make specific recommendations to the president prior to approval by the Board of Regents.
  3. To recommend to the faculty ideas or techniques that make it possible to obtain objective information or data whereby the effectiveness of teaching may more adequately be determined, thereby enabling the committee to fulfill its advisory function as fully as possible.
  4. To recommend to the faculty matters related to tenure or promotion that the faculty may decide to recommend to the president for presentation to the Board of Regents.
  5. To conduct inquiries into misconduct in science at the request of the provost.
  6. To make recommendations to the faculty regarding the designation of professor emeritus status for retiring non-tenured faculty.
  7. The chair of the Rank and Tenure Committee shall serve on and convene the initial meeting of the Conciliation Committee in accordance with the Bylaws, Article VI, Section 1.B.
  8. The chair of the Rank and Tenure Committee shall receive a teaching load reduction of one (1) course or the equivalent per academic year.
  9. To make a written report to faculty at least once a year. The chair of the committee shall file a record of the committee’s activities in duplicate reports—one with the faculty secretary and one with the president of the university at the close of the school year.