The Daily Bulletin Archive

From the President
At its April 11, 2008, meeting, the College Senate voted to approve the following three motions brought forward by the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Issues and to forward them to the president for approval:

Motion I of the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Issues on Graduate Student Representation

WHEREAS, the College Senate is “the official agency through which faculty and students engage in governance of the college”; and

WHEREAS, graduate students represent a significant component of the college’s student body; and

WHEREAS, graduate students have issues and perspectives that differ from the undergraduate student body; and

WHEREAS, the current bylaws and policies of the Senate make no formal provision for representation of graduate students on the Senate,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the College Senate support the principle of graduate student representation on the College Senate.

I accept the recommendation of the College Senate and charge the provost with the responsibility of establishing the protocol to ensure representation of graduate students on the College Senate.

Motion II of the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Issues on Membership of the Chair of the Graduate Advisory Council on the Senate Agenda Committee

WHEREAS, the Graduate Advisory Council plays an important role in governance of graduate programs; and

WHEREAS, the governance and oversight of graduate programs can be improved by more effective interaction between the Graduate Advisory Council and Senate leadership; and

WHEREAS, the Senate Agenda Committee “advises the chair of the College Senate on the dispatch of Senate business,”

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Standing Rules of the College Senate and the College Senate Handbook be amended as follows. The amendments provide for membership of the chair of the Graduate Advisory Council on the Senate Agenda Committee.

1. Amendment to College Senate Standing Rules Section 1.2. (Addition is indicated by bold, italicized text.)

“Agenda Committee. The vice chair, an elected student senator, the chair of the Graduate Advisory Council, and the senior university senator shall be members of the Agenda Committee. Further details about the Agenda Committee are provided in the College Senate Handbook, Section III. The Agenda Committee shall advise the chair of the College Senate on the dispatch of Senate business to ensure that matters submitted for Senate consideration shall be properly included under one or another of the headings in the Order of Business. The Agenda Committee shall make no determination as to the merits of matters received for consideration of the Senate.”

2. Amendment to the College Senate Handbook under Standing Committees (p. 6). (Addition is indicated by bold, italicized text.)

“The Agenda Committee is chaired by the chair of the Senate and includes the vice chair, an elected student senator, the senior university senator, the chair of the Graduate Advisory Council, and at least three other members of the Senate appointed by the chair. The duties and obligations of the Agenda Committee are addressed in both the Standing Rules and the College Senate bylaws.”

I accept the recommendation of the College Senate and hereby approve amendments to the Standing Rules of the College Senate and the College Senate Handbook to reflect the inclusion of the chair of the Graduate Advisory Council as a member of the College Senate Agenda Committee.

Motion III of the Ad Hoc Committee on Graduate Issues on Graduate Faculty Representation on Senate Standing Committees

WHEREAS, the College Senate, as the “principle deliberative and advisory body of the college,” has a role in reviewing issues related to graduate students and the Graduate School; and

WHEREAS, the governance structure of the College Senate relies on eight standing committees; and

WHEREAS, issues of importance to graduate students and the Graduate School span the charges of the eight standing committees; and

WHEREAS, the ability of standing committees to review issues related to graduate students and the Graduate School would be facilitated by representation of graduate faculty on the committees,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the College Senate Handbook be amended as follows. The amendment provides for representation of graduate faculty who participate in graduate programs on all standing committees and for graduate faculty status to be indicated on committee rosters.

Amendment to College Senate Handbook (p. 6). (Addition is indicated by bold, italicized text.)

“Committee Chairs. Committee chairs have the responsibility of developing a list of members for presentation to the Senate. Committee membership is limited to 15; the Senate has the right to strike, but not add, names that are proposed to it. Chairs are urged to exercise care and common sense in developing committee membership lists. Specifically, chairs are urged to:

A. Be aware of the size limitation on committees;

B. Make every effort to see to it that all schools and professional staff are represented in approximately equal proportions (e.g., approximately two professional staff members and two representatives from each of the schools);

C. Consider librarians as either faculty or staff and, by tradition, include on each committee;

D. Make every effort to ensure that one or more of the committee members are on the graduate faculty and are in a department with a graduate program.

E. Include at least one student representative (a student senator should be considered);

F. Accept the appointment of a nonvoting administrative liaison; and

G. Make sure that at least one other member of the committee is a senator.

Members of standing committees are appointed to serve two-year terms of office. Ideally, terms of committee members are staggered so some continuity can be maintained. When a committee roster is presented to the Senate (by tradition, committee rosters are presented at the first meeting of the Senate, for approval), the following information should be included: name, unit the individual represents, graduate faculty affiliation, office address and phone number, e-mail address, specific years of term of service on the committee.”

I accept the recommendation of the College Senate and hereby approve amendments to the College Senate and the College Senate Handbook to provide for representation of graduate faculty who participate in graduate programs on all College Senate standing committees and for graduate faculty status to be indicated on committee rosters.