Advisory Role of Council

The primary role of Arts and Sciences Council is to act in an advisory capacity to the Dean on any matter involving the activities and responsibilities of the College of Arts and Sciences. They include the following.

• Explore and study the issues facing higher education in general and the College of Arts and Sciences in particular.
• Foster cooperation among College faculty and academic units and a collective commitment to the multidimensional mission of the College.
• Foster respect among College faculty for diversity among the missions of academic units within the College.
• Respond to requests from the Dean for recommendations regarding policy and procedural issues.
• Review and make recommendations on all new graduate degrees and graduate programs and any other curricular issue as requested by the Dean.

Role in Promotion and Tenure

• Review the promotion and tenure guidelines of the College of Arts and Sciences and recommend appropriate modifications in such guidelines. Any modifications in statements concerning tenure must be approved by a majority vote of the tenured members of the College faculty. Any modifications in statements concerning promotion must be approved by a majority vote of all tenured and tenure-track faculty of the College faculty.

  Note: Faculty at Firelands College who are tenured members of the College of Arts and Sciences vote on collegiate issues related to promotion and tenure.

Role in College Elections

• Define and recommend voting procedures for elections to the Promotion and Tenure Review Committee.
• Conduct college-wide elections each year, specifically, Arts and Sciences Council members, representatives to the College Promotion and Tenure Committee and collegiate membership on Undergraduate Council and Faculty Senate.

Responsibility of Members

Membership on Arts and Sciences Council affords faculty members a unique opportunity to work directly with the College leadership to articulate collegiate policies, procedures, directions, and missions. Membership on Arts and Sciences Council carries with it responsibility and accountability. Committee members should foster a college-wide perspective and a shared sense of responsibility, recognize the pivotal role of Council, and strive to understand the long-term impact of their recommendations. Individual members can enhance the effectiveness of the Council by studying the issues related to agenda items; attending all Committee meetings; participating actively and constructively in committee discussions and activities; facilitating active participation of the full committee membership; and encouraging open and thoughtful discussion of new ideas and new directions.

Council Composition

The membership of the Council is comprised of ten faculty members, two graduate and two undergraduate students, the Dean, and a recording secretary. Chairs, School Directors and Program Directors are ineligible to stand for election. Faculty members who are elected to A&S Council who subsequently become chairs or directors complete their terms on Council. Members of the Dean's office who attend are non-voting members.

The ten voting faculty members are elected as follows:

• one member from each of three divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematical and Natural Sciences elected by members of the division;
• one member from each of three divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematical and Natural Sciences elected at-large;
• one representative from the Council of Arts and Sciences Chairs, elected by the Council of Chairs;
• Chair-elect, elected at-large with divisional representation rotating annually;
• Chair;
• Past-chair.

Voting student representatives are selected following a nomination process and serve for two years. The terms should be staggered to allow for continuity.

Membership Restrictions:

• No two faculty council members may be from the same department or school.
• Each of the three divisions must be represented among the Chair-elect, Chair and Past-chair.
• A faculty member who has served three consecutive years on Council is not eligible for reelection to Council until after the completion of a one-year grace period.

Terms of Members

• one year for the representative from the Council of Arts and Sciences Chairs;
• three years for divisional representatives;
• three years for Chair-elect.

Election Process

Annual elections of Arts and Sciences Council members are completed as follows.

• election of the Chair-elect;

Along with the initial ballot, the Dean will provide a brief statement identifying the issues most likely to be considered by Council during the next academic year. For the final round of balloting, the Dean may request from each finalist candidate information related to the candidate's qualifications for the position of Chair-elect as well as a statement expressing the candidate's views on particular issue(s) related to expected Arts and Sciences Council agenda items. This information will be distributed with the final ballot.

• election of the divisional representatives by divisions;
• election of the divisional representatives at-large;
• election of the Council of Chairs representative.

Recommended by A&S Council on February 23, 1994

Accepted by the Dean for implementation, 1994-95

Revised by Arts & Sciences Council January 13, 2006