The Arts and Sciences Council is comprised of faculty representing academic units and administrators within the College. The Council, which serves as an advisory body to the Dean, explores and addresses the issues facing higher education in general and the College of Arts and Sciences in particular. Its goal is to foster respect, cooperation, and open communication among the faculty and academic units in the College.

Monthly Meetings

The Arts and Sciences Council typically meets the third Friday of each month.  Meeting Notes from each meeting are available on the College's Meeting Notes Site.
 

Meeting Schedule

Council Meeting Notes

Contact Us

You may send your comments, questions, or concerns, to any member of the Arts and Sciences Council or submit them to the online suggestion box. All submissions are anonymous, though you may add your name and email address if you wish.

Suggestion Box

Council Members


Council Goals

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.
     

Council By-Laws

  • 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. representatives to all divisional curriculum committees, and collegiate membership on Undergraduate Council and Faculty Senate.

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.

The membership of the Council is comprised of eleven faculty members, a graduate and an undergraduate student, and the Dean. 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 eleven voting faculty members are elected as follows:

  • One full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty member from each of three divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematical and Natural Sciences elected by all full-time faculty members of the division;
  • One full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty member from each of three divisions: Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematical and Natural Sciences elected at-large by all full-time faculty members of the college;
  • One full-time, qualified rank faculty elected at-large by members of the full-time non-tenure track faculty;
  • One representative from the Council of Arts and Sciences Chairs and Directors Steering Committee, elected by the Council of Chairs and Directors;
  • Chair-elect, who serves as the Recording Secretary, elected at-large with divisional representation rotating annually;
  • Chair;
  • Past-chair.

Voting student representatives are selected following a nomination process and serve for one year.

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 and Directors;
  • Three years for divisional and qualified rank faculty representatives;
  • Three years for Chair-elect.

Annual elections of Arts and Sciences Council members are completed as follows, and in the following order:

  • 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 qualified rank faculty representative at-large;
  • Election of the Council of Arts and Sciences Chairs and Directors 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
Revised by Arts & Sciences Council December 4, 2009

Updated: 01/12/2022 04:27PM