Committee Charge and Composition

Committee Members 2011-2012 are:

Charge, From the Faculty Manual

105.1.2 The Faculty Policies Committee

In order to facilitate execution of the responsibilities vested in the faculty by the Board of Regents, the faculty shall elect from its membership a Faculty Policies Committee. The general charge by the faculty to its Faculty Policies Committee shall be to concern itself with all aspects of faculty matters including teaching, research and other professional areas, and to encourage faculty members to participate in the process of university governance. In addition, it shall be charged with carrying out certain special responsibilities and shall serve in special capacities for the faculty.

105.1.2.1 Membership

The committee shall consist of twelve faculty members who are not members of the University Council and who forego the privileges of service on the University Council during their membership on the Faculty Policies Committee. The two exceptions are that the Faculty Secretary, if duly elected, may serve on Faculty Policies, and the Chair of Faculty Policies serves on University Council by virtue of position. These faculty members shall be elected from the faculty-at-large each spring, and they shall begin their terms of service not later than the next to the last week of the Spring semester. One-half of the members shall be elected annually for terms of two years. The procedure for election of members of the Faculty Policies Committee shall conform to the Standard Election Procedures except as stated herein. If the continuing committee membership has no representative from a college, the primary election results will be used to place on the general election ballot at least two names from that (those) unrepresented college(s). The candidate from each unrepresented college who receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected, with the remaining seats determined according to the Standard Election Procedures. When a member of the Faculty Policies Committee has completed a full term of office, the individual may not serve again for a full year after the full term of office has expired. When a vacancy occurs on the Faculty Policies Committee, the committee shall appoint the available candidate with the largest number of votes in the last election, consistent with the principle of membership from all colleges, to serve until the beginning of the next annual term. At the next regular election, a member shall be elected to serve the remainder of the unexpired term of office. Should a faculty member be elected to both the Faculty Policies Committee and the University Council, that individual, at the time of such election, may choose the committee on which to serve. In such an event, the faculty member with the next highest number of votes shall succeed to the vacant seat.

105.1.2.2 Recall

Members of the Faculty Policies Committee shall be subject to recall by a two-thirds vote of the total faculty. A petition to recall shall be submitted to the President of the University. Such a petition must be signed by not fewer than 15 percent of the faculty members. Upon receipt of such a petition, the President, as chair of the faculty, shall call a special meeting of the faculty on a date not to exceed two weeks following the date of receipt of the petition for the purpose of giving the petitioners an opportunity to present their case. Upon a two-thirds vote in favor of recall by the total faculty present and voting by secret ballot at the special meeting, the office shall be declared vacant.

105.1.2.3 Organization

The committee shall elect annually from among its members a chair who shall not vote, except when there is a tie, and a secretary, who shall be responsible for recording actions of the committee. The Faculty Policies Committee shall determine its rules of order.

105.1.2.4 Responsibilities

105.1.2.4.1 Faculty Policies

The Faculty Policies Committee shall be the major committee concerned with developing, reviewing, and recommending policies governing faculty selection, promotion, and tenure, and with faculty rights and responsibilities and their communication. They should normally be alert to all areas of faculty involvement and where appropriate, should recommend policies, rules and procedures concerning teaching, research, publications and other professional areas.

105.1.2.4.2 University Committee Appointments

Unless otherwise stated in the bylaws, the Faculty Policies Committee, with the approval of the President, shall appoint members of the faculty to the University Standing Committees in accordance with the university governance provision for membership on these committees. It shall normally seek the advice of individual faculty members, department chairs, deans, committee chairs and other appropriate people in making these appointments. University Standing Committees are listed in the Bylaws Section of this manual (Section 204).

105.1.2.4.3 Special Duties

The Faculty Policies Committee shall act in a specific capacity for the faculty in special situations, including the following:

105.1.2.4.3.1 The Faculty Policies Committee shall act for the faculty in an informal review as part of the grievance procedure.

105.1.2.4.3.2 The Faculty Policies Committee shall recommend the composition of a faculty grievance committee in the case of formal grievance proceedings.

105.1.2.4.3.3 The Faculty Policies Committee shall be available for consultations with individual faculty members on matters of faculty rights, faculty responsibilities and faculty access to due process.

105.1.2.4.3.4 The Faculty Policies Committee shall conduct elections of the faculty in accordance with the bylaws.

105.1.2.4.3.5 Each year the Faculty Policies Committee shall appoint a faculty member to serve as secretary of the faculty.

105.1.2.4.3.6 The Faculty Policies Committee shall ensure that policies and procedures recommended to the faculty by the Faculty Policies Committee and that are approved by the full faculty shall be disseminated to the appropriate administrators.

105.1.2.4.3.7 The Faculty Policies Committee shall maintain a calendar of dates of required reviews/evaluations for which the committee has responsibility. The outgoing chair will be responsible for passing this information to the incoming chair.

105.1.2.4.3.9 The Faculty Policies Committee shall notify the faculty of the general agenda prior to each committee meeting.

105.1.2.4.3.10 The chair of the Faculty Policies Committee shall serve as the Augusta State University representative to the University System of Georgia Faculty Council. As needed, the chair may name an alternate representative subject to approval of the Faculty Policies Committee.