Faculty Committees, Councils, and Boards

Faculty Standing Committees

Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee shall have particular responsibility for leading the Faculty to decisions regarding the overall direction of the curriculum and shall review new course proposals and general education course proposals. In addition, the Committee is also responsible for the review of changes in existing major and minor programs. It shall review and recommend to the Faculty policies relating to academic programs and degrees, including but not limited to long range curricular needs and direction, course offerings, and methods of instruction. To engage faculty involvement in curricular planning, the Committee shall hold open meetings at appropriate times to share the results of its study and invite faculty response.

Membership: This Committee shall include seven members: the VPAA, or his/her designate; four elected faculty, one elected from each of the three voting groups and one elected at large; and two elected students, one Senator and one student-at-large. The Chair of the Committee will ordinarily be a tenured member of the faculty.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

The Committee shall advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus. It shall propose policy or practice changes to appropriate leadership and governance entities; provide opportunities for faculty to engage in professional development that enables them to deconstruct and redevelop daily practices to become more equitable and inclusive; support the Faculty Development Committee in implementing DEI-related education; support faculty efforts to make the curriculum and campus programming more inclusive; and assess the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee’s initiatives.

Membership: This Committee shall include seven members: the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, Student Success and Inclusive Excellence; four faculty members elected at large; and two elected student members, the Student Government Associate Diversity Chair and one student-at-large. The Chair of the Committee will ordinarily be a tenured member of the faculty.

Instructional Resources Committee

This Committee shall review and recommend policies and priorities regarding campus instructional resources.

The primary functions of this Instructional Resources Committee will include, but are not limited to, the following: recommending an on-going College-wide plan for library and other instructional resources; proposing priorities for meeting the instructional and technology needs of the College; recommending the College-wide acquisition of instructional resources and associated technology; and informing the campus about instructional resources and technology and recommending education programs pertaining to the use of all such resources.

Membership: This Committee shall include five members: three elected faculty, one elected from each of the three voting groups and two elected students, one Senator and one student-at-large. The VPAA or his/her designate, the CIO/Associate Dean for LIS, and the VPFMS shall serve as ex officio non-voting members.

Faculty Councils

Planning, Budget, and Institutional Research Council

Planning, Budget, and Institutional Research Council is responsible for developing or reviewing and recommending to the President the following: 1) updated versions of the Long Range Plan and other planning documents; 2) space utilization plans; 3) annual operating budget parameters and budget priorities; 4) instruments and strategies for institutional assessments. This council will also review results of institutional research and make recommendations to appropriate groups. The Council will identify the areas requiring institutional research in order that its work and recommendations be founded on a reliable, ever-developing database.

Because the purpose of the Council is to assure appropriate levels of campus understanding and shaping of the College's plans and budgets, its members will bring to the Council's deliberations valid concerns and suggestions of various constituencies. Members will report at least once each Fall and Spring semester the work of the council to the groups from which they are elected.

Membership: This Council shall include fourteen members: the President (who shall be Chair); the VPAA; the VPFMS; the Vice President for Institutional Advancement; the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students; a member of the Admissions staff designated by the VPAA; the Director of Institutional Research; three members elected by the Faculty, one elected from each of the three voting groups; two elected students. the President of Student Government Association and a Senator; and two support staff.

Enrollment Management Council

The Enrollment Management Council shall review and recommend policies and procedures on enrollment management at the College. Policies and procedures under the Council's purview include, but are not limited to, enrollment research, planning and targets; student recruitment and retention; and financial aid policies. The Council shall also oversee the selection of endowed scholarship recipients.

Members of this Council shall establish and review annually the parameters and conditions for conditional and unconditional admission and non-admission. The Council will advise and make recommendations to the Vice President for Enrollment Management.

Membership: This Council shall include nine members: the VPEM (who shall be Chair), an additional member of the Admissions staff designated by the VPEM, the Director of Financial Aid, the Director of Athletics, three members elected by the Faculty (one elected from each of the three voting groups , and two elected students, one Senator and one student-at-large. Student members will not participate in any Council deliberations pertaining to individual students. Other individuals whose participation is relevant to the specific subjects being discussed may be invited at the discretion of any member.

Student Experience Council

The Student Experience Council shall review and make recommendations on policies pertaining to the student experience at Westminster College, including student activities and organizations, Student Government Association, fraternities and sororities, judicial affairs, minority, international and disabled student affairs, counselling services, career center, orientation, residence life, student health services, safety and security, intercollegiate and intramural athletics, and religious life. The Council shall evaluate applications from student organizations seeking official College recognition. It shall also be responsible for reviewing College policies that affect the religious life of the College and bringing recommendations regarding those policies to the appropriate body.

The Council will advise and make recommendations to the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students on matters pertaining to student life. On matters pertaining to intercollegiate and intramural athletics, the Council will advise and make recommendations to the Director of Athletics. On matters pertaining to religious life, the Council will advise and make recommendations to the College Chaplain.

Membership: The Council shall include sixteen members: the Vice President for Student Affairs & Dean of Students (who shall be Chair), two Student Affairs administrators, the College Chaplain, the Director of Athletics, the Assistant Director of Athletics, the Faculty Athletic Representative, two faculty members elected at large (may not be Physical Education faculty), and six students, the Treasurer of Student Government Association, the President of Student Athletic Advisory Council, a representative from the Chapel Staff, a Senator, and two students-at-large. The three faculty members shall serve as the members of the Judicial Board and the Greek Judicial Board. Faculty members and students who serve on the Judicial Board may not serve on the College Appeals Board either in the same academic year, or during two academic years immediately following service on the Judicial Board.

Undergraduate Research Advisory Council (URAC):

The Undergraduate Research Advisor Council assists in the planning of the Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration each April.

Faculty Boards

Institutional Review Board

The Institutional Review Board shall meet to review the ethical procedures that are used to conduct research under the auspices of Westminster College on human and animal subjects or that have environmental impact. The Board will review general policies proposed for categories of research within disciplines or divisions/schools and will conduct special reviews for research procedures that fall outside a division/school’s general guidelines. The Board shall restrict its review to the well-being of the research participants, non-human subjects, and student researchers, as well as the project’s environmental impact. Student members are not required to review specific faculty research, proposed by their course professors or advisors. As needed the Board will consult relevant experts (e.g., veterinarians, the Chemical Hygiene Officer, and mental health professionals).

The IRB will additionally appoint and maintain an Institutional Animal Care and Use Sub-Committee (IACUC), which will include eight members: the six elected IRB faculty members, an additional appointed faculty member who has current or recent experience with animal research (unless one of the elected IRB members has current or recent experience with animal research), and a veterinarian consultant. The IACUC will meet to review proposals for research involving non-human, vertebrae subjects as referred to them by the IRB, and will conduct bi-annual inspections of Westminster’s animal housing facilities, following which they will submit a report and recommendation to the IRB and the VPAA.

College Appeals Board

College Appeals Board is responsible for considering appeals of judicial decisions made by the Associate Dean of Students or the College Judicial Board. In considering cases, the Board shall follow the procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.

This Board shall consist of three elected faculty members and five students (3 standing and 2 alternates) appointed by the Student Government Association. Members of the College Appeals Board may not be members of the Judicial Board. Faculty members serve one-year terms.