B.5 Article V: Standing Committees

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Section 1. The Curriculum Committee

The committee is composed of two faculty representatives from each of the academic college. Ex-officio members may be appointed by the president of the University. Functions of the committee are:

  1. To study and evaluate the curricular needs of the University.
  2. To suggest and review new programs and revisions of old ones.
  3. To recommend requirements for the bachelor's degrees.
  4. To recommend basic requirements and review changes in the general education program.
  5. To review and approve all courses, majors, minors, and programs to be included in the curriculum.
  6. To resolve conflicts of course offerings in different departments.

 

Section 2. The Faculty and Academic Affairs Committee

The committee is composed of two faculty representatives from each academic college. The provost and the director of the Library shall be ex-officio members of the committee. Other ex-officio members maybe appointed by the president. Functions of the committee are:

  1. To provide liaison between the David L. Rice Library and the faculty and to formulate and propose policies regarding the operation of the David L. Rice Library.
  2. To formulate and propose policies and procedures with regard to the appointment, retention, tenure, and promotion of University faculty.
  3. To formulate and propose policies and procedures on faculty conduct and academic freedom.
  4. To formulate and propose policies and procedures with regard to professional growth, teaching loads, and the facilitation of teaching and research.
  5. To formulate and propose policies and procedures on all faculty and academic affairs not within the province of other standing committees of the faculty.
  6. To prepare an annual report on Data Collection and Hiring Practices at USI. The report should compare the rate of expansion and number of administrative positions to the rate of expansion and number of faculty positions at the University of Southern Indiana. Expansion is to be interpreted as increase (change) in aggregate salaries for each group, administrators and faculty, as well as number of positions.

 

Section 3. The Student Affairs Committee

The committee is composed of one faculty member from each academic college, one at-large faculty member, and three student members appointed by the Student Government Association. The president may appoint ex-officio members to the committee. Functions of the committee are:

  1. To review and recommend general University policies dealing with
    1. Admissions, retention, and academic standards.
    2. University scholarships, awards, and honors.
    3. Student orientation toward academic life.
    4. Student assessment of the total learning environment.
    5. Student academic advisement.
    6. Student appeals related to behavior with respect to curriculum and instruction.
  2. To make final decisions in the appeal cases of students denied admission or readmission through ordinary University channels.
  3. To select the recipients of University-wide awards, including the President's Medal. Members of Student Affairs Committee are ineligible to nominate or recommend students for the University-wide awards including the President’s Medal while serving on the committee.
  4. To monitor and report statistics in the committee’s end-of-year report about student applicants for awards, particularly in terms of the students’ colleges.

 

Section 4. The Economic Benefits Committee

The committee is composed of two faculty representatives from each academic college. The president may appoint ex-officio members to the committee. Functions of the committee are:

To prepare an annual report on faculty salary and benefits. The report should compare faculty salary and benefit patterns at peer institutions to the faculty salary and benefits at USI. The report should also recommend a range of increments in faculty salary and benefits for the following year in order to make sure that USI faculty salary and benefits keep pace with peer institutions.

Section 5. The Promotions Committee

The committee is composed of one elected faculty representative from each academic college, one elected faculty representative from Rice Library and three elected at-large faculty members. Members of the committee must be of associate rank or higher.

The committee will review and recommend applications for academic promotion for any application which:

  1)  recommendations from the department, college, library, chair, and/or dean lack agreement.

       OR

  2)  the applicant requests an additional review. In such case, applicants must request a review within 7 business days of written notification of their dean's or director's formal recommendation to the Provost.  

During review, functions of the committee are:

  1. To receive applications for academic promotions from the deans or directors of the various colleges or library.
  2. To acknowledge in writing to the individual under consideration the receipt of the promotion application.
  3. To review pertinent information concerning any applicant's qualifications and render a recommendation regarding its merit. The merit of an applicant's portfolio shall only be measured using the guidelines for promotion published by the University and the applicant's department, college or the library.
  4. To inform each applicant in writing of the committee's recommendation.
  5. To forward the recommendations in D (above) to the Provost.

Section 6. The Assessment Committee

The Assessment Committee is composed of one faculty representative from each academic college, and one at-large faculty member. The executive director of the Office of Planning, Research, and Assessment shall be an ex-officio member of the committee. Other ex-officio members may be appointed by the president.

  1. The functions of the committee are:
    1. to study and evaluate student learning outcomes and program assessment needs of the University;
    2. to facilitate the review of existing assessment practices and measures, monitor their effectiveness, and offer suggestions for their modification, as appropriate; and
    3. to make recommendations for planning, policy development, and review regarding assessment activities within the University.

 

Section 7. The Grievance and Hearing Committee

The Grievance and Hearing Committee shall be composed of one faculty representative from each academic college and one at-large faculty member. One alternate from each academic college shall also be elected.

All faculty representatives and alternates shall be chosen from among the tenured faculty. Members deeming themselves disqualified for bias, prejudice, or interest shall be removed from the case on their own initiative. In the event both representatives of a College are disqualified, one member shall be chosen from the remaining list of alternates.

In addition, the initiator and the respondent each may exclude one member from the slate of prospective committee members. The hearing may be conducted by a committee of no less than three members. In the event of a four-member committee, the chair of the committee, selected by the committee from its membership, shall be a non-voting member. The chair shall be responsible for conducting meetings and issuing all communication on behalf of the committee.

The Grievance and Hearing Committee serves the following functions:

  1. To provide a formal hearing for any faculty member whose grievance (as defined in Item III, Faculty and Academic Policies under Procedures for Amelioration and Reconciliation of a Grievance; I. Definitions) has not been resolved informally and who wishes a formal hearing before his/her peers;
  2. To ensure a fair, effective, and expeditious investigation. Recognizing the potential difficulty in conducting a hearing during the summer due to the unavailability of faculty, hearings will be conducted during the academic year; and
  3. To report its findings of the grievance to the Faculty Senate, who will transmit the findings to the initiator, the respondent, the provost and the president.

 

Section 8. The Faculty Awards for Service, Teaching and Research Committee

The committee is composed of two faculty representatives from each academic college. The provost and the executive director of Sponsored Projects and Research Administration shall be ex-officio members of the committee. Other ex-officio members may be appointed by the president. Functions of the committee are:

  1. To formulate and propose policies and procedures for the Distinguished Professor Award, the Berger Service Award, the Faculty Research and Creative Work Awards and other awards as designated.
  2. To select the recipient of the Distinguished Professor Award, the Berger Service Award, the Faculty Research and Creative Work Awards and other awards as designated.

 

Members of the Faculty Awards for Service, Teaching and Research Committee are ineligible to nominate, be nominated, or apply for any award under its purview.

Section 9. The University Core Curriculum Committee

Chaired by the Director of University Core Curriculum, the committee consists of an elected representative and alternate from each academic college, two at large faculty members, plus one additional elected representative and alternate from the College of Liberal Arts and the Pott College of Science, Engineering, and Education who serve two-year staggered terms. The Director of University Core Curriculum will serve as a voting ex officio member but may only cast a vote in the event that the committee is deadlocked. Non-voting ex officio members are: (a) Associate Provost for Academic Affairs, (b) Associate Registrar, (c) Director of University Core Curriculum Assessment, and (d) an assessment designee from the Office of Planning, Research, and Assessment. 

Functions of the committee are:

  1. To evaluate the general education needs of the University.
  2. To review core curriculum course applications and determine the composition of the University Core Curriculum.
  3. To evaluate and revise, where needed, the policies of the University Core Curriculum.
  4. To oversee and implement University Core Curriculum assessment.
  5. To evaluate the University Core Curriculum in its entirety and revise where appropriate.