OM 2.10.3 University Committee Procedures

I. Faculty members of University committees for the following academic year should be appointed in May. Student members should be appointed in September. A survey of faculty members will be held to determine areas in which they would be willing to serve on a committee. Members of the promotions, tenure, and hearing committee on disorders gain membership by election and not the appointment procedure described above.

II. Prior to each scheduled meeting of the Faculty Senate, faculty committees shall report the topics currently being considered and the time of their next meeting to the vice chair of the Senate, who will communicate this information to the Senate for inclusion in the minutes.

III. The Faculty Senate will not receive a final report on a topic from a committee until after at least one notice of a meeting on the topic has appeared in the senate minutes and there has been a reasonable time allowed for faculty input.

IV. A report from a committee should contain the following:

A. A statement of the problem;

B. A statement as to the sources of information and information developed;

C. Alternative proposals considered;

D. Reasons for the consensus;

E. Recommendations to the Faculty Senate (including effective date for any proposed rule changes); and

F. All recommendations which are to be inserted in the regulations should be submitted in the proper form for insertion. All corrections in these documents necessitated by the insertion should be noted.

V. Committees should operate under the following procedures:

A. Before preparing a final report that recommends or requests actions involving substantial changes in University policy or substantial changes in procedures, a committee should develop its own report in draft form according to the instructions in item IV above. This draft should be sent to the Administrative Council, Faculty Senate, and Student Senate.

B. First, the Administrative Council will determine whether the proposals in the report can be implemented in the form in which they are proposed. If they cannot be so implemented, the Administrative Council will suggest alternative proposals that will be sent along with the originals back to the committee; copies of both will be sent to each Senate.

C. The Senates will discuss reports or portions thereof that relate to their spheres of interest. Requests for the committee to make further study will be voted on by the Senate initiating the request, and the resultant decision will be sent to the committee with copies to the executive committees of the other Senate and the Administrative Council.

D. After passage by the appropriate body or bodies, the recommendations will be sent to the president.

VI. Proper action on committee reports requires maximum liaison among the three bodies: Administrative Council, Faculty Senate, and Student Senate. Such liaison should be accomplished both at the executive committee level and the committee level itself, at which the student members of Faculty Senate committees keep the Student Senate informed of the business of the committees as such business progresses. In areas of mutual interest and mutual coverage by committees of both Senates, maximum liaison should be maintained, including joint deliberations if such are feasible.

VII. Committees should consider the extent to which their recommendations might represent a cost to the University. Where the costs involved may be expected to be substantial, the committee should estimate the final cost to the University of implementing the recommended resolution before sending its report to the Senate. This estimate, together with its basis and sources should be included in the committee's report for the Senate's guidance.