Policies and Procedures Committee
Annual Report, 2004-05
The Policies and Procedures Committee met ten times over the academic year 2004–2005.
Each year, the committee reviews one-fifth of the total number of Policies and Procedures for currency. This year, forty-eight policies were selected. These were last reviewed for currency in 1998–99. The procedure is to (1) refer the policies to their originators for revision, (2) review revised policies for substance, and (3) submit revised policies with substantive changes to the faculty for their approval. There were also six policies reviewed by last year’s committee that were presented to the faculty for consideration this year. Of the total fifty-four policies,
6 (from last year) were adopted by the faculty;
10 were newly revised, reviewed, and adopted;
1 was revised, reviewed, and sent back to committee for further revisions;
3 were revised, reviewed, and are pending faculty action;
4 were revised and are currently being reviewed by our committee;
9 have been delayed for further revisions by their originators;
27 policies remain incomplete (no response from their originators).
Another major item of business this year was the consideration of the recommendations from last year’s report of the Special Committee on Faculty Governance (FGC). The FGC offered thirteen separate recommendations. Our committee interpreted two of the recommendations as advisory in nature rather than prescribing substantive changes in organization or procedures.
Four other recommendations supported the status quo and were offered to the faculty for discussion, but no further action was taken. A recommendation establishing a “consent agenda” was drafted by our committee and adopted as a new bylaw by the faculty. Four other recommendations that include an amendment to the Constitution, changes to the Bylaws, and several other policies are currently pending before the faculty. Next year’s committee will consider the remaining two recommendations.
The committee was also requested to provide interpretations and advice on two Constitutional questions.
The chair wishes to express thanks to the committee members for their time and efforts in this service:
Bill Berg, Director of Planning and Institutional Research
John Harris, Mathematics
Les Hicken, Music
Paul Kooistra, Sociology
Melinda Menzer, English
Steve O’Neill, History
Susan Zeiger, Director of Personnel
Tom Allen, Chair
Computer Science Department