University of Southern Maine

Faculty Senate

Standing and Ad Hoc Committees

2003-2004 

Functions

The functions of the standing committees are to advise, consult, recommend and, when specified, act in those areas assigned to them in their charge with due regard to the responsibilities of the Faculty Senate according to the governance constitution. The duties and responsibilities of each committee are specified in a committee charge prepared by the committee and approved by the Faculty Senate. All committee charges and rules of procedure will be attached as an appendix to the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate

In response to the accreditation report filed by NEASC on behalf of USM each standing committees of the faculty senate is encouraged to review and to modify committee charges as necessary.

Membership

All standing committees will have at least one member who is also a member of the faculty senate. Other faculty members, students, administrators and staff may serve on faculty senate committees.

  1. Academic Policies and Standards 
    1. Chair:  Nancy Bouzrara
      1. Ellen Chickering
      2. Janet Z. Burson
      1. Steven Rand
      2. Robert Sanford
      3. Gary Johnson
      4. Michael Hamilton
    1. Charge: work in liaison with the Executive Director of Advising and Learning Resources in the development and interpretation of policies that contribute to the maintenance of academic standards to include, but not be limited to, academic honesty, class attendance and examination procedures; evaluate grade issues including appeals, grievances and ADA concerns; review university catalog for academic policies and standards issues on a yearly basis.
  1. Research
    1. Co-chair: - Paul Caron
    2. Co-chair: - Doug Ofiara
      1. Bill Thornton
      2. Kent Ryden
      3. Tara Healy
      4. Ken Jones
      5. Doug Thompson
      6. Janet Whatley Blum
      1. Susan Chinn
      2. Margo Wood, Administrator of Awards
    1. Charge: work closely with the Associate Provost for Graduate Studies and Research; encourage and facilitate research and other scholarly activities by faculty; determine criteria, screen applications and award funding for research proposals. Members serve 3 year terms.
  1. Library and Media
    1. Chair: 
      1. Thomas Parchman
      2. Doug Thompson
      3. Nancy Bouzrara
      4. Charlene Suscavage
      1. Scott Brown
      2. Allan Whitmore
    1. Charge: work closely with the Director of University Libraries; act as a liaison between and among the faculty, faculty senate and the library; provide advice to the Director of University Libraries on matters of library policy, planning, allocations and budgetary matters; investigate and make recommendations with regard to library function.
  1. Strategic Planning
    1. Academic Program Review (part of provost planning effort)
      1. Chair: 
        1. Fred Walker
        2. Susan Feiner
        3. Dahlia Lynn
        4. Jeannine Uzzi
        1. Anne Keith
      1. Charge:  To develop processes by which the Committee 1) reviews intents to plan and degree proposals prior to making recommendations to the Senate with regard to these proposals; and 2) conducts retrospective reviews of all newly implemented degrees and reports on such reviews to the Senate.
  1. Cultural Affairs
    1. Chair: 
      1. Andy Potts
      2.  
      3.  
    1. Charge: proposes, develops and implements processes aimed at increasing diverse cultural opportunities at the university; encourage and facilitate cultural diversity by faculty; determine, make public criteria and screen applications for the awarding of funding for cultural activities.
  1. Academic Computing and Technology
    1. Chair: 
      1. Fred Walker
      2. Joel Irish
      3. Nancy Bouzrara
      4. Bill Phillips
      5. Bruce Clary
      6. Tara Coste
      7. Silvia Valdes
    1. Charge: work closely with the Associate Provost for Technology in determining computing and technology needs of faculty and students; maintains an active role in computing and technology planning and policy making; determine, make public criteria and screen applications for the awarding of funding for technology grants.
  1. Evaluation of Vice Presidents
    1. This committee has been suspended for the 2002/2003 academic year

SPECIAL COMMITTEES

The functions of the special committees of the faculty Senate are to advise, consult, recommend, and act in those areas assigned to them in their charge. Committee duties and responsibilities are specified in the descriptions of the Core Curriculum and Honors Program, respectively, and have been approved by the Faculty Senate. Directors of the Honors Program and Core Council communicate issues and recommendations from the respective groups to the Senate Chair who communicates the same to the Executive Committee. At the discretion of the Executive Committee, the issue or recommendation may simply be communicated to the Faculty Senate or place on the agenda for discussion and action .

  1. Reporting
    1. Core
    2. Honors
  2. Executive
    1. Chair: Roxie M. Black
    2. Membership: three officers and one faculty senate member from each unit represented by the senate:
      1.  Fred Walker
      2.  Blake Whitaker
      3.  Brian Toy
      4.  Dahlia Lynn
      5.  Silvia Valdes
      6.  Joel Gold
      7.  Catherine Fallona 
    3. Charge: forward issues for consideration to the appropriate faculty senate committee and/or senate for consideration and make recommendations to the senate on such issues; establish and maintain communication with appropriate policy making individuals and groups; hold responsibility for seeing that the annual elections to the faculty senate occur in the respective units represented by the senate
  3. Nominating
    1. Chair: Roxie Black
    2. Membership: current chair, vice chair and secretary
      1.  Fred Walker
      2.  Blake Whitaker 
    3. Charge: propose rules for the conduct of nominations and elections which shall be in conformity with the Governance Document and which must be approved by the Faculty Senate
  4. Ad-Hoc: the executive committee recommends the following ad-hoc committees for 2003-2004

    a. Bylaws Review and Revision
    Chair: Blake Whitaker
    Membership: faculty and non-faculty senate representatives
    1. Brian Toy
    2.
    Charge: Review and propose revisions to the faculty senate by-laws to be voted on by the 2003/2004 senate no later then the senates last scheduled meeting of the academic year.

    b. Multicultural Forum Planning Committee
    Chair:
    Membership: Faculty and Non-Faculty senate representatives
    1. Bob Atkinson
    2. Paul Johnson
    3.
     Charge: to investigate and collect the diversity work that is already being done at USM (through courses, presentations, special programs and units, service learning, etc.) and distribute this information to the campus on a regular basis.

    c. Faculty Awards
    Chair: Nancy Bouzrara
    membership: one faculty member from each award-granting unit represented by the senate
    1. Joel Gold
    2. Dahlia Lynn
    3. Susan McWilliams
    4.     Christina Beaudoin
    5.     Kristin Winston
    6. Ellen Chickering