Academic Appeals Committee
Charge: To serve as a final locus for appeal of decisions
regarding late withdrawal, late add, suspension and dismissal for academic
reasons. At its discretion, the Committee may choose to review other individual
cases that are relevant to the application of University-wide policies. Does
not hear grade appeals or appeals of Honor Committee decisions.
Academic
Initiatives Committee
Motion
for a University Standing
Committee to Review Curriculum and Faculty Matters in Current and Future
Campuses, Academic Programs and Activities of George Mason University approved by the Faculty Senate - April 1, 2009. Charge was revised and approved by the
Faculty Senate – October 7, 2009:
Charge:
A. To fulfill faculty responsibilities for curriculum oversight within the University:
1) Gather accurate information from the Provost’s Office to review
a) Initial, current and projected course and program enrollment;
b) Any Memorandum of Understanding or similar governing document or contract specifying arrangements between George Mason University and the host government, state, or responsible organization;
c) Reports presented to any created governance structure such as a Board of Governors between George Mason University and any host government, state, or responsible organization;
d) Vetting and approval processes for faculty hiring and course offerings e) Information about resources, pay scales and other financial information relevant to faculty support, faculty and staff hiring, and curriculum development.
2) Provide a regular report to the Faculty Senate every semester.
B. Function as a liaison from initial planning through implementation and continuing operations on major global education projects (involving multiple academic units or emanating from the central administration) and participate in discussions of major additional projects.
C. Create sub-committees as necessary within the Committee to ensure adequate attention is paid to the variety of satellite campus locations and opportunities.
D. Committee representation of faculty from no less than five different academic units to serve staggered two-year terms.
Admissions Committee
Charge: Follow the admissions process in order that the
faculty might better understand it; make recommendations regarding admissions
standards to the Director of Admissions; report admissions recommendations and
statistics to the Faculty Senate on an annual basis.
Athletic
Council
Charge: To act in an advisory capacity to the
Vice President for Student Affairs in all matters pertaining to intercollegiate
and intramural athletics.
Effective Teaching Committee
Charge: To develop and help implement procedures which
encourage and reward effective teaching, and to enable faculty to improve their
teaching effectiveness independent of any evaluation procedures, and to
implement procedures or evaluation of effective teaching. Also, to recommend
policy to the Senate and to monitor the use of such policy for the evaluation
of teachers and courses, including the following:
A. Review existing policies concerned with the evaluation process and as
appropriate formulating modifications and additions to these policies and
recommending such changes to the Faculty Senate;
B. Review the evaluation form questionnaire at least once every three years and
recommending appropriate changes or modifications of the questionnaire and/or
procedure to the Faculty Senate; and
C. Inform the Office of Institutional Analysis of policy governing the
preparation, administration, and distribution of the results of the GMU
Faculty/Course evaluations forms and monitoring the process so as to insure
proper application of such policies.
D. Review, in consultation with the Provost's Office, the course evaluation
form currently in use, in order to eliminate its ambiguities and perceived
deficiencies and to provide for the inclusion of localized questions by the
local academic units; and establish a mechanism for regular review of the
course evaluation forms.
Committee on External Academic Relations
(Charge as revised and
approved by the Faculty Senate - November 18, 2009)
Composition: Six members who are elected for two-year terms.
Three members of the Committee should be senators, two others are elected from
the faculty at-large, and one ex-officio member is the Provost's designee.
At the beginning of each academic year the Committee must meet to select the
representatives to the Virginia Faculty Senate from among its members,
excluding the ex-officio member. At least one of these representatives must be
a senator. In case of vacancies, the Nominations Committee nominates the new
members, and the Committee internally evaluates and possibly reallocates the
assigned responsibilities.
Charge:
A. Represent GMU faculty at Virginia higher education faculty governance
organizations, including the Faculty Senate of Virginia. The seats allocated to
GMU at the Faculty Senate of Virginia are to be filled by members of CEAR.
B. Report to the GMU faculty senate on the proceedings of the Virginia Faculty
Senate and voice back to this organization issues of relevance to GMU.
C. Gather information on key matters about higher education in state
legislation, state committees, and local venues, and report back to the GMU
Senate.
D. Provide forums and avenues for the exchange of ideas with representatives of
SCHEV, state legislators representing Northern Virginia, and community groups
related to higher education in Northern Virginia.
General Education Committee
(Charge
as revised and approved by the Faculty Senate – April 1, 2009)
Composition: The membership of the Committee comprises 14
voting members:
A. Eight elected from the Faculty Senate ensuring that most academic units are
represented, one at least should be a senator;
B. Four faculty appointed by the Provost;
C. The Associate Provost for General Education; and
D. One student elected by the Student Senate.
Charge:
A. The Committee will work in cooperation with the Associate Provost for
General Education on all matters concerning general education.
B. For all foundation, core, and synthesis general education requirements, the
Committee will approve courses to fulfill these requirements. The Committee
will develop procedures for the measurement of "satisfactory skills in
oral and written
presentations" for the synthesis requirement, and work with the Office of
the Provost to develop procedures for the demonstration of these skills.
C. The Committee will approve and monitor, through periodic review, the
proficiency examinations related to the general education requirements, the
competency tests, and any other alternatives proposed to fulfill the
requirements.
D. The Committee will maintain a file of all proficiency examinations and will
approve policies related to their administration.
E. The Committee will confer with the Faculty
Senate Committee on Academic Policies when changes to General Education
requirements impact the entire university and/or would be a change to the
university catalog.
F. The Committee will provide an annual report to the Faculty Senate. The
report shall include:
a) The number of students taking and passing proficiency examinations;
b) Changes in the criteria for general education;
More frequent reports to the Faculty Senate might take place as adjustments to
the general education program may warrant.
Grievance Committee
(Charge
as revised and approved by the Faculty Senate – November 18, 2009)
In March 1998, the Faculty Senate approved the creation of the Grievance
Committee, replacing the ad hoc University Grievance Committee,
effective September 1998. The Charge was amended by a Faculty Senate vote on
February 12, 2003 to enable the Committee to hear grievances from research
faculty on matters of infringements of academic freedom, unfair or inappropriate
conditions of employment, and any other due process issue. The charge
was further elaborated in the Faculty Handbook adopted in 2009 concerning
termination for cause and grievances against administrators.
Composition: Five members. Non-tenured faculty, chairs, and
others serving in administrative capacities are ineligible to serve on this
Committee. Members serve staggered two-year terms.
Charge: To investigate grievances of tenured, tenure-track,
and term faculty:
A. which involve faculty matters from more than one local academic unit. Issues
of investigation include alleged infringements of academic freedom, alleged
unfair or inappropriate conditions of employment, alleged unfair or
inappropriate termination for cause, and any other due process issue with the
exclusion of retention, promotion and tenure appeals; (See also Faculty
Handbook Section 2.93 Termination of Appointment for Tenured,
Tenure-Track, and Term Faculty Members for Cause (pp. 47-49)).
B. which are not addressed by, or do not fall within the purview of the
grievance committee of the pertinent local academic unit; (See also Faculty
Handbook Section 2.10.1 University Policies (p. 48)) and
C. for local academic units that do not have grievance committees established,
or when a grievance committee does not conform to the written procedures of the
local academic unit. Other faculty appeals from local academic unit grievance
committees are excluded. (See also Faculty Handbook Section 2.10.3
Faculty Work Assignments (p. 49) in
case where Grievance is against a dean or director).
D. which involve administrators at or
above the level of Dean or Director.
(See also Faculty Handbook Sections 2.11.2 Grievances,
2.11.2.1 Policies Concerning Grievances, 2.11.2.2 Grievance Procedures (pp.
53-54)).
Minority and Diversity Issues
Committee
The Minority and Diversity Issues Committee
(approved by the Faculty Senate on March 18, 1998) incorporated and revised
duties previously addressed by the ad hoc Minority
Affairs Committee and the ad hoc Diversity Issues
Committee. effective September 1998.
Composition:
Five members.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty are eligible to serve on this Committee.
Members serve staggered two-year terms.
Charge: To work in concert with the Equity Office, Minority
Students Services Office, other pertinent administrators, and campus
organizations in developing and implementing means to ensure nondiscrimination,
tolerance, and protection of the rights of all persons affiliated with the
University; and to facilitate dialogue among those connected with the
University and those in the broader community on matters concerning minority
populations and diversity issues.
Non-Traditional, Interdisciplinary, and Adult
Learning Committee
Charge: To advise and collaborate with the
Provost on academic matters on all campuses related to continuing education
programs that involve multiple academic units, including approval and oversight
of certificates, distance learning courses, summer sessions, contract courses,
and the Testing Center.
Salary Equity Study Committee
Charge: To systematically study annually the distribution of
faculty salaries at all ranks as identified in Sections 2.1 and 2.2 of the Faculty
Handbook; to systematically study salaries by gender, by race/ethnic
divisions, and by local academic unit; to examine frequencies of men/women and
of members of different race/ethnic categories within LAUs; and additionally to
investigate the potential for individual equity measures. The committee shall
monitor the establishment and maintenance of a database of faculty compensation
including all categories and ranks of faculty, and shall report its aggregate
findings on salary and on the status of the database annually to the Faculty
Senate and provide specific data to the Equity Office, the Provost, Deans and
Directors, and to other LAU administrators.
Technology Policy Committee
Composition: Seven members, at least two of whom must be
senators and one an ex-officio faculty member designated by the Provost. The
composition should be such that most academic units are represented.
Charge: The Committee will actively advise the Vice-President
of Information Technology and other administrators in investments and in
implementation of computer-based technologies that impact the educational
techniques in the University. The Committee also advises on the development of
new computer-based educational techniques and research capacities within the
University. The Committee will work cooperatively with the central
administration to formulate the technology budget of the University. These
actions will ensure that the recommendations issued by the Committee reflect
the position of the faculty concerning allocations to programs and/or
individuals. The Committee will work with the administration to review and maintain
a clear and equitable policy pertaining to intellectual property rights of the
faculty.
Writing Across the Curriculum Committee
Composition: One elected representative from each of the
academic units offering undergraduate degrees, the Director of the WAC Program
who is an ex-officio member with no vote or possibility to chair the Committee.
Charge: To advise and work closely with the University
Coordinator on Writing Across the Curriculum on current and projected
activities and events and to assist departments in the identification and
definition of writing-intensive courses in their curricula. To:
A. Articulate and refine the requirements for the WI designated course
designated to fulfill the WI requirement in every undergraduate degree across
the university with the purpose of establishing homogeneous WI criteria;
B. Assist colleges, schools and institutes in the identification of existing or
new courses that degree programs propose to meet the WI requirement in their
curricula;
C. Review regularly the courses WI-syllabi to determine compliance with the WI
requirement;
D. Suggest ways to meet the WI requirement to faculty teaching the WI
designated courses; and
E. Assist with activities and events related to writing across the curriculum.