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Policy 6-003: College Councils, and University Curriculum Policy Review Board

Revision 6. Effective date: May 15, 2014

  1. Purpose and Scope
    1. (Reserved)
  2. Definitions
    1. (Reserved)
  3. Policy
    1. Establishment and Authority of College Councils
      1. Establishment. College councils are hereby established within the system of university governance.
      2. Organizational Scope. A college council shall be organized and shall function within each academic college (as described in Policy 6-001). Any academic unit or personnel with tenure-line faculty appointments not administratively situated within an existing college shall affiliate with and become a constituent part of a college council designated by the University President, which may be only for the purpose of participating in the university governance responsibilities vested in such college council.
      3. General Powers. A college council shall formulate policies and exercise primary authority to make decisions relating to college and department affairs to the extent authorized by Policy 6-001 and other University Regulations. All actions taken by a college council shall be reviewable by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate in accordance with criteria approved by the senate, and shall be subject to the power of the Academic Senate to establish uniform policies and take final action on all matters of university concern.
    2. Areas of Responsibility of College Councils
      1. Faculty Personnel Actions
        1. Appointments, and retention, promotion and tenure. The role of college councils within the process of making appointments of faculty shall be as prescribed in Policy 6-302. As is more fully described in that policy, each college council may adopt college policy regarding the establishment and role of any college-level faculty appointments advisory committee, and may adopt college policy regarding the eligibility of career-line faculty to serve on departmental faculty appointments advisory committees.
        2. The role of college councils with regard to decisions on retention, promotion, or tenure of tenure-line faculty shall be as prescribed in Policy 6-303. As is more fully described in that policy, each college shall establish a college RPT advisory committee, and such committees shall make recommendations with respect to certain RPT decisions.
        3. Colleges may choose to establish a single committee to carry out both the advisory function for appointments, and the advisory function for decisions of retention, promotion and tenure, in all cases, or to serve both functions only for cases in which it is proposed that tenure be granted at the time of initial appointment (commonly known as hiring with tenure).
      2. Academic Policy Actions
        1. College councils shall develop curriculum and related academic programs to meet the goals and purposes of the university. Any program requiring approval of the State Board of Regents including the establishment of a new department or a new degree, must be submitted to the Academic Senate for approval.
      3. University Curriculum Policy Review Board
        1. The chairpersons of the various college curriculum committees, as well as the Dean of the Graduate School and the University Registrar, will be convened as a University Curriculum Policy Review Board to review curriculum policies and procedures, coordinate curriculum planning and intercollege consultations, and promulgate modifications in guidelines for processing curricular proposals. The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Undergraduate Studies, or  designee, will chair the Review Board. The guidelines proposed by the Review Board, after approval by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate, will be the operating rules for making curriculum changes during the academic year. Each college council shall develop appropriate Procedures consistent with guidelines established by the Review Board for initiating and reviewing curriculum changes and adjustments for all programs within their respective jurisdictions.
      4. General Policy Recommendations
        1. A college council may recommend to the Academic Senate, through the Executive Committee of Academic Senate, new policies or policy modifications in relationship to any aspect of the university operation.
      5. Additional Duties
        1. College councils shall perform other functions and duties assigned to them by the Academic Senate from time to time.
    3. Council Structure
      1. The organizational structure and membership of each college council shall be determined, and may be modified from time to time, by majority vote of all voting faculty members of the college involved (in keeping with the principles described in Policy 6-300 for voting rights of faculty categories), and may be either plenary or representative. The college councils should include student members. Where a representative structure is adopted, the representation formula should be broad. The structure shall be described in the charter of the council. The composition of the council and contents of the charter are submitted to and  subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate and subsequently submitted for the Information of the Senate (See Policy 6-001-III-C-1).
      2. Each college council shall establish appropriate committees and procedures to expedite its work, and shall provide for meaningful involvement of students in department and college deliberations and activities, including effective coordinating with departmental student advisory committees.
      3. When dealing with faculty personnel action, a college council representing two departments or less or having a total of fewer than twenty-five faculty members in the ranks of professor, associate professor and assistant professor, shall provide for committee processing, where necessary, by referring the matter to the appropriate university-wide committee.
    4. College Council Coordination With University-Wide Committees
      1. To the extent necessary to effectuate the purposes of the college council system of governance as provided herein, the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate shall (1) direct the transfer to the college councils of responsibility for functions delegated to them and heretofore performed by university-wide committees and (2) modify the responsibilities of university-wide committees in corresponding manner.
  4. Rules, Procedures, Guidelines, Forms and other related resources
    1. Rules
    2. Procedures
    3. Guidelines
    4. Forms
    5. Other related resource materials
      1. List and Links to Current approved College Council Charters
  5. References:
    1. (Reserved)
  6. Contacts:
    1. The designated contact officials for this Policy are:
      1. Policy Owner (primary contact person for questions and advice0: Associate Vice President for Faculty and the Associate Vice President for Health Sciences.
      2. Policy Officers: Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Sr. Vice President for Health Sciences.

See University Rule 1-001 for information about the roles and authority of policy owners and policy officers.

  1. History:
    1. Renumbering: Renumbered as Policy 6-003 effective 9/15/2008, formerly known as PPM 9-4, and formerly as Faculty Regulations Chapter IV.
    2. Revision history:
      1. Current version: Revision 6:
        1. Approved by Academic Senate: April 7, 2014
        2. Approved by Board of Trustees: April 8, 2014
        3.                    Legislative History of Revision 6
      2. Earlier revisions:
        1. Revision 5: effective dates September 13, 2011 to April 7, 2014
        2.                    Legislative History of Revision 5
        3. Revision 4: effective dates July 1, 2007 to September 12, 2011
          1. Background information for Revision 4:
            1. Legislative History for Revision 4
            2. Drafting notes -- Spring 2007 Proposal
        4. Revision 3: effective dates November 10,1997 to June 30, 2007
        5. Revision 2: effective dates September 26, 1979 to November 9, 1997


Policy: 6-003 Rev: 6
Date: May 15, 2014


Last Updated: 5/22/23