Standing Committees
Standing Committees of the Faculty Council
Definitions
Standing Committees are subordinate units of the Faculty Council established to- develop policy recommendations within their assigned responsibilities. These recommendations are presented in the form of reports, with motions for subsequent Faculty Council action;
- review and evaluate existing campus policies and programs within their assigned responsibilities, and to report thereto to the Faculty Council; and
- provide advice on operations and implementation of existing policy within their assigned responsibilities. If such advice is provided directly to the administration, detailed summaries of advice rendered is immediately reported to the Faculty Council.
Duties
Standing committees have the following duties.- Meet at least once every semester.
- Exercise their powers and duties as prescribed by the Faculty Constitution and Bylaws.
- Keep and distribute minutes of all meetings. Two copies of all minutes, together with relevant documents are placed on file with the Chair of the Faculty Council who makes them available to inquiring faculty members. One copy of all minutes and relevant documents are sent to each of the following: The Chancellor, the Provost, and others as designated by the Faculty Council.
- Prepare and submit an annual report by June 1st of each year, and such other reports as may be ordered. Besides reporting on the completed action of the committee, the annual report must also delineate areas of future concern for the committee.
- Establish and appoint such subcommittees as are provided by bylaw or as may be deemed necessary--provided that the chairperson of the subcommittee shall be drawn from the membership of the appointing committee.
Membership
Please read the Bylaws of the Faculty Council, Section 10, Membership.
Executive Committee
Noushin Ashrafi, Chair of the Executive Committee and Presiding Officer of the Faculty Council
Estelle Disch, Associate Chair and Secretary of the Faculty Council
Membership
The Executive Committee has five members elected, in the order listed here, at the first meeting of the newly seated Faculty Council: (1) a Chair who is the presiding officer of the Faculty Council and the Executive Committee for two years; (2) an Associate Chair, for a term of two years, who serves as Secretary of the Faculty Council and serves as Chair in the absence of the elected Chair (or, should the Chair resign, until a new Chair is elected); (3) and three other members elected from the Faculty Council for terms of two years. No more than three Executive Committee members may be elected from the same college.
Duties
In addition to other duties specified in the Faculty Council Constitution and Bylaws, the Executive Committee
- serves as the Committee on Committees, with the addition of the Provost, to nominate to the Faculty Council for ratification all members of all Council standing and ad-hoc committees, and to consult with the Chancellor regarding faculty membership on other committees. The Executive Committee may invite Council members from any college not represented on the Executive Committee to serve on the Committee on Committees,
- advises Faculty Council committees regarding their business and serves as liaison between the committees and the Faculty Council and between collegiate governance bodies and the Faculty Council,
- acts in an advisory capacity to the President or Chancellor during the summer months and in the cases of emergency as determined by the President or the Chancellor. The Executive Committee keeps the Council informed of any actions taken, and
- carries on the business of the Faculty Council during periods when the faculty is not in session. A report of all actions taken during such periods is presented at the next Council meeting.
Academic Affairs Committee
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Steven Ackerman, Department of Biology, CSM (2006-2009), Committee Chair
Laura Hayman, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
(2008-2011)
Jack Looney, Department of Earth, Enviornmental, and Ocean Sciences, CSM (2007-2010)
Anna Madison, Human Services Graduate Program, CPCS (2006-2009)
Rajini Srikanth, Department of English, CLA (2008-2011)
Roberta Wollons, Department of History, CLA (2007-2010)
Peng Xu, Department of Management Science and Information Systems, CM (2006-2009)
Ex officio
TBA, Provost's designee
TBA, Undergraduate Student Senate
Duties
The Academic Affairs Committee develops recommendations concerning matters of educational policy which have a Campus-wide effect. The Academic Affairs Committee also
- recommends the list of candidates for undergraduate degree,
- examines all, proposals of an academic or curricular nature from the several colleges and programs to ensure adherence to Campus-wide policies, and after consideration, the committee makes its recommendations to the Faculty Council,
- reviews academic regulations and graduation requirements,
- recommends procedures for the selection of candidates for honorary degrees and recommends, directly to the Provost, appropriate candidates, reviews and recommends policies regarding academic advising and academic support services,
- prepares the academic calendar and presents it to the Faculty Council for its approval, and
- establishes a standing subcommittee on Standards and Credits consisting of no fewer than three of its members and including the Registrar of UMass Boston as an ex officio member.
Academic Technology Committee
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Gonzalo Bacigalupe, Department of Counseling and School Psychology, GCE (2008-2011), Co-Chair
Mary Oleskiewicz, Department of Performing Arts, CLA (2006-2009), Co-Chair
Ilana Lehmann: Graduate College of Education (2008-2011)
Jean-Pierre Kuilboer, Department of Management Science and Information Systems, CM (2008-2011)
Eugene Gallagher, Department of Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences, CSM (2006-2009)
Jan Mutchler, Department of Gerontology, MGS (2007-2010)
Varghese George, Department of Management and Marketing, CM (2007-2010)
Yong Q. Tian. Department of Environ., Earth and Ocean Science (2008-2011)
Ex officio
Richard F. Antonak, Vice Provost for Research (provost's designee)
Kenneth Campbell, Associate Dean of Science and Mathematics
Eleanor Kutz, Department of English, College of Liberal Arts
Duties
The Academic Computer Oversight Committee provides recommendations and advice in the following areas:
- Understanding the needs and advocating the conduit to meet the requirements of the UMASS Boston community for the use of technology (e.g. the need for learning platform support)
- Setting priorities for addressing campus technology needs and concerns.
- Facilitating faculty and student input and participation in the expansion and improvement of academic technology (e.g. through focus groups and surveys).
- Suggesting and reviewing policies and procedures for determining access to and the acquisition, distribution, and use of campus-wide academic technology resources, based on curricular and research considerations.
- Planning for expansion and improvement of current campus academic technologies, including hardware and software acquisitions intended for campus-wide academic use, and the development of new academic computing facilities.
- Suggesting improvements based on the committee's evaluation of the quality of the campus’s technology-related endeavors as they relate to teaching, learning, research, and faculty development.
Budget and Planning Committee
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Gary Siperstein, College of Public and Community Service (2008-2011)
Lal Chugh, Department of Accounting and Finance, CM (2006-2009)
Gordon Wallace, Department of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sciences, CSM (2008-2011),
David Terkla, Department of Economics, CLA (2006-2009), Committee hair
Victoria Palmer-Erbs, Community and Family Nursing, CNHS (2006-2009)
Peter Spiegler, Department of Economics, CLA (2008-201)
Denise Patmon, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, GCE (2006-2009)
Ex officio
Winston Langley, Provost (or his designee)
Ellen O'Connor, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance
Daniel Ortiz, University Librarian
Neil Rosenburg, Director, Budget Office
Duties
The Budget and Planning Committee:
- is consulted in the planning and development of UMass Boston, especially in the creation of major budgetary units and colleges and consults with the appropriate administrative officers about such matters.
- is consulted with respect to the development of policy on the planning ,development, maintenance and use of all physical facilities of the Boston Campus, and is briefed annually and receives reports upon the implementation of such policy
- reviews library planning and major budgetary requests.
- issues reports and recommendations in a timely fashion.
- reports to the executive committee of the Faculty Council at least once each semester, accompanying its report with such recommendations as it deems appropriate, and annually to the Faculty Council if requested.
- reviews all budget proposals for each major budgetary unit and reports to the Faculty Council Executive Committee whenever possible about such reports prior to their approval by the administration.
- participate In all budget presentations.
- participate in at least one annual budget review meeting at which appropriate members of the administration and Faculty Council Executive Committee attend where recommendations of the Budget and Long Range Committee are discussed.
- Receives and comment on final decisions of the administration’s FY Budget.
Financial Aid, Admissions, and Records Committee
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Ping-Ann Addo, Anthropology, CLA (2008-2011)
Solange Brault, Biology, CSM (2007-2010)
Atreya Chakraborty, Finance and Accounting, CM (2008-2011)
Maurice Cunningham, Political Science, CLA(2007-2010)
Luis Aponte-Pares, Community Planning Program, CPCS (2007-2010)
Ex officio
Kathleen Teehan, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management
Duties
The Financial Aid, Admissions, and Records Committee reviews and recommends policies concerning
- admissions and readmissions of students,
- admission goals and student recruitment
- financial aid
- transfer credit
- registration, and
- academic records and distribution of grade reports.
At the request of the Provost or the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management, the committee may recommend action in individual cases.
General Education Committee
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Jorgelina Abbate Department of Counseling and School Psychology, GCE (2008-2011)
William Campbell, Department of Computer Science, CSM ( 2008-2011)
Estelle Disch, Department of Sociology, CLA (2008-2011
Judith Goleman , Department of English, CLA
Kurt Jacobs, Physics, CSM (2008-2011)
Anna Madison, College of Public and Community Services( 2008-2011)
Maura Mast, Department of Mathematics, CSM (2006-2009)
Victoria Palmer-Erbs, Community and Family Nursing, CNHS (2008-2011)
Mark Pawlak, Academic Support Programs
Maureen Scully, Department of Management and Marketing, CM (2008-2011)
Marietta Schwartz, Department of Chemistry, CSM (2007-2010)
Peng Xu, Department of Management Science and Information Systems, CM (2007-2010)
Judith Zeitlin, Department of Anthropology, CLA (2006-2009), Committee Chair
Ex officio
Paul J. Fonteyn, Provost (or his designee)
Peter Langer, Associate Provost
Anthony Petruzzi, Director of Writing Assessment (Undergraduate Studies)
Duties
The General Education Committee
- recommends university-wide policy related to the goals of general education, specifically concerning the capabilities which the university expects graduates to demonstrate, and the capabilities addressed in each phase of the General Education Program,
- supports the colleges in the development of assessment tools and strategies to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the general education courses they provide,
- monitors the implementation of campus-wide educational policy related to general education in the four undergraduate colleges by reviewing each college's assessment of general education courses and other instructional activities; makes recommendations related to programs improvement and to follow up these recommendations in subsequent reviews, and
- supports the development of initiatives related to general education, particularly related to faculty development, based on the assessment of strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in the program.
Courses, competencies, and other instructional activities designed to meet campus-wide general education requirements shall be approved at the college level. Collegiate governance has sole authority for the content of general education instruction provided by its faculty, and the responsibility to develop mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of this instruction.
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Mary Ann Byrnes, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, GCE (2007-2010)
Alan Clayton-Matthews, Department of Public Policy, MGS (2006-2009)
John Fulton, Department of English, CLA (2006-2009)
Varghese George, Department of Management and Marketing, CM (2007-2010)
Virginia Harvey, Counseling and School Psychology, GCE (2008-201108), Committee Chair
Richard Hung, Human Services Program, CPCS (2007-2010)
Rick Kesseli, Department of Biology, CSM (2005-2008)
Lizabeth Roemer, Department of Psychology, CLA (2007-2010)
Bela Torok , Chemistry, CSM (2008-2011)
Karen Dick, College of Nursing and Health Sciences (2008-2011)
Ex officio
Rita Nethersole, Graduate Studies
Stephen Haas, designee of the University Librarian
TBA, Graduate Student Assembly
Duties
The Graduate Studies Committee
- provides advice, when appropriate, to the Dean of Graduate Studies and to the Dean or Director of the appropriate college or unit on academic matters relating to the administration of graduate programs;
- develops policy recommendations on matters relating to graduate studies within the University, including:
- policies governing the establishment, modification and termination of all graduate programs, including cooperative graduate programs with other colleges and universities;
- policies governing graduate student admission, financial aid, and graduation;
- the qualifications required for faculty participation in graduate programs, including the direction of theses and dissertations; and
- if not covered by other grievance procedures the development of a system designed to resolve such differences as may arise between graduate students and members of the faculty.
- examines proposals of graduate programs and courses to ensure adherence to University policies and make recommendations to the Council concerning their adoption.
Library Committee
(All terms are for three years and begin and end in May.)
Lusa Lo, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, GCE (2008-2011), Committee Chair
Susan Desanto-Madeya, College of Nursing and Health Sciences (2008-2011)
Peter Fejer, Department of Computer Science, CSM (2006-2009)
Anne Jones, Department of Accounting and Finance, CM (2006-2009)
Heike Schotten, Political Science, CLA (2008-2011)
Susan Tomlinson, Department of English, CLA (2006-2009)
Ex officio
Daniel Ortiz, University Librarian
Duties
The Library Committee
- develops recommendations on the general policies of the Library
- monitors the holdings of the Library to ensure appropriate support for the present academic programs of UMass Boston and notifies the Faculty Council or areas of concern,
- reports to the appropriate Faculty Council Committee on the adequacy of Library holdings for a new program when Faculty Council action is required on such new program, and
- advises, when appropriate, the Director of Libraries in matters such as budget, acquisition policy, and administration of the Library.