Section 1: Administrative Structure

I. The Board of Regents
II. Officers of the University
III. University Organization Structure and Definitions
IV. The General Faculty
V. The Major Academic Units
A. Membership
B. Authority
C. Meetings
D. The Dean
E. The Department Chairperson
VI. The Faculty Senate
VII. Committees A.Graduate Council
B. Faculty Senate Committees
C. Faculty Committees
D. Presidential Committees
E. Advisory Committees
F. Committees Reporting  Directly to the Board of Regents
F.1. Faculty Appeals Committee
VIII. Selection and Responsibilities for the Faculty Reps to the BOR
History of Changes to Section One

   I. The Board of Regents

The management and control of Washburn University is vested in a Board of Regents. Members serve four year terms and are selected as follows:

1. Three Members: appointed by the Mayor with approval of the governing body of the city of Topeka, one from each of the three Topeka state senatorial districts.

2. Three members: appointed by the Governor. The appointees must be residents of Kansas.

3. One member: The Mayor of Topeka or one of the members of the governing body of the city designated by the Mayor.

4. One member: from the State Board of Regents selected annually by the State Board.

5. One member: appointed by the County Commission. The appointee must be a resident of the county but not of the city.

The Board of Regents has all powers and authority, express and implied to govern the University subject to applicable federal and state law. The specific enabling statutes applicable to the membership of the Board of Regents and its duties are found at K.S.A. 13-13a03. 

 II. Officers of the University

The primary academic officers of the University are the President, who is the chief executive officer of the University, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Vice President is responsible to the President and supervises and coordinates all academic programs.

A. Definitions - Faculty Appointment Categories (excluding School of Law)

1.  Tenure-track Faculty (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor)

Faculty with continuing appointment; eligible for tenure as outlined elsewhere in the Handbook. Normally a terminal degree is required for a  tenure-track appointment.

2.  Tenured Faculty (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor)

Faculty with continuing appointment; have received tenure as outlined elsewhere in the Handbook. Normally a terminal degree is required for an appointment of tenure.

3.  Senior Lecturer

Faculty appointed to this position without the possibility of tenure. Criteria for promotion from the lecturer position to this position and normal workload are determined by units, typically in the areas of teaching and service and are defined through contractual language. Normally, a minimum of ½ of the assigned workload responsibility must be devoted to teaching. Compensation is by annual contract, with eligibility for raises. Promotion is granted based upon exemplary teaching or performance at Washburn University [for a minimum of 5 years of service, appointed in the 6th]. Cannot be an initial appointment at the time of hire but rather promoted according to unit guidelines from an initial appointment of Lecturer. May be full-time or part-time appointments.

4.  Lecturer

Faculty hired on an annual appointment without the possibility of tenure. Normal workload is determined by units, typically in the areas of teaching and service and are defined through contractual language. Normally, a minimum of ½ of the assigned workload responsibility must be devoted to teaching. Compensation is by annual contract, with eligibility for raises. May be full-time or part-time appointments.

5. Distinguished Lecturer

Faculty hired on an annual appointment without the possibility of tenure. Normal workload is determined by units, typically in the areas of teaching and service and are defined through contractual language. Normally, a minimum of ½ of the assigned workload responsibility must be devoted to teaching. Compensation is by annual contract, with eligibility for raises. Individuals may be immediately appointed as a Distinguished Lecturer. Distinguished service and experience in business, industry, and/or higher education as determined by the academic unit and the Vice President for Academic Affairs is required.

6.  Librarians

Faculty with continuing appointment, without possibility of tenure. Compensation is by annual contract, with eligibility for raises.

7.  Visiting Faculty

Temporary faculty with ranks and duties similar to tenure-track faculty; not eligible for tenure; appointment renewable up to 6 years.

8.  Adjunct Faculty

Temporary instructional personnel, hired by department chair or dean on a one-semester contract. Compensation is per equated credit hour. Maximum load per semester is 6 equated hours of teaching or 2 courses, whichever is greater (or equivalent as assigned).

9.  Senior Adjunct Faculty/Clinical Faculty/Emeritus Adjunct Faculty

Temporary instructional personnel, hired by dean on a one-year contract. Compensation is per equated credit hour, but may be guaranteed for the entire year. Maximum load per semester is 9 equated hours of teaching (or equivalent as assigned).

B.  Definitions - Faculty Appointment Categories (School of Law)

1.  Tenured Faculty (Professor of Law) or Tenure-track Faculty (Generally designated as Associate Professor of Law. Designation of Professor of Law may be granted by dean in exceptional cases.)

Faculty with continuing appointment; eligible for tenure as outlined elsewhere in the Handbook.

2.  Non-tenure-track Faculty (Generally designated as Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Visiting Associate Professor of Law, or Visiting Professor of Law. Designation of Associate Professor of Law (without the qualifier of "visiting") may be granted by dean in exceptional cases.)

Hired on annual or semester contract with no possibility of tenure. Appointment renewable. Scholarship not expected.

3.  School of Law Librarians

Hired on annual contract with no possibility of tenure. Appointment renewable. May have teaching responsibilities. Scholarship not expected. School of Law Librarians are not considered members of the law faculty, but they are voting faculty members of the University General Faculty.

  IV. The General Faculty

A. Membership. The General Faculty shall consist of the President, Vice Presidents, Deans, Librarians, and those members of the University with the rank of Lecturer on a full-time annual contract, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor and other persons appointed by the Board.

B. Authority. The General Faculty has the authority to recommend to the President who shall transmit to the Board of Regents with his/her recommendations, on the following:

1. Changes in graduation requirements
2. New degrees
3. Academic majors or programs
4. Elimination of existing degrees or major programs
5. Creation of new academic departments
6. General Faculty Governance. The General Faculty may review, revise, recall, and endorse actions of the Faculty Senate.

On these matters the power of review or final decision lodged in the governing board or delegated by it to the President should be exercised adversely only in exceptional circumstances and for reasons communicated to the general faculty. It is desirable that the general faculty should, following such communication, have opportunity for further consideration and further transmittal of its views to the President or Board. Budgets, manpower limitations, the time element, and the policies of other groups, bodies, and agencies having jurisdiction over the institution may set limits to realization of faculty advice.

C. Meetings. There will be a minimum of two scheduled General Faculty meetings each academic year, one early in the fall semester and one just prior to Spring Commencement. Between meeting times, the authority of the General Faculty shall be exercised by the Faculty Senate pursuant to the recall provision of Section 10.j. of Bylaws Article V and also subject to the rights of the General Faculty as set forth in Section II.c. of the Bylaws. The General Faculty may be called together by the President of the University, by majority vote of the Faculty Senate, or upon petition by twenty members of the General Faculty. Action items on any topic may be placed on the Agenda of the General Faculty by majority vote of the Faculty Senate, provided that they are distributed to members of the General Faculty at least seven days prior to the meeting of the General Faculty. The Secretary of the General Faculty shall be elected from the members of the General Faculty at its first meeting in the Fall Semester, and shall serve for one academic year. The Faculty Senate at its last meeting in the Spring Semester shall nominate at least one candidate for the office; additional nominations may be made from the floor of the General Faculty meeting. The Secretary may select tellers from the membership of the General Faculty as he or she shall deem necessary, or upon request from at least 10 members of the General Faculty present and voting. A quorum for all General Faculty meetings shall be at least 33% of the General Faculty. The President shall preside at meetings of the General Faculty. If he or she is absent or vacates the chair, the Vice President for Academic Affairs shall preside.

D. Electronic Voting for Curricular Items

At the discretion of the Faculty Senate, curricular action items placed on the agenda of the General Faculty can be voted on electronically. Electronic voting will use the same basic protocols as General Faculty votes, and voting rights will extend to all members of the General Faculty as defined in section IV-A. Washburn staff and faculty who are not eligible to vote will have the opportunity to participate in online debates.

On the seventh business day following a Faculty Senate meeting, the General Faculty Secretary will notify all faculty and staff of any approved curricular changes via e-mail. The e-mail notice will provide directions to an online forum for debate of these items. The period of online debate will be seven days, although postings will remain viewable by the General Faculty throughout the subsequent voting period. Upon request, a student or member of the public may obtain guest login to a particular debate forum; those guests may view the debate, but may not contribute to it.

When the debate period ends, the General Faculty Secretary will announce by e-mail to members of the General Faculty that voting has begun. The General Faculty Secretary will assemble a list of eligible voting faculty at the beginning of each academic term and provide it to the ISS staff. The announcement message will include instructions for accessing a single online ballot for all curricular items requiring a vote. This ballot will display each curricular item, as worded by the Faculty Senate. For each item, the voter will answer two questions, the first regarding whether the item is deemed appropriate for online voting, and the second regarding whether, if online voting is approved by the faculty, the item should pass as worded. If a faculty member does not approve of online voting, he or she is opting to delay debate and voting until the next in-person General Faculty meeting. A quorum (greater than 33%) of the General Faculty must participate in the vote. The voting period will be seven days. If a quorum is not met, then a vote on the curricular items in question will be delayed until the next General Faculty meeting. To prevent double votes, the hyperlink and ballot page will be accessible to each eligible faculty member only once.

At the end of the voting period, the General Faculty Secretary and the Faculty Senate Secretary, will obtain, tally, and confirm the results, then report those results to the General Faculty. In addition, the General Faculty Secretary will retain a record of individual faculty votes, but only for verification purposes. Individual voting data will not be shared unless a request is made via the Kansas Open Meeting Act.

If a majority of respondents vote to permit online voting, then their contingent votes on whether to approve the item as currently worded will be tallied. If a majority of respondents vote to approve the item as worded, then the curricular change is approved, and the process is complete. If a majority of respondents vote against online voting, the item will be placed on the agenda for the next General Faculty meeting.

 V. The Major Academic Units

The instruction offered in the University shall be given in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Law, the School of Nursing, and the School of Applied Studies. 

A. Members. The faculty of each major academic unit shall consist of the President, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean and all full-time faculty members within the College/school with the rank of Lecturer, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor. Adjunct and part-time faculty members in such schools shall not have voting privileges. 

B. Authority. Each faculty of a major academic unit shall recommend to the Board, through the President, requirements for admission, except for open admission to the University, standards for retention, courses of study, the implementation of approved degrees to be conferred, rules and methods for conducting the educational program, and the candidates from its respective school for the degrees conferred. Recommendation for changes in graduation requirements, new degrees, and new majors will be recommended to the President and Board through the General Faculty. 

C. Meetings. Each Faculty of a major academic unit shall meet at the times designated in the rules and procedures adopted by it. Each faculty shall elect a secretary who shall keep a permanent record of all proceedings. 

 D. The Dean

The Academic Deans are directly responsible to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. They are to direct and supervise the academic programs under their responsibility, and they are responsible for the staffing, budget, and faculty development of the departments within their jurisdiction. The Deans will work directly with the Vice President for Academic Affairs on long-range planning and budget allocations concerning their respective areas of responsibility. It is intended for the Deans of major academic units to have principal administrative responsibility for the operation of their programs. 

 E. The Department Chairperson

1. Program Maintenance, Development and Evaluation
2. Personnel Management
3. Fiscal Management
4. Responsibilities to Students
5. Other Responsibilities  

The Chairperson is a faculty member and an administrator whose major responsibility is academic leadership of the faculty. This leadership is exercised through constructive concern for the academic performance of the department in light of goals and missions set by the disciplines, the school or college and the university. The Chairperson must be vitally involved in all aspects of academic planning and faculty development to ensure the continued academic vitality of the department. Specific among the administrative responsibilities of the Chairperson are:

 1. Program Maintenance, Development and Evaluation

The Chairperson will:

a. Initiate and coordinate short- and long-term planning for the department, including enrollment management and defining program outcomes, in consultation with the faculty.

b. Develop and evaluate in conjunction with the faculty curricula for majors, minors, non-majors and others who have interests in the department's offerings.

c. Arrange for procurement, inventory and maintenance of department equipment and ensure that all plant and physical facilities assigned to the department are kept in a clean, well-ordered manner.

d. Coordinate procurement of library materials, textbooks, audio-visual aids and other learning resources.

e. Maintain regular communication with the administration on the progress of various programs in the department.

f. Implement course schedules which maximize the opportunity for enrollment by all students, regardless of their educational objectives.

 2. Personnel Management

The Chairperson will:

a. Make recommendations for tenure, promotion and termination to the dean, following procedures outlined in Section Three of this handbook.

b. Assume primary responsibility for the recruitment of all new full-time, part-time and adjunct faculty in accordance with procedures outlined in this handbook.

c. Evaluate needs for additional faculty and report those results to the dean, along with appropriate justifications for the request for new faculty.

d. Provide leadership in the development of professional goals of the faculty, the department, the college and the university.

e. Make faculty aware of the opportunities and services available through the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning. When appropriate or necessary refer faculty to the Center.

f. Encourage faculty to engage in scholarly and creative research and service, and pursue excellence in teaching.

g. Encourage faculty to undertake and maintain ongoing activities for updating their instructional and professional programs.

h. Promote involvement among the faculty in related professional organizations at the local, state and national levels, as well as service within the department, college/school, the university and community.

i. Provide community contact as the representative of the department before civic and professional organizations and in hosting on- and off-campus community-related functions

j. Inform faculty about college/school and university policies and implement and monitor such policies.

k. Hear and assess faculty concerns on university matters; present those faculty concerns and problems to the administration.

l. Conduct annual performance and professional development review for all faculty in accordance with criteria developed in consultation with the faculty.

m. Assign faculty loads and coordinate the preparation of course, teaching and other work schedules.

n. Convene department meetings as necessary.

o. Orient new full, part-time and adjunct faculty to services and policies of the university and of the community.

p. Coordinate all departmental activities associated with accreditation.

q. Manage the formulation of departmental self-studies and coordinate program reviews

r. Evaluate needs for non-faculty staff and recommend the hiring of such personnel to the dean.

s. Maintain efficient and professional clerical operations.

t. Conduct annual performance and professional development reviews for all department staff.

3. Fiscal Management

The Chairperson will:

a. Prepare annual budget recommendations, including faculty and staff salaries, in accordance with university budget requirements.

b. Administer and modify budgets according to changing priorities.

4. Responsibilities to Students

The Chairperson will:

a. Coordinate the department's advising program in conformity with "The Core of Academe" in Appendix II and provide for its periodic evaluation.

b. Evaluate student requests for independent study or course substitution and coordinate intern, clinical or co-op programs.

c. Make information on employment and graduate program opportunities available to students.

d. Ensure that majors and others are informed of changes in courses and curricula.

e. Ensure that faculty members are aware of the policies in the Washburn University Student Handbook, especially those sections relating to appeal in academic matters.

5. Other Responsibilities of Chairpersons

The Chairperson will:

a. Encourage and set an example of professional conduct for members of the faculty and staff.

b. Provide office and other work space for faculty in consultation with the dean.

c. Attend or send a representative to meetings and conferences which relate to departmental concerns and interests.

d. Conduct elections or appoint departmental representatives to committees.

e. Prepare an annual report in accordance with guidelines supplied by the dean.

f. Coordinate the preparation of departmental copy for the catalog, the schedule of classes and other university publications.

  VI. FACULTY SENATE - CONSTITUTION

A. PURPOSE AND DUTIES OF THE FACULTY SENATE

1. The Faculty Senate, as the agent of the General Faculty of Washburn University , speaks on behalf of that body to the University community.

2. The Faculty Senate shall consider policies on University matters including academic issues and matters which affect more than one of the Major Academic Units.

3. As the agent of the General Faculty, the duties of the Faculty Senate thus include, but are not limited to:

a. providing a forum for the expression of faculty opinion.

b. exercising primary responsibility in curricular matters, academic programs and standards, changes in graduation requirements, new degrees, new majors or academic programs, elimination of existing degrees or major programs, creation of new academic departments, and recommending changes to the faculty handbook, subject to the oversight of the University President and the Board of Regents.

c. advising the University President on matters of university policy, including budgetary policies, faculty retention, matters which affect more than one of the Major Academic Units, and standards for student admission and retention.

d. advising academic deans regarding standards and procedures for faculty evaluation.

e. working to promote and maintain academic freedom.

f. overseeing the membership and function of all committees of the Faculty Senate and receiving, reviewing, remanding, approving or disapproving recommendations from the standing committees of the Faculty Senate.

4. To these ends, the Faculty Senate, as agent of the General Faculty, is empowered to act on behalf of the General Faculty of Washburn University in matters described in VI.A. The actions of the Faculty Senate may be reviewed, revised, recalled, or endorsed by the General Faculty. Any action by the Faculty Senate concerning changes in graduation requirements, new degrees, academic majors, or programs; elimination of existing degrees or major programs; or creation of new academic departments will be brought before the General Faculty for a vote. In addition, the Faculty Senate can choose by majority vote to bring any action of the body before the General Faculty for a vote. Any action of the Faculty Senate may be challenged by the petition of not less than twenty members of the General Faculty or 10% of the students currently enrolled. Such challenge must be presented as a signed written petition and presented to the Secretary of the General Faculty who will place it on the General Faculty agenda for action.

B . ELIGIBILITY AND MEMBERSHIP

1. Only full-time faculty on an annual contract are eligible to vote for and to serve on the Faculty Senate, excluding those faculty serving more than half time in administrative capacities and faculty on authorized leave of absence or sabbatical during such period of leave. Any eligible faculty member may put his or her name forward for election.

2. The School of Law, School of Business, School of Applied Studies, School of Nursing, and each division within the College of Arts and Sciences shall elect representatives to the Faculty Senate in proportion to the number of eligible faculty in each unit, with one senator selected to represent each ten faculty members (numbers with 0-4 as the ones digit shall be rounded down, numbers with 5-9 as the ones digit shall be rounded up in each voting unit). Representation will be based on the number of faculty in each unit at the start of the spring semester.

3. In addition, five at-large members of the Faculty Senate will be elected by all eligible faculty . No more than two of these may come from any one School or the College.

4. The Librarians of Mabee Library/Carnegie Education Library shall elect one member of the Faculty Senate for every ten of their number. The Librarians of the Law Library shall also elect one member of the Faculty Senate for every ten of their number.

5. The Vice President for Academic Affairs or his or her designee shall serve as a non-voting member of the Faculty Senate.

C . ELECTIONS

1. The Senate will establish a standing Electoral Committee to supervise elections, including any necessary modifications of designated voting units to reflect changing faculty numbers.

2. Elections to the Faculty Senate will be held annually in April, with half of the membership selected in each election. Members shall serve for a term of two years.

3. The Electoral Committee will oversee elections of at-large members to the Faculty Senate. Nominations for the at-large members of the Faculty Senate will be submitted to the Electoral Committee at least three weeks in advance of the election and will be publicized two weeks before the election.

4. Each electoral unit will decide on its own mechanism of voting for the Faculty Senate, subject to the oversight of the Electoral Committee.

5. Members of the Faculty Senate are eligible to serve a maximum of two consecutive terms, but may be re-elected after an absence of at least one year from the Faculty Senate.

6. Should any member of the Faculty Senate prove unable to serve out a full term for any reason, a special election will be held in that member's electoral unit to select a replacement for the remainder of the term.

D . ORGANIZATION

1. The Faculty Senate will meet each year within two weeks of elections, and at that meeting will elect from among its members the officers of the Senate: President, Vice President, Secretary, and Parliamentarian.

2. The President of the Faculty Senate shall ordinarily receive one-quarter reassigned time and clerical support from the office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The Secretary of the Faculty Senate shall ordinarily receive one-eighth reassigned time.

3. The President and Vice President of the Faculty Senate shall serve as the faculty representatives to the Board of Regents, and shall be prepared to report to the Board on issues before the Faculty Senate.

4. The Vice President of the Faculty Senate will serve as President in the case of absence or incapacity of the President of the Faculty Senate.

5. An Executive Committee shall be established, consisting of the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the Faculty Senate, and enough additional members elected by that body from among its members to ensure that every Major Academic Unit is represented. That Executive Committee will be charged with arranging meeting times and establishing agendas for each meeting. The Executive Committee shall also serve as a Committee on Committees for the Faculty Senate.

6. Agenda items can originate with the Executive Committee or any other member of the Faculty Senate or can be proposed to the Executive Committee by any member of the faculty or University community. 

7. Agendas for each Faculty Senate meeting will be distributed to all members of the Faculty Senate six days in advance of any scheduled meeting time and made available to the University community. Academic Affairs Committee agendas, Faculty Affairs agendas and Graduate Council agendas which contain items which constitute first reading for Faculty Senate will be distributed to all members of the applicable committee six calendar days in advance of any scheduled meeting time.

E. MEETINGS

1. During the course of the summer, the Executive Committee shall be empowered to act provisionally on an emergency basis on behalf of the full body, subject to the approval of the full Faculty Senate when it reconvenes.

2. Meetings of the Faculty Senate are open meetings. Speaking privileges before the Faculty Senate shall be granted to anyone recognized by the President of the body, or whose right to speak is supported by a majority vote of the body. The University President and the President of the Washburn Student Government Association (W.S.G.A.) shall have the right to speak before the Faculty Senate.

3. Actions of the Faculty Senate will be taken by majority vote of members present, with the exception of amendments to the Senate Constitution. All actions of the Faculty Senate, however, require the presence of a quorum, defined as at least half the elected representatives.

4. Each matter considered as new business shall be presented to the Faculty Senate as an agenda item in the form of two readings and may not occur on the same date. The first presentation of the matter shall be considered its first reading. Items coming to the Faculty Senate from the Graduate Council, and Faculty Affairs, Academic Affairs, Electoral, or All-University Committees will be taken up as second reading.

5. Minutes of all meetings of the Faculty Senate will be distributed to all members, to the University President, to the Secretary of the Board of Regents, the Secretary of the General Faculty, and to the President of W.S.G.A. by the Faculty Senate Secretary. Minutes will also be posted on the University web site by the Faculty Senate Secretary.

6. The President of the University shall have the right to non-concur with any action of the Faculty Senate, but in exercising this right, shall state the reasons for nonconcurrence in a letter to the Secretary of the Faculty Senate. The Board of Regents shall then be notified of the action of the Faculty Senate and the nonconcurrence of the University President, along with the stated reasons for nonconcurrence. A final determination of the matter shall be in the hands of the Board of Regents, and until such time the status quo shall prevail.

VII. COMMITTEES

In addition to the Executive Committee, the Faculty Senate will establish from its own membership the following committees: an Electoral Committee, to oversee elections of the Faculty Senate; an Academic Affairs Committee, to review and make recommendations on matters of curricula and programs; and a Faculty Affairs Committee, to review and make recommendations on faculty issues. The Graduate Council will report to Faculty Senate and make recommendations on graduate curricula, excluding those of the School of Law. 

The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, in its capacity as Committee on Committees, will be empowered to create, as deemed necessary, ad-hoc committees, and to oversee faculty representation on faculty committees.

A. Graduate Council

The Graduate Council is charged with evaluating carefully and making recommendations to the Faculty Senate regarding (1) all new graduate programs (majors, degrees, certificates and the like) proposed by any major academic unit of the University; (2) major revisions to existing programs (such as a change in major designation or the addition of a major or concentration); and (3) new graduate academic programs or revisions to such programs that originate from units other than major academic units. In these matters, the primary concern of the Council shall be consistency of the proposed program with applicable University-wide and external accreditation guidelines and regulations including admission criteria and procedures, potential impact of the program on other established graduate programs in the University, and financial implications of such new or revised program. Joint programs including School of Law are subject to this review. All programs exclusive to the School of Law are not.

In addition to the review and decision responsibilities listed above, the Graduate Council shall also serve as an important advisory council for providing input into the decision process on administrative matters and procedures affecting multiple graduate programs across the campus, and as an important collaborative council for seeking opportunities to coordinate and cooperate in ways to best support and strengthen graduate programs at Washburn University.

Decisions of the Graduate Council regarding the matters forwarded to Faculty Senate will require the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting members; a majority of the members shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. In these matters, actions of the Graduate Council will serve as the first reading of such action for the Faculty Senate.

Actions of the Graduate Council regarding administrative matters (matters not forwarded to Faculty Senate) will require the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the voting members; a majority of the members shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. If a member is unable to attend the meeting in person, the member may issue their vote on an administrative action item in advance of the meeting by submitting their vote in writing via email to the Chairperson of the Graduate Council. The email vote will be recorded in the minutes as part of the action.

The Graduate Council voting membership will consist of the director (or a designee) of each graduate program including the School of Law, and one faculty member from Mabee Library designated by the dean of the library. The Graduate Council will elect a Chairperson annually. There must be one faculty senate representative on the Graduate Council, who will serve as a voting member. This representative may be an existing member of the council (e.g. a Graduate Program director), in which case, he/she will cast only one vote per issue. The Vice President for Academic Affairs (or their designee) will serve as a non-voting ex-officio member of the Council.

The minutes of the Graduate Council meetings shall be forwarded to Faculty Senate in a timely manner.

B. Faculty Senate Committees

Committees established by the Faculty Senate from its own membership. Each Committee selects its own chairperson.

-----1. Electoral Committee

The Committee will oversee elections of the Faculty Senate. The Electoral Committee will oversee elections of at-large members to the Faculty Senate and will maintain oversight of the electoral units' mechanisms of voting for the Faculty Senate. In addition, the Committee will be responsible for any  necessary modifications of designated voting units to reflect changing faculty numbers. Faculty representatives on this Committee must be members of the Faculty Senate.

-----2. Academic Affairs Committee

The following items should be channeled through the ACADEMIC UNIT’s faculty governance process and would not come through the General Faculty Governance process (i.e., Academic Affairs, Senate, General Faculty and the Washburn Board of Regents) unless at least one of the five criteria is also present:
A. Changes to the minor
B. New courses, course modifications, changing of course descriptions, credit hours or course numbers
C. Deleting unused course numbers
D. Changes to certificates
E. Changing prerequisites
F. Number of credits in the major (within the University established minimum/maximum levels)
G. Changing the advising process
H. List of potential electives within the unit for a major

The Academic Affairs Committee shall consist of two (2) Faculty Senate members from each Major Academic Unit other than the School of Law, and a Senate representative of Mabee Library/Carnegie Education Library. Each member will be elected to a one-year term by the Faculty Senate from its ranks. The committee selects its own chairperson. Decisions of the Academic Affairs Committee require the affirmative vote of six of the nine members; six members shall constitute a quorum to conduct business. The VPAA or his/her designee will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member. If possible, all faculty members of the Academic Affairs Committee should be senators. However, if a Major Academic Unit has three or fewer senators, or Mabee Library/Carnegie Education Library has only one senator, the Faculty Senate President may ask the relevant unit(s) to elect a non-senator to the Academic Affairs Committee to ensure adequate representation from this (these) unit(s). If appointments of non-senators must be made, the minimum proportion of the faculty members of the Academic Affairs Committee that will be senators is 2/3.

-----3. Faculty Affairs Committee

The Faculty Affairs Committee is charged with promoting the general welfare of faculty members. While the scope of the committee is general in nature, the more prominent interests are:

a. Teaching loads and extracurricular duties

b. Retirement, tenure, and sabbatical leaves

c. Faculty grievances

d. Dismissal criteria

e. Salary and faculty benefits

f. The academic sabbatical program

Membership of the committee consists of one Faculty Senate member from each Division within the College of Arts and Sciences, one from the School of Business, one from the School of Law, one from the School of Nursing, one from the School of Applied Studies, and one member from the University libraries, each elected for a one-year term by the Faculty Senate from its ranks. The committee selects its own chairperson. If possible, all faculty members of the Faculty Affairs Committee should be senators. However, if a Major Academic Unit has three or fewer senators, or Mabee Library/Carnegie Education Library has only one senator, the Faculty Senate President may request the relevant unit(s) elect a non-senator to the Faculty Affairs Committee to ensure adequate representation from this (these) unit(s). If appointments of non-senators must be made, the minimum proportion of the faculty members of the Faculty Affairs Committee that will be senators is 2/3.

  C. Faculty Committees

Committee membership consists of faculty elected by the academic units. Students or staff might also be added to these committees at the discretion of the Faculty Senate. At least one faculty representative on each faculty committee must be a member of the Faculty Senate, by special appointment of the Executive Committee, if necessary. The Faculty Senate has the right to receive, review, remand, approve, or disapprove recommendations from these committees. Changes to the charge or membership structure of these committees will be made by action of the Faculty Senate. Faculty Committees will report their membership and their action to the Faculty Senate on a regular basis. Each Faculty Committee shall elect a chair from among its own members. Faculty Committees include, but are not limited to:

-----1. Research Committee

a. Purpose and Function

The purpose of this Committee is to allocate funds for the support of scholarly activities of the full-time faculty of Washburn University.

In this capacity the Committee will review requests for funds to cover all reasonable expenses associated with scholarly activities.

1) Scholarly activity refers to original research that results in the advancement of the arts, humanities, sciences, social sciences, or professions.

2) Reasonable expenses may include the following types of items: reassigned time, travel, equipment, materials, supplies, services, and a variety of publication costs including the purchase of reprints.

3) The Committee will not review requests for the support of graduate course work or dissertation research, for the development of new courses or course materials, or for expenses augmenting Sweet Sabbatical funds.

An application for funds should be submitted to the chairperson of the Committee. This application should include a short but clear description of the activities and their significance, as well as a detailed account of the financial support requested. In some cases the Committee may request the applicant to be present at the review meeting so that questions may be answered.

b. Membership

The Committee will consist of three faculty members actively engaged in research or other scholarly pursuits elected by the College of Arts and Sciences, a faculty member actively engaged in research or other scholarly pursuits elected by the various schools and colleges involved, a member of the University Library faculty, a member of the Treasurer's office and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

c. Major Research Grants and the Review Committee

(For more details, see Appendix III.) A research fund for more extensive activities has been established to provide support for the research and scholarly activities of the full-time faculty of Washburn University. A Review Committee will be elected by the academic units to review proposals and to recommend to the Research Committee allocations from the research fund. The membership will consist of one representative from each academic unit. The Review Committee will then recommend allocations to the Research Committee.

1) Functions of the Review Committee

a) The Review Committee will provide application forms to full-time members of the Washburn faculty seeking financial support for their research or scholarly activity. These applications will require a clear description of the purpose, nature, method of evaluation, and significance of the activity to be supported, as well as a detailed account of the expenses to be incurred.

b) The Review Committee shall act on proposals twice annually: in October and in April. The spring meeting will review projects to commence during the following summer and fall semester, while the fall meeting will be concerned with projects planned for the following spring semester.

c) The Review Committee will develop and publish criteria for the evaluation of proposals.

d) The Review Committee will evaluate and rank as to merit all the requests received at each of its meetings.

2) Structure of the Review Committee

a) The Review Committee shall be composed of five full-time tenured Associate or Full Professors who shall serve staggered two-year terms. The Committee will consist of three faculty members actively engaged in research or other scholarly pursuits, elected by the College of Arts and Sciences, a faculty member actively engaged in research or other scholarly pursuits elected by the various schools and colleges involved.

b) The Vice President for Academic Affairs will be an ex officio member without vote.

c) The Review Committee will report to the Research Committee.

d) Members shall be required to recuse themselves from deliberations of any grant they are proposing.

-----2. Interdisciplinary Studies Committee

The Interdisciplinary Studies Committee serves in the role of an academic department for administering University approved courses in Interdisciplinary studies. The committee is responsible for making recommendations for development and review of interdisciplinary curricula, approving the scheduling of Interdisciplinary Studies courses, formulating academic guidelines for implementation of the Interdisciplinary Studies program, and reporting its actions and recommendations to the Faculty Senate.

Membership consists of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, one faculty member elected by each Division of the College of Arts and Sciences, and one faculty member each elected by the Schools of Business, Applied Studies, and Nursing, and two students selected by the Washburn Student Government Association.

-----3. Promotion and Tenure Standards Committee

(See Section Three, part I.D. for details)

-----4. Honors Advisory Board

The purpose of the Honors Advisory Board is to encourage faculty participation in and foster a diversified honors program for Washburn students. Its responsibilities are to advise the Director of Honors in developing policies relating to administration of the honors program, to devise seminars, colloquia and special course sections for honor students, to coordinate efforts of faculty members, department heads and appropriate deans to implement courses, and to approve selection of courses to be offered. The Board reports its recommendations to the Director of University Honors.

Membership includes the Director of University Honors, one Library faculty member appointed by the Dean of Libraries, one faculty member representing each of the Schools, one faculty member from each division in the College, and three students involved in Honors appointed by the Washburn Student Government Association in consultation with the Honors Advisory Board. Members shall serve a term of two calendar years, beginning in the fall semester, but may be reappointed. Terms shall expire at the beginning of the fall semester of the years indicated below in parentheses and every two years thereafter:

School of Business, CAS - Humanities Division, Social Sciences Division, Education and Kinesiology Division (2011)

School of Applied Studies, School of Nursing, Mabee Library, CAS - Natural Sciences Division, Creative and Performing Arts Division (2012)

-----5. General Education Committee

The function of the General Education Committee is to assist faculty members to develop or modify courses that facilitate the acquisition of university  student learning outcomes listed in the General Education Statement, to approve courses for general education based on the criteria established by the General Faculty, and  to review transfer courses as necessary (e.g., technical course transfers, courses not approved for general education by the transferring institution) to determine whether they meet the spirit and intent of the Washburn University general education criteria.

If a Washburn course is disapproved by the Committee, the rationale for such action will be written with reference to the adopted standards and communicated to the VPAA and the sponsor.

Once a course is approved by the Committee, it will be the responsibility of the sponsoring department to review its implementation and assess its effectiveness at least every five years. The results of the review and assessment will be forwarded to the General  Education Committee. Any change in the course's targeted university  student learning outcome or in its general content or format must by submitted to the General Education Committee for approval.

Decision of the Committee concerning course approval and  five-year course review  will be reported by the VPAA or  his/her designee to the deans. Decisions of the committee concerning course approval and  five-year course review  may be appealed to the Faculty Senate with further appeal to the General Faculty.

Members of the Committee are: the VPAA or  his/her designee , one faculty member from each division of the College, one faculty member each from the Schools of Applied Studies, Business and Nursing, and one library faculty member. Faculty members are elected by their constituent units. 

  D. Presidential Committees

Committee members are selected by the President of the University, though the President may choose to consult with the Faculty Senate when selecting faculty members to serve on Presidential Committees. These committees report their actions to the University President. Presidential Committees do not report to the Faculty Senate. Changes to the charge or membership structure of these committees are made at the discretion of the University President. Presidential Committees include, but are not limited to:

-----1. Athletic Committee

The Committee serves to advise the President, the Athletic Director and the Faculty on the University's athletic program. Its responsibilities are to assist in the formulation of athletic program policy, to advise the Athletic Director and President on athletic program policy and operation, to recommend athletic program policy, to review the status of the athletic program, and to report to the Faculty Senate on the status of the athletic program.

Membership consists of the Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA & MIAA Conferences (Chairperson), the Vice President for Administration and Treasurer, the Director of Alumni Relations, the President of the Alumni Association, two representatives from the Athletic Department, two students selected by the Washburn Student Government Association, and one full-time faculty member appointed by each of the major academic unit heads.

-----2. Honorary Degree Committee

The Committee shall recommend persons to receive honorary degrees from the University. The Committee will assist in identifying individuals who are worthy of consideration for honorary degrees by virtue of their community service or professional accomplishments, assemble data in support of nominations, and assist in hosting honorees during commencement weekend activities. The Committee reports its recommendations to the President.

Membership consists of the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, one faculty member from each School and the College, and at least one student appointed by the President. The Committee selects its Chairperson.

-----3. Institutional Review Board

(For more details see Appendix IV) The Institutional Review Board was established by the Board of Regents and is charged with assuring that all research activities conducted under the auspices of Washburn University involving human subjects conform to University policies. The Board reviews all proposals involving human subject research and conducts continuing review appropriate to the degree of risk involved in the research. It reports its findings to the Faculty Research Committee and to the Faculty Senate.

While the IRB is a subcommittee of the Faculty Research Committee, the Board members are appointed by the President. Board members cannot be of the same professional discipline, nor can they all be of the same sex. Membership includes at least one member appointed from each major academic area (the number of members from one academic area may not vary by more than one from any other area), at least one member not associated with the University and at least one member of the student body who is a full-time upper-division or graduate student with a 3.00 grade average or better. The President and Vice President for Academic Affairs serve as ex officio members. The Board selects its own Chairperson.

-----4. University Facilities Planning Committee

The University Facilities Planning Committee functions to ensure that the physical development of the entire campus proceeds in accordance with and in response to University goals, educational objectives and policies, and within the financial capabilities of the institution.

The University Facilities Planning Committee is responsible for receiving educational program objectives, translating objectives into a campus facilities plan, reviewing specific building plans received from the individual building committees, evaluating building and other physical facility proposals and alternatives, preparing planning conclusions and recommendations, modifying and revising the campus facilities plan, recommending building and physical facilities proposals to the President and the Board of Regents, and reporting action and recommendations to the President.

The President establishes the committee and appoints its members. The committee is composed of the Executive Director of Planning, Vice President for Administration, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Director of Physical Plant, and Vice President for University Advancement. The Director of Institutional Research and Staff Architect serve as support. The Vice President for Administration serves as chairperson.

-----5. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee

(For more details see Appendix V) Washburn University has established an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee which shall evaluate the care, treatment, housing and use of animals and certify compliance of applicable federal laws, regulations and policies.

1. Committee Membership

The President shall appoint five (5) persons to serve on the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Committee). Four of the members shall be faculty, three of whom have experience working with vertebrate animals and one who is not affiliated in any way with the research involving animals other than as a member of the committee. One member shall be a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.

2. Term of Membership

The Term of membership on such committee shall be three (3) years provided, however, the initial appointment of members to the Committee shall have two members appointed to a three year term, one for a two year term and one for a one year term.

3. Committee Chair

The Committee shall elect its chair from among the members provided, however, the Veterinarian is not eligible to serve as Chair.

4. Committee Duties

The Committee shall:

1. Review, at least once every six months, the research facility's program for the humane care and use of animals using the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals ( Guide ) as a basis for evaluation.

2. Inspect, at least once every six months, all of the University's animal facilities using the Guide as a basis for the evaluation.

3. Prepare reports of the Committee evaluations and submit the reports to the Institutional Official. Such reports must contain a description of the nature and extent of adherence to the Guide and Public Health Service Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals ( PHS Policy ) and state reasons for each departure. The report must distinguish significant deficiencies from minor deficiencies and must contain a reasonable and specific plan and schedule for correcting each deficiency. The reports must be made available to the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare on request.

4. Review concerns involving the care and use of animals at the University.

5. Make recommendations to the Institutional Official regarding any aspect of the animal program, facilities or personnel training.

6. Review and approve, require modifications in, or withhold approval of components of proposed activities related to the care and use of animals.

7. Review and approve, require modifications in, or withhold approval of proposed significant changes regarding the use of animals in ongoing activities.

8. Be authorized to suspend an activity involving animals if it determines with the description provided by the investigator and approved by the IACUC or such activity is not in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Guide or the PHS Policy . The Institutional Official, in consultation with the Committee, shall review the reasons for the suspension, take appropriate corrective action and report that action with a full explanation to the appropriate agency.

9. Prepare the annual report to be submitted by the Institutional Official to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) required by federal regulations, 9 CFR 2.36 and, for projects funded in whole or in part by the Public Health Service, the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW).

5. Institutional Official

The President is the Institutional Official having the authority to sign the Institution's Assurance and making a commitment on behalf of the University the requirements of the PHS Policy will be met.

6. Committee Meetings and Protocol

The Committee shall adopt a meeting schedule, procedures and protocols to conduct its duties in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and policies.

E. Advisory Committees

Committees will typically include at least one member of the Faculty Senate. Advisory Committees will report their actions by minutes both to the Secretary of the Faculty Senate and to the appropriate administrative official (parenthetically noted). Changes to the charge or membership structure of these committees would be made by the President of the University in consultation with the Faculty Senate. Advisory Committees include, but are not limited to:

-----1. Assessment Committee (VPAA/VPSL)

The Assessment Committee is charged with coordinating all aspects of the University's assessment efforts, including the implementation and evaluation of the University's assessment plan, and development, implementation and evaluation of the assessment of General Education. Primary responsibility for assessment within their respective areas lies with the departments, major academic units, and the General Education Committee.

Members include one faculty member each from the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Law ; two faculty members from the School of Applied Studies; one faculty member from each of the five divisions of the College of Arts and Sciences; one representative from Washburn Institute of Technology; the Associate Dean of  University Libraries and Student Success or designee ; one Student Life staff member; and the president of the Washburn Student Government Association or designee as voting members; and the faculty assessment coordinator ; the Vice President for Academic Affairs; the Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning ; and the Director  of Strategie Analysis and Reporting or their designees as non-voting ex-officio members.

Faculty members are elected by their academic units for staggered three-year terms with a limit of two consecutive terms (six years). This  term limit can be waived by majority vote of the constituent unit. The Student Success and Student Life staff members are appointed by the VPAA in consultation with the Dean of University Libraries and the Vice President for Student Life respectively. Because this committee is critical to the continued accreditation of the University, strong commitment by committee members is required. Should a member fail to uphold the required responsibilities to the committee, the Vice President for Academic Affairs may request a new member be elected by the constituency.

The  committee will be chaired by the faculty assessment coordinator. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings and submitted to the secretary of the Faculty Senate for circulation to the Faculty Senate and through the Faculty Senate circulation list.

-----2. The Board of Student Media (VPAA/VPSL)

The purpose of the Board of Student Media shall be to set general policies for student media (as outlined in the board's Constitution), to enforce the "Policy for Student Media of Washburn University," and to encourage effective student publications at Washburn University.

The board reports to the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate member of the Board will represent the board at Faculty Senate.

The board shall be responsible for safeguarding the editorial freedoms of student publications as outlined in the "Policy for Student Media of Washburn University;" for selecting the best qualified applicants for the positions of Review Editor, Kaw Editor, Business Manager and Ad Manager; for interviewing and hiring a production adviser; and for reviewing and accepting into record an annual budget submitted by the Business Manager of the two publications at the first fall meeting of the board.

Membership of the board shall consist of three members of the faculty of Washburn University, one community representative (preferably with a journalistic background) and three students in good standing at the University. There must not be more than one faculty member from any one academic department, nor shall student members be either elected members of WSGA, be serving as an executive officer of that organization, or be on staff of student publications. The advisers, editors, business manager, and advertising manager of the Kaw and Review are ex officio members.

a. Faculty. Two faculty members of this board will be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the chair of the Department of Mass Media. A third member will be appointed by the Faculty Senate. All faculty members shall serve a term of two academic years, beginning in the fall semester, but may be reappointed. Should the VPAA not appoint faculty members by September 15 of each year, members of the Board may appoint faculty to fill those positions. 

b. The community member of this board will be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the chair of the Department of Mass Media.

c. Students. The three students will be appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the chair of the Department of Mass Media.. At the beginning of each fall semester, the WSGA office and the Board of Student Media will advertise the positions and take applications on an all-campus basis. No more than two students will have the same major. All student members shall serve a one-year term, but may be reappointed.

d. The chair of the board is elected by the members of the board.

e. Student editors and student managers will serve as non-voting members.

f. The Director of Student Media will serve as a non-voting member.

-----3. University Financial Aid Committee (Executive Director of Enrollment Management)

The purpose of the University Financial Aid Committee is to assure that the Institutional Financial Aid funds are awarded in the most effective manner to the greatest number of qualified applicants, to carry out the mission of the University and to further enhance recruitment and retention.

The Committee is charged with the responsibility to act in an advisory capacity to the Financial Aid Department in matters of student financial aid awards, including scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs, governmental financial assistance programs or other forms of student financial assistance. The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for implementing policies and coordinating and performing all work necessary to make such awards to students. The Director of Financial Aid shall make reports and recommendations to the committee that the Director deems necessary and prepare reports requested by the committee.

Membership of this Committee will consist of individuals who deal directly with the recruitment and retention process. These individuals should have financial aid knowledge and how it can implement and enhance recruitment and retention. The membership shall consist of the Executive Director of Enrollment Management, the Director of Financial Aid, the Director of Admissions, the Vice President for Academic Affairs (or Designee), the Vice President for Administration and Treasurer (or Designee), one faculty representative from each Major Academic Unit appointed by the respective unit heads, a representative from the Athletic Department, Associate Vice President for Student Life (or Designee), a representative from the Music Department, a student representative appointed by the Washburn Student Government Association.

A subset of this committee consisting of the Vice President for Administration and Treasurer (or Designee), the Director of Admissions, and two faculty representatives serves as the Financial Aid Appeals Committee as required. This sub-committee is charged with the responsibility to meet and discuss any scholarship/financial aid appeals which may be presented and to resolve those appeals.

-----4. International Education Committee (Director of International Programs)

To promote international education at Washburn, including study abroad and exchange of scholars, the International Education Committee shall promote and facilitate study abroad for Washburn Students, recommend financial aid for study abroad, serve as campus Fulbright committee, recruit international students, ensure University compliance with INS requirements and regulations, promote and organize extracurricular international programming on campus and in the Topeka-Shawnee County area, and maintain an active working relationship with the International Center of Topeka, Inc.

The Committee shall be composed of the Director and the Assistant Director of International Programs, and members representing other areas of the University who shall be recommended by the director and, upon approval, appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

-----5.  Student Success Committee   (VPAA/VPSL/Executive Director of Enrollment Management)

The  Student Success Committee is charged with examining the curricular and co-curricular programs, services, and resources aimed to foster holistic development and student success, including but not limited to retention and graduation rates. This is accomplished by reviewing past and current initiatives, analyzing data, and recommending future actions.   The Committee is composed of one faculty member from each of the divisions of the College; one faculty member each from the Schools of Business, Nursing and Applied Studies; three students selected by the Washburn Student Government Association; the Executive Director of Enrollment Management; the Assistant Dean of Student Success and Retention; a  representative from each of the following areas: Assessment Committee, International Education, and Washburn Tech;  the Director of Admissions; the Director of Financial Aid; the  Dean of the University Libraries; the Director of Strategic Analysis and Reporting; the Director of Residential Living; the Director of Student Involvement & Development; the Director of Multicultural Affairs; the Director of Learning in the Community (LinC); the Director of Diversity and Inclusion;   the Vice President for Student Life; and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  The Vice President for Academic Affairs will serve as Chairperson.

-----6. Committee on Undergraduate Probation and Reinstatement (VPAA/VPSL)

This Committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing policy and establishing minimum standards of the University regarding undergraduate academic grade requirements and scholastic deficiency.  The Committee will act upon individual requests for reinstatement and continued probation.  The Committee is composed of one faculty member from each of the divisions of the College, one faculty member each from the Schools of Business, Nursing and Applied Studies, three students selected by the Washburn Student Government Association, the Registrar (or designee), the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee), the Director of Financial Aid (or designee), the Director of Counseling Services, the Assistant Dean of Student Success and Retention, and the Associate Vice President for Student Life. The Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (or designee) serves as Chairperson.

-----7. Library Committee (Dean of Mabee Library)

The Committee makes recommendations and gives advice to the Director of the University Library on matters of library management and planning. Committee members provide liaison between the Library and the various departments and schools (excluding the Law School), and advise the Library in its collection development efforts. The Committee reports to the Faculty Senate.

The Committee selects its chairperson and is composed of the Dean of the University Libraries, one additional Library faculty member selected by the dean, three students selected by the Washburn Student Government Association, and one faculty member elected by each School, excluding the Law School, and one faculty member from each department in the College and in the School of Applied Studies.

-----8. Technology Steering Committee (VPAA/VPAT)

a. Purpose and Function

The Technology Steering Committee formulates medium and long-range University planning in all aspects of technology, including such areas as on-line education, cable TV, teleconferencing, computers, telephone systems, and other electronic systems.

The Committee also considers and establishes policies for technology equipment and uses.

b. Membership

VPAA, VPAT, VP Student Life, Executive Director of Enrollment Management, Special Assistant to the President, 4 Faculty Members (two designated by the VPAA, one designated by the Faculty IT Advisory Committee, and one designated by the Faculty Senate), Dean of Libraries and Student Success, President Washburn University Foundation, Chief Information Officer.

c. Functions of the Technology Steering Committee

*Develop, review, and approve policies affecting technology use on campus,
*Provide oversight and guidance for the function of Information Technology Services,
*Allocate technology capital funding

-----9. University Program Review Committee (VPAA/VPAT/VPSL)

a. Purpose and Function

This committee serves in an advisory capacity to the subunits that are being reviewed, the area Vice Presidents and the President.

b. Membership

VPAA, VPSL, and VPAT (Tri -Chairs--non-voting members);  nine (9) tenured faculty: one (1) elected by each school and one (1) elected from each division of the college; three (3) students elected or appointed by the Washburn Student Government Association (at least one must be a non-traditional student); three (3) Washburn employees: one (1) librarian chosen by the Library staff, one (1) from Student Life, one (1) from Business Area.

c. Functions of the University Program Review Committee

The Program Review process is intended to improve the quality of the academic, administrative, and student life programs offered at Washburn University.  It is also intended to provide an organized opportunity for faculty to reflect on educational practices and review the role of their department/unit in the context of the University.  Program Review offers the opportunity to reflect on department/unit and institutional priorities and encourages programs to consider how they support the strategic direction of the University.  The primary goals are: 1) To enhance the quality of programs by assessing program strengths and challenges; 2) To align program needs and campus priorities with the planning and budgeting process; 3) To assure that department/unit priorities are consistent with the University’s mission and strategic directions. 

Program review and assessment information, after review by the appropriate Dean or unit head, is submitted to the Program Review committee via the Vice President for Academic Affairs’ office.  Department/program information is made available to the committee members for their review during the semester prior to the scheduled review. 

The  Program Review committee will meet with the department/program chair/unit head to discuss the executive summary, documentation and other relevant matters.  Based on this meeting, the committee will prepare a report to be sent back to the department/program chair and unit head.  Another meeting is then scheduled with the department/program chair and the appropriate Vice President to discuss the committee’s response and plans for the recommendations or unit actions. 

---10. Faculty Handbook Committee (VPAA)

The Faculty Handbook Committee shall be a standing advisory committee with the purpose of 1) reviewing the Faculty Handbook in a logical and timely fashion, 2) considering suggestions made for modifications to the handbook, 3) evaluating new policy recommendations prior to implementation, 4) creating new policies/procedures in response to developments in the legal environment, 5) reviewing policies for possible elimination of practices/rules/guidelines if
inconsistent with the current higher education environment, and 6) recommending any of the revisions, modifications or amendments to the handbook through the shared governance process to the President.

The committee is charged with reviewing at least one portion of the handbook every semester to identify and determine necessary changes/modifications needed, if any. Additionally, the committee should address any pertinent changes in a timely manner.

The core membership will include 5 faculty members, one from each of the major academic units appointed by their respective Dean; 2 senate representatives (appointed by faculty senate, normally in the senator’s first term); one library representative (dean or dean’s designee); 5 academic deans/designee; University Counsel (ex-officio and non-voting); and VPAA/designee (ex-officio and voting if tie-breaker is needed). Designated faculty members from the five major academic units will serve three-year terms and are limited to two successive terms. The Vice President for Academic Affairs or VPAA designee will serve as chairperson. Other administrators and faculty will be invited to participate in meetings when subsets within sections require additional input.

All policy or substantive changes recommended by the committee will proceed to the Faculty Senate President who will make the determination whether the agenda item should be reviewed and acted upon by the Academic Affairs Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee, or Graduate Council prior to sending it to the Faculty Senate. Should the Faculty Affairs Committee generate a faculty handbook idea and develop the agenda item, this item will then be submitted to the Faculty Handbook Committee for review and recommendation to the Faculty Senate. Other faculty/administrators can offer ideas/agenda items to the Faculty Handbook committee. This committee will complete the research, and develop an agenda item to be forwarded to Faculty Senate for the governance process as stated above.

This committee will be granted the authority to ensure the Faculty Handbook has consistent titles, formatting, dates, and language throughout. Such editorial changes are not considered substantive and as such will move forward as information items to the Faculty Senate.

---11.  Academic/sweet sabbaticals committee (VPAA)

The academic and sweet sabbaticals committee shall review and recommend the awarding of both to the vice president for academic affairs and the president. The committee shall be composed of one member from each major academic unit and from each division within the College of Arts and Sciences, chosen by those units. Appointees must be tenured faculty. The term of service is two years on a staggered basis.

  F. Committees Reporting Directly to the Board of Regents

  -----1. Faculty Appeals Committee

The Faculty Appeals Committee shall consist of five (5) faculty appointed by the Faculty Senate. No one shall be appointed who is a member of the academic department of which the appellant is a member. The member of the Committee senior in tenure shall serve as Chairperson. The functions and authority of the Appeals Committee are outlined in the Bylaws of the University, Article V, Section 9.  

   VIII. Selection and Responsibilities for the Faculty Representatives to the Board of Regents

A. Selection

The President and Vice President of the Faculty Senate shall serve as the faculty representatives to the Board of Regents, and shall be prepared to report to the Board on issues before the Faculty Senate.

B. Description of Duties & Responsibilities

1. Representing

a. Representing faculty formally in board meetings and informally at board dinners;

b. Being well-informed on all issues going to the board and consulting appropriate faculty and administrators whenever anything of potential relevance appears on board agendas;

c. Establishing communications with groups and individuals such as the Faculty Affairs Committee and university administrators in order to obtain insight into administration proposals on issues;

d. Working with the administration to assist in the development of proposals acceptable to faculty interests and supporting these proposals before the board.

2. Communicating

a. Communicating board perspectives, developments and actions to faculty;

b. Making oneself available to a broad cross-section of faculty in order to determine current faculty interest;

c. Becoming informed of potential problems which might appear from existing or contemplated board actions or proposals of administration or faculty.

3. Serving in ceremonial roles to represent the faculty such as taking part in ceremonies, inaugurations, and other functions.

 History of Changes to Section One

20 October 1995

Part VII.D.3 - The University Financial Aid Committee was restructured and the committee's charge revised.

11 September 1997

Part VI.A.2 was changed to add the senior elected Faculty Representative to the Board of Regents to the voting membership of the University Council and

to add the junior elected Faculty Representative to the Board of Regents to the non-voting membership of the University Council.

Part VI.A.4 was changed to make the chair of the University Council an elected position. The President (or in his/her absence the VPAA) had been the chair of the University Council.

 Part VI.A.6 was changed to require the agenda for University Council to be distributed one week in advance rather than 48 hours in advance.

The above changes were approved by the Board of Regents on Sept. 10, 1997.

8 August 1998

Parts VI.A.4,6 and 7 were modified to reflect the "first reading policy" adopted by the University Council November 13, 1997.  Part VI.A.6.b was changed to clarify how action on committee reports should be handled.  Handbook wording changes were approved December 11, 1997 by the University Council and March 18, 1998 by the Board of Regents.

The words "shall be deemed approved by the University Council" were added between the words "University Council" and the word "without" starting in line three of Part VI.A.6.a to correct a typographical error.

The paragraph describing the election procedure for at-large faculty members of the Graduate Committee was added to Part VI.B.16, approved by University Council February 12, 1998.

A reference to further information in Section Three was added to Part VI.C.1.

The Division of Continuing Education had been included in error in the list in Part VII.B.2 of participants in the election process for faculty representative to the Board of Regents, so it was removed from the list.

18 June 1999

Parts VI.A.2-3 were modified to add an elected library faculty member to the University Council, and to make the Library Director a non-voting member. Approved by the Board of Regents 2/18/98.

Part VI.B.18 was changed to modify the structure of the Assessment Committee. The principal change was making the executive director of planning a non-voting member, and making the chair an elected position. Approved by the Board of Regents 6/9/99.

2 August 2000

Part VI.B.5, the title, "Undergraduate Retention and Reinstatement Committee", was changed to the "Committee on Undergraduate Probation and Reinstatement."  Language referring to the "Chief Student Affairs Officer" was changed to read "Dean of Students."  Reference to "Counseling and Testing" was changed to "Center for Learning and Student Success, and the words "(or designee)" were added after "Vice President for Academic Affairs."

Part VI.B.19 was added, indicating a new committee, the Committee on Undergraduate Retention.

The above changes were approved by the University Council on 2/10/00.

30 August 2001
Article VI.A.7 modified to reflect change in how other meetings were convened. The change was approved by the BOR on May 7, 2001.

4 September 2001
Article VI.A.2 modified to reflect replacement of member. This change was approved by the General Faculty on September 15, 2000.

Article VII.B.8 new section added to explain replacement strategy for Faculty Representative to BOR. This addition was approved by the General Faculty on September 15, 2000.

Article VI.B.20 University Curriculum Committee established.  This was approved by the BOR on April 11, 2001.

27 February 2003
Article VI.B.5 Change of membership of the Committee on Undergraduate Probation and Reinstatement. Approved by BOR on January 30, 2003.

13 September 2005

Part VI. through Part VII. were completely revised to incorporate the replacement of the University Council with the Faculty Senate (approved by the BOR on 11 March 2005) as well as the structure of the committees which previously reported to the University Council and the Board of Regents. The original Section VII is now Section VIII.

Part VIII.B. (Selection of BOR Faculty Representatives) was omitted since Faculty Senate President and Vice President serve as faculty representatives to the Board of Regents under the recently approved Faculty Senate proposal.

27 October 2006

Part VII.D. (Electronic Technology Committee) was omitted since it was disbanded effective the end of the 2005-2006 academic year.

13 November 2006

Part VII.C.5. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee was established to provide oversight for animal research.

7 May 2007

Part VII.D.8. Addition of the Technology Steering Committee as an Advisory Committee to the Vice President for Administration and Treasurer and the Vice President for Academic Affairs

11 September 2007

Part VII.D.8.b. Modification of membership of Technology Steering Committee to include 2 faculty members designated by Faculty ISS Advisory Committee.

4 May 2008

Part VII.D.9. Addition of the University Program Review Committee as an Advisory Committee to the Vice President for Administration and Treasurer and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

14 September 2009

Part VII.A.2. Addition of the membership, terms, and quorum of the Academic Affairs Committee approved by the Board of Regents 26 June 2009.

26 January 2010

Part VII.D.2. Modification of the composition of the Board of Student Publications and the method of appointment approved by Faculty Senate October 2009.

9 February 2010

Part IV.C. Modification of the procedures for the conduct of General Faculty Meetings approved by the Board of Regents 30 October 2009.

11 May 2010

Part VII.B.1.b.and c. as well as Part VII.B.2.a. Membership of the Research Committee was changed from appointed by deans to elected by academic units. Part VII.B.2.c. Review Committee modified to report to the Research Committee rather than being a subcommittee of the Research Committee. Part VII.B.2.e. Suggestion that members of the Review Committee not serve on any major committees was eliminated. Part VII.B.5. Eliminated the at-large member from the School of Nursing serving on the Graduate Committee since the School of Nursing now has a masters program and is thus already represented on the committee. Part VI.A.3.f. Changed method of selecting members of Academic/Sweet Sabbatical Committee. Part VII.D.3. Expanded the membership of the Institutional Review Board and eliminated the term limits. Approved by General Faculty 11 May 2010.

23 June 2010

Part VI.B.1. The Faculty Senate Constitution was amended to clarify that only full-time faculty members are eligible to vote for and to serve on Faculty Senate. Approved by General Faculty 11 May 2010. Approved by the Board of Regents 23 June 2010.

3 February 2011

Part VII.B.4. The Honors Advisory Board was modified to include staggered terms for members. Part VII.D.2. The Board of Student Publications was changed to the Board of Student Media. Approved by General Faculty.

5 May 2011

Part IV Added. Electronic Voting for Curricular Items. Approved by General Faculty to expedite the process of approving minor curricular/governance changes through electronic balloting when deemed appropriate by Faculty Senate.

25 July 2011

Part VII.D.8.b. Composition of Technology Steering Committee was modified so that, rather than two faculty members being selected by the Faculty IT Advisory Committee, one will be selected by the Faculty IT Advisory Committee and one will be selected by Faculty Senate. This change was approved by the Technology Steering Committee. Part VII.D.1. The committee membership list was updated to reflect the approved title from Dean of Enrollment Management to Executive Director of Enrollment Management. Part VII.D.1,5,6. The committee membership list was updated to reflect the change in title and office from Director of the Center for Undergraduate Studies and Programs (CUSP) to Assistant Dean of Student Success and Retention.

22 July 2013

Part VI.E.5, Part VII. Committees was modified to change the Graduate Committee to a Graduate Council, changing the composition of the membership, and clarifying its role in the graduate curriculum approval process.  Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 26 June 2013.

30 January 2014

Approved by General Faculty 30 January 2014.

29 May 2014
Part VII.E.5. Modify the name, function and composition of the Undergraduate Retention Committee. Approved by General Faculty 30 January 2014.

12 March 2015

Part VI.B.2. Clarifies faculty senate representation (based on groups of ten) in instances where the number of faculty is 5 where representation is rounded up rather than down. Approved by General Faculty 29 January 2015. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 12 March 2015.

Part VII.C.5. Updates the responsibilities of the General Education Committee. Approved by General Faculty 29 January 2015. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 12 March 2015.

Part III. Addition of definitions of faculty appointments for hiring purposes and for ease of use in any future updates to the Faculty Handbook. Includes the addition of new appointments including senior lecturer, research lecturer, and senior research lecturer. Approved by General Faculty 17 November 2014 and 29 January 2015. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 12 March 2015.

25 June 2015

Part VII.B.2 and B.3.  To make Faculty Affairs and Academic Affairs Committee membership more clear, and to have a contingency plan for representation in the case there are not enough senators from a Major Academic Unit or Mabee Library/Curriculum Resource Center (CRC, non-Faculty Senate members may be appointed to serve. Approved by General Faculty 30 April 2015. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 11 June 2015.

Part VII.B.2. Additional explanatory language added to the description of the charge to the Academic Affairs Committee to increase consistency in the process of evaluating new programs, major revisions, and program changes with university financial commitments. Approved by General Faculty 30 April 2015. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 11 June 2015.

14 April 2016

Part VII.E.1. The makeup and tenure of the Assessment Committee was modified.  Additional members were added (Washburn Tech and School of Law), one member was deleted (one of two librarians), and three ex officio members were added (Assessment Coordinator, Director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and Learning, Director of Strategic Analysis and Reporting).  Term limits were changed from 2 to 3 years and the Faculty Assessment Coordinator was designated as chair of the Assessment Committee. Approved by General Faculty 14 April 2016.

26 January 2017

Part VI.D.2. Add wording assigning the Secretary of the Faculty Senate one-eighth reassigned time.  Approved by General Faculty 26 January 2017.

27 April 2017

Part III.VI.A. Change in the Graduate Council Charge and Membership. Graduate academic issues will now follow the same type of path as undergraduate issues with the Graduate Council serving the role as the Academic Affairs Committee. In addition, the council membership was modified. Approved by General Faculty 27 April 2017

Part 

Part VI.E.1  Delete this item indicating meeting agendas must be distributed to members of Faculty Senate one week in advance of scheduled meeting and add the item as VI.D.7 indicating a six-day advance notification. Approved by General Faculty 27 April 2017.

Part VII.A.  Modify the charge and membership of the Graduate Council to more closely align with graduate process with the undergraduate process for approving curriculum issues with the Graduate Council serving a similar role to the Academic Affairs Committee for undergraduate decisions.  Approved by General Faculty 27 April 2017.

20 June 2017

Part III.A. Modifications of previously approved definitions for tenure-track and tenured faculty, lecturer and senior lecturer and deletion of senior research lecturer and research lecturer. Approved by General Faculty 27 April 2017. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 15 June 2017.

Part III.VII.E.10. Addition of standing advisory committee - Faculty Handbook Committee - to review proposed changes to the Faculty Handbook for uniformity, clarity, and cohesiveness prior to submitting the changes to the Faculty Senate shared governance process.  Approved by General Faculty 27 April 2017. Approved by Washburn Board of Regents 15 June 2017.

7 May 2018

Part VII.B.3.1. - The Academic/Sweet Sabbaticals Committee is no longer a subset of the Faculty Affairs Committee and has now been moved to VII.E.11. under the category of Advisory Committee. Approved by General Faculty 3 May 2018.

Part VII.E.2. - Board of Student Medai structure was updated. Approved by General Faculty 3 May 2018.