AA/PPS 01.02.31 - Council of Chairs

POLICY STATEMENT

Texas State University is committed to maintaining a Council of Chairs to assist the division of Academic Affairs.

1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

   1. The Council of Chairs functions as part of the academic policy advising system within the Academic Affairs division of Texas State University. The purpose of the Council is to provide advice to the president, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs (VPAA), Academic Affairs Council (AAC) and University Leadership Assembly. The Council shall also serve as a forum for department chairs and school directors to exchange ideas and assist in chair and director development.

   2. The Council reports to the provost and VPAA. It advises the provost and VPAA on various matters including, but not limited to, academic policies, faculty issues, facilities, personnel policies and procedures, research, academic programs, and budgets. Topics considered by the Council may originate in College Council, AAC, Faculty Senate, University Council, or other venues. These entities are encouraged to route their proposals through the Council.

2. MEMBERSHIP

   1. Council membership is composed of regular members defined as all department chairs, program chairs, and school directors.

   2. When regular members of the Council cannot attend a meeting, they may choose to send an alternate who is authorized to represent the department or school and to vote.

3. MEETING PROCEDURES

   1. Regular meetings will normally occur at 3:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. The chair of the Council may call special meetings or cancel regularly scheduled meetings, if warranted.

   2. Officers of the Council include the chair, vice-chair, and secretary. Officers are elected for one-year appointments. The officers will serve as the Executive Committee for the Council, with the addition of the immediate past chair of the Council. The Executive Committee shall serve as the Nominating Committee. The officers of the Council will be elected at the regularly scheduled May meeting of the Council.

   3. The elected chair of the Council will preside at Council meetings to facilitate discussion. The vice-chair will preside if the chair is absent. If both the chair and vice-chair are absent, the secretary of the Council will preside. If a member of the Executive Committee vacates the chair role, the remaining members of the Executive Committee shall fulfill the duties until another election is conducted.

   4. The chair represents the Council on AAC and will keep the Council informed on AAC key action items.

   5. Any member of the university community may submit agenda items to the chair who shall determine their appropriateness for Council consideration. The chair of the Council will set the agenda for the meetings in consultation with the Executive Committee.

   6. The Council will hold a joint meeting with AAC as indicated in AA/PPS No. 01.02.30, Academic Affairs Council. This joint meeting will be called and chaired by the provost and VPAA, or designee.

   7. The vice-chair is responsible for serving as a liaison to the Faculty Senate.

   8. Except for specifically-designated closed sessions, a Faculty Senate appointed liaison and two non-voting representatives appointed, one appointed by the Honors College and one by the University College will be invited to attend and observe Council meetings.

   9. The chair is responsible for identifying members to serve as representatives to various committees.

4. PROCEDURE FOR AGENDA DISTRIBUTION

   1. Council meeting agendas will be distributed via email to all members, as well as to the representatives of the Faculty Senate, the Honors College, and the University College, on the Monday preceding each regularly scheduled meeting. Members asking for items to be placed on the printed agenda should suggest the items to the chair before 5 p.m. on the Thursday of the preceding week. Members will also have the opportunity to introduce new topics at the meeting.

5. PROCEDURE FOR MEETING FOLLOW-UPS

   1. The secretary of the Council will normally distribute a summary of key action items from each Council meeting to Council members via email.

6. REVIEWER OF THIS PPS

   1. Reviewer of this PPS includes the following:

      Position	Date
      Chair, Council of Chairs	August 1 ONY

7. CERTIFICATION STATEMENT

   This PPS has been approved by the following individuals in their official capacities and represents Texas State Academic Affairs policy and procedure from the date of this document until superseded.

   Chair, Council of Chairs; senior reviewer of this PPS

   Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs