Academic Affairs Committees

Membership
The committee is made up of one academic dean, rotated every year.

Chair
The chair is appointed by provost/executive vice president for academic affairs.

Term
One-year term

Function
To review credentials of students who fail to meet admission standards and petitions for variances. Recommends appropriate action to the director of admissions and provost/vice president for academic affairs. To review credentials of students who apply for the Academic Opportunity Program (AOP) and make recommendations to the provost/vice president for academic affairs; to review guidelines for acceptance into AOP; to advise the director of the AOP on course selection and course load for students admitted to the program.

List of of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership
Representatives from each academic college, the dean of graduate studies, and chair and chair-elect of the faculty senate.

Chair
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs

Term
Ad-hoc

Function
To project and approve the academic calendar two years in advance.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs; one faculty representative from the six academic colleges and, as ex-officio members: the director of institutional research, a member of Steen Library and chair-elect of the Faculty Senate.

Chair
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs

Term
Two-year

Function
The Core Curriculum Committee provides faculty oversight of the core curriculum. Functions include review of course applications for addition to the core curriculum as part of the curriculum modification process, recertification of existing core courses for core eligibility, and design and implementation of assessment of student attainment of core curriculum objectives.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs, consisting of the director of center for teaching and learning and the distance education coordinator, two academic deans nominated by Deans' Council, two department chairs elected by the Chairs' Forum, and four faculty representatives appointed by the Faculty Senate.

Chair
The director of the CTL will chair the committee and convene meetings

Term
Two-year

Function
To consult widely and recommend policies and priorities regarding distance education issues.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

* Elected by Faculty Senate
† Elected by Deans Council
‡ Elected by Chairs Forum

A Study of Faculty Attitudes about Instructional Issues - Spring 2015

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs and consisting of seven elected, full-time faculty members, one from each academic college and one from the Library. Elections will be held within each college.

Chair
Provost convenes and attends first meeting of the academic year, when there is no chair. The committee then elects the chair at this meeting.

Term
Two-year, staggered

Function
To make recommendations on applications from full-time faculty members for Faculty Development Leave, for additional study or research and writing, for a period of either one semester at full pay or a full year at half pay.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership

Chair
No chair; committee members convene meetings when necessary.

Term
Ad-hoc

Function
To coordinate activities regarding the Faculty Service Award ceremony.

List of 2021-22 Committee Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs and consisting of representation from each of the undergraduate colleges, admissions office, computer center, scholarship office, and as ex-officio, the director of financial aid, who shall provide staff support to the committee.

Chair
Provost convenes and attends first meeting of the academic year, when there is no chair. The committee then elects the chair at this meeting.

Term
Three-year

Function
To select recipients of scholarships for all endowed scholarships which do not stipulate an alternate selection procedure; to encourage the development of academic excellence through the scholarship program; and to make recommendations concerning policies governing scholarships, student loads and student employment.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership
Ten elected and appointed full members of the graduate faculty. Six members of the council, one from each academic college, are elected from the full members of the graduate faculty. Three members are appointed by the chair of the council, subject to the principle of proportionate representation from each academic college on the basis of full and associate members of the graduate faculty in the respective colleges and subject further to the approval of the provost/vice president for academic affairs. Serving as ex-officio are the dean of the library, registrar, chair-elect of the faculty senate and a graduate student. Appointed members of the council serve three-year terms. Upon expiration of a term, the council member is ineligible for re-election or reappointment to the council until the lapse of three years. A vacancy on the council is filled either by election or appointment, whichever is applicable to the position vacated.

Chair
The dean of research and graduate studies chairs the committee and convenes meetings as needed.

Term
Three-year

Function
To recommend policies and procedures relative to graduate student admission and programs, graduate faculty membership, graduate curriculum, graduate theses and dissertations, and other matters pertaining to graduate education at the university level.

List of 2021-22 Council Members

Membership
Three faculty members from each college

Chair
No chair; members are convened by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs as and when required.

Term
2- and 3-year terms, staggered

Function
To serve as a pool from which members of a Hearing Committee may be drawn in case of an appeal as described in Policy 7.29. If chosen through procedures laid out in the policy or student appeal, members may also serve on a Review Board to consider complaints under Policy 2.11.

List of 2022-23 Members

Membership

Chair
The director of the School of Honors chairs this committee and convenes meetings.

Term
One year

Function
To serve as and advisory group to the director of the School of Honors and participate in Honors' scholarship review and recommendations.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Three committees form the Research Compliance offices: the Institutional Review Board, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee and the Institutional Biosafety Committee. These committees ensure the protection of human subjects; the welfare of animals; safe use of select agents, pathogens and toxins; and serve to enhance the ethical conduct in research programs at SFA.

Function
Approved medical appeals may be granted for mental and physical conditions that prevent the student from completing the semester. Medical appeal requests will be considered by a committee comprised of university officials. The committee's charge will be to consider the merit of the appeal based on all documentation provided by the student. Once a decision has been made, the Registrar's Office personnel will notify the student and any university officials necessary to process the appeals that are granted.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs and consisting of at least one representative recommended by the academic deans, from each of the six colleges and the library. Term positions will begin and end in May.

Chair
The first meeting of the academic year will be convened by the provost if there is no chair, and a chair will be appointed at that meeting by the committee.

Term
Three-year - staggered.

Function
To develop, implement, and assess a year-long orientation program for new faculty members that will help promote and maintain a strong sense of intellectual and social community at SFA. The program is meant to welcome new faculty, introduce them to SFA, and help them acclimate and integrate successfully and effectively into the SFA community.

List of 2023-24 Committee Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs, consisting of two academic deans appointed by the Deans' Council, three department chairs elected by the Chairs' Forum, an appointed Librarian, and three faculty members appointed by the Faculty Senate.

Chair
The chair is appointed by the provost/vice president for academic affairs.

Term
Two-year term

Function
To review academic policies on a regular basis and make recommendations to the provost/vice president for academic affairs regarding policy changes and new policies.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

*  Elected by Deans' Council
† Elected by Chairs' Forum
‡ Elected by Faculty Senate
^ Non-voting member

Membership

Chair
The dean of education chairs this committee and convenes the meetings.

Term
Ad-hoc

Function
To discuss policies and processes and make recommendations to the dean of education regarding preparation of teachers.

List of 2021-22 Council Members

Members
Seven elected members of the tenured or tenure-track faculty. Six members of the council, one from each academic college, are elected from the tenured or tenure track members of the faculty of that college. One member is elected to represent the Library. The dean of research and graduate studies will be an ex-officio member of the Research Council to facilitate the administrative functions of the Research Enhancement Fund and provide proper oversight.

Chair
A faculty member, separate from the other members of the council, is to be appointed by the provost to chair the University Research Council for a term of 1 year. The council will make a recommendation on the new chair annually, with preference given to faculty members having previously served on the Research Council.

Term
Each of the members of the University Research Council serves a three-year term. Upon expiration of a term, the council member is ineligible for re-election to the council until the lapse of three years. A vacancy on the council is filled by election.

Function
To recommend policies and procedures to encourage research activities and to improve the research environment of the university; to develop and recommend university research policies based upon state and federal laws and regulations; to recommend adjudication to variances to policies and procedures; and to develop guidelines for, and recommendations of, awards for internal university research grants.

List of 2022-23 Council Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/vice president for academic affairs and consisting of one faculty member from each undergraduate college, recommended by the academic deans. Two representatives from the Center for Teaching and Learning will serve in ex-officio positions and provide committee support.

Chair
The Center for Teaching and Learning will convene the first meeting of the academic year. A chair will then elected by the committee at the first meeting.

Term
Three-year term

Function
To promote the recognition and celebration of teaching excellence at SFA. Specifically, the committee will plan and coordinate the annual SFA Teaching Excellence Awards Convocation and recognition dinner for award winners. Planning will include communication of criteria and dates with the college deans so that each college chooses a winner in a timely manner; campus-wide communication about the convocation; invitations for the event; arrangements (room, food and entertainment) for the convocation and the dinner; and coordination of presentations at the convocation. The CTL will serve as the coordinating entity for the committee and TEAC events.

List of 2022-23 Committee Members

Membership
Appointed by the provost/executive vice president for academic affairs and consisting of one faculty representative elected from each undergraduate college and, as ex-officio, a library staff member; registrar; and representatives from Institutional Research and the Office of Academic Affairs.

Chair

Term
Three-year term

Function
To review and make recommendations concerning proposed changes in the undergraduate curriculum; the Curriculum Committee will review and recommend approval or disapproval of all curricular requests. The committee will attempt to ensure (1) that academic quality is maintained in programs and courses, (2) that redundancy is minimized in the curriculum, and (3) that changes are consistent with academic policies and with the role and scope of the department, college and university.

List of 2022-23 Council Members