Faculty Council and Committee Structure

The Executive Council

The Executive Council is charged to oversee campus governance; to identify what issues need governance attention; to prioritize policy and governance issues; to charge standing Committees and to form and charge ad hoc teams as necessary; to set agendas for College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty Assembly meetings; and to perform other tasks as enumerated below.

The Executive Council shares responsibility with the Strategic Planning Council to identify emerging issues that have institution-wide implications; and to communicate broadly with the campus community regarding the major issues that need to be addressed and to use the appropriate governance channels to address them.

The Executive Council coordinates the efforts of the various program councils and is generally responsible for the effective functioning of campus governance. On an ongoing basis it monitors operation of the governance system and, if necessary, recommends modifications for faculty approval. When directed, it also considers other matters of substance or procedure which concern either the College or General Faculty and which are not explicitly assigned to a program council. In addition, it regularly performs the following specific tasks:

1. Annually designates the chair of College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty Assembly meetings.
2. Designates the Faculty Secretary and appoints an alternate to record minutes if necessary.
3. Sets the agenda for faculty meetings, distributes particulars of the agenda one week before the meeting, and, when necessary, arranges forums in advance of the meetings for faculty discussions of items on the agenda. Agendas, organized by the Executive Council, designate items for action by the College Faculty Assembly or the General Faculty Assembly.
4. Forms ad hoc committees/teams as needed. The Council may appoint individuals to serve on ad hoc committees/teams.
5. Serves as the nominating body for faculty councils and committees and for positions that are considered as committee service (e.g., Faculty Secretary, Faculty Liaison to the Board of Trustees, and Faculty Advisors to the Student Government Association). This work is typically led by the Nominating Subcommittee which is comprised of the past chair, the chair-elect, the at-large College Faculty Assembly member, and the at-large General Faculty (non-College Faculty Assembly) member.
6. Approves the official College Calendar.
7. Assists the President as liaison between the faculties and the Board of Trustees.

The Executive Council is composed of the following:

The President of the College

A Vice President-level position appointed annually by the President

The chairpersons or a consistent designee from each of the following: Academic Program Council, Faculty Status Council, Labor Program Council, and Student Life Council.

The faculty co-chair of the Strategic Planning Council

The designated co-chair of the Staff Forum

A representative of the Executive Committee of the Student Government Association

Three persons elected at-large for three-year staggered terms from the General Faculty by the General Faculty Assembly, serving as chair-elect, chair, and past-chair during their terms of service.

Two persons elected at-large for three-year terms by the General Faculty Assembly; one must be a College Faculty Assembly member and one must not.

The Executive Council has two constituent committees, the Awards Committee and the Campus Environmental Policy Committee.

Faculty Secretary

The Faculty Secretary is the recorder of official proceedings of the College Faculty Assembly and the General Faculty Assembly meetings. The minutes of this body are disseminated and approved by this body. Service as Faculty Secretary counts as committee service. This position is appointed by the Executive Council from the membership of either the College Faculty or General Faculty. In the absence of the Faculty Secretary, the Executive Council will appoint an alternate.

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee nominates honorary degree candidates and the Berea College Service Awards candidates for approval by the College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty Assembly, respectively. The Committee solicits suggestions for honorary degrees and service awards from the College community. The faculties may choose to have other awards determined by this committee.

The Awards Committee consists of two elected members of the College Faculty Assembly, two elected members of the General Faculty who are not members of the College Faculty Assembly, one member of the Board of Trustees as appointed by the Board, and one student member as appointed by the Student Government Association. College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty members of the Awards Committee will be elected by the General Faculty Assembly and will serve staggered three-year terms.

Campus Environmental Policy Committee (CEPC)

The Campus Environmental Policy Committee (CEPC) monitors the progress of Berea College toward ecological sustainability—the ability to meet current needs without degrading the natural systems and resources required to meet future needs—and recommends policies and actions that will promote progress toward ecological sustainability. The responsibilities of the CEPC also include:

• Developing a method for measuring the progress of Berea College toward ecological sustainability.
• Overseeing the preparation, at least bi-annually, of a report assessing the College’s progress toward ecological sustainability.
• Identifying opportunities for linkages between actions taken to increase the ecological sustainability of the campus, and the efforts of the SENS Program and others to increase the awareness and understanding of students, faculty, and staff of environmental issues and pathways toward sustainability.

The CEPC will consist of three elected College Faculty Assembly members; three elected General Faculty members who are not members of the College Faculty Assembly; two students appointed by SGA; and one ex officio member, the Vice President of Operations and Sustainability. College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty members of the CEPC will be elected by the General Faculty Assembly and will serve staggered three-year terms.

The Academic Program Council (APC)

The Academic Program Council has comprehensive responsibility for the academic program, with specific responsibilities for curriculum, policy development, and general oversight of practices and services affecting the academic program. The Council may elect to delegate certain specific responsibilities to subcommittees or members, but all decisions with policy implications will be brought before the entire Council. The Council receives proposals from academic divisions, core course planning groups, students proposing independent majors, as well as its own subordinate committees. It also may initiate policy and program proposals. The Council may approve, modify, or reject proposals that it receives; however, on substantive matters, the Council submits conclusions to the College Faculty Assembly as recommendations for adoption.

The Academic Program Council consists of the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning, the Registrar, one faculty member from each academic division, and one student representative appointed by the Student Government Association. Each member shall have full voting rights, except for the Registrar, who is non-voting. The division designee to APC shall not be the current Division Chair nor a current member of the Faculty Status Council.

Election of the divisional APC designee shall occur in two rounds. Members of a division will nominate (by election) two candidates for the divisional designee. Members of the College Faculty Assembly will then vote to select one of the two candidates as that division’s APC designee. Elected members serve staggered three-year terms, resulting generally in only two new division designees each year. (See section on Elections and Appointments.)

The Council elects its chairperson each year. Under the jurisdiction of the Council are six committees: the Athletics Affairs Committee, the Committee on General Education (COGE), the Convocation Committee, the Learning Commons Committee, the Student Admissions and Academic Standing Committee (SAAS), and the Teacher Education Committee. The office of the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty will provide staff support for this Council.

Athletic Affairs Committee

The Athletic Affairs Committee has within its purview intercollegiate teams and student activity clubs involved in athletic competition. In regard to intercollegiate athletics, a primary responsibility is to ensure a proper balance among such activities, academic pursuits, and the labor program. Toward that end the Committee regularly reviews the scope of the program, the variety of teams fielded, the number and timing of scheduled contests, and formulates policy recommendations. Seeking fair treatment for all College teams, the Committee monitors access to facilities, suitability of equipment, budget allocations, and related matters. The Committee also cooperates with the Athletic Director to ensure compliance with institutional standards and regulations of the associations of which Berea College is a member. Beyond intercollegiate competition, the Committee also reviews issues and provides advice relating to student activity clubs involved in athletic competitions as requested by the Student Life Council.

Six members comprise the Committee. The Faculty Athletic Representative will be appointed by the Administrative Committee and serve a five-year renewable term. One member will be elected from the College Faculty Assembly for a three-year term and one member will be elected from the General Faculty (this member cannot be a member of the College Faculty Assembly) also for a three-year term. Two students—one male and one female—are also members. The Athletic Director will be an ex-officio member without voting privileges. The Athletic Administrative Assistant will attend the meetings and act as a recording secretary.

Committee on General Education (COGE)

The Committee on General Education is charged with acting as the steering committee for the General Education curriculum and is guided by the following aims of the General Education Program:

Knowledge: the General Education Program will help students understand:

1. aesthetic, scientific, historical, and interdisciplinary ways of knowing;
2. religion, particularly Christianity, in its many expressions;
3. Berea College’s historical and ongoing commitments to racial (traditionally black and white) and gender equality, as well as to the Appalachian region;
4. the natural environment and our relationship to it;
5. the roles of science and technology in the contemporary world;
6. U.S. and global issues and perspectives.

Skills: the General Education Program will help students develop the abilities to:

1. read and listen effectively; write and speak effectively, with integrity and style;
2. think critically and creatively, and reason quantitatively;
3. develop research strategies and employ appropriate technologies as means to deepen one’s knowledge and understanding;
4. work effectively both independently and collaboratively;
5. resolve conflicts nonviolently.

Habits of Mind: the General Education Program will help students:

1. deepen their capacities for moral reflection, spiritual development, and responsible action;
2. develop an openness to and knowledgeable appreciation of human diversity, in terms of race, gender, class, religion, sexuality, language, and culture;
3. cultivate their imagination and ability to discern connections, consider alternatives, and think about topics and issues from multiple perspectives;
4. think and act in ways that promote peace with justice;
5. develop habits leading to lifetime health and fitness.

Learning Experiences: the General Education Program will help students become independent learners through:

1. Discussion and lecture;
2. Student-initiated learning;
3. Experiential learning (for example, service-learning, travel, internships, etc.);
4. Collaborative learning.

The Committee on General Education (COGE) has responsibility for oversight of the General Education Program. This includes:

1. consideration of issues that affect the substance of the General Education curriculum, including reviewing and making recommendations on any matters that affect GSTR course guidelines or the General Education curriculum as a whole.
2. administration of existing policy within the General Education Program. These matters include (but are not limited to) the development, review and approval of new sections of General Education core courses, Perspectives, and other components of the General Education Program; and consideration of requests for exceptions within the General Education Program.
3. systematic and on-going assessment of individual GSTR courses, and of the General Education curriculum as a whole.
4. planning for faculty development in regard to the General Education Program.
5. initiation of proposals for programmatic and/or curricular changes to the General Education Program which are forwarded to and acted upon by the Academic Program Council (APC).

COGE will consist of eight members—the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning; six Course Coordinators; and a student. The Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning will serve as a voting member of the Academic Program Council (APC), and will function as a liaison to facilitate communication between COGE and the APC. The six Course Coordinators will be appointed by the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning. Terms will generally be three years, but may range from two to five years. All members will have voice and vote.

Convocation Committee

The Convocation Committee is primarily concerned with annual program planning. It selects events and presentations that advance the College’s educational purpose and enrich the life of the campus and community. Scheduling of and arrangements for convocation programs are responsibilities of the Coordinator of Convocations, but Committee members provide advice and assistance. The Committee submits recommendations for policy changes to the Academic Program Council.

The Committee is composed of six members—two persons elected from the College Faculty Assembly for three-year terms, two students, the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning or designee from the Committee on General Education, and the Coordinator of Convocations.

Learning Commons Committee

The Learning Commons Committee facilitates collaboration between various academic support services across campus to deliver effective and integrated service in support of student learning and student academic success. The Committee will explore various dimensions including service methodology, interdepartmental collaboration, physical dimensions (such as the location of services), student/faculty convenience in tapping services, and virtual dimensions (that may include a virtual learning commons, portal systems, and web-based master calendar system to provide 24/7 support for student academic success). The Committee represents and promotes the college as a multi-faceted, inclusive learning community dedicated to student learning. The Committee works collaboratively with others across campus to:

1. Nurture student potential by coordinating expertise and resources.
2. Promote reflective and effective teaching and learning in formal and informal settings.
3. Promote academic success through an integrated approach to student academic support.
4. Promote innovation in instruction and course management to increase learning, collaboration and critical/intellectual thinking.
5. Provide seamless access to teaching and learning resources and related support services.
6. Sponsor activities that complement faculty efforts and promote student learning and achievement.
7. Support retention efforts through a better understanding of how our students learn and what they need to know in order to succeed in college.
8. Align academic support services accordingly.
9. Assess and monitor the effectiveness of services that support a high-quality liberal arts education.

The Committee has nine members which include the Director of Academic Services, the Chief Information Officer, the Director of Library Services, the Coordinator of the Learning Center, the Disabilities Coordinator, the Director of Institutional Research and Assessment, one College Faculty Assembly member elected by the College Faculty Assembly; one General Faculty member who is not also a College Faculty Assembly member elected by the College Faculty Assembly; and one student representative chosen by the Student Government Association. Subcommittees will be formed as needed and may include others across campus with certain expertise needed to carry out the work of the subcommittees. Elected members serve three-year staggered terms. All members are voting members.

Student Admissions and Academic Standing Committee (SAAS)

The Student Admissions and Academic Standing Committee monitors current policies and practices with regard to admission, scholarship, probation and suspension, and formulates policy recommendations for consideration by the Academic Program Council and other appropriate bodies. It offers admissions recommendations and stipulations to the Admissions Decision Team on marginally qualified new, transfer, and readmission applicants. The Committee serves in an advisory capacity to departments, administrative offices, committees, and faculty advisors on matters related to policies and programs that impact student success.

The Committee hears and renders decisions on (1) cases of alleged academic dishonesty; (2) grade appeals after they have been reviewed at the divisional level; (3) appeals from students on academic probation and/or under academic suspension; (4) appeals for denied requests for ninth and tenth terms of extension; (5) requests for additional terms beyond ten; (6) appeals of denied labor overloads (15-20 hours); and (7) requests to work more than twenty hours per week. The committee also assesses the impact of program curricular planning on timely and adequate progress toward students’ completion of their degrees.

Seven members comprise the Committee—four elected from the College Faculty Assembly, one student, the Director of Academic Services, and the Coordinator of First Year Programs Additionally, the Director of Financial Aid will serve as an ex officio and non-voting member of the committee. College Faculty Assembly representatives serve three-year terms. Nominations for new College Faculty Assembly members shall be sought from divisions not currently represented on the committee. The Director of Academic Services will present cases involving academic probation/suspension, extension of terms, and admissions criteria, as appropriate. In these cases, the Director of Academic Services will vote on these matters only in the event of a tie. The Office of Academic Services will provide necessary staff support to this Committee.

Teacher Education Committee (TEC)

The Teacher Education Committee engages in curriculum development, selects students for the Teacher Education Program, and provides liaison between that program and the rest of the campus. Departments involved in teacher preparation submit curricular proposals affecting teacher education to the Committee, which reviews and refines them in light of institutional circumstances and certification requirements of the Kentucky’s Education Professional Standards Board. Proposals approved by the Committee are forwarded to the Academic Program Council for consideration and action. The Committee, assisted by representatives of programs with teacher preparation curricula, also screens students for admission to the program.

Composition of the Committee is designed to meet institutional needs and expectations of the Education Professional Standards Board. Eleven members make up the Committee: four members of the College Faculty Assembly from programs with teacher education curricula (excluding the Education Studies Program) to be elected by the College Faculty Assembly; the Chair of the Education Studies Program; a second member of the Education Studies Program appointed by the Chair of the Education Studies Program; the Dean of Curriculum and Student Learning; a school administrator selected by TEC; a school teacher selected by TEC; a student of elementary education; and a student of secondary education. When meeting to select teacher education candidates, the Committee must invite attendance of appropriate representatives of those programs with teacher education curricula which do not also have direct representation on the Teacher Education Committee. Faculty members elected to the Teacher Education Committee serve three-year terms.

The Faculty Status Council (FSC)

The Faculty Status Council (FSC) deals with questions of faculty status. The Council is responsible for policy review and recommendations to the College Faculty Assembly on College Faculty personnel matters and professional well-being. In individual cases of probationary review the Council acts as an advisory body to the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty. In individual cases of promotion or tenure review, the Council acts as the review and recommending body, reporting to the President. In addition, in questions of professional competence and dismissal for cause, if the issue is not settled after a personal conference with the faculty member, the Division Chair, and the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty must request the FSC to act as an advisory body. The Council is also responsible, in consultation with the Faculty Appeals Committee, for review of policies and procedures used in faculty appeals.

Membership on the Faculty Status Council consists of seven tenured College Faculty Assembly members (with appropriate gender balance and diversity of perspectives), and the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty. Six of the College Faculty Assembly members are divisional designees and one is an at-large designee. The at-large member may be utilized to maintain gender balance and balance of perspectives on the Council. Division Chairs are ineligible for service on the FSC during their term as Division Chair. A special nominating ballot and election process is used to fill positions on the FSC.

Prior to Round One elections in March, a special nominating ballot is used for vacancies on the Faculty Status Council. In early spring a list will be compiled of all tenured faculty, including those serving on another council. The list will be subdivided by gender and division, to suit the needs of available positions on the FSC. Faculty will be asked to vote for up to three candidates within each subdivision. The top candidates from the faculty vote will be contacted for agreement to serve and placement on the ballot. This ballot will go to the faculty for a vote. If an elected candidate is currently serving on a council, that candidate would be released from those council duties for the next academic year. The next round of elections would fill that newly vacated council seat. (See section on Elections and Appointments.)

College Faculty Assembly members are elected for staggered three-year terms, and the chair is elected from Council members. At the conclusion of each year, those elected members whose three-year terms are concluding then serve an additional three years as alternates. If an elected member of the FSC is unable to participate for a period of time (e.g., for medical or other similar reasons), then an alternate becomes a pro tem member of FSC. If an elected member of the Council has been an active mentor for the candidate for tenure or promotion, then that Council member is excluded from Council consideration of that case and an alternate participates in all the Council’s deliberations, voting, and recommendations regarding that case. The Executive Council will appoint the necessary alternate.

The Labor Program Council

The Labor Program Council advises and assists the Vice President for Labor and Student Life and the Dean of Labor in interpreting and applying the vision for the Student Labor Program. It works to sustain the vision by providing opportunities for the Berea College community to reflect on local and global issues in the world of work. The Labor Program Council also works with People Services and other campus offices to better link the goals and policies of the Student Labor Program with those of Berea College’s workplaces and workers by developing goals for both the learning and workplace performance of students and for the program as a whole.

When student-initiated labor grievances—including those related to discrimination—cannot be resolved through administrative channels, the Labor Program Council will convene a grievance board as outlined in the Student Labor Grievance Procedure. When a student is suspended for labor reasons and chooses an appeal by committee, the Labor Program Council will serve as the appellate board. All student labor-related misconduct requiring a hearing (falsification of time, theft of equipment, etc.) will be adjudicated according to the Community Judicial Code.

The Labor Program Council membership shall include: a person from the Labor Program Office who is responsible for training and assessment; a person who is involved with the allocation of student labor positions; a person from People Services who provides training for Labor and other supervisors; three working supervisor/mentors from diverse work areas elected by the General Faculty Assembly, including one member of the College Faculty Assembly and two non-teaching members of the General Faculty—one exempt and one non-exempt; two students appointed by the Student Government Association whose work experiences are diverse; and the Dean of Labor who will serve ex-officio. Elected members will serve three-year terms. The Labor Program Council will invite and include other voices as needed.

The Strategic Planning Council (SPC)

The Strategic Planning Council conducts continuous planning for institutional change based on the mission of the College, interpreted in light of opportunities and constraints created by changing internal and external circumstances. It engages in ongoing strategic thinking for institutional change, produces strategic planning documents and implementation plans; and assesses the outcome of strategic initiatives and recommends revisions as necessary. The Strategic Planning Council shares the following responsibilities with the Executive Council: to identify emerging issues that have institution-wide implications and to communicate broadly with the campus community regarding the major issues that need to be addressed and to use the appropriate governance channels to address them.

Membership of the Strategic Planning Council consists of 1) three College Faculty Assembly members elected by the General Faculty Assembly, each serving for a three-year term as co-chair-elect, co-chair, and past co-chair; 2) five persons elected at-large by the General Faculty Assembly for three-year terms–one must be a College Faculty Assembly member and four must not; 3) two students appointed by the Student Government Association; 4) two persons appointed by the Executive Council; and 5) by virtue of their offices, the President, the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, and the Vice President for Labor and Student Life. The President will co-chair the Council along with the faculty co-chair. The faculty co-chair will also serve on the Executive Council.

The Executive Council will invite persons in all areas of the College to express interest in serving on the Strategic Planning Council before making nominations and appointments. For elected positions, the Executive Council will prepare a slate of nominees to be elected as outlined above. Following the election, the Executive Council will appoint two members to balance the perspectives and expertise of the four elected faculty, four elected staff, and two appointed students. Students will serve for one year, subject to reappointment. Elected faculty and those appointed by the Executive Council shall serve staggered three-year terms.

The Student Life Council (SLC)

The Student Life Council develops policy with respect to rules for student conduct, and policy for nonacademic aspects of campus life affecting students. SLC reviews policy regarding residence hall matters, campus activities, and student publications. The Student Life Council also monitors current policies and practices in student services areas such as Counseling, Career Development and Placement, and Health Services, and, upon request, advises administrators responsible for those services.

The Student Life Council has original jurisdiction in cases involving weapons, and in cases deemed by the President or his designate as being of an emergency nature. Hearings require the presence of at least three Council members: two faculty/staff and one student. Concurrence of a majority of the members present is necessary in order to reach a decision.

The Student Life Council also serves as an appellate board for nonacademic cases of alleged student misconduct, hearing student appeals of procedural or substantive matters involved in prior hearings of misconduct cases. As such, the Council may hear appeals of decisions involving students from the Campus Conduct Hearing Board. When a decision is appealed to the Council, the SLC Chair will determine whether the appeal has merit. If the appeal is judged to have merit the Council chair constitutes, from the Council membership, a hearing board consisting of two faculty/staff members and one student. In appellate hearings, the Vice President for Student Life and a member of the Campus Conduct Hearing Board may be present to answer questions and give information, but will not be present during deliberations or decisions. As an appellate board the Council may refuse to hear appeals if there are insufficient grounds for the appeal.

Membership of the Student Life Council totals seven, including the Vice President for Labor and Student Life; four elected members of the General Faculty, two and only two of whom are also members of the College Faculty Assembly; and two students, one of whom is the Student Government Association President or another elected officer designated by the SGA President. Of the four elected faculty members, two must be male and two female. The four elected faculty members serve three-year terms. Of the two student members, one must be male and one female. The Council chairperson is selected from the elected faculty by the Council members.

Campus Conduct Hearing Board

(For the description of this Hearing Board, see the section on Additional Standing Committees and Other Responsibilities.)