Committees

Updated December 15, 2017

Section 1
The standing committees for the Department shall be;

  • Scholarly Recognition and Engagement Committee
  • Chair's Advisory Committee
  • Curriculum Committee
  • Graduate Education Committee
  • Peer Review Committee
  • Promotion and Tenure Committee
  • Recruitment Committee

Section 2
Select committees may be established by the Chair or department membership for a specific purpose and shall continue to exist, unless discharged by the Chair or the Faculty, until the duty assigned is accomplished.

Section 3
All faculty members are eligible for membership on committees unless otherwise specified in the bylaws.

Section 4
The Chair shall maintain a current listing of committees that will include the charge and responsibilities, current membership, and term of office for each member.

Section 5
Unless otherwise specified, membership of committees shall be determined by election. Committee elections shall be conducted in the spring semester for vacancies the following academic year.

Section 6
Committees shall appoint the committee chair unless otherwise specified in the bylaws. Committee chairs will be responsible for calls to convene the committee. A quorum shall exist if a majority of the committee attends any called meeting. Except as otherwise specified, committees shall convene only when business is presented to the committee.

Section 7
The purpose, membership, and any specific conditions of the standing committees shall be:

  • Scholarly Recognition and Engagement Committee
    • The purpose of the Scholarly Recognition and Engagement Committee shall be to a) select recipients of Department awards and nominees for College, University, and other awards (to include overseeing the nomination process); b) .oversee the invitation and coordination of speakers sponsored by the department; and (c) coordinate with the faculty mentor about visiting scholars’ presentations.
    • The membership of the Scholarly Engagement and Recognition Committee will consist of five members: the Department Chair, three members of the faculty elected at large, one of whom must be at the Full Professor rank, and a staff member appointed by Department Chair. Members will serve a three-year term.
  • Chair's Advisory Committee
    • The purpose of the Chair's Advisory Committee is to advise the Chair regarding issues involving the Faculty, the general welfare of the Department, and matters brought forward by the Chair or Advisory Committee members.
    • The Chair's Advisory Committee shall be responsible for the appointment and nomination of members to standing committees.
    • The membership of the Chair's Advisory Committee will be one staff member appointed by the Department Chair, three faculty members elected at large in three consecutive years, and one faculty member appointed by the Department Chair. The Department Chair will make this appointment after the election of the at large members to insure diversity in representation.
    • The Chair's Advisory Committee will meet at least once each semester during the academic year.
  • Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
    • The purpose of Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC) shall be to assess and improve existing programs and courses. They will review and evaluate new programs and courses proposed by Department Faculty and present recommendations to the Faculty.
    • The membership of the UCC will be one representative from each undergraduate track or specialization in the department and the Department Chair or Assistant Chair as an ex-officio member. There shall be one staff member appointed by the Department Chair to provide staffing for the committee and to act as a non-voting member.
    • Each option area will elect a representative to serve on UCC; members of UCC will elect a Chair among themselves.
    • The chair of the UCC will serve as department representative on the CEHS curricula committee.
    • Members will serve a three-year term.
    • The UCC will meet at least once each semester during the academic year.
  • Graduate Education Committee
    • The charge of Graduate Education Committee (GEC) is to ensure a robust graduate programming effort in CYAF consistent with departmental strategic planning. This includes assessing and recommending improvements to existing graduate Specializations, certificates, and tracks, and to departmental policies, processes, and procedures that affect the graduate programs within CYAF. The GEC charge includes overseeing and coordinating recruitment, admissions, graduate student experience and professional development (including CYAF 99), curricular changes, and other graduate issues. It also includes ensuring that printed (included on the web) materials (e.g., handbooks) are up-to-date, accurate, accessible, and timely. Recommended program and curriculum changes and recommended changes to policies, procedures and processes must be approved by the Faculty. The GEC is responsible for orienting new faculty to the processes and procedures involved in advising and mentoring graduate students. The GEC reviews and makes recommendations to the Faculty about new graduate courses and programs. The GEC conducts the initial review of applicants to the Department's graduate program.
    • The Department Chair appoints from among the Faculty a Graduate Faculty member to be the CYAF Graduate Director. The Graduate Director is an ex-officio voting member and chair of the GEC. The committee is also comprised of three other Graduate Faculty members in CYAF elected by vote of the Faculty. One shall have a teaching appointment representing graduate programs emphasizing the study of children, one shall have a teaching appointment representing graduate programs emphasizing the study of families, and one shall have an Extension appointment. At least one member must have teaching responsibilities within a Great Plains IDEA graduate program. If not, the Chair shall appoint an additional member to this committee who does. This appointment shall be for one year. There shall be one staff member appointed by the Department Chair to provide staffing for the committee and to act as a non-voting member.
  • Peer Review Committee
    • The purpose of the Peer Review Committee shall be to provide an appraisal of individual faculty performance for the purposes of faculty development and as an independent evaluation of members' annual performance. They may use written and oral methods of reporting such appraisals and may consult with individual faculty if requested by the individual. The committee shall provide written reports of their evaluations of faculty performance to the Department Chair. The Department Chair shall provide these reports to individual Faculty members. Approved peer review templates must be used.
    • The Peer Review Committee shall review applications for professional development leave. Upon approval by the committee, applications shall be forwarded to the faculty for approval.
    • Peer Review Committee is responsible for mid-tenure review of pre-tenure Faculty and may need to add an additional member with expertise in the content area of the faculty member(s) being reviewed.
    • The membership of the Peer Review Committee will be five members selected by the Faculty for three-year terms. Four members shall be on continuous appointment; a minimum of two members shall be fully promoted. One member shall be at the rank of Associate or Full Professor of Practice, or Lecturer. The intent is for the committee membership to represent the areas of work responsibility and expertise among the faculty. Consequently, represented among the membership of the committee shall be expertise in the study of children and in the study of family; and in each of the major areas of apportionment, to include research, Extension, and teaching. The committee members shall elect the chair of the committee.
  • Promotion and Tenure Committee
    • The purpose of the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be to develop procedures, criteria, and standards for the awarding of promotion and continuous appointment, in accordance with Departmental, College, and University policies.
    • The Committee shall use these procedures, criteria, and standards to review the records of the faculty members, who, according to the policies and guidelines of the department, college, and university, are eligible for consideration for promotion and/or continuous appointment and to provide written recommendations to the Chair as to the extent to which these criteria and standards have been met.
    • The membership of the Committee will consist of all faculty at or above the rank of equal to or higher than that to which the candidate aspires.
    • Chair of Promotion and Tenure Committee is elected by the Promotion and Tenure Committee faculty at the first departmental meeting each fall. The Chair of the Promotion and Tenure committee is responsible for assuring that all appropriate promotion and tenure procedures are followed, that discussion considers only the content of the candidate’s documentation, and convenes the committee on the second Friday in September (see Department Promotion and Tenure Guidelines).
    • The Department Chair is not eligible to serve on this committee.
    • Members of the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee who serve on the College Promotion and Tenure Committee shall not vote at the departmental level.
    • In the event that members of the committee are under consideration for tenure or promotion, they will not take part in deliberations or voting on their own tenure or promotion file.
  • Recruitment Committee
    • The purpose of the Recruitment Committee is to oversee undergraduate and graduate recruitment efforts of the Department.
    • The Committee shall a) identify recruitment goals and select strategies for accomplishing those goals; b) evaluate recruitment efforts; and c) coordinate recruitment efforts with the College and University.
    • The Committee shall work with the Department Chair to ensure that the Departmental web/online presence contributes to recruitment goals. The Committee regularly evaluates web and online content for accuracy and relevancy, makes recommendations for improvement, and coordinates updates with staff members assigned to work with the Departmental website.
    • The Committee shall coordinate with advisors of student organizations sponsored by the Department and student honor societies.
    • Membership of the Recruitment Committee shall be 4 members elected at large. Members will serve a three-year term with committee member terms staggered to ensure consistency on the committee. The Committee members shall elect the chair of the committee.

Section 8
Departmental representatives to College and University committees shall be appointed by a majority vote of the Faculty, unless otherwise specified in the Departmental, College and University bylaws.