Administrative Procedures

The Directory of Standing Councils and Committees will be posted on the Office of the Provost website under Councils and Committees. All offices, down to the level of departments and their equivalent, will be responsible for keeping the Directory accessible for reference purposes.

Committee Structure

Councils and Committees of University-wide scope and responsibilities and designated by the President as “standing” will be included in the Directory. A small number of committees labeled “special” are included for general campus knowledge, although the members are selected by the Provost. Additionally, some Faculty Senate committees are in the Directory, but they are regulated by the Senate and are to be distinguished from University standing committees.

Councils generally will report to the President of the University and members will be appointed by the President under the procedures prescribed in following paragraphs and in the council charges. Committees will generally report to a vice president and members will be appointed by the vice president under the procedures prescribed in following paragraphs and in the committee charges.

Nominations and Appointments

Normally the President will appoint members to councils and vice presidents will appoint committee members, unless another procedure is specified, e.g., election, ex officio, etc. TTU faculty members will be nominated by the Faculty Senate and TTU student members by the Student Government Association (through the Vice President for Student Affairs) to the appointing officers. Staff (non-faculty) members required on councils/committees will be appointed following consultation and agreement between the appointing official and the proposed appointee's supervisor. Those groups/individuals charged with providing council/committee nominations, and individuals who have the responsibility for making the appointments, will make every effort to ensure that equitable minority membership is maintained on councils and committees. Normally, the number of faculty nominations made for appointments to any one council or committee will equal the number of vacancies plus one, when there are three or less vacancies, and the number of vacancies plus two, when the number of vacancies is four or more, but the appointing officer may specify fewer or request additional nominations. The term “standard procedures” is used in council/committee charges to denote the nominating procedures just described.

Certain councils/committees may not use the standard nominating procedures. In these exceptions, the individual council/committee charges will indicate the manner of appointment.

Council and committee membership will change during the academic year for various reasons. If any council/committee member discontinues service during the term of appointment, the vacancy (for the unexpired term of service) will be filled by appointment in the same manner by which the original appointment was made. Chairpersons will be informed promptly of these changes, by the most expeditious means possible, and the Office of the Provost periodically will consolidate the changes and incorporate them on the Office of the Provost website.

Terms of Appointment

Terms for faculty members on councils or committees will generally be for three years, but the specific length of the term of members will be listed within the individual council and committee charge. When three-year terms are indicated for faculty, terms will be staggered so that approximately one third of the faculty members will be appointed each year. In the case of staff or student members, and members from outside the University, all appointments are for one year only. Reappointments are permitted unless the council/committee charge states otherwise.

The council/committee year is from September 1 to the following August 31. Appointments will end on August 31 of the year indicated by each member's name.

Should a faculty, staff, or student member be unable to serve on a council or committee, for personal reasons or conflicting commitments, that individual may submit a resignation to the chairperson so that a replacement may be appointed promptly.

Council/Committee Procedures

Chairpersons normally will be elected by the council or committee membership from among faculty members in the last year of their term, except where the council or committee charge specifies another procedure.

To facilitate continuity of operations of these bodies, the chairperson for the forthcoming year will be elected before the close of the spring semester so that the body can begin its work promptly at the beginning of the fall semester. It will be the chairperson's responsibility to develop and maintain proper operating procedures for the council/committee concerning such items as meetings, minutes, agenda, attendance, etc., to facilitate the actions and deliberations of the body. These procedures are subject to the approval of the official responsible for the body, and they will be included on the website.

If any council or committee member fails to attend two meetings without just cause, the chairperson, after consulting with that member, will determine whether in the best interest of the council or committee, the member should be replaced. If so, the chairperson should consult with the official to whom the council or committee reports and arrange for a replacement under the appointment procedures for the council or committee.

Student appointments are often delayed beyond the dates of enrollment for the fall semester because of the administrative procedures involved. To avoid prolonged delay in council or committee activity, chairpersons are cleared to proceed with their responsibilities while awaiting student appointments, except for those councils or committees where students are mandatory for quorum purposes.

Questions Regarding Councils/Committees

Questions regarding the Directory of Councils and Committees, or matters related to the procedures governing operations of these groups, may be referred to the Office of the Provost.