Primary Mission – We assume that the primary mission of the faculty is teaching and advising, scholarship, and service.
Governance – We assume that faculty members value the role of faculty governance in the life of the College. We assume further that the notion of shared governance involving interaction among faculty, administrators, and trustees is an important goal. This does not mean that faculty members necessarily share with administrators and trustees responsibility and accountability for major decision-making at the College.
Faculty Role on Committees – Because much of faculty governance is accomplished through the work of committees, service on them should be seen as an important task for all professors for whom this is a position expectation. Faculty members need to be competent and engaged enough to consider the complex issues that individual committees may address but not necessarily expert in the details of those issues. A critical role for the Faculty Executive Committee is the protection of faculty members’ time, and colleagues are encouraged not to assume too many committee assignments at one time
Special or ad hoc Committees – Creation and staffing of special committees requiring faculty participation should normally go through the Faculty Executive Committee. Duplication of effort with existing groups, especially faculty standing committees, should be avoided, and whenever possible business should be routed through standing committees. Faculty representatives cannot be provided for every meritorious purpose, and the Executive Committee is often unaware of generation of special committees. Administrators responsible for establishing these committees usually approach those faculty members who will become members but should do so with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
