The Faculty Executive Committee acknowledges the considerable burden assumed by faculty colleagues chosen to serve as committee chairs. To assist chairs in accomplishing their duties we suggest the following guidelines:

1. The Chair’s Role – The Executive Committee recognizes the importance of having experienced faculty members assume the role of committee chair and the occasional risk assumed by chairs when committees confront controversial issues. For that reason we believe that untenured colleagues should become committee chairs only when that is absolutely unavoidable.
2. Meeting Times – Committees should find meeting times during regular College business hours that do not impose unreasonable burdens on members. This assumes that faculty colleagues and others show sufficient flexibility in their schedules to permit a range of satisfactory meeting times. If this cannot be done, then the impasse should be referred to the Faculty Executive Committee.
3. Consultation – Committees should work in tandem with other committees as appropriate, particularly when issues overlap with several committees’ portfolios.
   Progress on realizing each committee’s agenda should be communicated to the Executive Committee.
4. Report at Faculty Meetings – Committee chairs should report on committee business with sufficient frequency to allow the faculty to keep abreast of the committee’s activities. There is, of course, no requirement to report at every faculty meeting.
5. Policy Changes – When committees contemplate bringing major policy or procedure changes to the faculty, the Executive Committee should be informed in advance of such action. This allows for consultation about matching the agendas of committees having common interests and about scheduling and strategies for issues brought to the monthly faculty meetings, among other considerations.
6. Charges and Compositions – Committee chairs should be mindful of the need to review charge and composition statements at least yearly.

March 31, 2006
Revised May 1, 2007