Status of Issues in Governance 2007-2008

Status of Issues in Governance 2007-2008

Issue/Charge	Committee	*Status and Link to Policy Text**
Disciplinary Policies Continued from 2005-06	CSCC	Step 2
Posting of Flyers Continued from 2006-07	CSCC	Step 3 Procedural recommendation made to The Office of Student Activities and Leadership Development and reflected in policy available at: http://www.tcnj.edu/~stuactiv/posting.php
Advising Feedback Continued from 2006-07	CAP	Referred to Advising and Student Support Planning Council
Undergraduate Students Taking Graduate Courses – Limit of Credits Continued from 2006-07	CAP	Approved
Defining Minors Continued from 2006-07	CAP	Current policy re-affirmed
Double Counting for Minors in International Business and Art History Continued from 2006-07	CAP	Step 3: CAP reaffirmed current policy and recommended against exceptions to the rule in these two cases.
Central Eurasian Studies Minor Continued from 2006-07	CAP	Approved
Student Feedback on Teaching (item #15-overall summary) Continued from 2006-07	CAP	Will be included as part of the overall review of the Student Feedback on Teaching in Fall, 2008
Revision of Governance 2005 Document (Revised to indicate governance responsibilities for course scheduling grid, academic calendar, and Wednesday meeting schedule	Steering	Approved
Walking at graduation	CAP	Current policy re-affirmed
Graduation with Honors	CAP	Current policy re-affirmed
Review of class schedule grid	CAP	Step 2
African Studies minor	CAP	Approved
Peer review of teaching (as follow up of 2007 Promotion and Reappointment Document)	CFA	Approved
Use of external review (as follow up of 2007 Promotion and Reappointment Document)	CFA	Step 1
Use of grade distributions (as follow up of 2007 Promotion and Reappointment Document)	CFA	Step 1
SOSA review	CFA	Approved
Five-Year review of tenured faculty	CFA	Step 1
Curricular and program change	CAP	Step 3
Student Travel Policy reactivated from 2004-05	CSCC	Step 2
Sabbatical Leave Process	CFA	Approved
Graduate Program Approval Process	CAP	Incorporated in curricular and program change (above)
Post-master’s program for teachers of the blind and visually impaired and MAT option for teachers of the blind and visually impaired	CAP	Approved
Reading Days	CAP	Approved
CCIC	CCIC	Step 1
Arabic Minor	CAP	Approved
Quantitative Criminology Minor	CAP	Step 2
Discontinuation of Master’s Programs in English and Applied Spanish	CAP	Approved

Last Updated: September 16, 2008

* Step #1 — Identifying and reporting the problem: When a Standing Committee receives an issue from the Steering Committee, the first responsibility is to clearly articulate and report the problem to the campus community through regular updates to the campus community and the Governance Web Page (http://academicaffairs.tcnj.edu/college-governance/ ). The problem may have been set out clearly in the charge received from the Steering Committee, or it may be necessary for the Standing Committee to frame a problem statement. The problem statement should indicate the difficulties or uncertainties that need to be addressed through new or revised policy, procedure, or program. The problem statement should be broadly stated and should include a context such as existing policy or practice. Problem statements may include solution parameters but should not suggest any actual solutions. Clearly stated problems will lead to better recommendations.

Step #2 — Preparing a preliminary recommendation: Once the campus community has received the problem statement, committees can begin to collect data needed to make a recommendation. Committees typically receive input through committee membership, formal testimony, and open comment from affected individuals and all stakeholder groups. Committees must be proactive in inviting stakeholder groups (including Student Government Association, Staff Senate and Faculty Senate) to provide formal testimony prior to developing a preliminary recommendation. When, in the best judgment of the committee, adequate clarity of the principles contributing to the problem are known, a preliminary recommendation should be drafted and disseminated to the campus community through regular updates and the Governance Web Page.

Step #3 — Making a Final Recommendation: Committees must use sound judgment to give the campus adequate time to review the preliminary recommendation before making their final recommendation. Again, committees are expected to be proactive in receiving feedback on the preliminary recommendation. If a full calendar year has passed since the formal announcement of the preliminary recommendation, the committee must resubmit a preliminary recommendation to the campus community. When, in the best judgment of the committee, the campus community has responded to the proposed resolution of the issue, the committee shall send their final recommendation (complete documentation) to the Steering Committee.

Testimony

The presenting of testimony is central to the concept of shared governance. All stakeholder groups will have an opportunity to provide input into governance issues through direct membership as well as invited testimony. Individuals appointed or elected to the governance system are expected to take a broad institutional perspective relative to issues being considered. In contrast, invited testimony will reflect the stakeholder perspective on the issue being considered. Committees are expected to be proactive in inviting stakeholder groups to provide testimony at both step # 2 and #3 of the process. Committees need to identify stakeholder groups that are interested in each particular issue and invite their testimony at scheduled Committee meetings or hearings. Committees should report in their minutes which groups were targeted as stakeholders, how testimony was invited, the form of the testimony (written, oral, etc.), and the substantive content of the testimony.