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Part II : Faculty Organization

• A. COLLEGE ORGANIZATION
• B. PHILOSOPHY OF FACULTY COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION
• C. STANDING COMMITTEE GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  • 1. FACULTY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (FEC) (See also Part IV of the Faculty Constitution)
  • 2. FACULTY PERSONNEL COMMITTEE (FPC)
  • 3. EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COMMITTEE (EPC)
  • 4. COLLEGE ENGLISH COMMITTEE
  • 5. COURSES OF STUDY COMMITTEE (COS)
  • 6. ETHNIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES COMMITTEE (E&IS)
  • 7. GRADUATE STUDIES AND TEACHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE (GT&E)
  • 8. LIBERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE (LIB)
  • 9. ACADEMIC STANDING COMMITTEE (ASC)
  • 10. ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE (ADM)
  • 11. ACADEMIC REVIEW COMMITTEE (ARC)
  • 12. PETITIONS COMMITTEE (PET)
  • 13. FINANCIAL AID COMMITTEE (FAC)
  • 14. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE (ERC)
  • 15. PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS COMMITTEE (PIC)
  • 16. FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE (FFC)
• D. SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY
  • 1. COMMENCEMENT COMMITTEE (COM)
  • 2. HONORARY DEGREES COMMITTEE
• E. OTHER COMMITTEES
  • 1. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
  • 2. COMMITTEES OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
  • 3. COMMITTEES OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT.
• F. ELECTIONS

A. COLLEGE ORGANIZATION

The administrative organization of the College, together with the corresponding lines of authority, is presented in the organization chart on the following pages. Perusal of this chart should be helpful to faculty members in their contacts with the various activities of the College.
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The educational function of the college is, of course, the prime consideration of the faculty. Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees, and through appropriate administrative channels, the faculty has the responsibility for: formulating and recommending to the President of the College criteria regarding student admission and retention and educational policy; developing standards for faculty recruitment, retention, promotion, and tenure; making recommendations for faculty salary standards and benefits; and all other matter on which the Board or the President may wish recommendations. The faculty sets the requirements for degrees offered, determines when the requirements have been met, and authorizes the President and Board to grant the degree thus achieved. The faculty works both independently and collectively, to insure that graduates of the College are creditable representatives of its efforts. The collective functions of the faculty are conducted within the framework of the Faculty Constitution, which is found in Part I of this Handbook. It outlines faculty organization in broad terms, which is defined and amplified in this section of the Handbook.

The functions of a given academic department are guided and facilitated by the chairperson of that department. Department chairpersons are appointed by the administration, in consultation with the members of the departments. When feasible, chairpersons are rotated among qualified members of the departments. Customarily, a department chairperson serves for three years, though this term is renewable. Department chairpersons usually hold the rank of Professor or Associate Professor, but under exceptional circumstances, a faculty member of lower rank may be appointed chairperson. The chairing of a department is not an honorary position or a promotion. It is an administrative responsibility to put into effect the decisions and professional aspirations of the faculty of the department, to represent the department in meetings with the administration and to promote cooperation with other departments in dealing with areas of mutual concern.

B. PHILOSOPHY OF FACULTY COMMITTEE ORGANIZATION

Standing committees are agents of the faculty, and as such, are both advisory and policy formulating, subject to the review and approval of the faculty as a whole and of the Board of Trustees. Existing standing committees and their sub-committees are itemized on the chart. These standing committees may be supplemented by ad hoc committees, as deemed necessary by the faculty or by the Faculty Executive Council.

Membership of all faculty committees except the Faculty Personnel Committee is appointed by the Faculty Executive Council, which shall give due consideration to (1) the desirability of having all academic divisions represented in the various functions of the College; and (2) the fact that, as a general policy, it is not considered desirable for a faculty member to serve on the same committee for more than three years.

Committees submit recommendation for the initiation of new college policies which are within the purview of the faculty, or for a change of existing policy, through the Faculty Executive Council to the Faculty for acceptance, rejection, or modification. Standing committees' reports are submitted to the faculty not less frequently than annually. Copies of such reports shall be filed with the Secretary-Treasurer for reference of the faculty.

Each of the faculty appointive committees is to have as its chairperson a member of the faculty, selected by the Faculty Executive Council at the time appointments for that committee are made. Except in the case of the Faculty Personnel Committee and where the size of the committee is specified in this Handbook, the size of committees may be determined by the Faculty Executive Council, with due regard to consideration of proportionality. Secretaries of standing committees shall be selected from among the committees' faculty members.

In addition to serving upon standing committees and subcommittees of the faculty, members of the faculty will serve upon various committees of the Administration, Board of Trustees, and the Associated Students. These faculty representatives will be appointed by the Faculty Executive Council, except in the case of Board of Trustee committees, in which case the Faculty Executive Council will nominate faculty representatives, subject to the approval of the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees.

A number of the standing committees of the faculty include administration and/or student members as well. Having faculty members serving on Board of Trustee, administration, and student committees and having representation from the student body and administration on faculty committees are considered highly desirable means to enhance communication and to develop and encourage the growth of a true community of scholars.

C. STANDING COMMITTEE GOALS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. FACULTY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (FEC) (See also Part IV of the Faculty Constitution)

The Faculty Executive Council acts in behalf of the faculty in carrying out the instructions and directives of the faculty. It plans the agenda for faculty meetings and is responsible for the scheduling of these and other faculty events. An important responsibility of the Faculty Executive Council is to insure that the academic freedom of any member of the faculty is not abridged. Except in the case of the Faculty Personnel Committee, whose membership is elected, the Faculty Executive Council serves as the committee on committees and makes appointments of faculty members to committees upon which faculty members serve. This power to appoint carries with it the power to remove.

2. FACULTY PERSONNEL COMMITTEE (FPC)

This committee has two central functions: (1) to consider questions of selection, retention, promotion, and tenure of faculty members, as well as the emeritus/emerita status of retiring faculty members, and (2) to consider and recommend to the faculty policies covering the above.

The committee consists of five elected members plus the Faculty Chairperson and Dean of Faculty as ex-officio members. Three shall be elected by the membership of each of the following divisions:

a. Division of Humanities

b. Division of Social Sciences

c. Division of Natural Sciences

The divisional representatives shall be tenured. In addition, two members-at-large shall be elected by a vote of the entire faculty, one of whom shall be tenured and the other not. The Faculty Chairperson and Dean of Faculty are members of this committee.

The procedure by which members of the committee are elected may be found in Part II, F of this Handbook.

The divisional representatives shall be elected for a term of three years and the members-at-large for two years. The terms shall be arranged so that one divisional representative and one member-at-large is elected each year.

New members will take office at the last faculty meeting of the academic year in which they are elected.

Members of the committee must be employed full time during their elected terms. Faculty members who have completed a full term in a given position are ineligible for reelection to that same position on the committee until one year has elapsed.

With the exception of the Chairperson of the Faculty, no faculty member shall serve simultaneously on the Faculty Executive Council and the Faculty Personnel Committee.

3. EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COMMITTEE (EPC)

This committee has the responsibility of recommending policy regarding the curriculum including activities for which academic credit is offered at Whittier College (excluding the Law School). It may consider and recommend to the faculty policies for all phases of academic endeavor of the College, including Extended Education, Summer Session, and International Study programs, as well as the regular day sessions of the College.

The Graduate and Teacher Education Committee, the Courses of Study Committee, the Ethnic and International Studies Committee, the Liberal Education Committee, and the English Committee are sub-committees of the Educational Policies Committee. These sub-committees may develop proposals on their own initiative and bring them to the faculty directly or through the Educational Policies Committee as the chairperson of the Educational Policies Committee and the sub-committee deem appropriate.

4. COLLEGE ENGLISH COMMITTEE

This committee recommends policy and oversees and encourages college-wide efforts to improve writing. It administers and coordinates evaluation of the results of examinations given to entering students and all follow-up examinations. It determines which students are exempt from the freshmen English requirement and which students should be enrolled in remedial programs.

Formal instruction in the use of English and in the expression of ideas is the province of the English department. The College English Committee operates, however, under the premise that the establishment and maintenance of good standards of English is an issue concerning the entire College and one in which all advisors, mentors, and individual faculty members should be actively involved.

5. COURSES OF STUDY COMMITTEE (COS)

This committee reviews and is responsible for approving proposals for changes in those aspects of the curriculum that are described in the Courses of Study section of the college catalog and relevant sections of supplementary publications; these include proposals for new courses, substantive changes in existing courses, changes in the requirements of existing programs of study, and changes in the course numbering system. The committee has general responsibility for maintaining the integrity of this section of the Catalog; this involves, among other things, ensuring that departments offer only courses that may be adequately staffed. In these various capacities, COS implements rather than creates policy; proposals that raise issues of educational policy will be forwarded by COS to the Educational Policies Committee.

6. ETHNIC AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES COMMITTEE (E&IS)

This committee has two essential responsibilities in the area defined by its title:

a. designing and proposing programs to the faculty for smoothing the transition of students from different cultural backgrounds and academic training into the environment and academic life at Whittier College; and

b. investigating and making recommendations for international academic work conducted under the auspices of Whittier College through any of the various foreign study programs which are or may become available.

7. GRADUATE STUDIES AND TEACHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE (GT&E)

The function of this committee is to supervise the conduct of the graduate program under policies adopted by the faculty which specifically include

a. the screening and selection of all candidates who seek admission to the programs leading to the various master's degrees and graduate teaching credentials;

b. the periodic review and approval of all programs leading to each advanced degree;

c. the approval of faculty sub-committees to supervise the work of each student;

d. the development and proposal of policies relative to teacher education; and

e. the maintenance of faculty awareness of its responsibility in the training of teachers.

8. LIBERAL EDUCATION COMMITTEE (LIB)

This committee, a sub-committee of EPC, consists of the Dean of Faculty and three to five faculty members. These faculty members, at least one from each division, will be appointed by FEC to serve three-year staggered terms. The Committee has the responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the Liberal Education Program. The Committee will develop procedures for implementing the Program. Furthermore, the Committee approves and annually reviews courses for the Program, assists faculty in developing Liberal Education courses, periodically reviews the operation of the program, and writes grant proposals. In addition, the Committee may, at a faculty member's request, submit a supporting report on the individual's contribution to the Liberal Education Program of the College.

9. ACADEMIC STANDING COMMITTEE (ASC)

This committee considers and recommends policies with respect to all matters pertaining to scholarship. More explicitly, its functions are:

a. to make recommendations to the faculty concerning current standards for admission, retention and financial aid;

b. to relate criteria for admission to the College to subsequent performance of students;

c. to evaluate institutional grading systems and make recommendations concerning them. This committee shall maintain a current evaluation of the grading standards and practices at the College, as the standards of admission may change and as the grading practices at other institutions from which the College receives students may change. It shall also pay close attention to the effect the College's grading practices may have upon the admission of Whittier's graduates to professional schools or upon their ability to obtain employment;

d. to consider the proper advisement of entering students and students who have difficulty in meeting established academic standards, as well as to review and to make periodic recommendations regarding the entire academic counseling process.

The committee will be composed of equal numbers of faculty, students, and administrators. In order to assist the committee in carrying out its responsibilities, it shall have the following sub-committees: Admissions, Academic Review, Petitions, and Financial Aid. Faculty who are members of the intercollegiate athletics administrative staff, including coaches and trainers, are ineligible to hold appointment to this committee or its subcommittees.

10. ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE (ADM)

This committee, consisting of two faculty, two students, and two members of the administration, shall review applications for admission from students who do not meet the regular entrance requirements of the College established by the faculty, taking into account that extra-curricular activities in high school may have resulted in a poor academic record and that evidences of outstanding leadership or community service may be equated to academic promise. On the other hand, applicants with poor academic records not balanced by contributions in other areas shall not be admitted, unless a specific program for such students is established to supplement the regular curriculum. Because of the frequency of this committee's meetings during the period of review of applications for admission, four faculty members may be appointed to its membership, two of whom shall participate in any given meeting.

11. ACADEMIC REVIEW COMMITTEE (ARC)

This committee is comprised of four faculty members and two administrators. The committee monitors and reviews the record of those students who are not receiving credit in at least 80% of their classes. The procedures of the committee are intended to motivate and direct such students towards higher levels of achievement and to help them attain their self-determined goals. In cases where it is clear that a student will not benefit from continued study at the College, the committee may defer or terminate further enrollment. Those students who encounter serious academic difficulty are invited to meet with the committee and may bring with them any appropriate resource person from on or off campus. Students who, for any reason, leave the college under academic difficulty must meet with the committee in order to be readmitted.

All students whose records are in the committee files are monitored after every session. At least two faculty members (during the summer, one) and one administrator must participate in each review meeting and committee decision.

12. PETITIONS COMMITTEE (PET)

This committee, composed of two faculty members and the Registrar of the College, will review and make decisions on student petitions for extra study load and waiver of admissions requirement, specific graduation requirements as outlined in the College Catalog or other academic requirements. The committee will grant such waivers only in the presence of strong and sufficient evidence supplied by the student, and will consider only individual petitions and thus not grant blanket waivers of graduation or other requirements.

13. FINANCIAL AID COMMITTEE (FAC)

This committee is comprised of four faculty members, two students, the Assistant Vice President for Student Financing and Enrollment and the Director of Admissions. Faculty members serve two year terms, with two new members of the committee appointed each year. At least one faculty member of the committee will have experience in the awarding of Whittier College talent scholarships. This committee will: recommend on financial aid policy, review the effectiveness of financial aid programs in their support of the College's academic mission and the make up of the student body, help educate faculty concerning financial aid, review the information on financial aid supplied to our students and their parents, review and recommend on individual cases when an academic assessment is required. Student members of the committee will not be involved in the review of individual cases.

14. EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE (ERC)

This committee will develop guidelines and recommendations to the faculty and administration relating to the management, use, development, and support of educational resources at the College.

Specially the committee is charged with:

a. making recommendations to the College Librarian, the Director of the Media Center, and the Director of Computing Services for the acquisition of materials and equipment.

b. reviewing the proposed allocation of funds used for the purchase of educational resources for the Computer Center, Library, and Media Center.

c. facilitating the optimum use of the Computer Center, Library, and Media Center for all educational support programs.

The College Librarian, the Director of Computing Services, and the Director of the Media Center are members, ex-officio, of this committee.

15. PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS COMMITTEE (PIC)

This committee will study those facets of an academic career which serve to enhance the attractiveness of teaching at Whittier College as a professional occupation. It considers and recommends to the faculty broadly based policy matters in this area. The following statements outline the principal responsibilities of this committee:

a. SALARIES AND PERQUISITES: to maintain a continuous review of institutional policies on remuneration of the instructional staff to insure that the College is able to attract and retain high quality personnel. Policies at comparable institutions will be examined so a competitive position can be maintained.

b. LEAVES: to review and recommend application of faculty members for sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence without pay. The chairperson of the applicant's department will be invited to act in an advisory capacity.

c. TRAVEL: to review requests for travel funds and recommend these requests as it deems appropriate. The committee will act to assure a reasonable and equitable distribution of such funds as may be available. Requests for funds are to be forwarded by the applicant to the committee through his department chairperson, who will add a recommendation. Refer to Section IV, L of this Handbook for further information.

d. RESEARCH GRANTS: to review and approve the distribution of College funds to faculty members for research. The committee determines whether grants to faculty members from external sources are consistent with the objectives of the College and can be accepted without interfering with assigned faculty functions.

e. TUITION EXCHANGE PROGRAM: to administer, with an appointed liaison officer, the Tuition Exchange Program, a program providing scholarships for children of faculty to attend the various institutions involved in the program.

16. FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE (FFC)

This committee has the responsibility to insure that new members of the College faculty are made to feel welcome, that retiring members of the staff leave with the knowledge that they will be missed by their colleagues, that faculty and their families who become ill are not neglected, and that social functions are an integral part of the academic life.

In addition, this committee is responsible for the management functions related to the Faculty Center. These functions include:

a. formulation of Faculty Center rules and policies for faculty consideration;

b. recommendations of Faculty Center expenditures from faculty funds;

c. management of the faculty lunch program.

D. SPECIAL COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY

1. COMMENCEMENT COMMITTEE (COM)

This committee consists of three faculty members, a representative of the law school, three administrators, and three students from the graduating class and one junior student (these are selected by a process devised by COR). The Dean of Faculty serves as chairperson.

The duties of this committee include nomination of a commencement speaker for selection by the President, and advise on planning of the commencement exercises. It is expected that this committee will consult with other members of the college staff with respect to those portions of the commencement impinging upon areas for which those staff members have primary responsibility.

2. HONORARY DEGREES COMMITTEE

This committee consists of three faculty members. The committee nominates candidates to receive degrees from the College at commencement and other appropriate times with the approval of the Board of Trustees. Nominations and information are welcomed from all segments of the college community.

E. OTHER COMMITTEES

The following committees are ones upon which faculty members are expected to serve, but which report primarily to either the Board of Trustees, the administration, or the student government. The duties of these committees are detailed by the Board of Trustees, the administration, and the student government under their respective operating procedures.

1. COMMITTEES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

Faculty members are nominated to these committees by the Faculty Executive Council, and confirmed by the Board of Trustees.

a. Nominations Committee

b. Development Committee

c. Buildings and Grounds Committee

d. Academic Affairs Committee

2. COMMITTEES OF THE ADMINISTRATION.

Faculty members are appointed to these committees by the Faculty Executive Council, with agreement from the administration.

a. Budget and Priorities Committee

b. Religious Life Committee

c. Athletics Committee

d. College Hearing Board

3. COMMITTEES OF THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT.

Faculty members are appointed to these committees by the Faculty Executive Council, with agreement from the student government.

a. ASWC Council of Representatives (COR)

b. Program Committee

F. ELECTIONS

The Faculty Executive Council is an elected body, whose membership consists of the Chairperson of the Faculty, the Vice Chairperson of the Faculty, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Faculty, one representative of each of the three divisions of the College, and a member-at-large.

One of the faculty's standing committees, the Faculty Personnel Committee, is also an elected body. Membership on this committee consists of one tenured representative of each of the three divisions of the College, and two members-at-large, one of whom shall be tenured and one not. The Dean of Faculty and Faculty Chairperson are ex-officio members.

Elections for faculty officers, and for those divisional representative and member-at-large positions of the Faculty Executive Council which will become vacant that year, shall be held during the last regularly scheduled faculty meeting in April of each year.

Elections to positions which will become vacant on the Faculty Personnel Committee shall be held at a called faculty meeting following the May meeting of the Board of Trustees (at which time the Board acts upon tenure recommendations from the administration).

The Faculty Executive Council shall serve as the election committee for all elections. As such its functions are (1) to solicit nominations and (2) to ascertain the willingness of nominees to serve if elected. The FEC shall furnish the voting members of the Faculty with a list of those eligible for election to the various positions to be filled. This list and a call for nominations shall be distributed by March 1. After determining that each nominee is willing to serve if elected, the FEC shall distribute the list of those nominated in the first call for nominations, together with a second call for nominations, by April 1. The results of the second call for nominations shall be distributed with the agenda for the meeting at which the FEC elections are held. During the meeting at which the elections are held, there will be a third call for nominations from the floor.

Elections to the Faculty Executive Council shall be in the following order: Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary-Treasurer, at-large and divisional representative. Nominations for each post may be made in writing prior to the commencement of each election or verbally from the floor during each election. A five-minute period will be provided just prior to each election to allow discussion and preparation of written nominations.

After election of faculty officers and the at-large member to the Faculty Executive Council, the divisional election(s) will be held. Members of the division(s) with a vacancy will adjourn to a separate room where the election(s) will be held. These divisional elections will be conducted by the appropriate outgoing divisional representatives on the Faculty Executive Council, assisted by one other Faculty Executive Council member of that representative's choosing.

A similar process will be followed in the election to members to the Faculty Personnel Committee.

All elections are to be held by secret ballot. A majority of the votes cast shall elect. In the event more than two nominations are made for a single office, and if no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast on the first ballot, a second ballot shall be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes on the first ballot.

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