Committee Management Policy

Purpose: This policy sets forth the Pittsburg State University’s dedication to establishing and maintaining committees that promote effective governance, collaborative decision-making, and support for the university’s mission, goals, and strategic priorities.

Applies to: All employees.

Policy:

University committee work is essential to the governance of the university.  To ensure committee work remains relevant and meets the needs of the university, the university governs committee missions, membership, appointments, tenure and process.

A. Committee Governance

1. University President. The President may establish, continue, modify, or terminate University Standing Committees and University Ad Hoc Committees.  As part of the President’s responsibility to govern the university, the President may: 
   1. Approve new committees; 
   2. Have final approval regarding the function of any created or existing committee; 
   3. Appoint members to a committee on a short-term or long-term basis; and 
   4. Appoint a designee for one or more of these responsibilities.
2. Committee Charter. All approved committees shall maintain a committee charter (see Charter Outline Form) to be published as an appendix to this policy. All committees must operate within a committee charter that includes the following required components:
   1. Committee Mission. All committees must have a general mission statement, stating their purpose and function.  The mission should also state to whom the committee is answerable and to whom it should make recommendations, if appropriate. 
   2. Committee Membership. Membership of the committee shall be explicitly described, to include the number of members and any specific position/college/unit the members must represent. There must be the following assigned roles – chair and secretary.
   3. Committee Appointment. The manner of appointment for all members shall be identified to include voting from university bodies, Ex-Officio Member appointment, Nature-of-Office Member appointment, appointment by specific skill or qualification, or appointment by university President or Vice President.
   4. Committee Tenure. Faculty and staff membership on a committee shall be for a 3-year term unless the member is appointed due to Nature-of-Office Member or in an Ex-Officio Member role.  Committee members shall not serve consecutive 3-year terms. To ensure faculty and staff have sufficient opportunity to engage in multiple governance roles across campus, the President, or designee, enforces term limits.
   5. Meetings. Committees must meet as frequently as necessary to accomplish their mission and the President’s annual charge but at least once annually. 

3. Communication and Transparency. Committees are responsible for taking minutes at every meeting, to include the time, location, members present, length of meeting, agenda, summary of discussion, actions by members, committee voting results, and action items.  Committees whose purpose is to make recommendations of a confidential nature should keep public and private versions of its minutes.  Minutes must be maintained by the committee secretary and passed to subsequently appointed secretary.  
4. Reporting. Each committee chair shall submit an annual report to the university President by June 15. The annual report shall include committee name, name of committee chair and secretary with position, date submitted, number of meetings held, number of committee members including chair, key items voted on, and a recommendation with rationale on whether the committee should remain active, absolved, or modified.

B. Committee Procedures

1. New University Ad Hoc or Standing Committee Approval
   1. Employees who believe a new institutional committee would benefit the university shall draft a committee charter to be presented for consideration by the President or designee.
   2. The President or designee shall consult with the President’s cabinet for input. The President has final approval.
2. Membership
   1. The Executive Assistant to the University Chief of Staff shall serve as the coordinator of committee membership.
   2. The Executive Assistant to the University Chief of Staff shall notify voting bodies of open committee seats at the beginning of fall academic term.
   3. Voting bodies shall conduct their voting as soon as possible following the onset of the fall academic term, but no later than September 20, and report results to the Executive Assistant to the University Chief of Staff. The results should be reported by submitting a list of all members on committee, role (chair, secretary, member) and university unit (e.g., Human Resources, Student Affairs, Academic) along with term period (2023-26, 2025-28).
   4. Administrators responsible for making committee appointments shall report their appointments to the Executive Assistant to the University Chief of Staff as soon as possible following the onset of the fall academic term, but no later than September 20.
   5. The Executive Assistant to the University Chief of Staff shall publish committee memberships in a manner available to all employees.
   6. The President or designee may appoint additional members to any committee for a 1-year appointment at their discretion.
   7. Unless otherwise specified within the committee charter, each committee will elect a chair and secretary annually by the fall academic term, but no later than September 20.
3. Meeting minutes shall be maintained by the committee secretary following their formal approval by the committee members. Meeting minutes shall each year to the approved by the secretary of the committee.  Meeting minutes shall be retained in accordance with the applicable State or university retention schedule. Meeting minutes must be kept in a secure, university-owned online accessible location.
4. An employee who wants to make a change to an existing university committee shall submit the request with rationale to the Executive Assistant to the University Chief of Staff.

EXCLUSIONS AND SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES

1. This policy shall not conflict with any existing collective bargaining contracts. In the event of a conflict, the terms of the applicable labor agreement shall prevail.
2. Individual colleges, departments or offices may have committees that exist to carry out specific tasks of those units. Those committees complete their functions as needed but shall not be designated as University Standing Committee or University Ad Hoc Committee.

CONSEQUENCES