Section 4: Standing Committees of the College

• 4.1 President’s Cabinet
• 4.2 Campus Life and Community Standards
• 4.3 Council on Diversity and Equity
• 4.4 Finance and Facilities
• 4.5 Administrative Advisory
• 4.6 Staff Advisory
• 4.7 Study Away and Campus Internationalization (Sunset 16 November 2023)
• 4.8 Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs)
• 4.9 Safety Committee
• 4.10 Health Professions Faculty Advisors
• 4.11 Institutional Effectiveness Committee

4.1 President’s Cabinet

The President’s Cabinet is the primary policy-making body of the College and includes the President; Provost and Dean of the Faculty; Vice President for Institutional Advancement; Vice President for Enrollment Management; Dean for the Student Experience; Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Chief Financial Office and Vice-President for Finance and Administration; Director of Athletics and Recreation; and Director of Human Resources. The Chair of Faculty Council also participates in Cabinet meetings but is not a member of the President’s Cabinet because Faculty Council is a Standing Committee that does not report to the President. The President’s Cabinet reviews all major financial, administrative, academic, and programmatic issues. Additional information about the senior leadership of the College and the current membership of the President’s Cabinet can be found online at the President’s Cabinet website.  

(Revised 22 April 2021, 13 April 2023)

4.2 Campus Life and Community Standards 

4.2.1. Functions 

The specific responsibilities of the Campus Life and Community Standards Committee (CLCSC) are: 

1. To make recommendations to Faculty Council, the President’s Cabinet, and/or other Committees of the Faculty or College regarding campus life.
    
2. To provide trained faculty and student representatives for:
   1. Academic Integrity Boards, which hear cases of alleged violations of the Honor Code.
       
   2. Community Standards Boards, which hear cases of alleged non-academic student misconduct.
3. To make appropriate changes to The Compass: Student Handbook and Resources Guide.
    
4. To serve as a point of contact for the broader campus community regarding matters of campus life.
    
5. To improve communication between faculty, students, staff, and administrators related to campus life.
    
6. To provide representation to the Allegheny Experience Committee of the Board of Trusteesd.

4.2.2. Membership, Membership Selection, Terms of Office and Chair Selection. 

The Committee will be composed of the following: 

1. Five faculty members, nominated by the Faculty Council and approved by Faculty vote, to serve three-year staggered terms. Attempts should be made to have equal divisional and gender representation on the committee. One faculty member, preferably one with tenure and experience on the committee, will be selected by the committee to serve as Co-Chair of the committee.
    
2. The Dean of Student Life or their designee, who serves as Co-Chair of the committee.
    
3. Six student members, including two Cabinet-level representatives of ASG and four other students, preferably one of whom represents international students, selected at-large and appointed by a two-thirds vote of the student government.
    
4. A representative from Staff Advisory Committee (SAC).
    
5. A representative from Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC).
    
6. Ex officio, non-voting consultants include the Dean for Student Success, the Athletic Director, the Title IX Coordinator, the College Ombudsperson, the Director of Public Safety, Director of IDEAS, Director of Spiritual and Religious Life, or their designees.

4.2.3 Board Service

1. In assembling hearing boards, attempts will be made to balance workload across eligible Board members.
    
2. Honor Committee members are not eligible to serve on Academic Integrity Boards. Residence Life staff are not eligible to serve on Community Standards Boards. Additionally, student members who are on probation during the time of service will not be eligible to serve as a member of the boards.
    
3. Eligible and willing faculty and staff members of the Committee should expect to be trained for and potentially serve upon Title IX hearings as needed.

(Revised 11 April 2019, 13 April 2023)

4.3 Council on Diversity and Equity 

The Council on Diversity and Equity (CoDE) is a standing committee of the College composed of administrators, faculty, staff, and students.

4.3.1 Purpose

CoDE is primarily an oversight committee with the essential functions of advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Allegheny College; making policy recommendations to the President’s Cabinet, Allegheny Student Government (ASG), Faculty Council, the Board of Trustees, and other appropriate Allegheny College governing bodies or offices; reviewing and evaluating the College’s progress towards diversity, equity, and inclusion; and considering and addressing any relevant issues presented to the Council by any member of the College community. For CoDE to perform these principal functions, it must receive relevant data annually from the Vice President for Institutional Effectiveness.

4.3.2. Functions

The specific functions of the Council on Diversity and Equity are 

1. To review data on employee hiring, retention, and promotion by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other available diversity characteristics (i.e., historically marginalized and/or underrepresented social identities or groups). 
    
2. To review data on student enrollment, retention, and graduation rates by race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and other available diversity characteristics (i.e., historically marginalized and/or underrepresented social identities or groups). 
    
3. To monitor trends in and review reports on campus social climate for employees and students, including but not limited to: 
   1. Social climate surveys
       
   2. Bias reports
       
   3. Student conduct reports
       
   4. Employee and student exit interviews and reasons for leaving the College
       
   5. Employee satisfaction and workload, in particular employees from historically and systemically marginalized and/or underrepresented groups 
4. To review, monitor, and provide input regarding diversity, inclusion, and equity in the College’s strategic plan
   . 
5. To serve as a sounding board for the Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
    
6. To provide representation to the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of the Board of Trustees. 

4.3.3. Membership, Membership Selection, Terms of Office and Chair Selection

The council will be composed of the following: 

1. The Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
    
2. Three faculty members appointed by the Faculty Council for staggered three-year terms that represent a mix of divisions, diversity, tenured and non-tenured status. 
    
3. One exempt employee appointed by the Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC0 for a two-year term. 
    
4. One non-exempt employee appointed by the Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) for a two-year term.
    
5. Allegheny Student Government (ASG) Director of Diversity and Inclusion for an undefined term. 
    
6. Three students representing the diversity of the student body appointed by Allegheny Student Government (ASG) for one-year terms. 
    
7. Representative(s) from Athletics, Division of Student Affairs, IDEAS Center, International Education, Spiritual and Religious Life, and Title IX serving as consultants will be invited to regular meetings and contacted when issues pertaining to their units are being reviewed. 
    
8. CoDE will be co-chaired by the Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and a faculty member. The faculty member will be selected for at least a one-year term through internal committee vote. 

(Revised 11 April 2019, 13 April 2023) 

4.4 Finance and Facilities

4.4.1. Functions 

The principal functions of the Finance and Facilities Committee are to participate in the determination of general financial and facilities planning policy for the College and to serve as a liaison between Administration, Faculty and Staff on financial matters. 

The Committee’s specific functions are: 

1. To engage in a continuing review of the financial and facilities situation at the College and to report this information to the campus community.
    
2. To monitor the financial condition of the College and the state of the College’s facilities as compared to other institutions.
    
3. To advise the Administration on all financial and facilities matters that concern the members of the College community, such as
   1. the size of the College
       
   2. the level of tuition and fees
       
   3. the size and distribution, over broad categories, of the College budget
       
   4. needs and priorities for new construction, renovation, and deferred maintenance on the campus
       
   5. long-range financial and facilities planning.
       
4. To recommend priorities for broad financial aggregates and ratios.
    
5. To hear and deal with related issues brought to the Committee by any member of the College Community.
    
6. To provide representation to the Advancing Allegheny Committee of the Board of Trustees.

4.4.2. Reporting Frequency and Procedure 

1. Meetings of the Committee will normally be open to all members of the College community. An agenda will be established for each meeting and distributed to Committee members and made available to members of the College community who request it in advance of the meeting. 
    
2. The Committee will keep minutes of each meeting. 
    
3. The Official Meeting Minutes will be made available to members of the College community on a timely basis. 
    
4. The Committee Co-Chairs will report periodically to the campus community. 
    
5. An annual report will be filed with the Faculty Council, the Administrative Advisory Committee, and the Staff Advisory Committee at the end of each academic year. In addition, the annual report will be deposited in the College Archives. 

4.4.3. Membership, Membership Selection, Terms of Office, and Chair Selection 

The Committee membership, selected to represent broadly the campus community, will be composed of the following: 

1. Four faculty members nominated by the Faculty Council and approved by the Faculty for three-year, staggered terms; 
    
2. Two non-instructional non-exempt employee representatives appointed by the Staff Advisory Council (SAC) and two non-instructional exempt employee representatives appointed by the Administrative Advisory Council (AAC) for four-year staggered terms.
    
3. Four students nominated by the Allegheny Student Government and confirmed by the President of the College for two-year staggered terms; 
    
4. The CFO/VP for Finance and Administration, and the Provost ex officio. Both are non-voting members. 
    
5. The Director of Human Resources, the Director of Physical Plant, and the ASG Director of Finance will serve as non-voting consultants to the committee. 
    
6. The Co-Chairs of the Committee will be the CFO/VP for Finance and Administration and a faculty member of the Committee selected for a one-year term. 

(Revised, Spring 2022, 13 April 2023) 

4.5 Administrative Advisory 

The Administrative Advisory Committee (AAC) is elected to communicate the interests and opinions of exempt (salaried) employees and acts as a liaison to the President’s Cabinet. Information about the AAC can be found online at the Administrative Advisory Committee.  . 

4.6 Staff Advisory 

The Staff Advisory Committee (SAC) is elected to communicate the interests, opinions and concerns of the non-exempt (hourly) employees to the President’s Cabinet. Information about the SAC can be found online at the Staff Advisory Committee. 

(Revised 13 April 2023)

4.7 Study Away and Campus Internationalization 
 

Sunsetted by Faculty vote 16 November 2023.
 

4.8 Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs) 

The functions of the Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs) are to advise the Department of Athletics & Recreation and members of the faculty on issues related to Allegheny’s athletic programs. Responsibilities and duties include ensuring student-athlete welfare and the academic integrity of the athletics program. Two faculty members serve as Faculty Athletic Representatives to the athletic department and relevant NCAA conferences. Because of the expertise required for understanding PAC and NCAA responsibilities and regulations and to provide continuity in representation, appointments will typically be for 5 years with an option to renew, ideally with some overlap between incoming and outgoing FARs . The Provost will appoint FARs after consultation with the Director of Athletics and with Faculty Council. Any full-time faculty member is eligible. FARs will earn Committee Service Points (CSP) in a manner consistent with other committee service. The appointment will be reviewed every five years as part of the NCAA Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) process coordinated by the Athletics Director. 

(Revised 8 December 2016, 21 April 2022, 13 April 2023)

4.9 Safety Committee 

4.9.1 Purpose:

The Allegheny College Safety Committee supports the overall college mission “to prepare young adults for successful and meaningful lives in a diverse, interconnected world” by providing a safe and healthy place to live, work, and learn. In partnership with the College administration, faculty and students, the Safety Committee strives to reduce environmental, health, and safety risks through programs that promote stewardship for the College’s human and environmental resources. The most up to date information regarding the committee can be found on the committee website. https://sites.allegheny.edu/safety/

4.9.2 Functions:
The specific duties of the Safety Committee are:

1. Promoting safety awareness throughout the College.
    
2. Organizing and providing safety training programs for employees and students.
    
3. Assisting in safety inspections of buildings, grounds, and work sites on a periodic basis as dictated by the College’s inspection program.
    
4. Promptly reviewing all safety-related incidents, injuries, accidents and illnesses. Including investigation, recommending appropriate corrective action, follow-up and compliance.
    
5. Periodically evaluating Safety Committee by-laws, structure, and operations, and recommending any changes.
    
6. Coordinating with offices and departments to monitor completion and compliance of all training and inspections as well as an overall awareness of safety on campus to meet these objectives as a unified college body. Safety at Allegheny College is a campus wide initiative involving everyone.

4.9.3 Procedures:

1. In order to be legally certified, the Safety Committee is required to have more employee (non-supervisory) representatives than employer (supervisory) representatives as voting members, to have representation from particularly high-risk areas, and to achieve a quorum each month. Thus, alternate members must be designated to meet these requirements if some members are unavailable for any given meeting. Members designated as alternates are voting members of the committee only when they are filling in for voting members of the Safety Committee. 
    
2. The election of the committee Chair and Vice-Chair will be held during the monthly committee meeting the month before the incumbent’s term expires. If the Chair or Vice-Chair leave office before the term expires, an election will be held during the next scheduled Safety Committee meeting. The elected officer will serve for the remainder of the term. 
    
3. Consultants serve on the Safety Committee as non-voting members.
    
4. The Safety Committee is governed specifically by its own bylaws which can be found here: https://sites.allegheny.edu/safety/committee-by-laws/

4.9.4 Membership:
The Safety Committee will be composed of at least four committee members (voting members) at all times. Employee representatives will serve a continuous term of at least one year. Employer representatives can be appointed by the CFO or can be rotated onto the committee as business needs dictate. To ensure at least one experienced representative serves on the committee at all times, it may be advisable to stagger the terms of the members. Committee membership, voting members, and bylaws will be maintained on the Safety Committee website.

1. The committee will be composed of the following.

   1. One faculty member from the laboratory sciences, nominated by Faculty Council, will serve as a voting member of the committee. 
       
   2. Up to two individuals contracted by the college, with expertise in safety compliance, will serve as Ex-officio members.
       
   3. One representative each from Physical Plant, Athletics, Public Safety, Human Resources, Information Technology Services, Student Life, Conferences and Events, Finance, and Theater. These members can be appointed by the head of their respective departments. 
2. A Chair and Vice-Chair will be elected from among the voting committee members to one-year terms. 
    
3. The President of the College, or a designated representative of the office, will determine voting members of the Safety Committee from among the representatives listed above in order to meet state guidelines at the start of each year and ensure that information is posted publicly. 

(17 March 2022, Revised 13 April 2023)

4.10 Health Professions Faculty Advisors

The functions of the Health Professions Faculty Advisors are to advise the Maytum Center for Student Success and members of the faculty on issues related to Allegheny’s health professions programs. 

Responsibilities and duties include working with professional staff to counsel students concerning career opportunities in the health field; to advise students about undergraduate liberal arts curricula suitable for graduate health education; to assist students in compiling dossiers and obtaining graduate placement; to plan, arrange, and supervise public lectures, symposia, visits by scholars and practitioners, and other programs designed to introduce students to the opportunities and requirements of prospective graduate health fields; to consult with current students to ensure that their needs and viewpoints are represented in health professions advising; to represent Allegheny College at admissions events, orientation, and appropriate professional institutions and association meetings; and to provide counsel, guidance, and support to the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Success for Health Professions Advising, and the Dean for Student Success. Limited work may be required during the summer months, which should be primarily confined to attending admissions events and participating in orientation as needed.

In order to assist students in compiling their application dossiers, the Health Professions Faculty Advisors, the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Success for Health Professions Advising, and the Dean for Student Success or their designee will constitute the Health Professions Advisory Committee for the purpose of completing committee letters of recommendation. The Senior Assistant Dean of Student Success for Health Professions Advising will convene and chair the Health Professions Advisory Committee.

Because of the expertise required for understanding health professions advising and to provide continuity in advisement, appointments will typically be for 5 years with an option to renew, ideally with some overlap between incoming and outgoing advisors. The Provost will appoint two (2) Health Professions Faculty Advisors after consultation with the Dean for Student Success and with Faculty Council. Any full-time faculty member is eligible. Because of existing medical school preferences, at least one (1) Health Professions Faculty Advisor should be from the following STEM fields (Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Neuroscience, and Physics). The other Health Professions Faculty Advisor should be from a program outside those fields, with a preference for departmental alignment with pre-health students. Health Professions Faculty Advisors will earn Committee Service Points (CSP) in a manner consistent with other committee service.. 

(21 April 2022, Revised 13 April 2023)

4.11 Institutional Effectiveness Committee

4.11.1 Purpose

The Institutional Effectiveness Committee (IEC) is a standing committee of the College tasked with consulting on and recommending policies and practices pertaining to the use of assessment data across the institution.

4.11.2 Functions

The Institutional Effectiveness Committee will:

1. Make recommendations to the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning and Assessment; Faculty Council; President’s Cabinet; and/or other Committees of the Faculty or College regarding assessment and continual improvement.
2. Advise on the assessment cycle for the institution, ensuring that all programs, including curricular, co-curricular, and administrative, are regularly engaged in the process of continual improvement, including updating policies and procedures when necessary.
3. Manage the assessment of general education programs annually, including the SWS, DR, Junior Seminar, and SPA (create plans, provide resources, summarize and analyze data). Facilitate the timely access to data collected in these processes.
4. Consult on the administration (timing, frequency, selecting participants, etc.) of all of the campus-wide surveys, including but not limited to National Survey of Student Engagement, First Destination Survey, and alumni surveys.
5. Institute annual professional development workshops for the members of the three assessment committees. Facilitate training in assessment in coordination with Director of Faculty Development, and designees of the Dean for the Student Experience and the Provost.
6. Investigate and recommend to appropriate offices ways to improve the culture of continual improvement across campus, including strengthening our informational infrastructure. 

4.11.3 Membership

The committee shall be constituted by:

1. the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, and Assessment (Chair and ex officio)
2. two faculty nominated by Faculty Council, who will act as liaisons to the Curricular Assessment Committee, serving three-year terms.
3. two staff from the Student Experience division, appointed by the Dean for the Student Experience, serving two-year terms. 
4. two administrative personnel, appointed by the Vice President of Finance and Administration. Terms of service shall be set by the divisions according to their standard practices.

(Created 16 November 2023)