University Senate Committees

Standing Committees of the Senate

Faculty Status Committee

Honorary Degrees Committee

Budget Committee

Benefits Policy Committee

Jurisdiction Committee

Senate Representation on Committees of the Board of Trustees

Senate Representation on Committees of the Board of Trustees

Additional Committees with Senate Appointments

Additional Committees with Senate Appointments

Faculty Status Committee. Functions: The functions and responsibilities of the Faculty Status Committee include:

a. Identifying and investigating issues that affect general faculty status, with the exception of those related to faculty benefits that are addressed by the Committee on Benefits Policy.
b. Reviewing existing policies related to faculty status and making recommendations to the Senate regarding them.
c. Developing and recommending new policies to address issues related to faculty status.
d. Advising the Senate and University administration regarding decisions that affect faculty welfare (e.g., strategic directions, economic entrenchment).

Charge: 1) Review the policies on the agenda elated to faculty status, except for the Policy on Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect, and 2) Examine the issue of the status of the Copley Library.

Members: 
Kelly Douglas, General Counsel (in advisory capacity)
Fred Galloway, SOLES
Michael Morse, SOE
Eric Pierson, CAS
Carl Rebman, SB
Bert Lazerow, SOL
Susan Hoyt, SON

Honorary Degrees Committee. Charge: Early in the fall semester, invite nominations for honorary degree recipients from the University community in a manner which communicates the invitation to all administrative units of the faculty. Assure that nominators complete and sign the Nominations for Honorary Degree form. 

Research and provide to the Senate salient documentation regarding each nominee’s qualifications for receiving an honorary degree.  Meet to discuss and vote upon which nominee(s) to recommend to the Senate with vote numbers, but not Committee member names, recorded for the Committee Report.  Along with the nomination form, documentation and vote tally, forward to the Senate a succinct written report for each nominee of approximately two pages, providing the rationale for the Committee’s recommendation.  The report should explicitly address how the nominee’s qualifications comport with the criteria stated in the Honorary Degrees Policy.

Members:
Adina Batnitzky, CAS
Karma Lekshe Tsomo, CAS
Steve Staninger, CAS

Budget Committee. Charge: Make recommendations to the Senate regarding budget initiatives the Senate should advance with particular attention to the transparency of the budget, faculty participation in the budget process and the timing of the budget process.

Members:
Alan Gin, SB
Dennis Krouse, CAS
Angela Yeung, CAS

Benefits Policy Committee. Charge: During the 2011-2012 academic year, the Benefits Policy Committee is charged to review the various options for changes to USD’s health care providers proposed for January 2013 by Human Resources and to make periodic reports to the Senate regarding these proposals and their rationales.  As part of its work, the Committee is further charged to investigate health insurance plans and employee costs for those plans at benchmark schools and report the findings of this investigation to the Senate by the end of the fall 2011 semester.

Members: Faculty Appointments
Ron Pachence, CAS
Andrew Narwold, SB 
Laura Berend, SOL
Joseph Burkard, SON

Jurisdiction Committee. Charge: Review proposed Cabinet approved changes to university policies forwarded to the Senate for its consideration to determine whether they fall within Senate jurisdiction. Adjudicate other jurisdictional questions as referred by the Executive Committee.

Members:
Laura Berend, SOL
Aarti Ivanic, SB
Carlton Floyd, CAS

Senate Representation on Committees of the Board of Trustees

Academic Affairs: Vidya Nadkarni, CAS
Athletics: Reyes Quezada, SOLES    
Finance: Steve Sumner, SB
Student Affairs: Carl Rebman, SB

Additional Committees with Senate Appointments

Ad Hoc Committee on Rank and Tenure: Alan Gin, SB 
Academic Calendar Committee: Cecilia Ruiz, CAS
Emergency Management Committee:
Human Resources Advisory Committee: Ron Pachence, CAS 
Information Technology Advisory Council: Jonathan Mack, SON
Institutional Review Board (IRB): Faculty Appointments  
Jane Georges, SON; Ann Garland, SOLES; Joseph Burkard, SON; Allen Snyder, SOL; Sandy Buczynski, SOLES; Frank Jacobitz, SOE; Jo Ellen Patterson, SOLES; Gary Jones, CAS; Necla Tschirgi, SPS; James Weyant, CAS; Maria Kniazeva, SB
Lock and Keys Security Task Force: Florence Gillman, CAS
Parking Committee: Amy Besnoy, CAS
Space Committee: Sue Lowery, CAS
Senate Constitution and By-Laws Revisions Committee: Tom Schubert, SOE
Steering Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention and Response: Sylvia Ngilla, CAS
Ad Hoc Committee on Policy on Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect: