1. All tenured or tenure track faculty with appointments of half-time (.5 FTE) or more with appointments of half-time (.5 FTE) or more within the School

2. Unclassified academic staff (e.g., research professors, clinical professors) with appointments of half-time (.5 FTE) or more within the School

3. Professors of the Practice (i.e., non-tenure track faculty) with appointments of half-time (.5 FTE) or more within the School

4. Up to seven student representatives, who must be in good academic standing and enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours in the School. The seven will consist of two representatives from the BSW program (one from each program option), three from the MSW program (each from a different program option), one from the DSW program, and one from the PhD program, appointed by the respective program directors.

Purpose. The BSW Program Committee focuses on five core areas, as needed: curriculum policy decision making; development, review, and approval of syllabus guides; program maintenance; teaching and pedagogy improvement; and assessment and evaluation of program for internal and external purposes, i.e., KU’s undergraduate program requirements and CSWE’s reaffirmation requirements.  Additionally, the committee attends to and develops aspects of the implicit curriculum and makes recommendations.  

 

Membership. The Director of the BSW Program, who is appointed by the Dean, serves as the chair of the BSW Program Committee. The membership of this committee consists of six faculty members, including the Director of Practicum Education and the BSW Program Director, and up to three students. The faculty members represent instructors who teach in the BSW curriculum, mentor BSW instructors, and/or are otherwise committed to undergraduate education. Faculty members are elected to the committee for a three-year term, and membership is staggered to ensure continuity. Faculty members can serve more than one term. Election of faculty must consider representation of core curriculum areas. The three student members represent students from the Edwards and Lawrence campuses, and membership is staggered to ensure continuity (at least one student who served in the previous year continues for two years). The three student members self nominate themselves or are invited by the BSW Program Director based on their statements of interest in serving on a school committee submitted in response to the annual call for statements by the Assistant Dean. Student members are expected to share committee information with and solicit input from peers. The BSW Program Director can create ad hoc sub-committees, including members from outside of the BSW Program Committee, as needed. 

 

Voting. All BSW Program Committee members, including students, have a right to vote on all matters, unless there are matters requiring confidentiality or are beyond the scope of student responsibility. 

 

Purpose. The purpose of the MSW Program Committee is to continuously evaluate and enhance the quality of the MSW program and curriculum. This includes routinely addressing the fit of the program with the school’s vision, mission, and guiding principles; assessment and evaluation of program for internal and external purposes, such as ensuring compliance with CSWE accreditation standards; and creating and maintaining a welcoming and supportive educational environment and experience for MSW students and instructors. 

The MSW Program Committee is chaired by the MSW Program Director, who is appointed by the Dean and will coordinate ongoing efforts of the Committee to determine priorities and oversee MSW curricular development and implementation. These coordination and oversight responsibilities focus on balancing the Committee’s attention to generalist and specialization curricula, Traditional and Advanced Standing plans of study, full-time and part-time completion plans, and student academic needs and resources at our various campuses and sites.  

The Committee routinely reviews MSW courses and syllabi guides, updating them as needed. Proposals for new and revised MSW courses are reviewed by the Committee which makes recommendations to the School Governing Body for final decisions. The MSW Program Committee also regularly reviews and updates MSW admissions and advancement policies and procedures working with faculty and staff members with responsibilities in these areas. 

 

Voting Members. Faculty members who teach in the MSW program within the last three academic years are eligible to become voting members of the MSW Program Committee, which shall have 8 voting faculty members and 3 voting student members. Voting faculty members of the MSW Program Committees are the MSW Program Director, the Director of Practicum Education, and six faculty members teaching and, ideally, representing the range of courses across program levels (i.e., generalist, clinical, macro) and sites Six faculty members teaching generalist and specialization courses on the Committee will be elected by the School Governing Body at the last school business meeting of each academic year. The initial term of office is three years and faculty members can be re-elected. Terms should be staggered to assure continuity. 

One student taking generalist courses and two students taking specialization courses will be selected by the MSW Program Director to be voting members based on their statements of interest in serving on a school committee submitted in response to the annual call for statements by the Assistant Dean. Whenever possible, students selected to be voting members of the Committee will be taking classes on different campuses.  

 

Responsibilities of Voting Members. Faculty and students who are voting members of the MSW Program Committee have the responsibility to fully and fairly represent their constituencies through consultation on a regular basis and in a systematic manner. In other words, faculty members will be designated within the committee to represent core components of the curricula; these individuals will be responsible for consulting with other faculty members teaching in related areas (e.g., generalist diversity, clinical specialization, macro specialization, etc.) regarding ongoing issues as identified in the first paragraph of this section as well as emerging and special issues to be addressed by the Committee. Likewise, faculty members elected to represent areas of specialization do the same with faculty colleagues teaching specialization courses. The MSW Program Committee can request the creation of ad hoc sub-committees as needed for activities that require specific faculty expertise beyond the scope of the current membership. 

 

With the help of the Committee Chair, students who serve as voting members of the Committee collect information from other students and bring ongoing and emerging program-related issues identified by students to the MSW Program Committee for discussion. Student members are expected to share committee information with and solicit input from their fellow students. 

 

Voting. All MSW Program Committee members, including students, have a right to vote on all matters, unless there are matters requiring confidentiality or are beyond the scope of student responsibility. When voting members of the Committee are unable to attend a meeting at which a vote will be taken, the Chair will ask for their vote in advance, or the vote will be conducted electronically for all voting members as soon as possible after the meeting. When a vote by the MSW Program Committee results in a tie that cannot be resolved by additional information and/or discussion, the Committee Chair will ask that the issue be placed on the agenda for a vote at the next full faculty meeting. The Chair will share necessary background information, including student perspectives, with the faculty at least one week before the faculty meeting. 

 

The purpose of the DSW Committee is to review major educational policy issues for the program, to develop and maintain the explicit curricula, and to provide an opportunity for the members to collectively discuss and improve teaching and pedagogical challenges.  The committee attends to and makes recommendations to improve aspects of the implicit curriculum of the DSW program to ensure educational quality.

 

The chair of the DSW Program Committee is the director of the DSW program, who is appointed by the Dean. The membership of this committee consists of four faculty members and one DSW student, all of whom have voting rights on the committee. The student member is elected by the other DSW students at the beginning of the academic year and is expected to share committee information with and solicit input from their fellow students.  

 

The faculty members include: the DSW Program director; two faculty members elected by the faculty as a whole for staggered terms of three years; and the DSW Program’s Capstone Coordinator. Only these five members have voting rights on the DSW Committee. All DSW Program Committee members, including the student, have a right to vote on all matters, unless there are matters requiring confidentiality or are beyond the scope of student responsibility. 

 

Purpose. The PhD Program Committee has three overarching purposes. First, the PhD Program Committee guides and advises the PhD Program on curriculum and program policies. Second, the PhD Program Committee ensures that the PhD Program is aligned with the School of Social Welfare’s vision and guiding principles. Third, the PhD Program Committee provides overall support for the PhD Program by monitoring and evaluating the program, communicating to the School about the program, and continually supporting PhD students in formal and informal events and activities.  

The PhD curriculum is considered broadly by the PhD Program Committee to include coursework and other critical components of PhD student experiences, such as Graduate Research Assistant roles, Graduate Teaching Assistant roles, co-authorship of research and scholarship, co-presentations of research and scholarship, School service roles, peer mentoring, etc.  

 

Chair. The chair of the PhD Program Committee is the director of the PhD Program, who is appointed by the Dean and coordinates ongoing efforts of the PhD Program Committee to determine priorities and oversee PhD program development and implementation. 

 

Composition. The membership of the PhD Program Committee consists of six faculty members and three elected PhD students. These elected students should represent students at different stages of the PhD Program to the extent possible, including one first-year student, one student in the advanced coursework phase, and one student in the post-coursework phase. Student members are expected to share committee information with and solicit input from constituents. The six faculty members include: the PhD Program Director and five faculty members elected by the faculty as a whole for a term of three years. Terms should be staggered to assure continuity. At least two of the five elected members should have taught in the PhD Program in the last five years.  

 

Voting Members.  All members of the PhD Program Committee are voting members on matters related to the PhD curriculum. All faculty members of the PhD Program Committee are voting members on matters related to students, including admission decisions, leave of absences, and other individual student decisions. Student members do not participate in discussion or voting on matters related to other individual students.  

 

When voting members of the PhD Program Committee are unable to attend a meeting at which a vote will be taken, the Chair will ask for their vote in advance of the meeting, or the vote will be conducted electronically for all voting members as soon as possible after the meeting. When a vote by the PhD Program Committee results in a tie that cannot be resolved by additional information and/or discussion, the Committee Chair will ask that the issue be placed on the agenda for a vote at the next full faculty meeting.  

Purpose.  The purpose of this Practicum Education Advisory Committee is to advise on curriculum, policies, practices, and procedures of Practicum Education. 

 

Responsibilities.  The Committee utilizes a participatory decision-making model.  Members produce specific priorities, guidance, and recommendations for the Practicum Education Office regarding practicum planning and practicum education curriculum and policies.  The Director of Practicum Education is expected to share committee information with the Program Directors and committees, the Associate Dean of Academic Programs, and, when changes require a vote, the School Governing Body.  The Chair will share necessary background information, including student perspectives, with the School Governing Body at least one week before the School Business meeting. 

 

Committee Membership.  The Practicum Education Advisory Committee Chair is the Director of Practicum Education.  Committee members consist of five students across levels and programming; one classroom instructor; one student support and one practicum education staff; one practicum liaison; and two community partners.  The Director of Practicum Education solicits committee membership broadly through the School, alumni, and Practicum Education networks.  A single member may represent more than one category of membership.  Membership of the Practicum Education Advisory Committee is reviewed on an annual basis.   

 

With the help of the Committee Chair, students who serve as voting members of the Committee collect information from other students and bring ongoing and emerging practicum-related issues identified by students to the Advisory Board for discussion.  

 

Voting.  Given the advisory role of the committee, items requiring a vote are limited.  In most cases, a consensus-building model is used.  In cases where a vote is taken, and voting members of the Committee cannot attend, the Chair will ask for their vote in advance, or the vote will be conducted electronically for all voting members as soon as possible after the meeting.  When a vote by the Practicum Education Advisory Committee results in a tie that cannot be resolved by additional information and/or discussion, the Committee Chair will ask that the issue be placed on the agenda for a vote at the next full faculty meeting.  The Chair will share necessary background information, including student perspectives, with the faculty at least one week before the faculty meeting. All Practicum Advisory Committee members, including students, have a right to vote on all matters, unless there are matters requiring confidentiality or are beyond the scope of student responsibility.

Elections for the Faculty Search Committee; Promotion, Retention, and Tenure Committee; Faculty Executive Committee; and the Awards Committee positions held by the Faculty Body will occur during the Spring School Business Meeting with the exception of replacement elections as needed to cover vacancies. Electing and voting that involves Academic and Research Staff positions on the Awards Committee is detailed below. Voting will be held for one committee at a time. Committee membership eligibility criteria and composition are indicated under each committee description below. Terms of office are staggered three-year terms. Faculty may not serve simultaneously on the Search Committee, Faculty Executive or the Promotional, Retention, and Tenure Committee, except in years where an insufficient number of faculty exists to staff all the elected committees. In extraordinary circumstances, such as an insufficient number of eligible faculty or a heavy committee workload, the faculty (i.e., as a whole, not just committee members) can vote to increase or decrease the number or adjust the rank and position type of required members to serve on a particular committee for an agreed upon time period, subject to rules and regulations outlined in Faculty Senate Rules and Regulations. This adjustment will be determined during the committee elections. The chairs of each committee are elected from and by its members. 

 

Terms of office begin immediately following the election of members of the Faculty Search Committee. The Faculty Search Committee is comprised of five elected faculty members and at least one doctoral student selected by the committee. In consultation with the Dean and the Associate Deans, the Faculty Search Committee develops procedures relevant to screening and interviewing of candidates for all prospective faculty appointments of .5 FTE or more and recommends appointments to the Dean. In recruiting faculty to teach in specific areas, the committee will involve faculty members with relevant expertise in the interview and selection process. In cases where the committee is searching to fill a position for which there is not existing representation on the committee, the committee chair may temporarily invite a person of that position to participate in activities related to the search. The committee is responsible for becoming familiar with and following Excellence in Diversity, the University’s faculty hiring guidelines, and Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action guidelines and procedures.

 

Terms of office begin immediately following the election of members of the PRT Committee. The PRT Committee consists of seven elected members and an alternate member. Membership includes elected tenured faculty members, including at least one full professor. If available, at least one unclassified academic staff with faculty position equivalent to associate or full professor is elected to PRT. A tenured faculty person or unclassified academic staff with faculty position equivalent to associate or full professor will be elected to PRT to serve as an alternate. Alternate PRT member will serve actively when a regular member of the PRT Committee is also a mentor for candidate. Members and alternate members serve three years.

 

The committee advises faculty candidates of promotion, tenure, and sabbatical, Keeler Intra- University Professorship application guidelines, reviews their application materials, and makes a recommendation to the Dean and to the UCPT. The committee conducts annual and progress toward tenure and/or promotion reviews of unclassified academic staff and pre-tenured tenure track faculty, advises them with regard to PRT standards, and gives a written report to the Dean and the faculty member with observations on faculty progress and suggestions about preparation for tenure application.

 

The PRT committee develops the policies and procedures for tenure, post tenure review, promotion, Keeler Intra University Professorships, and sabbaticals and brings them to the full faculty for approval.

 

Terms of office begin in the fall term following the election of the Faculty Executive Committee. The five elected faculty members of this committee must have served a minimum of one year in the School and have full time tenure track or tenured appointments. At least two members must be tenured. The function of the committee is to provide oversight and appraisal of faculty governance and other issues that affect the welfare of the School. Activities include: review of committee function and structure; oversight of and adherence to school and university policies; consultation with the Dean, Associate Deans, and Program Directors about School policy issues, long range planning, and program development; fulfilling its duties as outlined in the School’s grievance procedures; and providing a steering or coordinating function for other faculty governance and school policy issues as they arise.

 

Terms of office begin in the fall term following the election of the Awards Committee. There are three elected faculty members (i.e., either unclassified academic staff, tenured or tenure track faculty, or Professors of the Practice) on this committee and one elected faculty alternate who serves when a committee member has a conflict of interest, and up to two members each of the School’s academic staff and the School’s research staff. 

 

Upon tallying the nominations, the chair or designee of the Awards Committee shall contact and seek approval to serve on the committee from those academic staff members and research staff members with the three highest total number of nominations. Should any of these staff members choose not to serve on the committee, the chair or designee of the Awards Committee shall contact and seek approval from the staff member with the next highest number of nominations, to the point that up to three academic and three research staff agree to be nominated to the committee.

 

Anonymous voting will be conducted to elect up to two academic staff member and up to two research staff members from the academic and research staff members who have agreed to be nominated. The chair or designee of the Awards Committee will seek votes from academic and research staff and from the School Governing Body prior to the next scheduled School Business Meeting 

 

Should the result of the nominating process result in either no academic or no research staff being nominated to the Awards Committee, the positions will remain vacated until the following Spring, at which time the nomination and voting process just described will resume. 

 

The Awards Committee focuses on awards that have been established to honor past work and accomplishments, and that are not typically reliant on self-nominations. Award Committee members will have the following responsibilities:

1. nominating faculty from the KUSSW for awards including the Chancellor Budig Excellence in Teaching Award and the Statland Award for Excellence in Research and Scholarship;

2. nominating academic and research staff from the KUSSW for honors including the Higuchi Awards and employee recognition programs;

3. working collaboratively with the Dean and others to identify other awards at the university and national levels for which faculty and staff members may be nominated; 

4. establishing, maintaining, and updating criteria and bases of evaluation for award nominations; as well as making those available to faculty members;

5. assisting faculty and staff members who agree to be nominated with application/nomination materials;

6. making nominations for awards to the Dean for the Dean’s further action; and

7. maintaining a list of possible awards to be considered.