Student Standing Committees
Faculty Standing Committees, Councils and Boards

SGA functions in the same manner as United States Congress and the executive branch. The executive branch includes the student body president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and an appointed cabinet. The legislative branch consists of senators who are elected each year to represent the students in the college community. Senators are elected on the basis of class. Senators work with the administration and faculty of the College to determine the policies and concerns of Westminster. The committees listed below were established by SGA to provide a means of communication and cooperation among various interest groups within the College.

Executive Council: Each spring, executive officer slates are voted on by the student body.  Officers for the 2003-2004 academic year are as follows:

President:  Christine Atkins
Vice President:  Russ Mills
 Secretary:  Ian Durham
Treasurer:  Kristen Kulick

Student Associate Members for the Board of Trustees: SGA also is responsible for selecting the Student Associate members for the Board of Trustees. There are three students on the board with the President of SGA being one of them.

The 2003-2004 Associate Trustees are Christine Atkins, Jessica Rummel, and Jessica Young.
 

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS is responsible for reviewing current academic policies and practices, as well as recommending changes in procedure. This committee is responsible for the annual College Bowl competition.

The Academic Affairs committee runs the student/faculty standing committee elections and maintains liaison with the appropriate faculty standing committees.

CAMPUS PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE is responsible for scheduling the social, recreational, and educational entertainment for students. Events that are planned and coordinated by the CPC include novelty, comedy and solo performers. CPC is responsible for the highly successful Lil’ Sibs program, which takes place during Spring Semester.

The CPC are members of the Great Lakes Region of the National Association for Campus Activities and attend the fall regional conference and the spring national convention in order to select entertainment for the student body. Students from Westminster College have also held leadership positions on the NACA Great Lakes Steering Committee, the Great Lakes Conference Committee and a national commission. Maggie Stevens ’93, former CPC chair, was awarded the first NACA Great Lakes Region Joe Giampapa Scholarship in 1993.

The CPC, in conjunction with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Down Under Committee, has a goal of providing quality weekly entertainment programmed inthe Down Under for the Westminster community. Because of the interface between the CPC and DU, these two committees meet together twice a month in addition to their individual committee meetings.

Craig Carlin

CLUB MAC COMMITTEE is responsible for the operation and management, in conjunction with the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, of the nonalcoholic pub. The committee plans the weekly videos in the McKelvey Campus Center in addition to special events. The CPC and CM committees program weekly events for the student body. In addition, the CPC and CM committees meet twice a month together besides their individual committee meetings.
 
The general manager (chair) and assistant general manager accompany the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and members of the CPC to the National Association for Campus Activities regional conference and national convention.

FINANCE/APPROPRIATIONS is responsible for allocating the Student Government Association’s Grant Fund among the recognized student organizations. This committee also recommends to the Senate the funding of student groups. Yearly, the committee audits all organizations who receive SGA funding.

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE shall review and recommend policies and practices pertaining to the constitution and by-laws of the SGA. It shall also conduct all elections relating to the SGA.

PUBLIC RELATIONS shall act as a liaison between the SGA and the Westminster community and shall promote the activities of the SGA. In addition, they shall write a weekly antidote in the Holcad updating the students on the activities of the SGA.

STUDENT AFFAIRS reviews the nonacademic policies and practices of student life and recommends changes in procedure. The committee works in conjunction with the Student Affairs administrators and the appropriate faculty committees. They shall also be responsible for organizing special events throughout the academic year.

The faculty has approved student membership on many standing faculty committees, councils and boards. The Student Government Association’s standing committees monitor these groups. Descriptions of each group follow.

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE shall have particular responsibility for leading the Faculty to decisions regarding the overall direction of the curriculum. It shall review and recommend to the Faculty policies relating to academic programs and degrees, including but not limited to long-range curricular needs and direction, course offerings, and methods of instruction. To engage faculty involvement in curricular planning, the Committee shall hold open meetings at appropriate times to share the results of its study and invite faculty response. Where necessary, the Curriculum Operations Committee and the Curriculum Development Committee shall consult to determine which Standing Committee reviews a particular problem.
 
This committee shall include nine members: the Vice President for Academic Affairs, six elected faculty, two elected from each of the three groups, and two students.
 
CURRICULUM OPERATIONS COMMITTEE shall review and make recommendations regarding the academic calendar, daily schedule, new course proposals, and general education course proposals. In addition, the Committee is also responsible for the review of changes in existing major and minor programs. Where necessary, the Curriculum Operations Committee and the Curriculum Development Committee shall consult to determine which Standing Committee reviews a particular program.
 
This committee shall include nine members: the Associate Dean of the College, six elected faculty, two elected from each of the three groups, and two students.

PLANNING, BUDGET, AND INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL is responsible for developing or reviewing and recommending to the President the following: 1) updated versions of the Long Range Plan and other planning documents; 2) space utilization plans; 3) annual operating budget parameters and budget priorities; 4) instruments and strategies for institutional assessments. This council will also review results of institutional research and make recommendations to appropriate groups. The council will identify the areas requiring institutional research in order that its work and recommendations be founded on a reliable, ever-developing data base.

Because the purpose of the council is to assure appropriate levels of campus understanding and shaping of the College’s plans and budgets, its members will bring to the council’s deliberations valid concerns and suggestions of various constituencies. Members will report at least once each Fall and Spring semester the work of the council to the groups from which they are elected.

This council shall include fourteen members: the President of the College (who shall be chair), the Vice President of Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Finance and Management Services, the Vice President for Development and Institutional Relations, the Dean of Student Affairs, the Director of Institutional Research, four members elected by the faculty, two students, and two support staff.

RELIGIOUS LIFE COUNCIL is responsible for reviewing and recommending policies related to the religious life of the College. It shall advise and make recommendations to the Dean of the Chapel. It shall be responsible to review College policies which have an impact on the religious life of the College and bring recommendations regarding those policies to the appropriate body. The council will report annually to the faculty and to the Student Government Association.

This council shall include ten members: the Dean of the Chapel, a Student Affairs Dean (designated by the Dean of Student Affairs), four members elected by the faculty (one to be elected chair), and four students.

ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT COUNCIL shall review and recommend policies and procedures on enrollment management at the College. Policies and procedures under the council’s purview include, but are not limited to, enrollment research, planning and targets; student recruitment and retention; and financial aid policies. The council shall also oversee the selection of endowed scholarship recipients.

This council shall include twelve members: five elected faculty, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, an additional member of the Admissions staff designated by the Dean of Admissions, the Director of Financial Aid, the Athletic Director and two students. Student members will not participate in any council deliberations pertaining to individual students.

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES COUNCIL shall review and recommend policies and priorities regarding campus instructional resources. It will serve as an Advisory council to the Head Librarian, Director of Information Systems, and Director of Audio Visual Services and in consultation with these three, the council will recommend to the appropriate Vice President and/or the faculty and then to the President.

This council shall include nine members: four elected faculty members, plus one at large, the Head Librarian, Director of Information Systems, Director of Audio Visual Services, and two students. The Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Vice President for Finance and Management Services will serve as ex officio members. The chair and secretary of the council will be elected by the council from the faculty and administrative members.

STUDENT LIFE AND ATHLETIC COUNCIL shall review and make recommendations on policies pertaining to student life (student activities and organizations, fraternities and sororities, judicial affairs, minority, international and disabled student affairs, counseling services, orientation, residence life, student health services) and intercollegiate and intramural athletics.

The council will advise and make recommendations to the Dean of Student Affairs on matters pertaining to student life. On matters pertaining to intercollegiate and intramural athletics, the Council will advise and make recommendations to the Director of Athletics.

This council shall include nineteen members: the Dean of Student Affairs,  the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, the Assistant Dean of Students and Public Safety, the Assistant Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Athletics, the Assistant Director of Athletics, five elected faculty (three of whom must be non-Physical Education faculty) and eight students.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY BOARD is Advisory to the President of the College. This Board consists of the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity Officer (who is the Chair and is appointed by the President), one administrator appointed by the President for a two-year term, one faculty member from the Faculty Personnel Committee selected by the Committee for the same term as their appointment to the Faculty Personnel Committee, one faculty member elected at large from the faculty for a two-year term to be staggered with the Faculty Personnel Committee appointment, two members of the support staff appointed by the President for a one-year and two-year term respectively, and two students appointed by the President of the Student Government Association to serve until their respective graduations. The President or his designate is an ex officio member of the committee.

STUDENT PUBLICATIONS BOARD will review and recommend policies and procedures pertaining to officially recognized student publications to the Dean of Student Affairs. The Board shall appoint the editors and other selected staff of student publications and review their budgets and contracts. Finally, the Board shall approve the establishment and elimination of any student publications. This Board shall include four members of the faculty, the Business Manager of the College, the faculty advisers for all student publications, and five students, none of whom is an editor of an officially recognized student publication. The Board will be chaired by one of its faculty members.

JUDICIAL BOARD shall consider cases of individual student or student organizations accused of violating the College’s Code of Conduct. In considering cases, the Board shall follow the procedures outlined in the portion of the Handbook for Students titled “Student Rights and Responsibilities.”

This Board shall include eight members: four faculty members, one of whom shall serve as chair, and four students. Four of the faculty members of the Student Life and Athletic Council shall serve as the members of the Judicial Board.

COLLEGE APPEALS BOARD is responsible for considering appeals of judicial decisions made by the Dean of Student Affairs or the College Judicial Board. In considering cases, the Board shall follow the procedures outlined in the portion of the Handbook for Students titled “Student Rights and Responsibilities.”

This Board shall consist of ten members:  three elected faculty members, three students elected by the Student Government Association, two appointed faculty alternates, and two elected student alternates.