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Faculty Committees and Representatives CAS Internal Committees & Faculty Senate

Elections occur annually in March: please watch for the
Call for Nominations, sent in early March by the CAS Dean’s Office.

 

Dean’s Office Shared Governance Committees

The Curriculum Committee reviews proposals from teaching units for new academic programs, courses, revisions to existing programs, and/or termination of courses, academic programs, degrees, majors and minors.

Two faculty representatives are elected from Arts and Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the Natural and Mathematical Sciences.

Members serve 2-year terms.

Current Members

  • Chair: Dan Lin, ECON
  • Barbara Balestra, ENVS
  • Jody Gan, HLTH
  • Stina Oakes, LIT
  • Holly Swanson, BIO
  • Gemma Sune Minguella, WLC

The Faculty Affairs Committee advises the Dean on academic policy matters and typically studies and makes proposals on matters of common concern to the Dean and the Committee. 

At least one representative is elected from each of the clusters: the Arts (Art History, Studio Art, and Performing Arts, which includes Arts Management and Audio Tech), the Humanities (History, World Languages, Literature, Philosophy and Religion, and CRGC (Critical Race, Gender, Culture Studies)*), the Social Sciences (Anthropology, Economics, Health Studies, Psychology and Sociology) and the Natural and Mathematical Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Environmental Science, Mathematics and Statistics, Physics, and Neuroscience). Department Chairs are not eligible to serve. 

*Note that: CRGC is interdisciplinary, encompassing the social sciences.

Members serve 3-year terms.

Current Members

  • Chair: Arthur Shapiro, PSYC
  • Bri Anderson, PHY
  • Juliet Bellow, ARTH
  • Cathy Schaeff, BIO
  • Hye Young Shin, WLC
  • Brian Yates, PSYC

The Research Committee reviews proposals for faculty and graduate student research, scholarship, and creative activities funded by the College faculty and the policies and process for these research award programs.

Two faculty are elected from the Arts and Humanities, the Social Sciences, and the Natural and Mathematical Sciences.

Members serve 2-year terms.

Current Members

  • Elizabeth Cotter, HLTH
  • Sarah Knowles, WLC
  • Caroline Kuo, HLTH
  • Mark Laubach, BCAN
  • David Pike, LIT
  • Jonathan Tubman, PSYC

Current Members

  • Chair: Gemma Sune Minguella, WLC
  • Jennifer Axe, CHEM
  • Amanda Choutka, LIT
  • Olga Cordero-Brana, MATH/STAT
  • Tara Giordano, PERF
  • Maria Gomez, PSYC
  • Bernhard Gunter, ECON
  • Anna Kaplan, HIST
  • Dhananjaya Katju, ENVS
  • Anna Leithauser, ART
  • David Reznik, SOCY
  • Kathleen Riley, CSC
  • Cynthia Ronzio, HLTH
  • Matt Twiford, PERF
  •  

Other CAS Committees

The Merit Awards STEM Committee (MAST) supports high-achieving, undergraduate STEM and Social Science majors by raising awareness of nationally competitive student scholarships, celebrating the achievements of our successful candidates within CAS and the university community at large, developing resources for applicants and prospective candidates, and determining best practices in the mentorship of candidates. A wide variety of such scholarships exist; however, AU students historically have pursued them in limited numbers. The committee works closely with the Senior Director of the Career Center’s Office of Merit Awards, the CAS Director for STEM Partnerships and Education, and the Director of Premedical Program Health Studies.

Duties include:

  • Disseminating information about nationally competitive scholarships
  • Assisting with the identification of prospective applicants for major awards
  • Providing information on faculty expertise within CAS as needed by individual applicants
  • Providing guidance on best practices in researching and writing application essays
  • Helping to raise awareness of the successes of STEM and Social Science majors in national competition
  • Advising on the content of resources for our applicants (Canvas site, etc.).

The MAST committee is composed of five faculty members from the mathematical, natural, and social sciences. At least three (3) will be from these mathematical and science departments: 

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Environmental Science
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Neuroscience
  • Physics

At least one (1) will be from the following social science departments:

  • Anthropology
  • Economics
  • Health Studies
  • Psychology
  • Sociology

All full-time faculty members are eligible to serve.

All full-time faculty members are eligible to serve. Senior Director of the Career Center’s Office of Merit Awards, the CAS Director for STEM Partnerships and Education, and the Director of Premedical Program Health Studies will serve as ex officio non-voting members of the committee:  

The committee will meet twice in the Fall and once in the Spring. Members will also be encouraged to attend two special events per year: the opening event for the Early Identification Program, which introduces outstanding second-year students to nationally competitive scholarships, and an end-of-year event celebrating the achievements of all applicants for the year. On average, MAST members will engage in committee business for approximately 6-8 hours per term. 

Members will serve three-year terms. Committee members are subject to a term limit of two consecutive terms or a maximum of six consecutive academic years and therefore cannot serve on the committee for the next three academic years. To ensure a mixture of new and continuing committee members while the committee is still new, up to three initial members can extend their first term of service for a third term.

University Faculty Senate

Elected by faculty colleagues, the Senate ensures excellence and equity in both policies and practices that affect faculty across the university. The Senate, in accordance with the By-laws, has responsibility for instruction and academic standards; curriculum and course approvals; recommendations of faculty appointments, promotions, and faculty personnel concerns; recommendations for the instructional budget; recommendations of policies affecting student affairs.

The Faculty Senate and its representatives on the Board of Trustees and on-Board committees may discuss and express their views about any matter affecting the university. These views may be shared with any individual, faculty, or group within the university.
 

CAS Members, AY 24-26:

  • Laura Beers, HIST
  • Alison Crisler, HLTH
  • Benjamin Djain, LIT
  • Nathan Harshman, PHYS

Senate Committees

  • Committee on Faculty Actions
    (3-year term, AY 24‐27):
    Kate Gunthert, PSYC
  • Committee on Learning Assessment
    (3-year term, AY 24‐27):
    Janine Beekman, PSYC
  • Faculty Committee on Diversity,
    Equity, and Inclusion
    (3-year term, AY 24‐27):
    Santiago Toledo, CHEM
  • Committee on Faculty Grievances
    (3-year term, AY 24‐27):
    Gautham Rao, HIST
  • Committee on Information Services
    (3-year term, AY 24‐27):
    Alan Isaac, ECON
    Michael Keynes, MATH/STAT
  • Committee on Scholarship
    (3-year term, AY 24‐27):
    Valentina Aquila, ENVS
    Santiago Toledo, CHEM
  • Committee on Term Faculty Affairs
    (2-year term, AY 24‐26)
    Tom Elder, ART
    Caimeen Garrett, LIT

Is an elected body of the university faculty which considers all financial matters pertaining to the academic programs and faculty and is authorized by the Senate to request financial data. As appropriate, the committee shall report to the Senate executive committee if matters need Senate action or oversight.

The committee is composed of nine full-time faculty members: 2 from CAS and one each from KSB, SIS, SOC, SPA, SPExS, WCL and the University Library. Budget Committee members serve staggered three-year terms. The chair, elected by the faculty membership of the committee, is a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. Customarily, the committee has the prerogative to operate as two subcommittees: A Budget subcommittee and a Benefits subcommittee.

Is an elected body of the university faculty which hears and makes a determination in all grievances filed by members of the faculty. As appropriate, the committee reports to the Senate executive committee if it matters need Senate action or oversight attention. The committee also oversees university policies and programs to ensure equitable treatment of faculty in accordance with the university’s statement on non-discrimination. The committee shall propose Senate action, as needed, and recommend oversight review, as needed, to the Executive Committee of the Senate.

The committee is composed of seven tenured members of the university faculty, one from each of the following academic units: KSB, SOC, SIS, SPA, the University library; and two from the College of Arts and Sciences. Member of this committee serve staggered three-year terms, with no more than three to be elected in any one year, except to fill vacancies in unexpired terms. The chair is to be elected by and from the membership of the committee.

CAS Member, AY 24-27: Kate Gunthert, PSYC

The CFA is an elected body of the university faculty representing the interests of faculty members, individually and collectively, in matters related to appointments, reappointments, tenure, and promotion. The CFA promotes equitable treatment of faculty. Each CFA member is to consider solely the good of the university as a whole when undertaking the work of the committee.

The CFA is composed of eight senior faculty, preferably full professors, one from each of the following academic units: KSB, SOC, SIS, SPA, the University Library; and one from each cluster (arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences) of the College of Arts and Sciences. Tenure-line faculty and term faculty on multi-year contracts from each academic unit elect the unit’s member(s) of this committee. Members of the CFA serve staggered three-year terms. Members may not be academic unit deans, teaching unit chairs, or persons whose principal duties are administrative in nature. Faculty members who intend to apply for promotion are ineligible, and faculty on the on the CFA who are up for promotion must reuse themselves from the committee for the year in which their promotion will be considered. In the event that a member of the CFA must reuse himself or herself, the unit that he or she represents will appoint a one-year replacement prior to the next meeting of the CFA. The original member may resume his or her position on the committee the following year. The chair is elected by the members of the committee and receives one course release.

CAS Members, AY 24-27: Alan Isaac, ECON, and Michael Keynes, MATH/STAT

Is an elected body of the university faculty which assesses the computer needs of undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty and the adequacy of the delivery of information services to students and faculty. The committee is composed of eleven full-time faculty members: four from CAS and one each from KSB, SIS, SOC, SPA, SPExS, WCL, and the University library. Information Services committee members serve staggered two-year terms. The committee elects, from among its faculty members, its own chair.

CAS Member, AY 24-27: Santiago Toledo, CHEM

CAS Member, AY 24-27: Janine Beekman, PSYC

The Committee on Learning Assessment is an elected body of the university faculty composed of nine full-time faculty members: one from KSB, SIS, SOC, SPA, SPExS, and the University Library, and one from each of the three clusters of CAS. Learning Assessment committee members serve staggered two-year terms. The committee elects a chair from it among its members.

The committee provides guidance and assistance to the colleges and schools on developing and implementing academic program assessment plans, analyzing and interpreting assessment results, interacting with other administrative stakeholders and submitting a written report to the Faculty Senate each December.

CAS Members, AY 24-27: Valentina Aquila, ENVS, and Santiago Toledo, CHEM

CAS Members, AY 24-26: Tom Elder, ART, and Caimeen Garrett, LIT

Faculty Senate (Senator)

Elected by faculty colleagues, the Senate ensures excellence and equity in both policies and practices that affect faculty across the university. The Senate, in accordance with the By-laws, has responsibility for instruction and academic standards; curriculum and course approvals; recommendations of faculty appointments, promotions, and faculty personnel concerns; recommendations for the instructional budget; recommendations of policies affecting student affairs.

The Faculty Senate and its representatives on the Board of Trustees and on-Board committees may discuss and express their views about any matter affecting the university. These views may be shared with any individual, faculty, or group within the university.
 

CAS Members, AY 24-26:

  • Laura Beers, HIST
  • Alison Crisler, HLTH
  • Benjamin Djain, LIT
  • Nathan Harshman, PHYS