INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT DOCUMENTING INSTITUTIONAL
IMPROVEMENT THROUGH STANDING COMMITTEE SERVICE
The following is a synopsis of College Procedure 2.01.01.14: Committees.
What is the
objective of
standing
committees?
The objective of each committee is to advise the President on improving the institution. The committee charge,
found on the roster, indicates the tasks of the committee. The committee meets to address the charge, implement
associated procedures (e.g. tenure), follow up on the most recent Standing Committee Improvement Report,
which indicates unfinished business
(http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalEffectiveness/Pages/StandingCommitteeImprovementReportbyCommittee.asp
x), and to make recommendations to the President. Committees are governed by College Procedure 2.01.01.14
Committees: http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalEffectiveness/PoliciesandProcedures/2.01.01.14.pdf . For more
information, please contact the Office of Institutional Effectiveness (IE) at 831-2614.
How can College
employees help
committees
improve the
institution?
On February 1, the IE Office emails a solicitation form, listing available vacancies for the following academic
year, to employees, who may apply to fill one or more vacancies; membership categories allow employees to
represent a specified area of the College to focus committee efforts to improve the institution. Supervisors must
agree to allow applicants to fulfill duties pertaining to membership. During the following March, Vice
Presidents, Deans and Presidents of constituency groups meet to review the forms to recommend membership
for the following academic year to the President. Members receive Presidential appointment, re-appointment or
conclusion of service memos near the end of the spring semester. The IE Office maintains a file of Presidential
memos of appointment and other membership records. Normally, the President appoints College administrators
to committees as non-voting administrative liaisons, usually for two-year terms of service. They call the first
meeting of the academic year (if there is no chair-elect), do not vote, may provide clerical support, and are
consulted by the Chair on the charge and membership. Administrative liaisons commonly send to committee
members voice mail messages about the next meeting. One of their most important roles is that of informed
observer. As such, they may provide information perhaps not known to the committee, such as recent actions by
the Board of Trustees, or perhaps an administrative or historical perspective relevant to the agenda (e.g. “this has
been tried successfully in the past,” “this is against Board Policy,” “I feel that the President would support this”).
Committees may have resource persons, who do not vote, but whose expertise may support committee efforts to
improve the College. Web site for committee rosters indicating the charge, membership and affected Board
Policies and College Procedures:
http://www.epcc.edu/InstitutionalEffectiveness/Pages/StandingCommitteeMembershipbyCommittee.aspx
How does
committee
governance
promote the
improvement of
the institution?
Committee governance is designed to focus committee efforts to improve the College. Governed by the charge
and often by associated procedure(s), committees may at their discretion (in accordance with the Committees
procedure) impose on themselves rules designed to make their consultations more efficient. For example, a
committee may choose to define a quorum and non-attendance. The Chair, if not appointed by the President, is
elected by the voting members from among the voting members to ensure that the committee serves the College.
The Chair serves for 1 year, calls meetings, adheres to College Procedure 2.01.01.14: Committees, ensures that
the charge is addressed, creates agendas, prepares minutes, sends minutes to the IE Office, monitors committee
attendance, and ensures that member terms of service are staggered so that one-half (for two-year committees)
or one-third (for three-year committees) of the membership rotates off each year. To fill vacancies, the Chair, in
consultation with the administrative liaison, must send to the IE Office membership recommendations, which the
IE Office forwards to the President.
How are
committee
recommendations
used to improve
the College?
Committee recommendations guide the decisions of senior administrators. The Chair ensures that
recommendations are made and forwarded to appropriate administrators. To ensure committee effectiveness,
members complete each spring the Standing Committee Member Survey received from the IE Office. The Chairs,
by May 15, complete the Annual Standing Committee Chairs’ Year-end Improvement Report, which is part of
College Procedure 2.01.01.14: Committees. Committee recommendations can also be found in the committee
minutes posted on the College web site. A committee can track the progress of its recommendations if the Chair
submits the Response & Outcomes form found in the Committees procedure.
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT OF RESEARCH AND ACCOUNTABILITY
H:RS/1STANDCOMADMIN/FREQASKEDQUESTCOMMITTEES
EPCC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
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