Ithaca College Honors Program
By-laws – Adopted 2/10/2012
Article I. NAME and PURPOSE
The Ithaca College Honors Program is an all-College program administratively housed in the
School of Humanities and Sciences. It provides curricular and co-curricular services to
students enrolled as members of the Ithaca College Honors Program. These services include
an Ithaca College Honors Program minor program.
Article II. GOVERNANCE
The Ithaca College Honors Program is administered by a Program Director. The Program
Director is appointed by the Dean of the School of Humanities and Sciences, upon
recommendation by the Ithaca College Honors Program Steering Committee, to a renewable
three-year term. The Program Director reports to the Dean of the School of Humanities and
Sciences. The duties of the Program Director include, but are not restricted to:
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Chairing the Honors Program Steering Committee
Conducting elections to the Ithaca College Honors Program Steering Committee
Recruitment of honors faculty, seminars, and curricular initiatives
Assessment of the achievement of the program’s mission and learning goals
Faculty development for the Ithaca College Honors Faculty
Responsibility for all program records
Developing and monitoring of the program budget
Representation of the program to internal and external publics
Academic advising to students in the honors program
Engaging in institutional and cross-institutional research on honors
Fund raising and alumni relations
Development of strategies for enhancing the academic experience of honors
students
Coordinating program activities with relevant school and College committees
Coordinating program activities with relevant administrative units at the School and
College levels
Developing international honors experiences and seminars
Administering the admissions process for applicants to the honors program
Orientating students to the program
Creating informational and promotional materials for the honors program
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Administering the honors program web site
Chairing the Ithaca College Honors Program Student Advisory Committee
Planning and coordinating the program’s co-curricular programming
Supervising student personnel
The Program Director works closely with the Ithaca College Honors Program Steering
Committee. The duties of the Steering Committee include:
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Attendance at meetings of the Ithaca College Honors Program Steering Committee
Attendance at all meetings of the Ithaca College Honors Faculty
Review and approval of seminar proposals
Review and recommendation of curricular proposals to the Honors Faculty
Review of and assistance with program assessment
Assistance with student recruitment efforts
Recruitment of new seminars and curricular initiatives
Assistance with program events and initiatives
Proposal, approval, and review of permanent or ad hoc committees
Recommendation to the Dean of Humanities and Sciences regarding program
personnel, particularly the Program Director.
The Ithaca College Honors Program Steering Committee will consist of a minimum of six
members of the Ithaca College Honors Faculty, plus the Program Director who serves as
Chair. At least two members of the Steering Committee must have appointments outside of
the School of Humanities and Sciences. Members of the Steering Committee will serve
three-year terms.
A call for nominations to candidacy for the Steering Committee will be issued by the
Program Director as need requires. Elections will take place online by a secret ballot of all
members of the Ithaca College Honors Faculty. Only Honors Faculty who have agreed to
nomination by another member of the Ithaca College Honors Faculty or who have selfnominated may be elected. If, at any time, the Steering Committee has fewer than two
members from outside of the School of Humanities and Sciences, a special election of
candidates from outside of the School of Humanities and Sciences will be held. If Steering
Committee members leave the committee before their term is completed the Program
Director may appoint an interim member to serve until the next opportunity for an election.
If a Steering Committee member with an appointment outside of the School of Humanities
and Sciences leaves the committee before their term expires the Program Director must
appoint an interim with an appointment outside of the School of Humanities and Sciences.
The Ithaca College Honors Program Steering Committee must meet a minimum of three
times each academic semester. Non-voting attendance is open to any member of the Ithaca
College Honors Faculty and, otherwise, to invited guests.
All decisions of the Ithaca College Honors Program Steering Committee will be made by
majority vote of the members present within the scheduled time of an announced meeting
or, in rare cases, following online discussion and voting by email. Proxy votes cannot be
recorded at scheduled meetings.
Article III. MEMBERSHIP OF THE ITHACA COLLEGE HONORS FACULTY
All full-time, continuing Ithaca College faculty are eligible to become members of the Ithaca
College Honors Faculty. One becomes a member of the Ithaca College Honors Faculty
immediately upon, a) approval of any curricular proposal (seminar or curricular feature
requiring approval by the Steering Committee) by the Ithaca College Honors Program
Steering Committee, or 2) service on any permanent or ad hoc committee of the Ithaca
College Honors Program. There should be, at all times, at least one faculty member from
each of the schools at Ithaca College serving as a member of the Honors Faculty. If at any
time the condition exists that there is not a member of the Honors Faculty representing one
or more of the schools at Ithaca College, the Program Director will inform the Dean’s
Office of the effected school(s). The Dean of the effected school(s) may then nominate one
or more members of their faculty to the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will
then approve at least one of these nominees to the Honors Faculty. The term of service on
the Honors Faculty is indefinite.
All changes to the curricular structure of the Honors Program require a vote by the Honors
Faculty, in which a majority of the submitted votes will be required for passage.
There will be a minimum of one open, announced meeting of the Ithaca College Honors
Faculty every academic semester.