Faculty Committees

Overview

All members of the Barnard faculty are expected to participate in the governance of the College through service on its faculty and College committees.

College faculty committees are divided into two categories, those whose members are appointed by the Faculty Governance and Procedures (FGP) Committee and those whose members are elected by the faculty.  Tripartite committees are composed of faculty members, administrators, and students designated by the Student Government Association.

Elections to fill vacancies on Elective Committees are held every spring. Please click on the links in the right hand column for information on each committee.

Committee Calendar

Faculty Meetings

Faculty meetings are normally held on the first Monday of each month in which the College is in session. All full-time faculty members are expected to attend faculty meetings. Neither classes nor office hours should be scheduled to conflict with the time of the faculty meeting.

Meetings are usually held in the James Room on the 4th floor of Barnard Hall. Refreshments are served starting at 3:45 p.m. The official meeting begins at 4:15 p.m. and concludes at 6:00 p.m., unless business is concluded earlier or a decision is made by the Chair on a motion from the floor to extend the meeting. Special meetings may be held at the call of the President or upon a formal request of five members of the Faculty.

The first meeting, on September 15, which is a special meeting for introductions of new faculty, will be held in the James Room with a reception following.

2014-2015 Faculty Meeting dates:  

Meetings are chaired by the Provost/Dean of the Faculty.

• Voting. Only members of the Faculty have the right to vote. Unless otherwise decided by the Faculty, votes are by a simple majority. Faculty tellers are responsible for counting and reporting votes. A quorum consists of 50 faculty members present.

• Agenda. Agendas for Faculty Meetings are set by the Faculty Governance and Procedures Committee and available on eBear for the Faculty prior to the meeting. Items for the agenda can be submitted to the Provost/Dean of the Faculty or the members of the Faculty Governance and Procedure Committee.

• Minutes. Minutes of Faculty Meetings are taken by the Secretary to the Faculty and are appended to the agenda of the succeeding Faculty Meeting for the Faculty's approval.

Elected Faculty Committees

To assure comprehensive representations, elections and some appointments to committees are organized by the following divisions:

I. Architecture, Art History, Dance, English, Music, Theatre.

II. Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Mathematics, Physical Education, Physics & Astronomy, Psychology.

III. Anthropology, Economics, Education, History, Political Science, Sociology, Urban Studies.

IV. Africana Studies, Asian & Middle Eastern Cultures, Classics, French, German, Italian, Philosophy, Religion, Slavic, Spanish and Latin American Cultures, Women’s Studies.

Advisory Committee on Appointments, Tenure and Promotion (ATP)

Chair: Provost and Dean of Faculty

Term length: 3 years

Meeting time: Weekly; Thursdays from 12-2 PM

Committee charge: To advise the President and Provost/Dean of the Faculty on academic qualifications of individuals for purposes of appointment, tenure, promotion and other matters relating to faculty evaluation, recognition and development.

Membership eligibility: Limited to tenured Full Professors, and to tenured Associate Professors who have held tenured status for at least two years.  There will be five members, one from each of the four faculty divisions plus one at-large; all are elected by the full faculty.  Elections or appointments to the committee must result in the presence of at least three tenured Full Professors among the five members.

There must be a break of service of at least one year before a faculty member may be elected again to a three year term; faculty appointed to fill a partial term vacancy are exempt from the break in service provision and may be elected to a full three year term immediately following their partial term of service.

Regular Members:

Alternate Members:   

2014-2015 ATP dates:  

Faculty Budget Planning Committee (FBPC)

Chair: Provost and Dean of Faculty

Term length: 3 year term

Meeting time: Wednesdays from 12 to 2 PM

Committee charge: To advise the President and Provost on staffing in the College’s academic program.  Its focus is on the size and composition of divisions, departments and programs.  The FBPC appoints 2 representatives from among its faculty members from different faculty divisions, to work collaboratively with the President’s Council during budget discussions. 

Membership eligibility: Limited to tenured faculty, one from each of the four divisions, elected by that division, and two from different divisions elected at-large.

Members:

2014-2015 FBPC dates:

Faculty Governance and Procedures (FGP)

Chair: One of the elected faculty members, to be elected by the faculty members of the committee

Term length: 2 year term

Meeting time: Tuesdays from 12 -2 PM

Committee charge: Responsible for issues of faculty governance and procedures including organizing and operating faculty meetings, including the preparation of the agenda and review of the minutes for the use of the Provost in chairing the faculty meeting; conducting elections of faculty to various elective committees and other elective positions; appointing faculty to non-elective committees and standing tripartite committees; advising, upon request of the President or the Provost/Dean of the Faculty, on the appointment of faculty members to special or ad hoc committees; reviewing periodically the structure, charge and composition of faculty committees and election procedures; serving in grievance proceedings as provided in the Code of Academic Freedom and Tenure; and serving as a forum for discussion of issues concerning faculty governance and procedures and referring issues as it deems appropriate to faculty committees and meetings for discussion and action.

Membership eligibility: One tenured and one non-tenured faculty member from each of the four voting divisions, elected by the members of that division for two-year staggered terms.

Members:

2014-2015 FGP dates:

Committee on Instruction (COI)

Chair: Associate Provost

Term length: 2 year term

Meeting times:  Mondays, 4:10 – 6:00 PM

Committee charge: To represent the Faculty and recommend action to the full Faculty on matters relating to the curriculum.  The COI is the College’s principal formulator of educational policy.  Provides advice to the Office of Admissions on academic matters having to do with admissions policy and practice, including the development of recruitment strategies and priority, the use of standardized test scores, and the evaluation of student outcomes.  Authorizes and analyzes assessment activities associated with the learning goals of college wide curricular requirements and the College’s Mission Statement.  

Membership eligibility: One tenured and one non-tenured faculty member from each of the four voting divisions, all of whom are elected by the full faculty.

Members:

2014-2015 COI dates:

University Senate

Term length: 2 year term

Meeting times: Once a month, Fridays

Committee charge: Represent Barnard Faculty at monthly Friday meetings of Columbia University Senate and give reports at monthly Barnard Faculty Meetings. 

Membership eligibility: Two faculty, one tenured and one non-tenured, elected by the full faculty

Members:

Faculty Representative to the Board of Trustees

Term length: 3 year term

Meeting times: Bi-monthly Board of Trustees meetings

Committee charge: Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees and the Trustees’ Committee on Academic Affairs; report to faculty at monthly Faculty Meetings.

Membership eligibility: Two faculty, with at least one being a tenured faculty member, both elected by the full faculty

Members:

Faculty Finance and Resource Committee (FFRC)

Term length: 3 year term

Meeting times: Seasonally, based on members’ availability

Committee charge: Articulates and defends the Faculty’s interests in the budgetary process.  Participates in discussions with the administration on salary scales, fringe benefits, other forms of remuneration, and working conditions.

Membership eligibility: Membership includes one tenured, one non-tenured and one off-ladder member of the faculty, each elected by that group, and a fourth who is elected at-large by the full faculty.

Members:                                                        

Grants Committee

Chair: Associate Provost

Term length: 2 year term

Meeting time: Tuesdays, 9:30-11:00 AM

Committee charge: Makes recommendations to the President for the Presidential Research Awards.  Reviews and makes recommendations on applications by faculty members for research grants and awards.  Reviews nominees and makes recommendations for the Gildersleeve Professorship, Tow Award for Innovative Teaching, and the Mellon Environmental Science mini-grants.

Membership eligibility: Four tenured faculty members, one from each of the four faculty divisions, plus two full time faculty of any rank or division, on or off ladder, all elected by the full faculty.

Members:

2014-2015 Grants dates:

Off-Ladder Faculty Advisory Committee (OLFAC)

Chair: One of the elected faculty members, to be elected by the faculty members of the committee

Term length: Three year term

Meeting time:  Once a semester and additionally as needed

Committee charge: Advises the Provost on matters pertaining to College faculty who have off-ladder titles as defined by the Code of Academic Freedom and Tenure.  Membership is limited to full-time off-ladder faculty who hold titles that are part of the department’s planning profile and who are eligible for promotion and renewal without limit (renewable/promotable faculty).  Those with the following off-ladder titles are eligible to serve:  Professor of Professional Practice series; Associates and Lecturers whose appointment make them eligible for promotion to senior status; Senior Associates and Senior Lecturers.  Members include three faculty representing voting divisions 1, 2, and 3 plus 4, elected by the renewable/promotable faculty in their own division, plus two renewable/promotable faculty at-large who are elected by all the full-time off-ladder faculty.

Members: