Faculty Committee Guide

The FSEC Committee Guide is designed to provide information about the structure and function of the FSEC committees. It is intended to give faculty a sense of the workings of the campus and to help all in selection of committees for which to volunteer their services. A second edition published in spring 1994 updated the first edition, which was published in spring 1990. The guide will be revised and updated as changes are made and the need arises. The date of the latest revision is noted at the end of the guide. We have tried to present the relevant information about each committee in a format that is both concise and easy to read. Each committee entry details eligibility, composition, purpose, function, and workload. The eligibility section shows whether the committee is open to faculty who are tenured or non-tenured, full or part-time, and whether the committee is elected or appointed.

FSEC committees at HCC provide an opportunity for faculty involvement in a wide range of campus activities and issues. Faculty are primarily responsible for the quality of education at HCC. Without faculty participation in these committees, the campus could not function. Not only do committees promote a sense of community and involvement, but they also provide a forum for discussion of relevant issues affecting the quality of instruction, learning, and planning. Some committees serve an advisory capacity, while others make decisions regarding curriculum, personnel, student conduct, grades, and budgets. Participation in campus committee activities not only helps to broaden one's contacts on campus but also promotes collegiality and campus community. Additionally, service to the campus is one of the criteria for promotion and tenure. Committee service is one way of demonstrating a commitment to campus service.

Some committees are limited to full-time, tenured faculty. Others are open to all. Elected committees are staffed by divisional or campus-wide elections which are held by the end of March each year. All eligible faculty are automatically nominated to serve on elected committees. When the ballots are tabulated each year for the results of the elections for DPC and DCC, the memberships of the DPCs will be determined first and then the memberships of the DCCs. In general, those faculty members who are elected to the DPCs will not also be elected to the DCCs. When it is impossible for the DCCs to be formed, the Chair of the Committee on Committees and the Campus Chair of the FSEC will jointly decide how to complete the formation of the DCCs. It is part of each faculty member's duty to serve on a committee to which he or she is elected. Appointed committees are staffed by the FSEC by the third week in April through the Committee on Committees and the Campus Chair of the FSEC from a volunteer menu, which is distributed to all faculty. The FSEC tries to staff each committee with faculty from diverse programs, taking into account special talents and interests, and to assign each volunteer to his/her first choice committee. In general, no faculty member will be assigned to more than two committees although there are exceptions. For each committee, a convener is designated who is responsible for convening the first meeting (usually in the fall semester) and presiding over the selection of the committee chair. Unless otherwise noted, each committee selects a chair from among its voting members.

Although every effort is made to assign faculty to their choice of committees, it is not always possible to do so. If you are not assigned to your first choice committee, let the Committee on Committees know. Some accommodation might be made and you will receive consideration in the future as well. In the meantime, your efforts are important and will be appreciated wherever they are applied.

Acknowledgments:

Much effort was expended on the 1992 update of this guide. A special acknowledgment is due to David Panisnick, who conceived of the guide in the first place and whose efforts produced the first edition in spring 1990. For the 1992 update, Irene Mesina carefully reviewed and edited each committee entry and made valuable suggestions on format and content. Thanks also go to Glenn Matsumoto of the print shop for printing and chairs of various committees who reviewed and edited their respective sections: Chulee Grove, Karen Kelly, Marilynn Ito-Won, Doric Little, Lena Low, Beryl Morimoto, Dallas Shiroma, Annie Yamada, and Sheila Yoder. Diane Caulfield, 1994-95 FSEC Campus Co-Chair, reviewed the guide and made changes in 1995.

The FSEC examined the Committee Guidelines in 1998 and made some changes. Some committees were deemed not to be subcommittees of the Senate and were dropped from the list. In particular, this included the ASUH-HCC, the Student Life Board, and the Student Publications Board advisors. The memberships of a few committees were adjusted to reflect what is actually happening. For example, the Dean of Instruction has always been an ex-officio member of the CPC but the guidelines did not show this, so that was fixed. Similarly, the Dean of Student Services has always been an ex-officio member of COSA, so the guidelines were adjusted to show this as well. The EMC Advisory Committee was changed to the Technology Advisory Committee and the role enlarged. The new role is designed to give the committee advisory capability in all areas involving technology, especially computing and educational media.

As a result of the reorganization that took place in 1999, all of the descriptions of the memberships of the committees had to be changed. The FSEC in the fall of 1999 went through the descriptions of the memberships, and modified them to be consistent with the new divisional structure.

Preface written by Richard Brill, 1990

Subsequent editing done by:
Diane Caulfield, FSEC Campus Co-Chair, 1994
Sam Rhoads, FSEC Campus Co-Chair, 1996-98 and 1999-2000
Muriel Fujii, FSEC Member, 1996-98