Faculty Policies Committee (FPC)

Faculty Policies Committee Standing Rules

The Faculty Policies Committee (FPC) is a standing Policy Committee of the Faculty Senate, responsible for the development and oversight of the policies and programs relating to faculty development and professional activities at California State University, Sacramento.

Charge

1. Acts as a consultative and deliberative body of the Faculty Senate;
2. Responsible for the development, review and revision of policies related to and affecting faculty (tenure track, non-tenure track, and emeritus) pertaining to the areas of:
   1. Professional development;
   2. Professional standards;
   3. Faculty awards;
   4. Workload;
   5. Retention;
   6. Academic freedom, not related to course content;
   7. Research and creative activities;
   8. The academic calendar;
   9. Other faculty matters outside the scope of the Unit 3 (Faculty) collective bargaining agreement and the purview of the University Appointment, Retention, Tenure, and Promotion Committee (UARTP); and
   10. Other matters that are deemed necessary by the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate.
3. Supervises generally the work of its subcommittees and may refer, remove or receive from them matters that require reconsideration of policies pertaining to faculty affairs.

Membership

A. Voting Members

Eleven faculty members appointed by the Faculty Senate. No more than two members may be from a single college and no two members may be from the same department/unit. Every effort shall be made to encourage membership from each college.

1. Ten College-based faculty members; and
2. One faculty member from the Library or Student Services Professionals Academically Related units.

B. Non-Voting/Ex-Officio Members

1. One staff member appointed by the University Staff Assembly;
2. One student appointed by the Associated Students, Inc.;
3. Associate Vice President for Human Resources;*
4. Faculty Senate Chair; and
5. One member from, and appointed by, the California State University, Sacramento Retirees Association.

*Administrative positions are appointed by the President or designee.

Additional Ex-Officio membership may be recommended by the committee, the Executive Committee, or the President or designee.

C. Term

1. The term of appointment for faculty representatives shall be for three years, with the possibility of reappointment. Appointments will be staggered to ensure that approximately one-third of the faculty members are appointed each year.
2. The term of the non-voting / ex-officio members will be one-year except for the University Staff Assembly representative who will serve a two year term.

Officers

1. Chair
   1. The Chair shall be elected annually by the Faculty Senate as described in the By-Laws of the Faculty Senate. The Committee Chair shall be included among the eleven voting members of the Committee.
   2. The term of office of the Committee Chair shall be one year. The term shall begin at noon on the last day of the spring semester in which elected Chair and shall end at noon on the last day of the spring semester of the following year.
   3. A faculty member may be elected to serve up to three consecutive terms of one year each as the Chair of the Committee. After an interval of a year following the end of the third consecutive term, the faculty member shall become eligible again for election to the Chair of the Committee.
   4. The Committee Chair shall also serve as an ex-officio non-voting member of the Faculty Senate, unless concurrently serving as the direct representative of his/her department/unit.
   5. The Committee Chair shall also serve as an ex-officio voting member of the Executive Committee.
2. Vice-Chair
   1. At its first meeting of the academic year, the Committee shall elect, from among its voting membership, a Vice-Chair and any other committee officers deemed appropriate.
   2. The term of office of the Vice-Chair shall be one academic year. The term shall begin upon election of the Vice-Chair at the first committee meeting of the year and shall end at noon on the last day of the spring semester of the academic year.
   3. The Vice-Chair shall preside over the routine business of the Committee in the absence of the Committee Chair or, should the office of the Chair become vacant, until the election of a new Committee Chair; the Vice Chair shall not serve as an ex-officio member of the Senate or its Executive Committee.

Subcommittees that report to the Faculty Policies Committee

• Livingston Annual Faculty Lecture Committee*
• Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee*
• Pedagogy Enhancement Awards Subcommittee (PEAS)
  
• Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards Subcommittee
• Visiting Scholars Subcommittee

Liaisons to Senate and Campus Committees

1. The Committee shall appoint one of its voting members to serve as a liaison between itself and each of the following committees/subcommittees: Livingston Annual Faculty Lecture Committee, Lifetime Achievement Award Selection Committee, and the Visiting Scholars Subcommittee.
2. The Committee shall appoint one of its members to serve on the Center for Teaching and Learning Advisory Board.
3. The Committee may request the appointment of liaisons to other Senate and University committees, taskforces, or work groups as needed.
4. The Committee shall appoint one of its voting members to serve as a voting member of the Pedagogy Enhancement Awards Subcommittee and the Research and Creative Activity Awards Subcommittee. FPC liaisons will not be appointed to these committees.

Operations

1. The Committee shall work in close coordination with other Faculty Senate Policy Committees and other Senate and University committees/subcommittees in the performance of its duties.
2. Issues considered by the Committee may be referred as well by the Executive Committee to any of the other committees of the Faculty Senate. The Committee may similarly refer issues to other Senate committees through the Executive Committee.

Committee Meetings

1. The Committee shall meet at least once a month at a designated time and place.
2. Committee meetings shall be open.
3. The meeting agenda and supporting documentation shall be distributed to Committee members at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
4. Committee agendas will be published and made accessible to the campus community at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
5. A quorum of the Committee shall be a majority of the voting members. The Committee shall not take official action in the absence of a quorum.

Adoption of Standing Rules

• FS 14/15-90/FPC/EX: Adopted: February 4, 2015
• FS 11/12-103/SEL: Adopted May 17, 2012
• FS 09-11C/EX: Adopted February 26, 2009
• AS 94-98C: Adopted December 1, 1994