Background: The Program Review and' Improvement Committee was created during the time at which the decision to eliminate two programs at Cal Poly was made. It was envisioned that the recommendations of the Program Review and Improvement Committee could be used as evidence to support the elimination of programs in the future. As a result the membership (no ASI representation) and the voting privileges (no ex officio members were permitted to vote) of the committee were severely limited. In addition, only tenured full professors were permitted membership on the committee.

However, the recommendations of the committee have been deliberately structured to prevent the use of the recommendations as a justification for the elimination of programs. The recommendations have been intended as a device for the improvement of programs. In fact, the title of the committee was changed to include reference to improvement. The recommendations below would bring the makeup and the voting privileges into compliance with most Academic Senate committees. The original arguments for the current structure and voting privileges of the committee are no longer valid.

WHEREAS,     The Bylaws of the Academic Senate, Section VIII.B, reads: "Ex officio members shall be voting
                           members unless otherwise specified in the individual committee description"; and

WHEREAS,     Ex officio members are voting members of nearly every Academic Senate committee; and

WHEREAS,     Students can provide an important perspective in the program review process; and

WHEREAS,     Students are ex officio voting members of nearly every Academic Senate committee; and

WHEREAS,     Faculty members who are not tenured full professors are eligible to be members of nearly every
                          other Academic Senate committee; and

WHEREAS,     Faculty members who are not tenured full professors can and do make important contributions to
                          Academic Senate committees; therefore, be it

RESOLVED:     That the Bylaws of the Academic Senate pertaining to the membership of the Program Review and
                          Improvement Committee (Section VIII.K.5) be amended to read:

                            5.     Program Review and Improvement [Committee]
                                    a.         Membership

The Program Review and Improvement Committee shall consist of six (6) tenured full professors or tenure track faculty members; one from each of the six colleges, and one (1) member from Professional Consultative Services. Nonvoting Ex officio members shall include the Dean of Research and Graduate Programs or designee, and a representative appointed by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, and an ASI representative. The ASI representative will have at least junior standing, and will have completed at least three consecutive quarters and 36 quarter units with at least a 3.0 grade point average at Cal Poly.

M e m o r a n d u m
 
 

To:     Myron Hood                                                                             Date: August 12, 1999
         Chair, Academic Senate
 
 

From:     Warren J. Baker                                                                     Copies: Paul Zingg
              President                                                                                             David Conn
 

Subject:     Response to AS-523-99/PRAIC, Resolution on Program Review and
                 Improvement Committee Bylaws Change

I hereby acknowledge receipt and approval of the above subject resolution which approves bylaw changes to the membership of the Program Review and Improvement Committee. These changes are consistent with other committee memberships of the Academic Senate.

Please extend my appreciation to members of the Program Review and Improvement Committee and the Academic Senate.