2009-2010 Student-Faculty Committee Application Process
Committee on Undergraduate Education
3 positions,
strongly recommended to be members of the UC Education Committee
The committee is composed of five undergraduates and five members of the Faculty Council, and is chaired by the Dean of the College. Regular guests to the Committee include several deans in the Office for Undergraduate Education, the Director of the Core Program, the Registrar, and others. The Committee is a forum for undergraduates to address concerns on curricular policy, particularly teaching improvement, study abroad, concentration advising, and honors and grades. The Committee on Undergraduate Education was the originating committee for the reduction of the Core requirement and the securing of a 24-hour library, and more recently discussed CUE evaluations and the academic calendar. Student representatives to this committee are also expected to attend all meetings of the Faculty.
Meets
TBA
4 positions,
strongly recommended to be members of the UC Student Life Committee
This committee is composed of five undergraduates and five faculty members, and is chaired by the Associate Dean of Harvard College. One key responsibility is to discuss and vote to extend official recognition to proposed student groups. The Committee on Student Life also serves as a forum for discussion of student group policies, the rules and regulations for students at the College, and the resources and services available to undergraduates. It will also serve as a forum for students to make policy changes to the College's residential system. Issues covered include keycard access, tutors, party hours, alcohol policies, dining halls and fly-by, House Committee funding, blocking groups, and inter-house transfers. Student representatives to this committee are also expected to attend all meetings of the Faculty.
Meets
TBA
Standing Committee on General Education
2 positions
This committee was created as a permanent standing committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the spring term of 2007 to generate and maintain the new General Education curriculum. It has authority over new courses, as well as changes to General Education policy, including petitions, departmental alternates, and other academic credit issues.
Meets
TBA
Committee on Writing and Speaking
2 positions
This committee was created as a permanent standing committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in the spring term of 2006 by Faculty legislation. Arising from the Harvard College Curricular Review, the Committee on Writing and Speaking is devoted to improving the quality of writing and speaking of undergraduates in the College. The Committee's purview includes - but is significantly larger than - the oversight of Expository Writing, the existing first-year writing program and its allied courses. The committee's mandate also includes improving written instruction in departments and non-departmental and degree programs, and improving the speaking abilities of undergraduates.
Meets
TBA
Standing Committee on the Library
This committee is composed of senior faculty members, library administrators, two graduate students, and two undergraduates. It is chaired by University Professor and Library Director Robert Darnton. The group advises the library on potential improvements, in areas including preservation, access, and technology. It has been supportive of such initiatives as Lamont Library Cafe and extended library hours. This committee is the most suitable venue for students who wish to lobby for library programs and services benefiting undergraduates.
Meets
TBA
Standing Committee on Pedagogical Improvement
2 positions
This committee became very active after the initiation of the Harvard College Curricular Review. The committee focuses on means by which Harvard College can improve the educational experience of students through teaching techniques. The committee on Pedagogy works closely with the Derek Bok Center and the Committee on Undergraduate Education to improve teaching practices of both professors and teaching fellows at the College.
Meets
TBA
Standing Committee on Athletic Sports
1 position
This committee is composed of the Athletics Director, House Masters, faculty members, and students. The group focuses on enhancing the presence and enjoyment of athletics at the College. This year, the committee plans to discuss topics including club and JV sports, what the academic calendar change will mean for athletics at Harvard, and Allston planning.
Meets
TBA
Standing Committee on Advising and Counseling
3 positions
This committee is responsible for overseeing the various advising and counseling offices and functions in Harvard College. One of the committee's major priorities this year will be to review and evaluate the programs that have been put in to place or expanded since the APO was created. There will be a lot of discussions about the kinds of information that need to gathered, how to gather it and what can be said about advising as it is now practiced at all levels. It has traditionally been one of the more active committees.
Student Advisory Board for Arts and Humanities
6-8 positions for Students in Arts and Humanities Concentrations
The Student Advisory Board for Humanities (SABAH) is a major way in which the Dean of Arts and Humanities keeps in touch with the concerns of students in the relevant concentrations. The SABAH not only reports on the state of the student experience in the concentrations, but also provides a sounding board for the Dean, who seeks the advice of students on curricular issues in the Division. The SABAH consists of the President and Vice-President of the Harvard Undergraduate Council, plus 6-8 representatives from other departments (Celtic, Classics, Drama, East Asian Languages and Civilizations, English, Folklore & Mythology, German, History of American Civilization, History & Literature, History of Art & Architecture, Linguistics, Literature and Comparative Literature, Music, Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations, Philosophy, The Study of Religion, Romance Languages and Literature, Sanskrit and Indian Studies, Slavic Studies, Visual and Environmental Studies). The group meets with the Dean of Arts and Humanities three times per semester over lunch.
Student Advisory Board for Social Science
10 positions for Students in Social Science Concentrations
The Student Advisory Board for Social Science (SABSS) is a major way in which the Dean of Social Science keeps in touch with the concerns of students in the relevant concentrations. The SABSS not only reports on the state of the student experience in the concentrations, but also provides a sounding board for the Dean, who seeks the advice of students on curricular issues in the Division. The SABSS consists of the President and Vice President of the Harvard Undergraduate Council, plus one representative from each of the eight departments (AAAS, Anthropology, Economics, Government, History, History of Science, Psychology, Sociology) and two programs (Social Studies and Women, Gender, and Sexuality). The group meets with the Dean of Social Science three times per semester, over lunch.
Meets
Student Advisory Board for Science
6-8 Positions for Students in Science Concentrations
The Student Advisory Board for Science (SABS) is a major way in which the Dean of Science keeps in touch with the concerns of students in the relevant concentrations. The SABS not only reports on the state of the student experience in the concentrations, but also provides a sounding board for the Dean, who seeks the advice of students on curricular issues in the Division. The SABS consists of the President and Vice President of the Harvard Undergraduate Council, plus 6-8 representatives from other departments (Astronomy, CCB, EPS, Math, MCB, OEB, Physics, SCRB Statistics). The group meets with the Dean of Science two-three times per semester, over lunch.
POSITIONS FILLED
The Commission of Inquiry is a panel of three members of the Faculty, one undergraduate and one graduate student that serves as a clearing house for inquiries, suggestions or complaints brought to it by members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences or of its student bodies concerning matters of fact and policy within the purview of the Faculty. The Commission is not charged with the responsibility of resolving substantive issues, but is responsible for expediting the resolution of problems submitted to it, by assuring that they are brought to the attention of and in due course dealt with by the appropriate agencies of the University. The Commission may stimulate the creation by the Faculty or Faculty Council of ad hoc arrangements for dealing with questions that fall outside the mandate of existing mechanisms, and seek through the Faculty Council appropriate means of addressing problems which fall outside the purview of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Prior to meeting last spring upon complaint of UC President Ryan Petersen, it had not met in recent memory.
Meets
ad hoc upon receipt of complaint
Advisory Committee on Shareholder Responsibility
POSITIONS FILLED
The ACSR is comprised of faculty, students and alumni, and is responsible for making recommendations on how the University should vote its shares on social responsibility resolutions. The ACSR's role is advisory; the Corporation Committee on Shareholder Responsibility (CCSR), a sub-committee of the President and Fellows, is responsible for voting the University's shares and setting investment policy. However, the advice provided by the ACSR is critical to the CCSR in voting the University's shares on social issues proposals. Disagreement between the two Committees is fairly limited. In June1970, while recognizing that responsibility for student discipline should remain with the Faculties, the University Committee on Governance recommended to the Governing Boards the creation of a University Committee on Rights and Responsibilities to serve as an advisory body and a forum for the consideration of University-wide (or cross-Faculty) policy problems related to discipline and, in certain situations, to coordinate disciplinary actions.Membership on the Committee includes members and students from all Faculties, drawn, wherever possible, from the Administrative Boards or such other faculty committees dealing with cases involving rights and responsibilities. The ACSR has also played an important role in setting University investment policy. In the past, the ACSR played a major role in developing the University's selective divestment policy with regard to South Africa (which was repealed in 1994, as recommended by the ACSR), and in setting Harvard's policy prohibiting the purchase of stock in tobacco companies. (Exact description provided by the Secretary of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences)
POSITIONS FILLED
This committee is composed of faculty members and chaired by the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In addition, the Dean of Harvard College and the Associate Dean of Academic Advising constitute voting members. The Educational Policy Committee (EPC) was originally formed in 1992 in order to provide oversight of all areas of the undergraduate curriculum outside the Core Curriculum. Typically, that has meant working closely with departmental programs. During the Harvard College Curricular Review (HCCR), the EPC analyzed and successfully advocated for two resolutions: the delay of concentration choice until sophomore year and the creation of Secondary Fields. In this vein, the EPC holds ultimate approval of all secondary fields proposed by departments.
Meets (Tuesdays 8:30-10am)
roughly biweekly thereafter
Advisory Committee to the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response
4 positions
This committee oversees the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response. OSAPR is a product of the recommendations of the Committee to Address Sexual Assault at Harvard. The committee works closely with members of the Dean's Office and OSAPR's staff to ensure that progress is being made in the Harvard College community in regard to the issues surrounding sexual assault on campus.
Meets (Tuesdays)
roughly bimonthly
2 positions
The Harvard College Safety Committee was formed in response to a need for a venue in which students and staff could discuss issues related to safety at Harvard. The Committee includes undergraduate students, residential life staff, deans and administrators, as well as Harvard community representatives, including among others, University Police, the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, Women's Center, Residential and Building Operations, Transportation Services, Community and Public Affairs, and representatives from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Graduate Student Council.
The Committee works to identify ways to improve safety on the Cambridge and Allston campuses. By identifying current student practices and responding to students' requests, the Committee makes recommendations for policy changes and infrastructure modifications, including pathways, lighting, transportation, and communication devices. The Committee conducts safety campaigns throughout the year to educate students on steps they can take to ensure their personal safety as well as the communities in which they live. Working with the City of Cambridge and Harvard's physical resources departments, the Committee identifies areas on campus and within the City that could be improved.
The Committee meets regularly during the academic year. Students or other Harvard community members with concerns related to safety can contact their student representatives, residential staff, or the Committee directly at hcsafety@fas.harvard.edu.
Meets
Thursdays 3-4pm: Oct. 22, 2009; Nov. 19, 2009; Feb. 25, 2010; Mar. 25, 2010; Apr. 22, 2010
Harvard University Dining Services Student Advisory Committee
9 positions,
at least one of which must be filled by a member of the Student Life Committee
The Student Advisory Committee to HUDS meets once each month to advise the HUDS administration on the state of residential dining services, suggest improvements, evaluate student satisfaction, and serve as liaisons between HUDS and the student body. The advisory committee will be asked to advise on everything ranging from what changes to make in response to student surveys to how to select themes for festive dinners. It is also a forum for creative suggestions on how to improve the residential dining experience. The ideal composition of the committee will contain at least: 2 freshmen, 1 quad resident, 1 Mather/Dunster/Leverett resident, 1 Quincy/Adams/Lowell Resident, and 1 Eliot/Kirkland/Winthrop resident.
Meets
Fridays time TBD: Oct. 16, 2009; Nov. 6, 2009; Dec. 4, 2009; Feb. 5, 2010; Mar. 5, 2010; Apr. 2, 2010
College-University Health Services Committee
3 positions,
The UHS-College Committee was formed in the fall of 2006 among college administrators and UHS to coordinate and improve the activities of the many departments of Harvard University focused on student well-being. To effectively coordinate the various departments, the committee includes the following members: Director of the Center for Wellness & Health Communication, Director of Behavioral Health and Academic Counseling, Eliot House Allston Burr Resident Dean, Patient Advocate and Manager of Patient Relations, Secretary of the Administrative Board, Chief of Nursing for Health Services, Chief of Medicine at UHS, Chief of Mental Health in the University Health Services, Practice Manager for Stillman Infirmary/ After Hours Urgent Care Clinic, Director of the Bureau of Study Counsel, Director of the Harvard College Women's Center, Associate Dean of Harvard College for Residential Life, Director of the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response, Associate Director the Bureau of Study Counsel, Director of Police and Security and Chief of Police, Director of the Office of Accessible Education, Leverett House Allston Burr Resident Dean, and the Director of Alcohol & Other Drug Services. In Spring 2007, the administration agreed to the appointment of three students to the committee by the Undergraduate Council.
Meets
Fridays 4-5pm: Oct. 23, 2009; Nov. 13, 2009; Dec. 18, 2009; Jan. 15, 2010; March 19, 2010; Apr. 23, 2010; May 21, 2010
Roughly once per month, the members of the Faculty congress in the Faculty Room of University Hall to conduct business. In most spheres of Faculty business, the Faculty assembled retains the authority to pass binding legislation, which the administration then implements. By Faculty rule, students who are voting members of the three student-faculty committees are welcome to attend as invited nonmembers. Individuals appointed to these committees are expected to exercise this invitation.
Meets
TBA