Content
Adopted by the Academic Planning Committee May 12, 1999
Revised: Dec. 11, 2002; Sept. 3, 2003; Sept. 8, 2004; Dec. 1, 2009; Feb. 9, 2011; Sept. 20, 2017
Preamble
The following bylaws shall govern the organization and proceedings of the Academic Planning Committee of the University of Nebraska Lincoln as established under the direction of the Bylaws of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Article 1 Creation
Section 1 UNL Bylaws 1.2.7 Academic Planning Committee.
“To facilitate performance of the duties of the Chancellor specified in Sections 2.8 and 2.9 of the Regents Bylaws and Section 1.2 of these UNL Bylaws, and to enable the faculty governing body to act upon matters specified in Section 2.12.1 of the Regents Bylaws, an Academic Planning Committee is hereby created”.
Article 2 Membership and Terms
Section 1 UNL Bylaws 1.2.7.1 Membership.
“The Academic Planning Committee shall consist of nineteen members as follows: (a) eight faculty members elected as provided by the Faculty Senate to staggered three-year terms. These members shall represent biological sciences, business and social sciences, physical sciences, and arts and humanities with no more than two from each discipline area as defined by the Faculty Senate
Syllabus of Campus Wide Committees; (b) one non-tenure track faculty member elected by the Faculty Senate from any discipline area to serve a three-year term, (c) one faculty member at large selected by the UNL Graduate Council to serve a three-year term; (d) two academic deans selected by the Chancellor to serve three-year terms; (e) a designee of the President of the Faculty Senate, who is typically the immediate past chair of the APC if the incumbent is willing to serve in that capacity; (f) one undergraduate student and one graduate/professional student as selected by the President of ASUN; (g) the Associate to the Chancellor for UNL; (h) the E x e c u t i v e Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Affairs Officer; (i) the Vice Chancellor of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources; and (j) the Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development. The Committee shall be comprised of eighteen members in any year in which a qualified non-tenure track nominee is not available and willing to serve. The Committee shall select its chair from among its elected faculty members and the Graduate Council representative. The chair shall vote on all motions.”
Section 2 Vacancies.
A vacancy shall exist if any member (a) is absent from three successive called meetings without notifying an officer, (b) has extended illness of more than four months, (c) submits a letter of resignation to the Chair, or (d) is unable to attend a special meeting of the APC called during the summer. This latter vacancy is considered temporary. Faculty positions will be filled in consultation with the Faculty Senate, or the Graduate Council in the case of their representative; the Chancellor will fill any other vacancies that may occur.
Section 3 Terms of Office and Annual Meeting.
The terms of the members will be taken from 1 August to 31 July. The Annual Meeting will be the last regular meeting prior to 31 July, which will be attended by all members including persons elected to terms starting 1 August.
Article 3 Officers, Terms, and Duties
Section 1 Officers.
The officers of the Committee shall consist of a Chair and a Vice Chair, both of whom shall be selected from the Faculty Members as specified in Article 2 Section 1 above. The Vice-chair, who shall be a faculty member of the Committee, is the Chair-elect and will assume the office of Chair at the end of the term of the serving Chair.
Section 2 Duties.
A. The Chair will be responsible to call all meetings, to set the agenda for meetings, to make charges to all standing and ad hoc subcommittees of the Committee, to appoint chairs of such subcommittees where not otherwise specified by the Committee bylaws, to see that all inquiries to the Committee are properly directed, that appropriate persons are notified of recommendations of the Committee, and that members of the Committee are assigned to duties as needed. The Chair will also appoint a faculty member to the Curriculum Committee of the Faculty Senate, and a faculty member of APC to the UNL Aesthetics Review Committee.
B. The Vice Chair will chair the Committee with full responsibilities of that position in the absence of the Chair or when requested by the Chair in cases of possible conflict of interest.
C. The Coordinator will be responsible to see that the records of the Committee are maintained in the Faculty Senate Office for a period of five years after which they will be forwarded to the UNL Archivist. To aid the Coordinator in the production of minutes, a voice recording and written notes may be taken during APC meetings. Guests invited to appear before the APC should be notified in advance that the APC meetings are recorded and that notes are being taken for the purpose of preparing meeting minutes. APC members and invited guests may ask to have the recording device turned off. All meeting voice recordings and written notes pertaining to meetings will be erased or otherwise destroyed after the minutes of the subject meeting have been officially approved. No one outside the APC may have access to the voice recordings or the Coordinator’s written notes. The Coordinator, will provide and organize available information necessary for the Committee to fulfill its responsibilities.
Article 4 Responsibilities
Section 1 UNL Bylaws “1.2.7.2 Responsibilities.
The Academic Planning Committee is charged with the following responsibilities:
“A. The Committee shall formulate and recommend to the Faculty Senate, to the Colleges, and to the Chancellor, goals for UNL in the areas of education (resident and extension), research, and service. These goals shall be coordinated with the responsibilities assigned to UNL as part of the structure under the control of the President of the University of Nebraska and the Board of Regents. The Committee shall, from time to time, review the stated goals and recommend modifications when appropriate.
“B. The Committee shall recommend action to achieve the goals of UNL. In carrying out this duty the Committee shall recommend procedures whereby new and existing academic programs may be studied and evaluated on a continuing basis. This study and evaluation shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the need for, and the goals of, the identified programs in terms of their relationship to the needs and goals of the State of Nebraska, the University of Nebraska, and the people affected by the programs; (ii) the resources available to meet the needs and goals identified in (i) supra; (iii) the resources not available, but necessary, to meet the needs and goals identified under (i) supra.
“C. The Committee shall review with the Chancellor or the appropriate Vice Chancellors the Comprehensive Facilities Plan, the campus master land-use plan, and facilities needs as they relate to academic and support program goals and needs.
“D. In carrying out its duties, the Committee shall utilize all relevant information (including budget data) and expertise inside and outside the University of Nebraska.
“E. The Committee shall concern itself with goals, needs, and resources for a future period as long as is prudent and reasonable in view of the information and advice available.
“F. The Committee is empowered to recommend changes in programs, including elimination. The Committee shall promulgate and follow procedures agreeable to the Faculty Senate and ASUN, guaranteeing that, before a change or elimination of a program is recommended, all persons connected to, or affected by, the program shall have access to all relevant information (including detailed budget data) and shall have an opportunity and a reasonable time to present data and opinions for the Committee to consider. In addition the Committee shall recommend an effective date for implementation of program changes or elimination which will permit a reasonable period of time for persons to prepare for changes in, or elimination of, programs which affect them. In particular, notice of termination shall be in accord with Sections 4.4.2 and 4.12 of the Regents Bylaws. As particular reductions are considered, rights under existing academic tenure should be protected.
“G. Changes or elimination of existing programs shall include time and opportunity for existing personnel to qualify for a position in another program within the University whenever this requirement will not materially interfere with UNL achieving in full measure the goals of education, research, and service.”
Section 2 UNL Bylaws 1.2.7.3 Collegiate Academic Planning.
“The Academic Planning Committee shall encourage academic planning within the colleges and other units of UNL on a continuing basis through joint faculty-administrative-student action. The Academic Planning Committee shall be represented on all Academic Program Review teams and shall comment on the review process and visiting team report to the appropriate vice chancellor.”
“1.2.7.3.1 Academic Program Reviews. The Academic Planning Committee shall be represented on all Academic Program Review teams and the representative shall provide a formal report to the committee, including comments on the review process and visiting team report to the appropriate vice chancellor”.
Section 3 UNL Bylaws 1.2.7.4 Financial Exigency.
Financial exigency is a bona fide situation of such serious and widespread proportions, caused by financial circumstances beyond the control of UNL, that normal operations cannot be maintained and UNL programs must therefore be significantly altered.
“1.2.7.4.1 Financial exigency for UNL shall be declared by the Board of Regents based upon a recommendation by the Chancellor in consultation with the President. The Chancellor’s recommendation shall be made only after all relevant information bearing upon the problem has been made available to the Academic Planning Committee following the procedures described in the Procedures to be Invoked for Significant Budget Reallocations and Reductions (Adopted by the Faculty Senate on December 8, 1992 and ASUN on February 10, 1993. Revised and adopted by the Academic Planning Committee on February 9, 2011, the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska on February 23, 2011, and the Faculty Senate on March 1, 2011.), and operating as the Financial Exigency Committee described in Regents Policy 4.2.11.
“The Academic Planning Committee shall assist the Chancellor in seeking remedies for a financial exigency. Such remedies may include elimination of faculty, staff, and administrative positions. Recommendations by the Academic Planning Committee for such elimination shall be governed by the Procedures to be Invoked for Significant Budget Reallocations and Reductions. Persons affected by a declaration of financial exigency under Section 4.16 of the Regents Bylaws shall have the right to appeal to the appropriate grievance committee or to the Academic Rights and Responsibilities Committee pursuant to Section 4.14 of the Regents Bylaws.”
Article 5 Academic Program Reviews
Section 1 Responsibilities.
Academic Program Review (APR) at UNL is the responsibility of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer and the Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Academic Planning Committee has the responsibility of monitoring the Process of each APR as indicated in the most recent version of the Academic Program Review Guidelines.
Section 2 Representatives to APR Committees.
It will be a duty of the APC Chair to assign a representative from the faculty and academic dean members to monitor each APR at the request of the APR Coordinator. The APC Representative will be charged to participate in the academic program review to ensure that the most recent Academic Program Review Guidelines have been properly followed. The Academic Planning Committee and the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer and/or the Vice Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources as appropriate shall be immediately notified of any unresolved procedural problems encountered during a review. Upon completion of the review, and upon receipt by the APC Representative of the review teams final report and the departmental response to that report, the APC Representative shall present a final summary report of the program review in a standardized format to the Academic Planning Committee for consideration. (Refer to Attachment A for a template for the APC Representative’s report.)
Article 6 Conduct of Meetings
Section 1 Quorum.
A quorum shall consist of nine members, six of whom shall be from among the nine faculty members.
Section 2 Rules of Order.
In the absence of a controlling operating procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used as a procedural authority.
Section 3 Order of Business.
The order of business shall be the approval of minutes of the last meeting, items of agenda, other business, which includes any items of concern that members of the Committee may bring to the Committee, and adjournment.
Section 4 Challenge.
Any member may call for a vote of the members present to discontinue discussion on any item of new business. A simple majority aye vote of those present will pass.
Section 5 Consent Agenda.
Consent agenda items distributed by email may include draft minutes for review, comment and approval, and submissions of program proposals or project initiation requests (PIRs).
A. Electronic votes may be taken on approval of draft minutes and submissions of program proposals or PIRs.
B. A member may remove an item from the consent agenda for discussion at the next meeting by notifying the chairperson or the secretary.
C. Other material not considered to be part of the consent agenda may also be distributed by email.
Section 6 Special Meetings.
The Chair of the Committee may call special meetings to expedite current business, to consider urgent issues, or upon request from the Chancellor.
Section 7 Procedures during the Summer.
The Academic Planning Committee does not meet during the summer. Regularly scheduled meetings are generally suspended during early May and resumed after faculty return in August. There are occasions when it is not in the University's best interest to delay consideration of a PIR or Program Proposal over the summer. The following procedures provide the Academic Planning Committee an opportunity to respond to critical requests and proposals during the summer months when the Academic Planning Committee does not meet on a regularly scheduled basis.
A. PIRs and Program Proposals received from a cognizant Vice Chancellor(s) and by the APC Chair will be reviewed by the Chair, or in the Chair's absence, the Vice Chair, or in the Chair's and Vice Chair's absence, the senior faculty member on APC (determined by rank and years in rank). The cognizant Vice Chancellor will be asked if APC review of the request or proposal can be postponed until the first regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee in the Fall without causing a negative impact. If the cognizant Vice Chancellor(s) and the APC Chair, Vice Chair, or the senior faculty member on APC (determined by rank and years of rank) determines there is good reason for considering the request or proposal during the summer, the following steps shall be taken.
B. For PIRs (first phase), the APC Chair, or in the Chair's absence the Vice Chair, or in the Chairs’s and Vice Chair’s absence, the senior faculty member on APC (determined by rank and years in rank), will request the PIR subcommittee to consider PIRs as specified in Article 7, Section 5A. When the PIR Subcommittee has forwarded its report and motion to the Committee, the process outlined in Article 6, Section 7C will be followed.
C. For Program Proposals and PIRs (second phase) the APC Coordinator will attempt to convene a quorum of the APC membership for a special meeting either through a face-to-face meeting, a conference call, or other suitable, inclusive electronic method. The agenda will be limited to the specific request or proposal(s) submitted to APC. The attempt to convene a quorum will be limited to five working days. The APC Coordinator will:
(a) Notify all APC members of the need for a special meeting by email;
(b) Post the PIR or Program Proposal (s) to the APC websites;
(c) Attempt to identify a quorum within five working days.
D. If a quorum can be identified, the special meeting will be held to act on the request(s) or proposal(s) and minutes will be taken. The APC Coordinator will provide notice of and access to the campus community regarding the meeting. This will be done via regular university communication channels. An opportunity for comments or feedback on the PIR or program proposal will be provided to the campus community for a period of no less than five working days.
E. Draft minutes will be distributed for approval at the first regularly scheduled session of the APC.
F. After five working days, if a quorum of the current APC membership cannot be identified, the APC Coordinator will establish a quorum consisting of a combination of current, prior year, and members- elect, selected in that respective order.
G. After a quorum is identified, the APC Coordinator will convene APC members and other interested parties for an open discussion of the PIR or program proposal. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be used as a procedural authority as referenced in APC’s Operating Procedures, Article 6, Section 2 for the approval / disapproval of the PIR or program proposal.
H. The process outlined above in Article 6 Section 7C through G will also be used to respond to a special call from the Chancellor to meet during the summer.
Article 7 Subcommittees
Section 1 Administration.
The purpose of all subcommittees is to assist, through investigation and recommendation, the Academic Planning Committee in its responsibilities as outlined in Article 1, Section 1 of this document.
Section 2 Membership and Terms.
Each subcommittee shall consist of at least two members of the Committee, one of whom shall be a faculty member of the APC. An APC member shall serve as Chair, and depending upon the subcommittee, additional members may be students, staff, and faculty not serving on the Committee. The APC Chair will nominate subcommittee appointees for Committee consideration. Appointments to a subcommittee will be made by a simple majority vote of the Committee. In the interest of special need or continuity of service, the Committee shall have the freedom to specify the length of appointment of all subcommittee members. However, all subcommittee appointments will be made or re-evaluated on an annual basis. The terms of the members will be taken from 1 August to 31 July, unless stated otherwise by the Committee.
Section 3 Vacancies.
A vacancy shall exist if any member (a) is absent from three successive called meetings without notifying the subcommittee chair, (b) has an extended illness of more than four months, (c) submits a letter of resignation to the Committee chair, or (d) is unable to attend a special meeting called during the summer. The latter is considered temporary and may require the Committee chair to appoint a person to fill a position temporarily during the summer.
Section 4 Supplementary Assistance.
On occasion, staff from the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics may be requested to assist the subcommittees with gathering information, but it will be the responsibility of each subcommittee to schedule their meetings, record their minutes, and correspond with their members and others.
Section 5 Standing Subcommittees.
The following are standing subcommittees of the Committee:
A. Project Initiation Request (PIR) Subcommittee.
Organization. The PIR Subcommittee shall consist of no fewer than three members. The Associate to the Chancellor shall continually serve as a member. One other member shall be a faculty member of the Committee. There shall be sufficient PIR experience from the membership to provide continuity of service.
Responsibilities. The PIR Subcommittee shall conduct meetings and gather information on all project initiation requests in order to provide a recommendation to the Committee on a proposed PIR. The subcommittee chair shall forward a concise written report and a recommendation in the form of a motion for Committee action.
B. Long-range Planning Subcommittee.
Organization. The Long-range Planning Subcommittee shall consist of seven members. Four of the subcommittee members shall be faculty members, at least two of whom shall be members of the Committee, and two administrators, as least one of whom shall be a member of the Committee, and one student, who shall be a member of the Committee. The Vice-chair of the Academic Planning Committee shall be chair of the Long-range Planning Subcommittee.
Responsibilities. The Long-range Planning Subcommittee shall assist the Committee in providing the necessary information for it to make informed decisions in the performance of its duties as outlined in Article 4, Section 1 of this document. It shall meet with the various administrators, faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders, in order to develop the various reports as directed by the Committee. It shall make recommendations to the Committee, but is not empowered to make recommendations for the Committee. Due to the sensitive nature of its work, the subcommittee shall have all its documents kept with the subcommittee chair and may hold its meetings in closed session, when necessary.
Section 6 Task Subcommittees.
The chair of the Committee may appoint other subcommittees on his or her own authority or by motion of the Committee carried by simple majority. The charge of a task subcommittee may be to investigate a specific topic of concern or to formulate a recommendation for action by the Committee.
Section 7 Property and Records.
The chair of each subcommittee shall return the subcommittee’s records, and all records relating to any work product, to the Committee chair when discharged or when requested by the Committee. The reports from the PIR subcommittee and APR representative shall be kept on file at the office of Institutional Research and Planning.
Article 8 Changes to the Operating Procedure
Section 1 Presenting Changes.
Any member of the Committee may present, in writing, changes in the Operating Procedures to the Chair, such changes to be placed on the agenda for the following scheduled meeting of the Committee. The changes will be read and discussed at that meeting.
Section 2 Accepting Changes.
The changes with any amendments will be sent out with the call to the following scheduled meeting, at which meeting action will be taken.
Revised and Approved by the Academic Planning Committee September 20, 2017
Template for REPORT OF ACADEMIC PROGRAM REVIEW
Date: Date of Report
Unit:
Dates of Review:
Review Team:
Unit Reviewed
Date of Academic Program Review
External Review Team Members
Dr. Leader, Chair
Dr. One Dr. Two
Organization
Organization
Organization
Internal Review Team Members
Dr. UNL Professor UNL Unit
Dr. APC Representative Student Liaisons
UNL Unit and APC Representative
Student 1 Unit Name
Student 2 Unit Name
General Comments
Provide a brief summary of the unit that was reviewed and the nature of the Academic Program Review (APR).
Self-Study Document
document.
Describe how the self-study document was provided to the APR Review Team and the general quality of the
Summarize key issues that were brought to the attention of the Review Team during meetings with university
administration, faculty, staff, students, and issues highlighted in the Self-Study Document prepared by the unit.
Assessment of Review Process and Review Team
Provide a general assessment of how well the review was conducted. Describe the quality and preparedness of
the APR Review Team. Also, comment on the promptness of the unit and administration in replying to the APR
Team Report.
APR Team Recommendations
Describe the strengths and weaknesses identified by the APR Review Team and the recommendations of the
Review Team. A bulleted list of key recommendations should be included. When appropriate, focus on the
consistency and/or inconsistencies between the self-study document and the APR Team Report.
Summary and Conclusions
Provide a general summary of the review process and how the unit responded to the recommendations of the
APR Review Team. Highlight any special circumstances that should be forwarded to the originating Vice
Chancellor. Distinguish between the APR Team Recommendations and the APC Representative’s
recommendations.
Hearing Recommendations
The APC Representative should provide recommendations as to the need for a hearing of the review results and
process in front of the full APC. The APC Representative should check with unit leaders and the responsible
Dean to determine if a formal hearing is needed. If a hearing is recommended, the APC Representative should
give justification to the APC.
Respectfully Submitted:
APC Representative