Governance of Graduate and College-Wide Programs in CASL

Approved 4/20/05, amended 5/18/05, 2/22/06, and 3/21/07 

CASL Executive Committee 

In order to ensure transparent practices in faculty governance for CASL Graduate Programs and College-Wide Programs and to provide the opportunity for individual Graduate and College-Wide Programs to develop internal consistency and share information about their governance practices with new faculty, the Executive Committee of the College has approved this policy statement. It supersedes the CASL Executive Committee policy of 10/4/89 on Administration of College-Wide Programs. 

The governing faculty of a Graduate or College-Wide Program is responsible for academic decision-making for the Program. Often decision-making is delegated to a smaller faculty Program Committee on which the Director of the Program serves. The Director, appointed by the Dean with the approval of the College Executive Committee, provides leadership and holds administrative responsibility for the program. 

All programs are asked to use reserved words to describe their governance structure. The four reserved words are Director, Program Faculty, Program Committee, Governing Faculty. The College Executive Committee does not wish to impose one model of governance on all Graduate or College-Wide Programs. Programs will individually determine (1) criteria for identifying their respective Program Faculty, (2) procedures for electing a Program Committee (membership, how designated, representation, terms, etc.), and (3) what the responsibilities of the Committee are vis-à-vis the Program Director or the Program Faculty. 

Governing Faculty are defined in Regents Bylaws 5.02-5.04 and in CASL Bylaw I.2. In accordance with these bylaws and the “Principles of Faculty Involvement in Institutional and Academic Unit Governance at the University of Michigan” endorsed by the Provost and Senate Assembly of the University of Michigan, only Governing Faculty may be voting members of a Program Faculty. 

If a program has more than five Program Faculty who are members of the Governing Faculty in their unit, there shall be open nominations (including self-nominations) for the Program Committee with an election process. 

A program has the option of having all its Program Faculty who are members of the Governing Faculty on the Program Committee. 

A program with fewer than five Program Faculty who are members of the Governing Faculty can ask for a waiver from the CASL Executive Committee to have a director-run program and no Program Committee, with an understanding that the director will consult with Program Faculty whenever possible. 

Each Graduate or College-Wide Program should put its proposed governance policies in writing and provide the Dean’s office with a copy for approval by the CASL Executive Committee. Annual reports submitted each June should append a current list of Program Faculty and a list of its current Program Committee members and their terms.