The mission of Faculty Advisory Council (FAC) is to increase communication between administration and faculty and assist in the professional development of faculty in all stages of their career.  The FAC is comprised of elected representatives from the Departments of EAPS, HPER and C&I.

The Council provides an infrastructure for communication among faculty and between faculty and administration. The council gathers information about issues that concern the faculty, and articulates faculty positions on those issues. The Council assists in both defining and supporting the mission of the College, and advises the Dean on key decisions about the College's future from the earliest stages of the decision making process. Specific responsibilities of the Council include:

1. Facilitating interdepartmental communication among faculty
2. Acting as a channel for two-way communication between the Dean and faculty
3. Advising the Dean on major decisions regarding the College, including but not limited to policy, organization, program, personnel, and fiscal decisions. Advising is to take place prior to decisions being made, based on advanced consultation between the Dean and the Council
4. Providing forums for dialogue concerning significant college-wide issues
5. Supporting faculty concerns that have college-wide implications
6. Considering faculty concerns that have college-wide implications
7. Promoting an agreed-upon philosophy of education as well as congruence among philosophy, policy and practice
8. Assisting in data-based decisions using accurate data
9. Seeking input from faculty at large prior to council decisions on major issues
10. Communicating with the College's representatives to the University Senate on issues relevant to both the College Council and University Senate

Mission & Principles

MISSION STATEMENT. The College of Education Faculty Advisory Council serves as an infrastructure for communication among faculty and between faculty and administration. The council gathers information about issues that concern the faculty and articulates faculty positions on those issues. The council assists in both defining and supporting the mission of the college and advises the Dean on key decisions about the college's future from the earliest stages of the decision-making process

FAC GUIDING PRINCIPLES. The Faculty Advisory Council is resolved to operate under the following primary guiding principles:

• Principle 1: Community. Build and nurture a community of caring, diverse and supportive colleagues committed to honoring synergistic work and accomplishments in a secure climate supporting freedom of expression.
• Principle 2: Communication. Create mechanisms and methods for clear, accurate and open communication across the organization and among all faculty, staff and levels of leadership.
• Principle 3: Shared Decision Making. Create policies and procedures to promote the practice of genuine shared decision making around issues such as planning, fiscal management, workload, personnel, evaluation, policy, and other matters critical to the operation and success of the College of Education.

FAC Contact Information

FAC Constitution & By-Laws

MISSION STATEMENT

The College of Education Faculty Advisory Council serves as the “nervous system” of the College.  The Council provides an infrastructure for communication among faculty and between faculty and administration.  The council gathers information about issues that concern the faculty, and articulates faculty positions on those issues.  The council assists in both defining and supporting the mission of the College, and advises the Dean on key decisions about the College’s future from the earliest stages of the decision-making process.  Specific responsibilities of the Council include:

1. Facilitating interdepartmental communication among faculty
2. Acting as a channel for two-way communication between the Dean and faculty
3. Advising the Dean on major decisions regarding the College, including but not limited to policy, organization, program, personnel, and fiscal decisions.  Advising is to take place prior to decisions being made, based on advanced consultation between the Dean and the Council
4. Providing forums for dialogue concerning significant college-wide issues
5. Supporting faculty in career growth and development.  This includes supporting faculty in maintaining a healthy balance among teaching, research, and service
6. Considering faculty concerns that have college-wide implications
7. Promoting an agreed-upon philosophy of education as well as congruence among philosophy, policy, and practice.
8. Assisting in data-based decisions using accurate data
9. Seeking input from the faculty at large prior to council decisions on major issues
10. Communicating with the College’s representatives to the University Senate on issues relevant to both the College Council and University Senate

MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTIONS

1. The Council shall consist of 15 members, with 5 members elected from each department by the full-time faculty members in that department.  If new departments are added to the College, the Council will redistribute membership across departments.  All full-time faculty members will be eligible for membership, except for administrators and quasi-administrators (i.e., deans, long-term acting deans, associate deans, long-term acting associate deans, assistant deans, long-term acting assistant deans, department chairs, and long-term acting department chairs are ineligible for membership).  The Chair shall appoint a liaison to part-time faculty.  The liaison shall not be a voting member of the Council.
2. A member’s term shall be two years, with the exception of the first Council.  Eight members of the first Council shall have membership through September 2004 and seven members of the first Council shall have membership through September 2003.  Council membership will be staggered.  After the initial election, seven or eight members will be elected or reelected each fall.  Beginning with the spring 2005 elections, a term will last from May 1 of the first year through April 30 of its second year.
3. Starting spring, 2005, elections will be held each fall, with seven or eight seats up for election in alternate years.
4. An elections committee appointed by the Council Chair, with one member from each department, shall conduct election at the department level.  To the greatest extent possible given variability in numbers of slots to be filled from year to year across the departments, the committee should strive to establish common wording of ballots to be used across departments. This wording should be consistent with those portions of the FAC constitution governing the election process as well as with the election procedures contained in the FAC Policy and Procedure document.
5. Officers shall include the Council Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary.  Candidates for these offices shall be nominated and seconded by Council members, and elected by majority vote of Council members present.  If a majority is not achieved on the first ballot, a run-off shall be held between the first and second place vote getters.  In all elections of Council officers, written ballots shall be cast anonymously. Course release time will be provided for the Council Chair during each long semester.
6. Terms for Council Officers shall be for a period of one year.  If a council officer is unable to complete his or her term, a new officer shall be elected following the procedure stated in the preceding paragraph.  Council officers may be elected to two consecutive terms in any given office.  A former officer may seek election to the office he or she has held after being out of that office for a period of one year.

MEETINGS

1. During long semesters, meeting shall be held twice a month (excepting holiday and vacation periods) at the same time on the same day of the week.  The chair may call for special meetings throughout the year, including summer.  Each year, at least one week prior to the election of new council members, the Dean and Council Chair will decide on the day and time of Council meetings for the following year, and notify the faculty of that day and time.  Each year the Dean and Council Chair will make written requests of all chairs and faculty that other meetings within the College not be held during the time period assigned for Council meetings.
2. Meetings shall be open to all faculty and staff unless the Council calls for a closed session to discuss a personnel matter.
3. The Dean shall be invited to attend every second meeting, and may request to attend other meetings.
4. Faculty members who are not Council members may have an issue placed on the agenda by contacting the Council Chair.  A faculty member who is not a Council member may speak on an issue before the Council by making a request to the Chair.  Such requests need not be made in advance of a meeting.
5. A simple quorum must be present to begin a meeting or conduct a vote.
6. Motions shall be discussed at the meeting in which they are made, but not voted on until the following meeting.  This role may be suspended by a two-thirds vote of Council members present.  A motion shall pass with a majority vote of members present.
7. Minutes of Council meetings will be distributed to all College faculty members.

THE ADVISING FUNCTION

 The committee’s advisement function shall be both proactive (purpose initiatives) and reactive (respond to initiatives that have implications for the College).  Advisement shall take several forms.  Advisement shall include, but not be limited to, to the following:

1. A review of literature on the issue or proposal
2. A list of advantages and disadvantages of a proposed change
3. A report describing a range of options
4. A rank ordering of options
5. A consensus recommendation
6. A vote on a motion
7. Provision of a list of experts or resources
8. A public forum
9. A faculty poll
10. The gathering information from other colleges within the university as wall as external institutions, agencies, and experts.

DEAN’S SUPPORT FOR THE COUNCIL

The Dean shall provide the following support for the Council:

1. Provision of an adequate meeting facility
2. A $200 annual fund for duplicating materials to be distributed to Council and faculty members
3. A fund for light refreshments at Council meetings
4. An average of five hours of secretarial support per week
5. Course released time for the Council Chair
6. Other support needed to carry out the Council’s advising function

COMMITTEES

The Council shall appoint all committees under its direction.  Committee tasks shall be assigned by the Council alone.  Proposals for the creation of a committee may be presented to the Council by the Dean or any faculty member.  Committee members shall be appointed by the Council.  Committee members need not be Council Members.

AMENDMENTS

After this Constitution has been approved by a majority of full-time faculty who vote on the referendum for approval, revisions and amendments to the Constitution shall be considered only after being proposed by two-thirds of Council members present, and shall be approved by two-thirds of full-time faculty who vote in a special election on the proposed change(s).

Amended: May, 2004; September, 2006

FAC Policies and Procedures

POLICY AND PROCEDURE STATEMENT
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION FACULTY ADVISORY COUNCIL

            I.            This policy and procedure supports the constitution of the College of Education Faculty Advisory Council, and the items contained are the result of formal action by the Faculty Advisory Council at published and recorded meetings.

            II.            GENERAL

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            III.            MISSION STATEMENT

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            IV.            MEMBERSHIP AND ELECTIONS

A.            Proxies: When FAC members are absent, either long term such as semester leave or short term, the FAC members are responsible for assigning a substitute from their department to attend the meeting or asking FAC members from the same department to assign a substitute from the same department to attend the meeting.  The FAC members are also responsible for informing the substitute.

B.            Elections: An elections committee appointed by the Council Chair, with one member from each department, shall conduct elections at the departmental level. To the greatest degree possible given variability in numbers of slots to be filled from year to year across the departments, the committee should strive to establish common wording of ballots to be used across departments.
Eligibility for voting shall be the same as eligibility for membership on the Council. A nomination ballot with the names of all eligible faculty members shall be distributed by email or campus mail to all eligible faculty members. Each eligible faculty member shall nominate up to “n” faculty members within the department where “n” equals the number of representatives needed to fill open slots in the department by placing marks next to their names. Self-nominations are to be encouraged. Faculty will have five business days after the distribution of the nomination ballots to return them to a department voting box. Those receiving at least one nomination shall be asked if they wish to be placed on an election ballot, and the potential listing all candidates from the department who have accepted nominations shall be distributed to all eligible faculty members, who may vote for up to five faculty members from the department by placing marks next to their names on the ballot. Faculty shall have five business days to return their ballots to the department ballot box. The ballots shall be counted by the department representative on the election committee, who shall inform the Council Chair and department of the results. In case of a tie for the final council seat, a run-off election shall be held. Run-off ballots shall be distributed with the names of those who tied for the last available seat from that department (number will vary according to the number of FAC seats to be filled in the department) and faculty members eligible to vote shall vote for the one candidate they wish for that seat by placing a mark next to their name. Faculty members shall have five business days to return their ballots to the secure ballot box located in each department, or to the secure ballot box placed in a common location for Round Rock faculty. The department representative shall tally the run-off results and report their results to the Council Chair and department. [Approved September 24, 2004\

            V.            MEETINGS

A.            College Council Minutes: The minutes from the College Council meetings shall be distributed to all COE faculty members. [Approved January 17, 2003]
B.            Faculty Advisory Council Minutes: The approved minutes from Faculty Advisory Council meetings shall be sent to all COE faculty and posted on the College of Education website. [Approved January 17, 2003]

            VI.            THE ADISING FUNCTION

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            VII.            DEAN’S SUPPORT FOR THE COUNCIL

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            VIII.            COMMITTEES

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            IX.            AMENDMENTS

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