University Senate Governance Working for U

Each senate has an executive-- or "consultative"-- committee. Members of the consultative committees are elected to represent their respective bodies. 

Faculty Consultative Committee (FCC)

The FCC began the year with an energizing, two-day retreat on August 22-23, 2017, where members met with a number of senior leaders to discuss issues of mutual interest. Discussion topics included the state of undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education; the System-Wide Strategic Plan; freedom of speech and a welcoming campus climate; faculty diversity and development; and risk recalibration and burden reduction. Members and the administration also discussed the University’s sexual misconduct investigative processes, the challenges posed by sexual misconduct behavior, and the need to provide the University community with education and awareness of this pervasive issue. Since the retreat, the committee and its leadership have spent considerable time providing extensive input on the sexual misconduct training module that will be rolled out next year as well as feedback on the reporting requirement for all employees. Other FCC highlights included a visit to the Morris campus where the discussion centered around the need to promote the University system as a whole. Finally, the FCC has spent and will continue to spend time discussing the effectiveness of the current University Senate governance structure and what changes, if any, could be considered to make it even more effective.

Student Senate Consultative Committee (SSCC)

The Student Senate Consultative Committee (SSCC) held its annual retreat on September 23, 2017. All student senators were invited. Senators participated in workgroups to help set the agenda for the year. Priorities identified by senators included concerns related to child care resources for student parents, coordination of the legislative efforts of the seven student governments, building infrastructure concerns, campus police interactions and philosophy, and concerns with the treatment and pay of student workers. At the SSCC meeting on October 26, 2017, members participated in a discussion with Mike Berthelsen, vice president, University Services, and Bill Paulus, interim associate vice president, Facilities Management, about how building infrastructure needs are evaluated. SSCC members then invited Interim Associate Vice President Paulus and JD Burton, chief government relations officer, University Relations, to the November 9, 2017, Student Senate meeting to discuss how the University advocates for critical funding to address these needs at the state legislature. The SSCC, student senators, and their respective campus student governments plan to use this information to inform their legislative advocacy strategy for the year. 

Civil Service Consultative Committee (CSCC)

The Civil Service Consultative Committee kicked off the academic year by holding a retreat on August 17, 2017, which for the first time included the full Civil Service Senate. In addition to an orientation on the work of the consultative committee and the responsibilities of senators, discussion topics identified for the 2017-18 academic year included revisions to the Civil Service Employment Rules (which will go to the Board of Regents for approval at their December meeting), the Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS), parental leave, merit pay, short and long-term disability benefits, impacts of the Job Family Study, and the Regents Scholarship. The Communications Subcommittee reinvigorated its efforts to engage more civil service employees through a newsletter, Brown Bag information sessions, and extending its charge to include outreach. The first Brown Bag session, held on November 21, 2017, focused on employee benefits. The February 20, 2018, Brown Bag session will focus on the MSRS. CSCC leadership also participated in the visit to the Morris campus, along with FCC and PACC leadership. Pictured above are members of the delegation posing in front of Morris' wind turbine.

P&A Consultative Committee (PACC)

This semester, the PACC and its subcommittees focused on improving communication with constituents, filling vacant seats on the P&A Senate, and organizing opportunities for professional development via their Brown Bag series, as well as continuing to advocate for P&A staff on a number of issues, such as parental leave, vacation accrual, and the Regents Scholarship Program. The PACC is also strategizing with the Office of Human Resources on ways the two entities can work together to accomplish goals. In September, the leadership of the PACC, CSCC, and FCC accompanied Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Rebecca Ropers-Huilman to the Morris campus. The visit began with a campus tour, led by P&A University Senator and Morris Sustainability Director Troy Goodnough, which focused on Morris’ sustainability efforts. The group had an engaging discussion on equity and diversity and later diverged to meet with constituents. PACC and CSCC leadership plan to visit the Crookston campus in the spring.