Faculty Committees Other Committee Charges

Ad Hoc Committee on the Enhancement of the Procedures and Practices used for the 
Assessment of Teaching
The ad hoc committee will comprise four faculty members, one each from the social sciences, humanities, sciences, and the arts.  At least one of these faculty members will be a tenure-track assistant professor, and a tenured member of the ad hoc committee will serve as the committee's chair.  The membership will also include the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, a faculty equity and inclusion officer, and the director of academic projects, who will support the work of the ad hoc committee.

Ad Hoc Faculty Committee on Student Learning
The Ad Hoc Faculty Committee on Student Learning seeks to understand and enhance students’ education at the college.  Its activities include identifying the most effective methods of assessing student learning, pedagogical approaches that appreciate diverse learning styles, and best practices at Amherst and other institutions.  The ad hoc committee supports the work of college departments and programs and other faculty committees, especially the Committee on Educational Policy (CEP).  It is charged with undertaking this work for up to three years.  At the conclusion of its term, the members will make a recommendation to the Committee of Six about whether a proposal to create a standing faculty committee on student learning should be brought to the faculty.  The ad hoc committee consists of four members of the faculty distributed across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, who are appointed by the Committee of Six; the chair of the CEP or the chair’s designee (another faculty member of the CEP); and the following ex officio members: the provost and dean of the faculty;  the director of Institutional Research and Registrar Services; the director of the Center for Teaching and Learning; the chief diversity and inclusion officer (or that individual’s designee); the chief student affairs officer (or that individual’s designee); and the ad hoc committee's researcher and secretary, a staff member appointed by the provost and dean of the faculty.  The ad hoc committee selects one of its four faculty members to serve as its chair.

Advisory Board of the Russian Cultural Center Charge
The Amherst Center for Russian Culture (ACRC) is a library, archive, and art collection for scholars (including Amherst students) dedicated to the study of Russian culture.  It sponsors an active program of teaching and research related to Russian culture, as well as events celebrating all forms of that culture.  The ACRC is a unit of Amherst College and is subject to such requirements as the dean of the faculty may deem necessary to accomplish its mission.  The ACRC is led by an Amherst College faculty member appointed as director by the dean of the faculty.  The work of the ACRC and its director is supported by an advisory board.  

Composition:

• The dean of the faculty appoints members of the advisory board who serve three-year terms.
• The advisory board includes at least five voting members: three faculty members, the director of the Amherst College Library, and the director of the Mead Art Museum. All tenured members of the Russian Department will normally serve on the board (unless they are on leave or the Dean has made other arrangements).  At any given time, at least two of the three faculty members on the advisory board are from Amherst College.  One professor may come from another institution in the Five-College Consortium. 
• The dean of the faculty appoints the chair of the advisory board, and the chair will be a member of the faculty of Amherst College.
• The director of the ACRC is an ex officio member of the advisory board.
• The advisory board meets at least twice per semester. If necessary, additional meetings will be scheduled. 

Responsibilities: The Advisory Board     

• Advises the director and the dean of the faculty on budget matters related to the ACRC. To this end, the advisory board will be provided with annual statements detailing funds dedicated for use by the ACRC, including funds from the college and all other sources, as well as quarterly statements detailing center expenditures (with salaries blocked).
• Counsels the director of the ACRC and the dean of the faculty concerning personnel and staffing of the center, including the selection and term of the director.
• Counsels the director and the dean of the faculty concerning fundraising for the center.
• Decides on the ACRC’s operating hours and advises the director concerning who can use the center’s collections, materials, and space.
• Recommends to the director conferences, workshops, lectures, exhibitions, and other events and reviews proposals from the director and others concerning the center’s programs.
• Advises the director of the ACRC on curatorial practices and acquisitions, particularly the purchase of archival materials.
• Receives an annual report from the curator of the Whitney collection at the Mead.
• Reviews the ACRC’s mission statement and, in conjunction with the director of the ACRC and the dean of the faculty, updates the mission statement as necessary.
• Regularly reviews this charge and, in conjunction with the director of the ACRC and the dean of the faculty, updates this charge as necessary.

Alpha Delta Phi Committee
The Provost and Dean of the Faculty shall appoint members of the committee to three-year terms.  The committee shall be composed of:

– the English Department Chair or his, her, or their delegate, who shall serve as Chair
of the Committee,
– one other member of the English Department,
– two members of the faculty from two departments other than English.

The charge of the Alpha Delta Phi Fund Committee is to disburse the income generated by the
Alpha Delta Phi Fund in accordance with the wishes of the donors. Specifically, the Committee
shall:

– twice each year announce to eligible students the availability of honors grants,
– formulate, revise as necessary, and distribute guidelines for application, including
criteria, and set application deadlines,
– review applications and select recipients.
 

Amherst College Press
ARTICLE I 
NAME
1.01   Name

The name of the entity is Amherst College Press.

ARTICLE II
PURPOSES AND POWERS
2.01 Purpose

Amherst College Press is a scholarly publisher supported by Amherst College.

Amherst College Press is an open-access, digital first, peer reviewed scholarly press, with an editorial program aligned with the ethos and mission of liberal arts colleges.

Amherst College Press partners with Michigan Publishing at the University of Michigan. The nature of this partnership is laid out in our agreed contract from July 2019. All provisions of these bylaws are intended to be consonant with, and to further the purposes of, the contract, which is here incorporated by reference.

ACP may seek to collaborate with other non-profit organizations which fall under the 501(c) (3) section of the internal revenue code and are operated exclusively for educational and charitable purposes.

 2.02 Powers  

The corporation shall have the power, directly or indirectly, alone or in conjunction or cooperation with others, to do any and all lawful acts which may be necessary or convenient to affect the charitable purposes for which the corporation is organized. It may aid or assist other organizations or persons whose activities further accomplish, foster, or attain such purposes. The powers of the corporation may include, but are not be limited to, the acceptance of contributions from the public and private sectors, whether financial or in-kind contributions.

ARTICLE III

THE ADVISORY BOARD 

3.01 Number of Board Members

Amherst College Press shall have an Advisory Board consisting of no more than five and no fewer than three representatives. This include one ex-officio non-voting position for the Director of the Press.

 3.02 Terms

(a)  All members shall serve a three-year term. Terms of individual members may be extended at the discretion of Amherst College Press until a successor has been appointed.

(b)  The term of office shall be considered to begin January 1 and end December 31 of the year in office, unless the term is extended until such time as a successor has been appointed. 

 3.03 Vacancies

Amherst College Press may fill vacancies due to the expiration of a member’s term of office, resignation, death, or removal, or may appoint new members to fill a previously unfilled position, subject to the maximum number of members under these Bylaws. Members appointed because of an unexpected vacancy on the Advisory Board shall serve for the balance of the term of the member being replaced.

 3.04 Removal of Members

A member may be removed by the Provost and Dean of Faculty.

 3.05 Advisory Board Meetings

(a)   Meetings. The board shall have a minimum of one regular meeting each calendar year. Notice of meetings shall specify the place, day, and hour of meeting. 

(b)   Special Meetings. Special meetings of the board may be called. A special meeting must be preceded by two days’ notice given to each member of the date, time, and place, but not the purpose, of the meeting.

3.06 Manner of Acting

(a) Quorum. A majority of the members in office immediately before a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at that meeting. No business shall be considered by the board at any meeting at which a quorum is not present.

(b) Participation. Except as required otherwise by law, the Articles of Incorporation, or these Bylaws, members may participate in a regular or special meeting in person, by internet video meeting, telephonic conference call or any other medium specified by the Advisory Board.

 3.07 Compensation for Advisory Board Service

Members shall receive no compensation for carrying out their duties. The press may adopt policies providing for reasonable reimbursement of members for expenses incurred in conjunction with carrying out responsibilities, such as travel expenses to attend meetings.

 3.08 Compensation for Professional Services by Members

Members are not restricted from being remunerated for professional services provided to the corporation. Such remuneration shall be reasonable and fair to the corporation and must be reviewed and approved in accordance with board Conflict of Interest policy and state law.

 ARTICLE IV

THE EDITORIAL BOARD 

4.01 Number of Board Members

Amherst College Press shall have an Editorial Board consisting of no more than ten and no fewer than eight representatives. These include one ex-officio non-voting position for the Director of the Press and two ex-officio voting positions reserved for the head of the Center for Humanistic Inquiry and The Mead Art Museum.  

A Chair of the Board will be appointed by the Provost and Dean of Faculty to serve a term of one year.

4.02 Terms

(a)  All members shall be appointed to serve a three-year term. Terms of individual members may be extended at the discretion of Amherst College Press until a successor has been elected.

(b)  Terms of Editorial Board members begin July 1 and end June 31 of the year in office, unless the term is extended until such time as a successor has been elected. 

 4.03 Vacancies

Amherst College Press may fill vacancies due to the expiration of a member’s term of office, resignation, death, or removal, or the Provost and Dean of Faculty’s Office may appoint new members to fill a previously unfilled position, subject to the maximum number of members under these Bylaws.

• Unexpected Vacancies. Vacancies due to resignation, death, or removal may be filled by Amherst College Press for the balance of the term of the member being replaced.

 4.04 Removal of Members

A member may be removed by the Provost and Dean of Faculty’s Office.

 4.05 Editorial Board Meetings

(a)   Meetings. The board shall have a minimum of two regular meetings each calendar year. Notice of meetings shall specify the place, day, and hour of meeting. 

(b)   Special Meetings. Special meetings of the board may be called. A special meeting must be preceded by at least two days’ notice to each member of the date, time, and place, but not the purpose, of the meeting.

 4.06 Manner of Acting

(a) Quorum. A majority of the members in office immediately before a meeting shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at that meeting. No business shall be considered by the board at any meeting at which a quorum is not present.

(b) Participation. Except as required otherwise by law, the Articles of Incorporation, or these Bylaws, members may participate in person, by internet video meeting, telephonic conference call or any other means prescribed by the Editorial Board.

(c) Functions. Reviews the editorial process of ACP and gives final approval for manuscripts. The work of the board is to ensure the integrity of the process.

 4.07 Compensation for Editorial Board Service

Members shall receive no compensation for carrying out their board duties. The press may adopt policies providing for reasonable reimbursement of directors for expenses incurred in conjunction with carrying out board responsibilities, such as travel expenses to attend meetings.

 4.08 Compensation for Professional Services by Members

Members are not restricted from being remunerated for professional services provided to the corporation. Such remuneration shall be reasonable and fair to the corporation and must be reviewed and approved in accordance with board Conflict of Interest policy and state law.

 4.09 Electronic Action by Editorial Board

Members may vote on projects via electronic means in order to carry out board duties. If any Member wishes to dissent, they must do so by email before the final day for voting on a given project.

Wildlife Sanctuary Committee
The Ad Hoc Amherst College Wildlife Sanctuary Stewardship Committee is composed of three members of the faculty, the chief of campus operations, the grounds supervisor and a designated representative, three other staff members, and three students. The faculty members of the committee are appointed by the Committee of Six and serve for three-year terms.  The senior staff appoints the staff members, who shall include one representative from the Office of Student Affairs or the resource centers, one representative from Athletics and Wellness, and the director of the Book and Plow Farm and serve three-year terms. The three student members of the committee are appointed by the Association of Amherst Students each year. The committee, which is charged with the long-term oversight and management of the sanctuary, recommends priorities and policies; oversees academic, research, and other uses of the sanctuary; and acts as a steward for the sanctuary’s wildlife and habitats and for the inclusive use of this space. The committee may be advised by other members of Facilities and Grounds, the conservation director (current or former) of the town of Amherst and other consultants. The ad hoc committee will remain active until the completion of the Mammoth Trails project and will then disband.
 

Working Group to Assess the Needs of Students Learning Remotely
Assess the technology needs of students on a recurring basis while we continue to teach and learn remotely during COVID-19, and provide recommendations to the Associate CIO for IT Services in consultation with the Provost and the Dean of the Faculty, the Chief Information Officer, and other faculty as needed. The working group is composed of: