Academic Advising and Registration Bylaws (Committee on)

1. Objective

   To ensure that academic advisement practices and procedures are consistent with the mission of Western Connecticut State University and the collective bargaining agreements of CSU-AAUP.

2. Responsibilities of Committee

   1. To facilitate communication and coordination among teaching faculty, departmental chairs, Deans, the Academic Advisement Center, and students in the development and operation of WCSU’s shared system of academic advisement.
   2. To promote the implementation of best practices of developmental advisement.
   3. To create and administer an Academic Advisement Certificate program to provide continuing education on advisement practices and procedures.
   4. To conduct triennial reviews of advisement effectiveness and practices in the University and to report these findings to the University Senate and the Provost.
   5. To recommend policy or procedural changes to the University Senate and Provost to enhance the effectiveness of academic advisement.

3. Membership of Committee (11 voting members)

   1. Representative of the Academic Advisement Center
   2. Representative of the Student Government Association
   3. Representative of the Registrar’s Office
   4. Representative of the Office of Student Affairs
   5. Five (5) teaching faculty members, one elected by and from the teaching faculty of each of the four schools and one elected by and from the Librarians/Counselors/coaches group, for overlapping 2-year terms
   6. Student member elected or appointed by Student Government Association
   7. One non-teaching faculty member elected by and from those represented by SUOAF-AFSCME

4. Conduct of Business

   1. Meetings
      1. Meetings are to be convened by the Chairperson. In the absence of the Chairperson, his or her designate shall convene meetings, except as follows: If no new Chairperson is elected at the last meeting of the academic year, then the President of the University Senate will designate a committee member to convene the committee.
      2. A quorum shall consist of a majority of voting members.
      3. Meetings are to be held not less than three times per semester during the academic year and at the request of the Chairperson.
      4. The call to meeting, accompanied by the agenda, shall be delivered to committee members at least three school days prior to each meeting.
      5. Ordinarily, no decision shall be made on policy or procedural proposals at a meeting the first time such items are discussed unless said material was received by the members at least three school days prior to the meeting.
      6. Decisions of the committee require a majority vote of the members present.
      7. Concerned parties may attend meetings to discuss, or be invited to discuss, particular items on the agenda.
      8. The committee operates under a modified form of parliamentary procedure
   2. Officers
      1. The chairperson shall be elected by a majority vote of elected members in the spring semester, following new member elections and preceding commencement.
      2. The position of secretary shall be filled by each member in turn on an alphabetically rotating basis, unless otherwise agreed to by the Committee.
   3. Reports
      1. To whom reports are given:
         1. The committee, through its chair, shall report all policy recommendations to the University Senate.
         2. The committee shall submit an annual report to the University Senate.
         3. The committee shall report to the appropriate departments and school deans and the Director of Academic Advisement concerning recommendations regarding academic advisement procedures and recommendations.
         4. The committee shall report to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs (as the University President’s designee) for appropriate administrative review of the committee’s recommendations
   4. Minutes
      1. Minutes of all meetings shall be distributed to:
         1. All members of the committee.
         2. University Senate President.
         3. University Senate Archivist.
         4. Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.
         5. The Director of the Academic Advisement Center.
         6. The Registrar.
         7. SGA President.

5. Amendments

These Bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of members present at any regularly scheduled meeting at which there is a quorum, and the approval of the University Senate and the President of the University.

Approved by the Senate 12/16/15