Rules of the Senate

4.0 Committees of the Senate

The KCTCS Senate shall have three types of committees:

  1. Standing committees responsible for making studies and recommendations to the KCTCS Council and Senate;
  2. Advisory committees responsible to the President and/or the Chancellor of the KCTCS and the KCTCS Council and Senate for reporting and making recommendations for action on issues related to the functions of the KCTCS Senate.
  3. Ad hoc committees responsible for examining specific issues, making recommendations and submitting reports to the appointing body.

These committees may advise the President of KCTCS, the Chancellor, the KCTCS Council and Senate.

Members of the standing committees shall be elected locally from those elected members of the KCTCS Senate not serving on the KCTCS Council. There shall be at least one senator from each college on each standing committee. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of a standing committee, the college that needs representation shall conduct an election to fill the vacancy. Each standing committee shall annually elect its chair, who shall become an ex officio member of the KCTCS Council.

Standing committees shall meet at regular intervals during the year. The schedule of standing committee meetings shall be announced in September by the Chair of the KCTCS Senate. If a standing committee member is unable to attend a committee meeting, the president of the respective KCTCS college shall appoint (in writing) an alternate from the duly elected KCTCS Senators of the college that needs representation. The written appointment shall be provided to the Secretary of the KCTCS Senate prior to the committee meeting.

4.1.1 KCTCS Rules Committee:

The KCTCS Rules Committee has the responsibility to:

  1. codify the KCTCS Senate Rules at the direction of the KCTCS Senate;
  2. recommend to the KCTCS Council, upon request or upon its own initiative, any modification of the Rules;
  3. make continuous evaluation of the Rules to meet new conditions; and
  4. define terms for the Glossary.

4.1.2 KCTCS Curriculum Review Committee:

The Curriculum Review Committee (CRC) has the responsibility to:

  1. recommend to the KCTCS Council, upon request or upon its own initiative, as to the needs of the instructional programs of the colleges;
  2. serve as a peer review and advisory body by providing feedback on curriculum and course proposals to the submitting entity;
  3. review curriculum proposals for transferability—both within KCTCS and with external institutions—with attention to alignment of core course learning outcomes;
  4. recommend action by the Curriculum Committees and Local Curriculum Review Committees to ensure compliance with published policy;
  5. review KCTCS program competencies ensuring program equity and prevention of duplication; and
  6. react in a timely manner to proposed changes in order to maintain responsive development of new and existing programs.

Advisory committees may advise the President of the KCTCS, the Chancellor, and the KCTCS Council and Senate. Committees are appointed by the Chancellor and the Chair of the KCTCS Council, with the exception of the KCTCS Senate Advisory Committee on Promotion (KCTCS Senate ACP) and the KCTCS Senate Advisory Committee on Appeals (KCTCS Senate ACA); which shall be appointed by the President after consultation with the KCTCS Council. Appointments to the advisory committees shall be made to secure, insofar as possible, a balance among colleges, curricula, and program areas. Each advisory committee shall annually elect a chair.

4.2.1 KCTCS Senate Advisory Committee on Promotion (KCTCS Senate ACP)

The KCTCS Senate ACP is established for the purpose of providing the KCTCS President and the Chancellor with a systematic and broad base of advisement from both faculty and administration on matters of appointment, promotion, and tenure (where applicable). The primary responsibility of the committee is to advise the KCTCS President and the Chancellor concerning the appointment and promotion of faculty to the ranks of Associate Professor and Professor in the KCTCS colleges and the granting of tenure.

The KCTCS Senate Advisory Committee on Promotion (ACP) shall consist of one member and one alternate from each college who hold the rank of Associate Professor or Professor appointed by the KCTCS President from recommendations made for each college by the KCTCS Council members. A vacancy for an un-expired term shall be filled in the same manner.

Members will be appointed for two-year terms.

A minimum of five members shall read each file and make promotion recommendations to the KCTCS President (with the committee vote and signature of each member in attendance). The committee shall give in writing the reason(s) for a negative recommendation.

4.2.2 KCTCS Senate Advisory Committee on Appeals (KCTCS Senate ACA)

The KCTCS Senate ACA shall consist of eight members (5 members and 3 alternates). The KCTCS President shall appoint the members from recommendations made for each college by their respective KCTCS Council member. Members shall be appointed for two-year terms.

The committee shall determine if it has jurisdiction.

The basis for all appeals shall be as defined in the KCTCS Board of Regents Policy 2.9.1.2 and the KCTCS Administrative Policy 2.16.2.1.

Faculty denied promotion have 30 days to file an appeal following receipt of the final letter to deny promotion from the college president. The appeal shall be addressed to the Chancellor in writing and shall state/explain the reason(s)–as described above including inadequate consideration and/or incomplete procedure. *see policy 2.6 of the KCTCS Administrative Policies and Procedures.

All KCTCS faculty who believe their academic freedom has been violated or other matters as outlined in the Administrative Policy 2.16.2.1 have been denied may appeal to the KCTCS Senate ACA
through the Chancellor.

The Chancellor has ten calendar days following the receipt of the appeal to notify the committee. The committee has thirty calendar days from receiving the appeal to make a recommendation to the KCTCS President.

KCTCS Ad Hoc committees shall advise on specific charges with KCTCS-wide implications. The committee members will be appointed and given their charge by the KCTCS Council. Prior to making recommendation(s), the committee members will announce the charge of the committee and seek and consider input from KCTCS faculties. The ad hoc committees' chairs will send their preliminary reports to the Chair or Vice Chair of the KCTCS Council.