5.3 Standing Faculty Committees

The standing faculty committees of the college and university actively participate in the governance of the college and university as specified in this section and Part I. The standing committees report to the Joint Faculty Assembly, except that campus-specific standing committees report to the appropriate assembly for that campus.

The standing faculty committees are:

Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee (Section 5.3.1)
Committee on Academic Policies and Standards (Section 5.3.2)
Core Curriculum Committee (Section 5.3.3)
Curricular Strategic Planning Committee (Section 5.3.4)
Academic Budget and Planning Committee (Section 5.3.5)
Academic Assessment Committee (Section 5.3.6)
Faculty Development and Research Committee (Section 5.3.7)
College of Saint Benedict Rank and Tenure Committee (Section 5.3.8)
Saint John’s University Rank and Tenure Committee (Section 5.3.9)
Committee on Academic Computing (Section 5.3.10)
Faculty Handbook Committee (Section 5.3.11)
Faculty Compensation Committee (Section 5.3.12)
Graduate Theological Studies Committee (Section 5.3.13)

5.3.0.1 General Procedures for Standing Faculty Committees

Faculty service on a standing faculty committee or as an officer of the faculty is an integral part of a faculty member's responsibility.
An ex officio member of a committee is one who becomes a member by virtue of an office held. Unless otherwise noted, such members have the same rights and responsibilities as do other members of the committee.
Voting for joint standing committees is by the joint faculty, including those positions which are designated as College of Saint Benedict or Saint John’s University representatives. Voting for campus-specific committees is by members of the corresponding faculty only.
Voting for division and School of Theology representatives will be done solely by members of that division or the School. When there is a designated School of Theology representative on a committee, School of Theology faculty members vote only for the School of Theology representative. When there is no designated School of Theology representative on a committee, faculty members of the School of Theology will vote with the Humanities Division, except that faculty members of the School of Theology who hold a joint appointment in a department outside the Humanities Division will vote with the division with which that department is associated.

For the purpose of elections to standing committees, departments will be associated with divisions as follows:

Fine Arts Division—Art, Music, Theater;

Humanities Division—Communication, English, History, Modern and Classical Languages, Philosophy, Theology;

Natural Science Division—Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Mathematics, Nursing, Nutrition, Physics;

Social Science Division—Accounting, Economics, Education, Management, Military Science, Peace Studies, Physical Education, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work, and Sociology.

The Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee (FGCC) supervises the elections of faculty members to standing committees and to faculty offices. Elections are normally held during spring semester. Ballot nominations from FGCC will be presented to the Joint Faculty Assembly, permitting nomination from the floor. Elections shall be conducted by electronic ballot, with confidentiality of ballots ensured by the FGCC.
Should a vacancy occur among the elected members of a committee, the FGCC appoints a new member to serve the remainder of the academic year. Election to complete the remainder of the term will take place at the next scheduled election. Terms of office start during the last committee meeting of the spring semester but not earlier than four weeks before the last day of final examinations.
If the elected members of a committee are to serve multiple-year terms, the terms are staggered to insure continuity.
Each newly constituted standing committee meets in the spring to elect its chair and begin its work for the coming year. Unless otherwise noted, the chair of the committee is to be chosen from the tenured faculty members of the committee.
All faculty members, administrative officers, and students of the college and university are welcome to attend standing committee meetings, except portions of meetings designated by the committee as executive session. Any business pertaining to institutional policies and procedures is considered to be nonconfidential and may not be discussed in executive session; any business which reviews, evaluates, or proposes action pertaining to a particular faculty member, student, group of individual faculty members, or group of individual students is considered confidential and must be discussed in executive session.

5.3.0.2 Committee Chairs

Each standing committee has a chair. The responsibilities of the chair are to:

report proposals and requests of the committee to the proper channels;
respond to proposals and requests on behalf of the committee;
establish the agenda for committee meetings and notify faculty and administration of the times of meetings;
oversee the maintenance of minutes and records, report nonconfidential portions of the minutes as specified by the FGCC, and make them available to the faculty, deans, provost, and presidents;
submit an annual report to the FGCC;
communicate regularly with other chairs when there are matters of shared concern before the committee;
transmit recommendations on changes in policy and procedure to the FGCC; and
periodically summarize the committee’s nonconfidential activities for the appropriate assembly.

5.3.1 Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee (FGCC)

The Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee (FGCC) is charged with constituting the committees of the Joint Faculty Assembly and the committees of the separate assemblies for Saint John’s University and the College of Saint Benedict; with ensuring communication among the committees, between the committees and the Joint Faculty Assembly, between faculty committees and the administration, and between the committees and the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University community as a whole; with keeping a record of the actions and deliberations of the Joint Faculty Assembly and its committees; and with setting the agenda for the Joint Faculty Assembly.

5.3.1.1 Membership

The voting members of the Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee are:

five faculty members elected to three-year terms—one member from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science) and one member from the School of Theology;
the chair of the Joint Faculty Assembly, who will serve as chair of the committee;
the vice-chair of the Joint Faculty Assembly;
in addition, the provost serves as a nonvoting member; and
the parliamentarian of the Joint Faculty Assembly as a nonvoting consultant.

At least three of the faculty members of the committee must be tenured.

5.3.1.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee are to:

establish faculty committee membership of standing and ad hoc committees by:

maintaining an up-to-date record of committee membership,
surveying faculty to learn on which committees individual members prefer to serve,
scheduling and supervising faculty elections,
when appropriate, appointing or arranging for the election of members of the Joint Faculty Assembly to serve as faculty representatives to the designated committees of the Saint John’s University Board of Regents and the College of Saint Benedict Board of Trustees, and
consulting with the administration on the appointment of faculty members to administrative committees;

coordinate the work of the joint faculty committees by:

maintaining a manual of the policies and procedures of the Joint Faculty Assembly and its committees,
resolving jurisdictional issues among committees of the assemblies,
monitoring the effectiveness of the committee structure and recommending adjustments or changes when necessary,
arranging for reports, at least once a year, from each standing committee to the Joint Faculty Assembly,
posting and preserving minutes of the Joint Faculty Assembly, and
overseeing the posting and preservation of minutes and reports of the faculty standing committees;

formulate, prepare and distribute:

an annual calendar of meetings of the Joint Faculty Assembly each June for the following academic year and
the agenda for each meeting of the Joint Faculty Assembly;

coordinate faculty participation in any review of the academic administration;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary;
in cases where the Faculty Handbook Committee is a party to a grievance, perform the functions normally assigned to the Faculty Handbook Committee under the grievance procedure (Section 4.1); and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.2 Committee on Academic Policies and Standards (CAPS)

The Committee on Academic Policies and Standards oversees the quality and functioning of the entire joint undergraduate academic program outside of the core curriculum. In addition to reviewing and acting on new course proposals, it formulates guidelines for achieving and maintaining integrity and excellence in academic programs.

5.3.2.1 Membership

The members of the Committee on Academic Policies and Standards are:

five voting members, elected to three-year terms—one faculty member elected from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science) and one faculty member elected at large; and
five nonvoting members—the provost, the academic deans, and two students, one from each college, appointed by their respective student governments.

At least two of the voting members must be tenured.

The registrar, the director of academic advising, the director of the libraries, and a representative of Information Technology Services serve as consultants to the committee.

5.3.2.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Committee on Academic Policies and Standards are to:

review and act on proposals for new courses and for revisions in majors, minors, and programs;
recommend to the Joint Faculty Assembly the addition or deletion of majors, minors, and programs;
create, review, and revise policies that relate to the registrar, library, media, calendar, and other academic matters not specifically assigned to other standing committees;
establish and revise academic standards, including admissions (in cooperation with the Office of Admissions), probation and dismissal, and graduation standards;
establish, review, and revise policies related to the periodic review of departments and programs;
appoint faculty representatives to the College of Saint Benedict Admissions Committee, the Saint John’s University Admissions Committee, and the Calendar Committee;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.3 The Core Curriculum Committee (CCC)

The Core Curriculum Committee oversees the quality and functioning of the core curriculum.

5.3.3.1 Membership

The members of the Core Curriculum Committee are:

seven voting members, elected to three-year terms—one faculty member elected from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science) and three faculty members elected at large; and
six nonvoting members—the director of core curriculum, the academic dean responsible for the core curriculum, the registrar, a representative from academic advising, and two students, one from each college, appointed by their respective student governments.

At least three of the voting members must be tenured.

5.3.3.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Core Curriculum Committee are to:

oversee the ongoing development of the core curriculum in light of the curricular strategic plan;
create, review, and revise policies relating to the core curriculum;
review and assess core curriculum courses and programs;
collect long-term data concerning the core curriculum and student learning within the core curriculum;
propose revisions in the core curriculum to the Joint Faculty Assembly;
review and act on proposals for core designations;
review and act on individual course proposals in First Year Symposium, Senior Seminar, and the Judeo-Christian Heritage and monitor adherence to common expectations and guidelines for these courses;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.4 Curricular Strategic Planning Committee (CSPC)

The Curricular Strategic Planning Committee represents the faculty in the joint institutional strategic planning process. The committee is charged with providing the Joint Faculty Assembly with the long-range curricular planning needed to meet the institutional missions and visions of the college and university.

5.3.4.1 Membership

The members of the Curricular Strategic Planning Committee are:

six voting members, elected to three-year terms—one faculty member elected from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science), one faculty member elected from the School of Theology, and one faculty member elected at large; and
three nonvoting members—either the provost or a dean designated by the provost, and two students, one from each college, appointed by their respective student governments.

At least three of the voting members must be tenured.

5.3.4.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Curricular Strategic Planning Committee are to:

propose and review academic initiatives at a level beyond that normally encompassed by individual departments;
obtain relevant external and internal information needed for planning or making recommendations;
review the relationship between curricular and extra-curricular learning;
review and recommend changes in the institutional learning goals and objectives of the colleges to the faculty;
recommend academic priorities emerging from the learning goals and objectives of the colleges;
recommend to the Joint Faculty Assembly changes in institutional learning goals;
recommend future budget and resource allocations based on academic planning and priorities as they relate to the curriculum;
review Strategic Priority Initiative proposals involving the academic area and forward recommendations to the provost;
participate in all phases of the development and execution of the institutional strategic planning process;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.5 Academic Budget and Planning Committee (ABPC)

The Academic Budget and Planning Committee advises the provost on matters of budgeting and long-range programmatic, fiscal, and personnel planning for the academic areas. Although the committee regularly considers those matters referred to it by the provost, it may also respond to charges given it by the Joint Faculty Assembly and may initiate its own studies.

5.3.5.1 Membership

The members of the Academic Budget and Planning Committee are:

six voting members, elected to three-year terms—one faculty member from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science), one faculty member from the School of Theology, and one faculty member elected at-large; and
six nonvoting members—the provost, the dean of the college at the College of Saint Benedict, the dean of the college at Saint John’s University, the dean of the School of Theology, the director of academic planning and budget, and the director of institutional planning and research.

At least two of the voting members must be College of Saint Benedict faculty and at least two Saint John’s University faculty; at least two of the voting members must be tenured.

5.3.5.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Academic Budget and Planning Committee are to:

advise the provost on policies and priorities concerning college and university revenue and expenditures;
assist the provost in the yearly ranking of academic priorities;
advise the provost concerning budgetary adjustments;
assist in the preparation of long-range fiscal plans for the academic area;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.6 Academic Assessment Committee (AAC)

The Academic Assessment Committee oversees the assessment of learning in departments and programs. Its purpose is to ensure high quality academic experiences so that students may achieve institutional and departmental learning goals.

5.3.6.1 Membership

The members of the Academic Assessment Committee are:

five voting members, elected at large from the faculty, to three-year terms; and
six nonvoting members—the provost, the dean of the college at the College of Saint Benedict, the dean of the college at Saint John’s University, the director of the core curriculum, assistant to the deans/program review and assessment facilitator, and one student representative, appointed jointly by the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University student governments.

At least two of the voting members must be tenured.

The vice-presidents for Student Development serve as consultants for assessment of co-curricular learning.

5.3.6.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Academic Assessment Committee are to:

create and revise policies and procedures for assessment that are congruent with institutional missions and external accreditation requirements;
provide timely information to the faculty regarding assessment policies and procedures, accreditation guidelines, and developments in the field of assessment;
review departmental and program mission statements, goals, and assessment plans;
monitor departmental and program assessment findings;
report to the Joint Faculty Assembly at least annually on the aggregate findings of program assessment and review, and when appropriate, recommend action;
provide consultation to institutional accreditation self-study teams;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.7 Faculty Development and Research Committee (FDRC)

The Faculty Development and Research Committee develops guidelines and implements policies, procedures, and programs which will enhance the personal, professional, and instructional development of the faculty, and it recommends institutional changes and improvements necessary to accomplish these goals.

5.3.7.1 Membership

The members of the Faculty Development and Research Committee are:

seven voting members, elected to three-year terms—one faculty member elected from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science), one faculty member elected from the School of Theology, and one faculty member, elected at large, from each of the two institutions; and
one nonvoting member—either the provost or a dean appointed by the provost.

The two at-large faculty members and the representative of the School of Theology must be tenured.

5.3.7.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Faculty Development and Research Committee are to:

administer faculty development funding by:

establishing criteria for funding,
receiving funding requests from individual faculty members and departments for professional development projects,
making recommendations to the provost regarding distributing funds to individuals and departments,
receiving copies of project reports funded through the committee and forwarding evaluations to the provost, and
maintaining records on projects funded through the committee;

oversee general professional development for faculty by:

reviewing and ranking sabbatical leave proposals,
reviewing requests for leaves and reduced teaching load associated with professional development and activities along with the recommendations of the chair of the department or head of the program in question, and
soliciting nominations for annual teaching awards and overseeing the selection of the recipients;

recommend institutional changes and improvements necessary to accomplish these goals;
recommend institutional changes and improvements necessary to support faculty research and development;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

The chair of the committee will meet with the Institutional Advancement Offices at least once a year to talk about funding needs of faculty and to discuss long-range planning for faculty development. The chair also serves as liaison with the provost to help meet institutional needs through professional development projects.

5.3.8 College of Saint Benedict Rank and Tenure Committee

According to the schedule and guidelines in Sections 2.1, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7, the College of Saint Benedict Rank and Tenure Committee regularly reviews the progress of the College of Saint Benedict faculty with regard to their professional growth and their fulfillment of the obligations of faculty appointments. The committee makes recommendations to the provost concerning advancement to tenure and promotion in rank as set forth in Section 2.7, "Promotion Policies and Procedures."

5.3.8.1 Membership

The members of the College of Saint Benedict Rank and Tenure Committee are:

seven voting members, elected to three-year terms—one from the Fine Arts or Humanities Division, one from the Natural Science Division, one from the Social Science Division, and four members elected at large; and
one nonvoting member—the dean of the college at the College of Saint Benedict.

The voting members must be tenured College of Saint Benedict faculty members, with not more than two from any one department. Department chairs do not serve on the committee during a year when a member of their department is to be reviewed.

5.3.8.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the College of Saint Benedict Rank and Tenure Committee are to:

determine, in consultation with the provost and the appropriate dean, when faculty members are eligible to apply for third-year review, tenure review, and promotion (see Sections 2.6.1, 2.6.3 and 2.7.1);
receive data related to questions of rank, promotion, and tenure, and work with the provost and dean to strive for consensus on questions of rank, promotion, and tenure;
carry out all reviews according to the process and procedures described in Sections 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7;
develop and follow a process of faculty review that is humane and practical and which promotes faculty development and growth;
review and recommend changes in the criteria for evaluating both the professional performance and the institutional needs governing reviews, tenure, and promotion to the Faculty Handbook Committee;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.9 Saint John’s University Rank and Tenure Committee

According to the schedule and guidelines in Sections 2.1, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7, the Saint John’s University Rank and Tenure Committee regularly reviews the progress of the Saint John’s University faculty with regard to their professional growth and their fulfillment of the obligations of faculty appointments. The committee makes recommendations to the provost concerning advancement to tenure and promotion in rank as set forth in Section 2.7, “Promotion Policies and Procedures.”

5.3.9.1 Membership

The members of the Saint John’s University Rank and Tenure Committee are:

seven voting members, elected to three-year terms—one from the Fine Arts or Humanities Division, one from the Natural Science Division, one from the Social Science Division, one from the School of Theology, and three members elected at large; and
one nonvoting member—the dean of the college, Saint John’s University.

All of the voting members must be tenured Saint John’s University faculty members. Department chairs are ineligible for membership.

5.3.9.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Rank and Tenure Committee are to:

determine, in consultation with the provost and the appropriate dean, when faculty members are eligible to apply for third-year review, tenure review, and promotion (see Sections 2.6.1, 2.6.3 and 2.7.1);
carry out all reviews according to the process and procedures described in Sections 2.5, 2.6, and 2.7;
review and recommend changes in the criteria for evaluating both the professional performance and the institutional needs governing reviews, tenure, and promotion to the Faculty Handbook Committee;
develop and follow a process of faculty review that is humane and practical and which promotes faculty development and growth;
advise the president on cases of suspension of faculty in accordance with procedures in Section 2.13.6.5;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.10 Committee on Academic Computing (CAC)

The Committee on Academic Computing makes recommendations to the provost for Academic Affairs concerning policies, long-range plans, and short-range plans for academic computing and oversees the implementation of these policies and plans.

5.3.10.1 Membership

The members of the Committee on Academic Computing are:

four voting members elected to three-year terms—one faculty member elected from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science); and
four nonvoting members—the director of Information Technology Services, the director of Technology Support Services, the Academic Technology Project leader, and the director of Libraries and Media Services or an appointed representative.

The chair of the committee is elected from among the faculty members on the committee.

5.3.10.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Committee on Academic Computing are to:

recommend and review guidelines and standards for the purchase and distribution of computer technology for academic computing on the two campuses;
review capital computing requests annually in light of established guidelines and standards;
review academic computing needs on the two campuses periodically, as needed or requested, and provide guidelines to meet those needs;
recommend and review long-range plans for academic computing on the two campuses;
work with the Academic Budget and Planning Committee to assess the budgetary implications of academic computing in short-range and long-range university planning;
recommend and review policies and procedures for use of computing technology on the two campuses;
advise the Faculty Development and Research Committee in developing guidelines and determining funding for academic computing requests for faculty development;
review the staffing needs of Information Technology Services and participate in the selection of any professional staff required;
foster discussion and communication of Information Technology Services issues and concerns as they impact academic issues;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.11 Faculty Handbook Committee

The Faculty Handbook Committee acts as a resource to faculty members concerning Faculty Handbook policies, coordinates faculty deliberations concerning amendments to the Faculty Handbook, and oversees the grievance process.

5.3.11.1 Membership

The members of the Faculty Handbook Committee are:

a. seven voting members—at least three College of Saint Benedict faculty members and at least three Saint John’s University faculty members, elected at large; and

b. one nonvoting member—the provost.

At least four of the voting members must be tenured.

5.3.11.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Faculty Handbook Committee are to:

initiate or receive proposals for amending or revising the Faculty Handbook as described in Section 2.16;
process proposed Faculty Handbook changes through the Faculty Assembly and the provost, who will notify the president and secure acceptance, rejection, or proposed amendments to the proposals in accordance with the procedures described in Section 2.16.3;
petition for emergency changes in the Faculty Handbook by following procedures in Section 2.16.4;
assist in the interpretation of particular passages in the Faculty Handbook;
initiate or receive charges of Faculty Handbook violations, and when necessary, implement procedures for action, including filing a grievance according to procedures in Section 4.1. When the Faculty Handbook Committee initiates a grievance, the Faculty Governance Coordinating Committee shall perform all of the functions normally assigned to the Faculty Handbook Committee under the grievance procedure, including ruling on whether the alleged violation is grievable and appointing the ad hoc grievance committee.
oversee the preliminary steps of each grievance as described in Section 4.1.5 (except when the Faculty Handbook Committee is a party to the grievance) and report annually to the Assembly about all faculty grievances filed, as described in Section 4.1.10.2;
act as an oversight committee for Faculty Handbook issues;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.12 Faculty Compensation Committee

The Faculty Compensation Committee formulates recommendations on compensation issues. The committee serves in an advisory capacity to the provost in the budgeting process as it relates to compensation.

5.3.12.1 Membership

The members of the Faculty Compensation Committee are:

seven voting members—one faculty member elected from each of the four academic divisions (Fine Arts, Humanities, Natural Science, and Social Science), and three faculty members, elected at large; and
two nonvoting members—the provost and the director of academic planning and budget.

At least two of the voting members must be College of Saint Benedict faculty and two Saint John’s University faculty; at least five of the voting members must be tenured.

5.3.12.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Faculty Compensation Committee are to:

conduct an open meeting with the faculty to elicit salary and fringe benefit concerns;
negotiate with the appropriate administrative officers and committees regarding faculty compensation;
appoint representatives to serve on the Joint Benefits Committee;
review the fringe benefit package annually and recommend changes in fringe benefits to the Joint Faculty Assembly and the appropriate administrative officers and committees;
make recommendations for faculty compensation annually to the Academic Budget and Planning Committee, to the Joint Faculty Assembly, and to the administration;
recommend a method for distribution of the compensation package to the Joint Faculty Assembly each year;
make recommendations to the provost on individual equity adjustments annually;
review policies governing medical leaves and advise the provost on such policies;
review and recommend policies regarding early or partial retirement programs, in consultation with the Faculty Development and Research Committee;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.

5.3.13 Graduate Theological Studies Committee

The Graduate Theological Studies Committee, in collaboration with the faculty of the School of Theology, reports to the dean of the School of Theology, who receives from them recommendations on academic matters for the School of Theology and, in turn, reports to the provost.

5.3.13.1 Membership

The members of the Graduate Theological Studies Committee are five or six voting members: three faculty members from the School of Theology elected to three-year terms, the dean of the School of Theology and/or a delegate appointed by the dean, and a student elected by the SOT student government.

5.3.13.2 Responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Graduate Theological Studies Committee are to:

review educational aims, objectives, and programs of the School of Theology·Seminary, propose changes to the School of Theology faculty and submit those changes to the provost;
develop academic priorities in light of the educational aims and objectives of the School of Theology·Seminary;
review and establish guidelines and procedures for granting academic credit for courses and submit them to the provost;
review and act on proposals for new courses in the School of Theology curriculum;
review and recommend to the School of Theology faculty all proposed changes in degree requirements;
review and make recommendations on policies regarding student academic standards, admissions, attrition, retention, academic probation, and dismissal;
formulate policies regarding grade changes and waivers;
hear appeals on charges of student plagiarism, academic probation, and dismissal;
review policies and procedures and make recommendations concerning student academic advising;
review policies and procedures and make recommendations concerning library services;
review and evaluate policies and procedures for transcript evaluation, credit by examination, and credit for experiential learning;
recommend means of improving the study atmosphere and learning environment of the School of Theology·Seminary;
review forms and procedures of student evaluation of courses and recommend changes to the School of Theology faculty;
act as a faculty advisory committee to the dean of the School of Theology;
communicate with the appropriate faculty committees as deemed necessary; and
initiate whatever action is necessary to fulfill its duties and responsibilities.