University Councils and Committees

See Also:  Committees of the Student Senate

NOTE:  Only councils and committees which include students are listed.

Administrative Council

Purpose: To serve as an advisory group to the President.  This group will provide an opportunity for the major segments of the university to discuss important university issues.  Actions recommended by the Faculty Senate or other university councils that require Board approval will be reviewed by the Administrative Council, as will all recommended changes to the MSU Policy Manual.  Other members of the faculty or administration will be invited to participate in meetings of the Council as needed.
Personnel:  The President (Chair), the Vice Presidents, the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the President of the Student Government Association or his/her representative, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, the Director of Athletics, the Director of Public Information and Marketing, and the Executive Assistant to the President.

Academic Council

Purpose:  To serve as an advisory group to the Vice President for Academic Affairs
Personnel:  The Deans of the six colleges, the Dean of Graduate Studies, the Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate, the Vice President of the Student Government Association.  Non-voting members are the Vice President for Academic Affairs (chair), the Director of Extended Education, the Director of the Honors Program, the Coordinator of the Academic Support Center, the Director of the Library, the Director of International Programs, the Vice President for Academic Services, the Registrar, and the Director of Admissions.  In the absence of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Vice President for Academic Services will chair the council.

Enrollment Management Council

Purpose:  To serve as an advisory group to the Vice President for Academic Services.
Personnel:  Director of Financial Aid, Registrar, Director of Admissions, Director of Testing Services, Director of International Student Services, Director of the Career Management Center, Director of Upward Bound, a representative from the Faculty Senate, a representative from the Student Government Association, a representative from Extended Education, a representative from University Advancement and Student Affairs, and one of the college deans.  The Vice President for Academic Services (chair) and the Vice President for Academic Affairs will serve as non-voting members.

Academic Appeals Committee

Purpose:  To hear student appeals related to course grades and/or suspension from Departments internal to the University and to make written recommendations to the parties involved and to the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
Personnel:  Four full-time faculty members and one student.  Two faculty alternates and one student alternate will be appointed and will be expected to serve if regular members cannot be present.  Alternate members, when serving in the regular member's place, have the same rights and privileges as the regular member.  Following their term as alternates, faculty alternates will move to committee member status.  The chair will be appointed by the President.

Academic Readmission Committee

Purpose:  To recommend actions to the Director of Admissions with regard to admissibility of students who are on suspension.
Personnel:  One full-time faculty member from each college, one student, the Dean of Students, the Assistant Director of Admissions, and a representative of the Academic Support Center (ex-officio, non-voting).  The chair will be a faculty member.  At least three faculty members from the committee will be present for each student hearing.

Allocation Advisory Committee

Purpose:  To advise the President of the University in his or her review of the recommendations from the Student Senate concerning the allocation of student fees.
Personnel:  President (Chair), the President of the Student Government Association, the Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs, the Chair of the Faculty Senate, the Vice President for Administration and Finance, and the Chair of the Student Allocations Committee.

504/ADA Grievance Committee

Purpose:  To advise the President on ADA issues and to hear appeals of individuals who feel the university has no adequately resolved a problem or may be in violation of the Americans with Diabilities Act (ADA) or HB 504.
Personnel:  Three faculty members, two staff members (one of the faculty or staff members will be appointed chair by the President) and two students (one undergraduate and one graduate), one faculty alternate, one staff alternate, and two student alternates.  The ADA Coordinator will serve as a non-voting member.

Artist-Lecture Series Committee

Purpose:  To advise the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs on matters relating to the Artist Lecture Series to assure quality offerings.
Personnel:  Ten to twelve students selected by the Student Government President, after consultation with advisors and present members of the Artist-Lecture Series Committee and approved by the Student Senate.  Each year, the chair shall be appointed by the advisors of the Artist-Lecture Series and the Student Government President.  Four advisors shall be appointed by the President from the faculty or staff.  The faculty advisor(s) will become non-voting member(s) the second year.

Bookstore Advisory Committee

Purpose:  To facilitate communication between the MSU Bookstore and the university community.
Personnel:  The Dean of Students (chair), one faculty member, one staff member, and one student.  The manager of the MSU Bookstore will serve as a non-voting member.

Channel 2 Advisory Committee

Purpose:  To assist the Director of Public Information and Marketing with periodic programming decisions on Channel 2.
Personnel:  The Director of Public Information and Marketing (chair), two faculty representatives (at least one from the Mass Communications Department), and one student.

Financial Aid Appeals Advisory Committee

Purpose:  To hear student appeals on decisions regarding their application for financial aid; to recommend changes in policies or new policies to the Vice President for Academic Services consistent with federal guidelines for financial aid programs.
Personnel:  Three full-time faculty members, the Associate Registrar, two students, and the Director of Financial Aid (non-voting).  The committee chair and two other members of the committee may meet on an emergency basis if deemed necessary by the Director of Student Financial Aid in order to expedite a student's financial aid appeal.  The chair will be appointed by the President.

Honors Program Committee

Purpose:  To advise the Director of the Honors Program on policies affecting the Honors Program.
Personnel:  The Director of the Honors Program, one faculty member from each of the six colleges experienced in teaching honors students, and one Honors Program student.  The Vice President for Academic Affairs will appoint a faculty member as chair.  The following will serve as needed (non-voting):  Director of Housing, Director of Donor Services and Special Projects, Director of International Education, Director of Admissions, one Honors Program student and a faculty advisor of an active honor society.

Information Technology Advisory Committee

Purpose:  To evaluate and make recommendations to the Admistrative Council on selection and use of software and hardware solutions.  To openly discuss issues that relate to both Academics and Administration and to recommend solutions for those issues and recommend a budget for the acquisition of technology.
Personnel:  Director of Information Systems (chair), one faculty member from each college, one representative from each Vice Presidential area, one representative from the President's office, two representatives from Information Systems, a staff member from Extended Education, and one representative from the Student Government Association.

Intercollegiate Athletics Council

Purpose:  The Council shall be responsible for providing advice and counsel to the Athletics Director and the President with regard to:  policies and standards affecting recruitment, financial aid, eligibility, academics, participation of students involved in intercollegiate athletics and review of scheduling for compliance with prevailing policy; compliance with the policies and mission of the university and the requiremtns of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Lone Star Conference; review of annual budgets for intercollegiate athletics; employment of head coaches of intercollegiate sports; addition or deletion of intercollegiate sports; and other matters of policy or procedure deemed appropriate by the President, the Director of Athletics, the Faculty Athletics Representative, or this Council.  In addition, the Intercollegiate Athletics Council will monitor the academic integrity of the athletics program, promote the welfare of student-athletes, and serve as a link between the Athletics Department, student athletes, and the faculty of Midwestern State University.
Personnel:  The appointed university Faculty Athletics Representative (chair), three additional faculty members (one of whom must be a member of the Faculty Senate), two administrators, the president or representative of the athletic booster club, the president or representative of the Alumni Association, and the president or representative of the MSU Student Government Association.

Legacy Walk Recognition Committee

Purpose:  To recommend honorees for Legacy Walk recognition to the President who will in turn make recommendations to the MSU Board of Regents.
Personnel:  Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs, Chair of the Faculty Senate, Director of Donor Development and Special Projects, President of the Student Government Association, and President of the Alumni Association.

Library Committee

Purpose:  To advise the University Librarian on matters related to the administration of the Library; to assist the University Librarian and staff in interpreting and communicating Library goals, policies, problems and services to any group served by the Library; and to support and advance Library interests and promote Library use.
Personnel:  One faculty member from each college, two students, and the University Librarian (non-voting).

Publications Board

Purpose:  To approve editors and to supervise the following campus publications:  The Wichitan, Wai-Kun, and Voices.
Personnel:  The Director of Public Information and Marketing (chair), two students selected by the SGA President, two full-time faculty members, and the advisors of the three student publications.  The editors of the three student publications are voting members except in cases where they or their publications are the subject of discussion.

Student Affairs Council

Purpose:  To advise the Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs.
Personnel:  Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs (chair), Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, Dean of Students, Bookstore Manager, Director of Counseling and Disability Services, Director of Dining Services, Director of Housing and Residence Life, Postal Services Supervisor, Director of Recreational Sports, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Development, Chief of University Police, Director of Vinson Health Center, the University Physician, a representative of the Faculty Senate, and a representative from the Student Government Association.

Student Allocations Committee

Purpose:  To receive requests for the use of student fee monies and propose an allocation plan for Student Senate approval.
Personnel:  Five students selected by Student Government Association.  The Chair will be chosen by the SGA President.  The Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs, the Vice President for Administration and Finance, two faculty members, and the Student Government President will serve as non-voting members.

Student Conduct Committee

Purpose:  The committee shall have the authority to impose appropriate discipline upon any student or students appearing before it, including but not limited to official reprimand, probation, suspension, or expulsion.
Personnel:  Associate Vice President for Student Affairs (chair), three faculty members and three students.  One faculty member and one student shall be designated as alternates to be used only to replace members of the standing committee if a possible conflict of interest occurs, or to constitute a quorum.  The faculty members must have completed at least one year of teaching at MSU.  The students must be classified as sophomore or above, have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above, and must not have a record of previous disciplinary suspension taken by the University.  The appointments by the president shall be made from a panel of faculty and students nominated by the Student Government Association President, whose nominations have received confirmation by a majority vote of the Student Senate.  A minimum of six faculty and six students shall be recommended to the University President.

Student Retention Committee

Purpose:  To recommend to the administration strategies for the retention and timely graduation of students and to advise the Coordinator of the Academic Support Center.
Personnel:  One faculty member from each college.  (At least one member should have experience teaching the College Connections course.  One member will be chosen by the President to serve as chair.)  The Student Government Association President, the Director of the Honors Program, a representative from the Registrar's Office, the representative from the Student Affairs Council, a representative from the Enrollment Management Council, a representative from Upward Bound, and a representative from the Academic Support Center staff.

Student Traffic Appeals Board

Purpose:  To serve as a traffic hearing committee for students charged with on-campus traffic violations.
Personnel:  The Student Government Association Vice President (chair), four students (except during the summer, at which time the Board shall consist of 3 to 5 members), and a representative from Student Affairs (non-voting).  Student members must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or above and must not have a record of previous disciplinary suspension taken by the University.

University Website Committee

Purpose:  To serve as an advisory group to the Director of Public Information and Marketing on matters related to the guidelines and policies concering the University website.
Personnel:  Director of Public Information and Marketing (chair), Director of Information Systems, PC/Network Services Manager, University Webmaster, one student representative designated by Student Government Association, and three faculty members (each of the six colleges will be represented in the rotation).