St. Olaf College Board of Regents
Academic Affairs Committee
Committee Charter
Mission
The Academic Affairs Committee promotes high standards of academic excellence at St. Olaf College and challenges students to excel in the liberal arts, examine faith and values, and explore meaningful vocation in an inclusive, globally engaged community nourished by Lutheran tradition. The Academic Affairs Committee ensures that the academic program and the academic environment support St. Olaf’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion for students, the faculty and staff.
Roles and Responsibilities
The committee shall work with the President and the Provost and Dean of the College in overseeing and making recommendations to the Board of Regents regarding:
- The quality of the educational program and its suitability for St. Olaf College’s mission.
- The hiring, development and retention of a diverse, highly qualified faculty and staff.
- The review of faculty members for promotion and tenure, and faculty personnel policies and procedures.
- The alignment of the academic budget, and faculty and staff levels, with the college’s academic and strategic priorities.
- The review, assessment and ongoing improvement of academic programs, their quality and contribution to learning for students of all backgrounds.
Composition
The committee shall consist of at least 5 members, including its ex officio members.
The Chair of the Board of Regents and the President of the College shall be ex officio voting members of the committee. The committee chair, and at least 2 other members of the committee, shall be Regents appointed by the Chair of the Board of Regents. The committee may include up to 2 non-Regent non-voting members appointed by the Chair of the Board of Regents, so long as a majority of the committee members are Regents.
The Provost and Dean of the College shall serve as a non-voting staff liaison to the committee. The Faculty Representative to the Board of Regents shall serve as a non-voting liaison to the committee.
Meetings and Reporting
The committee normally shall meet at least three times per year, at such times and places as the committee shall determine. Members may participate in any meeting of the committee by means of any form of remote communication that enables persons not physically present in the same location to communicate with each other on a substantially simultaneous basis. A quorum of any meeting of the committee shall consist of a majority of its appointed voting members for the purpose of taking any action other than adjourning the meeting. If a quorum of committee members is not present, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting.
The committee chair, in collaboration with the staff liaison, shall establish the agendas for meetings. The staff liaison shall provide the agenda and any other relevant materials, to committee members in advance of each meeting. The committee shall maintain minutes of all of its actions and communicate them promptly to the full Board of Regents.
Charter Review
This charter shall be reviewed annually by the committee, and any proposed changes shall be submitted to the Nominating and Governance Committee for review and approval. The Nominating and Governance Committee shall refer significant changes to the full Board of Regents for review and approval.