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Academic Planning

Academic Committees Operating Procedures

The Academic Advisory Committees of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) are designated by the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer. These committees are formed around the courses of the core curriculum, and the degrees and major offered by Board of Regents institutions.

Membership of Academic Advisory Committees

The membership of each academic advisory committee consists of one voting member appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs of each institution offering work in the field with which the committee is concerned. The term of office of all members of academic advisory committees is one year. Committee members are eligible for reappointment by their institution. The chairperson of each academic advisory committee is elected by the voting membership.

If, after appointment to a standing academic advisory committee, a member is unable to serve, a substitute will be appointed through regular channels i.e. from the Vice President of Academic Affairs of the institution to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer.

All standing academic advisory committees have at least one USG liaison designated by the Executive Vice Chancellor & Chief Academic Officer.

Academic Advisory Committee Functions

  • Establish by-laws
  • Study the curricula and programs of instruction in the discipline or disciplines within the purview of the committee
  • Make reports and recommendations concerning the improvement of instruction and the curriculum
  • Exchange information and ideas
  • Improve articulation and coordination between units of the University System
  • Consider any other matters requested by the Executive Vice Chancellor or his/her representatives
  • To make recommendations to the Academic Affairs System Office concerning new programs proposed by USG institutions
  • To meet at least once per academic year; Committees may transact business electronically or through correspondence. Expenses for travel by a committee member will be paid by the member’s institution.
  • To create meeting minutes/notes for each meeting - the committee chair (or committee secretary) should forward the approved minutes of the committee to the USG liaison and the Office of Academic Planning (felita.williams@usg.edu) for posting on the USG website.

Role of the Committee Chair

  • Serves as a liaison between the System Office, other advisory or administrative committees and the committee
  • Convenes and conducts all meetings, calls for agenda items prior to meetings, appoints subcommittees (where applicable)
  • Submits approved minutes to the Board of Regents through the USG liaison

Each committee may have an Executive Committee that represents the leadership of the committee and that may serve as the final decision-making voice of the committee. Some committees, for example, have an Executive Committee composed of the past president, current president and president-elect of the committee. Other configurations exist.

Role of USG Liaison

  • Attends the meetings of the academic advisory committee
  • Maintains a file of committee activities
  • Assists in the coordination of recommendations, studies, and reports of the committee to assure that actions of the committee are forwarded to the appropriate group for consideration
  • Assists committee with the posting of meeting minutes and other documents to the USG website

Submitting Academic Advisory Committee Recommendations

The Chair must download this form Committee Recommendation Form, and complete and save the form. The Chair will then complete the “Academic Committee Review Information” section at the bottom of the course proposal and upload the “Committee Recommendation Form.” Once you submit the “Committee Course Recommendation” the information will go directly to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for General and Transitional Education. Committee recommendations that impact other advisory disciplinary and/or administrative committees will be forwarded by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for General and Transitional Education to all of the appropriate committees for consideration and action. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for General and Transitional Education will inform the proposing Administrative Committee of any decisions or actions based upon the recommendations.

FY 2013 Charge to Committees

The Regents Academic Advisory Committees will advise the Board of Regents and the appropriate discipline on matters concerning discipline studies for the University System of Georgia. This academic year, the guidance will include but not be limited to the following:

  • Develop materials that will inform those within and outside the profession regarding the value of graduates in a particular discipline.
  • Provide informed comments/reviews of new programs proposed by USG institutions.
  • Suggest ways to continue and enhance discipline instruction.
  • Review the Area F for each discipline for which the Committee has responsibility and create Area F learning outcomes.
  • Develop common course prefixes, numbers, descriptions for core courses and assist with establishing this base across System institutions.

Last Revision April 18, 2013

Reviewed August 24, 2011

Reviewed September 10, 2009