Statutory committees are governed by the University Statutes Chapter II, Section 12 and deal with faculty promotion, dismissal, tenure, and grievances. Non-Statutory committees deal with faculty, student, and academic issues.
Statutory Committees
The Faculty Grievance committee receives petitions from faculty members who believe they are aggrieved in a matter including but not restricted to promotion, non-reappointment (other than that specified in Section 11-B-2 of the University Statutes with which the Faculty Review Panel is concerned), salary or benefits.
The committee is composed of five members and three alternates elected at large by the faculty, from among the tenured members of the faculty.
Procedure for Approaching the FGC with a Grievance: Any faculty member, as defined by the University Statutes II.1, may approach any member of the FGC to discuss theoperation of the FGC and the process for filing a grievance. This discussion should focus on the grievance procedure, rather than the merit of the grievance. Grievance petitions are not accepted by the FGC until all other internal remedies have been tried. This usually means that the grievant has previously petitioned the appropriate academic dean. The grievant may then wish to discuss the grievance with the FGC chair before submitting a written petition. [Approved 4/13/11].
See University Statutes chapter II Section 11-C and Section 12-C
for additional detail.
The Faculty Hearing committee is responsible for conducting hearings in cases involving the dismissal of a faculty member. The committee consists of 11 members and 11 alternates. One member and one alternate each are elected by the faculties of the following schools:
- Education
- Law
- Management
- Nursing
- Social Work
- Theology and Ministry
Six members and six alternates are elected by the faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences.
See University Statutes, Chapter II, Sections 11-B-1 and 12-A for further detail.
The Faculty Review Panel deals with cases of faculty members who failed to attain tenure in circumstances where the University is obliged either to award tenure or to provide formal notice of non-reappointment.
The Panel consists of nine faculty members elected at large from among the tenured faculty of the University. Members are elected for three-year terms.
See University Statutes, Chapter II, Sections 11-B-2 and 12-B.
Established in each school and college of the University, in accord with the University Statutes, each Promotion committee has at least four members elected from the tenured faculty of the school or college for two-year terms. The dean of the school or college is a member of the Promotion committee and acts as its chairperson.
Promotion policies and procedures are presented in detail in the University Statutes, Chapter II, Section 7 and Section 8.
Non-Statutory Committees
The Board assists and advises the Director of Athletics in the exercise of institutional responsibility and control of intercollegiate athletics. The guiding concern of the Board is the growth and development of students who participate in intercollegiate athletics. The Board both advises the Director on policy issues brought to the Board's attention by the Director and also initiates discussion on issues of concern to the faculty or administration.
The Board consists of nine members:
- Five elected from the full-time faculty; three from The College of Arts and Sciences and two from the professional schools
- Four appointed members, chosen by the President in consultation with the faculty athletics representative, from the faculty, academic, or academic support staff.
Members are elected or appointed to stagger three-year terms. The faculty athletics representative, a full-time faculty member who is appointed by and who reports to the President, chairs the Board.
Educational Policy committees, or their equivalent, are established in each school or college to participate in the formulation of academic policy and planning decisions.
Faculty elections can be found here.
The Council is a University-wide academic body that advises The Provost and Dean of Faculties on issues of major importance to the faculty and the academic operation of Boston College.
The Council consists of:
- The Provost and Dean of Faculties
- Vice Provosts
- The University Librarian
- Representative, Office of Student Affairs
- Two elected faculty members from each of the three divisions of Arts and Sciences
- Two elected faculty members from each of the professional schools:
- Education
- Law
- Management
- Advancing Studies (exception, one member)
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Theology and Ministry
- Three members of the Council of Deans (appointed by the Provost)
- Executive assistant for academics of the Undergraduate Government of BC (UGBC)
- President of the Graduate Students Association (GSA)
- Every 4th year the Law Students Association (LSA)
The University Core Development Committee is charged to develop the Core program approved by The Provost and Dean of Faculties. The Committee helps departments develop their core programs and recommends to the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences courses to be included in the Core Curriculum. The UCDC provides an annual report to the Provost on the status of the Core Curriculum.
The Committee is composed of eight elected faculty members, five from Arts and Sciences and one each from Education, Management, and Nursing. The Dean of Arts and Sciences, the Director of the Core Curriculum, and an appointed Arts and Sciences faculty member serve ex officio. The Dean is chairperson of the Committee.
The Council focuses on improving the quality of teaching and faculty/student relationships.
Each professional school is represented by one faculty member, with two faculty members representing the College of Arts and Sciences. Faculty are appointed by The Provost and Dean of Faculties on the recommendation of the deans for three-year terms.
The University Research Council advises The Provost and Dean of Faculties on University-wide research policies and promotes effective research at Boston College.
The Council consists of two faculty members from the Sciences, two from the Social Sciences, and two from the Humanities, and one each from Education, Law, Management, Nursing, and Social Work. There is also one representative from the Research Institutes (Institute for Space Research, Weston Observatory, SWRI, etc.), two graduate students, and one undergraduate student.
Faculty members serve three-year terms and are appointed by the Provost upon recommendation of their department chairpersons and deans. The Vice Provost for Research and the Director of Research Administration are ex officio members, with the former serving as Chairperson and the latter as Executive Secretary.
Other committees may be established in the various schools or college to focus on specific issues or to represent the faculty as a whole in the form of a senate or assembly.
Information concerning intra-school groups will be provided by the dean and faculty of the school or college.