Skip to main content

Let Your Voice at Penn Be Heard: Volunteer to Join a University Council Committee: March 22

Calling all faculty and staff: Please consider nominating yourself or someone else to join a University Council committee for the 2019-2020 academic year.  The time commitment is minimal, and the work of the committees directly contributes to the improvement of life at Penn. Nominations are due by March 22, 2019.

To: Members of the University Faculty, Penn Professional Staff Assembly, and Weekly-Paid Professional Staff Assembly

From: 2018-2019 University Council Committee on Committees

RE: Volunteers Needed for Committee Service

The University Council’s 2018-2019 Committee on Committees invites you to nominate yourself or others for service on one of the University Council’s standing committees. Council committees serve as advisory bodies in shaping academic/administrative policy. Please consider this unique opportunity to have input into the University’s decision-making processes.

Membership on these committees is open to all faculty and staff, including those who have not previously served. We invite individuals who have previously served to volunteer again in order to achieve a mix of new ideas and committee experience. Most committees also are open to students; their participation is already being solicited through other channels.

Please submit your nominations by March 22, 2019, using the form below.

Council committees typically meet for 1-2 hours per month during the academic year. To support staff participation, offices are strongly encouraged to provide flexibility and release time to the greatest extent possible so that staff members may fully participate. We encourage staff and supervisors to work together to arrange release time in recognition of the operational needs of their school/center, and we encourage staff members to provide as much notice as possible in scheduling time for attendance at these meetings.

Please review committees’ recent annual reports for more information on the specific nature of its work. These reports, which provide summaries of the committees’ recent work as well as topics under current deliberation, are published in Almanac and can be accessed via the University Council website: https://secretary.upenn.edu/univ-council/committees

The University Council seeks nominations of faculty and staff to serve on the following committees:

Committees and Their Work

Academic and Related Affairs has cognizance over matters of undergraduate recruiting, admissions and financial aid that concern the University as a whole or those that are not the specific responsibility of individual faculties; of all programs in recreation, intramural and club sports, and intercollegiate athletics; and of all matters of policy relating to research and the general environment for research at the University, including the assignment and distribution of indirect costs and the assignment of those research funds distributed by the University. The Committee considers the purposes of a university bookstore. It advises the administration on policies, developments, and operations of the bookstores and libraries; in such areas as international student services, foreign fellowships and studies abroad, exchange programs, and cooperative undertakings with foreign universities; on athletic operations and recommends changes in policy when appropriate; and on those proposals for sponsored research referred to it because of potential conflict with University policy.

Campus and Community Life has cognizance over the University’s electronic and physical communications and public relations activities; advises on the relationship of the University to the surrounding community; has cognizance of the conditions and rules of undergraduate and graduate student life on campus; and considers and recommends the means to improve safety and security on the campus.

Diversity and Equity aids Penn in fostering and taking full advantage of its diversity as well as in strengthening ties across all boundaries to enrich and enliven the campus community. The Committee shall advise the offices of the president, provost and the executive vice presidents on ways to develop and maintain a supportive atmosphere on campus for the inclusion and appreciation of diversity among all members of the University community. The Committee will review and provide advice regarding the University’s equal opportunity and affirmative action programs and policies. The areas in which the Committee shall report to the Council include diversity within the educational and work settings, integration of staff and faculty into the larger campus community, and ways to foster a campus environment that is inclusive and supportive of difference.

Facilities keeps under review the planning and operation of the University’s physical plans and all services associated therewith, including transportation and parking.

Honorary Degrees is charged with soliciting recommendations for honorary degrees from faculty, staff and students and submits nominations to the Trustee Committee on Honorary Degrees.

Open Expression has competence to act in issues and controversies involving the Guidelines on Open Expression. It monitors communication processes and prevents conflicts that might emerge from failure of communication by recommending policies and procedures for improvement of all levels of communication, investigating alleged infringements of the right of open expression of any member or members of the University community, advising administrative officers where appropriate, and participating in evaluation and resolution of conflicts that may arise from incidents or disturbances on campus.

Personnel Benefits has cognizance over the benefits programs for all University personnel. Special expertise in personnel, insurance, taxes or law is often helpful.

For FACULTY volunteers, mail the form below to: Patrick Walsh, Faculty Senate Office, Box 9 College Hall/6303, tel. (215) 898-6943; fax 898-0974 or email at senate@pobox.upenn.edu

For PENN PROFESSIONAL STAFF ASSEMBLY volunteers, mail to Nadir Sharif, Stouffer College House Dean, 142-D Stouffer/6026, tel. (215) 573-3741; or email at nsharif@upenn.edu

For WEEKLY-PAID PROFESSIONAL STAFF ASSEMBLY volunteers, mail to Loretta Hauber, Weingarten Learning Resources Center, Ste. 300, 3702 Spruce St./6027, tel. (215) 573-9235; or email at lhauber@upenn.edu

Please respond by March 22, 2019.

Back to Top