1

SIMPSON COLLEGE FACULTY HANDBOOK

PART I: CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS

Table of Contents

CONSTITUTION ............................................................................................................ 2
Name ................................................................................................................................ 2
Membership ..................................................................................................................... 2
Object ............................................................................................................................... 2
Officers and Duties .......................................................................................................... 3
Meetings and Conduct of Meetings ................................................................................. 4
Amendments to the Constitution ..................................................................................... 5
BYLAWS ......................................................................................................................... 6
Meetings of the Faculty ................................................................................................... 6
Divisional and Departmental Organization ..................................................................... 7
Standing Faculty Committees and Organization ............................................................. 7
Section 3. Standing Governance Committee .................................................................. 9
Faculty Council (FC) .................................................................................................... 9
Curriculum Committee (CC) ...................................................................................... 10
Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC) .......................................................................... 11
Handbook Committee (HC) ....................................................................................... 12
Section 4. Standing Administrative Committees .......................................................... 12
Admissions and Appeals Committee (AAC) ............................................................. 12
Assessment Committee (AC) ..................................................................................... 13
Campus Advisory Committee (CAC) ........................................................................ 13
Committee for Academic Diversity and Inclusion (CADI) ....................................... 14
Faculty Grievance Committee (FGC) ........................................................................ 14
Undergraduate Research & Creativity Committee (URCC) ...................................... 15
Section 5. Ad Hoc Committees ..................................................................................... 16
Section 6. Committee Leadership ................................................................................. 16
Committee Chairs ....................................................................................................... 16
Committee Secretaries ................................................................................................ 16
Representatives to the Board of Trustees ................................................................... 16
Representatives to the Sexual Misconduct Review Board ......................................... 17
Amendments to the Bylaws ........................................................................................... 17

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 2

SIMPSON COLLEGE FACULTY HANDBOOK

PART I: CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS

CONSTITUTION

Article I

Name
Section 1. The organization shall be known as the Faculty of Simpson College.

Article II

Membership (revised 02/04/2011 board meeting)

Section 1. The faculty consists of the president of the college, the academic dean and
faculty holding contracts described in Part II, Section 2 of the Simpson College Faculty
Handbook.

Section 2. Only full-time faculty holding contracts described in Section 2.1.1 have voting
rights in full faculty meetings. Voting rights at the department level are established by the
department.

Article III

Object
The object of the faculty is to discharge efficiently and effectively the following
responsibilities:

Section 1. The faculty shall have primary responsibility for determining the academic
policies of the college. This responsibility includes concern for such matters as courses of
instruction, standards, degrees, requirements for admission, retention, and graduation.

Section 2. A deep and abiding concern for academic freedom is of paramount importance
to the determination of a sound academic policy. Therefore, the primary responsibility of
the faculty for the determination of the academic policy of Simpson College carries with it
certain responsibilities with respect to academic freedom. First, the faculty is charged with
the responsibility of maintaining a climate of academic freedom throughout the Simpson
College community. Second, the individual faculty member must accept the obligations
imposed on them by the climate of academic freedom. Specifically, this means:

• Each faculty member is entitled to freedom in exercising their responsibilities in

the classroom.
• The faculty member is entitled to freedom in research and to the enjoyment of the
results of such research, subject to adequate performance of their other academic
duties. Contract research undertaken for pecuniary return should not be undertaken
without consultation with the dean for academic affairs.
• The faculty member is a citizen, a member of a learned profession, and a
representative of Simpson College. When they speak or write as a citizen, the

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 3

faculty member is free from institutional censorship or discipline, but their position
in the community imposes a special obligation on them. As a person of learning
and as an educator, they should remember that the public may judge one’s
profession and Simpson College by one’s statements. Hence, the faculty member
should at all times be accurate, show respect for the right of others to express their
opinions, and make every effort when speaking or writing as a private citizen to
indicate that they are not an institutional spokesperson.

Section 3. The faculty shall have broad responsibilities for the life of the college
community and the preservation of a “climate of learning.”

Section 4. The faculty shall have responsibility for making recommendations to the
president concerning personnel policies affecting its own members.

Section 5. The faculty shall have the responsibility of supporting the college’s mission in
the performance of their duties.

Article IV

Officers and Duties

Section 1. Chairperson of the Faculty (revised 01/12/2022 faculty meeting)
The chair of the Faculty Council is the chairperson of the faculty. They preside at the
faculty meetings and shall have a secretary keep minutes of the proceedings of all faculty
meetings. The faculty chair will be elected by the full faculty.

Section 2. Vice Chairperson of the Faculty

The dean for academic affairs is the vice-chairperson of the faculty. They shall preside at
faculty meetings in the absence of the chairperson; serve as an ex officio member on all
faculty committees; act as custodian of the constitution and provide true copies of the
current constitution to the members of the faculty.

Section 3. Faculty Secretary (secretary/social secretary combined board meeting 05/13/2016)

The Faculty Secretary shall work with the Administrative Assistant to the Dean in the
production of the minutes of the proceedings of all faculty meetings. The Administrative
Assistant to the Dean will take the minutes and prepare a draft which the Faculty
Secretary shall proofread for accuracy and clarity prior to the minutes being made
available for faculty approval. If the Administrative Assistant to the Dean is unable to
attend a faculty meeting, the Faculty Secretary shall be responsible for taking and
preparing the minutes. The minutes shall be posted to the faculty portal at least 72 hours
prior to the next regular meeting of the faculty. The Faculty Secretary shall be nominated
by the Handbook Committee at the March faculty meeting for a vote at the April faculty
meeting.

The Faculty Secretary, with the assistance of the Administrative Assistant to the Dean,
shall also be responsible for all social and courtesy obligations of the faculty.

Section 4. Marshals

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 4

Three marshals shall direct the physical organization and conduct of all academic
processions. Two marshals shall be nominated by the Handbook Committee from a list of
full-time faculty members who will be teaching during the following academic year. The
nominations shall be presented at the April faculty meeting for a vote at the May faculty
meeting. In order to allow for continuity, each person will be elected to serve for a
staggered two-year term.

Section 5. Parliamentarian (revised 02/05/2016 board meeting)

The faculty parliamentarian shall be responsible for providing advice to the chair of the
meeting on matters of procedure during meetings and details of the constitution and by-
laws as required. Rulings by the parliamentarian on procedural issues can be overruled by
a simple majority vote of the faculty. The faculty parliamentarian will be elected by the
Handbook Committee amongst its faculty membership.

Section 6. A faculty member shall not hold more than one office during an academic year.

Article V

Meetings and Conduct of Meetings

Section 1. Regular meetings of the faculty shall be held once a month during the
academic year.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson of the faculty or in their
absence the vice-chairperson of the faculty.

• The chairperson of the faculty, or in their absence the vice chairperson of the
faculty, will call a special meeting when it is requested by a petition signed by ten
or more members of the faculty.
• Twenty-four hour notice shall be given to members of the faculty for all special
meetings. Notification of special meetings shall include the following:
▪ Whether the meeting was called by the chairperson of the faculty, vice
chairperson of the faculty or by petition.
▪ Purpose
▪ Time and place

Section 3. Conduct of Meetings

a. All faculty meetings are open to the faculty and to all regularly enrolled students.
Students in attendance will act solely in the capacity of observers and will not have the
privilege of speaking or voting.
b. In addition to the students acting as observers, six regularly enrolled, degree-seeking,
full or part-time students shall act as all-campus representatives. These students shall
be designated in September under the regular procedures of the student senate. Their
names shall be transmitted by the president of the student body to the chairperson of
the faculty for confirmation by the faculty at the October faculty meeting. Upon
confirmation by the faculty, these students shall have floor privileges at all faculty
meetings for the balance of the academic year.

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 5

c. Announcement of faculty action shall be made only by the chairperson of the faculty
or in their own initiative or upon the request of the faculty.
d. Other individuals may be invited to attend faculty meetings by the chairperson of the
faculty on their own initiative or upon the request of the faculty.
e. Only those defined by the constitution as members of the faculty in Article II,
Section 1 may vote in faculty meetings, serve as voting faculty members of faculty
committees, or vote in departmental meetings.
f. The faculty may elect, by majority vote, to meet as a body of voting members only. In
considering whether to close a meeting, the faculty should weigh its commitment to
openness with the college community implied in paragraphs a and b of this Section. A
motion to meet as a body of voting members only will include the reason for the
closed session.
g. One-half of the members of the faculty shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI

Amendments to the Constitution (revised 02/04/2011 board meeting)

Section 1. The faculty, the president of the college, or the board of trustees may propose
an amendment to this constitution. Normally such an amendment shall carry the approval
of all three. The responsibility of the president of the college to make an independent
recommendation to the board of trustees, however, and the prior and final authority of the
board in all matters pertaining to the life of the college under the articles of re-
incorporation (Article II, Section 3), are recognized.

Section 2. Procedure for Obtaining Faculty Approval

a. An amendment to this constitution can only be approved by the faculty during the
regular academic year.
b. A proposed amendment (whether it is initiated by the board of trustees, the president
of the college, a group of faculty members, or an individual member of the faculty)
will be distributed in writing to the members of the faculty, and will be read at the first
faculty meeting following its distribution.
c. Immediately after the proposed amendment has been read, the chairperson of the
faculty will refer it, without debate or discussion, to the Handbook for investigation.
The committee shall report at the next regular faculty meeting.
d. The committee will encourage members of the faculty to present their arguments to the
committee concerning the merits of the proposed amendment.
e. At the time the committee makes its report to the faculty, the chairperson of the
committee will move the adoption of the changes as the committee may deem
appropriate.
f. If the committee has made substantial changes in the proposed amendment, it will
distribute written copies of the amendment, as modified, to the members of the faculty.
Immediately following the seconding of the motion to adopt the proposed amendment,
the chairperson of the committee will move to table the motion to adopt and to make it
orders of the day for the next regular faculty meeting.
g. Approval of the proposed amendment requires an affirmative vote by two-thirds of the
votes cast. Abstentions do not count as a vote cast.

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 6

Section 3. Certification of Approval

a. The signature of the chairperson of the faculty appended to the amendment under the
statement “approved by the faculty of Simpson College on (insert date of approval)”
will certify the faculty’s approval of the amendment.
b. The signature of the president of the college appended to the amendment under the
statement “approved by the President of Simpson College on (insert date of approval)”
will attest to their approval of the amendment.
c. The signature of the chairperson of the Board of Trustees appended to the amendment
under the statement “approved by the Board of Trustees of Simpson College on (insert
date of approval)” will attest to the board of trustee’s approval.

Section 4. An amendment to this constitution shall take effect at the start of the next
academic year, unless a different date is agreed to by a two-thirds majority vote of the
faculty.

BYLAWS

Article I

Meetings of the Faculty

Section 1. Ten regular faculty meetings will be held every year. The chairperson of the
faculty shall designate the date of the first faculty meeting that shall be during the period
immediately preceding the first day of classes in the fall semester. A standard day and
time shall be designated by the chairperson of the faculty for the remaining regular faculty
meetings held each month of the academic year.

Section 2. Order of Business

The order of business for all regular faculty meetings will be established by the
chairperson of the faculty at the first faculty meeting of the academic year. Any changes in
the order of business of a particular faculty meeting can be proposed by the chairperson or
any faculty member at the beginning of that meeting and will require a majority vote for
implementation.

Order of the Agenda:

Call to Order
Consideration of Minutes
Report of the President
Report of the Academic Dean
Items Requiring 28-day Waiting Period
Unfinished Business
New Business
Reports of Faculty Committees
Reports of Officers of the College
Reports of Officers of the Faculty
Announcements

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 7

Adjournment

Section 3. In a special faculty meeting the consideration of any business other than that
for which the meeting was called must be approved by two-thirds of the members present.

Section 4. All meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order,
except that informal consideration of all business shall prevail and paragraph seven of
Article I of Robert’s Rules of Order on the limitation to debates shall be suspended, unless
the faculty votes to invoke this paragraph for the consideration of a particular question.

Section 5. If a faculty member believes that action taken by the faculty is in violation of
the constitution or bylaws and if an appeal of the decision of the chair was not upheld by a
majority vote of the faculty, then any two faculty members may request the Handbook
Committee to study the constitutional issues involved and to return with a
recommendation to be acted upon at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting.

Article II

Divisional and Departmental Organization (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

Section 1. Statement on the Academic Divisions and Departments of Simpson College
The academic divisions of Simpson College are a creation of the administration of the
college in consultation with the Faculty Council and exist to support the academic goals
of the institution. The organization of the departments into divisions is similarly at the
discretion of the Senior Vice President and Academic Dean in consultation with the
Faculty Council.

Section 2. Authority and Role of Division Heads

Division Heads function as representatives for the departments in their divisions and
communication links with administration through the Faculty Council. They also help
coordinate interdepartmental matters within their division and interdivisional matters.
Division Heads are directly elected by voting faculty members of the division for terms
of three years and limited to two consecutive terms. For continuity on the Faculty
Council, Division Head elections will be staggered. The election will be facilitated by the
Handbook Committee prior to the March faculty meeting.

Section 3. Authority and Role of Department Chairs

Department Chairs are to facilitate the academic and pre-professional programs of the
department in both the traditional and Continuing, Graduate, and Online Education
Program (CGOE). In promotion of the academic quality of the department and its
programs, Department Chairs should coordinate with department faculty to develop and
articulate the goals of such. In doing this, they have the role of organizing and presiding
over departmental meetings and offerings. Department chairs will be chosen by the
Academic Dean in consultation with the department members.

Standing Faculty Committees and Organization (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

Section 1. Committee Organization

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 8

a. The President of the college and the Academic Dean or the Academic Dean’s
designees are non-voting, ex officio members of all committees. They should be
notified of all meetings and should receive copies of the minutes of each meeting.
Other members of the faculty and administrative staff may be asked to serve ex officio
on committees related to their interests and responsibilities, subject to approval by a
majority vote of the faculty.
b. If the committee chair is not elected by the full faculty, the first alphabetically listed
member of the newly elected or appointed committee shall be responsible for
convening the first meeting of the committee for the purpose of electing a chairperson
and a secretary.
c. Each committee has the authority to designate subcommittees from its own
membership and to enlist the cooperation and assistance of other faculty members and
college officers, not members of the committee.
d. No faculty member shall be elected to serve on more than one governance committee
nor two total standing committees, with service on the Faculty Grievance Committee
exempt from this count. For example, a faculty member could serve on the Handbook
Committee and the Campus Advisory Committee, but they could not serve on the
Handbook and Curriculum Committees at the same time.
e. Unless otherwise specified, faculty members elected to committees shall serve for
three years.
f. If there is no available non-tenured faculty member to serve in one of the non-tenured
committee positions, any faculty member may be elected to the position. Those elected
to fill the non-tenured positions on committees will serve out their three-year term on
committees even if tenure occurs mid-term, except for the representative to the Faculty
Council. In the case of the non-tenured member of the Faculty Council becoming
tenured during their term, an election will be held for a new non-tenured at-large
representative at the April faculty meeting.
g. Generally, proposals considered at full faculty meetings originate in a standing
committee. When proposing a change to the faculty handbook or college catalog,
committees can request a vote at the next full faculty meeting or request that the
proposal be given a “waiting period” before faculty vote. In either case, the proposal
must be distributed to the faculty at least ten academic days prior to the meeting in
which the vote will take place. If the committee wants additional feedback from the
faculty, the committee can announce the proposal at a given faculty meeting and
request a vote at the following faculty meeting. Any changes to the proposal must be
finalized and distributed to the faculty at least ten days prior to the meeting in which
the vote will take place.
h. Except for the Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC) and Faculty Council (FC), elected
faculty committee meetings (as designated in Part I: Constitution and Bylaws, Article
V, Section 3) are normally open to all members of the faculty. Other elected faculty
committees may vote to close their meetings to non-members by a vote of the majority
of committee members. Non-committee members of the faculty who choose to attend
elected faculty committee meetings, do not have the right to speak, unless permission
is granted by a majority of the committee.

Section 2. Elections (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 9

a. In order to be eligible for committee membership a faculty member must meet the
specified membership requirements of the committee to which they would be elected.
Faculty on leave or teaching a semester abroad in a given academic year may not serve
on an elected committee during that semester.
• Election of committees, requiring divisional representation, at large-members of
the Faculty Council, and faculty chair shall be held in the April faculty meeting.
• All other elections will be held in the faculty meeting in May.
• Members of each division shall nominate two faculty members for each vacant
position that represents their division on the Faculty Personnel Committee and at
least one faculty member for each vacant position on each of the other committees
with divisional representation. These nominations shall be submitted to the
Handbook Committee no later than March 20 for elections at the April faculty
meeting.
• The Handbook Committee shall have the slate of candidates, along with each
nominee’s department and rank, included with the agenda prior to the faculty
meeting at which the elections are scheduled.
• Nominations may be made from the floor before voting begins for each committee
to be elected.
• If during the academic year vacancies occur in committees having divisional
representation, the appropriate divisions will submit their nominations to the
Handbook Committee which will in turn submit such nominations to the faculty
for election at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting. If vacancies occur in
committees not having divisional representation, the Handbook Committee will
submit such nominations to the faculty for election at the next regularly scheduled
faculty meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor before voting begins.
• Nomination and election of faculty to committees are to begin at the
commencement of the April and the May faculty meetings, with the balloting
process to be initiated immediately following the opening of the meeting and the
approval of the minutes of the previous faculty meeting.
• In committees where a chair is elected by the full faculty, the chair shall be elected
in May from the membership of the committee. Chairs are elected for 1- year
terms. To be eligible to serve as chair, a committee member must serve on the
committee for the entire academic year. For example, a committee member is not
eligible to serve as chair if they are on sabbatical during one semester of their term.

Standing faculty committees elected at the last regular faculty meeting of the academic
year shall take office at the beginning of the next academic year.

Section 3. Standing Governance Committees (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

Faculty Council (FC)
Membership:
a) Faculty Chair
a. Elected term of 3 years, non-renewable for consecutive terms
b) Division Heads/Representatives
a. May not fulfill any other membership category
c) At-Large Tenured Faculty Representative

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 10

a. Must be from a different academic division than Faculty Chair and other
at-large member
d) At-Large Non-Tenured or Non-Tenure Track Faculty Representative
a. Must be from a different academic division than Faculty Chair and other
at-large member
e) Faculty representative from the Budget Advisory Commitee
f) Ex officio non-voting members:
a. Academic Dean
b. Dean of CGOE
c. Associate Deans
d. Registrar

Responsibilities:
a) To advise faculty and administration on issues of shared governance serving as
the liaison between the faculty and the administration in the discussion of matters of
common interest and the establishment of procedures by which interests of both may
be represented.
b) Led by the faculty chair, works with the Academic Dean to set the agenda for faculty
meetings.
c) To serve as an information site for communication among the Academic Dean, the
faculty, and working committees.
d) To advise and help develop strategic and tactical planning initiatives including
position requests and replacements.
e) To make recommendations to the Academic Dean and the President in matters of the
financial welfare of the faculty including compensation levels and equity, changes to
health insurance, and other benefits programs.
f) To request and receive periodic updates from committee chairs.
g) To serve as the hearing committee, upon request by the affected faculty member and
in accordance with the procedures noted in Part II of the Faculty Handbook, for
decisions regarding dismissal for cause other than financial threat or retrenchment.

Curriculum Committee (CC)

Membership:
a) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms.
b) One at-large non-tenured or non-tenure track faculty member from any division.
c) One at-large faculty member of any rank from any division.
d) One at-large faculty member from a department which offers post-baccalaureate
degrees or certificates.
e) At least four members, including the chair, must be tenured.
f) The chair shall be elected by the full faculty from committee membership and will
also serve as a representative to the Board of Trustees.
g) Ex officio non-voting members:

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 11

a. One student of junior status or higher appointed by the president of the

student government with the advice and consent of the student senate may
participate in meetings.
b. One graduate student elected by the Graduate Student Council may
participate in meetings.
c. Registrar
d. Associate Dean of Curriculum and Assessment
e. Dean of Continuing, Graduate, and Online Education

Responsibilities:
a) To study, evaluate, and make recommendations to the faculty concerning the addition
and deletion or substantial alteration of undergraduate and graduate courses and
programs, majors, minors, and certificates in all day, evening, weekend offerings of
the college as proposed by department chairs.
b) To coordinate and integrate the undergraduate and graduate courses, programs, and
academic functions of the college.
c) To recommend to faculty academic policies and procedures.
d) To communicate curricular and policy changes to the registrar in the manner and
form the registrar requires.
e) To convene an Academic Petitions Subcommittee to consider academic petitions.
There will be four members of this subcommittee, three voting members chosen from
Curriculum Committee membership and the Registrar as a non-voting member.
f) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Faculty Personnel Committee (FPC)

Membership:
a) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms. All must be tenured. At
least two must hold the rank of professor.
b) At-large faculty member with tenure from any division.
c) Those eligible for and intending to apply for promotion to full professor shall not
serve on the Faculty Personnel Committee during the year(s) their applications are to
be considered.
d) Committee members shall not participate in any matter regarding their own
employment status nor shall they be made aware of verbatim discussions of the
committee in such cases.
e) The chair of the committee must hold the rank of full professor with tenure.
f) The chair shall be elected by the full faculty from committee membership and will
also serve as a representative to the Board of Trustees.

Responsibilities:
(a) To make recommendations to the Academic Dean and the President in matters of
reappointment, rank and tenure; sabbatical leaves and leaves of absence of faculty
members; initial appointments above the rank of assistant professor; the general welfare

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 12

of the faculty excluding compensation levels and other predominantly budgetary

matters.
(b) To recommend to the faculty: candidates for honorary degrees; criteria for earning
tenure, promotion, and sabbatical leaves.
(d) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Handbook Committee (HC)

Membership:
a) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms. Every member must
have at least two years of service as a faculty member at Simpson College.
b) One non-tenured faculty member from any division.
c) The chair shall be elected by the full faculty from committee membership.

Responsibilities:
a) To make recommendations regarding changes in or additions to the faculty handbook.
b) To accept nominations for elections to faculty committees.
c) To provide periodic updates to Faculty Council.

Section 4. Standing Administrative Committees (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

Admissions and Appeals Committee (AAC)
Membership:
a) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms.
b) One non-tenured faculty member from any division.
c) The chair shall be one of the representatives of the faculty to the Board of Trustees.
d) Ex officio non-voting members: Affiliated campus leadership when related work is
discussed
a. Admissions: Vice President for Enrollment, and the Assistant Vice
President for Enrollment & Financial Assistance.
b. Academic Appeals: The Registrar and Dean of Students.
c. Teacher Ed: Chair of the Education Department
d. One student appointed by the president of the student government with the
advice and consent of the student senate may participate in meetings
related to policy development.

Responsibilities:
a) To develop policy regarding scholarships, student aid, activity aid, and recommend
adoption of such policy to the faculty, administration, or student government as
appropriate.
b) To hear student appeals concerning final grades, academic probations, suspension,
academic dismissal, graduation eligibility, readmission or advancement through the
Teacher Education Program, and decisions of the Academic Petitions Subcommittee
of the Curriculum Committee or actions of the Registrar.
c) To evaluate the administration of related policies, and exercise final responsibility in
the case of exceptions to the normal academic policy.

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 13

d) To participate in development and review of policies regarding the Teacher Education

Program and its integration into the mission of the college.
e) To collaborate with the offices of Admissions and Financial Aid in the development
of new policies.
f) To act as a liaison between the committee and the greater Simpson community,
reporting operation to the faculty, and recommending policies governing the
admission of students to the college.
g) To review the Teacher Education department recommendations regarding the
selection and retention of students in the Teacher Education program based on
students’ fulfillment of the program requirements.
h) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Assessment Committee (AC)

Membership:
a) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms.
b) The Associate Dean of Curriculum and Assessment, ex-officio, voting
c) One member of the academic support staff appointed by the Academic Dean to serve
a three-year term, voting.

Responsibilities:
a) To review the results of the annual student learning assessment reports of the
academic majors and academic support programs.
b) To administer the annual assessment of the general education program.
c) To make recommendations about improving student learning to the academic
departments and academic support programs based on the results of the annual
student learning assessment reports.
d) To report annually on the assessment of the general education program to the faculty
and academic support staff.
e) To develop procedures and policy for the assessment of student learning.
f) To maintain a database and archive of academic assessment activities.
g) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Campus Advisory Committee (CAC)

Membership:
a) Two at-large tenured faculty members with staggered terms
b) Two at-large non-tenured or non-tenure track faculty members with staggered terms
c) Membership must represent at least three divisions.
d) Ex officio voting member:
a. College Librarian/Archivist
e) Ex officio non-voting members:
a. One student appointed by the president of the student government with the
advice and consent of the student senate may participate in meetings apart
from those deciding scholarships and grants.
b. Off-Campus Programs Director

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 14

c. Registrar
d. Associate Director for Multicultural and International Affairs
e. Director of the Teaching and Learning Center

Responsibilities:
In coordination with the appropriate directors and academic leadership, the Campus
Advisory Committee shall:
a) To make recommendations to administrative leadership regarding the awarding of
internal grants to support faculty and course development.
b) To advise academic leadership about faculty development opportunities around
research, scholarship, creativity, pedagogy, study abroad, and new faculty orientation.
c) To receive, discuss, evaluate, and provide feedback on all proposals for study abroad
courses offered for academic credit and forward all approved proposals to the
Curriculum Committee or the Academic Dean
d) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Committee for Academic Diversity and Inclusion (CADI)

Membership:
a) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms
b) One at-large non-tenured or non-tenure track faculty representative from any division

Responsibilities:
a) To ensure faculty search committees are educated on and consider matters of
diversity, equity, and inclusion.
b) To approve Faculty Development diversity grants to enhance diversity, equity, and
inclusion (DEI) awareness and engagement in particular courses.
c) To serve as the faculty representatives to the All Campus Committee on Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion (ACCDEI).
d) To consult with the Advisory Committee, the Director of the Teaching and Learning
Center, and the Director of Foundations to assist with faculty diversity, equity, and
inclusion (DEI) training.
e) To help establish relevant academic policies to enhance inclusion, equity and respect
for diversity.
f) To advise on relevant major lectures, including the Carver lecture and Women in
America lecture.
g) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Faculty Grievance Committee (FGC)

Membership:
a) Five faculty members, no more than two from a single division and no more than one
from a single department. All must be tenured. A majority must hold the rank of
professor.
b) Committee members should not participate in any matter regarding their own
employment status, grievance they are a party to, grievance a family member is a

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 15

party to, or grievance involving a faculty member in their department, nor shall they
be made aware of verbatim discussions of the committee in such cases.

Responsibilities:
a) To review, upon request by the affected faculty member and in accordance with the
procedures noted in Part III of the Faculty Handbook, decision against tenure,
promotion, or reappointment.
b) To serve as the formal hearing board and make recommendations to the Academic
Dean on faculty grievances and appeals outside the scope of tenure, promotion, or
reappointment as described in Part II of the Faculty Handbook.
c) To make a report at the end of each academic year to the Faculty Council on its
activities in the preceding year.

Undergraduate Research & Creativity Committee (URCC)

Membership:
a) The Undergraduate Research Director(s) (appointed by the Academic Dean) will
serve as chair(s) of the committee and (co-)director of the Symposium.
b) One faculty member from each division with staggered terms
a. When possible, one faculty representative should teach an Ethics course.
c) The Academic Dean may appoint one ex officio voting member who is not a college
professor, and not otherwise associated with Simpson College.
d) So long as no person is elected on the basis of gender, the Handbook Committee will
make every effort to ensure that committee does not consist entirely of one gender.

Responsibilities:
a) To review all proposals to conduct research that involves human subjects, by either
exempting a proposal from Institutional Review Board (IRB) review, approving a
proposal, require modification in a proposal (to secure approval), or disapproving a
proposal.
b) To follow the written instructions for the research review procedures as they are
described in the code of federal regulations for the protection of human subjects.
c) To maintain a database of proposed research projects and the review process
associated with each proposal.
d) To oversee the planning and operation of the annual Research and Creativity
Symposium
e) To support the Undergraduate Research Director(s) in the planning of and operation
of the Summer Research Symposium
f) To assist the Undergraduate Research Director(s) in awarding SUSI (Simpson Urban
Studies Institute) and SIR (Simpson Interdisciplinary Research) grants and student
travel stipends
g) To work with the Undergraduate Research Director(s) in developing and promoting
initiatives supporting undergraduate research
h) To provide periodic updates to the Faculty Council.

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 16

Section 5. Ad Hoc Committees

Members of ad hoc committees may be elected by the faculty or appointed either by the
chairperson of the faculty or the vice-chairperson of the faculty. Such committees shall be
dissolved with the submission and acceptance of a final report and shall in no case extend
beyond the end of the academic year succeeding the one in which the committee was
constituted.

Section 6. Committee Leadership (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

6.1 Committee Chairs
• Each standing committee, without a Chair elected by the full faculty, shall elect a
Chair from among its voting faculty members in accordance with the
requirements of each committee.
• The Chair may not be an ex officio member of the committee.
• The term of office shall be one year with the exception of chairs elected by the
full faculty.
• A Chair may be re-elected with the exception of the faculty chair.
• A Chair’s responsibilities include:
1. Establishing committee agendas
2. Scheduling and conducting meetings
3. Representing the committee in meetings of the full faculty
4. Acting as a liaison between the committee and the administration
5. Review archived committee procedures and update as necessary.
• Each standing committee shall elect a Secretary from among its voting faculty
members.

6.2 Committee Secretaries

• The Secretary may not be an ex officio member of the committee.
• The term of office shall be one year.
• A Secretary may be re-elected.
• A Secretary’s responsibilities include:
1. Keeping minutes of the committee
2. Soliciting the approval of the committee for those minutes
3. Collecting the official electronic correspondence of the committee to be
included with the minutes
4. Making minutes available to:
a. Other members of the current committee
b. Dean of Academic Affairs
c. Incoming chair and secretary once they are elected
d. Official records of the college as defined by established procedures

6.3 Representatives to the Board of Trustees (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)

Membership:

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 17

(a) The faculty chair and the chairs of the Curriculum Committee, the Faculty
Personnel Committee, and the Admissions and Appeals Committee shall
serve as faculty representatives to the Board of Trustees.
Responsibilities:
(a) Attend meetings of the Board of Trustees following the bylaws set by the
Board:

Members of the faculty will serve as representatives of the faculty to the

Board and will be invited to attend the Board meetings as guests and to
attend the following designated committees. They may, however, elect to
attend a committee meeting of their choice when circumstances warrant,
with the permission of the committee chair or the administrator support
person. They will have no voting power on either the Board or on the
committees, but may be asked to provide faculty perspectives to either body,
and should expect to report on committee deliberations to the faculty.
• The chair of the Curriculum Committee may attend the meetings of
the Committee on Learning Programs.
• The chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee may attend the
meetings of the Committee on College Advancement.
• The faculty chair may attend the meetings of the Committee on
Resource Management.
• The chair of the Admissions and Appeals Committee may attend
the meetings of the Committee on Enrollment Management.
(b) Faculty representatives may, at their discretion, present reports to the
faculty.

6.4 Representatives to the Sexual Misconduct Review Board (revised 10/14/2020 faculty
meeting)

Membership:
a) Four faculty members with staggered terms.
b) No more than two faculty members from the same division.
c) Diversity of faculty representatives is encouraged and should be considered by
faculty when voting for representatives.
Responsibilities:
a) Undergo training as established by Simpson College and the Title IX Coordinator.
b) Participate in Sexual Misconduct Review Board hearings on a rotating basis.
c) Serve as an advisor to a complainant or respondent if needed.
d) Participate in Sexual Misconduct Appeal hearings.

Article III
Amendments to the Bylaws (revised 12/6/2023 faculty meeting)
A member of the faculty (including chairs of committees) may propose an amendment to
the bylaws. An amendment must be presented to the faculty at one meeting and voted on

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon

 18

at the next regularly scheduled faculty meeting. Robert’s Rules applies a simple majority
vote to pass.

Upon introduction at the first faculty meeting, the chair will refer the bylaw amendment
to the Handbook Committee for review and recommendation. The Handbook Committee
will return the proposed amendment to the faculty with its recommendation (positive or
negative) at the next regular meeting for a vote.

Academic Year 2024 - 2025 Online version coming soon