Governance

Intellectual Foundations

Governance Structure:

Guidlines
I.F. Oversight Committee
I.F. Center
Transitional Processes

Report to the College Senate

of the

Select Committee

on General Education

8 November 2002

Return to Table of Contents

General Guidelines

1.

Create a governance body focused on the Intellectual Foundations Program exclusively

2.

The governance body should reflect the fact that the Intellectual Foundations Program is a college-wide program. Neither it, nor any of its parts, are the territory of a particular department or Faculty

3.

Separate program implementation from curricular deliberation and approval processes.

4.

Preserve the existing curricular decision-making authority of the College Senate

5.

Establish transitional processes that expedite the approval process while preserving program integrity and process fairness. Courses will not be "grand-fathered" into any category.

| return to top | Return to Table of Contents |

Intellectual Foundations Oversight Committee

The Intellectual Foundations Oversight Committee (IFOC) shall operate as a subunit of the Senate Curriculum Committee.

IFOC Responsibilities

1.

Review all curricular and policy questions concerning the Intellectual Foundations Program and make recommendations to the Senate Curriculum Committee.

a.

Proposals for new courses, course revisions and topics courses for any IF category and for BSC prefixes in the IF program shall be submitted to the Senate Curriculum Committee which shall refer them directly to the IFOC. The IFOC shall submit its recommendations to the Senate Curriculum Committee.

b.

The IFOC shall recommend actions for both course approval and appropriateness for inclusion in any IF category, and for BSC prefixes in the IF program.

2.

Assist and cooperate with the Intellectual Foundations Center (IFC) in IF program review. It will forward to the IFC its curricular concerns and questions for inclusion in the program review. The IF program review shall follow the same timetable, and protocol of self study and external review, that is applied to program review in all academic departments.

3.

All committee recommendations shall be subject to review and appeal to the Senate Curriculum Committee according to existing Curriculum Committee guidelines and procedures.

IFOC Committee Membership

1.

Two representatives elected from each Faculty to three-year terms (6 members)

2.

One representative elected to a three-year term from each of the following (3 members)

a.

Mathematics Department

b.

English Department or Writing Center

c.

Modern & Classical Languages Department

3.

One representative from the library elected by the library faculty (one member)

4.

One elected professional staff from the academic support areas (1 member)

5.

Associate V.P. for Undergraduate Education or designee (non-voting, ex officio, administrative liaison)

6.

Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (1 member)

7.

Director of the Intellectual Foundations Center (ex officio committee chair, voting only to break a tie)

| return to top | Return to Table of Contents |

Intellectual Foundations Center

The Intellectual Foundations Center (IFC) shall carry primary responsibility for implementing the Intellectual Foundations Program.

IFC Responsibilities

1.

Responsible for Intellectual Foundations Program delivery;

2.

Recruit faculty from departments to teach in the Intellectual Foundations Program

3.

Respond to curricular needs by encouraging faculty to develop new courses or revise existing courses.

4.

Assist in implementing the First Year Program (with others in academic support areas, Student Affairs, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and academic departments).

5.

Intellectual Foundations Program review every 5 years, with IFOC oversight. This program review will include program self-study & external review on the same basis as all academic departments. This review shall elicit input from the relevant teaching faculty, professional staff and academic departments. It shall include review of learning outcomes, criteria for inclusion of courses in the IF program, and pre-collegiate proficiency standards. The IF Program review shall be forwarded with recommendations to College Senate via the IFOC and College Senate Curriculum Committee.

6.

Convene regularly scheduled meetings (with the appropriate faculty, professional staff and administrators) at least twice each year to ensure adequate course availability

7.

Organize the development, regular revision and publication of the Foundations for Inquiry reader

IFC Membership & Structure

1.

Half-time director drawn from the faculty with a chair's stipend to coordinate and organize IFC activities and responsibilities

a.

Recommendations for filling this position shall be made by a search committee consisting of the following members of the IFOC: all six representatives elected by the Faculties, the professional staff representative from the academic support areas, the library faculty representative.

b.

The IFC Director shall serve for a term of three years and must be evaluated by the search committee of the IFOC.

2.

Full-time secretarial support

3.

Intellectual Foundations Center membership shall be open all faculty and professional staff who have current teaching or professional staff responsibilities, or are scheduled/assigned such responsibilities, or have such responsibilities during the previous year. Eligible faculty and professional staff must nominate themselves for a three year term, before the start of the fourth week of the Fall semester.

4.

Associate V.P. for Undergraduate Education (administrative liaison, voting ex officio)

| return to top | Return to Table of Contents |

Transitional Processes

1.

Appointment of Interim Coordinator of the IF Center will be made by the President, or her designee, in consultation with the Chair of the College Senate. This will be the only time this process will be used.

2.

Initial membership for faculty shall be by self-nomination to terms of three years beginning at any time prior to Fall, 2004.

3.

By-laws for the IFC shall be written and approved by a majority of IFC members by October, 2004 and submitted to the College Senate for approval.

4.

Interim faculty representatives on the IFOC shall be appointed by the chairs of each Faculty, a representative from the library shall be appointed by the library director, and a professional staff representative from the academic support areas shall be appointed by the V.P. for Undergraduate Education and its membership ratified by the College Senate. Interim representatives shall be replaced by duly elected members as soon as possible, but no later than the end of Spring semester, 2003.

5.

Immediately upon its formation, the IFOC shall convene ad hoc committees to review the learning outcomes, criteria for course inclusion and, where relevant, pre-collegiate proficiency standards in each IF category.

6.

Membership in each ad hoc Committee shall include representative elected from all departments and academic support units with an interest in reviewing learning outcomes and/or criteria for course inclusion and pre-collegiate proficiency standards in the relevant IF category.

7.

The College administration shall undertake to make Faculty and Course Development funding available during the summers of 2003, 2004 and 2005

8.

The IF program will be required of all students entering Buffalo State in Fall, 2005.

9.

For more on the transitional period see the Time Line

| return to top | Return to Table of Contents |

1.	Create a governance body focused on the Intellectual Foundations Program exclusively
2.	The governance body should reflect the fact that the Intellectual Foundations Program is a college-wide program. Neither it, nor any of its parts, are the territory of a particular department or Faculty
3.	Separate program implementation from curricular deliberation and approval processes.
4.	Preserve the existing curricular decision-making authority of the College Senate
5.	Establish transitional processes that expedite the approval process while preserving program integrity and process fairness. Courses will not be "grand-fathered" into any category.

The Intellectual Foundations Oversight Committee (IFOC) shall operate as a subunit of the Senate Curriculum Committee.
IFOC Responsibilities
1.	Review all curricular and policy questions concerning the Intellectual Foundations Program and make recommendations to the Senate Curriculum Committee.
	a.	Proposals for new courses, course revisions and topics courses for any IF category and for BSC prefixes in the IF program shall be submitted to the Senate Curriculum Committee which shall refer them directly to the IFOC. The IFOC shall submit its recommendations to the Senate Curriculum Committee.
	b.	The IFOC shall recommend actions for both course approval and appropriateness for inclusion in any IF category, and for BSC prefixes in the IF program.
2.	Assist and cooperate with the Intellectual Foundations Center (IFC) in IF program review. It will forward to the IFC its curricular concerns and questions for inclusion in the program review. The IF program review shall follow the same timetable, and protocol of self study and external review, that is applied to program review in all academic departments.
3.	All committee recommendations shall be subject to review and appeal to the Senate Curriculum Committee according to existing Curriculum Committee guidelines and procedures.
IFOC Committee Membership
1.	Two representatives elected from each Faculty to three-year terms (6 members)
2.	One representative elected to a three-year term from each of the following (3 members)
	a.	Mathematics Department
	b.	English Department or Writing Center
	c.	Modern & Classical Languages Department
3.	One representative from the library elected by the library faculty (one member)
4.	One elected professional staff from the academic support areas (1 member)
5.	Associate V.P. for Undergraduate Education or designee (non-voting, ex officio, administrative liaison)
6.	Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies (1 member)
7.	Director of the Intellectual Foundations Center (ex officio committee chair, voting only to break a tie)

The Intellectual Foundations Center (IFC) shall carry primary responsibility for implementing the Intellectual Foundations Program.
IFC Responsibilities
1.	Responsible for Intellectual Foundations Program delivery;
2.	Recruit faculty from departments to teach in the Intellectual Foundations Program
3.	Respond to curricular needs by encouraging faculty to develop new courses or revise existing courses.
4.	Assist in implementing the First Year Program (with others in academic support areas, Student Affairs, Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and academic departments).
5.	Intellectual Foundations Program review every 5 years, with IFOC oversight. This program review will include program self-study & external review on the same basis as all academic departments. This review shall elicit input from the relevant teaching faculty, professional staff and academic departments. It shall include review of learning outcomes, criteria for inclusion of courses in the IF program, and pre-collegiate proficiency standards. The IF Program review shall be forwarded with recommendations to College Senate via the IFOC and College Senate Curriculum Committee.
6.	Convene regularly scheduled meetings (with the appropriate faculty, professional staff and administrators) at least twice each year to ensure adequate course availability
7.	Organize the development, regular revision and publication of the Foundations for Inquiry reader
IFC Membership & Structure
1.	Half-time director drawn from the faculty with a chair's stipend to coordinate and organize IFC activities and responsibilities
	a.	Recommendations for filling this position shall be made by a search committee consisting of the following members of the IFOC: all six representatives elected by the Faculties, the professional staff representative from the academic support areas, the library faculty representative.
	b.	The IFC Director shall serve for a term of three years and must be evaluated by the search committee of the IFOC.
2.	Full-time secretarial support
3.	Intellectual Foundations Center membership shall be open all faculty and professional staff who have current teaching or professional staff responsibilities, or are scheduled/assigned such responsibilities, or have such responsibilities during the previous year. Eligible faculty and professional staff must nominate themselves for a three year term, before the start of the fourth week of the Fall semester.
4.	Associate V.P. for Undergraduate Education (administrative liaison, voting ex officio)

1.	Appointment of Interim Coordinator of the IF Center will be made by the President, or her designee, in consultation with the Chair of the College Senate. This will be the only time this process will be used.
2.	Initial membership for faculty shall be by self-nomination to terms of three years beginning at any time prior to Fall, 2004.
3.	By-laws for the IFC shall be written and approved by a majority of IFC members by October, 2004 and submitted to the College Senate for approval.
4.	Interim faculty representatives on the IFOC shall be appointed by the chairs of each Faculty, a representative from the library shall be appointed by the library director, and a professional staff representative from the academic support areas shall be appointed by the V.P. for Undergraduate Education and its membership ratified by the College Senate. Interim representatives shall be replaced by duly elected members as soon as possible, but no later than the end of Spring semester, 2003.
5.	Immediately upon its formation, the IFOC shall convene ad hoc committees to review the learning outcomes, criteria for course inclusion and, where relevant, pre-collegiate proficiency standards in each IF category.
6.	Membership in each ad hoc Committee shall include representative elected from all departments and academic support units with an interest in reviewing learning outcomes and/or criteria for course inclusion and pre-collegiate proficiency standards in the relevant IF category.
7.	The College administration shall undertake to make Faculty and Course Development funding available during the summers of 2003, 2004 and 2005
8.	The IF program will be required of all students entering Buffalo State in Fall, 2005.
9.	For more on the transitional period see the Time Line