Date of Senate Approval 11/11/99

Statement of Faculty Senate Action:

IDC: 3

The University Planning Council has functioned as an advisory committee to the Chancellor and to the Faculty Senate for nearly twenty years since it was first constituted in 1980-81. During that time, both its structure and its duties have been modified somewhat. The Council discovered recently that the existing description of UPC in the UNCA Faculty Handbook is out of date. It was superseded by Senate document 0593F which was passed after the last revision of the Handbook and has never been incorporated into that document. To bring UPC into compliance with Senate Document 0593F would require changing both its composition and its duties.

In addition, if the Senate approves the Proposal to Establish an Institutional Effectiveness Committee, UPC's duties will change as well, as that new Committee would then assume responsibility for all institutional assessment. UPC would then take on a larger role in advising the Faculty Senate and the Chancellor on planning issues, including more systematic reviews of University budget objectives and allocations, duties more in line with its original purpose.

Given both those exigencies, IDC proposes the following reconfiguration of UPC's composition and duties:

Purpose
Working with the University Planning Officer, the UPC is the institutional body charged with coordinating campus-wide planning and budget activities and for formulating recommendations to the Faculty Senate, the Chancellor, and appropriate Vice Chancellors.

Duties
a. Evaluate proposals for new degree programs or minors, or elimination of such programs, and develop recommendations to the Faculty Senate and the Administration.

b. Assist in development and implementation of the University planning cycle.

c. Participate annually in the setting of University budget objectives and allocations.

d. Participate periodically in the review of University mission and goals

e. Meet periodically with the appropriate committee of the Board of Trustees to discuss University planning and goals

f. Receive and review recommendations from the Institutional Effectiveness Committee

Membership
Faculty: 8 members: 

a) 4 from Faculty Senate (IDC)

b) 4 appointed by VCAA (for staggered 3-year terms)

1 University Planning Officer (permanent member)

Staff: 1 CSAC member appointed by the Chancellor

Student: 1 member (and 1 alternate) appointed by the VCSA

Membership Qualifications and Selection
Faculty: full-time members of the faculty

Administration: four appointed members, one from each vice chancellor area (academic affairs, financial affairs, student affairs, and university relations)

Students: 1 member (junior or senior); 1 alternate (sophomore, junior, or senior)

Chairperson
The Chairperson of IDC will normally serve as the Chair of UPC. The University Planning Officer will serve as the Vice Chair and serve as the Chair when necessary.