Committees
The committees governed by these bylaws are the standing committees of the Council, subcommittees of standing committees, special committees created by the Council from time to time, and the independent committees.
Members of all standing committees and the independent committees, other than the Committee on Open Expression, shall be chosen in the numbers required for each committee according to procedures established by the respective governing bodies as listed in II.2. The term of office for members of committees shall, unless otherwise specified in the charges, be one year.
Any member of the University may be asked to serve on committees of the University Council and only members of the University shall be eligible for membership on the committees. All committee members are eligible for reappointment. Members may be reappointed, if mutually agreeable, for a maximum of four years total consecutive service. To provide continuity, chairs-elect may be designated. Committee chairs, in consultation with their committee, may invite guests to attend committee meetings.
To the extent possible, each committee should normally include at least one faculty member, one undergraduate student and one graduate student who are members of the Council. The members of committees shall be selected by the respective governing and selective bodies in the numbers required for each committee. Committee representatives of graduate/professional students, undergraduate students, the Penn Professional Staff Assembly and the Weekly-Paid Professional Staff Assembly who are unable to attend a meeting may select a non-voting alternate to take their place. If possible they should consult with their nominating body regarding the alternate. The president or the provost may name one or more liaisons to any standing committee, subcommittee or special committee.
The memberships specified in the committee charges which follow constitute the normal makeup of each committee. Changes can be made only by action of the Council through amendments to the bylaws, as provided for in section VII, provided, that if after reasonable efforts a relevant nominating or selecting constituency has been unable to identify a sufficient number of persons willing to serve on a committee, with the approval of the Steering Committee the committee shall be fully constituted with a fewer number.
Standing Committees
The standing committees of the Council are those whose activities are directly instrumental in advancing the work of the Council. The president, provost, chair and chair-elect of the Faculty Senate, chair of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, and chair of the Undergraduate Assembly (or their designees) shall be entitled to attend meetings of all standing committees of the Council and to participate in the discussions.
In cases where a committee has an oversight or advisory function to a branch or department of the University administration, in general the administrators who serve as ex officio members should serve primarily as liaison and resource persons to support the work of the committee under the direction of its chair and members, and accordingly should not vote.
Reports and communications by committees to the Council shall be submitted to the Council through the Steering Committee for inclusion in the agenda and publication in Almanac. The Steering Committee shall promptly forward all such reports and communications to the Council, and it shall monitor committee activities and, as necessary, report on these activities to the Council.
Each standing committee (except as otherwise specified below in this section) shall consist of not fewer than five and not more than eight faculty members, two representatives of the Penn Professional Staff Assembly, two representative of the Weekly-Paid Professional Staff Assembly, two graduate/professional students, and two undergraduate students.
- Committee on Academic and Related Affairs
- Committee on Campus and Community Life
- Committee on Facilities
- Committee on Personnel Benefits
- Committee on Diversity and Equity
Subcommittees
Any standing committee shall have the power to delegate specific tasks or functions to subcommittees whose members shall include one or more members of the parent committee. In addition, as issues arise, subcommittees of standing committees may be constituted, appointed, and given specific charges by the Steering Committee or, in consultation with the Steering Committee, by the chair of the Faculty Senate, the Committee on Committees, or the chair of a standing committee. The membership of a subcommittee is not limited to members of the relevant standing committee, but to the extent possible members of subcommittees shall include at least one member of that standing committee. Where appropriate a subcommittee may be a joint subcommittee of more than one standing committee. Unless specifically authorized, no subcommittee report or recommendations shall be represented to be a report or recommendation of the full committee without the express approval of the full relevant standing committee as indicated by a majority vote at a regular meeting of the full committee.
Special Committtees
The Council may create special committees to undertake specific tasks or functions. The membership of special committees shall be specified in the charges detailed by the Council in creating such committees.
Independent Committees
The Council takes cognizance of these University committees, which it does not directly charge, but which may be called upon to report to the Council on specific issues within their purview.
Email Motions and Voting
A motion by a member of a standing committee, subcommittee, special committee, or independent committee for action or resolution may be made and seconded by email transmission in lieu of a meeting. If the moving member proposes that the motion be subject to an email ballot, the motion must explain why consideration of the motion should occur before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the committee or subcommittee or a special meeting.
A vote by the members of a committee or subcommittee may be taken by email transmission on an action or resolution on at least ten days email notice to the members by the chair of the relevant committee or subcommittee. An email ballot will not be conducted if, within five days after the chair of the committee or subcommittee sends email notice to the members, three or more members request that the subject of the proposed email ballot be voted on in a meeting. A motion will carry in an email ballot only if at least two-thirds of the members of the committee or subcommittee cast votes and the motion receives a simple majority of those voting.
