Policies & Procedures

Procedure 7.2.1: College Program Advisory Committee

PURPOSE AND NEED

Technical programs must be an integral part of the community they serve.  Programs must be technologically current and respond to the needs of the marketplace by providing a well-prepared work force.  The industrial community must understand and support these programs. Only through the close cooperation between the educational institution and the business, industry, and health communities can this result be accomplished.  This can best be achieved through the effective use of program advisory committees.

 Advisory committees are essential to initiate new technical programs as well as to guide, strengthen and improve existing programs. The program advisory committee must continually review the technical program’s course outlines to ensure that the curricula is kept current with society’s changing demands for new skills and knowledge.  To achieve this objective, the advisory committee must be composed of individuals who are active and knowledgeable in their occupations.

 MEMBERSHIP

Each committee shall be composed of individuals from a cross-section of jobs within the occupational area.  Membership shall consist of not less than four and not more than sixteen members from the industrial community. The following procedure should be followed to recommend the appointment of a new member to the advisory committee:

1.   Program faculty should submit names of potential advisory committee members to the advisory committee instructional liaison (a program faculty member or lab assistant).

2.   The instructional liaison shall contact the potential committee member, explain the advisory committee’s function, and determine the person’s willingness to serve.  The “Data Sheet for New Advisory Committee Members” should be completed at this time.

3.   The instructional liaison shall submit the “Data Sheet for New Advisory Committee Members” to the Academic Dean, who will in turn submit it to the President of the College for his/her signature and approval.

4.   The “Data Sheet” will be filed in the appropriate advisory committee folder, and the member’s name shall be added to the official advisory committee list.  The Academic Affairs Office shall coordinate the mailing of the appointment letter and information about the College and the functions of an advisory committee.

5. The only official member list for all advisory committees will be on file in the office of Academic Affairs.

6.   Proposed changes to the program design, operation, accountability and closure require a quorum made up of industry members.  These industry members are not employees of Anoka Technical College.  Anoka Technical College employees do not have voting authority.

AUTHORITY

The authority for establishing requirements in respect to College affairs rests legally with the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System Board of Trustees, acting in conformity with federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations.

 Advisory committees should be aware that at times the College cannot adopt in full, or sometimes even in part, the recommendations of the committee. Financial restrictions, physical building limitations, and other difficulties may necessitate delay or non-enactment of committee recommendations.  However, all committee recommendations will receive due consideration and receive a response from the college administration.  If at any time an advisory committee feels it has not received adequate consideration, the committee chairperson may request a meeting with the administration to resolve the issue.

 ORGANIZATION

 Officers:

The program advisory committee shall elect a chairperson from industry for its membership.  The secretary will be an ATC staff member unless otherwise desired by the committee.  The committee chairperson may appoint subcommittees as necessary to facilitate committee business.

Term of Office:

The term of office for the chairperson shall be one year.  The term of office shall commence on July 1 and terminate on June 30. The chairperson may serve more than one term.

Term of Membership:

Each individual program advisory committee shall set an appropriate term of membership for its members.  The maximum term shall be three years.  Upon mutual agreement of member and program staff, membership may be renewed at the end of the member’s term.  Committee membership will be reviewed and updated each year to ensure broad-based representation of the industry and to ensure that membership guidelines are followed.  All members will be contacted by program staff to determine continued membership.  Members not in regular attendance will be contacted and removed from the committee.

Advisory committee instructional liaisons will use the “Deletion/Change Form for Advisory Committee

Members” to inform the academic affairs office of address/telephone/business changes and resignations of advisory committee members.

 MEETINGS

There will be a minimum of two, but preferably three meetings of each advisory committee per academic year.  Additional meetings may be called by the chairperson at the request of the College staff or an advisory member.

 MEETING NOTIFICATION

Notification of advisory meetings will be the responsibility of the Academic Affairs staff.

 The advisory committee instructional liaison and the committee chairperson will set a date for the meeting and complete a “Notice of Proposed Advisory Committee Meeting”, which includes a suggested agenda. This form, with the appropriate Academic Dean’s signature, and all materials to be discussed by the committee shall be forwarded to the Assistant to the Academic Dean at least four weeks prior to the suggested date.

 Room reservations and all arrangements for refreshments, breakfast or lunch will be indicated on the “Notice of Proposed Advisory Committee Meeting” form when submitted to the Academic Affairs staff. Please complete the Requisition for Commodities and Services form, Minnesota State/ATC Out-of-State Travel/Special Expense Approval/Authorization form and the list of advisory board members with the proposed meeting form.

 Notice of the meeting will be sent to the committee and staff members at least three weeks prior to the meeting by the Academic Affairs staff.  Members will respond to meeting notices by telephoning or E- mailing the academic affairs office regarding their ability or inability to attend the meeting.  The academic affairs office will notify the instructional liaison or committee response at least four days prior to the meeting so that program staff may call members who have not responded.

 All advisory committee meeting cancellations will be determined by the appropriate Academic Dean and instructional liaison and will be coordinated through the academic affairs office.  The instructional liaison will be responsible for notifying committee members of the cancellation.

 MINUTES

All advisory committee and subcommittee meetings must have written minutes. The staff member serving as secretary for the meeting shall submit written minutes to the academic affairs office within one week after the meeting.  The academic affairs office will send a copy of the minutes of the meeting to the program instructors for approval within one week after receiving them.  As soon as the program instructor returns the approved (or corrected) minutes to the academic affairs office, a copy will be sent to the committee members.  If the instructional liaison wishes to have a second copy of the minutes sent with the agenda for the next meeting he/she should attach a copy of the minutes to the “Notice of Proposed Advisory Committee Meeting” along with all other attachments to be sent with the agenda.

 A current advisory committee member list and copies of all the agendas and past meeting minutes will be on record in the Academic Affairs Office.  These are the official auditable College records.  Any actions of committees or subcommittees which have not been documented in minutes via this procedure will not be considered official.

 All advisory committee meetings are covered by the Minnesota Open Meeting Law and are open to the public. 

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History:

Unknown adoption date

07.2008 Updated