Departmental Self Review - UCLA Academic Senate

egular committee load. However, this work may not be credited to the faculty person inrelation to other committee assignments and expectations.10) Some committees do not have clear “missions” as well as “rewards.” An exception is theStudent Affairs and CAPAM committees. They were identified as unique committees withclear goals and “payoff” rewards (i.e., admission of students, promotion). However, (to use abehavioral science metaphor) the connection between “pushing the lever” and receiving the“food pellet” is less clear when comes to the other committees such as the academic programcommittees.Strategies To Accomplish The GoalSeveral solutions were identified by the faculty to improve the overall functioning of committeesand quality of work life of the faculty.1) Staff support is urgently requested for each committee to contact committee members toremind them of meeting dates, to reserve the room, to take minutes, to type up minutes, tosend out minutes etc. An example of excellent staff support and a smooth working committeeis the well-staffed Student Affairs Committee (although they do not take minutes). It is hopedthat staff would be available to provide support for committees. Thus, staff involvement onthe committee would serve to enhance continuity, quality of work, and efficiency of thecommittee.2) An orientation on shared governance is recommended for faculty to increase theirunderstanding of the importance and vital role of faculty participation in the SON, includingcommittee work. Additionally, orientation is needed as to the administrative structure of theschool and the role of the administrative supportive personnel in relationship to facultyneeds.3) The faculty recommended reducing committee meetings as follows: quarterly meetings forall committees except FEC, Student Affairs, and CAPAM, with a summer planning meetingto project the work of the year. It was recognized that with the reduction in the frequency ofmeetings, the quarterly meetings may need to meet for a longer period (i.e. for a half day or aday) but it was felt that the increased use of email communications would still allow for thefaculty work to be accomplished. Clear goals should be identified annually by everycommittee each year.4) Rather than submit multiple curricular changes at various points throughout the year, thefaculty recommended that curricular changes be submitted only once per year.5) Faculty should be encouraged to communicate and rank-order their interests in committeeparticipation with the SON Committee on Committees. Because of the SON Bylaws,balancing assignment of committees for faculty from each section may obviate a “firstchoice,” however “committee load” needs to be evaluated for each faculty member to be sureno one person is over loaded. Additionally, the level of participation of junior faculty, nontrackand part time faculty should also be re-evaluated.6) Power relations within committees and the role of committee chairs should be reviewed toensure that all faculty members feel that they have a voice in the school’s operations.7) Increased awareness of intra- and inter-personal coping styles, communication traits, andpersonalities of members of a “system” (such as our faculty) through a formal or informal263