1. Home
  2. Governance
  3. Academic Senate
  4. Academic Senate Committees
  5. Committee on Assessment and Institutional Effectiveness

Committee On WID/WAC

Committee Guide Addendum

WIDWAC Committee Guide 
  • Description of Committee
    • Welcome to the Committee on Writing Across the Disciplines/ Writing Across the Curriculum (WID/WAC). 
  • Committee Charges
    • Though Committee Charges are updated annually, the general tasks the WIDWAC Committee completes include the following:
      • Oversee and make recommendations to the Academic Senate related to the WIDWAC program
      • Review and make recommendations to the WIDWAC Director(s) concerning the WIDWAC Professional Development Program;
      • Consult with the Committee on Course and Standing on waiver requests from students on any writing intensive (WI) degree requirements that the Committee on Course and Standing may be called upon to decide;
      • Make the final decision on the designation and recertification of any instructor as WI;
      • Coordinate with the Curriculum Committee on issues concerning curriculum.
  • Committee Composition
    • The Committee is composed of nine (9) committee members from different departments who have participated in WI training, the director or one co-director of the WI High Impact Practice, and one student.
      • The Student Government appoints the student members.
        • The Student Government has found it extremely difficult to provide members to the Committee; as such, in most years, the Committee proceeds without student participation
        • Student members do not vote on student waiver requests nor may they have access to waiver request documentation.
      • The faculty members are elected in the spring to three-year terms by the Academic Senate through its Committee on Committees. 
    • In addition to faculty, students, and HIP Co-directors, the President of the College and the Chairperson of the Academic Senate's Steering Committee, or their designees, are ex-officio members of the Committee who do not vote. 
    • The Committee can invite guests to attend its open meetings as needed. 
    • Any member of the instructional staff may be present and request permission to speak at a meeting of any Academic Senate committee. 
  • General Operation
    • The Committee meets several times each semester in order to accomplish its various charges coming from the Bylaws, Senate actions, and the Steering Committee. 
    • The Committee operates by general review and consensus.
    • The Committee serves as an intermediary party between individual departments and the administration. It may arrive at recommendations to the Academic Senate that are impartial and in the best interests of the College as a whole. Although the faculty members are appointed into particular academic departments they do NOT represent those departments at the Committee meetings. This should be made clear by the Chairperson to both the Committee members and their respective department chairpersons. Committee members should not be relied upon as sources of information from or conduits for communication to their departments.
    • The Committee must prepare an agenda, take minutes of the meetings, and prepare an annual report. Meetings should follow Robert’s Rules of Order; several ‘cheat sheets’ can be found in the Committee documents in Microsoft Teams.
    • Documents generated by and received by the Committee should be posted to the Committee website and forwarded to others on a timely basis. 
  • Documents to be Archived & Stored
    • College website
      • Committee meeting minutes should be posted on the college governance website created for the Committee.
      • Committee Guide should be posted on the college governance website created for the Committee.
      • Annual Report should be posted on the college governance website created for the Committee.
    • CUNY Microsoft Teams folder
      • The Chair of the committee maintains committee documents; the committee Members have access to all committee documents.
      • Meeting Agendas, Meeting Minutes, Student Waiver Documentation, Committee Guide, Annual Reports, and Recertification Documentation should be stored in the CUNY Microsoft Teams folder. 
        • Regarding CUNY Microsoft Teams
          • The WIDWAC Chair & Secretary should be listed as Owners; the WIDWAC Committee Members should be listed as Members.
          • Owners may edit and add documents.
          • Members cannot edit or add documents, unless given explicit permission within the Teams application.
          • When Committee leadership and membership changes occur, the outgoing Teams Owners can adjust membership within the system, granting access to Committee documents.
  • Meeting Protocols
    • The public has the right to attend any meeting of committees and sub committees and special committees. Any time a quorum of any such committee gathers to discuss business, the meeting must be held in public, subject to the right to convene an executive session under certain limited circumstances. In addition, there must be prior notice of the meeting; the business of the meeting must be recorded in written minutes; and a record must be maintained of the final vote of each member of the committee on all matters on which a vote is formally taken. Non-members must conform to the usual requirements of parliamentary procedure; the Parliamentarian will interpret and enforce the rules which include that no non-member of the body may speak without the permission of the body. 
  • Policy Proposals from Committee to the Academic Senate
    • Either form of report (monthly or annual) might contain recommendations that would be made to various units of the college, including other Senate bodies. It is expected that the committees would be sending these recommendations directly to the units involved as well as reporting them to the Senate.
    • Recommendations made to units of the College are to be followed up by the Committees who make them and responses reported in subsequent reports to the Academic Senate. If there is no response or no adequate response, as determined by the Committee, the Committee may report this to the Academic Senate after consultation with the Steering Committee. The current disposition of each recommendation should be noted in a monthly report and also in a summary of all items in the annual report. See Attachment 3 – Sample Annual Report. From time to time the Committee may determine that it is necessary to have the Academic Senate consider a Policy for the College. In this case the Committee frames a proposal and sends it to the Steering Committee. See Attachment 4– Sample Policy Statement, for an example of a policy statement. Actions for the Academic Senate to approve, including polices of the College, are to be so designated in reports sent to the Senate. Such actions, recommendations and policies as are approved by a vote of the Senate are to be followed up by the committees of origination and the Steering Committee. If there is no response or no adequate response, as determined by the Steering Committee, the Committee may report this to the Academic Senate for a further discussion of the matter and a determination by the Academic Senate as to the appropriate course of action for the Senate to take on the matter. Of course, at any time, any member of the Senate may request a report on the status of previous Senate resolutions and policies.
    • Through the process of making and reporting on recommendations, the role of the Academic Senate in Governance is effectuated.
  • Committee Member Activities
    • What new members should do to prepare to work on the Committee:
      • Review this Guide and familiarize themselves with the pertinent policies and documents.
      • Speak with the current Committee Chairperson or Membership to know current Committee goals/tasks.
      • Ask their department chair not to schedule classes for them to teach during the Committee meeting times and Academic Senate meeting time [typically Wednesdays between 12:30 and 2:00pm, aka “Club Hours”].
    • Committee Website Coordinator Activities
      • Maintains the WIDWAC Committee website, including updating meeting minutes, committee guide, annual reports, membership, and other website updates as needed.
      • Sometimes the Website Coordinator duties are shared with the Committee Secretary.
    • Committee Secretary Activities
      • Maintains and updates WIDWAC Committee meeting minutes.
      • Sometimes serves as the Website Coordinator for the Committee. 
      • Attends Chairs & Secretaries Meetings when called by the Academic Senate Steering Committee. 
    • Committee Chair Activities
      • The Committee Chair should become familiar with the GUIDE FOR STANDING COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS provided by the Academic Senate Steering Committee. A copy can be obtained from the Academic Senate area of the QCC website or from the Steering Committee.
      • Prepares meeting agendas, schedules meetings, and facilitates meetings.
      • Serves as mediator between the Office of Academic Affairs, Academic Senate, and Senate Committee on Committees and the WIDWAC Committee Membership.
      • Maintains updated records of the WIDWAC, including Faculty Certifications, Faculty Recertifications, and Student Waiver Requests.
      • Updates and maintains WIDWAC Committee Guide, as needed.
      • Prepares, submits, and uploads (as needed) WIDWAC Committee Annual Report. 
      • Attends Chairs & Secretaries Meetings when called by the Academic Senate Steering Committee.
    • Attachments:
      • WI faculty recertification form
      • WI student waiver request form 

 

Committee Links

Campus Cultural Centers

Kupferberg Holocaust Center exterior lit up at nightOpens in a new window
Kupferberg Holocaust Center Opens in a new window

The KHC uses the lessons of the Holocaust to educate current and future generations about the ramifications of unbridled prejudice, racism and stereotyping.

Russian Ballet performing at the Queensborough Performing Arts CenterOpens in a new window
QPAC: Performing Arts CenterOpens in a new window

QPAC is an invaluable entertainment company in this region with a growing national reputation. The arts at QPAC continues to play a vital role in transforming lives and building stronger communities.

Queensborough Art Gallery exterior in the afternoonOpens in a new window
QCC Art Gallery

The QCC Art Gallery of the City University of New York is a vital educational and cultural resource for Queensborough Community College, the Borough of Queens and the surrounding communities.