II. ORGANIZATION (Cont.)
ACADEMIC COUNCIL
The Academic Council is composed of the Faculty Council, the Appointed Council, designated members of the Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU), designated members of the Council of Graduate Students (COGS), designated members of the Academic Council standing committees, the Executive Committee, the president, the provost, and designated ex-officio members. Ex-officio members are the Senior Associate Provost, Vice President for Student Affairs and Services, the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education, the Associate Provost for Academic Services, the Associate Provost for Academic Student Services and Multicultural Issues, the Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Human Resources, the Vice Provost for Libraries, Computing and Technology, the Associate Provost for Graduate Education, the Associate Provost for University Outreach, the Faculty Grievance Official, and the Ombudsman.
There are four sub-groups in the Academic Council. The Faculty Council is composed of the faculty representatives from the colleges, faculty representatives from the non-college faculty, the at-large faculty members of the Executive Committee, faculty chairpersons of Academic Council standing committees, the president and the provost. The Appointed Council is composed of all deans of academic programs, the directors of the Honors College and Library, the director of the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory, the president and the provost. The Associated Students of Michigan State University and the Council of Graduate Students are composed of student, faculty and administrative representatives according to their respective constitutions.
The functions of the Academic Council are to consider and act upon all matters brought before the group by the Executive Committee, the president, and the provost, and to provide a forum for the dissemination of information and exchange of views regarding University policy. Consultation upon matters related to the general welfare of the University is provided by the Academic Council. The president, or in the president's absence, the provost, presides at meetings of the Academic Council. The Secretary for Academic Governance is the secretary of the Academic Council. The Academic Council must meet at least once each month during the academic year and more often at the call of the president or Executive Committee. The agenda is prepared by the Executive Committee, in consultation with the president or the provost. Before each regularly scheduled meeting of the Academic Senate or the Academic Council, the Executive Committee holds a public meeting open to any member of the faculty or student body at which suggestions for agenda items are heard, thereby providing the vehicle through which individual faculty members, students or faculty-student groups and other organizations may initiate action. The Executive Committee announces this meeting in the State News and the MSU News-Bulletin.
Most of the issues debated by the Academic Council are considered by its various standing committees: The University Committees on Academic Governance, Academic Policy, Curriculum, Faculty Affairs, Faculty Tenure, Student Affairs and the University Graduate Council. For information about composition, procedures and functions of the various standing committees see Section 4 of the Bylaws for Academic Governance. Faculty and student members of the standing committees of the Academic Council are selected in accordance with the procedures specified in the Bylaws for Academic Governance.
Bylaws are an integral component of the governance system adopted in each academic unit. These documents describe faculty consultation and advisement in the units and normally describe reappointment, tenure and promotion procedures.
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