Charge and Responsibilities
Our committee’s current charge is:
The Committee informs and represents the faculty and advises the chancellor on any aspect of athletics, including, but not limited to, the academic and broader University experience for varsity student-athletes, and the general conduct and operation of the University’s athletic program.
Each committee member selects or is assigned to one of four topic areas on which he or she is to become the topic expert and lead discussions at FAC. The topic areas and additional expectations for each topic area are set forth below.
Advising
- Participate on the ASPSA Advisory Committee
- Serve as the liaison with the University’s Undergraduate Academic Advising Program
- Coordinate with the Process Review Group on the processes related to the student-athlete experience
Admissions
- Serve as the liaison with the University’s Undergraduate Admission Committee and the Committee on Special Talent
- Coordinate with the Process Review Group on the processes related to the student-athlete experience
Academics
- Participate in the every semester review of class clustering and the annual review of student-athlete majors (in conjunction with the FAR, the registrar, and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education)
- Coordinate with the Process Review Group on the processes related to the student-athlete experience
Student-Athlete Experience
- Organize the annual SAAC focus group discussions
- Coordinate with the Process Review Group on the processes related to the student-athlete experience
Each FAC member is also assigned two or three teams for which he or she serves as the FAC liaison along with one other FAC member. The team liaisons are expected to meet with coaches, academic counselors, and students on the team to gain an understanding of the culture and specific logistics and responsibilities associated with that team. FAC members are also invited to attend SAAC meetings.
Composition of Committee
12 faculty members, each of whom serves a three-year term and elected by the voting faculty. The FAR is an ex officio, voting member if not otherwise an elected member of the committee.
Selection of Voting Committee Members
The three-year committee member terms are staggered, so each year three members are elected by the voting faculty of the University. The FAR (also a voting member of the committee) is appointed by the Chancellor and subject to a review every five-years.
Term
The term is for three years. Two consecutive terms are permitted.
Others Who Regularly Attend Meetings
The Chancellor, the Athletics Director, the Senior Associate Athletics Director, the Director of the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes, and two student-athletes who are members of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council.
Role of FAR on the Committee
The FAR is an ex officio, voting member of the Committee. The FAR also serves as the recording secretary. The FAR prepares a monthly written report to the committee highlighting NCAA and ACC activities and usually reports on and solicits feedback on some items at each meeting.
Selection of Chair
The chair is selected from the FAC voting members by their vote. The chair is selected annually. For 2015-16, a vice chair position was created. For 2016-17, that position is the Vice Chair for Outreach. A second vice chair position, the Coordinating Vice Chair, has been added to handle internal matters. It is not necessarily the expectation that the Vice Chair will succeed the Chair, but rather provide additional support and lead certain efforts of the FAC.
Number of Meetings Per Year
Monthly during the academic year. The committee has occasionally held half-day retreats in May, June, or August.
Are the Meetings Public Meetings?
As a public institution, FAC meetings are considered open meetings and are regularly attended by other faculty, administrators, and members of the press (local newspapers and the student newspaper). On occasion, national press, as well as local and national TV media, have attended.
If the Meeting is Closed to Discuss Confidential Information, Who is Typically Invited to Stay in Addition to the Voting Members of the Committee?
If the meeting is closed pursuant to a statutory exception to the state’s open meetings requirement, the voting members will stay and other advisors, administrators, and student-athletes may be asked to stay and provide information and perspective, depending on the issue.
Are Minutes Published? If so, where?
The Committee posts its minutes and other materials on a Sakai site available to the voting members of the committee. The minutes, once approved, are posted on the Faculty Governance website, http://faccoun.unc.edu/committees-2/elected-committees/athletics-committee/.
Is There an Annual Report to the Faculty Council or Faculty Senate?
The FAC and the FAR report on an annual basis to the Faculty Council. Their written reports are published on the Faculty Council’s website referenced above. In some recent years, the FAC Chair has given a short report each month to the Faculty Council.
How Does the Committee Fit into Your University’s Faculty Governance Structure?
The committee is one of a number of elected committees of the faculty that reports to the Faculty Council.
Describe any Staff Support, Budget, or Internal and External Communications Assistance That Your Committee Receives
The committee has no formal support staff, budget, or communications assistance outside of assistance provided to all University committees by the Office of Faculty Governance. That said, a consultant to the Provost who has worked on a related committee – the Student-Athlete Academic Initiative Working Group which has become the Process Review Group – often attends FAC meetings and is willing to help with data gathering and other projects. The University recently included the FAC on a contract for service for an electronic system to track tasks and projects. We believe the Chancellor’s Office would be willing to support ad hoc requests for budget as needed. In the past, the Chancellor’s Office has provided support for a FAC member to attend the COIA annual convention. The University’s Public Affairs Office also provides informal support to the committee and a representative of the office usually attends FAC meetings, especially when members of the press are expected to attend.