Advisory Committee

Purpose:

The college recognizes that an advisory committee is a source of public counsel and that the collective judgments of committee members commonly reflect sound business practices, reliable technical skills, experiences in the related disciplines, and an understanding of the role of community college education.

Programmatic accreditation guidelines may supersede some of the procedures listed in this document. These accreditation requirements will be provided by the program to the Office of Academic Affairs.

Procedure and/or Process Definitions:

Advisory committee member: Local professionals who are advisors to the academic staff responsible for the administration of the program selected by the college for their expertise in a particular program area.

Program advisory committee: A committee composed of professional individuals who are interested in and have expertise in the various aspects of the program to include, but not limited to, curriculum, program assessment, job market supply and demand relative to the program’s occupational objectives, equipment, and work-based learning opportunities.

Procedures:

1. Primary Committee Functions

   The primary functions of an advisory committee will be as follows, with the scope dependent upon the academic program of each committee:

   1. Curriculum Design and Revision

      1. Assist in curriculum design for new programs and provide guidance in curriculum validity and revision for existing programs.

      2. Participate in the process of reviewing the curriculum, programmatic student learning outcomes, and instruction, on a three-year cycle, or as determined by program accreditation requirements, whichever occurs more frequently.

   2. Course Content and Skill Mastery

      1. Provide guidance on the content of courses in a curriculum including the following

         1. Information to be delivered
         2. Specific skills to be taught
         3. Instructional materials
         4. Tools and equipment required for the courses (if applicable to the program)
         5. Level of mastery students should achieve to meet the needs of local employers

   3. Recruitment of Faculty

      1. Provide guidance and assistance in the recruitment and identification of qualified faculty for the program.

   4. Assessment of Need for New and Existing Programs

      1. Assist the college in assessing the need and demand for new programs and existing programs as it pertains to the needs of business, industry, the community, and students.

2. Secondary Committee Functions

   The program advisory committee may also engage in the following activities as determined by the college:

   1. Recruitment of Students

      1. Provide guidance and assistance in attracting new students to the program.

   2. Student Employment

      1. Assist the college in connecting with the business and professional community that will lead to employment opportunities for program students and graduates.

   3. Work-Based Learning Opportunities

      1. Assist the college in identifying work-based learning opportunities within the industry for the students in the program.

   4. Philanthropy

      1. Assist with obtaining resources to support the program in coordination with the Office of Institutional Advancement. Resources may include, but are not limited to, monetary funds, in-kind donations (such as equipment, tools, components, teaching materials), and scholarships.

3. Advisory Committee Members

   1. Selection Process

      1. Recommendations for membership on the advisory committee will be initiated by the department chair and the school dean who completes and submits an Advisory Committee Member Proposal to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA) for each new or reappointed advisory committee member.

      2. Members of the committee should represent a broad range of industry types within the sector.

      3. Nominees for the advisory board must meet the following criteria:

         1. Currently employed in the industry related to the program advisory committee or separated from the industry within the past five years (such as retirement)
         2. Demonstrated expertise in the program area

      4. The VPAA presents the proposed advisory committee membership to the president. If approval is recommended by the president, the VPAA presents the advisory committee membership to the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of the College Board for recommendation to the full College Board.

      5. Upon approval by the College Board, appointment letters are signed by the president or designee and sent to the school dean’s office.

      6. The school dean’s office sends out signed appointment letters with a copy of Reynolds Policy 2-11, Advisory Committees, enclosed.

      7. As this committee is comprised of industry representatives, full-time faculty or college staff may not serve on the committee except as required by program accreditation.

      8. Adjunct faculty may serve as advisory committee members as long as they meet all the criteria of section C.1.c.

   2. Terms of Membership

      1. Members will be appointed for two-year terms.

      2. One-year appointments may be made to stagger replacements in order to ensure experienced members on each committee at all times.

      3. Members may be re-appointed for additional terms of office.

   3. Vacancies

      1. As vacancies occur on existing advisory committees, the college president or designee informs the College Board.

      2. Committee members will work with the department chair and school dean to identify a replacement committee member who meets the criteria for membership.

      3. If it is determined by the school dean that a board member should be removed, a detailed explanation must be provided by the school dean to the VPAA for approval before a decision is made.

   4. Ex Officio Members

      1. Ex officio members are non-voting members who serve on the committee. These members may include the school dean and the department chair of the program.

4. Organization of Advisory Committees

   1. Each advisory committee will consist of a chairperson and vice chairperson. These positions will be determined by a vote of the committee membership. These positions must be filled by industry members as this committee provides guidance to the college by industry, unless otherwise delineated by program accreditation.

   2. A minimum of five (5) industry representatives must serve on the committee or more or fewer if required by a program’s accreditation.

   3. The school dean, department chair, or designee will be responsible for notifying members of meeting times and places, securing the meeting places, preparing meeting agendas, providing necessary data to facilitate the advisory committee’s work, and ensuring that a record of the proceedings has been made.

   4. The advisory committee chairperson is expected to preside over all committee meetings, working closely with the school dean and department chair to ensure the committee’s effectiveness. If the chairperson cannot preside at a meeting, the vice chairperson can assume the responsibilities of the chairperson.

   5. The department chair or designee will serve as the recorder for the advisory committee.

5. Member Expectations

   The following are the expectations of the voting members of the advisory committee:

   1. Participation in scheduled meetings to include the collegial sharing of industry knowledge as it pertains to the program

   2. Vote on topics brought to the committee

   3. Recommend representatives for membership

   4. Participate in annual surveys

6. Schedule of Meetings

   1. Each advisory committee will meet a minimum of twice each academic year.

   2. Additional meetings beyond the minimum may be held as needed or as specified by a program’s accreditation requirements.

7. Proceedings of Meetings

   1. Format of the Meeting

      It is recommended that Robert’s Rules of Order be utilized for the meeting. At a minimum, the following processes should be followed when conducting an advisory board meeting unless otherwise delineated by a program’s accreditation requirements:

      1. An agenda of the topics to be discussed must be provided to the committee members prior to the start of the meeting. Additional items may be added to the original agenda at the discretion of the committee.

      2. Attendance at the meeting will be recorded.

      3. The committee chairperson, or vice chairperson in the chairperson’s absence, will call the meeting to order and adjourn the meeting.

      4. The committee chairperson, or vice chairperson in the chairperson’s absence, will lead the meeting and follow the agenda.

      5. The committee will review the previous meeting’s minutes and vote to approve them.

      6. A quorum consisting of more than half of the voting members (simple majority) must be present to bring any action item forward for a vote by the committee. If quorum is not obtained, the actions items to be voted on will be tabled until a meeting can take place in which quorum can be achieved.

      7. Any action items that require a vote will require a motion to approve by a voting member of the committee, a second motion to approve by a different voting member, and a vote by all the eligible committee members.

      8. Meetings must take place live either face-to-face, virtually online, or a combination of the two (hybrid).

      9. Email cannot be used to conduct an advisory board meeting.

      10. Email can be used to conduct a vote of advisory committee members if the specific item to be voted on has been previously discussed in detail at a live meeting with quorum and minutes of that discussion have been submitted. The email vote must be submitted as an addendum to the original minutes with copies of the emails from the board members provided.

   2. Recording of Minutes

      1. The department chair or designee for each committee will use JSRCC Form 05-0017, Template for Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes to record. The minutes must include the following:

         1. Current listing of officers and members including full names, professional titles, and business affiliation for each
         2. Names of members present
         3. Names of special guests and role present
         4. Date, time, and location of the meeting to include the modality of meeting (face-to-face, virtual online, or hybrid)
         5. Approval of the minutes of the previous meeting
         6. Review of status of previous recommendations
         7. Discussion of the specific action items
         8. Motion and votes of action items to include names of those who provided the motions
         9. Specific new recommendations
         10. Date, time, and location of next meeting
         11. Name of the person who submitted the minutes
         12. Link to the recorded meeting if conducted virtually

   3. The meeting minutes will be distributed to each committee member electronically with copies sent to the Office of Academic Affairs within thirty (30) days of the meeting.

   4. Completed meeting minutes will be submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs along with any supporting documentation to include, but not limited to, meeting handouts, presentations, and any links to resources discussed at the meeting.

   5. Recording of the minutes can be conducted electronically. Advisory committee members and guests must be made aware that the meeting will be recorded prior to the start of the meeting. Recorded minutes do not replace written minutes. A link to the recorded minutes must be provided in the written minutes.

   6. The department chair or designee will be responsible for the accurate recording and electronic dissemination of committee proceedings.

   7. If artificial intelligence (AI) is used to transcribe the meeting discussions, the output from AI must be reviewed and edited by the department chair or designee before the official minutes are submitted on the approved template.

8. College Responsibility to the Advisory Committees

   The college, through the school dean, will seek to advance and facilitate the progress of each advisory committee through appropriate means, including the following:

   1. Informing members of significant college developments as these relate to, or impact the area of interest for the committee

   2. Providing members with information regarding the purpose and functions of the advisory committee, the operational guidelines for the committee, and the mission, goals, and strategic priorities of the college

   3. Making available, where possible, the staff and facilities of the college to assist with committee functions and duties.

9. Evaluation

   An annual evaluation of the advisory committee will be conducted utilizing the following guidelines:

   1. By August 1, the Office of Academic Affairs completes and submits a summary analysis of advisory committee activity to the VPAA to include action items that have been approved by the committee. The summary will also address the extent to which the following criteria have been met during the academic year:

      1. Each occupational-technical program offered by the college has a designated advisory committee
      2. Advisory committees meet at least twice per academic year
      3. Advisory committees have minutes of meetings on file in the Office of Academic Affairs
      4. Advisory committees meet the college’s criteria for membership by having at least five (5) voting members representing industry
      5. Advisory committees have discussed, at a minimum, the topics related to the committee’s primary functions

   2. The VPAA presents the Advisory Committee Annual Report to the President’s Executive Cabinet and to the College Board at the first fall meeting.

Other Information:

JSRCC Form 60-0004, Advisory Committee Member Proposal

JSRCC Form 05-0019, Letter Template for Advisory Board Members

JSRCC Form 05-0017, Template for Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes