Back to the Index

Advisory Groups Policy

Roles and Appointment of Advisory Groups Policy

INTENT

It is the intent of this policy to establish advisory groups to academic or support programs as official institutional entities whose creation and appointments are subject to the approval of the President.

POLICY

Advisory groups, consisting of external community members, leaders and individuals with professional expertise and specified credentials, are recognized in a higher education community as mechanisms that can effectively support the processes related to the development of new academic and support programs and the modification of existing programs. Further advisory groups can provide valuable input into degree requirements, facilities and other resource needs and development, and skill and knowledge sets that students and graduates must possess in order to be competitive in the workforce/professional fields. Many programmatic accreditations require that academic and support departments elicit the counsel and support of external advisory groups.

At St. Bonaventure University, advisory groups also serve the following specific mission-critical roles:

1. Advisory groups provide assistance with establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and/or careers for students at St. Bonaventure University. Every meeting of an advisory group includes an agenda item or experience that serves to advance this role of the group.
2. Generally, members of advisory groups have a history of and continuing commitment to philanthropic support to St. Bonaventure University. They may also have been identified as a prospect for or conduit to philanthropic support. Every meeting or the advisory group includes an agenda item or experience that serves to advance the fund raising role of the advisory group while also ensuring alignment of such activities with the Advancement division of the University.
3. Advisory group members may also be appointed to bring unique and necessary expertise or opportunities to the advisory group and the program it serves.

In an effort to ensure that our academic and support programs can benefit from the counsel and support of external advisory groups, St. Bonaventure University endorses the establishment of such groups in accordance with the following procedures.

PROCEDURES

1. Academic and support departments wishing to establish an external advisory group should submit to the appropriate academic dean (for academic departments) or to the appropriate vice president (for support departments) a written request and proposal that outlines the perceived need for the advisory group and its role, function and purpose along with a list of proposed members. The proposal should also identify the faculty or staff member who will serve as the liaison to the advisory group. This narrative statement need not exceed two typed pages.
2. Proposed lists of advisory group members must be developed in cooperation with Advancement and Alumni Relations.
3. In the case of academic departments, the Dean forwards the proposal to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs indicating his or her level of support or endorsement along with any reservations or appropriate recommendations.
4. Vice Presidents will consult with the President on all proposals.
5. With the Vice President's and the President's endorsement, approvals will be granted, in writing, to the Dean or Director with a directive to prepare letters of appointment to the advisory group for the President's signature and transmittal.
6. The Vice President will return those proposals that are not approved to the Dean or Director with explanation as appropriate.
7. The Vice President for University Advancement or his/her designee is an ex officio member of all advisory groups.
8. The respective Vice President is an ex officio member of all advisory groups in his/her division.
9. The respective Dean is an ex officio member of all academic program advisory groups. In the case of graduate program advisory groups, the Dean of Graduate Studies and the School-Level Dean are both ex officio members.

Recommended for Approval by: Dr. Michael Fischer, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Approved by the President's Cabinet: August 14, 2012

Review Date: As Required