Faculty Governance

Committees are integral subunits of the Faculty Senate or of councils with specific charges as designated in the committee purpose statements.

Faculty Development Committee

This committee advises the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment in order to promote a culture of excellence in the practice and scholarship of teaching. This committee meets on an as-needed basis.

Faculty Elections Committee

This committee ensures that an efficient and orderly process is implemented to select the faculty moderator-elect and at-large faculty members to serve on the Faculty Senate and designated faculty councils, committees, and review boards.

Chair: Patricia Esslin

Handbook Review Committee

This committee ensures that the Faculty Handbook provides clear and consistent procedures for faculty to follow as they fulfill their duties at APU.

Chair: Nori Henk

Senate Steering Committee

This committee is composed of the faculty moderator, moderator-elect or past moderator or vice moderator, secretary, parliamentarian, senate historian, and one senate member elected by the Faculty Senate at the first meeting of the fall semester to serve a one-year term on the Senate Steering Committee. This committee is responsible for tracking and follow up with the administration on all action items from the various councils, committees, and the senate as a whole, and sets the agenda for Faculty Senate.

Members:
Nori Henk, Moderator
Christopher Noble, Moderator-Elect
Christina Bivona-Tellez, Historian
Justin Marc Smith, Secretary
Christopher Leland, Senate Representative
Alan Oda, Parliamentarian

Diversity Council

This council affirms and values the nature of diversity and promotes the establishment and further support of university educational policies, practices, and programs related to the understanding and appreciation of diversity from a biblical viewpoint. It represents the academic arena and extended community of the university in matters pertaining to diversity and community demographic balance.

Chair: Alan Oda

Doctoral Studies Council

Oversees the quality and effectiveness of doctoral programs through ongoing review and development of academic policies and programs associated with doctoral studies at APU.

Chair: David Harmeyer

Faculty Evaluation Council

This council oversees the Faculty Evaluation System (FES), evaluating the quality and effectiveness of all components of the FES and recommending changes to the FES, including the review of appropriate issues in need of clarification or resolution.

Chair: Kevin Huang

Faculty Research Council

Promotes and supports a culture of scholarship at the university through the following activities: awarding internal research funds for faculty research, advocating for greater institutional support for faculty and graduate and undergraduate student research, promoting safe and ethical conduct and dissemination of research, and affirming and encouraging scholarly activities of the highest quality.

Chair: Stacy Kula

Faith Integration Council

This council governs faith integration and assists the Office of Faith Integration through the following activities: advancing and implementing faith integration policies, advising the Office of Faith Integration in relation to faculty development in the area of academic faith integration, and serving as knowledgeable and available resource mentors for departments/schools and the faculty colleagues they serve and represent.

Chair: William Whitney

General Education Council

This council evaluates and approves General Education credit and monitors the direction and effectiveness of the General Education program.

Chair: Matthew Heller

Master’s Studies Council

Oversees the quality and effectiveness of graduate-level programs through ongoing review and development of academic policies and programs associated with master’s education, graduate continuing education, and master’s-level accelerated degree programs at APU.

Chair: Kenton Walkemeyer

Professional Studies Council

This council oversees the quality and effectiveness of professional programs through ongoing review and development of academic policies and programs associated with professional education at APU. Professional education in this context is defined as nontraditional undergraduate degree programs that are administered through the Graduate and Professional Center.

Chair: Elsa Murdoch

Undergraduate Studies Council

Oversees the quality and effectiveness of undergraduate programs through ongoing review and development of academic policies and programs associated with undergraduate education and undergraduate-level accelerated degree programs at APU.

Chair: Mark Cawman

Workload and Compensation Council

This council provides a mechanism for dialogue and policy development on issues related to faculty workload and compensation.

Chair: William Ingersoll