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Program Advisory Committees

• Policy Statement
• Objectives of Advisory Committees
• Selection of Voting Members
• Term of Appointment for Voting Members
• Non-voting College Representatives
• Election of Chairs
• Guidelines for Meetings
• Evaluation

Purpose

Douglas College believes that the community it serves can fulfill an important role in program development and continuing program relevance. Program Advisory Committees facilitate relationships with employer groups, community organisations, professional associations and related educational institutions to encourage innovative approaches to learning in both traditional and non-traditional settings and to ensure that timely and responsive formative evaluation keeps all College activity relevant and current.

Policy Statement

A Program Advisory Committee shall be established for each limited-enrollment credit program offered by Douglas College to ensure ongoing communication between the College and the industry or workplace the program is intended to serve and to provide advice and guidance commensurate with the expertise of individual members.

An ad hoc Program Advisory Committee (also called the Development Committee) will be established for any new limited-enrollment program under consideration to examine its feasibility and recommend whether the college should develop and implement the proposed program. The ad hoc Program Advisory Committee terminates upon reaching a decision concerning the proposed program, or upon appointment of a regular Program Advisory Committee.

With the approval of their Dean, open enrollment programs and Educational Services may also choose to establish Program Advisory Committees.

Objectives of Advisory Committees

• to assist in determining and evaluating the needs the program is designed to meet;
• to assist in defining relevant program objectives;
• to assist in consultations related to curriculum, including consideration of elective options outside the program specialty which encourage breadth of knowledge and interest and foster interrelationships among programs and disciplines;
• to assist in promoting public awareness of the program with unions, professional associations, employers, and appropriate community groups and governments;
• to assist in securing satisfactory field experiences for students in work or community settings;
• to assist in the placement of graduates;
• to assist in a follow-up study of graduates;
• to assist in community surveys of employment opportunities and hiring practices;
• to assist in obtaining support for students through bursaries and scholarships.

Selection of Voting Members

Representation on a Program Advisory Committee may include an appointee from each of the following sectors, if appropriate to the program:

• Employers or users of the services of the program graduates;
• Regulatory bodies--licensing, examining and/or certifying bodies or associations;
• Professional or occupational associations and trade unions;
• Representatives of other colleges, institutes, or universities;
• Graduates of the program currently employed in a program-related field.

Each nominee must reflect the constituency he or she has been nominated to represent and be in a position to allocate time to fulfill committee obligations. Nominations may be submitted by any faculty member or administrator to the Dean, who is responsible for ratifying the selection and notifying the nominees in writing of their appointment.

Term of Appointment for Voting Members

The term of appointment is up to three years, with one half of the members having anniversary dates one year later than the other half to provide continuity. A member may serve two consecutive terms.

Non-voting College Representatives

A Program Advisory Committee shall include as non-voting members the appropriate Dean and the program co-ordinator. Program instructors may be invited to attend meetings as resource personnel. Other College employees may be appointed by the Dean to provide guidance to a Program Advisory Committee. The program co-ordinator shall be the official liaison among Program Advisory Committee members.

Non-voting members of advisory committees may also include students.

Election of Chairs

Each committee shall elect its own Chair, who will be in the second year of his or her term. The Chair cannot be a Douglas College employee. The Chair will communicate with the Program Coordinator and the Dean prior to all meetings to outline and receive approval of the agenda and discuss any other preparations.

Guidelines for Meetings

The Chair, with the assistance of the Program Coordinator, is responsible for adhering to generally accepted operating procedures as follows:

1. arranging a minimum of two meetings per year (to a maximum of six) at appropriate times. Meetings may be initiated by the appropriate Dean, the Program Coordinator, or the Program Advisory Committee Chair after consultation with one other;
2. distributing notice of meeting and agenda at least two weeks before the meeting to all members of the committee and appropriate faculty in the program area when required.

The Program Coordinator shall inform instructors of significant developments resulting from advisory committee meetings and prepare and circulate minutes of meetings to all members.

Evaluation

The performance of the Committee shall be evaluated every two years, in a way determined by the Department, the administration, and the Committee.

This policy was last revised in July, 2000.