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Department of Psychology

College of Social & Behavioral Science

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Faculty Committees 

The Academic Senate plays an integral part in the shared governance of the University of Utah. Strong working relations have developed between the Senate and the Administration in confronting the issues faced by the University. Both Senate and Administration take the initiative in formulating issues and in developing responses to them. The Senate is comprised of 100 faculty members elected by & representing their respective colleges, 2 Deans elected by the deans, & 18 students from ASUU. There are 12 standing committees, plus ad hoc committees as needed, that carry out the work. The Senate typically meets on the first Mondays during the school year at 3:00 pm and are open to the public. For more information, see the Academic Senate website.

Faculty Up For Review

This committee is comprised of faculty from all CSBS departments and programs, and reviews and approves proposals related to degree programs, including, but not limited to ,new courses, removing existing courses, changing major requirements, developing new emphases in existing programs, and developing new degree programs. The psychology department representative presents proposals from the psychology department to the committee; proposals should be approved within the department prior to being submitted to the college curriculum committee. Note that the committee meets only 2-3 times per year, and further approval processes are required after the college committee. This committee also reviews undergraduate research opportunity proposals within the college, and makes decisions about teaching awards.

 The Diversity Committee's mission is to facilitate and maintain the Department's commitment to diversity in research, teaching, and service. This includes five specific functions: 1) serving as a forum for diversity-related issues; 2) working to develop, establish and maintain policies to increase minority and underrepresented populations representation in psychology; 3) promoting the teaching and understanding of diversity; 4) providing expertise for and promoting research that seeks to understand the meaning of diversity to particular phenomenon across cultural groups, and 5) serving as a support system for minority and underrepresented students and faculty in the department.

The Executive Committee is made up of five faculty members, selected by departmental election. The Chair of the Executive Committee is determined by vote of the committee members. The Executive Committee serves to promote the vitality, well-being and morale of the Psychology Department as a whole. The specific role of the Committee at any given time depends upon the circumstances of the department and emerges in discussions with the department Chair. In general, however, with an eye to achieving the department's full potential and ensuring the department's future strength the Committee works in conjunction with the department Chair to develop policy and the long range planning, and to advise the Chair on issues of policy and procedure. For example, the Committee may be active in making recommendations to the department faculty and to the Chair in these areas: Long-range planning, particularly faculty hiring in terms of the nature and timing of the searches: budgetary issues such as graduate student support and faculty workload; personnel issues that fall outside the purview of faculty reviews and the usual tasks of Personnel Committee; policies and procedures concerning faculty leaves of absence and FTE reductions.

 The Graduate Committee reviews all department procedures related to our doctoral program, including existing curriculum, new graduate courses, qualifying exam procedures, student evaluations, teaching assignments, teaching evaluations, and departmental, college, and Graduate School fellowships and awards. The Graduate Committee also responds to suggestions from students and faculty alike in revising or clarifying any of the above procedures. In general, the mission of the Graduate Committee is to ensure a high quality educational experience and comfortable, professional, and fair working environment for graduate students, to ensure that funding opportunities are widely disseminated and equitably awarded, and to be responsive to the suggestions and concerns of students and faculty alike. Most decisions are made by consensus, with disagreements resolved by discussion rather than by majority vote.

 The IRB is charged with the review of all research projects that involve humans to ensure they comply with local, state, and federal laws, as well as the high ethical standards set forth in University policy. There are seven panels that meet to review the protocols & are comprised of faculty, researchers, & community members. The IRB prides itself on serving the University's research community by applying the highest standards of intellectual integrity and careful attention to federal research regulations. For more information, see the IRB's website.

The Personnel Committee conducts formal and informal reviews of faculty members. Formal reviews are conducted when contract renewal, tenure, and promotion decisions are made. Informal reviews are conducted regularly (approximately every five years for senior faculty and every year not requiring a formal review for junior faculty) when the formal review is not appropriate. Graduate students have input in all reviews through their graduate committee representatives.

Faculty up for Review

The committee serves as an educational resource for the department concerning professional issues and ethics with the aim of preventing serious ethical and boundary problems. The committee provides an entry point for questions and consultations concerning professional issues and will funnel queries to appropriate committees as needed. A key function of the committee is to provide consultation in the early stages in order to prevent escalation of problems. Professional issues that may be directed to this committee include (but are not limited to) issues concerning abuse of power, boundary issues (among faculty, graduate students, undergraduate students, and staff), authorship issues, conflict of interest, sexual harassment, career choice, career development and management, etc. The committee provides informal feedback to faculty, students, and staff concerning questions that may arise. In addition, the committee will make recommendations as to the most effective use of available resources and committees within the department and outside of the department in the university. While the PIE does not set policy, the PIE may recommend policy changes to the chair and appropriate committees in cases where departmental structure is causing concern. The ultimate goal of the PIE Committee is to raise awareness, facilitate discussion, reduce the frequency of professional and ethical problems, and promote a positive and collaborative working environment. For more information, visit the PIE website.

 This committee meets primarily to address undergraduate issues related to fostering a positive learning environment for our majors. This includes managing curriculum development and course scheduling, overseeing the PAC office, and addressing student concerns regarding their undergraduate classes. The committee also reviews course enrollments and studies the effectiveness of teaching strategies (online classes, labs, modes of learning, etc.). The committee is made up of faculty, members of the PAC office, a Psi Chi representative, and a SAC representative. Graduate student input is welcome. Also, if graduate instructors have questions about teaching policies or need help managing a teaching related problem, they are encouraged to consult with a faculty member.

Last Updated: 7/2/21