UNIVERSITY
OF UTAH
SAC
HANDBOOK
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Introduction: What is a Student Advisory Committee?
How to Organize a SAC
Role and Purposes of SACs
Expectations of a SAC
Obtaining Funding for a SAC
Frequently Asked Questions
Appendices
SAC Timeline
SAC Registration Form
Expenditure Request Form
Flow Chart for RPT Process
Guiding Principles for SAC Evaluations of Faculty
Faculty Evaluation Report
Course Evaluations
Course Evaluation Departmental Policy
Course Evaluation Sample
INTRODUCTION
What is a Student Advisory Committee? Student Advisory Committees (SACs)
are student groups established within each department to promote communication
and interaction among students, faculty, staff, and administrators. They should
be designed to
- promote academic and social activities
- encourage collaboration with other student organizations
- provide service opportunities
- perform and facilitate the Faculty Retention, Promotion, and Tenure (RPT)
- to facilitate the course evaluation process
- build campus community at the University
The SACs were created to provide students more opportunities to provide input
at the departmental level. Involvement in the RPT process affords students
the opportunity to have a voice in the retention and promotion of faculty
within their department.
SACs are both a social and an academic organization within their department
and as such they advance involvement opportunities, encourage participation
in departmental activities, and work together with others to build campus
community.
HOW TO ORGANIZE A SAC
SAC Structure
- A SAC Chair will be chosen or elected from the students in each department,
division, or program of the university according to the direction of the
SAC Advisor.
- It is recommended that each SAC have eight (8) to twelve (12) members
on the committee with various members appointed to leadership positions
(Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, etc.) as needed.
- Each department, division, or program at the University may have up to
two (2) SACs, undergraduate and graduate, as needed.
- Non-majors are allowed in SACs which are non-major related, i.e. Bennion
Center, Honors, LEAP.
Setting Up a SAC
- All elections and appointments for SAC officers will be held at the beginning
of each school year. Officers should be in place by the end of the third
full week of fall semester.
- In addition to the chair, a chair-elect position should be created in
each SAC. This officer will serve the duration of the current academic year
and as the chair in the following academic year.
- The SAC Chair (or a SAC member designated by the chair) will run the
elections for the SAC Chair-elect.
- If the SAC Chair position should be vacated during Spring or Summer Semester
the Chair-Elect should immediately become the Chair for the remainder of
that academic year. If the Chair position should be vacated during Fall
Semester, the Chair-elect should immediately become Chair for the remainder
of that school year and an election should be held for a new Chair-elect.
Recruiting New SAC Members
A SAC should try to have broad representation in its department. SACs can
use, but are not limited to the following ideas to recruit members:
- Request departmental faculty, staff, and advisors, and administrators
to encourage students' participation in the SAC. This may include handing
out SAC materials in advising sessions, announcements in class, and posting
information on boards with each department.
- Personal contacts and invitations from the SAC chair or another member
of the SAC encouraging students to get involved.
- Use the internet and advertise on the department website.
- Plan activities and service projects that will encourage students to
get involved.
- Hold Open Houses in the department (SACs are eligible for $75 per semester
for open houses through ASUU).
- Produce a newsletter discussing current events in the department and
encouraging student participation.
- ASUU will provide general advertising during the SAC election period
encouraging students to get involved in their respective departmental SAC.
- A SAC will be more effective by encouraging participation from a broad
cross section of students in its department.
SAC Registration
SACs should register with ASUU each year by the end of the first week of
October (see Appendix for a copy of the registration form). Registration forms
can be obtained from the ASUU Office, Union 234 or online at http://www.asuu.utah.edu.
After the new officers are elected, the SAC Chair should take their completed
registration form to ASUU. Registering will
- Give the SAC official University recognition
- Allow the SAC to receive ASUU funding and University discounts
- Enable the college's senator to contact the SAC
- Provide ASUU with the contacts to keep the SAC informed of training sessions,
pertinent issues, and activities.
SAC Training
After the SAC is organized, two training sessions are required in order to
provide the SAC with necessary information to function properly.
The first training session will be held at the beginning of the Fall Semester
and will include an overview of duties and expectations, registration of the
SAC with ASUU, and leadership training.
The second training is presented during the Spring Semester by the Office
of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. This meeting is designed
to aquaint and familiarize students with the RPT process.
ROLE AND PURPOSE OF SACS
Promotion and Organization of Departmental Activities
One of the primary functions of SACs is to promote and encourage involvement
within their department. The Student Advisory Committee should encourage active
student participation, develop activities in which students can participate,
and assist with organizing and facilitating programs which foster departmental
interaction. SACs should promote both academic and social activities. Here
are a few ideas for getting involved:
- Sponsor student-faculty activities, i.e. picnics, lectures
- Plan social activities, i.e. BBQ, Bingo, etc.
- Contact similar departments at other universities and arrange a social,
a research exchange, or other activity.
- Contact the Bennion Center (581-4811) and schedule a department-wide
service project.
- Hold a Book Sale/Exchange.
- Publish a newsletter outlining current departmental concerns, faculty
"profiles," and opportunities for student involvement.
- Sponsor demonstrations or lectures of student and/or faculty work or
research.
- Have a "preview meeting" for upcoming classes for the following semester
and invite professors to present an informal overview of their classes.
- Organize a seminar for students, including information on careers in
the major, career placement, and/or graduate school.
- Hold panel discussions concerning student issues.
- Set up a freshman-mentoring program or assist with the department orientation
program.
These are only a few ideas of ways to get the faculty and students interacting
more frequently. It is strongly encouraged that SACs interact with student
organizations in their department as well as other SACs throughout the University.
An example may include working with the ASUU Presenters Office to bring in
a renowned lecturer or working with the Bennion Community Service Center to
involve your SAC in a service learning project.
Promotion of Interdepartmental Communication
Student Advisory Committee members can serve an important role by acting
as a liaison between the various groups that make up the community of their
department. Members gather pertinent information about departmental activities
and notify students through newsletters, classroom announcements, e-mail lists,
etc.
Each department is unique as to the type of activities it promotes to enhance
scholarship in its discipline. SAC members should be well informed about these
activities in order to communicate opportunities that will enhance their fellow
students' educational experience. SACs can help advertise departmental or
discipline specific activities, or sponsor their own.
Equally important, members are responsible for making department administration
aware of important issues raised by students. The SAC should appoint students
to all departmental committees where appropriate and should promote student
participation on all levels of department committees.
Course Evaluations
The SAC works closely with their department in preparing and distributing
course evaluations. According to University Policy & Procedures, the chair
of the student advisory committee meets with the chair of the department at
the beginning of the year to develop a policy for course evaluations for the
year. The policy adopted shall be one mutually agreeable to the department
administration and the SAC. The policy shall state the criteria for determining
which courses are evaluated and a mechanism by which they will be evaluated
(see policy example in Appendix).
All departments will use the Standard University Evaluations form and it
is the responsibility of the SAC and the department administration to determine
the department specific questions that will be added to the backside of the
evaluation form.
Community Outreach
Students at the University have a unique opportunity to use practical applications
of their academic knowledge and provide a service to the community. Each academic
discipline can identify certain areas of expertise that would be of benefit
to individuals or programs in the community. SACs can help promote service
learning opportunities in their discipline. The Bennion Center can be of assistance
in identifying outreach opportunities.
Retention, Promotion, and Tenure
Faculty quality in no small way determines the quality of an institution
and the education it provides its students. Evaluation of faculty during the
probationary period and post-tenure is an important part of monitoring faculty
quality, and student input and advise plays a crucial role in this evaluation.
The department SAC is the most common and effective means of providing this
evaluation. The evaluation is especially important in the years leading up
to the tenure decision. It is commonly in the seventh year when the decision
must be made whether to award tenure or end the probationary period with a
terminal contract. Tenure is a guarantee of permanent position for faculty
with the University, intended to protect academic freedom from political pressures.
At the same time, it initiates a long-term contract between a faculty member
and the University to work to the mutual benefit of each.
In each department, an RPT (Retention, Promotion, and Tenure) Advisory Committee
is formed to make recommendations and vote on the retention, promotion, and
tenure of faculty members. Prior to the convening of the department RPT Advisory
Committee, the department chair requests the department Student Advisory Committee
submit in writing their recommendations on the candidates proposed for tenure,
stating as specifically as possible, the reasons for each recommendation.
(For an outline of the RPT timeline see the Appendix.)
RPT recommendations should be completed and submitted to the departmental
office no later than April 15th. The department chair shall forward to the
department RPT Advisory Committee the recommendation submitted by individual
faculty members, the department SAC, and any statements submitted by the candidates
for tenure. If the SAC fails to report its recommendations within the time
limit designated by the department, such recommendations are deemed conclusively
waived. The SAC report becomes part of the permanent file and will be read
by all subsequent review levels. The faculty member has access to this file
and will be able to review the SAC report. After discussion and vote by the
RPT Advisory Committee, the case is then reviewed by the department chair,
the College Dean, the Academic Vice President, and finally the President of
the University, who makes the final decision to award or deny tenure, retention,
or promotion. The SAC should receive a memo and/or copy of the recommendation
from the Dean of the College or Academic Vice President indicating the outcome.
The Student Advisory Committee may appeal the Vice President's recommendation.
The Department Chair should inform the SAC of the final decision made by the
President of the University.
EXPECTATIONS OF
SACS
Each SAC has a responsibility to see that the students in their department
are well represented. In providing that representation there are a number
of expectations that should be realized. The following are the basic expectations
for a SAC:
OBTAINING FUNDING FOR
YOUR SAC
Departmental Funding
Departments provide funding for all costs related to processing evaluations
and RPT and provide funding costs of SAC elections, if any. Departments will
generally work with SACs to provide funding for student needs which may include
work space, telephone service, meeting rooms, supplies, photocopies, activities,
and other needs.
ASUU Funding
ASUU may provide general funding for advertising of general SAC elections
at the beginning of Fall Semester. Each SAC is eligible for funding each semester
for an open house in its department. SACs may submit legislation through its
ASUU Senator to request funding for other activities (please see ASUU for
funding restrictions). To access ASUU funding you must do the following:
- Work with your ASUU Senator to draft and submit legislation to the ASUU
Senate. Only ASUU Senators may submit legislation to the ASUU Senate. (For
SAC open house money, skip to line 4.)
- Have your Senator present legislation before the ASUU Senate. SAC representatives
must attend the Senate meeting at which the bill is presented, in order
to answer questions about the bill.
- Up to two (2) weeks are required for presidential review of Senate-approved
legislation.
- Once legislation is approved by the Senate and signed by the ASUU president,
fill out an expenditure request form in ASUU (see appendix for a copy of
this form).
- Allow three (3) business days for processing. For open house funding,
allow two (2) weeks for processing.
- Check back with ASUU before spending any money to make sure the expenditure
request form has received all the appropriate signatures (ASUU will not
reimburse SACs for monies that were spent or committed prior to receiving
all necessary signatures). The ASUU Finance Board Chair or the ASUU accountant
can answer any questions you may have regarding SAC funds.
- After all signatures are received on the expenditure request form, a
SAC may commit and spend the allocated money.
- Save all receipts for reimbursement and possible audit. Take receipts
for reimbursement. Allow three to six weeks for a reimbursement check.
Fundraisers
SACs may hold fundraisers to raise money for SAC expenses not funded by their
departments or ASUU. Some suggestions include:
- Selling food and beverage items in the department student lounge.
- Providing services to the public that are in the field of interest in
which the students are studying.
- Use vendors to provide fund raising activities.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Why do I need to register my SAC? In order to be eligible for any
kind of funding through ASUU the SAC must be registered. It is also a way
of giving the necessary information to ASUU so that they know which SACs
have been established each year, and who should be attending the SAC orientations
and trainings.
- How do I register my SAC? Go to ASUU (located in the Union, room
234) and fill out the registration form. SAC registration may also be completed
by visiting the ASUU website at http://www.asuu.utah.edu.
- What is RPT? RPT stands for retention, promotion, and tenure. This
is a process which professors must complete in order to be promoted and
granted tenure at the University.
- Why is RPT important? Many students are not aware that the input
they give in course evaluations is taken into consideration when faculty
members are up for promotion. Students play a vital role in the RPT decisions.
RPT is the SAC's opportunity to represent the students and let their voice
be heard. It is the process through which we can best represent the desires
of our students concerning University faculty.
- How do I obtain funding for an open house? Each semester SACs may
be eligible to receive funding for an open house. The money can be obtained
by completing an expenditure request form in the ASUU office (see Appendix
for a copy of the form).
- How do I obtain funding for events we are sponsoring? You first
need to talk to the Senator of your college and talk to them about the event
and what funding you would need. They can then sponsor your bill and take
it to the senate for a vote. Be sure to plan ahead as the process can take
some time.
- If I have questions, whom can I contact? Students should first
contact the Academic Affairs Director at the ASUU Office (581-ASUU) or the
Student Senator that represents their academic college. Students can also
contact the Department Chair or SAC Advisor in their department. The representative
from the Office of the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs is Les
Cook. He serves as the University's SAC Advisor and can assist with additional
questions you may have about SACs. Les can be reached at 581-7069 or at
lcook@saff.utah.edu.
APPENDICES
SAC TIMELINE
August
Set up SAC elections (date, advertising, etc.)
September
Solicit students to run or apply for the sac positions.
Hold sac elections (if applicable to your department) and have the sac formed
by the third full week of the semester.
Set up a schedule for sac meetings for fall semester (sacs should hold committee
meetings a minimum of once every two weeks).
Meet with department chair to determine if sac reports need to be completed
for fall RPT reviews. Meet with the department chair to establish a policy
for course evaluations for the year (see evaluation policy sample in appendix).
- send a copy to the college dean
- keep a copy in a sac file
Meet with department chair to determine the departmental questions for the
back side of the standardized course evaluation forms.
October
Register your SAC by the end of the week of October at the ASUU office (Union
Rm. 234) or on the ASUU web page at http://www.asuu.utah.edu.
Attend SAC Orientation held by the ASUU Senate and Academic Affairs Board.
Prepare for student evaluations.
- Contact professors to schedule a class date to do evaluations.
- Organize evaluations; assign students and staff in handling evaluations
for specific classes.
November-December
Course evaluations are run during the last five (5) weeks of the semester
and should be complete by the end of the next to the last week of the semester.
January
Set up a schedule for SAC meetings for spring semester. SACs should hold
committee meetings a minimum of once every two (2) weeks. Provide professors
with the results of fall semester course evaluations (refer to department
policy).
February
Prepare for student evaluations.
- Contact professors to schedule a class date to do evaluations.
- Organize evaluations, assign students and assist staff in handling evaluations
for specific classes.
Determine which professors are up for review in the RPT process (check with
department chair and/or dean).
Determine which professors are up for review of tenure (check with the department
chair and/or college).
March
Attend the SAC RPT training session given through the Academic Affairs office
(this should occur the last week of February or the first week of March).
Determine the process that will be used to develop the SAC RPT report. Some
of the following methods that may be used include:
- interview students who have had a recent class with the professor
- class evaluations
- interview the professor
- observe some of the professor's classes
- look at samples of past syllabi, tests, and assignments
- look at a statement of the professor's teaching philosophy and his/her
teaching objectives
- other methods
Assign individual committee members to compile a report on the professor
based on the various methods used to collect data.
April
Do SAC reports for faculty being considered for retention, promotion, and
tenure the following year if SACs are not organized to complete it in the
fall.
Assemble SAC to review the reports of the individual professors, make any
changes and vote on the SAC recommendation. The final report and recommendation
is due in the departmental office no later than April 15th.
Course evaluations are run during the last five (5) weeks of the semester
and should be complete by the end of the next to the last week of the semester.
May
Set up a schedule for SAC meetings for summer semester. SACs may or may not
meet during summer semester depending on the needs of the department.
Provide professors with the results of spring semester course evaluations
(refer to departmental policy).
June
Hold regular meetings every two (2) weeks.
July
Prepare for student evaluations as needed in each department.
- contact professors to schedule a class date to do evaluations
- organize evaluations, assign students and assist staff in handling evaluations
for specific classes
August
Course evaluations are run during the last five (5) weeks of the semester
and should be complete by the end of the next to the last week of the semester.
FACULTY EVALUATION REPORT
The SAC Faculty Evaluation Report form is available online as a pdf file.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
http://www.admin.utah.edu//facdev/forms/studentadv.pdf
Distributed
by ASUU (Associated Students of the University of Utah)
200 South Central Campus Drive, Suite 234, Salt Lake City, UT 84112
Phone: 801-581-ASUU, Fax: 801-581-6882
http://www.asuu.utah.edu
