University Committee Descriptions
Below are the descriptions of each University Committee. To learn more about each committee, follow the link on the right to view current representatives and read public committee reports.
To apply for a University Committee, please use this form. You can check the status of your application here.
You can also view all current University Committee representatives here. All public committee reports can be viewed here.
If you have any questions about University Committees or the University Committee selection process, please contact the GPSC University Affairs Coordinator.
| Committee | Description | URL |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Council Liaison | This liaison is GPSC's link to faculty governance through the Academic Council. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Academic Integrity Committee | The Academic Integrity Council is a group of faculty, administrators,and students--both undergraduate and graduate--that discusses issues of academic integrity and makes recommendations in policy and procedures. Originally formed to deal solely with undergraduate issues, the AIC has a broader purview now. In 2005/06 its attention was focused on surveying undergraduate students and faculty (including graduate instructors), and in examining issues of social integrity following the "lacrosse incident." In 2006/07, graduate student issues will again be addressed as brought to the table by the GPSC representatives. GPSC selects three representatives to this committee. | |
| Academic Programs Committee | Examines external reviews of departments and schools and advises the Provost on academic programs. Meets weekly or every two weeks as needed. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Annual Fund Executive Committee | The Executive Committee provides the staff of the Annual Fund with expert advice on a broad range of subjects related to fundraising and alumni relations. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Arts and Sciences Committee on Information Science & Information | This committee considers computing needs of Arts and Sciences. The committee meets five or six times per academic year, generally on Friday afternoons between 1:00 and 3:00. Lunch is served. The student representative should be from the School of Arts and Sciences. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Arts and Sciences Council | The purposes of the Council are to represent the faculty and advise the Deans of Arts and Sciences and Trinity College with respect to: Arts and Sciences priorities; faculty development; support and policy for faculty research, teaching, and administrative facilities; organization of departments and units within the Arts and Sciences faculty; areas of interaction between graduate and undergraduate programs such as teaching assistantships, instructional budgets,and teacher training; and any other matters of particular concern to the Arts and Sciences faculty. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Athletic Council | Discusses issues pertaining to the athletic program at the University. Meets twice a semester. Duties are outlined in the Athletic Policy Manual(available on-line at GoDuke.com and select Behind the Scenes from the menu on left side of page). The Council meets once each semester on a Saturday morning at 10:00 at the Alumni House. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Campus Police Liaison | Works with Duke Police to learn of new security initiatives at Duke and discusses graduate student security concerns to the police department. GPSC selects two representatives to this committee. | |
| Campus Sustainability Committee | This committee will be charged to gather data, analyze and define Duke's overall greenhouse gas emissions, and develop an action plan by January 2009. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Career Center Advisory Committee | This committee works with the University Career Center to discuss services offered to graduate students and potential collaborations. Meets as needed. The University Career Center serves students in the Graduate School, while each professional school provides career services for their students. GPSC selects five to six representatives to this committee. | |
| Committee on Facilities and Environment | Review projects destined for consideration by the Building and Grounds Committee of the Board of Trustees; comment on facilities and the environmental issues of University projects, including the aesthetics of external renovations and new buildings; review questions related to zoning, land use, streets and highways which are adjacent to the University, and campus-related environmental concerns. Committee meets every other Monday in the Breedlove Conference Room in Perkins Library from 3:00 to 5:00p.m. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| The GPSC liaison to the Community Service Center (http://csc.studentaffairs.duke.edu/) works with the director of this program to keep GPSC apprised of its resources and initiatives and encourages development of community service opportunities for both GnP and undergraduate students. | ||
| Council for the Arts | Advise provost on policy and resource issues in the arts, to promote collaborative activity and programming among professional, academic, and student arts organizations. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Duke Forest Committee | Discusses issues pertaining to the use of Duke Forest. Meets as needed. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Duke Police Advisory Committee | The Duke Police Advisory Committee works with the Duke Police Department to improve communications to students about safety and security. The committee has, in the past, met about once a month. Previous topics have included how to get safety and security information to students, how to make a good presence at orientation. | |
| Duke University Alumni Board | Represents the over 100,000 alumni of Duke University. GPSC selects two representatives to this committee. | |
| Duke University Postdoctoral Association Liaison | Provides a connection from GPSC to postdocs at the University. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Duke University Student Dining Advisory Committee | Works with the dining services administration to discuss graduate student concerns about University Dining Services. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership Liaison | The GPSC liaison to the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Part. Program (http://community.duke.edu/) works with the director of this program to keep GPSC informed of community service opportunities of potential interest to graduate and professional students. The liaison also informs the GnP population of neighborhood priorities identified by the program so that students living in these communities might have the opportunity to learn more about the neighborhoods in which they live, and near to where they work and go to school. | |
| Environmental Management Advisory Committee (EMAC) | Considers environmental issues faced by the University, from green purchasing to vending machines, to green power and EPA-STAR appliances in the dorms, to green building. Meets approximately once a month, usually the first Thursday of each month. GPSC selects three representatives to this committee. | |
| Executive Committee of Graduate Faculty | Considers policy with respect to graduate study at Duke University,as well as other delegated responsibilities. Normally meets twice a month on matters affecting the Graduate School. GPSC selects one to two representatives to this committee. | |
| Financial Aid Initiative Student Advisory Council | The Duke University Financial Aid Initiative is a University-wide effort to dramatically increase endowed funds for scholarships and graduate fellowships. Over a period of three to four years, the Initiative's total goal is to raise $300 million. The members of this Committee will play an essential role in the initiative by creating a culture among students that would foster open communication between administration and students, strong donor-recipient bonds, and would encourage students to take a proactive approach to improving the financial aid program. The ideal committee member will be a student who: * Has taken advantage of the opportunity financial aid has afforded them by acting as a leader and innovator in the Duke community. * Wants to continue to give back to the university by focusing time and energy on helping the Financial Aid Initiative succeed. * Is able to connect with their peers effectively and impart upon them the importance of the initiative. * Is able to interact with alumni and donors comfortably to share the student recipients' perspective on the value of financial aid programs. GPSC selects two representatives to this committee (one from sciences or engineering, and one from social sciences or humanities). | |
| Harassment Grievance Board | The Board interprets the Duke harassment policy and sets guidelines for appropriate sanctions. It is also a pool from which individuals are randomly selected to serve on five-member panels to hear specific harassment cases. These panels adjudicate cases, decide whether a violation of the policy has occurred, and recommend actions for resolving complaints. GPSC selects four representatives to this committee. | |
| Information Technology Advisory Council | The charge is to define the overall information technology architecture for the University, to review project proposals to ensure that they are in keeping with the technical direction of the University, to help resolve technical issues at Duke. Meets every other week. GPSC selects two representatives to this committee. | |
| International Affairs Committee | The committee considers institutional efforts to internationalize Duke University.Likely issues this year include discussing federal regulations on visas for international students to studying abroad in Cuba. The committee is composed of Deans, or their designees, from each school and college, directors of foreign area centers, and at-large faculty members. This committee meets approximately once a month. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| International Affairs Liaison | Connects GPSC to the International House and International Association. Ensures that GPSC is aware of the needs of international students. GPSC selects one to two representatives to this committee. | |
| Investment Responsibility Advisory Committee | This committee considers Duke's policy on socially responsible investing and hears requests for divestment. Its charge includes monitoring trends and activities in investment responsibility that have an impact on educational institutional investors, conducting research, updating Duke's files on companies and providing analysis as requested, and making recommendations to the President on how to vote proxies when the committee believes proxies should be voted outside the standard protocol of "economic interest",whether to sponsor shareholder resolutions, whether to correspond with the management of corporations in which the University holds an identifiable equity position, when to divest, and any new issues. Meets on call. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Library Council | Advises the Provost and University Librarian on matters relating to general policy; acts as a sounding board for proposed major changes; and serves as a communication link between the Library and faculty and students. GPSC selects two representatives to this committee. | |
| Parking Appeals Board | Reviews appeals to parking violations. The committee meets once a week (alternating between Wednesday and Tuesday). However, only 2 of the 5 representatives need to be at each of the meetings. GPSC selects four to five representatives to this committee. | |
| Portal Planning and Advisory Committee/Team | And professional students. This includes providing feedback on the services currently provided, making suggestions for improving services and processes, and recommending additional services that could be provided to graduate and professional students by the Student Service Center. Time commitment to consist of monthly one-hour meetings. GPSC selects eight representatives to this committee (one from each school). | |
| President's Council on Black Affairs | Help insure that the University pursues its goals of increasing diversity of faculty and student body, building a more inclusive community. Particular focus on student issues for both graduate and undergraduate students. Shares information about events and activities on campus that is relevant to African-American members of the community, and helps disseminate information more broadly. Meets twice each semester, from 8:00 - 9:30 a.m. in the Allen Building Board Room. GPSC selects three representatives to this committee. | |
| Recreational Facilities Liaison | Works with the Recreational Facilities administration on graduate student concerns with these facilities. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Student Health Advisory Committee | The goal of the SHAC committee is to provide feedback, support and information regarding graduate and professional students needs and concerns as related to both preventative and clinical health care provided by The Student Health Center. To this end the committee members should ideally represent as many programs/and or schools as possible. The committee members should also be willing to actively support any suggestions, campaigns or new ideas which may result from the interaction of the committee and would benefit graduate and professional students as a whole. The committee members must be able to commit to one monthly lunch time meeting. GPSC selects six to seven representatives to this committee. | |
| Student Health Insurance Advisory Committee | Active during the renewal of Duke's student health insurance plan. Examines benefits, premiums, and bids for student insurance plan. Meets as needed in the spring semester, typically 3 to 4 meetings. GPSC selects six to seven representatives to this committee. | |
| Transportation Advisory Committee (DTAC) | Review and make recommendations to improve existing services and needs for new services in campus parking, transit and bicycle programs; parking policies,permit fees, violations fines, transit service levels and amenities and bicycle amenities. Meets approximately once a month. GPSC selects five representatives to this committee. | |
| Undergraduate Teaching, Academic Standards, and Honors Committee | The Committee on Undergraduate Teaching, Academic Standards and Honors shall concern itself with the enhancement of the teaching of undergraduates in Trinity College, with the enforcement of the highest academic standards in undergraduate teaching, and with the establishment and review of the standards for academic honors. The Committee shall charge an ad hoc committee to select teaching award winners from among the various nominees. The Committee shall also recommend requirements and review standards for the awarding of academic honors and graduation with distinction approve distinction programs from individual academic units administer undergraduate honors convocations, and concern itself overall with the means of recognizing and encouraging academic excellence. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| Union Board | Advises the University Union, the chief programming board for the University. Meets twice a month. GPSC selects three representatives to this committee. | |
| University Calendar Planning Committee | Examines the current university calendar and discusses what is needed in a future calendar system. The university calendar can serve as a good way to publicize student programs, arts and cultural events, and important deadlines. If you enjoy technology and would like to see improved publicity of events, this is the committee for you! GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| University Judicial Board | Has jurisdiction over cases arising out of the Pickets and Protest Regulations(see Appendix V of the Faculty Handbook) and cases involving more than one of the communities, as determined by the Vice President for Student Affairs in consultation with the President and the Chairman of the University. Meets on call. GPSC selects sixteen representatives to this committee (two from each of the following schools: Graduate, Law, Medicine, Fuqua, Nicholas School of Environment, and Divinity). | |
| University Priorities Committee | This university committee is charged with assessing university and academic priorities, ensuring that the University’s annual and long-term budgets reflect these priorities, and making recommendations to the President. Meets every two weeks. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. | |
| University Schedule Committee | The charge of the University Schedule Committee is central to the orderly functioning of the University community, and its actions affect students,faculty, and administrators alike. The committee reviews the fall schedule,particularly the beginning and ending dates for the semester, and reviews and makes recommendations subsequent to the findings of the attendance study. Other concerns include, the distribution of classes throughout the week and the scheduling of examinations. The committee also includes representatives of the three undergraduate deans, the Graduate School, and two students nominated by DSG and GPSC. Meets one to two times per semester. GPSC selects one representative to this committee. |