The Policy and Planning Committee (PPC) is the only body elected to represent the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to the Arts and Sciences and university leadership. The committee consists of ten tenured faculty, seven elected from a nominated slate (two from each division, one senior lecturer) and three chosen by and from the Department Chairs (one from each division). Elected members serve for three years.
The PPC participates in the process by which planning priorities are set and resources are allocated among the departments and schools comprising the Arts and Sciences. In addition, the PPC’s responsibilities include working with the Executive Vice President of Arts and Sciences (EVPAS) and the Deans to constitute, dissolve, and appoint members of standing committees, to evaluate reports on the work of these committees, to call and set agendas for faculty meetings, and to report to the faculty. The PPC also names the majority of the members of the search committee for the EVPAS.
The PPC is both a sounding board for new ideas and a source of creative ways to respond to Arts and Sciences challenges. The committee meets regularly with the Executive Committee (EC) and the Planning and Budget Committee (P&B); it also holds discussions with the President and Provost to address faculty concerns and influence university governance. Working closely with the Arts and Sciences administration, the PPC develops initiatives to improve faculty teaching, research and life.
Questions and comments for the Policy and Planning Committee can be sent to [email protected]
Process for Election to PPC and Selection of PPC Candidates
Committee Members
PPC MEMBERS 2021-2022 | ||
Bruno Bosteels (Humanities Chair)* | Latin American and Iberian Cultures | [email protected] |
Matthew Hart | English and Comparative Literature | [email protected] |
Rosalind Morris | Anthropology | [email protected] |
Mary Putman | Astronomy | [email protected] |
Dustin Rubenstein | Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology | |
Rhiannon Stephens (PPC Chair) | History | [email protected] |
Katja Vogt | Philosophy | |
Bruce Western (Chair Social Science)* | Sociology | [email protected] |
Tian Zheng (Chair Natural Science)* | Statistics | [email protected] |
PPC MEMBERS 2022-2023 - Effective September 2022 | ||
Dima Amso | Psychology | |
Ivan Corwin | Math | |
Madeleine Dobie (Chair Humanities)* | French | [email protected] |
Matthew Hart | English and Comparative Literature | |
Matthew Jones | History | |
Rosalind Morris (PPC Chair) | Anthropology | |
David Scott (Chair Social Science)* | Anthropology | [email protected] |
Katja Vogt | Philosophy | |
Nicole Wallack (Senior Lecturer) | English, Writing | |
Tian Zheng (Chair Natural Science)* | Statistics |
*Indicates representatives from the department chairs.
History
In 2008-09 and 2009-10 the Faculty of Arts and Sciences undertook a review of faculty governance, spearheaded by the Executive Committee of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (ECFAS) and carried out by the Academic Review Committee (ARC). In spring 2010 the recommendations of the ARC review were shared with the entire Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Fruitful consultations between ECFAS, ARC, Department Chairs, Administration, and Faculty informed the entire process.
A subsequent vote of the whole faculty was held to amend the Stated Rules of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and thereby implement one of the recommendations of the review: to replace the form of faculty governance exercised by ECFAS with a new faculty committee to be called the Policy and Planning Committee. The proposed amendment to the Stated Rules passed in April 2010. The current Stated Rules can be found here. The names of past members of the PPC are found at the bottom of the "Members" tab.
PPC HISTORICAL MEMBERSHIP
In its inaugural year, in 2010, the Policy and Planning Committee (PPC) membership was established in September and the election from the nominated slate yielded three members (rather than six), one from each division. For continuity and in recognition of the important work by ECFAS, three inaugural members of the PPC (one from each division) were chosen by and from the 2009-10 ECFAS membership. As per the Stated Rules three PPC members were chosen by and from the Chairs. The complete PPC rosters are given below.
PPC MEMBERS 2021-2022 | ||
Bruno Bosteels (Humanities Chair)* | Latin American and Iberian Cultures | [email protected] |
Matthew Hart | English and Comparative Literature | [email protected] |
Rosalind Morris | Anthropology | [email protected] |
Mary Putman | Astronomy | [email protected] |
Dustin Rubenstein | Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology | |
Rhiannon Stephens (PPC Chair) | History | [email protected] |
Katja Vogt | Philosophy | |
Bruce Western (Chair Social Science)* | Sociology | [email protected] |
Tian Zheng (Chair Natural Science)* | Statistics | [email protected] |
*Indicates representatives from the department chairs.
PPC MEMBERS 2020-2021 | ||
Harmen Bussemaker (Natural Science Chair)* | Biological Sciences | [email protected] |
Michael Cole (Humanities Chair)* | Art History and Archaeology | [email protected] |
Jenny Davidson (Chair) | English and Comparative Literature | |
Rosalind Morris | Anthropology | [email protected] |
Mary Putman | Astronomy | |
Dustin Rubenstein | Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology | |
Miguel Urquiola (Social Science Chair)* | Economics | |
Rhiannon Stephens | History | [email protected] |
Katja Vogt | Philosophy |
*Indicates representatives from the department chairs.
PPC MEMBERS 2019-2020 | ||
Michael Cole (Humanities Chair)* | Art History and Archaeology | [email protected] |
Jenny Davidson | English and Comparative Literature | |
Farah Griffin (Social Science Chair)* | English and Comparative Literature, African American and African Diaspora Studies | |
Robert Mawhinney (Natural Science Chair)* | Physics | |
Mary Putman | Astronomy | |
Dustin Rubenstien | Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology | |
Josef Sorett | Religion, African American and African Diaspora Studies | |
Rhiannon Stephens | History | [email protected] |
Andreas Wimmer (Chair) | Sociology | [email protected] |
*Indicates representatives from the department chairs.
PPC MEMBERS 2018-2019 | ||
Michael Cole (Hum. Chair)* | Art History and Archaeology | |
Tim Frye (SS Chair)* | Political Science | |
Ellie Hisama | Music | |
Eleanor Johnson | English and Comparative Literature | |
Bob Mawhinney (NS Chair)* | Physics | |
Pablo Piccato | History | |
Daphna Shohamy | Psychology | |
Maria Uriarte (Chair) | Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology | |
Andreas Wimmer | Sociology |
*Indicates representatives from the department chairs.
PPC MEMBERS 2017-2018 | ||
Richard Davis* | Statistics | [email protected] |
Mamadou Diouf * | Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies | |
Ellie Hisama | Music | |
Eleanor Johnson | English and Comparative Literature | |
Brendan O'Flaherty (fall) | Economics | |
Pablo Piccato | History | |
Seth Schwartz* | History | |
Maya Tolstoy, Chair | Earth and Environmental Sciences | [email protected] |
Maria Uriarte | Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology | [email protected] |
Gareth Williams (spring) | Classics | [email protected] |
Andreas Wimmer | Sociology | [email protected] |
*Indicates representatives from the department chairs.
2016/17
*Susan Boynton | Music |
Ellie Hisama | Music |
Brendan O’Flaherty, Chair | Economics |
Pablo Piccato | History |
*Elizabeth Povinelli | Anthropology |
David Schiminovich | Astronomy |
Maya Tolstoy | Earth and Environmental Sciences |
*Michael Tuts | Physics |
Gareth Williams | Classics |
2015/16
Davis, Donald * | Economics |
Lurie, David | EALAC |
Naeem, Shahid | E3B |
O'Flaherty, Dan | Economics |
Schiminovich, David, Chair | Astronomy |
Tong, Liang* | Biological Sciences |
van de Mieroop, Marc | History |
von Mucke, Dorothea* | Germanic Languages |
Williams, Gareth | Classics |
2014/15
Daniel, E. Valentine | Anthropology |
Fortna, V. Page | Political Science |
Naeem, Shahid, Chair | E3B |
Schiminovich, David | Astronomy |
Stewart, Alan | English and Comparative Literature |
Tong, Liang* | Biological Sciences |
van de Mieroop, Marc | History |
von Mucke, Dorothea* | Germanic Languages |
Wawro, Gregory | Poliitical Science |
Zelin, Madeleine | EALAC |
2013/14
Cohen, Yinon* | Sociology |
Dames, Nick* | English and Comparative Literature |
Daniel, E. Valentine | Astronomy |
Friedman, Robert | Mathematics |
Jervis, Robert | Political Science |
Naeem, Shahid, Vice Chair | E3B |
Paereis, Frederik* | Astronomy |
Popkin, Cathy | Slavic Languages |
Snyder, Jack, Chair | Politcal Science |
Zelin, Madeleine | EALAC |
2012/13
Barolini, Teodolinda | Italian |
Cohen, Yinon* | Sociology |
Dames, Nick* | English and Comparative Literature |
Daniel, E.Valentine | Anthropology |
Firestein, Stuart* | Biological Sciences |
Friedman, Robert | Mathematics |
McDermott, Ann | Chemistry |
Popkin, Cathy, Chair | Slavic Languages |
Snyder, Jack, Vice Chair | Political Science |
2011/12
Barolini, Teodolinda | Italian |
Friedman, Robert | Mathematics |
Jervis, Robert | Political Science |
McDermott, Ann, Chair | Chemistry |
Popkin, Cathy, Vice Chair | Slavic Languages |
Riordan, Michael* | Economics |
Snyder, Jack | Political Science |
Watts, Philip* | French and Romance Philology |
Zajc, William* | Physics |
2010/11
Barolini, Teodolinda | Italian |
Bearman, Peter | Sociology |
DeFries, Ruth | E3B |
Howard, Jean* | English and Comparative Literature |
Jervis, Robert | Political Science |
McDermott, Ann, Vice Chair | Chemistry |
Proudfoot, Wayne | Religion |
Riordan, Michael* | Economics |
Zajc, William* | Physics |
Copies of reports can be accessed here.
ECFAS Archival Documents
ECFAS Historical Membership 1991-2010
ECFAS-Academic Freedom Statement
ECFAS-Academic Freedom Statement 2007
Faculty Forum Minutes
Minutes of 11/12/08 Faculty Forum meeting
Minutes of 03/11/08 Faculty Forum meeting
Minutes of 12/03/07 Faculty Forum meeting
Arts & Sciences Faculty Meeting Minutes
Minutes of 05/06/2010 meeting
Minutes of 02/11/10 meeting
Stated Rules
Stated Rules of the Faculty of the Arts and Sciences
Resolution on Lecturers in Discipline
as amended, 31 March 2022
A. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences shall consist of the President, the Provost, the Executive Vice President for the Arts and Sciences, the Deans of the Faculties within Arts and Sciences, officers of instruction appointed to the departments of Arts and Sciences with professorial grades, and such officers of administration and of instruction as may be assigned thereto by the Trustees on the nomination of the Faculty. The School of the Arts and the School of Professional Studies are considered departments according to the Statutes.
B. The Executive Vice President for the Arts and Sciences (“Executive Vice President”) shall maintain a record of all such officers of administration and instruction as may be assigned to membership in the Faculty by the Trustees on the nomination of the Faculty.
C. Right to vote: The Faculty may invite other officers of instruction and administration in the University to take part in its deliberations and serve on its committees in accordance with Article 34 of the University Statutes, but only officers of instruction and administration who are members of the Faculty shall have the right to vote.
A. Subject to the reserve powers of the Trustees and the provisions of the Statutes, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences shall have power and it shall be its duty:
1. to oversee the correlation and scheduling of courses offered by the faculties within Arts and Sciences;
2. to address all questions involving more than one faculty within Arts and Sciences;
3. to discuss and advise on issues affecting the Arts and Sciences relating to academic planning, budget, housing and facilities, and appointments and tenure;
4. to make all such regulations for its own proceedings, and for the better government of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, as shall not contravene the charter of the Corporation, the Statutes, or any resolution of the Trustees or University Senate.
B. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to impair the powers of the Faculties of Columbia College, General Studies, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The Arts, and Professional Studies, which constitute the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and of their several deans.
A. The Executive Vice President shall be the executive officer of the Faculty.
B. The Executive Vice President may be assisted by no more than three divisional deans, one for each division of the Faculty. Each divisional dean shall be a member of the division of the Faculty that he or she shall oversee. Divisional deans shall be appointed by the Executive Vice President with the advice of the Policy and Planning Committee and of the chairs, and shall serve terms of three years, except that the term of no divisional dean shall extend beyond the term of the Executive Vice President who appointed her or him without the express consent of the then-current Executive Vice President. No person may serve as a divisional dean for more than six consecutive years.
C. The Executive Vice President shall meet at least once each semester with the chairs of the Departments of the Faculty.
D. The Executive Vice President shall meet at least once each semester with the Junior Faculty Advisory Board.
E. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Executive Vice President, the Dean of Columbia College and Vice President for Undergraduate Education, and the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and Vice President for Graduate Education.
F. The Faculty shall annually elect a Secretary, who shall perform the usual duties of a recording officer.
A. The Faculty shall meet at least once each semester. Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Vice President, by the Policy and Planning Committee, or by a petition of 25 members of the Faculty at any time upon one week's notice.
B. In its proceedings the Faculty shall be governed by the most current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
C. For ordinary business 50 members shall constitute a quorum.
D. The following rules and procedures shall govern discussion and voting by the Faculty, in addition to those contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
1. A question shall appear on the agenda of the Faculty if and only if the Stated Rules require it; or any of the following request that it be put on the agenda: the Executive Vice President; the Executive Committee; at least four members of the Policy and Planning Committee; at least 40 members of the Faculty who sign a petition to this effect. A petition from members of the Faculty must be delivered to the Executive Vice President at least 168 hours before the scheduled start of the meeting at which the question is to be discussed. The Policy and Planning Committee should usually place a question on the agenda whenever it thinks that the University needs faculty input to produce a better policy or decision.
2. Following parliamentary procedure, members of the Faculty may make motions from the floor during a Faculty meeting. These motions may be debated. However, no vote on a substantive motion may be taken until it has been advertised to the Faculty as a whole. Amendments do not need to be advertised to the Faculty as a whole, but they must be in order according to Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised.
3. Generally, an item to be voted on should appear on the agenda of and be discussed at the meeting immediately preceding the meeting at which it is voted on. However, there may be exceptions to this practice. The Policy and Planning Committee may in its discretion advertise to the Faculty that a question will be voted on in the first meeting at which it is discussed. If this advertising has occurred, a member of the Faculty may move the previous question during the discussion of this question. If the previous question is not moved or fails of adoption, the Policy and Planning Committee may advertise a vote on the question in the next meeting of the Faculty.
4. Generally, voting will follow the procedures in Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. However electronic voting shall be used on the request of either the Policy and Planning Committee or of at least 40 members of the Faculty who deliver a petition to the Executive Vice President before the scheduled start of the meeting at which the question is to be voted on. The Policy and Planning Committee sets the time and form of the electronic vote. Electronic voting cannot begin on a question until after it has been discussed at one or more faculty meetings. Electronic voting is confidential. The motion passes if and only if the number of affirmative votes cast is greater than the number of negative votes cast, and the total number of votes cast (including abstentions) is at least 50.
The Policy and Planning Committee should use electronic voting for matters of the highest importance. It is recommended that electronic voting be used for major changes in the governance of Arts and Sciences, serious and long-lasting policies that affect a large number of faculty members, and matters of similar gravity and
importance.
B. Duties and powers. The Policy and Planning Committee shall be a full participant in the process by which priorities are set and resources are allocated among the Departments and Schools comprising Arts and Sciences, meeting typically once per week during the academic term with the Executive Vice President, deans, divisional deans, and other administrators. In addition, the Policy and Planning Committee’s responsibilities include working with the Executive Vice President and the Deans to constitute, dissolve, and appoint members of standing committees, to evaluate reports on the work of these committees, to call and set agendas for Faculty Meetings, and to report to the faculty.
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Executive Vice President, the Policy and Planning Committee shall request of the President that it (the Policy and Planning Committee) select a majority of members of any search committee, in accordance with tradition. The Policy and Planning Committee shall work with the President, endeavoring through consultation to resolve any differences in viewpoint, all to the desired end that a common endorsement of the ultimate nominee may result.
C. Support and compensation. The Policy and Planning Committee shall receive administrative support from the Office of the Executive Vice President and its members shall be granted appropriate leave credit. Members may receive additional leave credit for their third year of service.
Regular faculty members: Elections for regular faculty members shall be held in May of each year. The term of each regular faculty member elected shall begin on September 1 following his or her election. Whenever a regular faculty member leaves the committee, having completed his or her term or not, he or she shall be replaced by a new member from the same division elected by the Faculty at the normal election time in May. However, if a regular faculty member leaves the committee before May 1 in any year, the Policy and Planning Committee shall select an interim member, from the same division or among the senior lecturers, to serve until the term of the elected member commences. Members chosen by the chairs: The term of a member chosen by the chairs shall begin on September 1 following his or her selection. If a vacancy occurs among the members chosen by the Chairs, the Chairs shall select a replacement from the same division. The replacement member shall serve until the first August 31 following his or her selection.
E. The Policy and Planning Committee chair and vice chair. The Committee shall have a chair chosen from the pool of tenured regular faculty members. A vice chair shall be elected by a vote of PPC members at the beginning of the spring semester each year, and shall serve until the first August 31 following his or her election. A vice chair must be qualified to serve as chair in the year following his or her election. The vice chair shall become the chair for the following year. The chair shall serve a one-year nonrenewable term, beginning on September 1 and ending on August 31. In the event of a vacancy in either position, the Policy and Planning Committee shall select a replacement to complete the remaining term. The replacement chair shall not be eligible to serve as chair in the following year.
F. The Policy and Planning Committee nominating committee. A seven-person nominating committee consisting of the Executive Vice President and six members chosen by and from the chairs shall put forward a slate of candidates for the Policy and Planning Committee. The slate shall include at least two candidates for every open position for an annual election to take place in May. All members of the nominating committee may vote for any number of potential candidates. A nominee must receive five of the seven votes to be placed on the ballot. Candidates may be added to the nominating committee's slate upon presentation of a petition signed by twenty
members of the Faculty.
WHEREAS, Article 291 of the University Statutes provides that the Faculty of Arts and Sciences may nominate officers of instruction who hold appointments without professorial grades to be members of the Faculty;
NOW THEREFORE be it resolved by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences:
1. That the Faculty of Arts and Sciences hereby nominates full-time lecturers in discipline assigned to Departments in the Arts and Sciences who have successfully passed the second year review to be members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for as long as they hold a full-time appointment.
2. That the Executive Vice President of Arts and Sciences is hereby authorized to inform the Provost of this Resolution and request that such lecturers in discipline be considered members of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences for as long as they hold a full-time appointment