Cornell University Council
Committees & Chairs

Council committees exist to support Cornell. Each has a direct working relationship with a campus department or unit. Council members or university staff may suggest ideas for committee projects. Committees may be created or discontinued as needed.

There are currently 15 standing council committees. Each one's size is determined by need. Council members receive a form on which to list their skills and interests. The forms are then reviewed by committee chairs and university representatives looking for members who can best help with committee goals.

Committee Chairs

Committee chairs serve a two-year term, renewable once. The administrative board may extend the term through special appointment. In consultation with the university representative (see next section below), each committee chair will:

• clearly define the committee's mission to its members, identify yearly goals and objectives, and translate them into a work plan (with targeted completion dates)
• plan goals, objectives, and desired outcomes for the year (consulting with the Cornell University Council director and the university representative) and submit a report to the council office by June 30
• identify the skills and expertise needed for the committee's work and review possible candidates for committee membership who are current council members
• recommend new chairs and vice chairs for the committee
• try to involve Cornell faculty in committee activities where appropriate
• contact candidates to confirm their interest in joining the committee and extend a written invitation, stating term length, to interested and qualified candidates
• communicate with committee members as necessary, plan at least one meeting a year when the majority of members can participate, and prepare a specific agenda for each meeting
• preside over committee meetings or, if absent, designate someone to preside
• ensure that committee members each have special assignments and, where possible, distribute the agenda and working papers in advance of meetings
• prepare a final report of the past year's work and submit it to the council office before June 30; include in the report a recommendation for either its continuance as a council committee or the transfer of its work to another group
• recommend, in consultation with the university representative, new chairs and vice chairs for the committee
  
  

University Representatives

The university names a representative for each campus unit or department that has a working relationship with a council committee. A university representative will:

• identify and prioritize projects for the committee's attention and determine the level of university support for a project
  
• prepare background information and orientation materials for new committee members
  
• identify, with the chair, the skills and expertise required for the committee's work, and review possible candidates for membership who are current council members
  
• keep the committee chair updated on programs and changes in priorities in the campus department or unit
  
• provide staff to prepare materials, arrange meetings, or carry out other support activities for the committee, as necessary
  
• act as liaison between the committee and the council office; update records and provide copies of all printed materials to the council office
  
• recommend, in consultation with the committee chair, the new chairs and vice chairs for the committee