Program Advisory Committees

Office of Academic Affairs · Room A-203 · ext. 2206

Each program of record at Bellweather College of Applied Technology has an advisory committee of employers and practitioners in the occupation the program serves. Committees advise the program on curriculum, equipment and facilities, field placement, and conditions of employment in the occupation. Their findings are incorporated in the five-year program review (see Institutional Effectiveness), and the committees form part of the stakeholder consultation the College conducts for its comprehensive local needs assessment under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.

Advisory Committee Guidelines

Guidelines of the Office of the Provost · Adopted 2004 · Last revised 2019 · Responsible office: Office of the Provost · Next review 2027

1. Advisory role. A committee advises. It does not adopt curriculum, admit or evaluate students, evaluate faculty, or act for the College. Curriculum is adopted only as provided in Policy 3.14, Curriculum and Catalog Authority. Recommendations are received by the division chair or, where the position of chair is vacant, by the responsible administrator, who reports the program’s response at the following meeting.

2. Membership. A committee has not fewer than five voting members. Voting members are employers, supervisors, and practitioners in the occupation, and may include graduates employed in it. College employees and enrolled students are not voting members. Full-time program faculty and the Career Services staff member assigned to the program serve ex officio without vote. Voting members are appointed by the Provost on the recommendation of the division chair for three-year terms, which may be renewed. Terms end June 30. The committee elects its chair from among its voting members.

3. Members serve as individuals. Members are listed by name, title, and type of employer. The College does not publish the names of members’ employers. Service on a committee does not represent an endorsement of the College by a member’s employer and does not establish a relationship between the employer and the College.

4. Meetings and quorum. Each committee meets not fewer than twice in each academic year, once in the fall term and once in the spring term. Members may attend by video conference. A quorum is a majority of the voting members, present in person or by video conference. When a quorum is not present, the members present may receive informational reports; no action is taken, and the items on the agenda, including approval of minutes, are carried forward to the next meeting.

5. Minutes. Minutes are recorded by the division office and posted in draft, marked “pending approval,” within thirty days of the meeting. Draft minutes are approved at the next meeting at which a quorum is present and are then reposted as approved. A meeting at which a quorum is not present produces an attendance record rather than minutes. Minutes and attendance records are public records and are retained by the division office under the College’s records retention schedule.

6. Conflicts of interest. Committee members are not public officials and do not file ethics statements. A member whose firm bids on College work discloses that fact and is recused from committee discussion of the procurement (see Ethics and Financial Disclosure).

7. Compensation. Members serve without compensation.

Minutes posted

Minutes of the two most recent meetings are posted for each committee listed. Earlier minutes, and the minutes and rosters of committees not listed here, are available from the responsible division office or by public records request.

Serving on a committee

Employers and practitioners interested in serving on a program advisory committee should contact Lucia Barrenechea, Employer Relations Specialist, Career Services, Room A-154, ext. 2194, or the division office for the program. Appointments are made as seats become available. See also Customized Training for Employers.