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The Executive Council

The Executive Council is charged to oversee campus governance; to identify what issues need governance attention; to prioritize policy and governance issues; to charge standing Committees and to form and charge ad hoc teams as necessary; to set agendas for College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty Assembly meetings; and to perform other tasks as enumerated below.

The Executive Council shares responsibility with the Strategic Planning Council to identify emerging issues that have institution-wide implications; and to communicate broadly with the campus community regarding the major issues that need to be addressed and to use the appropriate governance channels to address them.

The Executive Council coordinates the efforts of the various program councils and is generally responsible for the effective functioning of campus governance. On an ongoing basis it monitors operation of the governance system and, if necessary, recommends modifications for faculty approval. When directed, it also considers other matters of substance or procedure which concern either the College or General Faculty and which are not explicitly assigned to a program council. In addition, it regularly performs the following specific tasks:

  1. Annually designates the chair of College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty Assembly meetings.
  2. Designates the Faculty Secretary and appoints an alternate to record minutes if necessary.
  3. Sets the agenda for faculty meetings, distributes particulars of the agenda one week before the meeting, and, when necessary, arranges forums in advance of the meetings for faculty discussions of items on the agenda. Agendas, organized by the Executive Council, designate items for action by the College Faculty Assembly or the General Faculty Assembly.
  4. Forms ad hoc committees/teams as needed. The Council may appoint individuals to serve on ad hoc committees/teams.
  5. Serves as the nominating body for faculty councils and committees and for positions that are considered as committee service (e.g., Faculty Secretary, Faculty Liaison to the Board of Trustees, and Faculty Advisors to the Student Government Association). This work is typically led by the Nominating Subcommittee which is comprised of the past chair, the chair-elect, the at-large College Faculty Assembly member, and the at-large General Faculty (non-College Faculty Assembly) member.
  6. Approves the official College Calendar.
  7. Assists the President as liaison between the faculties and the Board of Trustees.

The Executive Council is composed of the following:

The President of the College

A Vice President-level position appointed annually by the President

The chairpersons or a consistent designee from each of the following: Academic Program Council, Faculty Status Council, Labor Program Council, and Student Life Council.

The faculty co-chair of the Strategic Planning Council

The designated co-chair of the Staff Forum

A representative of the Executive Committee of the Student Government Association

Three persons elected at-large for three-year staggered terms from the General Faculty by the General Faculty Assembly, serving as chair-elect, chair, and past-chair during their terms of service.

Two persons elected at-large for three-year terms by the General Faculty Assembly; one must be a College Faculty Assembly member and one must not.

The Executive Council has two constituent committees, the Awards Committee and the Campus Environmental Policy Committee.

Faculty Secretary

The Faculty Secretary is the recorder of official proceedings of the College Faculty Assembly and the General Faculty Assembly meetings. The minutes of this body are disseminated and approved by this body. Service as Faculty Secretary counts as committee service. This position is appointed by the Executive Council from the membership of either the College Faculty or General Faculty. In the absence of the Faculty Secretary, the Executive Council will appoint an alternate.

Awards Committee

The Awards Committee nominates honorary degree candidates and the Berea College Service Awards candidates for approval by the College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty Assembly, respectively. The Committee solicits suggestions for honorary degrees and service awards from the College community. The faculties may choose to have other awards determined by this committee.

The Awards Committee consists of two elected members of the College Faculty Assembly, two elected members of the General Faculty who are not members of the College Faculty Assembly, one member of the Board of Trustees as appointed by the Board, and one student member as appointed by the Student Government Association. College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty members of the Awards Committee will be elected by the General Faculty Assembly and will serve staggered three-year terms.

Campus Environmental Policy Committee (CEPC)

The Campus Environmental Policy Committee (CEPC) monitors the progress of Berea College toward ecological sustainability—the ability to meet current needs without degrading the natural systems and resources required to meet future needs—and recommends policies and actions that will promote progress toward ecological sustainability. The responsibilities of the CEPC also include:

  • Developing a method for measuring the progress of Berea College toward ecological sustainability.
  • Overseeing the preparation, at least bi-annually, of a report assessing the College’s progress toward ecological sustainability.
  • Identifying opportunities for linkages between actions taken to increase the ecological sustainability of the campus, and the efforts of the SENS Program and others to increase the awareness and understanding of students, faculty, and staff of environmental issues and pathways toward sustainability.

The CEPC will consist of three elected College Faculty Assembly members; three elected General Faculty members who are not members of the College Faculty Assembly; two students appointed by SGA; and one ex officio member, the Vice President of Operations and Sustainability. College Faculty Assembly and General Faculty members of the CEPC will be elected by the General Faculty Assembly and will serve staggered three-year terms.