Instructional Council

About Instructional Council

Mission

The mission of the Instructional Council is to review matters concerning instructional policies and procedures. The Instructional Council consists of representatives of all full- and part-time faculty and instructional administrators to discuss instructional issues and advise the Vice President of Instruction. 

Purpose

The purpose of the Instructional Council is to serve as a communications link between the faculty and the Office of Instruction; to assist with coordination of instructional activities such as advising, scheduling, budgeting, program planning, program evaluation, and to review and recommend policies and Instruction procedures. 

Membership

Voting Members: Deans; 2 full-time faculty members from each of the four major academic divisions*. Division members should represent the breadth of the division (Health Sciences to include selective and non-selective programs. Industrial Technology and DEBITS to be represented by more than a single program). Other faculty to include one BEDA instructor, one faculty from the library, one part-time faculty representative, one faculty representing baccalaureate programs, and one faculty Counselor from the Lake Washington Technical Academy for a total of 20 voting members in the 2021-2022 academic year. Faculty alternates who attend in place of an absent voting member will vote for the division. In the event the faculty must withdraw from the committee, the division dean will appoint a new faculty representative to fill the seat. Continued membership on the Council is contingent on participation. 

Non-voting members: Faculty and staff for all divisions and departments are encouraged to attend and be part of all discussions but will not vote.  

Co-chair: The Co-chairs of the Instructional Council will be the Vice President of Instruction and a faculty member. The Faculty Co-chair position can be shared by two faculty members. The Faculty Co-chair's length of service will be two years, with the possibility of renewal for another two years. The outgoing Faculty Co-chair will overlap with the incoming Co-chair. 

Operating Principles

Actions taken by the Instructional Council shall be within the guidelines established by the LWTech Board of Trustees and applicable state rules and regulations. The Instructional Council will operate under the guidelines and tenets of Roberts' Rules of Order. The Instructional Council will meet twice a month during the fall, winter, and spring quarters or as needed, with no meetings during the summer quarter. Special meetings may also be called, and meetings may be held electronically as needed. If there is no agenda, the meeting will be canceled. Members will be provided with an agenda and meeting minutes. Each voting member shall have one vote, with the faculty co-chair voting only in the event of a tie. Fifty-one percent of the voting membership shall be considered a quorum. The agenda will be established prior to each meeting. 

Responsibilities

The responsibilities will include: 

• Serve the function of an academic standards committee 
• Review and recommend Instructional Policies and Procedures 
• Review proposed certificate and degree programs 
• Appoint and recommend task forces related to instructional issues 
• Review and recommend proposed committees' formation and fulfillment as a contractual obligation
• Provide an avenue for internal and external communication and collegial discussion of topics of interest to faculty, administration, and the Instructional Council
• Advocate for faculty and instructional resources and other needs 

For 2022-2023, the four major academic divisions are: 

• General Education 
• Design, Engineering, Business, IT, and Sewing (DEBITS)
• Health Sciences
• Industrial Technology 

Instructional Council Subcommittees 

In addition to participating in the Instructional Council meetings, each instructional council member is expected to participate in at least one subcommittee or task force. Subcommittee membership can also include additional non-Instructional Council members. 

Diversity and Social Justice (DSJ) Subcommittee

The DSJ subcommittee oversees the DSJ requirement on campus. As part of its work, the subcommittee oversees the faculty application process and course evaluation, supports the DSJ faculty training, and mentors DSJ faculty. 

Outcomes Assessment Subcommittee

The outcomes assessment subcommittee facilitates the review, revision, and enhancement of program and college-wide learning outcomes assessment processes. 

Syllabus Subcommittee

The syllabus subcommittee oversees the college-wide syllabus template. They collect ideas for changes and additions. 

Tenure Guide Subcommittee

The tenure guide subcommittee oversees tenure guide handbook. They collect ideas for changes and additions. 

Distribution Subcommittee

The distribution subcommittee oversees the courses that count as general education distribution credit on students’ transcripts. 

Evaluations Subcommittee

The evaluations subcommittee oversees the student evaluations. It is responsible for adjusting distinct types of student surveys: course evaluation, instructor evaluation, ELL (English Language Learner) evaluations, GenEd (General Education) outcome assessments. 

Faculty Handbook task force

The faculty handbook taskforce is developing a comprehensive handbook.