Faculty Senate

The Athletics Council advises the Chancellor and the Athletics Director regarding policies governing Appalachian's program of intercollegiate athletics. It monitors the academic progress of student athletes, assists in long-range planning, provides advice concerning financial matters, promotes a proper balance between men's and women's sports, and gives advice on other relevant matters.

The Business Advisory Council is composed of businessmen and women who meet twice a year to advise Walker College administrators on matters relating to the needs of the business community. Opportunities are provided for students to interact with council members when they are on campus. 

Conflicts of Interest/Commitment Appeals Council

The chancellor will appoint a standing Conflicts of Interest/Commitment Appeals Council. The council shall consist of: three members appointed by the chancellor, at least one of whom shall be chosen from EPA administrative personnel; three faculty members appointed by the chair of the Faculty Senate, at least one of whom shall be chosen from EPA administrative personnel who are members of the general faculty or who hold any faculty rank; and one member appointed jointly by the chancellor and the chair of the Faculty Senate. The chancellor shall appoint the chair of the council. The council will be responsible for reviewing cases brought to its attention by any dean or vice chancellor or by the chancellor. It will conduct a thorough review of each case and will make recommendations for conflict resolution to the official who referred the matter to it. (Chancellor)

The Council consists of all academic department chairpersons, the Dean or Associate Dean of Libraries, the Assistant or Associate Dean of Music, the Director of Appalachian Studies, and, on an ex-officio and non-voting basis, the Chair of the Faculty Senate.

The Council of the College of Fine and Applied Arts serves as an advisory board, helping to establish policies on all matters that concern the various departments, which comprise the college. (Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts)

The Professional Education Council has as its main function the role of analyzing and evaluating professional education curricula and recommending policies and procedures for strengthening the professional education program.  All recommendations are made to the Dean of the Reich College of Education. Ex officio non-voting members may be designated by the Dean of the Reich College of Education.

International Education Council

The International Education Council is responsible for fostering the internationalization of Appalachian State University. The council promotes and enhances the University’s international mission by initiating and developing policy recommendations concerning international issues; helping to develop curricula and programs with international emphases; supporting international students, educators, visiting scholars, alumni, guests and friends; and engaging in other activities pertinent to the international character of Appalachian State University. The council consists of faculty members, staff, and students recommended by the associate vice chancellor for International Education and Development and appointed by the provost and executive vice chancellor. (Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor)

Intellectual Property Development Advisory Council

(a) Members on Council: 11-13 – Seven faculty will be recommended by the appropriate deans and will be appointed by the provost and executive vice chancellor as follows: one (1) faculty representative from each of the following University entities: College of Arts and Sciences, Walker College of Business, Reich College of Education, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Hayes School of Music, College of Health Sciences, and Belk Library and Informa-tion Commons. The Faculty Senate will appoint one additional voting member. All faculty will be voting members and will serve 3-year terms. One (1) representative each from Research and Graduate Studies and the Small Business and Technology Development Center will be voting members. A representative from the Office of General Counsel will advise the council upon request. The provost and executive vice chancellor may at her/his discretion appoint up to three (3) additional non-voting members, which may include non-ASU affiliated individuals. All members should be appointed based on her/his area of expertise and commitment to furthering the intellectual property development efforts of both the faculty and University;

(b) report to: chief research officer;

(c) areas of responsibility:
(1) receive and review all intellectual property disclosures made by the faculty and staff to Appalachian State University;
(2) recommend such measures as are necessary to assure prompt and expeditious handling, evaluation, and prosecution of intellectual property opportunities in accordance with approved University procedures;
(3) other duties consistent with the Appalachian State University Intellectual Property Transfer Policy; and
(4) direct questions of intellectual property ownership to the committee charged with hearing faculty grievances.

7.6.3 University Academic Assessment Council (UAAC)
7.6.3.1 Membership 18-24 Members – Consisting of up to two representatives
appointed by each academic college and school (College of Arts and Sciences,
College of Business, College of Education, College of Fine and Applied Arts,
College of Health Sciences, and the School of Music); one representative from
each of the following: the University Libraries. the Graduate School, the Honors
College, and the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Student
Success; two representatives from the General Education Program; two
representatives from the Faculty Senate (one from the Faculty Senate’s Academic
Policy Committee and one from the Faculty Senate’s Governance Committee);
three representatives from Institutional Research, Assessment and Planning (the
Executive Director, the Director of Institutional Effectiveness, and the Senior
Assessment Associate); and the Faculty Director for University Accreditation
Compliance. The Chair will convene the first meeting of the year, and will
facilitate the selection of a new chair from the members of the committee at the
end of the academic year in which their term is expiring (2-year term for chair).
7.6.3.2 Reports to the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor.
7.6.3.3 Areas of Responsibility The University Academic Assessment Council
advocates for and supports institutional effectiveness by reviewing and managing
key assessment processes. The council oversees and makes recommendations for
annual continuous improvement reporting, the Periodic Comprehensive Review
(PCR) process, UNC System requirements for program review, and other
processes related to assessment and planning. The council ensures the institution
remains in compliance with accreditation standards by maintaining institutional
effectiveness standards. The council gathers information and coordinates
assessments based on current university priorities. The council manages
assessment grants, reviews and provides feedback on institutional surveys, and
advises on student review of courses. The Council also promotes best practices in
assessment, discusses the latest innovations and survey findings, and addresses
other matters referred by the provost and executive vice chancellor or the
chancellor.

7.6.4.1 Members The University Research Council shall consist of both appointed
and elected members. The Chairperson of the University Research Council shall
be responsible for choosing the appointed members. The Faculty Senate will
conduct an annual election for the elected members of the University Research

Council as a part of university-wide elections for university committees.
7.6.4.2 Nominations The nomination process is open to voting-eligible members
of the General Faculty.
7.6.4.3 Elected Members 13 Elected Members - Consisting of thirteen
faculty members and shall include at least one faculty member from each
academic college or school and the University Libraries, with additional
faculty members to be based on the current proportion of full-time faculty
in the colleges or schools. Additional faculty members should represent
different departments and members of the College of Arts and Sciences
should come from different disciplines, specifically Arts and Humanities,
Social Sciences, and STEM. Distribution of additional faculty seats should
be assessed every three years by the Vice Chair of the Faculty
Senate.7.6.4.5 Reports to the Vice Provost for Research.
7.6.4.4 Areas of Responsibility The University Research Council (URC) advocates
for, promotes, and supports an inclusive culture of research, scholarship, and
creative activities at Appalachian State University. The council will review and/or
formulate policies governing research administration at Appalachian State
University and make recommendations to the vice provost for research. The
council will also seek and recommend ways to support faculty and staff engaged
in research and creative activities. This might include, but is not limited to,
recommending ways to secure internal and external financial support, helping
researchers navigate university policy and procedures for funded and unfunded
scholarly and creative activities, and recommending improvements to university
policies and procedures to enhance research, scholarship, and creative activity.
The URC will also provide recommendations to create an environment in which
the faculty are encouraged to advance research, scholarly, and creative activities
within their specialties. This might be accomplished by advocating for course
releases to support scholarly and creative activity, recognizing work done,
expanding student involvement in research and creative activity, and
encouraging transdisciplinary and cross-college collaboration, among other
activities. URC members are expected to serve as liaisons between the Office of
Research and their academic colleges, schools, units, and departments; review
and make funding recommendations for the competitive University Research
Council awards; acquire a working knowledge of university policies and
procedures for research administration; and promote scholarly and creative
activity among Appalachian’s faculty, including recommending incentive
programs for increased grants activity.