The Faculty Senate discussed the level of involvement the Academic Information Technology Committee has with Information Technology in their meeting in the Foothill Suite on Thursday.

When the Senate reviews charges and memberships, they look over the particular committee’s written policy and recommend revisions depending on senate members finding questionable language or irregularities.

The Academic Information Technology Committee’s charge and membership were discussed by the Senate for the second time this month.

Ronald Coleman, chair of AITC, attended the meeting to discuss his committee’s response to the Senate’s revision from earlier this month.

“The concern that we heard was mostly in the role of the last item of the charge,” Coleman said.

This question is whether the AITC is a body involved in the strategic planning for Information Technology as an afterthought, or involved in the making of the strategic planning.

“Speaking for the committee, we would be open to be involved in the actual planning but the wording doesn’t say that,” he said.

Faculty Senate members asked for clarification on the issue.

“Before I am able to support this amendment, I need to have a better understanding of what the exact strategic plan for Information Technology is,” said Senate member Matt Schmidtlein.

Larry Gilbert, vice president and chief information officer for IT, said the strategic plan focuses on overall institutional goals, as well as faculty and student goals pertaining to Information Technology.

“This is not a policy document,” Gilbert said. “There aren’t any policies that are cited or addressed in the strategic plan. It’s simply a strategic plan.”

He said the two groups have worked together in the past when the former chair of AITC was also a standing member of the IT Steering Committee, which would report directly to Gilbert.

“I just want to say with that answer I would support this amendment,” Schmidtlein said.

After the members of the Senate approved the amendment to the AITC charge and membership, they discussed charges and memberships for two other committees.

The Senate decided the General Education/Graduation Requirements Policies Committee charge and membership be moved over to second reading sometime in December, but did not set a date.

The Curriculum Policies Committee charge and membership was moved to second reading and scheduled for the Dec. 4 Faculty Senate meeting.

During the meeting faculty members were approved by the Senate for appointment to the Curriculum Policies Committee, the Academic Policies Committee, the Academic Standards Subcommittee and the Curriculum Subcommittee.

Also, the Senate recommended its first pool of potential Academic Program Review Chairs. It will release its second pool of names at the Dec. 4 meeting.