Descriptions of Standing Committees of the Academic Senate

Committee

Committee on Academic Freedom (CAF)
Description: Reviews policies and issues affecting the academic freedom of UCSF faculty. CAF is currently reviewing the issue of academic freedom in the context of institutional affiliations, as well as the use of materials generated by UCSF faculty.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 5-6 members, meets for 90 minutes every other month. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Academic Personnel - Blue (CAP)
Description: Make recommendations to the Chancellor regarding appointments, promotions, merit advancements, changes in series, appraisals, terminations, and appeals of personnel actions. Reviews academic personnel policy issues from the Division and/or Systemwide Academic Senate. In advance of meetings, CAP requires one to two hours of preparation for portfolio reviews.

Qualification: Faculty within the Clinical X, In-Residence, and Ladder Rank series at the full Professor rank are eligible to be appointed as full voting members. Faculty within the Adjunct and Health Sciences Clinical series at the full Professor rank are eligible to be appointed as a non-voting guest.

Membership: Maximum of 9 Senate members (Clinical X, In-Residence, and Ladder Rank series), and a maximum of 2 non-Senate non-voting guests, meets weekly. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Academic Personnel - Gold (CAPG)
Description: Make recommendations to the Chancellor regarding appointments, promotions, merit advancements, changes in series, appraisals, terminations, and appeals of personnel actions. Reviews academic personnel policy issues from the Division and/or Systemwide Academic Senate. In advance of meetings, CAP requires one to two hours of preparation for portfolio reviews.

Qualification: Faculty within the Clinical X, In-Residence, and Ladder Rank series at the full Professor rank are eligible to be appointed as full voting members. Faculty within the Adjunct and Health Sciences Clinical series at the full Professor rank are eligible to be appointed as a non-voting guest.

Membership: Maximum of 9 Senate members (Clinical X, In-Residence, and Ladder Rank series), and a maximum of 2 non-Senate non-voting guests, meets weekly. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Academic Planning & Budget (APB)
Description: Interface with senior administration to assess campus-wide planning and budgetary decisions impacting the academic mission of UCSF. Confer with and advise the Senate, the Chancellor and administrative officers.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series at the Associate or Full Professor rank are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 19 members plus ex-officio members from the administration and the Chairs of each school's Faculty Council. APB meets monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Clinical Affairs Committee (CAC)
Description: CAC reviews policies and matters regarding the clinical enterprises at UCSF that relate to or affect the academic mission of the University. The Committee reviews clinical practices at UCSF and works with the Medical Center Administration to address issues that need attention, including affiliations with other health care providers.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: At least 8 members, meets monthly for 1 hour. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Committees (COC)
Description: The Committee on Committees is charged with appointing or removing committee members, representatives to Systemwide Senate committees and members of ad hoc committees as requested for the San Francisco Division of the Academic Senate and Systemwide Academic Senate. Given the confidentiality of CoC's discussions, most minutes and agendas are not published on the Senate's website.

Qualification: Members are elected by the faculty of the Division; UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series at the Associate or Full Professor rank are eligible to be elected.

Membership: 9 members, meets bi-monthly on Friday afternoons for 90 minutes. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Courses of Instruction (COCOI)
Description: Review and approval of all courses offered at UCSF. Members are required to review new course forms as assigned each quarter.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 10 members, meets bi-monthly for two hours. Course reviews are conducted by members throughout the year. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Educational Policy (CEP)
Description: Primary focus is on the educational mission of the University. Address issues regarding and changes to curricula, schools, institutes, departments and legislative or administrative policies related to educational policy. Recent issues include educational space (including the Library), educational technology, online education, and the student genetic testing guidelines.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 8 members, meets monthly for 90 minutes. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Equal Opportunity (EQOP)
Description: Reports on and makes recommendations regarding issues relating to gender equity and underrepresented minority (URM) groups at UCSF. EQOP has played a significant role in advocating for funds within the Senate's Chancellor's Fund and RAP for URM Faculty. Recent issues include continued promotion of resources and strategies for faculty recruitment and retention; EQOP has also secured funding for Diversity Training via Interactive Theater, and the NCFDD Boot Camp (Faculty Success Program) via the Chancellor’s program.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: At least 10 members, meets monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Executive Council (EXC)
Description: The Executive Council reviews and coordinates policies, actions and reports of the standing committees of the San Francisco Division.

Qualification: Members are appointed to this committee by virtue of another role within the Academic Senate (i.e. committee chair) or the campus administration (i.e. Dean).

Membership: 39 members, meets monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Faculty Welfare (CFW)
Description: Review and make recommendations on issues impacting the faculty experience at UCSF and across the UC System; including health and retirement benefits, housing, parking, childcare, general welfare and intra-group relationships of the faculty, staff and students of UCSF.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 7 to 10 members, meets monthly for 2 hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Graduate Council (GRAD)
Description: Graduate Council is responsible for reviewing and approving new programs for existing graduate academic degrees, the establishment of new degrees, and any substantial change in existing programs. It also recommends policy and regulations for the Coordinating Committee on Graduate Affairs (CCGA); advises the Chancellor and Graduate Dean concerning graduate academic and postdoctoral matters; and conducts regularly scheduled reviews of existing graduate programs. This committee also regulates graduate academic programs within the San Francisco Division with a view to the promotion of research and learning.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 13 members, meets monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Library & Scholarly Communication (COLASC)
Description: Advise the campus and Library administration regarding issues and policies regarding collections, Open Access publishing models, and journal subscription costs to institution and UCSF authors.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 10 members, meets monthly for 90 minutes. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Privilege & Tenure (P&T)
Description: The Committee on Privilege and Tenure is charged with adjudicating the following types of matters: grievance cases, where a member of the Senate claims injury through the violation of his/her rights and privileges; disciplinary cases, where a member of the Senate is accused of having violated the Faculty Code of Conduct; and early termination cases, where a Senate or non-Senate faculty member challenges whether there is good cause for his/her early termination. Its findings, conclusions, and recommendations are advisory to the chancellor.​

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Clinical X, In-Residence, and Ladder Rank series at the full Professor rank are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 9 members, meets monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Research (COR)
Description: The Committee on Research (COR) advises the Chancellor and inform the Division of budgetary need for support of research and research travel in the Division. It is responsible for making recommendations to the Chancellor regarding policy governing allocation of research funds, and other matters pertaining to research in the Division. It shall consider such applications for research funds as may be made by members of the Division and such applications for research travel grants for the purpose of attending meetings of learned societies as may be made by qualified applicants. It shall transmit to the Chancellor its recommendations concerning such applications. COR also selects a UCSF faculty members who have made distinguished records in basic research, clinical research, and translational research, to deliver a lecture upon such topic as he or she sees fit ("Faculty Research Lecture-Basic Science", "Faculty Research Lecture-Clinical Science", and the "Faculty Research Lecture-Translational Science" respectively.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 17 members, meets monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Rules & Jurisdiction (R&J)
Description: This committee formally supervises and consults over all modifications of San Francisco Divisional Bylaws or legislation proposed by standing committees and/or members of the Division.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: 9 members, meets monthly for one hour. (Committee Bylaws and Duties | Archives)

Committee on Space (ASCOS)
Description: Sets general principles and goals to guide UCSF space stewardship, including maintenance of existing infrastructure, making recommendations regarding occupancy of new and renovated buildings, monitoring space usage and occupant satisfaction.

  • Space planning
  • Future of Parnassus
  • Clinical and teaching space planning
  • Space allocation metrics

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.

Membership: At least 9 members, meetings monthly for two hours. (Committee Bylaws and Duties)

Committee on Sustainability (SUST)
Description: Reviews and recommends actions on issues pertaining to UCSF's environmental sustainability. The Committee promotes efforts to increase environmental sustainability in the curriculum and awareness of the importance of sustainability at UCSF, with a focus on activities under the purview of faculty. The Ad-Hoc Committee on Sustainability is engaged with the UC Systemwide Carbon Neutrality Initiative, the UCSF Green Challenge, campus-specific waste reduction, and the Systemwide Divestment from Fossil Fuels Initiative.

Qualification: UCSF Faculty in the Adjunct, Clinical X, Health Sciences Clinical, In-Residence, and Ladder-Rank series are eligible to be appointed.


Faculty Council

Each School Faculty Council acts on behalf of that School’s faculty in matters related to education and other issues of concern for the faculty, in which they are advisory to their School’s Dean. Faculty Council members are elected from within each school. For more information, see each School’s bylaws.
School of Dentistry Bylaws | Webpage | Archives
School of Medicine Bylaws | Webpage | Archives
School of Nursing Bylaws | Webpage | Archives
School of Pharmacy Bylaws | Webpage | Archives

Other Committees

UC Systemwide Committee Representatives (RSC)
Most UCSF Standing Committees have representatives to their counterpart UC Systemwide committees. Those representatives are appointed by the Committee on Committees from the existing membership of each UCSF committee. A few UC Systemwide committees do not have counterparts at UCSF, for example the UC Press Editorial Board or the University Committee on Preparatory Education. The Committee on Committees names individual faculty members to serve on UC Systemwide committees without local counterparts. Those representatives are responsible for reporting back to the Coordinating Committee, as needed. (Archives)
Assembly or the Academic Senate (ACAS)
The Assembly of the Academic Senate represents the faculty in the governance of the entire University of California as mandated by the Standing Orders of the Regents. The Assembly is authorized to consider any and all matters of concern to the Senate as a whole and has the power to take final action on all legislation substantially affecting more than one Division. The Assembly is ready at all times to advise the President. Each Division (campus) is allocated a number of seats on the Assembly based on a census of the Academic Senate faculty (current and emeriti) for each Division. The Committee on Committees appoints individual UCSF faculty to serve two-year terms. Academic Assembly Delegates are responsible to report to the Coordinating Committee, as needed. (Archives)
Academic Council (COUNCIL)
The Academic Council is the administrative arm of the Assembly of the Academic Senate and acts in lieu of the Assembly on non-legislative matters. It advises the President on behalf of the Assembly and has the continuing responsibility to request committees of the Senate to investigate and report to the Council or to the Assembly on matters of Universitywide concern. The Chair of each Division (campus) is a member of the Academic Council.
Task Force and Ad Hoc Committee
From time to time, special task forces and ad hoc committees are assembled to study and report on matters of concern to the UCSF faculty. The work may be conducted at one-time meetings, via email or, less frequently, may last up to 6 months. Some examples of ad-hoc committees or task forces are: review of affiliation agreements, involvement on UC Systemwide committees (e.g., International Education), Chancellor's committees (e.g., diversity, student health), research misconduct committees or faculty misconduct committees. Task forces and ad hoc committees meet as determined by the work proposed and the members' schedules. UCSF faculty at any rank are eligible to serve. For bylaws governing Task forces and ad hoc committees please refer to 85-A, 90-B and 101-D. (Archives)