Committee Guidelines

• Standing committees can be mandated by university, local, state and/or federal guidelines. They support shared governance and aim to promote campuswide representation and collaboration of diverse viewpoints. The purpose of inclusive and diverse committee interactions is to expand perspectives, explore possibilities and encourage responsible, positive participation in open discussions that result in recommendations that improve the UC San Diego and Health System campuses. Each individual committee establishes membership guidelines in its charge.
• Advisory workgroups make recommendations to the Vice Chancellor - Resource Management and Planning.

Purpose

Resource Management and Planning forms committees and advisory groups to draw upon the diverse knowledge and resources of faculty, students and staff to inform senior leadership on various viewpoints and issues facing the campus on a short- or long-term basis.

Committee Membership and Recruitment

The Chancellor, Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning or other campus administrators appoint* committee and workgroup members.

*The Committee on Committees usually recommends faculty members and must approve all faculty committee appointments. The Staff Association is involved in appointing staff positions. Through shared governance, the Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning has some latitude on ex-officio and appointments.

Resource Management and Planning recruits committee and workgroup members who:

• Provide subject matter expertise or experience working with audience/constituency group/stakeholders
• Are able to participate in activities associated with committee membership
• Share a commitment to multi-directional communication

All RMP committee memberships end on August 31 with 1–3 year terms, depend on the committee timeline. Committee chairs are responsible for submitting requests to fill open positions for the upcoming year to the Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning Office by March 31.

Leadership Roles

Committee Chair, Co-Chair and Facilitator

The chair, co-chair(s) and/or facilitator directs committee business and dialogues with committee members.

The committee chair identifies issues that fall within the committee charge, initiates discussions, formulates proposals, and submits recommendations on the committee’s behalf to the Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning. Recommendations should accurately reflect the character of the committee’s discussion, its final consensus and any minority opinions.

The facilitator agrees to manage time appropriately, cover all meeting agenda items and ensure that committee objectives align with its charge.

Committee Members

Committee members, including members of the Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning established subcommittees and workgroups are expected to attend and participate in all meetings or designate a proxy to carry out assigned tasks and offer advice based on their experience and expertise. Committee members can request that items be added or omitted from the committee agenda if deemed relevant and should expect a timely consideration of those matters.

The Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning encourages undergraduate and graduate students to participate in deliberations of select committees, advisories and/or workgroups and appoints interested students for a specified timeframe. Representatives are encouraged to solicit comments from their peers on student-related issues.

Committee and Workgroup Responsibilities and Guiding Principles

Committees are required to:

• Draft a charge letter that includes:
  • Time commitment – meeting frequency, duration and location; expected length of service for all members
  • Scope of work, expectations, specific tasks and timeline
• Prepare meeting agendas and distribute them to members and guests 72 hours before the meeting, with the understanding that modifications may be made. Committees may distribute an updated version one day in advance.
  • Only include titles of agenda items; do not include explanatory notes.
  • Post supporting documents as the committee chair directs.
• Prepare minutes for committee approval and distribute them to members. Notes should include:
  • Discussion points
  • Decisions
  • Tasks, responsible member and timeline for completion

Procedures

• Collaboration and Interaction Expectations: Discussions should involve identifying problems, brainstorming possible solutions and/or making recommendations.
• Video or Teleconferencing: Committee chairs should offer the use video or teleconferencing services for meetings.
• Meeting Minutes and Recordings: Any meeting recordings are prohibited unless each member and guest signs a consent form for every meeting.
• Committee Website: Resource Management and Planning inventories all committees on relevant websites. 
• Meeting Venues and Logistics: Committees must hold all meetings at UC San Diego locations. The Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning must approved any catering costs in advance. If approved, committee members should convey dietary and other special needs to the committee chair, co-chair or facilitator.
• Meeting Cancellations/Additions: Committees are not required to use all designated meeting dates. A committee chair may cancel a meeting if no sufficient business requires convening. The chair should notify participants as soon as possible when canceling a meeting. If a committee chair wishes to add two or more meetings to the approved number during the academic year, they must submit a request to Vice Chancellor – Resource Management and Planning.
• Confidentiality: Committee members may be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before attending the first meeting or when the chair deems appropriate. Furthermore, if deemed appropriate, committee chairs are encouraged to designate time on each meeting agenda for closed session, and by majority vote, committees may call for a confidentiality session at any time during a meeting. Consultants, guests and student representatives may participate in a closed session only by the committee’s invitation. Committees may not record or include closed-session proceedings in the minutes, although action items may be noted. When committees conduct confidential discussions or circulate confidential documents, the chair must ensure that all attendees understand that they cannot share information with their constituents or anyone outside the meeting. All committee agendas, working papers and resource documents are assumed to be privileged materials for the sole use of the intended recipients unless otherwise stated. Unless a document has already been circulated widely (e.g., a proposal or report undergoing systemwide review), any distribution to others is strictly prohibited.
• Open Meetings: If the committee invites a member of the public to attend a meeting, it  opens the meeting to public disclosure as set forth by the Brown Act. If the committee does not invite an individual to attend the meeting, they cannot “crash” the meeting. All open meetings require:
  • Agenda: Post an agenda that advises the public of the meeting and the topics for discussion at least 72 hours before the meeting in a location “freely accessible to members of the public.”
  • Signed Non-Disclosure Agreement(s): All members of the public who attend the meeting must sign a non-disclosure agreement (PDF).
  • Minutes: The committee must post meeting minutes.

Questions?

Contact Marie-Pierre Murry, (858) 534-6821.