Advisory Board
UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING ADVISORY COUNCIL CHARTER
Document Reviewed and Adopted – November 6, 2015
(This document reflects a revision of the original charter of 1999.)
MISSION OF THE CBE ADVISORY COUNCIL
The general mission of the UNM Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Advisory Council (hereafter referred to as the Council) is to provide advice and assistance on setting and achieving strategic goals of the department. The Advisory Council is expected to contribute to the growth and development of the department’s programs by assuring technical relevance and maintaining close liaison with employers and other stakeholders.
MEMBERSHIP OF COUNCIL
The Advisory Council will consist of a minimum of 6 members selected by the department Chair, in consultation with the department faculty, and the sitting members of the Council. The term of Council members will be three years. Two successive three-year terms are permitted for Council members. Initial members appointed to less than three year terms will be eligible for an additional two successive three-year terms. The members shall be chosen from industry, national laboratories, foundations, and other academic institutions, with a balance among the different areas. The Council will include representation from department alumni and/or the School of Engineering's Board of Visitors. The Council will include representatives from the chemical engineering, biological engineering, and other related communities with active interests in the institution and the program. It is desirable that the Advisory Council members have intimate knowledge of current technology and research relevant to the goals of the department. The membership aims to be diversified with respect to gender and minorities. The Chair of the department will be an ex-officio member of the Council. It is appropriate for members to be represented by a designee, when necessary, with the understanding that this represents exceptional circumstances.
A Council Chair and Chair-elect will be elected from the membership of the Council. The Council Chair will serve for a period of three years. Before the end of this three year term the Council will elect a new Chair-elect for the following three year term.
The Department Chair and Council Chair may jointly appoint Council members to head specific subcommittees of the Council. Departmental administrative support shall be provided to help with correspondence and other matters.
MEETINGS
The Advisory Council will meet once a year at times mutually agreeable to the Chair of the Council and the Department Chair or at the Department Chair’s discretion. Meetings will normally be one day long, but no more than one and a half days long. Meetings will usually be held on the campus so members have access to students and faculty, but special meetings may be called for off campus sites provided the Council Chair and the Department Chair concur on the venue. The Chair of the department will cover local meeting expenses and assist members with travel expenses, as necessary. Telephone and web-based meetings may take place throughout the year to deliberate on program needs, progress and problems. The Advisory Council is encouraged to participate actively in departmental affairs on a regular basis rather than just the once a year face-to-face meetings.
COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
The preferred form of communication between the Advisory Council and the Department will be e-mail. When needed, the Department will maintain a password-protected area of the Department's website to facilitate communication with the Council. An agenda and a set of objectives will be prepared for each Council meeting. The agenda and the set of objectives will be prepared by the Department Chair with cooperation and concurrence of the Chair of the Council. To be effective, the Council must be properly supported logistically and administratively by the department administration. The Council must be given meaningful assignments that are properly within their areas of expertise, and their advice must be given serious consideration.
REPORT BACK FROM THE ADVISORY COUNCIL
As part of the meeting agenda, the Council will verbally report its comments and findings to both the Dean of the School of Engineering and the Department Chair. The advisory council will prepare a brief report on their observations and their recommendations to the department. A draft of this report will be submitted by the Council chair to the Department Chair for review and clarification. The revised version will sent to the entire council for revision and the final version sent to the Department Chair and the Dean of the School of Engineering.
