Task Force Guidelines

What is a Task Force?

  • The term “task force” means a committee is charged by the Senate or Executive Committee to carry out a specific investigative task.
  • The issues that task forces address typically concern pressing needs that impact the university community and are not addressed by standing committees since they fall beyond their defined responsibilities.
  • Task Force members are selected by the Senate. Nominations for Task Forces may come through Senators or individuals who self-nominate once a call is announced by the Faculty Senate.

How long does a Task Force have to complete its work?

  • The charges of the task force should be designed so that the work can be completed in a year.
  • Task forces shall be automatically dissolved at the end of the academic year in which they were created, unless specifically continued by the Senate or the Executive Committee (Constitution Article VIII.1)
  • Should a task force require more time to complete the charges, they should work with the Faculty Senate Executive Committee to identify solutions (Constitution Article VIII.1)

What are the responsibilities of Task Forces?

  • Task forces are intended to gather information and data based upon their charge and produce a report with recommendations to the Faculty Senate.
    • Recommendations from the Task Force are then passed along to facilitate decision making and actions relating to the issue investigated.
  • Task forces should perform objective research and make data-driven recommendations in a final report.
    • The expectation for data gathering and analyses does not need to rise to the level of publishable scholarly work. Task force data is exploratory in nature.
    • A task force should consult with Faculty Senate Executive committee if large-scale external shareholder input is sought.
  • The recommendations should be guided by best practices in the discipline.
    • Recommendations are deliberated on the Senate floor and voted on for adoption (Constitution Article VIII.11)
  • Dissenting opinions may be included in a final task force report.
    • There is no need for a consensus formed by the task force.
    • Multiple models or plans may be included in a final report.
  • Task force chairs and co-chairs should work with the Executive Committee for troubleshooting or guidance during their work.

(adopted 9/2024)