2.1 Faculty Cabinet

2.1.1 Composition
The Faculty Cabinet shall consist of four faculty members, ordinarily elected for two-year staggered terms, one from each school or academic division, and the Chair of the Council, who shall be a voting member and Chair of the Cabinet. The Dean of the College is an ex officio non-voting member. No department chair may serve on the Faculty Cabinet (except that if a chair is elected to serve as Chair of the Council, he or she may serve), and no one may serve consecutive terms. The election of the Cabinet shall be held in the Spring in accordance with Arts and Sciences election procedures. The Cabinet shall elect a secretary from its membership, and the secretary shall present reports of the Cabinet to the Council.

2.1.2 Election
The members are elected by the College faculty for two-year terms, two being elected each year; one member from each school or academic division shall be elected by the College faculty. The election of the committee shall be held in the spring in accordance with Arts and Sciences election procedures. The Chair of the Council and Cabinet is elected by the Council (see 1.4.3).

2.1.3 Responsibilities
The Cabinet shall:

   a. Set the agenda of the Arts and Sciences Council and Arts and Sciences faculty meetings.

   b. Establish operational procedures for the orderly conduct of the Council's business and ascertain whether there is compliance with the organizational structure and functions of the Council and whether the Council's decisions have been implemented.

   c. Appoint members of all standing and ad hoc committees of the Arts and Sciences Council, except where the membership of a committee is otherwise specified. Note: the Faculty Cabinet may appoint its own ad hoc committees to assist with especially burdensome assignments. A Faculty Cabinet member shall chair any such committee.

   d. Designate members to serve as liaison with all standing and ad hoc committees of the College.

   e. Designate a member to confer with the associate dean on particularly difficult decisions involving such things as waiver of the requirement that the last 30 hours must be taken at Drake. Consultation with advisors and other appropriate parties will typically precede the discussion between the Cabinet liaison and the Associate Dean.

   f. Advise the Dean on curricular and academic issues arising during the summer. Note: All available members comprise the Cabinet during the summer.

   g. Advise and consult with the Dean on such other matters as the Dean or the Cabinet shall request.

   h. In consultation with the Curriculum Committee, ensure the maintenance of high academic standards.

   Toward this end, it is expected to establish and coordinate a systematic review of majors and interdisciplinary programs, with a cycle for review designed to ensure periodic re-view when timely reviews are not proposed by depart-ments and programs; the committee may propose recommendations to be presented to departments and programs regarding requirements for majors, minors, and concentrations.

   i. Present recommendations to the Dean and the Arts and Sciences Council, through the Faculty Cabinet, for:
      1) timely introduction of new programs;
      2) consolidation, reduction, or modification of existing programs and structures;
      3) reallocation of resources within the College;
      4) termination of programs which are no longer justifiable for the College.

   j. Advise and consult with the Dean on such other matters as the Dean or the Cabinet shall request.

2.1.4 Organization and Operations
   a. The Committee must be provided with information, on a confidential basis if necessary, that it considers necessary to assist in the review process, including gross salary and budget information.

   b. The Committee must make every effort to ensure that all parties to a review-such as departments, interdisciplinary programs, the Curriculum Committee, and students-be given an opportunity to present information in support of cases they wish to make.

   c. In considering discontinuance of a program, the Faculty Cabinet must act in accord with Article 10, Section A of the Drake University Academic Charter.

   The decision to discontinue a college, school, program, or department of instruction will be based solely upon educational considerations as determined by the faculty, administration and governing board of the University. "Educational considerations" do not include cyclical or temporary variations in enrollment. They must reflect long-range judgments that the educational mission of the institution will be enhanced by the discontinuance. Degree programs may be terminated by the concurrent agreement of the faculty concerned, the President of the University and the Board of Governors or by the concurrent agreement of the Faculty Senate, the President of the University and the Board of Governors.

   A program is defined as any curricular activity which has a significant degree of identity and which has traditionally been recognized as a unit within the College or a department of the College.

   d. A suitable record of the Committee's proceedings must be maintained.

   e. Each month the Faculty Cabinet shall report its actions to the Arts and Sciences Council. All actions and recommendations involving College policy must be approved by the Council.