College of Education
Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee
Bylaws

Name, of Committee: College of Education Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee

Mission/Purpose: The Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee's mission is to enrich the lives of students and faculty members by promoting equal educational opportunities within the professional education programs of the College of Education.

Goals: The goals of the committee are to:

1. increase the number of minority students entering the teaching profession.
2. support minority students in their persistence of a teaching certificate.
3. increase the understanding of multiculturalism and diversity within professional education programs.
4. continually assess the awareness, multiculturalism and diversity needs of students and faculty and to make recommendations of improvement to the Dean.
5. coordinate multicultural and diversity issues of professional education programs with other university efforts.
6. address the recommendations of NCATE and KDE for the improvement of multicultural and diversity issues within professional education programs.

Objectives: Annually, the committee will receive and/or request a charge from the Dean, College of Education, delineating a clear focus for the year. In addition to the charge from the Dean, the committee through its assessment of continuing goals and objectives, annually, may also suggest objectives for the year. Upon the acceptance of the committee's objectives by the Dean, responsibilities will be assigned to subcommittees and/or individuals for the development of action plans.

Committee Membership: The committee membership shall consist of two representatives from each department and Model School appointed by the Dean. The committee shall also include the Director of Multicultural Student Services (University) and the Director of Student Services (College of Education). The Dean shall also appoint a Chair and Recorder in addition to all other members. The committee may be increased at the discretion of the Dean or by the Dean upon a recommendation of the committee. All members of the committee will be voting members except the recorder.

Terms of Committee Members: The membership of the committee shall be appointed annually by the Dean. Representatives of departments shall be appointed to staggered two-year terms. Other members of the committee shall be appointed annually to one-year terms.

Officers: The officers of the committee shall consist of a chair, vice chair, and recorder. The chair and recorder shall be appointed by the Dean. The vice chair shall be selected by the membership of the committee.

Duties of Officers:

1. Chair: The chair shall be responsible for the overall functioning of the committee and committee meetings including, but not limited to, chairing meetings; causing minutes of meetings to be written and distributed; communicating with and keeping the committee members and the Dean informed; managing and monitoring the requirements of the bylaws; facilitating the achievement of the Dean's charge; facilitating the achievement of the committee's objectives; and other duties as delegated by the Dean.

2. Vice Chair: The vice chair shall be responsible for monitoring the action plans of each subcommittee; chairing committee meetings when the chair is unable to attend; and other duties as delegated by the chain:'

3. Recorder: The recorder shall attend all committee meetings and record the decisions of the committee; prepare the minutes of each meeting and submit them to the chair for review; and perform other responsibilities delegated by the chair.

Meetings: The committee shall establish a time each semester when members of the committee are available to meet. Meetings of the committee may also be initiated via electronic communications at the discretion of the chair after consultation with the committee.

Quorum: To conduct a meeting, a majority of the members must be present (6). Decisions made by a majority of a quorum shall constitute action by the committee.

Subcommittees: The committee structure shall include standing and ad hoc committees. The standing committees shall be Scholarship and Persistence; Recruitment; Curriculum, Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board and National Council for the Accreditation of Teachers; and Program. Ad hoc committees may be established to assist in achieving short-term objectives and/or action plans.

Subcommittee membership: The membership of each standing committee shall include at least one member of the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee who shall assume the role as facilitator of the committee. Each standing committee shall establish their own bylaws and operating procedures. Membership on subcommittees may include faculty, students, administrators, parents and other audiences as needed to achieve the objectives of each subcommittee. Subcommittee members shall be appointed by the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee or an ad hoc committee.

Subcommittee Functions:

Scholarship and Persistence: Establish procedures to inform students and expedite the awarding of any scholarships under the control of the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee. Also, assess and evaluate scholarship applicants and award scholarships as well as to keep the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee informed of all decisions. In addition, once scholarships are awarded, to assist, cause to assist, and support the scholarship recipients in their pursuit of admission to Teacher Education, Student Teaching, and the teaching profession.

Recruitment: Establish procedures to assure the recruitment of multicultural and diverse students into the teaching profession. Cooperatively and collaboratively work to assist the College of Education Ambassadors in the recruitment of high quality students. In addition, make recommendations to the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee for review and action concerning recruitment ideas and actions.

Curriculum, Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board and National Council for the Accreditation of Teachers: Establish and monitor procedures for assessing and evaluating the College of Education curriculum courses to assure comprehensive and consistent inclusion of multicultural and diversity issues. To assess and evaluate the development and delivery of multicultural and diversity content within the academic programs of the College of Education and content majors. Establish and monitor procedures for addressing the recommendations of EPSB and NCATE concerning multicultural and diversity issues contained within the EPSB and NCATE report(s). Also, to make recommendations to the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee for further action.

Program: Develop and implement programs that enhance the achievement of the objectives of the committee including, but not limited to, the annual summer program. Also, to managing and evaluating all programs designed and implemented.

Adoption of Bylaws:

Bylaws are designed to facilitate the operations of the committee. They will be developed and annually reviewed at the first meeting of each year. Bylaws may be suspended by a two/thirds consensus or4-' vote of the committee at any meeting. Bylaws may be changed and/or modified through the introduction of a bylaw change at a regular meeting of the committee and the adoption of the proposed changes at the next regularly scheduled meeting following their introduction.

References:

Bylaws adopted by the Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee on October 20, 1998.
Revised: November 17,1998
Supersedes: No former bylaws.
College of Education connections: Ambassador Committee
University connections: Multicultural Student Services, Financial Aid
Other connections:

College of Education Multicultural and Diversity Issues Committee

Membership consists of representatives from:

Counseling and Educational Psychology
Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Curriculum & Instruction
Special Education
Model Laboratory School
KECSAC
Students Services
Student Liaison for the College of Education

Continuing Membership

Rose Skepple
Norman Powell, Chair
FeLisa Wilson
Sandra Moore or Diversity Office Representative
Felecia Ballard
Aaron Thompson
Sherwood Thompson