Purpose: The Provosts Council (the Council) is a standing within the University System of New Hampshire. The Council is advisory to the USNH Presidents Council and is charged to consider, decide, and/or recommend strategic or operationally significant academic actions, according to the policies and processes of USNH.
Membership and Structure: Council members are the provosts of Keene State College, Plymouth State University, and the University of New Hampshire, or their interim appointments. A system office staff member may be assigned by the chancellor to support the Council. Other participants may be invited to attend meetings at the discretion of the Council members.
The Council functions as a collaborative group with consultation across its members on agenda items, planning for relevant Board of Trustees committee and Presidents Council briefings and action items, identification of responsible individuals to undertake tasks agreed to by the Council, and other work products of the Council.
The chair of the Council is chosen by and from the members of the Council on an annual basis.
Member Responsibilities: The chair serves as the primary Council liaison to the Presidents Council. The chair is responsible for facilitating effective and thoughtful discussion of ideas and for leading the Council to finalize and formalize relevant conclusions, decisions, and recommendations.
All Council members are expected to proactively engage with their campus constituents, including but not limited to deans, faculty leadership, and the president and/or president’s cabinet, on academic matters relevant to the Council’s work, for the purpose of
- Maintaining appropriate levels of communication about systemwide academic matters,
- Achieving the strategic goals and priorities of the Council, Presidents Council, and Board of Trustees, and
- Promoting a culture of systemwide collaboration in support of institutional missions.
All members are responsible for promoting the collaborative nature of the group and for ensuring that, to the fullest extent possible, items of collective interest are shared in a timely fashion to permit thoughtful consideration of potential actions and advice from the Council.
Meetings: The Council has regular meetings with frequency sufficient to meet its objectives in support of the expected outcomes. The meetings are set at times and locations/modes convenient to the members.
Objectives:
- Advise, support the priorities of, and carry out the directives of the Presidents Council on academic matters.
- Identify opportunities to align academic policy, practice, standards, and/or quality criteria across institutions, informed by best practice and in a manner consistent with institutional missions.
- Develop efficient processes to respond to changes in the higher education landscape.
- Support academic excellence at the three institutions.
- Promote systemwide collaboration where appropriate.
- Support the appropriate agenda and preparations for the Board of Trustees and its committees, particularly, but not limited to, the Educational Excellence Committee.
This Charter is reviewed annually by June 30.
