Student Handbook

Student Handbook
College Policies

College Governance

College Committees serve as a mechanism through which students offer input on a variety of issues. The Student Executive Board interviews students for membership for the following committees. Please refer to the Bowdoin College Catalogue for the names of faculty and administrative committee members. In circumstances where a College Committee is required to meet and take action outside the academic year, committee members may participate by telephone when necessary.

COMMITTEES OF THE TRUSTEES*

* Only those committees with student representation are listed. For a complete list of committees, see the College Catalogue.

The by-laws of the College allow for a high degree of student involvement in College governance. Students are voting members of nearly all trustee committees and are representatives at meetings of the Executive Committee and of the full Board of Trustees.

EXECUTIVE
Chair: Peter M. Small; secretary: Scott W. Hood. Undergraduate representative: Michael S. Dooley ’10. Acts with the powers of the Board when the Board is not in session and may take action on behalf of the Board (with certain exclusions) and set agendas for Board meetings. In addition, a member of the faculty, a student, a parent, and a member of the Alumni Council shall be entitled to attend.

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Chair: Gregory E. Kerr; liaison officer: Cristle Collins Judd. Undergraduates: Bryce A. Spalding ’10 and Taylor E. Johnson ’11 (alternate). Concerned with all matters relating to the educational program of the College, the faculty (including appointments, promotions, tenure and salary) and the Library, Museum of Art, Peary Macmillan Arctic Museum, and information technology. (1 student appointed plus 1 alternate.)

ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
Chair: JGerald C. Chertavian; liaison officer: Scott A. Meiklejohn. Undergraduates: Oliver H. Kell ’10 and Alexander N. Porter ’12  (alternate). Oversees all matters related to the recruitment and admission of students to the College, policies and procedures for financial aid, and financial aid policies in relation to the financial resources of the College. (1 student appointed plus 1 alternate.)

DEVELOPMENT AND COLLEGE RELATIONS
Chair: David G. Brown; liaison officer: William A. Torrey. Undergraduates: Katelyn E. Gundersen ’10 and Nicholas J. Daniels ’12 (alternate). Reviews capital needs of the College and consults with the College administration regarding the appropriate steps for securing the funds required; it also oversees the alumni affairs and communication activities of the College. (1 student appointed plus 1 alternate.)

FACILITIES AND PROPERTIES
Chair: Scott B. Perper; liaison officer: S. Catherine Longley. Undergraduates: Isa Abney ’11 and Thomas I. Humphreys II ’12 (alternate). Oversees the maintenance, improvement, security and protection of the College’s physical plant and equipment and new capital projects. (1 student appointed plus 1 alternate.)

FINANCIAL PLANNING
Chair: Jeff D. Emerson; liaison officer: S. Catherine Longley. Undergraduate: John T. Scannell, Jr. '10. Reviews and makes recommendations to the Board about the annual operating and capital budgets and the financial needs and resources of the College, oversees policies and the administration of compensation and benefits provided by the College, and considers the long term financial plans and projections of the College. (1 student appointed.)

SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS
Chair: Tamara A. Nikuradse; liaison officer: H. Roy Partridge Jr. Undergraduates: Nicholas Tom ’10 and Carlos C. Rios ’12 (alternate). Considers matters pertaining to the academic and social experience of students, faculty, and staff of color with a particular focus on the recruitment and retention of students from diverse backgrounds.  Also addresses other issues that relate directly to making Bowdoin a more diverse and pluralistic campus. (1 student appointed plus 1 alternate.)

STUDENT AFFAIRS
Chair: John F. McQuillan; liaison officer: Timothy W. Foster. Undergraduate: Addison L. Boyland ’10. Responsible for all matters relating to the nature and quality of student life and policies relating to athletics, residential life, dining, security, student activities, career planning, health and counseling services. (1 student appointed.)

FACULTY GOVERNANCE COMMITTEES*

* Only those committees with student representation are listed. For a complete list of committees, see the College Catalogue.

CURRICULAR COMMITTEES

Curriculum and Educational Policy Committee (CEP)
Chair: Christle Collins Judd. Undergraduates: Bryce Spalding ’10, Taylor Johnson ’11, and Kathryn Woo ’12 (alternate). Responsible for broad oversight of the curriculum, and for proposing changes in academic policy and degree requirements for consideration by the faculty. Advises the Dean and the President on allocation of resources, including the assignment and reauthorization of faculty positions. Brings to the faculty proposals about policy including college-wide changes to major/minor requirements, changes to college-wide distribution requirements, and other large-scale curricular policy matters. Represents the faculty on the Trustee Committee on Academic Affairs.

Curriculum Implementation Committee (CIC)
Chair: James A. Higginbotham. Undergraduates: Elaine Tsai ’10, Derek Brooks ’12, and Leah Wang ’12 (alternate). Oversees curricular implementation, including: approval of all new and revised courses, revisions to individual majors/minors, implementation and evaluation of distribution requirements.  Oversees Off-Campus Study curricular issues.  Evaluates and approves self-designed majors (with advice on petitions from the Associate Dean for Curriculum).  Oversees the execution of policies  re: grading, honors, transfer of credit and progress towards degree (in consultation with CEP as necessary).  Subcommittees may be formed as needed.

Recording Committee
Chair: Louisa M. Slowiaczek. Undergraduates: Wilson Taylor ’11, Rebecca Schouvieller ’10, and Emma Nathaniel ’12 (alternate). Interprets and applies current academic policies, determines academic standing, reviews petitions re: academic standing, grading options, and transfer credit. (2 students appointed plus 1 alternate.)

RESOURCES COMMITTEES

Faculty Development Committee (FDC)
Chair: Elizabeth A. Pritchard. Undergraduates: Billy Rohman ’11 and Lilly Rudd ’12 (alternate). Administers course development grants.  Oversee the development of teaching:  engaging speakers, organizing workshops, supervising the teaching mentorship program, etc. (2 students appointed.)

Lectures and Concerts
Chair: Mary Lou Zeeman. Undergraduates: Willy Hameline ’10 and Elizabeth Lee ’10.  Awards funds on the basis of proposals submitted by members of the faculty to support lectures, concerts, exhibitions, and other events relating to the academic and cultural life of the College.

APPEALS, GRIEVANCES AND MISCONDUCT BOARD

Judicial Board and Student Sexual Assault and Misconduct Board
Chair, Judicial Board: Sarah Richards '10; Chair, Student Sexual Assault and Misconduct Board: Timothy Foster, Dean of Student Affairs. Undergraduates: Addison Boyland ’10, Mikyo Butler ’10, Matthew Carpenter ’10, Edward Gottfried ’11, Megumi Ishizuka ’12, Sophie Kelmenson ’11, Lonnie Nunley ’12, Katharine Ransohoff ’11, R. J. Shea ’12, Rachel Turkel ’11, and Jessica Weaver ’10. The Judicial Board addresses violations of the Academic Honor Code and Social Code. The Student Sexual Assault and Misconduct Board serves as the hearing body for student complaints of sexual assault and/or sexual misconduct by students. Full details of the hearing processes are outlined under the Judicial Authority and the Student Sexual Assault and Misconduct policies.

Student Appeals and Grievances
Chair: President Barry Mills. Undergraduates: Joseph Babler ’10, Mike Dooley ’10, Kevin Raymond ’11, Anirudh Sreekrishnan ’12, and Jessica Laplante ’12 (alternate). Reviews J-Board decisions. Can either uphold J-Board decision, direct the Dean of Student Affairs to take appropriate action, or direct the J-Board to reconsider the case.  Addresses student complaints of discrimination on the basis of a federally protected class.

OVERSIGHT: COLLEGE LIFE COMMITTEES

Library
Chair: Sarah McMahon. Undergraduates: Jack Hilzinger ’12 and Jung Gun Song ’11. Advises the College Librarian regarding library policies, procedures, and the development of the library collection.  Informs the faculty about issues relating to the library. Recommends the formation of working groups on issues of broad faculty interest in relation to library and information resources.

Museum of Art Executive Advisory Council
Chair: Director of the Museum of Art (Kevin Salatino). Undergraduates: Margaret Crosland ’10 and Steve Shennan ’12 (alternate). Advises the Director of the Museum of Art on policy regarding governance, programs, collections, facilities, and planning.  Also serves as review committee for proposed purchases and offered gifts of art for the collection.

Bias Incident Group
Chair: President Barry Mills. Undergraduates: Justin Nowell ’12 and Tarara Deane-Krantz ’12. Meets at the initiative of the President in response to an incident of bias in any form, whether discrimination, harassment, or other intolerance for the purpose of sharing all facts available at the time and designing a course of action appropriate to the incident.

Oversight Committee on Multicultural Affairs
Chair: Susan L. Tananbaum. Undergraduates: Carlos Rios ’12 and Nicholas Tom ’10.  Examines issues and concerns related to the condition of minority students, faculty and staff at Bowdoin.  The committee focuses primarily on issues pertaining to students of color.

Oversight Committee on Gender and Sexuality Issues
Chair: Enrique Yepes. Undergraduates: Mira Nair ’12 and Rasha Harvey ’12. Examines issues and concerns related to gender and sexuality among students, staff and faculty.  Makes recommendations to the President for appropriate courses of action.


INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES PROGRAM COMMITTEES
(Program Committees determine how student members are to be appointed.)

Africana Studies
Chair: Olufemi Vaughan. Undergraduates: all student majors.

Asian Studies
Chair: Shu-Chin Tsui.

Biochemistry
Chair: Anne E. McBride.

Coastal Studies
Chair: Michael Kolster.

Environmental Studies
Chair: Philip Camill.

Gay and Lesbian Studies
Chair: Aviva Briefel.

Gender and Women's Studies
Chair: Jennifer Scanlon. Undergraduates: Emma Verrill ’10 and Maxime Billick ’10.

Latin American Studies
Chair: Enrique Yepes

Neuroscience
Chair: Patsy Dickinson.