Committee Chair Guidelines and Toolkit

These Guidelines support WCP faculty in chairing committees. 

Committee service in the Writing and Communication Program serves two purposes: 

(1) Making sure the program’s work gets done. 

(2) Providing professional development opportunities that will help faculty build competencies and experience. 

These two purposes inform the guidelines below and should inform all of the work that committees undertake.

In addition to the general guidelines, see the detailed toolkit below to help you complete the two purposes.

General Guidelines for Chairing Committees

Purpose of the Chair

The chair plays a crucial role in helping the committee identify both short-term and long-term goals, guiding the committee toward those goals, facilitating discussions, and ensuring all members contribute and are supported meaningfully.

Chair Responsibilities

The chair has the following responsibilities.

1. Leadership and Organization

      • Review the previous year’s materials/reports in the DropBox committee folder.
      • Meet with the WCP Director to discuss the committee’s charge and potential goals.
      • Within your committee folder in DropBox, create a subfolder titled the academic year (e.g., “2024-2025”) and share it with your committee members. 
      • Set a clear agenda for each meeting.
      • Distribute the agenda and relevant materials 2-3 days in advance.
      • Give space for all voices to be heard, fostering an inclusive environment.

2. Meeting Management

    • Schedule meetings at available times for all members.
    • Start and end meetings on time; keep discussions focused.
    • Designate someone to take minutes. Use minutes to summarize key points, decisions made, and action items. Save minutes in the committee DropBox folder.

3. Goal Setting and Reporting

      • In consultation with WCP leadership, establish clear, measurable goals for the committee at the beginning of the term, ideally with existing members and before the annual WCP faculty meeting.
      • Regularly assess both estimated time and labor needed to complete goals/tasks; regularly assess progress toward goals.
      • Prepare a mid-year and end-of-year report outlining accomplishments, ongoing projects, and suggestions for future initiatives.

4. Collaboration & Delegation

    • Provide space for members to articulate their values and strengths and to identify ways those values and strengths relate to the committee’s purpose and goals.
    • Encourage participation and professional growth among committee members by sharing responsibilities.
    • Identify potential successors, discuss the process of election, and provide guidance to ensure a smooth transition. This transition should be part of committee conversations as early as the Spring semester.

In the absence of a successor, notify WCP leadership and help to facilitate an open call for the successor

5. End-of-Year Handoff

    • Prepare a short (1-2 page) report that includes:
      • Goals and objectives set for the year.
      • Achievements and completed projects.
      • Recommendations for future endeavors.
      • Elected successor or requested open-call for a successor.
    • Ensure that this report is included in the DropBox committee folder for the given academic year.

Toolkit for Chairing Committees

Purpose of the Toolkit

This toolkit is designed to assist committee chairs in establishing goals, structuring committee activities, and ensuring effective communication with members and stakeholders throughout the academic year. 

This toolkit emphasizes the best practices for:

    1. Setting a Standard Meeting Schedule for the Academic Year
    2. Setting the Goals and Committee Action Plan in consultation with the WCP Director
    3. Submitting a Mid-Year and End-of-Year Report to the Assistant Directors/WCP Director
    4. Ensuring Committee Continuity Year-over-Year

1. Setting a Standard Meeting Schedule

    • Beginning-of-Semester Planning 
      • Meet with the Director: Early in the semester, meet with the Director to discuss the committee’s charge and discuss potential goals.
      • Set Goals with the Committee: At the committee’s first meeting, discuss achievable goals for the year. See details below in the Goal Setting Template.
      • Clarify Roles: Confirm member roles, including individual responsibilities for tasks and milestones.
      • Compose the Committee Action Plan for the academic year: Submit a short (1-2 page) Committee Plan to the WCP Director that includes the membership of the committee and all the information listed above.
      • Allocate Resources: Identify and confirm available resources to support committee activities.
      • Establish Communication Protocol: Establish regular communication channels (e.g., email updates and monthly meetings beyond the standard meeting schedule).
    • End-of-Semester Check-In (Reflection and Adjustment)
      • Goal Progress Review: Evaluate progress toward goals using the defined success metrics. See details in the report submission guidelines.
      • Challenges and Adjustments: Identify any obstacles encountered and discuss adjustments to strategies.
      • Feedback Collection: Gather input from members on process improvements and best practices for the next term.
      • Preliminary Planning: Outline initial thoughts or goals for the upcoming semester based on this term’s insights.
      • Progress Report: Compose and submit a brief (1-page) progress report detailing work completed and work still to do to the WCP Director. See “3. Submitting the Mid-Year and Year-End Report” below for details.

2. Setting Goals and the Committee Action Plan during the First Meeting

The following template provides a structured format for setting committee goals:

    • Review Handover Documents and Committee Records:
      Review the Dropbox folder for the committee records and archives within the year-based subfolders. Track ongoing/incomplete projects and check whether they align with the current committee’s interests.
    • Articulate Committee Purpose and Objectives:
      Collaborate with committee members to define the committee’s overarching mission and objectives so that they align with program goals and institutional priorities.
    • Set SMART Goals for the Academic Year:
      Use the SMART criteria (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) to establish clear goals for the academic year.

    • Define Key Activities and Success Metrics:
      Identify significant tasks, responsible parties, role delegation strategies, and specific indicators to measure success for each goal.
    • Outline Resource Needs, Potential Challenges, and Solutions:
      List any required resources, additional members, or institutional support. Anticipate potential obstacles and strategies to overcome them.
    • Compose the Committee Action Plan for the academic year:
      Submit a short (1-2 page) Committee Action Plan to the WCP Director that includes the membership of the committee and all the information listed above.

3. Submitting the Mid-Year and Year-End Report

    • Purpose of the Report:
      Summarize committee activities, outcomes, and contributions to the program’s strategic goals.
    • Report Structure:
      • Executive Summary: Provide a brief overview of key achievements and challenges.
      • Goal Progress: Detail the goals set at the beginning of the year and the progress made toward each agenda item.
      • Activities and Milestones: Summarize significant activities, events, and milestones.
      • Outcomes and Impact: Describe the impact of committee efforts on the academic program and identify any measurable outcomes.
      • Challenges and Resolutions: Note any significant challenges faced and the solutions implemented.
      • Recommendations for Future Goals and Activities: Provide recommendations or insights for the incoming committee and future chairs.
  • Submission Protocol:
    Submit the report to the Director of the WCP by the specified deadline (e.g., Jan 30 and June 30).

4. Ensuring Committee Continuity

Maintaining continuity within the committee is essential to preserve institutional memory, sustain progress on long-term goals, and ensure a smooth transition between academic years. The following practices can help in achieving this:

    • Documentation and Record-Keeping in Dropbox 
      • Meeting Minutes: Assign a member to record detailed minutes of all committee meetings, capturing key decisions, action items, and rationale behind decisions.
      • Action Logs: Maintain an ongoing log of completed and pending action items with responsible members noted.
      • Yearly Reports Archive: Store all annual reports in an accessible, organized format for reference by future committee members.
    • Election Process
        • Discuss the process of election and the nominee(s).
        • Actively mentor nominees, involving them in key decision-making processes and leadership responsibilities.
    •  Transition Meeting at Year-End
        • Year-End Meeting: Hold a year-end meeting with the incoming and outgoing committee chairs to review goals, discuss challenges, and share successful strategies.
        • Handover Documents: Create a “handover” document detailing unfinished projects, recurring tasks, contacts, and insights, shared with the incoming chair at this transition meeting.
        • Update Handover Documents Annually: Review and update the handover documents and committee blurb each year with input from all members, reflecting any significant changes or lessons learned.