Understanding University Committees: How to Manage and Participate Constructively in Institutional Governance

Committees are indispensable to the governance of higher education, yet there is seldom guidance to faculty and administrators on how committees should be conducted or how to maximize committee obligations. 

This is the first handbook on how both to manage committees and how to engage effectively as members to achieve departmental or broad institutional goals, and how participation valuably contributes to individual learning and advancement.

Based on empirical research, organizational theory, and interviews with faculty and administrators, Dr. David Farris provides an informative and vivid examination of the dynamics of committee work, addresses the planning, conduct, roles, composition, and dispositionsof members as well as the institutional context and structures in which they operate that are vital to organizational success.

Committees are not just laboratories for implementing the vision of university leadership, developing solutions to institutional challenges, and refining organizational procedures; they are the proving ground for future leaders in higher education. How members perform in committees reflects our professionalism, aptitude, integrity, and character – all-important considerations given that we serve as ambassadors for our department, college, office, and colleagues.

In offering guidance on good committee practices, a recurring theme of this book is that readers should critically evaluate individual performance and how it impacts others or the committee at large. Too often the locus of control is presumed to be reserved for the chairperson even though significant influence can be exercised through informal leadership, member dispositions, and leveraging social networks.

In addition to reviewing the mechanism of committees, David Farris provides practical information regarding the functional application of committees (tactical, operational, or strategic), committee leadership and management, group dynamics that influence committee performance, and the importance ofdiversity and inclusive committee cultures to institutional performance. Throughout the book he identifies opportunities for faculty and administrators to reflect on their committee experiences, challenges readers to consider how to capitalize on committee experiences, and consider the various ways that committees shape institutional culture and performance.

This book provides guidance on how to create committees that are conducive to fair, equitable, and engaging participative decision-making experiences to yield the best results and to promote enthusiasm for participation in committees, whether as chairs or committee members.

David Farris is the Executive Director for Safety and Emergency Management at George Mason University. In addition to developing the university’s emergency management program, David helped design and implement environmental protection, laboratory safety, occupational safety, and fire safety programs while working for theuniversity’s department of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management. David has extensive experience collaborating with administrators and faculty on a variety of projects and has served on numerous committees to address topics to include but not limited to minors on campus, space utilization and schedule, international student and faculty travel, threat assessment, emergency operations, and governance for state and national associations. David completed his Ph.D. with a concentration in Higher Education Administration from George Mason University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences in 2016 and is an affiliate faculty member with George Mason University’s Higher Education Program. His research interests include organizational citizenship behavior, university committees, and small group research. David also holds an MBA from George Mason University’s School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology from Texas A&M University. For more information about David’s research and work, please visit https://universityadmin.com.