4-003 - Program Advisory Committees

POLICY: There will be a program advisory committee (PAC) for each cluster of programs to advise the Board of Governors and college personnel.

The Board of Governors shall appoint members to Program Advisory Committees (PACs) that are representative of the employers and industry sector (s) that each program serves.

1. Terms of Reference

1.1 The purpose of the PACs is to identify and suggest requirements for new programs and courses and to consider, review and suggest changes and revisions in existing programs and courses thus ensuring programs meet the changing needs of the labour market.

1.2 More particularly, PACs will offer advice regarding program learning outcomes, curriculum, facilities, experiential learning, in advancing capstone, clinical and field experience, co-op and work experience, placement opportunities, effectiveness of graduates, and community needs.

1.3 PACs will provide an avenue to liaison with the community for the dissemination of information about the program, the development of scholarships and bursaries, recruitment of students and the placement of graduates, and for the College to disseminate relevant information to our community members.

1.4 PACs are advisory and not administrative or executive in nature, and are not in any way responsible for the allocation and utilization of College resources.

2. Membership

2.1 The Program Advisory Councils shall be composed of:

a. A minimum of five members who are employers, specialists, professionals, community representatives, or recent graduates and are selected for their expertise, potential as employers, respect enjoyed in their field, and influence related to the purposes of the program. At least one member must be from a non-employer group. Members may be drawn from the local area or elsewhere in Ontario or Canada.

b. Up to three students, preferably one from each year of study

c. A minimum of one coordinator and or faculty member and the Program Dean or Associate Dean. 

d. An internal or external resource person as needed.

Only those members as defined in (a) will have voting membership on the committee.

2.2 The Board of Governors appoints all PAC members as defined in 2.1 (a). PAC members unable to attend a particular meeting may send a designate to represent them.

2.3 The PAC members defined in 2.1 (a) shall be appointed for a term not to exceed three years, which will normally commence on September 1st of the year in which they were appointed. The three-year term is renewable one time only. There may be exceptions to the six year appointment if no replacement members are available. When a new PAC is formed, the first members shall commence their respective terms upon their appointment and their terms shall expire on August 31st date within the following three years of their appointment in rotation. Any vacancy occurring during the term of a member will be filled on a recommendation of the Program and Services Committee of the Lambton College Board of Governors and appointment by the Board.

3. Meetings

3.1 PACs shall meet a minimum of two times per year, preferably, one in each post-secondary term. The PAC will determine the need for more meetings.

3.2 When in any academic year, a member, other than an ex-officio member, attends less than 50 per cent of the meetings of the advisory committee; the committee may declare the membership void and replace the member.

4. Operations

4.1 The chairperson of a PAC for the next year will be elected annually at the last meeting of the academic year from non-college members as defined in 2.1 (a). The Chair, in consultation with the Dean, Associate Dean or Chair of the program, is responsible for formulating the agendas for committee meetings.

4.2 The Dean’s Academic Administrative Assistant is responsible for arranging meetings as required by the committee and for ensuring that the committee membership list is current and that a copy is submitted to the Board of Governors office.

4.3 Minutes will be kept of each committee meeting and distributed by the Dean’s Academic Administrative Assistant to each member prior to the next meeting. Areas or issues, which require review by the VPA, should be highlighted by the Dean and sent to the VPA.

4.4 The College will provide secretarial support to each PAC.

4.5 A quorum for the purposes of voting at each meeting shall be the majority (50% or more) of the voting PAC members.

4.6 Electronic/distance participation is acceptable.

5. Communications

5.1 A bi-annual program review will be completed by the program representatives each May/June, and will be reviewed by the PAC in the subsequent fall semester.

5.2 Programs that have been identified in the fall term as not meeting the criteria contained in the Program Revitalization and Rationalization Policy will have a report prepared by the Dean and Coordinator in the winter term. This report will outline the enrolment, retention and graduate placement rates along with the program costing. The report will be presented to the Program and Services Committee of the Board of Governors and the Program Advisory Committee will review and comment on the program in the subsequent fall semester.

6. Orientation

6.1 Orientation information about the college system, the role and responsibilities of PAC's, Strategic Program Directions, Key Performance Indicator, and Lambton College in general, will be provided to all new members of PACs by the Office of the President. The individual committees will conduct orientation on programs.

7. Establishment of a New Pac

7.1 When the College wishes to explore the feasibility of a new program, an ad hoc Program Advisory Committee shall be established. The membership shall be composed of individuals selected for their expertise, potential as employers, respect enjoyed in their field and influence related to the purpose of the program as well as educators in the appropriate field. College resource persons will consist of the program Dean, Associate Dean or Program Chair, and selected faculty.

7.2 The purpose of the ad hoc committee is to assist in the provision and analysis of market research to determine the need for the program and solicit input regarding the proposed curriculum. Once the decision is made to proceed, a program proposal will be compiled by the Program Developer for submission to the Program and Services Committee of the Board and its recommendation to the Board of Governors.

7.3 When a new program has been approved a new PAC will be established that can include members from the ad hoc committee membership as well as new members as appropriate.