University Academic Committees and Councils
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the External Awards Committee is to oversee the selection of nominees for external awards.
The External Awards Committee has the responsibility to:
- establish criteria and procedures for the selection processes of external awards; and
- conduct the selection processes in a timely manner. To avoid the potential appearance of conflicts of interest, faculty who serve on this Council and are nominated or apply for any award under this committee shall inform the Committee Chair and recuse himself or herself from all committee activities or meetings related to that particular award.
Chair: Maysam Pournik
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Management | Michael Abebe | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Organizational & School Leadership | Hilda Silva | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Mechanical Engineering | Maysam Pournik | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Art & Design | Romeo Di Loreto | Assistant Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Liberal Arts | History | Linda English | Associate Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Health Professions | Health & Biomedical Sciences | Saraswathy Nair | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Science | Physics and Astronomy | Hyun-chul Lee | Senior Lecturer | August 31, 2027 |
| School of Medicine | Human Genetics | John Blangero | Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | Liji Mathew | Assistant Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | Romeo Escobar | Assistant Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| University College | University College | VACANT | ||
| Office of Faculty Affairs | Cinthya M. Saavedra | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the Faculty Development Council is to recommend policies, programs and grant awards related to faculty development.
The Faculty Development Council has the responsibility to:
- recommend policies and guidelines in the area of faculty development;
- review the applications for faculty development leave and make recommendations to that;
- review and recommend grants awards for faculty development in teaching, professional achievement and service. To avoid the potential appearance of conflicts of interest, faculty who serve on this Council and intend to apply for funding through this program shall inform the Council Chair and recuse himself or herself from all Council activities or meetings during that particular award cycle.
Chair: Leyla Feize
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Management | Pingshu Li | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Organizational & School Leadership | Israel Aguilar | Associate Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Electrical & Computer Engineering | Mounir Ben Ghalia | Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Rebecca Coberly | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Health Professions | School of Rehabilitation Services and Counseling | Kim Finn | Assistant Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Liberal Arts | VACANT | |||
| College of Science | VACANT | |||
| School of Medicine | Human Genetics | Sarah Williams-Blangero | Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | Pauline Jojo | Clinical Assistant Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | Leyla Feize | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| University College | University College | Sofia Montero | Senior Lecturer | August 31, 2027 |
| Office of Faculty Affairs | Cinthya M. Saavedra | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the Faculty Research Council is to recommend research policies and the award of internal research monies.
The Faculty Research Council has the responsibility to:
- recommend faculty research policies;
- establish criteria and protocols for awarding internal research monies; and
- review applications and make recommendations concerning awards of such internal funds. To avoid the potential apperarance of conflicts of interest, faculty who serve on this Council and intend to apply for funding through this program shall inform the Council Chair and recuse himself or herself from all Council activities or meetings during the particular award cycle.
Chair: Alex Stehn
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Management | Sibin Wu | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Bilingual & Literacy Studies | Michael Guerreo | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Computer Science | Dong-Chul Kim | Associate Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Susan Hurley-Glowa | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Health Professions | Physician Assistant | Nathalie Chacon de Alvarez | Clinical Assistant Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Liberal Arts | Philosophy | Alex Stehn | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Science | School of Mathematicial & Statistical Sciences | Baofeng Feng | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Medicine | Immunology and Microbiology | Subhash Chauhan | Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | VACANT | ||
| School of Podiatric Medicine | School of Podiatric Medicine | Claudia Biguetti | Assistant Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | Sudershan Pasupuleti | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| Office of Research & Graduate College | Can (John) Saygin | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the General Education Committee shall be to review and make recommendations on matters of importance to the general education requirements for undergraduate students.
The General Education Committee shall review and make recommendations on the curriculum, assessment, and other matters of importance to the general education requirements. Committee recommendations will be forwarded through the Dean of the University College to the Office of the Provost for appropriate administrative review and action.
Chair: Tamer Balci
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | School of Accountancy | Andrew Anabila | Associate Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Education & p16 Integration | Counseling | James Whittenberg | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | VACANT | |||
| College of Fine Arts | Department of Theatre | Richard Edmonson | Lecturer III | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Health Professions | Department of Health and Human Performance | Jung-Il Oh | Associate Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Liberal Arts | History | Tamer Balci | Associate Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Science | Physics and Astronomy | Mkhitar Hobosyan | Lecturer I | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | Susamma Thomas | Clinical Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | VACANT | ||
| School of Medicine | School of Medicine | VACANT | ||
| University College | University College | Erika Perez | Lecturer III | August 31, 2026 |
| Student Academic Success | Jonikka Charlton | Senior Vice Provost for Student Success & Academic Affairs | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the Graduate Committee shall be to review and make recommendations on matters of importance to graduate education.
The Graduate Committee shall review and make recommendations on graduate academic policies and standards related to curriculum, admissions, fellowships and assistantships and other matters of importance to graduate education. Committee recommendations will be forwarded through the Dean of the Graduate College to the Office of the Provost for appropriate administrative review and action.
Chair: Michelle Abrego
Vice Chair: Katrina Roush
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Management | Hale Kaynak | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Organizational & School Leadership | Michelle Abrego | Assistant Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Mechanical Engineering | Dumitru Caruntu | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Katrina Roush | Assistant Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Health Professions | Health & Biomedical Sciences | Lisa Salinas | Clinical Assistant Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Liberal Arts | Sociology | Dean Kyne | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Sciences | VACANT | |||
| School of Medicine | Population Health and Biostatistics | Candace Robledo | Assistant Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | Rebecca Hernandez | Clinical Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | Denise Longoria | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| Office of Curriculum & Institutional Assessment | Laura Saenz | Associate VP Academic Institutional Executive | EX-OFFICIO | |
| Office of Research & Graduate College | Can (John) Saygin | Sr. VP for Research & Grade College | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the Undergraduate Committee shall be to review and make recommendations on matters of importance to undergraduate education.
The Undergraduate Committee shall review and make recommendations on undergraduate academic policies and standards related to curriculum, admissions, retention, graduation and other matters of importance to undergraduate education. Committee recommendations will be forwarded through the Deputy Provost to the Office of the Provost for appropriate administrative review and action.
Chair: Marcela Hebbard
Vice Chair: Edna Orozco
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Management | Jennifer Welbourne | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Bilingual & Literacy Studies | Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto | Associate Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering | Edna Orozco | Lecturer III | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Justin Writer | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Health Professions | Health & Biomedical Sciences | Norma Beardwood-Roper | Clinical Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Liberal Arts | Writing & Language Studies | Marcela Hebbard | Senior Lecturer | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Science | School of Mathematicial & Statistical Sciences | Tatiyana Altecor | Lecturer III | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | Dalia Paul | Clinical Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | Noelia Alonzo | Lecturer II | August 31, 2025 |
| University College | University College | Jaime Mancha | Senior Lecturer | August 31, 2027 |
| School of Medicine | School of Medicine | VACANT | ||
| Office of Curriculum & Institutional Assessment | Laura Saenz | Associate VP Academic Institutional Executive | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The primary purpose of the Library Committee is to advise the Dean of Libraries on matters of general library policy and development of library resources.
The Library Committee has the responsibility to:
- advise the Dean of Libraries on policies of the University Library;
- provide input on allocation of resources for the departmental requests for new resources; and
- advise on services to support students, faculty, staff, and other Library patrons.
Chair: Andres Amado
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Economics | Bruno Arthur | Senior Lecturer | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Science | Informatics & Engineering System | Jose Taha Tijerina | Assistant Professor of Practice | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | VACANT | |||
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Andres Amado | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Liberal Arts | Communication | Young Lim | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Health Professions | VACANT | |||
| College of Science | School of Mathematicial & Statistical Sciences | Dambaru Bhatta | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | VACANT | ||
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | Heather Vitek | Lecturer II | August 31, 2025 |
| University College | University College | Dagoberto Ramirez | Lecturer III | August 31, 2026 |
| University Library | Peter Cortez | Dean of Libraries | EX-OFFICIO |
Purpose and Responsibilities.
The purpose of the University Tenure and Promotion Committee shall be to review all applications for tenure and promotion and provide an independent review or assessment of the candidate’s professional record and achievements.
The University Tenure and Promotion Committee shall
- evaluate the candidates’ dossiers,
- assess the candidates’ performance including the strengths and weaknesses in the areas of teaching, research and service;
- use the department’s discipline-specific criteria for tenure or promotion as the basis upon which to evaluate a faculty member;
- provide a recommendation on whether or not to promote or tenure.
Chair: TBD
| College | Department | Current Member | Title | Term Date |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Information Systems | Francis Andoh Baidoo | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| RCV College of Business & Entrepreneurship | Management | Joo Jung | Professor | August 31,2026 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Bilingual & Literacy Studies | Elena Venegas | Associate Professor | August 31,2026 |
| College of Education & P16 Integration | Department of Teaching and Learning | Laura Jewett | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Department of Informatics & Engineering Systems | Mahmoud Quweider | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Engineering & Computer Sciences | Department of Informatics & Engineering Systems | Immanuel A. Edinbarough | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Brendan Kinsella | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| College of Fine Arts | School of Music | Wendell Davis | Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Health Professions | School of Rehabilitation Services & Counseling | Noreen Graf | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Liberal Arts | Communication | Louis Falk | Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| College of Liberal Arts | Criminal Justice | Rachel Rayburn | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Liberal Arts | History | Erica Buchberger | Associate Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| College of Science | School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences | Anahit Galstyan | Professor | August 31, 2026 |
| School of Medicine | Neuroscience | Gladys Maestre | Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2027 |
| School of Medicine | Human Genetics | John VandeBerg | Professor of Medicine | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Nursing | School of Nursing | Sharon Radzyminski | Professor | August 31, 2025 |
| School of Social Work | School of Social Work | John Gonzalez | Professor | August 31, 2027 |
| Office of the Faculty Affairs | Cinthya M. Saavedra | EX-OFFICIO |