Academic Councils and Committees

Deans Council

Academic & Student Affairs Leadership Council

Curriculum, instruction, and assessment committee (Cia)

The academic affairs of the College are monitored, guided, and elevated by the work of the Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (CIA) Committee. The CIA Committee consists of one core committee and eight collaboratives, which function as sub-committees. The CIA Committee and its collaboratives lead these operations under the direction of the Dean of Instruction. The CIA Committee provides direction and supports the College's achievement of the Higher Learning Commission's criteria for accreditation related to teaching and learning: Criterion 3: Quality, Resources, and Support and Criterion 4: Evaluation and Improvement.

As Collaboratives, the sub-committees of the CIA Committee interact with each other as partners on Collaborative activities and toward common goals. Although each Collaborative specializes in and is tasked with fulfilling goals related to an area of academic affairs, members of Collaboratives are available to each other to share knowledge, experience, and resources. The Collaboratives are responsible for hosting a session at the fall conference each year where the faculty, staff, and administration can learn about the service they provide to the college.

If you are interested in participating in a committee or subcommittee, connect with your dean or director. Email the Dean of Instruction or the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Specialist for more information about serving the college on an academic committee.

Committees and Collaboratives

CIA Core Committee

The CIA Core Committee facilitates the activities and interconnected processes related to teaching and learning in order to ensure an educational experience that is high-quality, equitable, and accountable to the campus community. The CIA Core Committee is responsible for overseeing the progress, direction, and scope of the collaboratives. 

Members: one individual from each of the collaboratives listed below; Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Specialist; Compliance Specialist; and Dean of Instruction.

Meetings are held three times per year: at the beginning of the year and at the end of each full semester

Assessment Collaborative

Assessment Liaisons are tasked with growing the knowledge around assessment practices and conducting reviews of plans and reports. Liaisons support programs within their discipline(s). They are experts in the assessment conditions required by their specialized accreditors.

Members: Deans select 2 individuals from their school/division areas per year to serve (individuals can serve consecutive multiple terms); Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment specialist; and Dean of Instruction.

Meetings are held three times per year: at the beginning of the year and at the end of each full semester. Liaisons will host additional meetings as needed with their department.

Co-Curricular Assessment Collaborative

The Co-curricular Assessment Collaborative is tasked with assessing "cocurricular learning activities, programs and experiences that reinforce the institution's mission and values and complement the formal curriculum (HLC definition).  

Members: All student organizations and affinity group lead advisors that meet the HLC definition of co-curricular above and the Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Specialist.

Meetings are held three times per year: at the beginning of the year and at the end of each full semester. Liaisons will host additional meetings as needed with their department.

Instruction Collaborative

The Instruction Collaborative is charged with responsibilities related to advising the planning, delivery, and evaluation of the faculty development program. The group provides insight, feedback, and guidance to the Center for Innovation in Technical Education on the policies and activities that permit the faculty development program to fulfill its mission.

Members: Directors appoint one individual per area to serve a three-year rotation: one faculty member who serves as the faculty development coordinator and chair of this committee; four faculty members, with at least two from a technical program and at least one from either the Math and Science or the Arts, Humanities, Communication and Social Sciences departments; two Deans/Directors that each represent different academic program areas; the Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Specialist; the Dean of Instruction; and the Learning Assistant.

Meetings are held twice per month and last one hour per meeting.

Dunwoody Online Collaborative 

The Dunwoody Online Collaborative is tasked with addressing the unique issues of distance education including the student experience, recruiting, and compliance, to meet the HLC's Criterion 3 by ensuring the College delivers quality education however and wherever, NC-SARA policy, and monitor the College's online faculty training. 

Members: All deans and directors involved in Dunwoody Online programming; a representative from Marketing; up to two representatives of the online recruiting team; a member of IT; the Dean of Instruction; and the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Specialist. 

Meetings are held quarterly and last one hour. Ad hoc meetings to address compliance and monitor/implement significant structural changes are to be expected.

Curriculum Collaborative

The Curriculum Collaborative is tasked with maintaining the College's Curriculum Guide, approving changes to Arts & Sciences curriculum, and supporting the College's Academic Planning program.

Members: Deans appoint four individuals from each of the 4 schools/divisions (individuals can serve consecutive multiple terms); the Compliance Specialist; the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Specialist; the Dean of Instruction; and a member of the Registrar's Office.

Meetings are held in March and April, in preparation for the annual new programs and program change process. Ad hoc meetings to address changes in or new Arts & Sciences courses are to be expected.

Ed Tech Collaborative

This group works in conjunction with the Online Academic Collaborative and the Instruction Collaborative to address challenges and provide just-in-time support for educational technology. The Ed Tech Collaborative provides training and conversations about educational technology throughout the academic year and pilots new educational technologies as needed.

Members: Open to all faculty; Educational Technology Coordinator; Dean of Instruction; Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment Specialist.

Meetings: Participation is ongoing and all faculty can join online.

PAC Collaborative

The PAC Collaborative's mission is to assist the College and its academic degree programs by maintaining the College's PAC materials on the Sharepoint site, the College's PAC webpage overseeing the PAC assessment process, and providing training for new PAC coordinators. The PAC Collaborative provides evidence for HLC's Criterion 1.B.3. 

Members: At the maximum, one representative from each PAC or a minimum of one individual from each of the four schools/departments (SoD, CSBT, SoE, and Robotics/Automotive/Computer/Health Sciences); the Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Specialist; and the Dean of Instruction. Individuals can serve consecutive multiple terms. An ad hoc representative from Marketing will attend the fall meeting to discuss the PAC marketing materials.

Meetings are held quarterly and annual faculty training is offered before the PAC Assessment submission (Aug 1).

Academic Advising Collaborative 

The Dunwoody Online Collaborative is tasked with addressing the unique issues of academic advising, to meet the HLC's Criterion 3.C7 and 3.D3 by ensuring the College provides academic advising suited to its offerings and meets the needs of its students (both on campus and online) and monitor the College's academic advising training. 

Members: Registrar; a representative from Student Affairs who works with the SAP process; a representative from a program that houses Dunwoody Online programming; a representative from each of the four schools/departments; a representative from Arts & Sciences; and the Dean of Instruction.

Meetings are held quarterly and bi-annual faculty training is offered prior to the College's Advising Weeks.

Program Advisory Committees

Dunwoody’s technical programs are required to have a Program Advisory Committee (PAC). A PAC is a volunteer committee of representatives who provide advice about the direction of Dunwoody’s academic programs and services, and help the College take appropriate action to provide relevant learning. Each PAC is required to include a diverse group of representatives from the appropriate community, business, industry, profession, labor, alumni, students, faculty, and secondary school affiliations. A range of diverse participants enables the College to receive the best possible advice about industry trends and technologies.

PAC meetings should be held two or more times per year. At a minimum, most programs host a meeting following the fall and spring semesters.

Each PAC has an internal PAC coordinator who is responsible for:

• Maintaining PAC member information
• Organizing meetings
• Preparing agendas
• Submitting meeting notes (may be taken by Academic Assistant)
• Completing assessments (due June 30th of each year)
• Providing documentation to the College for archival purposes

Proper recording of meeting notes and assessments is a key component for accreditation and continuous improvement efforts. The department's Academic Assistant maintains PAC records, such as meeting agendas, notes, and current rosters. The Office of Instruction performs an audit of PAC assessments at the end of each fiscal year in July.

Detailed information regarding the structure, formation, and purpose of a PAC is outlined in the PAC Guidelines document, which is posted on staff.dunwoody.