Advisory Council
Mission of the NE Advisory Council
The general mission of the Department of Nuclear Engineering Advisory Council (hereafter referred to as the Council) is to provide advice and assistance on setting and achieving strategic goals of the department. The Advisory Council is expected to contribute to the growth and development of the department’s programs by assuring technical currency and maintaining close liaison with supporting and employing industries.
Membership of Council
The Advisory Council will consist of 15 members selected by the department Chair, in consultation with the department faculty, and the sitting members of the Council.
The term of Council members will be three years with five members stepping down each year. Two successive three-year terms are permitted for Council members, but at least one year must separate a third term from a second term. Initial members appointed to less than three year terms will be eligible for an additional two successive three-year terms. The members shall be chosen from industry, national laboratories, foundations, and other academic institutions, with a balance among the different areas. The Council will include representation from department alumni and the School of Engineering's Board of Visitors. The Council will include representatives from the chemical engineering, nuclear engineering, and other related communities with active interests in the institution and the program. It is desirable that the Advisory Council members have intimate knowledge of current technology and research relevant to the goals of the department. The membership will include department alumni, representatives from the School of Engineering's Board of Visitors, and will be diversified with respect to gender and minorities. The Chair of the department will be an ex-officio (16th) member of the Council. It is appropriate for members to be represented by a designee, with the understanding that this represents exceptional circumstances.
For the first meeting of the Council, one of the members of the Council will be designated by the Department Chair to preside. Subsequent to the first meeting, a Council Chair and Chair-elect will be elected from the membership of the Council. The Council Chair and Chair-elect will serve for the academic year in which the second meeting takes place. During the second meeting and beyond, the Council will elect one of its members to be Chair-elect for the following academic year. The previously elected Chair-elect will succeed the Chair after the Chair's year of service.
The Department Chair and Council Chair may jointly appoint Council members to head specific subcommittees of the Council. Departmental clerical help shall be provided to help with correspondence and other clerical matters.
Meetings
The Advisory Council will meet once a year at times mutually agreeable to the Chair of the Council and the Department Chair or at the Department Chair’s discretion. Meetings will normally be one day long, but no more than one and a half days long. Meetings will usually be held on the campus so members have access to students and faculty, but special meetings may be called for off campus sites provided the Council Chair and the Department Chair concur on the venue. Membership in the Council is voluntary so members are generally expected to pay their own expenses for attending the meetings. The Chair of the department will cover meeting expenses over and above the travel expenses of the members.
Electronic meetings may take place throughout the year to deliberate on program needs, progress and problems. The Advisory Council is encouraged to participate and deliberate in a more continuous mode than just the once a year face to face meeting.
Communications with the Advisory Council
The preferred form of communication between the Advisory Council and the Department will be e-mail. In addition, the Department will maintain a password-protected area of the Department's website to facilitate communication with the Council. This website will include department background information, meeting information, and other information as appropriate. The website will also provide a means for Council feedback and comments. Department faculty and the dean of engineering will have access to the Advisory Council section of the department's website and made available to the Advisory Council and review bodies as appropriate.
An agenda and a set of objectives will be prepared for each Council meeting. The agenda and the set of objectives will be prepared by the Department Chair with cooperation and concurrence of the Chair of the Council. The agenda and set of objectives will be posted on the website prior to the meeting. Written output from the meetings will be posted on the website.
To be effective, the Council must be properly supported logistically and administratively. The Council must be given meaningful assignments that are properly within their areas of expertise, and their advice must be given serious consideration.
