Faculty Senate

WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee

Role statement

In addition to annual charges it may receive from the Faculty Senate Executive Board, the WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee oversees the implementation, assessment, and revision of the WMU Essential Studies curriculum.

Subcommittee

WMU Essential Studies Course Approval and Review Subcommittee—reviews and approves courses for WMU Essential Studies credit received from college curriculum committees and deans and forwards its recommendations to the administration; reviews all previously approved WMU Essential Studies courses as least once within a seven-year cycle as determined by the committee.

2026-27 Charges

In addition to its specific responsibilities listed in the WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee's role statement and the work of its standing committees if such exist, the Faculty Senate Executive Board charges the WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee to consider, as a committee of the whole or through the appropriate committee or task force, the following:

  1. Revise, simplify, and standardize the WMU Essential Studies Student Learning Outcome (SLO) rubrics. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
  2. Refine and formalize WMU Essential Studies transfer-credit procedures, including review of Memorandum of Action-17/04 to determine necessary revisions and best practices. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
  3. Finalize development, review, and implementation of the comprehensive WMU Essential Studies faculty communication website and associated faculty/advisor resources.
  4. Collaborate with departments and colleges to increase the number of online/distance learning WMU Essential Studies course offerings, which are in high demand.
  5. Develop and deliver charges for the WMU Essential Studies Course Review and Approval Committee for the current academic year.
  6. Recruit faculty and staff representatives from all colleges as needed to serve on the WMU Essential Studies Course Review and Approval Committee, and ensure at least 60% of the committee is faulty.
  7. Coordinate with the WMU Essential Studies Course Review and Approval Committee for the on-going course review and approval process, including continued improvement of faculty application resources and assessment-plan materials. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.
  8. Review the scope and description of the committee’s role statement and assess the effectiveness of the committee's practices.
  9. At the annual April WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee meeting, the committee members must review the draft year-end report to include annual objectives and outcomes, to be submitted to the Faculty Senate office, by the committee chair no later than May 30.
  10. Address any continuing or outstanding issues or initiatives as directed by the Faculty Senate Executive Board, members of the committee, faculty, and/or academic administrators. Conclude the initiative by producing a report to the Executive Board or a Memorandum of Action.

Approved by the Faculty Senate Executive Board on Aug. 14, 2026

Printable version of the 2026-27 WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee Charges.

NOTE: The WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee will seek information from the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and related administrative office to maintain communications with those offices on issues directly related to them. Committee recommendations are to be submitted to the Executive Board in the form of a memorandum of action (MOA) on which the recommendation(s) is/are stated. Draft MOAs should be submitted using the MOA template.

REPORTING: The WMU Essential Studies Executive Advisory Committee chairperson shall provide a written report of the committee’s accomplishments and progress for the year; list the above charges noting each item’s progress and current status; any other activities undertaken; and draft charges for the 2027-28 academic year, no later than May 30, 2027. Reports should be submitted using the Year-End Report template.