Committees and Councils

A complete listing of School of Medicine and Public Health committees can be found in the school’s bylaws (pdf). The bylaws explain each committee’s purpose and provide general information including the school’s governing structure and its mission, vision, values and diversity commitment.

Committee elections

Along with the privilege and power of our shared governance tradition, comes the responsibility to participate, including service on SMPH committees. The rewards of committee service include the opportunity to gain important and valuable insights into the critical functions of the school and to have an important impact on our school’s missions.

Several SMPH committees include student, faculty and/or academic staff members elected by their peers. Annually, an electronic call for nominations is sent to relevant stakeholders for committees with faculty or academic staff vacancies. The call for nominations provides a brief description of each committee with one or more vacancies, the type of representative sought, length of term and meeting responsibilities. Stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and levels of experience are encouraged to self-nominate or to nominate others (with their consent) for committee service.

Following the nomination period, an electronic announcement of open committee elections is sent to relevant stakeholders. Ballots are cast online during a two-week election window. New committee members are announced via email newsletter shortly thereafter.

The bylaws contain information about the following committees, some of which have their charters or additional information linked below.

List of Committees and Councils

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Academic Planning Council (APC)

The APC advises the SMPH dean on school programs and budgetary planning, and reviews and approves creation of or changes to academic programs and the policies and procedures related to the SMPH academic mission. The APC engages in long-range planning and evaluates any program decisions that are likely to affect promotions to tenure, or nonrenewal of probationary faculty appointments.

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Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI)

The Committee on Academic Staff Issues (CASI) advises the dean on the formulation and review of all policies and procedures concerning the school’s academic staff members, with the exception of CHS and CT track faculty who participate in SMPH governance with tenure track faculty.

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Dean’s Leadership Team (DLT)

The DLT is composed of administrative leaders, including SMPH senior associate deans, UW Health representatives, and others as determined by the SMPH dean. The SMPH dean and DLT work together to advance the SMPH mission, vision, and values. The DLT directs SMPH strategic planning and approves projects, initiatives, and policies.

Educational Leadership Team (ELT)

The Educational Leadership Team (ELT) is an appointed committee that advises the senior associate dean of academic affairs, who serves as the chair, on matters relevant to the academic mission of the school, specifically regarding the health profession degree programs at SMPH and the lifelong learning of health professionals and educators at SMPH including students, residents, and faculty. ELT membership includes representation of senior administrative and education leaders from SMPH health profession degree programs and related offices including the Academic Affairs office, Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Faculty Affairs and Development office, Graduate Medical Education office, Master of Genetic Counselor Studies program, Master of Physician Assistant Studies program, Master of Public Health program, and the Undergraduate Medical Education office. The ELT meets on a monthly basis to assist in policy development, guide strategic planning, and help steer academic initiatives for the school relevant to the above programs and offices.

Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC)

The EPCC is the final authority for curriculum planning and educational policy for medical education. The EPCC approves program objectives, monitors program outcomes, and evaluates the effectiveness of the SMPH’s medical education programs; oversees the approval of course proposals for the medical degree curriculum; and serves as the hearing body for student appeals for the medical degree program.

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Faculty Committee on Distinguished Awards

The Faculty Committee on Distinguished Awards identifies SMPH’s most outstanding faculty and makes nominations for membership in distinguished societies and prestigious national and international awards and honors.

Graduate Education Policy Council (GEPC)

The GEPC detailed on this page is responsible for Basic Science courses and courses related to the SMPH graduate programs (PhD/MS). The GEPC is also responsible for any undergraduate courses proposed by an SMPH department/program.

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CHS Track Promotion to Associate Professor Committee

The CHS Track Promotion to Associate Professor Committee reviews and advises the Dean on recommendations for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor (CHS).

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CHS Track Promotion to Professor or Senior Rank Appointment Committee

The CHS Track Promotion to Professor or Senior Rank Appointment Committee reviews and advises the Dean on recommendations for appointment at or promotion to the rank of Associate Professor (CHS) or Professor (CHS).

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CT Track Faculty Appointments and Promotions Committee

The CT Track Faculty Appointments and Promotions Committee reviews and advises the SMPH dean or dean’s designee regarding promotion to, or appointment at, the rank of clinical associate professor or clinical professor on the CT track.

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Research Professor Track Appointments and Promotion Committee

The Research Professor Track Appointments and Promotion Committee reviews and advises the Dean on recommendations for appointments and promotions on the Research Professor track.

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Teaching Professor Track Appointments and Promotion Committee

The Teaching Professor Track Appointments and Promotion Committee reviews and advises the Dean on recommendations for appointments and promotions on the Teaching Professor track.

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Tenure Track Faculty Promotions Committee

The Tenure Track Faculty Promotions Committee reviews and advises the SMPH dean regarding promotions to the rank of professor on the tenure track.

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Interprofessional Continuing Education Partnership (ICEP) Leadership Committee

The ICEP Leadership Committee establishes a sustainable organizational structure for oversight, administration, and evaluation of the ICEP. The ICEP is comprised of the SMPH Office of Continuing Professional Development in Medicine and Public Health, the School of Nursing Continuing Education in Nursing Program and the School of Pharmacy Division of Pharmacy Professional Development. The committee prepares the joint accreditation self-study and writes a five-year strategic plan.

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Medical Student Admissions Committee (MSAC)

The mission of the MSAC is to select a class of diverse medical students who possess outstanding academic, personal, and professional attributes and hold promise to succeed as clinicians, scientists, educators, and/or leaders. The MSAC is the sole authority by which prospective students are accepted for medical degree training at SMPH. The MSAC chooses which applicants to accept to the traditional medical degree program, the Medical Scientist Training Program (MD-PhD), and the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine through a holistic review. The MSAC creates and charges sub-committees to assist in the initial screening of medical students for special programs or other purposes as needed.

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Medical Student Honors and Awards Committee

The Medical Student Honors and Awards Committee awards the funds associated with each specifically named or endowed award to medical students post-matriculation. Committee members include faculty and staff familiar with student academic performance, leadership roles, and community services roles relevant to the awards.

Medical Student Promotion and Academic Review Committee (SPARC)

The SPARC is charged with monitoring performance of all medical students and reviewing those medical students who fail to meet academic or professionalism standards. SPARC responsibilities include reviewing academic progress of students not meeting the minimal academic requirements; reviewing allegations of student violations of the Professional Behavior Code; determining remediation and/or sanctions in cases of unsatisfactory academic progress or unprofessional behavior; reviewing, revising, and ratifying academic policies (in conjunction with the EPCC and APC); approving individualized academic programs for medical students; reviewing leave of absence requests; approving promotion to the next academic year of all students who have satisfactorily completed a given year’s curricular requirements; and approving graduation of all students who have completed the requirements for the Doctor of Medicine degree. The committee is empowered to establish individualized learning plans and levy sanctions or other disciplinary actions.

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Medical Student Scholarships Committee

The Medical Student Scholarships Committee awards recruitment scholarships to students pre-matriculation. Committee membership primarily includes MSAC members who know the pre-matriculation information about students and any specific requirements of the scholarship awards.

SMPH Policy Development and Review Committee (PDRC)

The SMPH PDRC provides oversight and guidance of school-wide policy standards, policy development, revision, routine review, and approval recommendations to the DLT or APC.

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Student Grievance Board

The Student Grievance Board provides formal review and adjudication of student grievances when informal resolution measures have been unsuccessful. A grievance is complaint made by a student alleging that the student received a grade or academic evaluation that was arbitrary, capricious, or discriminatory – i.e., unfairly based on race, gender, religion, personal animus, or any other factor(s) other than objective assessment of the student’s academic performance and/or the student’s compliance with his or her Program’s Professional Behavior Code.

Student Mistreatment Triage Committee

The Student Mistreatment Triage Committee is composed of senior leaders in the dean’s office who are committed to promoting a positive learning environment. The committee objectively triages reports of student mistreatment and ensures that reports are thoroughly investigaged and resolved in a fair and timely fashion by the appropriate party. The committee also gathers resolution information and provides follow-up information to the appropriate individuals.

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Technical Standards Accommodation Advisory Committee

The Technical Standards Accommodation Advisory Committee develops policies and recommendations concerning disability accommodations for medical students. The committee partners with the UW McBurney Center to review, modify, and approve medical student requests for disability accommodations.

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