The committee should be diverse in characteristics such as gender, race, ethnicity and age.Each career program (or set of programs in the case of several similar programs) must have an advisory committee which has meaningful participation in the operation of the career program at Community College of Philadelphia via their advisory role. This document details the purpose, representation, and operation of career program advisory committees. Information in the document is meant to guide faculty, administrators, current and potential advisory committee members in the expectations of an advisory committee.

Purpose of Advisory Committees

Although advisory committees have no administrative or legislative authority, they provide an important service to the College. Members of an advisory committee serve as valuable resources, helping the faculty to ensure the quality and currency of the curriculum and the responsiveness of the program to the labor market and society. 

The following list suggests the types of activities that an advisory committee may be asked to carry out:

1. Help the faculty ensure the quality and currency of the curriculum (for example, by reviewing a program audit).
2. Assist in identifying training needs and changing labor market conditions.
3. Help promote the program and interpret it to the larger community.
4. Support program evaluation efforts, including being available for consultation during program accreditation.
5. Assist in locating resources.
6. Help identify speakers for special events.
7. Identify employment opportunities for graduates and cooperative education experiences for current students.

Representation on Advisory Committees

Prospective members of the committee must be approved by the division dean prior to appointment to the committee. Appointments should occur on a regular basis so that new perspectives may be brought to the program.

1. The advisory committee should be composed of individuals familiar with the requirements of occupational areas served by the program(s).
2. The committee should be well-balanced with representatives drawn from as many of the following areas as appropriate.
   1. Business and Industry, including, wherever possible: large and small firms, professional and trade organizations, chambers of commerce, business-sponsored civic groups and business consortia
   2. Organized labor
   3. Governmental agencies
   4. Other educational institutions
   5. Program graduates working in the field
   6. Adjunct faculty (on a voluntary basis)
   7. Current students
3. The committee should be diverse in characteristics such as gender, race, ethnicity and age.
4. Individuals who are asked to participate should routinely be available at times meetings are expected to take place.

Operation of Advisory Committee

1. Period of appointment: Appointments to advisory committees should be for specific periods of time. Periods of appointment should not be more than four years and should be staggered to permit continuity. For example, a 12-person committee should be arranged to have three new members each year. Members may be appointed for a second term, but it is suggested that members not serve more than two consecutive terms. In some cases it may be desirable to have an advisory committee member appointed to a permanent “ex-officio” position. Approval for such a position must come from the division dean.
2. Appointment process: The department faculty, the department head, the division dean or others interested in the successful operation of the program may suggest advisory committee members. The names of proposed committee member should be sent to the division dean for approval. After the division dean approves the proposed committee member, the dean then sends the proposed appointment to the College president; a letter of appointment must then be sent to the new member by the College president.
3. Committee functioning: The following guidelines should be used in holding advisory committee meetings:
   1. The division dean, department head, and full-time faculty member should attend the meeting. Invitations should be extended to the vice president for Academic and Student Success, the president, and any other individuals in the College, including students, whose participation would enhance the usefulness of the meeting.
   2. Per state regulations, committees are required to meet on campus at least once per academic year.
   3. An agenda for the meeting should be prepared and distributed to those attending the meeting several weeks before the meeting.
   4. Minutes of the meeting should be kept and distributed to committee members as well as to the division dean. Approved minutes must be sent to the Academic and Student Success Division.
   5. The meeting should be chaired by an individual from the advisory committee or by the program leader.
   6. The committee should clearly understand their advisory, non-policy making function. However, the committee should be appraised of programmatic changes that are implemented on the basis of their recommendations and given assurance that their input is valuable.
   7. Every effort should be made to provide members with a general understanding of the College mission and goals. This can be done in such ways as developing a program information handbook for the advisory committee members, inviting members to College functions and providing an opportunity for the president or vice president for Academic and Student Success to speak about general College developments at some meetings of the committee.
   8. Advisory committee members should be contacted between meetings when their advice would be helpful.
   9. Advisory committee members who have performed in an exceptional manner in supporting the program should receive formal recognition of their service through such activities as a presidential letter of appreciation, news releases, letters to superiors or certificates of service.
4. New programs: New career programs required to have an advisory committee should establish its advisory committee within one year of its approval.

Advisory Committees and Accreditation

If a career program has accreditation by an outside group, there may be policies or procedures related to advisory committees that must be met to maintain accreditation. The program leader, department head and division dean should review accreditation requirements to ensure that the College is in compliance.

Career Programs

A list of career programs at Community College of Philadelphia that are required to have an advisory committee is available at the  Career Program Advisory Committees page. Other programs may elect to have an advisory committee. All advisory committees are subject to the guidelines provided above.

For more information

For more information on state requirements for vocational programs, please see Accreditation Guidelines for Pennsylvania Public Postsecondary Vocational Education at https://www.education.pa.gov/Documents/K-12/Career%20and%20Technical%20E...