Advisory Council

The NHS Advisory Council is a volunteer board to the leadership of the College of Natural and Health Sciences (NHS) at the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), offering guidance to help the college best serve the region and the state; providing contacts with STEM-related industries, government, and the community to advance the mission of NHS; and acting as an advocate on behalf of NHS and UNC. Members of the Council include industry professionals representing natural and health sciences, as well as alumni of UNC and current UNC students.

The Council meets twice annually to discuss workforce trends and opportunities, the state of the college, and matters in the Council’s charge. Council members serve as ambassadors on behalf of the College, while helping NHS to establish priorities and chart its successful course for the future.

Charge: The Advisory Council will:

Provide advice pertaining to the needs and interests of business, industry, government, non-governmental agencies, educational entities, and community as they relate to the College.
Supply comment on the College's planning efforts and facilitate the achievement of its goals and objectives.
Provide input on the currency and relevancy of the College's academic programs.
Assist the College in seeking and securing support and resources for its programs and activities.
Foster and strengthen partnerships between the College and its external stakeholders.
Advocate for the College and promote its visibility and positive image.

Membership:The Advisory Council shall consist of a diverse cohort of individuals broadly representative of the College's academic programs and drawn from industry, government, non-governmental agencies, educational entities, and community. The Dean of the College shall make all official appointments to the NHS Advisory Council. Advisory Council members will be responsible for expenses associated with their attendance at Advisory Council meetings and College functions. Meaningful philanthropic support of the College and its programs is not required, but deeply appreciated and encouraged. The number of regular members, including the NHS Dean, shall not exceed twelve individuals. Ex-officio members consist of the College Associate Deans and NHS Director of Development.

Term of Office: Regular members of the Advisory Council shall serve two-year, renewable terms with new appointments effective immediately. Decisions on the renewal of an Advisory Council member will be made by the Dean following consultation with the College's Leadership Team. Renewal of appointments will be effective on July 1 following the completion of a term. The terms of the Advisory Council 's regular members shall overlap such that no more than one-half of the members' terms end each year. Initial terms are drawn by lot. When individuals are appointed to a vacancy created within a term, the new member will be appointed to complete the remainder of that term. Resignations from the Advisory Council should be submitted in writing to the Dean.

Officers and Administrative Support: The officers shall be regular members of the Advisory Council and shall consist of two Co-Chairs. The Dean of the College shall serve as one of the Co-Chairs.The second Co-Chair shall be elected by the membership, with elections taking place at the Spring meeting of the Advisory Council or immediately after a vacancy occurs. The elected Co-Chair shall serve a two-year term and may be re-elected. The elected Co-Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Advisory Council, enforce its Bylaws, and perform duties as directed by the Advisory Council. The administrative support shall be appointed by the Dean of the College from among the staff of the College. The administrative support shall develop, disseminate, and maintain all records of the Advisory Council 's meetings and other activities, including meeting minutes. The records of the administrative support shall be the property of the College.

Committees: The Advisory Council shall normally conduct its business as a committee of the whole. However, the Co-Chairs may appoint committees (and Committee Chairs) following consultation with the Advisory Council.

Meetings: The Advisory Council shall normally meet twice per year, with one meeting during the fall semester and the other in the spring semester. All meetings shall be convened by the Co-Chairs and be announced by the administrative support at least one month in advance. Notification shall include the date, time, and location of the meeting. The agenda shall be determined by the Co-Chairs and sent prior to the Council’s meeting time. Meetings will usually be in person with the option to attend virtually if the member is out of town.

Meeting Format: The format of the meetings may vary depending on the agenda and setting. In most cases meetings will be informal to facilitate open communication. Parliamentary procedures using Robert’s Rules of Order may be invoked by the Co-Chairs to facilitate business.

Amendments of the Bylaws: Proposed amendments of the Bylaws may be submitted in writing to the Advisory Council administrative support, who shall disseminate them to the Advisory Council at least two weeks in advance of their consideration. A majority vote of the Advisory Council members is required for approval of a proposed amendment. Voting on proposed amendments may be conducted electronically.