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Major Committees

Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) Committees

Name Charge Membership
Community, Care, & Culture Committee (C4)
  1. To foster a welcoming and respectful environment for all VMBS faculty, staff, and students.
  2. To support strategic initiatives promoting community, care, and culture led by the VMBS Dean’s Office.
 This committee includes constituents from across the VMBS, including graduate and professional program students, faculty, staff, administration, and VMBS-embedded counselors from Texas A&M University Health Services (UHS).
Executive Committee
  1. To set policy for the school, consistent with the rules and regulations of Texas A&M, considering all items placed before it, taking appropriate action, and acting as a channel of communication from the Dean to the college faculty, staff, and students, and through the Dean to Texas A&M officials.
 This committee includes the Dean, associate deans, department heads, and others designated by the Dean.
Executive Staff Council
  1. To serve as a forum for discussion and exchange of information of importance to the School.
  2. To provide recommendations to the Dean and/or Executive Committee on matters of policy, procedure, or implementation of concern to the School.
  3. To perform specific duties and implement specific projects on a one-time or continuing basis.
 This committee includes senior staff members, one from each of the major administrative units of the school (academic departments, Veterinary Medical Teaching Hosptial [VMTH], and Dean’s Office), who are appointed by the Dean in consultation with the administrative heads, who will determine the specific term of office for their unit’s representative.
Graduate Program Scholarships & Awards Committee
  1. To select the most appropriate recipients from the VMBS current BIMS graduate students and postdoctoral trainees for various scholarships and awards.
 This committee includes the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Programs or representative – EX officio Chair; Scholarships Administrator – Ex officio; Advising Staff Member – Ex officio; Development Office Staff Member – Ex officio; and five faculty members who teach in the Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) Graduate Program appointed by the Dean in consultation with the department heads. The membership term is three years.
Informational Technology Services Advisory Committee
  1. To identify priorities, make recommendations, and respond to problems related to instructional and information technology needs at the VMBS, specifically including but not limited to instructional technology, access to computing resources, and policy related to school information processing and storage.
  2. To monitor requests for proposals to enhance VMBS information technology and help coordinate competitive submissions.
 This committee includes two faculty and one staff representative from each academic department within the school, appointed by each department head. At the end of each member’s term, their department head can appoint the member to serve again (a three-year term) or appoint another representative from their department.
International Program Advisory Committee
  1. To implement international grants and programs that strengthen ongoing VMBS and Texas A&M programs.
      Members are expected to be well informed about international issues and opportunities that affect the educational and research programs of the school. There should be interaction with the Texas A&M International Office.
 This committee includes two faculty representatives from each department, with one vote per department, appointed by each department head with the concurrence of the Dean; one graduate student representative; one staff representative; and one at-large faculty member. The chair is selected by faculty members annually. The membership term is three years.
Professional Program Scholarships & Awards Committee
  1. To select the most appropriate recipients from the VMBS current DVM students, residents, and interns for various scholarships and awards
 This committee includes the Associate Dean for Professional Programs or representative – Ex officio Chair; Scholarship Administrator – Ex officio; Professional Program Office Staff Member – Ex officio; Development Office Staff Member – Ex-officio; and five faculty members who teach in the professional program appointed by the Dean in consultation with the department heads. The membership term is three years.
Tenure & Promotion Advisory Committee
  1. To review candidates’ dossiers concerning tenure and promotion, including the recommendations of departmental committees with which the committee will either concur or not concur, and communicate its decisions to the Dean.
 This committee’s members are drawn from the chairs of each departmental committee and one professional-track representative selected by each department, who is recused from reviews of tenure-track faculty members. The committee selects its chair annually.
Undergraduate Program Scholarships & Awards Committee
  1. To select the most appropriate recipients from the VMBS current BIMS undergraduate students for various scholarships and awards.
 This committee includes the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs or representative- Ex officio Chair; Scholarship Administrator – Ex officio; Advising Staff Member – Ex officio; Development Office Staff Member – Ex officio; and five faculty members who teach in the BIMS Undergraduate Program appointed by the Dean in consultation with the department heads. The membership term is three years. 
VMTH Board of Directors To execute the central mission of the VMTH, which is:

  1. To partner with the academic departments of the VMBS to provide and promote the highest quality clinical programs possible for the education of students in the professional program;
  2. To facilitate faculty in their academic responsibilities and professional development in teaching, clinical service, and research; and
  3. To provide the highest quality veterinary care and service for patients and clients.
This committee’s members include the Associate Dean for Hospital Operations, the Assistant Dean for Hospital Administration, and the department heads of Small Animal Clinical Sciences (VSCS), Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS), and Veterinary Pathobiology (VTPB).

Academic Committees

Name Charge Membership
Academic Appeals Committee
  1. To serve as an appeals panel to hear matters relating to academic decisions, grade assignment disputes, and administrative decisions made by the Associate Dean for Professional Programs.   Matters subject to a hearing by this group at the request of a student include those covered in the Professional Student Handbook.
This committee includes members appointed by the Dean upon recommendation and consultation with department heads. The chair is selected by the committee annually. The membership term is three years. The faculty constituents of this committee are also those named to the Disciplinary Appeals Committee.
Academic Progress Committees
  1. To monitor students’ academic progress during the term and forward this information to the Associate Dean for Professional Programs, who will transmit appropriate warnings or actions to the students.   An Academic Progress Committee oversees each of the four years of the Professional Program and reports to the Associate Dean for Professional Programs, who is a non‑voting member of each.
 For years I through III, these committees include all of the course coordinators within the specific year of the Professional Program. For year IV, the committee includes eight members of the faculty: three from Small Animal Clinical Sciences (VSCS), three from Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS), and two from Veterinary Pathobiology (VTPB).
Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) M.S. Non-thesis Option (NTO) Degree Program Steering Committee
  1. To recommend policy to the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies regarding the administration and programmatic requirements of the BIMS M.S. NTO Degree Program.
  2. To aid in communication between the departments and the Dean’s Office.
  3. To serve as the Admissions Committee for the BIMS M.S. NTO Degree Program.
 This committee includes five members, one from each department, approved by the department heads to serve three-year terms. At least one member affiliated with a residency program employing the BIMS M.S. NTO Degree is desired.
Disciplinary Appeals Committee
  1. To hear cases relating to Honor Code violations referred by the Associate Dean for Professional Programs.
 This committee includes five faculty members and four student members. When called together to hear a case, a quorum of three voting faculty members and two voting students shall be required. The chair is selected by the committee annually.
The faculty members are also those named to the Academic Appeals Committee and are appointed by the Dean in consultation with the department heads.
The student members are the president and vice-president of the second-year and third-year professional program classes and assume their responsibilities following class officer elections, but no earlier than the beginning of classes in a new academic year.
Curriculum Committee
  1. To develop, monitor, and adjust the professional program curriculum to meet veterinary educational needs, articulating the educational philosophy of the faculty by providing the framework through which the best possible veterinary education can be delivered.
This committee includes faculty representatives who serve three-year terms and a chair is selected by the committee at the beginning of each academic year. Each member has one vote. Representatives for the second-year, third-year, and fourth-year professional program classes are elected at the end of the spring semester by each rising class and are strongly encouraged to stand for re-election since multi-year service on the committee is deemed optimal.
Graduate Instruction Committee (GIC)
  1. To recommend policy to the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies regarding VMBS graduate programs.
  2. To aid in communication between the departments and the Dean’s Office.
  3. To serve as the BIMS Graduate Program Admissions Committee for M.S. Thesis and Ph.D. degree programs.
  4. To contribute to the development of recruitment strategies.
  5. To contribute track-specific content to the BIMS Graduate Program website.
  6. To identify track-specific electives to add to the BIMS Graduate Program core courses.
  7. To contribute to the review of graduate course offerings and provide recommendations for new courses.
  8. To contribute to the development of new funding streams needed for the introduction of rotations.
 This committee includes two faculty members for each of the following BIMS Graduate Program Curricular Training Tracks and Research Emphasis Areas:

  1. Biomedical Genomics & Bioinformatics,
  2. Diagnostics & Therapeutics,
  3. Infection, Immunity, & Epidemiology, and
  4. Physiology & Developmental Biology.

  Members are selected by the existing GIC, after an open call for nominations and final approval by the department heads and the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, and serve for three-year terms.
  The Associate & Assistant Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, one member of the VMBS Research & Graduate Studies Office, the departmental faculty graduate advisors, and the BIMS Graduate Program Rotations Director serve as ex officio members. The Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies serves as the chair.
Selections Committee
  1. To identify and recommend from among all applicants to the professional program those within the quota number who, in the best considered collective evaluation of the committee members, have the highest probability of successful completion of the program, entry into, and the pursuit of careers in the broad field of veterinary medicine.
  2. To submit a list of acceptees and alternates to the Associate Dean for Professional Programs.
  3. To recommend rejection for all current applicants not included in the above quota of selectees, identifying in each case the specific points of the applicant’s weakness. (These points can be used as helpful aids in counseling with the respective student.)
  4. To use all means available to the committee to evaluate the applicant’s potential.
  5. To attempt to complete the selection process by March 15 of each year, so applicants can be notified of their status in advance of preregistration for the fall term.
 This committee includes three faculty members from each department, appointed by the Dean in consultation with the department heads, each serving three-year terms. VERO has a representative. Reappointments and extensions may be made. The chair is selected by the committee for a two-year term.

Research Committees

Name Charge Membership
Clinical Research Review Committee (CRRC)
  1. To provide necessary institutional oversight of clinical research involving client-owned animals, with goals to protect animals, animal owners, investigators, and Texas A&M by assuring the ethical and humane treatment of all participants in clinical research.
This committee includes one or two faculty representatives appointed by each of the department heads, the Texas A&M veterinarian (or their designate), a member from an another Texas A&M college or school, and a community representative, for three-year terms, which may be renewed. The expiration of terms is staggered to assure continuity within the committee. The chair is selected by the committee annually.
  Ex officio members include the Associate Dean of Hospital Operations and the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies. Other ex officio members may be added at the discretion of the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies.
Research Advisory Committee (RAC) To provide the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies and the Dean guidance by:

  1. advising on strategic research initiatives,
  2. reviewing internal grants,
  3. evaluating research space needs and assignments,
  4. reviewing core facilities and centers, and
  5. making recommendations for common use space and shared research resources.
 This committee includes 10 faculty members, with two representatives from each of the five VMBS Research Emphasis Areas, appointed by the Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Studies, who will solicit nominations from the faculty, representing both professional- and tenure-track faculty. The Assistant Dean for Research & Graduate Studies will chair the committee as an ex officio member. Membership terms are two years, staggered, with the possibility of reappointment.

Other Committees

Name Charge Membership
VMBS Faculty Senators The Texas A&M Faculty Senate is the faculty’s only representative body for university-wide participation in governance and reports directly to the president of the university. No Texas A&M officer or body shall exercise control over the Faculty Senate’s recommendations. Electoral units in the university include the academic colleges and schools, the University Libraries, and the faculty at Texas A&M University at Galveston and Texas A&M University at Qatar. For more information on Faculty Senate elections, or to review the Faculty Senate Constitution, please visit https://facultysenate.tamu.edu/. Each electoral unit shall elect senators to the Faculty Senate on the basis of proportional representation as established by the Bylaws. Faculty Senators serve three-year terms.
Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center (SCALC) Advisory Board
  1. To advise and assist the Director of the SCALC in establishing policy and procedures.
  2. To advise and assist in the development and expansion of SCALC programs as appropriate and consistent with its mission and goals.
 This advisory board includes members appointed by the Dean, upon the recommendation of the department heads and in consultation with the chair board, serving three-year terms.
  The board meets three times annually (February, June, and October).
Student-Faculty Liaison Committee / Student Honor Code Council
  1. To maintain, promote, and foster positive, professional student-faculty relationships and good teaching-learning conditions through better communication, understanding, and cooperation.
  2. To provide a means of bringing problems, opinions, and observations in the general interest of one group to the attention of others, and to channel these to the appropriate individuals or authorities.

The council is not a policy-making body. It facilitates communication and cooperation relative to policy matters and procedures employed, is to concern itself with matters of general interest only, and should not become involved in the resolution of conflicts or grievances between individual faculty members and students. It is not a substitute for communication, but a vehicle for maintenance and improvement of communication. Prevention of problems is the key to the its function.
  The Student Honor Code Council receives all reported scholastic dishonesty, violation, or misconduct allegations against any student that has been submitted to the Associate Dean for Professional Programs.

 The Student-Faculty Liaison Committee faculty representatives are appointed by the Associate Dean for Professional Programs, in consultation with the department heads for three-year terms.
  The Student-Faculty Liaison Committee student representatives and Student Honor Code Council are elected at the beginning of each academic year. The four professional program classes will elect two students as the class representatives to both the Student-Faculty Liaison Committee and the Student Honor Code Council for one-year terms.

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