There is not a strong perception at the college that this group functions effectively as a communication vehicle. The new e-mail system on campus and the establishment of a VSC strategic planning web page have allowed for interested individuals on campus and across the system to communicate more quickly and more easily than before. In the context of the college's and the VSC's strategic planning initiatives, the president has scheduled conversations with faculty groups as well as college-wide forums. Consultation by the president with students occurs formally through meetings with the president of the Student Association. Search committees for faculty or staff positions routinely include students, and students are often invited to serve on various ad hoc groups or task forces for college-wide efforts.
Faculty play the central role in curriculum design and oversight.
The Faculty Assembly, comprised of all fulltime faculty and ranked librarians, meets monthly, and at the beginning of each year the executive council of the Faculty Assembly provides a charge for each of the Assembly's eleven committees. Department chairs, elected by each department, automatically serve as members of the Chairs Committee. The full assembly votes on curricular changes recommended by the curriculum committee. Ad hoc committees are established to address specific issues. The Bylaws of Faculty Assembly provide for each committee of the Faculty Assembly to submit an annual report of its activities, recommendations, and an assessment of its value as a committee to the executive council.