The University Librarian selects an additional, non-voting member. The Chair of the senate participates ex-officio. The committee deals with issues pertaining to the approx. 500 members of the non tenure-track faculty whose teaching load is contractually defined as less than full time. The Planning and Budget Committee meets frequently, sometimes more than once each month.
Meetings are typically two hours in length.
The committee considers proposals for new degree programs, centers, and institutes, and makes recommendations regarding a variety of budetary issues. This is an active committee with a role of central importance to the Senate. The usual changes are submissions from the different units who want to modify existing documents. The committee reviews the requested changes to verify that they are consistant with the University governance documents and that they do not compromise the rights of the faculty. The committee is also called upon to make comment relative to new university policies.