We are proud to have engaged advisory committees that serve our academic programs at UW-Stout. Committee members provide valuable insight and guidance for our educational programming, and work collaboratively with Program Directors, faculty, staff, and students.
Committee Purpose
Professional Advisory Committees (PAC) include professional leaders, employers, and alumni who provide UW-Stout academic programs with ongoing insights into current and future discipline and industry practices, trends, and workforce needs. PAC engagement varies to support a diverse array of academic program disciplines and professions. There are several ways PACs can support UW-Stout's academic programs and leverage their relationships.
These most often include:
- ensuring academic program strength and relevance by infusing external expertise,
- providing opportunities for students and faculty/staff, and
- actively participating in collaborative and engagement program opportunities.
Function of the Committee
- Provide guidance on the vision, short- and long-range goals for the academic program.
- Engage in career-focused opportunities with current and future students.
- Provide insights and information on current data trends, practices, workforce needs, and emerging issues in the associated professions.
- Provide advice and assistance in matters related to curriculum and workforce readiness. This can include and is not limited to providing feedback on student learning outcomes, participating in guest lectures or presentations, providing case studies or co-facilitating project-based learning activities, etc.
- Help create and expand opportunities for external partner engagement with students, faculty/staff, the academic program and university. This can include and is not limited to helping secure new resources via philanthropic donations (i.e., student scholarships; support of applied research experiences for students, faculty and staff; equipment gifts-in-kind, etc.).
- Help advance and promote UW-Stout's polytechnic identity and unique program array.
Composition of the Committee
- The committee is composed of partners who will advise and assist the university in developing and improving the program.
- The committee membership should be broadly based and include external stakeholders that represent the professions.
- Membership may change as needed to support program goals and evolving needs.
- The committee membership may include internal stakeholders such as faculty and instructional academic staff, students, or support staff and leaders across campus to address agenda items and topics or support PAC goals or projects.
- Guests may be invited to support agenda topics and PAC projects. Internal guests can include representatives from Student Life Services, Enrollment and Retention, University Partnership Council, and other support units may also be included as special guests as needed to inform specific topics and/or provide updates; external guests can be invited as needs and relationships are identified.
- Program directors are responsible for notifying committee members of their appointment, including the effective start date, term and/or renewal processes. The term of office is either set by the program director, in consultation with the dean, or by PAC bylaws.
Examples of Program Advisory Committee Engagement
- Facilitate collaborations with faculty and students for applied research projects, grants, special projects, or events.
- Assist with program assessment, program review and/or accreditation, student needs projections, placement prediction and job market outlook.
- Make recommendations concerning instructional equipment, software and/or facilities that advance the program/profession.
- Provide external resources. PAC members may provide support for alumni and external partner engagement activities such as hosting events, sponsoring events, leading or coordinating events that support students, faculty/staff, student organizations, or other program or class activities.
- Participate in and/or lead student-centered workforce readiness activities such as mentorship, advisement, co-ops, internships, field experiences, student teaching, job shadowing, guest speaker, class visits, portfolio/resumé reviews, research advice, mock interviews, field trips, and grant partnerships.
- Engage with UW-Stout's University Partnership Council (UPC). The UPC is composed of campus stakeholders (Office of Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement (OCREE), Career Services, UW-Stout Foundation and Alumni Relations, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Educational Pathways and Outreach, Academic Deans) who regularly engage with external partners, alumni, and employers. UPC members can serve as PAC guests to share information and data, and share expanded opportunities for increased engagement with students, faculty, and the institution.
- Engage with recruitment and retention of students. (e.g. review program marketing materials, host recruitment events, etc.)