The Steering Committee is composed of (a) five members of the faculty, elected At-Large; (b) the Chairpersons of the University-level Standing Committees; (c) the Vice President Academic Affairs of ASMSU and the President of the Council of Graduate Students, who have voting rights on all matters not reserved for the faculty; (d) one undergraduate student chosen from the voting members of ASMSU and one graduate student selected from the student members of COGS, who have voting rights on all matters not reserved for the faculty; (e) the President and the Provost as ex-officio members; and (f) the Secretary for Academic Governance, who is an ex-officio member and serves as Secretary to the Steering Committee, having voice but no vote.
The Steering Committee advises the Provost regarding the appropriate faculty, academic, and student governance bodies, if any, to consult on proposals for establishment, moratorium, discontinuance, or merger of basic academic units, including departments, schools, institutes, colleges, and the Graduate School. It receives proposals for action in academic governance from individual faculty or students, and from faculty or student groups and organizations and, where appropriate, refers matters brought to it to councils or committees for consideration. The Steering Committee also prepares the agenda for meetings of the University Council, Faculty Senate and Academic Congress and communicates regularly with the College Advisory Committees to encourage and implement strong interaction between University-level and college-level academic governance.