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Committees

The committees listed are elected by members of an entire academic class. The Medical/Dental Student Government is responsible for running the medical and dental class elections. The Graduate Student Organization runs the Graduate School elections.

For continuing classes, elections are held during May of the academic year for terms beginning the following July 1. For entering classes, elections are held in late September for terms effective immediately with one-year terms ending the following July 1.

Admissions Committee – M.P.H.

This committee oversees the procedure for the admission of students to the M.P.H. program and evaluates applications. One student is appointed and the term is one year.

Admissions Committee – School of Medicine

This committee determines the procedure for the admission of students to the School of Medicine and evaluates applications. Five students from the medical school are appointed to this committee by the dean. The term is for one year. Interested students should contact the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Alumni Board – Graduate School

The Alumni Board is a group to facilitate communication between the Alumni and the Graduate School. One student member is appointed from the Ph.D. program, M.Dent.Sc. program and the M.P.H. program.

Alumni Board – School of Dental Medicine

The Alumni Board is a group to facilitate communication between the Alumni and the School of Dental Medicine. One student member is elected from the fourth year dental class. This individual acts as a spokesperson for fellow classmates. Approximately four meetings are held each year.

Alumni Board – School of Medicine

The Alumni Board is a group to facilitate communication between the Alumni and the School of Medicine. One student member is elected from each year.

American Association of Dental Schools (AADS)

The purpose of the AADS is to promote the advancement of dental education, research, and service in all institutions that offer appropriately accredited programs for dental personnel. There is one dental student member elected from each dental class for one year terms.

American Association of Medical College (Organization of Student Representatives)

Students from many medical schools travel to regional and national meetings to discuss current issues in medical education and medical education policy. Representatives are elected and serve three-year terms.

American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

AMSA is an organization run by medical students for medical students. The national organization provides ancillary services to local AMSA chapters, has 19 task forces (e.g. AIDS, Aging, Violence, etc.) and produces The New Physician magazine. UConn’s chapter sends representatives to regional and national AMSA conferences and is planning a used book sale, residency fair, guest lectures, medical instrument fair, and a health policy lobby day. AMSA provides medical students with a myriad of opportunities and is an excellent chance to cultivate leadership skills. Representatives are elected for the second year of school, generally attend a national summer leadership training meeting and serve a three-year term.

American Student Dental Association (ASDA)

ASDA is a national organization which is open to all dental students and seeks to enrich their dental school experience. This is done through social events and increased student contact with the local dental community. The organization has four elected officers, one from each class, who coordinate various committees. The first year student serves a one-year term. The second year elected representative serves for the remaining three years. The fourth year officer actively participates in the Connecticut State Dental Association.

American Medical Association – Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS)

The AMA-MSS is the strongest student voice in medicine today. By joining the AMA, you will join your colleagues from every medical school in the country, individuals who are dedicated to improving medical education, developing leadership and promoting community service and chapter development projects. Popular chapter projects have included child immunization programs, AIDS education for high-school students, blood pressure screening and domestic violence prevention programs.

In previous years, our chapter has sponsored monthly discussion series with residents and fellows to explore life and careers in specialty care. We will also be sponsoring the Easy Breathing Pediatric Asthma Program to educate Hartford area asthmatics and their families about treatment programs and options.

CHIPS: Confidential Help for Impaired Professional Students

This council is a resource available to all students, providing help and protection to those who are abusing drugs or alcohol. CHIPS offers an opportunity for students to continue their professional education without stigma or penalty, while receiving confidential help. Dental, medical, and graduate students are appointed to the CHIPS Council by their respective Deans.

• Visit the CHIPS page for more information.

Commencement Committee

This committee’s goal is to plan the Health Center commencement. Two third and two fourth year dental and medical students and one graduate student are appointed by the Dean’s of their respective school. Students who are interested in serving on these committees should inform the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

Committee on Undergraduate Dental Education (CUDE)

CUDE is a standing sub-committee of Dental Council. As such, it discusses and prepares policy relating to the predoctoral curriculum. The committee is continuously writing and reviewing the curriculum and is charged with overseeing the implementation of curriculum policies. It also approves required purchases of books and instruments. With a student member elected from each class and faculty members from each department, the committee is influential in introducing revisions to the curriculum. Students serve one-year terms.

Committee on Undergraduate Medical Education (CUME)

CUME is the primary educational policy-making body of the School of Medicine Council. It develops policies for all aspects of the undergraduate curriculum. Policies related to the creation or elimination of courses, modification of the overall curriculum objectives and educational philosophy, and criteria for student evaluation, promotion, and graduation are recommended to Council for ratification. One student from the second year medical class is elected and serves a three-year term. The second and third year student representatives are non-voting members. This committee was formed with the implementation of the new curriculum and is a combination of the old Preclinical and Clinical CUME.

Community Curriculum Planning Committee

Council – School of Dental Medicine

The Dental Council is the governing body of the School of Dental Medicine. It is an assembly of elected faculty members and an elected dental student member from each class. It meets once a month, usually in the late afternoon. Each student member plays an important role as the class spokesperson to the faculty and also interacts significantly with the Office of Dental Student Affairs serving as the class rep. Terms are one-year long.

Council – School of Medicine

The School of Medicine Council is the representative elected body of the General Faculty. It is responsible for overseeing the general form and content of the undergraduate curriculum, and assuring its quality. In this role, it serves to ratify educational policies related to creation or elimination of courses, modification of overall curriculum objectives and educational philosophy, and criteria for student evaluation, promotion, and graduation. It may also direct CUME or COC to deal with any issues related to the undergraduate curriculum. One student is elected from each class for a one year term.

Course and Curriculum Evaluation Committee (CCEC)

The CCEC is a standing subcommittee of CUME, and has the responsibility of conducting regular reviews of the courses in the curriculum, and assessing overall effectiveness of the educational program. Based on its reviews and assessments, the CCEC makes recommendations to CUME, the Curriculum Operating Committee (COC), and individual course directors for improvement in the educational program (e.g., content, time allocation, methods for assessing student performance, etc.).

The membership of the CCEC consists of a chair, three (3) faculty from basic science departments, three (3) faculty from clinical departments, and one (1) student from each class. The student members shall be elected by their respective class on an annual basis.

Curriculum Advisory Committee – Medical (CAC)

The duties of this committee include advising the Curriculum Operating Committee regarding the issues of curriculum, instruction and evaluation, as well as identifying educational/curriculum problems. Two students from each medical class will serve on this committee and are elected annually for one year terms. This is a new committee formed with the implementation of the new curriculum. It meets when the Curriculum Operations Committee requests a meeting or a minimum of once per year.

Course and Curriculum Operations Committee (COC) – Medical

This committee deals with operational issues related to the medical school curriculum, incorporating innovations into programs, reviewing curricular time and content, and making suggestions regarding policy changes to the CUME. There is one voting representative per class, elected annually for a one-year term. This is a new committee which was formed with the implementation of the new curriculum and involved the merger of the old individual operating committees into this one committee.

Curriculum Management Committee (CMC) – Dental

General oversight of the predoctoral curriculum.

Dental Clinical Issues

The primary responsibility of the committee is to identify issues, propose change where possible, communicate change and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention taken. Three students are elected from the third year class and three from the fourth year class for one-year terms.

Employee/Student Health Advisory Board

This board will meet at least three times per year to discuss the Student Health Service and the insurance policy provided to students. The board consists of one medical and one dental student elected from each class, serving a one-year term.

Financial Aid Advisory Board

This board gives advice and policy suggestions to the Financial Aid Office. One medical and one dental student are elected from each class and serve one-year terms. The committee meets as needed. Recently, the committee has been involved with lobbying activities regarding federal legislation.

Graduate Student Organization

The GSO is the graduate student government at the Health Center. All graduate students are members and contribute to the budget through their fees. The officers are elected in June to serve a one-year term. The GSO runs its own elections.

• Visit the GSO page for more information.

Honor Board

The Honor Code Board is an organization which handles any breach of the Honor Code. A complete description of the Honor Code and the Honor Code Board is included in the Student Handbook. The Board consists of eight voting members and six alternate members (one medical student, one dental student and one alternate for years one and two and one medical student, one dental student and two alternates per class from either school in the third and fourth year). Each elected student and alternate(s) serve a two-year term (elected in the Fall of the first year for years one and two, and another election in the Spring of the second year for years three and four).

• For more information, contact Dr. Roger Thrall, Chair, at 860-679-4118 or visit the Honor Board page.

Instrument Committee – School of Dental Medicine

A student-run not-for-profit business whose purpose is to make available the best and most efficient means of purchasing the necessary instruments for dental classes. They work in coordination with the faculty and dental supply houses. Two students from each class are elected from the first year class to serve on this committee for a four-year term.

Kaiser-Permanente

This committee meets to choose the recipients of the clinical dental and medical faculty teaching awards and to award funds to education programs or projects. Student committee composition consists of the continuing third year student now in his/her fourth year, an additional fourth year member and a third year student from the medical school and the same from the dental school. These individuals are appointed. Interested individuals should contact the Associate Deans for Student Affairs.

Library Advisory Committee

This committee advises the library director and the UConn Health Center administration on library policies, budget and procedures as they relate to library services provided to the Health Center community. The committee also provides assistance and endorsement on library goals and objectives. One medical student and one dental student are elected for their second year of school and one graduate student is elected for a one-year term.

Medical/Dental Student Government Central Committee (MDSG)

MDSG Central Committee consists of the representatives from the first, third, and fourth years of medical and dental school as well as the officers from the second year. Three members are elected from the first year class, one dental, one medical and one from either school. The four officers are elected for the second year of school. The purpose of MDSG is to represent the interests of the students in academic, cultural, and social spheres. The responsibilities of the representatives are to vote on relevant issues at monthly meetings and communicate with their classmates about these issues. The first year representatives serve a one-year term. The second year elected representatives serve for three years. MDSG budget is derived from medical and dental student fees.

M.P.H. Steering Committee

This committee is the policy making body of the Graduate Program in Public Health. It is composed of program administrators, university-based and adjunct faculty, public health practitioners, program alumni and elected M.P.H. students.

Parking Committee

Members are students from the UConn Health Center complex that serve as the advisory board on parking and traffic to the Chancellor and Provost for Health Affairs. They suggest policy on these needs and review the Department of Public Safety changes on parking and traffic. One student from each medical and dental class and two graduate students are elected and serve one-year terms.

Persons with Disabilities Committee

The primary responsibilities of this committee are to advise the Health Center as it is required to refine and implement its plan for enrolling disabled students, recruiting faculty, staff and students with disabilities, ensuring access to the facilities and programs of the institution, providing effective career counseling and placement, providing faculty and staff with the latest information and regulations about working with disabled students, providing specialized services for disabled students and faculty, and increasing disabled students’ participation in camps activities. This committee will also be concerned with the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. These individuals are appointed.

Predoctoral Academic Affairs Committee – School of Dental Medicine

As an advisory committee to the Dean regarding the curriculum, this committee has the responsibility to review all proposed actions that relate to the dental curriculum. The committee is composed of an elected student member from each class year and selected faculty members. Students serve a one-year term.

Quality Assurance in Dentistry

Quality Assurance in Dentistry encompasses all those activities intended to ensure that care provided to all patients is of high quality. This is an elected position with a one-year term. One third year and one fourth year student are elected.

Student Evaluations and Appeals Committee – School of Dental Medicine

The responsibility of this committee is to review, revise, and publish guidelines related to the evaluation of academic performance of dental students and to hear and to decide on appeals made of the decisions of the Academic Performance Committee. A student member is elected from the third year class and serves a two-year term.

Student Affairs Student Services Committee (SASS)

The Student Services Center is forming the above-mentioned committee to provide an ongoing forum to discuss issues and policies of concern to our student body. This committee will discuss issues ranging from the Student Health Plan to Financial Aid to other issues or policies impacting students that are brought forth at the committee meetings.

Student Lounge Representatives

This committee is responsible for the daily upkeep of the student lounge. The responsibilities include reporting and following through with any public safety reports as well as any arrangements for general maintenance or repairs. Two students from each year of medical and dental school and two graduate students are elected to serve on this committee.

Student National Dental Association (SNDA)

The SNDA is a supportive mechanism for minority dental students which hopes to establish and provide a national network of communication among students as a means of improving the health manpower distribution among minority people. The organization also hopes to increase contact between minority dentists and students of dentistry.

Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

SNMA is the student branch of the National Medical Association. The SNMA is the nation’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs and concerns of underrepresented populations as both providers and recipients of health care.

SNMA's programs are designed to (1) serve the health needs of under-presented communities, educating people about important health matters; and (2) assure that medical services are sensitive to the needs of culturally diverse populations.

These programs focus on:

• Promoting legislation that provides enhanced access to better health care.
• Eradicating practices in the education of health professionals that compromise providing quality education to minorities and women.
• Promoting programs for underrepresented youth to encourage their entrance into the health professions.
• Promoting increases in the levels of recruitment, admissions, and retention of historically underrepresented students in the health professions.

For more information, contact Petra Clark-Dufner at 860-679-8031 or clarkdufner@uchc.edu.

Student Trustee Election Committee (STEC)

The function of the Student Trustee Election Committee shall include the responsibility for ascertaining that all prospective candidates fulfill the minimum requirements for candidacy. The STEC has the authority to establish deadlines for petitions and letters of intent and other deadlines for the successful completion of the election. The STEC shall determine all the specifics of the voting procedure and it shall be the responsible for carrying out all of its decisions through the completion of the election. This is a Board of Trustees election in which a student(s) from each UConn campus need to be represented.