Overview

Students enrolled in an ACES curriculum are potential members of the College of ACES Council. The Council is composed of the Council Executive Officers, Chairs of Council Committees, two representatives from each organization eligible for representation on the Council, a representative from each newspaper within the college, Freshman Class Representatives, and Student Senators representing the college. Council has several purposes outlined in the constitution and bylaws. The primary two goals are to facilitate communication between ACES students and faculty and to promote interaction between the ACES Council member organizations. Generally, Council meets on the first Monday of every month during the academic year. Alll students and faculty are invited to attend. Meeting agendas usually include reports from all committee chairs, old and new council business, and club announcements. During the last meeting of the fall semester, Council executive officers are elected. Committee chairs are elected during the last meeting of the spring semester. In addition to these meetings, Council often tries to host a "Lunch with the Deans" each month to provide discussion among students and the College of ACES administration. Each ACES Organization can send five representatives from their club to meet with the Deans and faculty, but all students are welcome each month. Students interested in attending should make the Vice-President External aware of their intentions to attend. Council facilitates several annual activities to benefit ACES Students. In the spring, the College of ACES opens their doors to the public for ExplorACES. This event usually occurs during the second weekend of March and is an excellent time to see what our college is doing. This event was redesigned in 2005 and now serves to recruit top high school students around the state. Council aids in ExplorACES by organizing the event, which is the responsibility of the ExplorACES Committee and serving Council members. In addition, we ask students to volunteer their time by serving as hosts, greeters, and tour guides. Also in the spring is the opportunity for ACES students to learn about the Legislative and Policy Development process. Our Legislative Committee Chair works with a faculty member to facility a one-hour class where students here guest speakers and research a bill in the legislative process. The class showcases a trip to Springfield, where students learn from our state senators, representatives, and others on how government plays a role in agriculture and related sciences. In April, near the end of the semester, ACES Council holds the annual ACES Student Awards Banquet. Each club is encouraged to participate by recognizing their members who have made outstanding contributions to their club. We also recognize seniors who have achieved UI Bronze Tablet Honors, the Warren K. Wessels Outstanding ACES Senior Award, and ACES Council Awards.