SEAS Faculty By-Laws

ARTICLE I. Membership

Section 1. The members of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science shall include members of the Standing Faculty, members of the Associated Faculty, ex officio members, Appointed members, and the Emeritus Faculty, as defined hereinafter. The term Faculty as used herein shall mean the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

Section 2. The Standing Faculty is composed of all faculty members who hold primary appointment with tenure or in tenure probationary status (rank of assistant professor and above) in the School of Engineering and Applied Science; the Standing Faculty have voting rights on all matters presented at any meeting.

Section 3. The Associated Faculty (non-tenure track) is composed of members of the research faculty, the adjunct and visiting faculty, and practice professors in the School of Engineering and Applied Science; voting rights for the Associated Faculty are in accordance with the University’s Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators: Policies and Procedures and special action of the School’s Faculty Council.

Section 4. Ex officio members include:
a. the President of the University; and
b. the Provost of the University.
These ex officio members have the same privileges as Standing Faculty including the right to vote on all matters presented at any meeting.

Section 5. Appointed members shall include both interlocking faculty (recommended by the Dean for appointment by the Provost) and secondary faculty (recommended by the School, requiring Provost Staff action). The term of membership of an Appointed member shall not exceed three years; an Appointed member is eligible for reappointment. Appointed members shall have the same privileges as Standing members, including the right to vote on all matters presented at any meeting.

Section 6. Retired Standing Faculty members, designated Emeritus Faculty, may attend School faculty meetings and may participate in the work of committees of those faculties as appropriate.

Section 7. Under no circumstances may a person of rank less than assistant professor have the right to vote.

ARTICLE II. Officers

Section 1. The Dean of SEAS shall be the Chair of the Faculty.

ARTICLE III. Faculty Council

Section 1. The Faculty Council shall be composed of six elected members and several ex officio members. Ex officio members shall include the Dean, the Deputy and Associate Deans and the Chair of the Personnel Committee.

All nominations for membership on the Faculty Council shall be made at the April meeting of the Faculty. Elections shall be conducted by mail ballot with results announced at the May meeting. The Council will supervise the election and insure its secrecy.

The elected members shall be Standing members of the Faculty of SEAS and shall be elected by that Faculty at large. They shall serve for terms of two years beginning 1 July. Three members shall be elected each year so that the terms of these three overlap the terms of the other three. Elected members shall not be members of the Administrative Committee.

Council shall elect its Chair from among its elected members.

The duties of the Chair of Faculty Council are:
a. To give notice to each member of the Faculty of the time and place of all meetings of the Faculty and of the special business to be transacted;
b. To receive and file important communications of the Faculty including reports of committees of the Faculty;
c. To notify appropriate persons of actions of the Faculty;
d. To entertain a motion for a Chair pro tempore in the absence of the Chair of the Faculty;
e. To establish the exact number of Faculty which constitutes a quorum for meetings of the Faculty in accordance with the procedures in these Bylaws at the beginning of each semester.

Only the elected members shall vote on any matters which come before the Council. The remaining ex officio members shall serve only in an advisory role but shall vote on matters described in Article III.2.e.

Section 2. The Council shall:
a. Consult with and advise the Dean and the Department Chairs on any matters concerning the School, including long range planning;
b. Communicate the sentiments, wishes, and grievances of the Faculty, either collectively or individually, to the administrative officers of the School;
c. Continuously examine the state of the School and make recommendations to the Dean or Department Chairs on any matter involving the School or the University;
d. Submit at least annually, or whenever it deems appropriate, a report to the Faculty on the state of the School. This report should delineate progress or problems which require the attention of the entire Faculty;
e. Constitute itself as an Executive Committee of SEAS, when necessary, to act for the Faculty on all matters (including recommendations for degrees and review of the actions of the Academic Performance Committee) not otherwise specifically delegated in Article IV that require decisions between Faculty meetings.

Section 3. Action taken by the Council shall be reported to the Faculty at the following regular Faculty meeting. Such action shall be deemed to have the approval of the Faculty unless specific action by the Faculty can be and is taken otherwise.

Section 4. Unless contrary to the Bylaws, the Chair of the Council may appoint subcommittees of the Council as he/she deems appropriate.

ARTICLE IV. Committees

Section 1. There shall be the following Standing Committees of the Faculty: Undergraduate Affairs; Academic Performance; Graduate Affairs; Faculty Personnel; Academic Freedom and Responsibility; Information (Library and Computing) Resources. The Dean shall appoint the members of these committees and their Chairs annually on 1 July upon advice of the Council and the Department Chairs, except where otherwise specified in these Bylaws.

Section 2. The Standing Committees shall have the following duties and responsibilities:
a. Undergraduate Affairs Committee. Recommend to the Faculty all matters concerning undergraduate students and their education. This shall include courses and curricula, new educational programs, and undergraduate student recruiting and admissions. This committee is also responsible for supervising the selection of student award recipients by the Faculty.

The Chair of this committee shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The other members of this committee shall include the Undergraduate Curriculum Chairs, one undergraduate student, and any other Faculty members recommended by the Associate Dean and appointed by the Dean.
b. Academic Performance Committee. Act for the Faculty on all matters concerning the education, status, and records of undergraduate students, including the interpretation of and exceptions to B.S.E./B.A.S. curricula requirements, and administration of the B.A.S. program. Actions of this committee may be appealed to the Faculty Council acting for the Faculty (ref. Article III.2.e.).

This committee shall include the Associate Dean, or delegate, and other members of the Faculty recommended by the Associate Dean and appointed by the Dean.

Actions shall be reported to the Faculty Council by the Associate Dean and shall be considered to be thereby approved unless specific action is taken at the next meeting of the Faculty, or unless an appeal to the Faculty Council is pending. Copies of the minutes of the Academic Performance Committee shall be available to all members of the Faculty.
c. Graduate Affairs Committee. Recommend to the Faculty all matters concerning graduate students and their education. This shall include recommendation of courses and curricula, recruiting and admissions, and matters concerning student academic progress.

The Chair of this committee shall be the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. The other members of this committee shall include the Graduate Group Chairs, one graduate student, and other Faculty members recommended by the Associate Dean and appointed by the Dean.
d. Faculty Personnel Committee. Consider Faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure cases to determine the academic qualifications of the candidate for membership on the Faculty at the rank proposed. Make recommendations in accordance with established University procedures to the appropriate administrative officer.

This committee shall consist of five tenured members of the Faculty, of whom at least three shall have the rank of Professor. Should an Associate Professor be elected to this Committee, he/she shall not participate in actions relating to promotion to full professor. Three members shall be recommended to the Dean by the Faculty Council. The Chair of this committee shall have the rank of Professor and shall serve as an ex officio member of both the Faculty Council and Administrative Committee. The Faculty Council shall recommend to the Dean at the beginning of each year two alternate members who have the rank of Professor who will serve when requested by the Chair. The Chair of the committee shall be appointed by the Dean.
e. Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee. Recommend to the Faculty action in any case involving an alleged violation of academic freedom or responsibility.

The committee consists of three members and two alternate members elected by the Faculty at its May meeting, at least four of whom shall be tenured (the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility recommends staggered terms to provide continuity). The alternate members will serve when a member asks to be excused or is otherwise unable to serve. Deans, Departmental Chairs, and School or University administrators are excluded from membership on this committee. The committee shall elect its own Chair from among the members elected by the Faculty. The committee shall normally act only when a formal complaint is made.
f. Information (Library and Computing) Resources Committee. Consider the role of all resources in information exchange, especially electronic resources, and innovations in education and research.

This committee shall include the SEAS Librarian and CETS Director and members of the Faculty and one undergraduate and one graduate student appointed by the Dean.

Section 3. The Dean shall appoint an Administrative Committee which shall advise the Dean in matters of implementing long range planning, budgets, and personnel. This committee shall also serve as the primary communications link among departments, schools, and administration of SEAS. The Dean shall be Chair of this committee. In addition to the Dean, the membership shall include the Deputy and Associate Deans and Department Chairs, and the Chair of the Faculty Personnel Committee as an ex officio member.

The Dean shall appoint an Awards Committee with Faculty membership selected annually in consultation with Faculty Council. This committee will propose deserving Faculty and others for major awards, raising awareness of departmental responsibility for continually promoting Faculty for professional recognition. The Deputy Dean will oversee this committee as an ex officio member.

Section 4. The Dean or his/her delegate shall be an ex officio member of all committees of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science except the Standing Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility.

Section 5. Any member of the University community, including students in good standing, shall be eligible, where appropriate, to serve on committees of the Faculty. It is not considered appropriate for students to serve on the Academic Performance Committee, the Faculty Personnel Committee, and the Academic Freedom and Responsibility Committee.

ARTICLE V. Meetings

Section 1. Regular meetings of the Faculty shall be held during the third week of September, the second weeks of October, November, December, February, March, April, and May. If this week falls in a vacation period, the regular meeting will be during the first week of the month. The day, time, location, and duration of the meeting shall be specified by the Faculty. The Dean shall preside; in the Dean's absence the members shall elect a temporary chair. The Faculty Council shall set the agenda for all regular meetings.

Section 2. A number of persons with voting rights which is equal to one-third of the Standing members of the Faculty, excluding those on official leaves, shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of the eligible voting members present at the meeting shall be necessary and sufficient to take action, except in cases otherwise specified by these Bylaws. A member may designate a proxy to cast his/her vote or may communicate the vote by a written statement to the Faculty Council.

Section 3. Special meetings of the Faculty may be called by the President or Provost of the University, by the Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, or by the Chair of the Faculty Council. A special meeting of the Faculty can also be called upon a written request presented to the Chair of Faculty Council by five Faculty members. Notice of the time and place of this special meeting shall be given to each member of the Faculty within ten days after the request has been received. The request shall include a statement of the business to be considered, and, except with unanimous consent of the Faculty members present at such a meeting, no other business shall be considered.

Section 4. Notice of the time, place, and agenda for all meetings shall be given in writing to each member of the Faculty at least ten days before the meeting.

Section 5. Observers may be invited to any meeting by the Dean or by the Faculty Council on behalf of the Dean to participate in the meeting. These may include University staff members and students. In no case shall they be eligible to vote. Any Faculty member may request that observers be identified. By a majority vote of the eligible voting members present, any or all of the observers may be excluded from the meeting or any portion of the meeting.

ARTICLE VI. Election of Representatives to Other Bodies in the University

The election of a representative or representatives of the Faculty to other bodies in the University shall be by a majority vote of those present in any regular or special meeting of the Faculty unless a different procedure is specified by the other body.

ARTICLE VII. Rights and Privileges of Emeritus Faculty

Section 1. Emeritus faculty are encouraged to continue their scholarly activity. They shall have the privilege of functioning as Principal Investigators on research contracts and may supervise students and fulfill all other obligations of contract research. To the extent possible, SEAS will provide office space, staff assistance, computer access, and other necessities to fulfill these research obligations.

Section 2. Compensation of Emeritus Faculty for externally supported work and teaching shall be determined by agreement between the Dean and the Emeritus Faculty member.

Section 3. Other rights and privileges as enumerated in Section II.E.9, of the "Handbook for Faculty and Academic Administrators" are hereby incorporated by reference.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments

Section 1. Amendments* to these Bylaws may be made at any regular or special meeting of the Faculty, provided due notice of the proposed change has been distributed to the members of the Faculty at least ten days in advance of the meeting at which the amendment is to be considered. The affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Faculty entitled to vote shall be required for the adoption of an amendment. Such votes may be cast in absentia by sending written notice to the Faculty Council.

Section 2. Bylaws may be suspended at any meeting of the Faculty by unanimous consent of the voting members present. Such action may only be taken at meetings at which not less than two-thirds of the Standing and Appointed members of the Faculty are present.

*Amendments

(Minuted as endorsed by the Faculty on 4/8/80):
1a. Selection of a Search Committee for a New Dean.
Upon request of the President for a list of nominees from SEAS to serve on a committee to nominate a new dean, the following procedure will be used. The SEAS Faculty Council will present a list of names to the SEAS Faculty at which time the SEAS Faculty may make nominations from the floor. A mail ballot, with all nominees listed, will be circulated to the Faculty by the Faculty Council, who will act as teller and will transmit the names of the nominees to the President. Each SEAS Faculty member will have as many votes as there are positions to be filled on the nominating committee. The committee will be filled by those nominees with the largest number of votes.

1b. Selection of a Search Committee for a New Chairperson of a Department.
The Department in question shall select three of its members representing all professorial ranks within the department.
Exceptions to the above may be made.
The Department shall propose three other people from outside the department. The Dean shall select two of this second group of three people for the committee and, in addition, shall select a chairperson.

Revision History

Originated 02/20/73
Corrected/Revised/Amended 03/21/78
11/30/78, 08/16/79,
11/17/79, 04/08/80,
04/14/81, 09/16/86,
12/12/89, 04/09/91,
12/10/91, 10/11/94,
07/01/99, 05/09/00,
05/17/01, 05/23/01,
11/13/01, 05/07/02,
04/20/04.