Draft – Nov 11 2013 DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES BYLAWS I. Faculty Appointments Faculty appointments within the Department fall under two broad categories: regular faculty appointments (i.e., tenure track) and special faculty appointments (i.e., non-tenure track). I.A. Appointment categories A.1 Regular faculty appointments Regular faculty appointments involve teaching, research and service, and are state-funded, tenure-track positions. Specific duties and expectations are defined in the individual’s Statement of Mutual Expectation (SME) (http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-05-20-27). Regular faculty members may become members of the Graduate Faculty. Graduate Faculty membership is recommended by the Department Head or Director of Graduate Programs and approved by the Dean of the Graduate School. Appointment to the Graduate Faculty is required in order to serve as a graduate student mentor. Qualifications and responsibilities associated with Graduate Faculty membership can be found at: http://www.ncsu.edu/grad/handbook/sections/1.3-gradfaculty.html. Regular faculty members having a rank of Associate Professor with tenure or Professor also serve as Department Voting Faculty (DVF). The DVF vote on appointment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure decisions for tenure track faculty, initial and subsequent appointment decisions for Research, Teaching, and Adjunct Faculty, and Associate and Joint status for faculty members in other NCSU academic departments. Associate Professors do not vote on tenure track appointments at the Full Professor level or promotions to Full Professor. A.2 Special faculty appointments1 A.2.a Research and Teaching Professorships These positions are non-tenure track appointments to the professorial rank of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-05-20-34#EIGHT . The positions are of fixed duration and duties are primarily associated with the designated position adjective (research or teaching). Specific duties and expectations are defined in the individual’s Special faculty appointments with “clinical”, “extension”, and “of the practice” modifiers are not excluded by these by-laws. Criteria will be established at the time such an appointment is proposed. 1 1 Draft – Nov 11 2013 Statement of Mutual Expectation (SME) (http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-05-20-27). Special faculty members can be appointed to the Graduate Faculty upon recommendation by the Department Head or Director of Graduate Programs. A positive majority vote of the DVF is required for a promotion recommendation to go to the Department Head. A.2.b Instructors, Lecturers Instructors and Lecturers are non-tenure track, fixed-term teaching positions. The primary difference between the two is that Instructors are expected to progress into the ranks of a professorship with additional training or education, subject to the appointment process described in I.B.2.a. A Lecturer is a considered to be a terminal rank. These positions do not have the expectation of scholarly activity as associated with a professorship. A.2.c Associate Faculty Members Associate faculty members of the Department of Biological Sciences have a primary regular faculty appointment elsewhere within the University. As an associate faculty member, the individual has the same rank as in their home department. Associate faculty members are expected to contribute to the teaching and training of students or the advancement of research in the Department of Biological Sciences. Associate faculty members do not have voting privileges within the Department. Length of appointment is determined at the outset and terminates automatically unless renewed by the same process as the original appointment. A.2.d Adjunct Faculty Members Adjunct faculty members of the Department of Biological Sciences have a position and rank at another institution commensurate with the position sought with the Department. Adjunct faculty members are expected to contribute to the teaching and training of students or the advancement of research in the Department of Biological Sciences. Adjunct faculty members do not have voting privileges within the Department. Length of appointment is determined at the outset and terminates automatically unless renewed by the same process as the original appointment. Adjunct faculty members can be appointed to the Graduate Faculty with associated privileges, upon recommendation by the Department Head or Director of Graduate Programs. A.2.e Visiting Scholars A visiting scholar is an individual who is visiting from another institution for a defined period of time with the purpose of contributing to research or other facet of scholarship being conducted by a regular faculty member. These individuals typically do not receive salary from the University but may be provided a stipend from extramural support received by the sponsoring regular faculty member. These positions are of fixed-term. A.2.f Emeritus Professor 2 Draft – Nov 11 2013 Emeritus professor is a rank bestowed upon a retired faculty member. A.2.g Joint Status Joint status refers to a regular faculty member, at any rank, whose position is supported jointly by two departments. The faculty member retains full voting rights, appropriate to rank, in one of the departments, and associate status in the other department. Joint status is typically designated at the time of initial appointment and is not subject to expiration unless mutually agreed on by both Departments and the faculty member. I.B. Criteria for appointment I.B.1 Regular faculty appointments Candidates for a regular faculty appointment must show clear potential to carry out the duties and meet the expectations associated with the position. Candidates are interviewed by the search committee, Department Head, and Dean (or designates); present a seminar to the general faculty; and meet, individually or in groups, with relevant faculty members. The Candidate must submit a CV, research plan, at least three letters of recommendation, and proof of highest degree. A recommendation to appoint is made to the Department Head following a positive majority vote of the DVF and a separate vote of the total tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty. A recommendation to appoint is made by the Department Head to the College Dean. I.B.2 Special faculty appointments2 I.B.2.a Research and Teaching Professorships Candidates must have a demonstrated ability to carry out the tasks and scholarly activities associated with the position. Candidates for a research professorship must have a demonstrated ability to secure extramural funding, either independently or in collaboration with regular faculty members, and must show evidence of appropriate scholarly accomplishment. Candidates for a teaching professorship must have a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate instruction at all levels, and must show evidence of relevant scholarly accomplishment. Candidates will provide a current CV, a statement of research or teaching philosophy, and proof of highest degree. Candidates will meet with relevant faculty members individually or in groups; will give a presentation on their research or teaching experience; and will meet with the Department Head. A recommendation to appoint is made to the Department Head following positive majority votes of the DVF and (for teaching professorship positions) the non-tenure-track teaching faculty of Special faculty appointments with “clinical”, “extension”, and “of the practice” modifiers are not excluded by these by-laws. Criteria will be established at the time such an appointment is proposed. 2 3 Draft – Nov 11 2013 the same or higher rank as the position being filled. The final decision to appoint is made by the Dean following recommendation by the Department Head. I.B.2.b Instructors, Lecturers Candidates are appointed by the Department Head on the basis of teaching needs within the Department. A vote of the DVF or other faculty is not required if the appointment is for two years or less http://policies.ncsu.edu/regulation/reg-05-20-34#EIGHT. I.B.2.c Associate Faculty Members Faculty members with regular appointments in other NCSU departments are eligible for associate status in the Department of Biological Sciences. Candidates are nominated by a regular departmental faculty member based upon their demonstrated willingness to contribute to departmental activities, and departmental need for the provided expertise. Candidates will write a letter to the DH expressing interest in an associate appointment, and will provide a CV for review by the DVF. In addition the nominating faculty member will provide a nominating letter. Unless specifically waived, the candidate will be expected to present a seminar to the Department. Associate status is granted following a positive majority vote by the DVF and a separate vote of the total tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty. I.B.2.d Adjunct Faculty Members Faculty members with comparable appointments in institutions other than NCSU are eligible for adjunct status in the Department of Biological Sciences. Candidates are nominated by a regular departmental faculty member based upon a demonstrated willingness to contribute to departmental activities, and departmental need for the provided expertise. Candidates will write a letter to the DH expressing interest in an adjunct appointment, and will provide a CV for review by the DVF. In addition the nominating faculty member will provide a nominating letter. Unless specifically waived, the candidate will be expected to present a seminar to the Department. Adjunct status is granted following a positive majority vote by the DVF and a separate vote of the total tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty. Appointments are for a fixed period of time and may be renewed by written request. A seminar presentation is not required for a renewal, and is also not required for adjunct appointments from the legacy departments (Biology, Microbiology, Genetics, and Toxicology). I.B.2.e Visiting Faculty Candidates are nominated by a regular faculty member within the Department based upon shared interests or other scholarly activity. The sponsoring faculty member must provide the candidate’s CV to the Department Head who approves the appointment. A vote of the DVF or other faculty is not required. Appointments terminate automatically after one year unless renewed. 4 Draft – Nov 11 2013 I.B.2.f Emeritus Professor The rank of emeritus professor is granted to a retired regular faculty member upon written request to the Department Head. A vote of the DVF or other faculty is not required. I.B.2.g Joint Status Joint status must be approved by a vote of the DVF and a separate vote of the total tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, and by the Head of both departments. II. Departmental Personnel The following personnel are appointed or re-appointed annually (effective July 1) by the Department Head. Associate Department Head The Associate Department Head provides leadership to the academic programs within Biological Sciences and has signature authority for the department when the Department Head is unavailable. Assistant Department Head This position is discretionary and may involve assistance to the Department Head and/or oversight on many issues: facilities, safety, course scheduling, computing infrastructure, instructional laboratories etc. Undergraduate Coordinators (one per major/degree program, and/or significant concentration). These individuals are responsible for administration related to the designated major, concentration or minor, and will serve on the Departmental Undergraduate Courses and Curriculum Committee. Coordinator of Advising This individual will oversee the guidance of undergraduate students on degree track options, courses, research opportunities, etc. Honors Program Directors These individuals provide guidance to undergraduate students who are participating in Departmental Honors Programs. Library Liaison This individual serves as a Department contact for matters dealing with the NCSU libraries. Animal Welfare Liaison This individual serves as a resource for departmental faculty members using vertebrate animals in their research. Safety Officer This individual serves as the Department liaison to the COS Safety Committee and is a contact person for Department members having safety issues. Since the department has 5 Draft – Nov 11 2013 faculty and staff in multiple locations across campus, this individual may delegate safety issues to other personnel as appropriate. Building Liaison Maintenance and repair needs relating to buildings and departmental instruments are communicated to this individual who coordinates the service. Since the department has faculty and staff in multiple locations across campus, this individual may delegate building liaison issues to other personnel as appropriate. Website Manager This individual is responsible for coordinating the departmental website and for communicating updates to appropriate IT personnel in the Department or the College. DE Coordinator This individual will serve as liaison with COS, DELTA and OIT for DE, online learning and classroom technology issues. Summer School Coordinator This individual will identify appropriate summer school offerings, assist in identifying appropriate faculty, advise the Department Head on summer school budgets and serve as liaison with the University on all matters pertaining to the Department’s offerings. III. Departmental Committees Membership in the following committees is determined annually (effective July 1) by the Department Head, and where applicable, by vote of the tenure track (TT) and/or non-tenure track (NTT) faculty. Executive advisory committee This committee consists of three (3) TT and one (1) NTT faculty members and serves as a resource to the Department Head on strategic issues within the Department. The Associate Head serves ex-officio. TT members will serve staggered three-year terms. The exiting member will conduct an election among the TT faculty and provide the Department Head with two nominees for the vacant TT position. The Department Head will pick a new member to ensure appropriate diversity of rank and discipline on the committee. The NTT member will be selected to a three-year term by vote of the NTT faculty. Post-tenure review committee This committee is composed of full professors, typically 5 or 6. This committee provides a comprehensive post-tenure review of applicable faculty members (Associate Professors evaluated every 3 years, Full Professors evaluated every 5 years). Non-tenured faculty progress review committee This committee is composed of tenured faculty members and serves to review the annual progress of non-tenured TT faculty to ensure appropriate progress is being made for the awarding of tenure. Undergraduate programs committee This committee is comprised of TT and NTT faculty and reviews proposals for new undergraduate courses, reviews course scheduling to minimize conflicts and ensure balance between fall and spring offerings, and oversees revisions to curricular requirements. This committee periodically reviews undergraduate courses for 6 Draft – Nov 11 2013 consistency among sections and to ensure that the materials taught provide adequate foundation for subsequent courses taken by students. This committee also oversees undergraduate program assessment and makes recommendations to the Teaching Advisory Committee and to the Department Head or designate regarding course and curricular needs. Teaching advisory committee This committee is comprised of TT and NTT faculty and surveys faculty annually in regard to teaching preferences and works with the Undergraduate Programs Committee to make appropriate teaching assignment recommendations to the Department Head or designate. This committee is also responsible for oversight of the peer teaching review program, soliciting reviewers, providing guidance on the process, and ensuring that reviews are performed as required. Introductory biology stewardship committee This committee is composed of faculty teaching the science majors introductory biology sequence and interested faculty teaching upper level courses that build on the introductory sequence. This committee will periodically review learning outcomes, consistency across sections (including lab sections), and oversee appropriate development of the introductory course sequence to meet the needs of students. Graduate programs committee This committee is composed of the director of each graduate program in which the Department of Biological Sciences participates. If the director is not a member of the Department then a designate, who is a Department member, will substitute for the director on this committee. The committee serves to establish some congruence among graduate programs, handles graduate level course and curriculum actions, and advises the Department Head on all graduate program-related issues. IV. Department Faculty Meetings Department faculty meetings are held monthly during the fall and spring semesters at a date and time determined by the Department Head. V. Graduate Programs and Research Focus Areas The Department of Biological Sciences participates in several inter-departmental and intercollege graduate programs, and has research activity clustered around a number of focus areas. As appropriate, leadership in the individual graduate programs and focus areas will be provided by individuals designated by the Department Head. These individuals will provide scholarly and administrative leadership to the respective groups. These individuals may establish committees and meetings relevant to their respective groups or focus areas. VI. These bylaws may be modified at any time upon positive majority vote of the total departmental tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty. 7 Draft – Nov 11 2013 Draft Personnel and Committee Assignments 2013-2104 Associate Department Head Jim Brown Assistant Department Head Jane Lubischer Undergraduate Coordinators Lisa Parks, Jenny Campbell, Jim Brown, Bill Grant, Brian Langerhans, John Godwin, Stephanie Curtis Coordinator of Advising new position, to be created and filled Honors Program Directors Lisa Parks, Stephanie Curtis, Jim Brown, Jenny Campbell. Library Liaison Reade Roberts Animal Welfare Liaison Kay Coole Safety Officers Jeff Hawley (Thomas Hall), Wall Crumpler (DCL and Bostian teaching labs), Jeanne Burr (Toxicology Building), Kay Coole (BRF) Building Liaison Jeff Hawley Website Manager Michele Wolfe DE Coordinator Tim Petty Summer School Coordinator Jane Lubischer. Departmental Committees Executive advisory committee see election procedure. Post-tenure review committee TBD Non-tenured faculty progress review committee TBD Undergraduate programs committee Coordinators of our undergraduate programs (including concentrations), Director of the Life Sciences First Year Program, Coordinator of Advising Teaching advisory committee Jane Lubischer, Jim Brown, TBD Introductory biology stewardship committee : Lisa Parks, Jenny Campbell, Jim Brown, Brian Langerhans, John Godwin, Stephanie Curtis, faculty who teach BIO 181 and/or BIO 183 in a given year, Director of the Life Sciences First Year Program Graduate programs committee: Stephanie Curtis, Scott Laster, Gerry LeBlanc, Nick Haddad,+… 8