Constitution of the Faculty
School of Science and Engineering
Tulane University
Adopted: September 18, 2006
Amended: May 7, 2008
I. MEMBERSHIP
The Faculty of the School of Science and Engineering (SSE) of Tulane University shall consist of voting and non-voting members. All members shall have the privilege of the floor. These membership rules shall apply to all committees and to departments, as well as to meetings of the faculty.
A. Voting Members
The full-time professors, associate professors, and assistant professors whose primary appointment is in the SSE except as stipulated in section I B constitute the voting members of the faculty. All voting members shall be members of the Graduate Faculty of the SSE.
An exception to the above applies to the members of the faculty identified in section IB1b (senior professors of practice, professors of practice, senior lecturers and lecturers) who shall have voting privileges on matters pertaining to courses and curricula and who may serve on the Graduate Studies Committee, the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and any special committees focused solely on course and curricular matters.
B. Non-Voting Members
a. Research professors, research associate professors and research assistant professors
b. Senior professors of practice, professors of practice, senior lecturers and lecturers except as stipulated above
c. Full time instructors
d. Holders of emeritus appointments
e. Part-time professors, associate professors and assistant professors
f. Visiting and adjunct professors, associate professors, and assistant professors
2. Ex officio members
a. The president of Tulane University
b. The provost of Tulane University
c. The dean of the Newcomb-Tulane College
d. The dean of the School of Continuing Studies
C. Membership List
Prior to the opening of each academic year, the dean shall prepare a list of the voting members. The Nominating Committee shall review the list and present it for approval to the faculty at the first regular meeting.
II. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE VOTING FACULTY
The voting faculty of the SSE shall have primary responsibility for:
A. Formulation and implementation of academic plans and policies
B. Its own governance
C. Election of faculty representatives to advisory and decision-making bodies at the university-wide level
D. Discharging the following responsibilities (where appropriate, through departments and committees of the faculty):
2. Setting of requirements for degrees and certifying completion of such requirements
3. Establishment, abolition and modification of curricula and approval of courses of instruction
4. Establishment and maintenance of educational and instructional standards and policies and the recommending of
procedures and decisions governing faculty status, which include appointments, reappointments, decisions not to
reappoint, promotions, the granting of tenure, discipline, dismissal and grievance
E. Receiving and acting on reports of standing and special committees
III. FACULTY OFFICERS
A. The faculty shall elect a secretary from its voting members to serve a term of two years, with re-election possible. With the support of the dean’s office, the secretary shall prepare minutes of the faculty proceedings and debates to be distributed to all members of the faculty.
B. The faculty shall elect a parliamentarian from its voting members to serve a term of three years, with re-election possible for consecutive terms.
IV. CHAIRS OF ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS
A. Each department shall have a chair. Chairs shall be voting members of the faculty appointed by the dean after consultation with the faculty of the department.
B. Chairs shall be appointed for five-year renewable terms.
V. MEETINGS
A. Regular Meetings
There shall be at least three regular meetings of the faculty during the academic year: early fall, late fall, and spring.
B. Special Meetings.
Special meetings may be initiated by the dean or by written petition signed by at least ten voting members of the faculty. Upon receipt of such a petition, the dean must convene a meeting within two weeks of presentation of the petition while the school is in session, excluding summer.
C. Quorum.
One-third of the voting members of the faculty shall constitute a quorum.
D. Presiding Officer
The dean shall preside at faculty meetings. In the dean’s absence or in case of a conflict of interest, the secretary of the faculty shall preside.
VI. VOTING
A. Voting for Candidates
Whenever a slate of candidates is presented for election, there shall be an opportunity for nominations from the floor. All candidates shall be voting members, and elected candidates shall be chosen by mail ballot. Elections shall be determined by a plurality of votes cast.
B. Mail Voting
A majority of the voting members present at a faculty meeting may authorize voting by mail. When there is a need for prompt action and a meeting of the faculty is impractical, the executive committee may authorize voting by mail, and where the issue is an election, write-in votes will be permissible. Such action must be reported at the next regular or special meeting of the faculty and may be reconsidered then
.
C. Electronic Voting
In extenuating circumstances the Executive Committee may authorize teleconferencing and electronic voting but must ensure the validity of the procedure while also ensuring anonymity when it is appropriate.
VII. COMMITTEES
There shall be standing committees and special committees.
A. Standing Committees
There shall be the following standing committees of the faculty:
1. The Executive Committee
2. The Promotion and Tenure Committee
3. The Graduate Studies Committee
4. The Undergraduate Studies Committee
5. The Grievance Committee
6. The Nominating Committee
B. The Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall be composed of the chairs of the academic departments, the associate deans, and the dean of the SSE as chair. The dean may designate other members as appropriate. The committee shall meet on call of the dean.
2. Duties
The duties of the Executive Committee are as follows:
a. To serve as an advisory committee to the dean on any matter of administration
b. In emergencies, to approve extraordinary means to maintain faculty deliberation and governance
after consultation with the parliamentarian
c. To supervise elections as required
C. The Promotion and Tenure Committee
The committee shall be composed of nine tenured members of the faculty elected by the voting faculty. Members shall be elected for staggered three-year terms and shall not hold consecutive terms. No more than two members shall be from the same academic department. A majority of the committee (at least five members) shall be full professors. While associate professors are eligible to serve, they shall not participate in decisions regarding promotions to full professor. At its first meeting, the dean will select a full professor to be its chair.
2. Duties and Procedures
a. It shall be the duty of this committee to receive recommendations for the promotion of and/or granting of tenure to members of the faculty and prospective members of the faculty. All actions pertaining to promotions and tenure shall be taken only after a meeting of the committee.
b. The committee shall also receive all departmental recommendations regarding third-year review of untenured faculty in regular tenure-track appointments.
c. In addition to recommendations from departmental committees, the committee may accept requests for promotion for full professor from individual members of the faculty.
d. The committee shall prepare explicit guidelines for action approved by the faculty. These guidelines shall be distributed to all untenured faculty members and all departmental chairs at the beginning of each academic year.
e. If the Promotion and Tenure Committee recommendation counters a departmental majority recommendation regarding third-year review, tenure or promotion, the committee shall return the case to the department for reconsideration with a written enumeration of specific reservations about the case. The department shall have one week to respond to those reservations in writing. The committee’s reasons for a final vote that counters such a departmental majority recommendation shall be communicated in writing to the department and to the administration.
f. Any member of the committee, including the chair of the committee, who is from the same department as a person under consideration for third-year review, promotion, or tenure shall recuse him/herself from all votes concerning that individual.
g. All actions of the committee concerning third-year review, tenure, or promotion shall be forwarded to the dean along with a summary of the discussions and reasons for the vote, signed by all voting members. After receiving the review, the dean may request a meeting with the whole committee.
3. Reporting Decisions
The dean shall forward the recommendations of the committee, along with his or her own recommendations, to the provost of the university. It is expected that ordinarily the provost and president will follow committee recommendations. In the extraordinary case of disagreement by the provost or president with the recommendations of the committee, the administration shall report the objections to the committee, normally within four weeks of the time when the recommendations were submitted. If after reconsideration the committee resubmits its original recommendations and they are again disapproved, the provost should offer the committee detailed reasons for the disapproval.
4. Requests for Reconsideration
A candidate for promotion or tenure may obtain, upon request, notification of the committee’s reasons for his or her unfavorable recommendation. Any candidate may appeal in writing to the committee for reconsideration, and, at his or her option, a candidate may appear personally before the committee.
A candidate denied tenure or dismissed at third-year review may file an appeal (see “Promotion and Tenure Committee Guidelines for Third-Year Review, Promotion to Associate Professor with Tenure, and Promotion to Full Professor, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University).
D. The Graduate Studies Committee
1. Composition
The Graduate Studies Committee shall consist of nine faculty members, one being appointed by the chair of each of the academic departments. Non-voting members of the committee shall include two student members and the dean of the School of Science and Engineering or his/her representative, ex officio. The dean may designate other ex officio members as appropriate. The committee shall elect annually one of the faculty members as a voting chair, who will report to the faculty.2. Duties
The functions of the committee shall be:
a. To make recommendations to the faculty on approval of changes in the graduate requirements of the school;
b. To develop policies with regard to admissions and transfer credits; thesis/dissertation, prospectus, and final examination requirements;
c. To review and make recommendations to the faculty on approval of interdisciplinary graduate programs;
d. To receive recommendations from and to make them to individual departments and the faculty about all matters concerning graduate course curricula and the description of course curricula and major requirements in the university catalog;
e. To advise the dean on any questions concerning curriculum, degree programs, and registration;
f. To make recommendations on the awarding of fellowships and assistantships for which students from multiple programs are eligible;
g. To develop and implement strategies for recruitment of graduate students.
E. The Undergraduate Studies Committee
The Undergraduate Studies Committee shall consist of nine faculty members, one being appointed by the chair of each of the academic departments. Non-voting members of the committee shall include two student members and the dean of the School of Science and Engineering or his/her representative, ex officio. The dean may designate other ex officio members as appropriate. The committee shall elect annually one of the faculty members as a voting chair, who will report to the faculty.
2. Duties
The functions of the committee shall be:
a. To maintain the academic standards of the school as established by the faculty.
b. To make recommendations to the faculty on the core requirement for the Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.
c. To formulate policy regarding transfer credits and study abroad under the sponsorship of other institutions.
d. To receive recommendations from and to make them to individual departments and the faculty about all matters concerning undergraduate course curricula and the description of undergraduate course curricula and major requirements in the university catalog.
e. To advise the dean on any questions concerning undergraduate curriculum, degree programs, and registration.
f. To make recommendations on the awarding of scholarships for which students from multiple programs are eligible.
g. To develop and implement strategies for recruitment of undergraduate students.
h. To devise and review programs of undergraduate recruitment.
i. Where appropriate, to select the recipients of scholarships and awards.
F. The Grievance Committee
The Grievance Committee shall consist of nine faculty members, one being elected by each of the academic departments. A faculty member may not serve simultaneously on this committee and the Promotion and Tenure Committee. The committee shall elect annually one of its members as a voting chair, who will report to the faculty.
2. Duties and Procedures
a. It shall be the duty of the committee to receive grievances and complaints regarding conditions of employment; due process; violations of academic freedom or academic responsibility and similar grievances which cannot be settled informally. Informal resolution should first be sought at the home unit level and, failing that, in consultation with the Dean of the SSE.
b. Such complaints, which must be in writing, may be originated by faculty members or other instructional and research personnel or administrative officers. The committee shall also hear cases referred to it by the Senate Committee on Faculty Tenure, Freedom, and Responsibility, but all grievances arising from within the faculty shall be submitted in first instance to the Grievance Committee.
c. In case of complaints or grievances, the committee may (1) decide to hold formal hearings, (2) decide that a case does not warrant a formal hearing and provide a statement of reasons, or (3) appoint an ad hoc committee consisting of three members of the committee to hold a preliminary hearing in order to determine whether a formal hearing should be held. If the ad hoc committee decides that the complaint should be heard, that decision shall be binding.
d. Should a person on a tenure-track appointment or multi-year contract be dismissed at the end of his or her first or second year, the person may appeal to the Grievance Committee for review of the departmental decision.
e. Any member of the Grievance Committee who brings a grievance or against whom a grievance is brought shall be recused from discussion and vote concerning that grievance.
f. If grievances involve departmental decisions, members of that department shall recuse themselves.
g. A quorum shall be seven members. In cases when multiple recusals make a quorum impossible, the committee may request the Nominating Committee to provide alternates.
h. The committee shall explain its findings in writing to the person or persons who brought the grievance and the person(s) against whom the grievance was brought and shall report its decision to the Dean of the SEE and other appropriate administrative officers.
i. The committee shall establish its own procedures.
j. The person who brought the grievance and the person(s) against whom the grievance was brought shall both have the
right of appeal to the Faculty Tenure, Freedom, and Responsibility (FTFR) Committee of the University Senate.
G. The Nominating Committee
The Nominating Committee shall consist of nine faculty members (one being elected by each of the academic departments), the dean, and the secretary of the faculty. The committee shall elect annually one of its members as a voting chair, who will report to the faculty.
2. Duties
In addition to the duties described elsewhere in the constitution, the duties of the Nominating Committee are as follows:
a. To determine the size of special committees
b. To appoint faculty members to special committees except as stipulated elsewhere
c. To propose slates of candidates to fill vacancies on standing committees and to propose slates to fill vacancies in the University Senate, the Committee on Faculty Tenure, Freedom and Responsibility, the university-wide Judicial Pool (as specified in the Code of Student Conduct) and faculty committees for governance of Newcomb-Tulane College. A brief curriculum vitae shall be prepared after consultation with each nominee for elected committees, to be distributed with the mail ballot
d. To propose representatives of the faculty to senate committees at the request of the faculty representatives to the University Senate
e. To propose representatives from the faculty as needed to university-wide committees in accordance with section VIII.
H. Reports
Each standing committee shall issue an annual report to the faculty.
I. Special Committees
Special committees may be authorized by the Executive Committee, the dean, or the faculty. Upon their completion of their duties, special committees will report to the authorizing body.
VIII. REPRESENTATION TO BODIES OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
A. Terms and Elections of Representatives
All terms shall be three years unless otherwise specified by the bodies.
B. Reports by Representatives
The representatives shall issue a periodic joint report to the faculty about significant debates and votes in their respective deliberative bodies.
IX. RECALL
All representatives and members of committees shall be subject to recall. Recall procedures can be initiated by a written petition of one-quarter of the voting members of the faculty to the Executive Committee. Recall requires a majority vote. Following a recall, ordinary procedures shall be used to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term as soon as feasible.
X. THE DEAN OF THE SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
A. Appointment
The dean shall be appointed by the president from a list of candidates submitted by a search committee of seven elected members of the faculty of the School of Science and Engineering. This committee shall have no more than one member from any department. The committee shall, in consultation with the president and the provost, elect one of its members as chair. In addition to consulting with the faculty, provost and president concerning the search, the committee shall seek the advice of students and alumni/ae of the School of Science and Engineering. The committee may add non-voting ex officio members from the administration, students, and alumni/ae. All voting shall be by secret ballot.
B. Term of Office
The term of office of the dean shall be no more than five years.
C. Review and Reappointment
A dean may be reappointed by the president but each reappointment shall be preceded by a faculty review in the penultimate semester of his or her term. There shall be no limit to the number of times that a dean can be reappointed.
XI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the faculty in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and any special rules of order the faculty may adopt.
XII. AMENDMENTS
This constitution may be amended by two-thirds of those members present and voting at a meeting of the faculty, provided that the amendment has been proposed in writing at a previous meeting of the faculty, held at least one week before. Amendments shall be recommended through the president to the board of administrators at its regular or Executive Committee Meeting. Amendments shall take effect after ninety days of their passing.