Current through all regulations passed and filed through September 16, 2024
(A) Purpose
To establish the name, membership, manner of membership
selection and appointment; and to delineate the authority of the standing
committees of the university.
(B) Scope
This appendix to the university faculty bylaws addresses the
standing committees of the university. Standing committees of individual
colleges are established in the respective college appendices (e.g., college of
medicine appendix G) and are not addressed in this document. See exhibit one
for a list of college-related standing committees.
(C) Definitions
(1) "Affiliated faculty." A non-tenure track
faculty member who is non-salaried or whose primary role is not as a faculty
member.
(2) "Appointing authority"
or "standing committee appointing authority." The single executive, or person
designated by them, responsible for and authorized to appoint a standing
committee of the university.
(3)
"Board of trustees" or "board." The governing body for the university and all
its components.
(4) "College." For
the purposes of this rule, college includes all the colleges organized under
the authority of the Northeast Ohio medical university ("NEOMED" or "the
university"). Herein the college of medicine may be referred to as "COM," the
college of pharmacy as "COP," and the college of graduate studies as
"COGS."
(5) "Dean." The chief
academic and presiding officer of each of the respective colleges of the
university. The authority and responsibilities of the deans are further defined
in paragraph (E) of rule
3349-3-01 of the Administrative
Code.
(6) "Faculty." Faculty hold
tenured, tenure track and non-tenure track appointments that are approved by
the board of trustees of the Northeast Ohio medical university. Full-time and
part-time designations for faculty will be determined by their respective
college(s).
(7) "President." The
chief executive officer of the university responsible for its overall
administration and for enforcing the bylaws, policies and procedures of the
university. The president is an ex officio member of all standing committees of
the university.
(8) "Salaried
faculty." A tenured, tenure track or non-tenure track faculty member that is
full-time, part-time or co-funded and whose primary role is as
faculty.
(9) "Standing committees
of the university" or "standing committees." Permanent committees intended to
fulfill certain obligations of the university and are appointed to address
specified subjects which promote the university's purpose.
(10) "Provost." The chief academic officer of
the university.
(11) "Vice president
for research or VP for Research." The chief research officer of the
university.
(D)
Committees
(1) Name and function
The names and functions of the standing committees of the
university may be altered upon the request of the committee chair or co-chairs
and upon the recommendation of the appointing authority and the approval of the
university bylaws committee.
(2) Subcommittees
The standing committees may develop permanent or ad hoc
subcommittees or task forces as are necessary to conduct their business.
Subcommittees and task forces may include individuals other than standing
committee members.
(3)
Reporting
Standing committees shall submit actions and recommendations to
the president, vice president, or appropriate appointing authority.
(4) Meetings
(a) Meetings will be held at a time and
manner that will promote participation.
(b) Meetings may be held either in person or
via electronic means that will allow all the members to fully
participate.
(5) Voting
(a) Voting will take place at the meeting in
which a quorum is present and voting, whether the meeting is held in person or
by electronic means. Voice votes are most common; however, written ballots may
be used when appropriate.
(b) If a
full vote of the membership is desired, votes may be taken by electronic
means.
(c) The chair of a standing
committee will vote only in the case of a tie.
(6) Minutes
Minutes of the standing committees shall be kept to record the
actions of the committee and shall be available upon request, unless otherwise
indicated in paragraph (F) of this rule.
(7) Nominations for membership
The university nominating and membership committee (UNMC) will
make appointment recommendations to the appropriate appointing authority to
fill open and/or expiring membership positions in accordance with procedures
set forth in paragraph (F)(1)(a) of this rule.
(8) Membership
(a) The membership of all committees shall be
informed by accreditation standards and guidelines or other governing law or
regulations.
(b) Membership should
be diverse to reflect a wide range of opinions and constituents. It is the
responsibility of all members of a standing committee to be advocates of a
diverse campus population and promote a sense of community that is equitable
and inclusive.
(c) Terms of
appointment are three years beginning July first unless otherwise specified.
Terms shall be staggered to provide continuity. A member may be appointed for
an unlimited number of terms.
(d)
Upon the request of the committee chair and approval by the appointing
authority, a member may be replaced prior to the completion of a term when the
member has failed to attend at least fifty per cent of the regularly scheduled
meetings of the committee or if there is a perceived conflict of
interest.
(e) If a committee member
is unable to serve because of extenuating circumstances, he/she should notify
the committee chair, who should solicit a replacement for the position from the
UNMC chair.
(9)
Notification
The appointing authority shall appoint and reappoint all
members in writing, upon the recommendation of the UNMC in accordance with the
prescribed committee composition and reporting structure of university
bylaws.
(10) Quorum
The majority of voting members present at a meeting, whether in
person or via electronic means constitutes a quorum, unless otherwise specified
in the bylaws or policies of the university.
(11) Conflict of interest
Unless otherwise stated in paragraph (F) of this rule, members
of a committee shall be guided by university conflict of interest rules which
may limit or exclude any member with a direct personal or pecuniary conflict of
interest in a matter from discussion or vote.
(E) Identification of committees
(1) A list of university standing committees
can be found in exhibit one of appendix (G) of the bylaws. Each committee's
charge and composition may be found in paragraph (F) of this rule.
(2) A list of additional university
committees reporting to the president and standing committees of the colleges
may be found in exhibit two of appendix (G) of the bylaws. This list is for
informational purposes only. The charges and compositions for these committees
are outside the scope of this document.
(F) Charge and membership of the university
standing committees
(1) University nominating
and membership committee (UNMC)
(a) Purpose
(i) The chair of the UNMC will be notified by
the office of the provost of any open and/or expiring membership positions on
the standing committees of the university.
(ii) The UNMC shall review all openings and
solicit nominations in a manner deemed appropriate for the type of committee
vacancy, which may include:
(a) A call for
nominations to the faculty membership from which self-nominations will be
encouraged and accepted;
(b) A
request for nominations from the deans of the colleges, department chairs of
the respective college departments, and directors or executive directors of
administrative departments;
(c) A
call for nominations will be made of each student cohort with an open position
on a standing committee of the university. Eligible students must:
(i) Be interested in serving on the committee
and able to attend the meetings;
(ii) Be good representatives of the student
body of the relevant colleges within NEOMED;
(iii) Be enrolled and in good standing as
determined by the university registrar; and
(iv) Have the endorsement of the respective
college dean. The call for nominations, verification of good academic and
professional standing, and voting processes will be conducted in partnership
with the office of student services to produce student members for UNMC
consideration.
(iii) The UNMC will select nominees by a
majority vote of its members and make final recommendations to the appropriate
appointing authority.
(b) Membership
(i) Membership shall include the following
voting members
(a)
One faculty
representative recommended by the university faculty
council;
(b) Two faculty
representatives from the college of medicine;
(c) Two faculty representatives from the
college of pharmacy;
(d) One
faculty representative from the college graduate studies.
(e)
Two faculty
representatives from the college of dentistry.
(ii) No member of the UNMC shall be precluded
from serving on any other committee.
(c) Officers
(i) The chair shall be elected by a majority
vote of its members.
(ii) A vice
chair shall be elected by a majority vote of its members.
(2) University faculty council
(UFC)
(a) Purpose
The UFC is a body established to promote faculty dialogue,
facilitate shared governance, advocate on behalf of faculty, and to assure a
faculty voice in academic decision-making and governance of faculty matters
such as appointments, promotions, and tenure.
(b) Membership
(i) The membership of UFC shall include:
(a) Two members from each department with
five or more full-time salaried faculty, selected by respective departmental
faculty;
(b) One member from each
department with one to four full-time salaried faculty, selected by respective
departmental faculty;
(c) Two
members of the graduate faculty selected by the graduate faculty
council;
(d) One member of the
NEOMED affiliated faculty from the college of medicine;
(e) One member of the NEOMED affiliated
faculty from the college of pharmacy.
(ii) Faculty shall be chosen by peer election
whenever possible, following a call for nominations. If an insufficient number
of nominations are received, the UNMC may make additional recommendations to
fill vacant positions.
(c) Officers
(i) A chair and vice chair of UFC shall be
elected by a majority vote of the UFC.
(a) The
term of service for the chair and vice chair is two years.
(b) Each officer may serve his or her
two-year term even if it extends beyond their appointed term as UFC
member.
(c) Each officer may seek
one additional two-year term of service.
(ii) Upon conclusion of the chair's term, the
vice chair will assume the role of chair. If the chair leaves office
prematurely, the vice chair will assume the role of chair for the balance of
the chair's term. If the rising chair is unable or unwilling to serve as chair,
a new chair shall be elected prior to or at the next scheduled
meeting.
(iii) If a vice chair is
unable or unwilling to serve as vice chair, a new vice chair shall be elected
prior to or at the next scheduled meeting.
(iv) The chair and vice chair will serve as
representatives to the Ohio faculty council; the UFC may designate alternate
representatives.
(d)
Procedures of the UFC
(i) The UFC shall use
Robert's Rules of Order newly revised to facilitate its meetings unless it is
in conflict with these bylaws. The chair shall preside over the meetings of the
UFC. In the absence of the chair, the vice chair shall preside.
(ii) Meetings shall be held at least once
every two months, or upon ten calendar days' notice by the chair.
(iii) A meeting shall also be held upon the
written request of three members of the UFC. The request will be addressed to
the chair. A meeting will be held within thirty days of the request. A notice
detailing the time, place and exact purpose of the meeting shall be emailed to
all the members of the council at least three days in advance of the
meeting.
(e) Meetings
and minutes
(i) From time to time, the UFC may
convene meeting of the faculty, committees or groups to facilitate its
work.
(ii) UFC meetings are open to
any faculty member, student or staff member. An executive session of the
council may be called by the chair, as required. During an executive session,
only elected members of the UFC may be present. The UFC may only vote on
matters in open sessions of the council.
(iii) Every effort will be made to have
representatives of the administration available for each meeting as requested
by the chair of the UFC.
(iv) The
president of the university, as its chief executive officer, shall have the
privilege of the floor of the UFC, at his or her discretion.
(f) Liaison between UFC and
college leadership
Resolutions adopted by a majority vote of the UFC shall be
forwarded to the provost with copies to the president.
(3) University bylaws committee
(UBC)
(a) Purpose
The UBC:
(i) Reviews
amendments and revisions to current faculty policies and bylaws, solicits input
and recommendations from the deans of the colleges and the UFC, and recommends
their approval to the appointing authority;
(ii) Initiates amendments to existing faculty
policies, bylaws and appendices as needed;
(iii) Ensures that university faculty bylaws,
and related appendices are up-to-date and accessible to all constituents by
designing and maintaining a review calendar whereby bylaws are reviewed at
least every seven years.
(b) Membership
(i) All members of this committee are voting
members and will include faculty and administrators elected and appointed to
represent faculty and administrative interests. Membership includes:
(a) One faculty member from the college of
graduate studies;
(b) Two faculty
from the college of pharmacy;
(c)
Two faculty from the college of medicine;
(d) The chair of the UFC or
designee;
(e) One faculty or
administrative appointee to promote representational balance and diversity;
and,
(f) General counsel - ex
officio.
(ii) As new
colleges are added to the university, additional faculty representatives will
be elected by their respective faculty to serve as members of the
committee.
(c) Officers
The provost, in consultation with general counsel, shall
appoint the chair of the UBC.
(4) University scholarships and awards
committee (USAC)
(a) Purpose
The USAC functions as an advisory group to the office of
enrollment services on issues, policies and concerns related to all aspects of
student financial aid, as needed. The committee:
(i) Reviews and recommends rule for the
administration of all financial aid programs within the guidelines of federal
and state laws, and university policies;
(ii) Periodically reviews financial aid
programs for the purpose of recommending changes, additions or program
improvements;
(iii) Assists with
the identification and selection of scholarship/award recipients as needed;
and
(iv) Serves as the vetting
and/or review body for student appeals involving decisions of financial
aid.
(b) Membership
(i) The membership is comprised of the
following:
(a) Director, office of financial
aid - ex officio; voting;
(b)
Senior executive director of strategic enrollment initiatives - ex
officio;
(c) Senior development
officer, advancement - ex officio;
(d) Faculty or administrative appointee to
promote representational balance and diversity;
(e) Student services
representative;
(f) Division of
administration and finance representative;
(g) One faculty or administrative
representative from each college;
(h) One student representative from each
college with a preference for students in their second programmatic year or
beyond.
(ii) Non-voting
student members serve one-year terms.
(iii) Ex officio members and student
representatives are non-voting members of the committee, except where
noted.
(c) Officers
The financial aid director will serve as the chair of this
committee.
(5)
University tenure and promotions committee (UTPC)
(a) Purpose
The UTPC reviews and evaluates the credentials of applicants
for tenure and/or promotion. Given the confidentiality of the committee's work,
no minutes of its meetings shall be recorded or maintained.
(b) Membership
Voting membership includes:
(i) Eleven tenured faculty members appointed
by the president; there shall be no more than four members at the associate
professor rank and no faculty at the assistant professor rank or below. There
will be no department chairs on the committee. No provost, vice presidents, or
equivalent senior executive leadership roles shall serve as a member of the
UTPC.
(ii) A diversity of members
representing the breadth of departments and faculty with at least one from each
department with tenure track faculty, and with at least two from each college
which grants tenure.
(c)
Officers
(i) The chair shall be a tenured
professor elected by a majority vote of the UTPC. The chair is a voting member
of the committee who will abstain from voting unless the votes of the other
committee members are tied.
(ii) A
vice chair shall be a tenured professor elected by a majority vote of the UTPC.
The vice chair plays the same role as any other member of the committee if the
chair of the committee is chairing the meeting. If the chair is absent at a
meeting, the vice chair assumes the responsibilities of the chair, including
not voting unless the votes of the other committee members are tied.
(d) Conflict of interest -
criteria
(i) Any member of the committee must
disclose all real and/or perceived conflict of interest of any of its members
to the committee. A committee member has a conflict of interest if he/she:
(a) Is related to the person who is evaluated
or has a close comparable relationship.
(b) Has a substantial financial interest in
any evaluated activities by the person who is evaluated, both personal and
professional.
(c) Within the past
three years, has collaborated with or has been in a close mentoring
relationship with the person who is evaluated, or is dependent in some way on
the candidate's services.
(d)
Within the past three years, has played a major professional role as part of a
funded research project with the person who is evaluated.
(e) Is preparing to enter into a relationship
that would be defined as a conflict in accordance with the listed
guidelines.
(ii) When a
member of the UTPC receives an interim appointment to a leadership role that
precludes them from serving on the committee, the UTPC will review the
individual to determine if a conflict of interest exists during their interim
role. If a conflict of interest exists, the UTPC shall recommend finding a
replacement for the duration of the conflict.
(e) Conflict of interest - tenure advisory
committee
No conflict of interest is presumed to exist if the UTPC member
is currently part of the tac for the candidate, however, if the UTCP member
is:
(i) The chair of the tac
and,
(ii) The single author of a
final tac report, he/she will recuse themself from a formal vote on the
candidate in the UTPC.
(f) Conflict of interest - evaluation
procedure
The UTPC shall evaluate a member's declared or perceived
conflict of interest to determine if the conflict is substantial enough to
exclude him/her from discussion and/or voting on a pending tenure case. This
evaluation shall include:
(i)
Examination of the factors that surround the potential conflict;
(ii) In the presence of the affected member
and with their participation, discussion of these factors;
(iii) In the absence of the affected member,
discussion of these factors and related circumstances and a vote on whether the
affected member can:
(a) Contribute to the
discussion of the pending tenure case; and
(b) Vote on the pending tenure
case.
(g)
Criteria for candidate review and voting
(i)
Each candidate for tenure and/or promotion will be reviewed by no fewer than
five voting members.
(ii) The
chair, with the concurrence of the committee, may appoint an ad hoc member or
members who meet(s) the criteria for voting membership to review and vote on
candidates in order to meet the minimum number of members.
(iii) When the committee is considering a
candidate for tenure and promotion to associate professor, associate professors
who are committee members will discuss and vote.
(iv) When the committee is considering a
candidate for promotion to professor, associate professors on the committee may
participate in the discussion but will not vote.
(6) University student
accessibility services committee (USASC)
(a)
Purpose
The USASC serves as the review and approval body for student
requests for disabilities accommodations in compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and
state and local requirements regarding persons with disabilities. The committee
oversees and adheres to related university rule to ensure that efforts to
provide reasonable accommodations do not impose an undue burden, present a
direct threat to the health or safety of others, or fundamentally alter the
nature of its programs, services or activities.
(b) Membership
(i) The membership is comprised of the
following:
(a) Three faculty from the college
of medicine;
(b) Three faculty from
the college of pharmacy;
(c)
Learning center director or designee - ex officio;
(d) Academic services assessment
representative - ex officio;
(e)
Registrar or designee - ex officio;
(f) Office of the general counsel legal
representative - ex officio.
(ii) At least one faculty representative from
the college of medicine or college of pharmacy must have a dual appointment
with the college of graduate studies.
(iii) Ex officio members are
non-voting.
(c) Officers
(i) The committee will have two co-chairs. At
least one of the co-chairs will have a dual appointment in the college of
graduate studies.
(ii) The co-chair
representing the college of origin of the student requesting accommodations
will chair the meeting.
(7) University mental health committee (UMHC)
(a) Purpose
The UMHC serves to advance mental wellness and self-care for
NEOMED students, faculty, and staff by adopting a comprehensive approach to
mental health promotion and suicide prevention. Target strategies include
reducing the stigma of mental illness, increasing help- seeking behavior, and
encouraging a culture of mutual concern for one another. To achieve these
goals, the committee:
(i) Recommends
resources regarding mental health and suicide prevention; and
(ii) Provides training and promotes emotional
wellness and support for the campus and greater community.
(b) Membership
(i) The membership is comprised of the
following voting members:
(a) Chair of the
department of psychiatry - ex officio;
(b) Director, campus mental health
initiatives - ex officio;
(c)
Director of public safety - chief of police - ex officio;
(d) Senior executive director, academic
affairs and student services - ex officio;
(e) Director, counseling and student wellness
- ex officio;
(f) Office of the
general counsel; legal representative - ex officio;
(g) Human resources representative;
(h) Public relations and marketing
representative;
(i) Faculty
relations and professional development representative;
(j) College of medicine - faculty
representative;
(k) College of
pharmacy - faculty representative;
(l) College of graduate studies - faculty
representative;
(m) Department of
psychiatry - resident representative;
(n) College of medicine - student
representative;
(o) College of
pharmacy - student representative;
(p) College of graduate studies - student
representative.
(ii)
Student representatives will serve one-year terms.
(iii) The chair of the department of
psychiatry may serve a dual role as college of medicine representative, if so
designated by the college.
(c) Officers
(i) The chair of this committee will be the
current director of campus mental health initiatives.
(ii) The vice-chair will be determined by
committee vote.
(8) University diversity council
(a) The university diversity council (UDC) is
an advisory body to the president of the university. The UDC:
(i) Establishes annual goals based on best
practices for the recruitment, retention, and promotion of diverse faculty,
staff, and students in alignment with the university strategic plan;
(ii) Promotes awareness of and assists in the
development of institutional practices designed to enhance diversity, equity,
and inclusion; and
(iii) Is a forum
for consultation on diversity issues.
(b) Membership
All members must have a commitment to diversity, equity and
inclusion and be willing to assist in the implementation of the diversity and
inclusion strategic plan and to serve as a liaison to his/her respective
college or department. Voting membership includes:
(i) Ex officio members
(a) Presidential appointee to serve as
chair;
(b) Admissions and financial
aid representative;
(c) Public
relations and marketing representative;
(d) Institutional research
representative;
(e) University
student services representative;
(f) Diversity, equity and inclusion,
executive director - ex officio;
(g) Diversity, equity and inclusion,
assistant director - ex officio.
(h) Representative from the wasson center for
clinical skills training, assessment, and scholarship.
(ii) Faculty and student representatives
(a) One faculty representative from each of
the colleges;
(b) One college of
graduate studies student representative serving a one-year term;
(c) One M1 student representative, serving a
two-year term, who will assume one of two M2 positions in his or her second
year;
(d) One P1 student
representative, serving a two-year term, who will assume one of two P2
positions in his or her second year;
(e) Two M2 student representatives serving a
one-year term. One of the two M2 positions will be filled by the previous
year's M1 student representative. The remaining M2 position will be filled each
year by election;
(f) Two P2
student representatives serving a one-year term. One of the two P2 positions
will be filled by the previous year's P1 student representative. The remaining
P2 position will be filled each year by election.
(iii) Members-at-large
Up to ten members-at-large representing faculty and/or staff
who have general interest in diversity.
(iv) Ad hoc members (non-voting)
(a) Up to five ad hoc members from the NEOMED
faculty, staff, or student body may be selected by a subcommittee of the
council, in consultation with the chair, to support the initiatives or diverse
representation of the council;
(b)
Ad hoc members will be appointed for a one-year term; and
(c) Nominations for student ad hoc members
will be solicited from student groups with a charge that supports the present
need of the council.
(c) Meetings
(i) The council meets at least six times per
academic year.
(ii) The chair will
schedule and preside over meetings. The chair may organize additional meetings
at his/her discretion. Administrative support shall be provided by the office
of diversity, equity and inclusion.
(9) Academic management
partnership (AMP)
(a) Purpose
AMP support the development and review of university academic
policies for recommendation to the provost. All university academic policies
must be reviewed and formally recommended by AMP before being presented to the
provost for final approval. AMP initiates, reviews and/or endorses university
processes to improve the efficiency, clarity and effectiveness of managing the
academic needs of the colleges and university. AMP provides guidance and
process expertise during new academic program development to ensure
comprehensive planning and smooth implementation. AMP establishes a
collaborative team of college and university representatives for the management
of academic policies, processes and services to support the overall success of
students and communicates to stakeholders, including faculty, staff and
executive leadership, in a timely and comprehensive way.
(b) Membership
(i) Members include administrative and
faculty representatives to promote the academic management interests of each
college and the university departments. The voting membership is comprised of
the following:
(a) Senior executive director
of academic affairs and student services - ex officio
(b) University registrar - ex
officio
(c) Up to two
administrative representatives from each college, one of which has
decision-making authority over that college's curriculum;
(d) One faculty
representative from the university faculty council;
(e) One administrative
representative from academic services;
(f) One administrative
representative from the institute for teaching excellence;
(g)
One administrative representative from information technology;
(h) Up
to two administrative representatives from the office of the
provost;
(i) One administrative
representative from financial aid.
(j) One administrative
representative from the wasson center for clinical skills training, assessment,
and scholarship.
(ii) As
new colleges are added to the university, additional administrative
representatives will be recommended by the dean of the respective
college.
(c) Officers
(i) The chair is the senior executive
director of academic affairs and student services.
(ii) The vice chair is the university
registrar.
(10) University research council (URC)
(a) Purpose
(i) Conduit for faculty communication with
the vice president for research (VPR) on research matters including, but not
limited to research compliance, student research programs, research policy,
budgetary decisions affecting research, and issues pertaining to the research
focus area (RFA).
(ii) Advice VPR on university research
priorities and policies.
(iii)
Provide oversight of RFA.
(a) Define the
authority for the creation of, purpose, structure, function, membership,
leadership, and organizational chart(s) for RFAs.
(b) Conduct a yearly evaluation of RFAs as a
group, but also individual RFAs, including the tracking of goals, progress
towards goals, contributions towards university discovery pillar, and budget
reports.
(c) Establish criteria for
the evaluation of RFAs, including, but not limited to research activities,
faculty sufficiency, journal clubs, and scientific/professional local
meetings.
(b)
The URC shall meet at least quarterly. The office of the VPR will provide
administrative support for this committee.
(c) Membership shall include the following
voting members:
(i) VPR (ex-officio)
(ii) Leader of each RFA, or designee
(ex-officio)
(iii) University
faculty council selected representative of Rootstown research faculty; the
selected faculty representative will serve for three years. The faculty
representative may serve two consecutive three-year terms.
(iv) Peer-elected Ph.D. student with a NEOMED
faculty as primary advisor, who has passed candidacy exams. The elected
representative will serve a one year term. The elected student representative
may serve a maximum of two one-year terms.
(v) A chair and vice-chair will be elected by
a majority vote of the URC members and serve for two years. After initial
election, the terms will be staggered so either chair or vice-chair is elected
in a given year.