Bylaws of the College of Agriculture
Βι¶ΉΣ³»
- Adopted February 25, 1985
- Amended May 5, 1986
- Amended December 29, 1987
- Amended April 27, 1989
- Amended November 26, 1991
- Amended September 9, 1997
Table of contents
Part I: Introduction
These Bylaws are authorized by Part It, Chapter I, Section 5 of the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws (adopted NOVEMBER 29,1984).
These Bylaws provide for the organizational and administrative structure and personnel policies and procedures for the faculty of the College of Agriculture, Βι¶ΉΣ³». They shall be consistent with the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, UCCSN, and the laws of the State of Βι¶ΉΣ³» and the United States. These Bylaws are intended to be a statement of general policy.
These Bylaws shall be considered as adopted and in full force and effect upon:
- Approval by the College of Agriculture voting faculty, which shall be by at least a majority of those voting in a written, secret mail ballot, which vote shall be valid only if a majority of the voting faculty casts votes.
- Approval by the Dean and Director.
- Approval by the President.
Any College of Agriculture faculty member with voting rights as specified in Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws (Chapter m, Section 23 a and b) may propose amendments to these Bylaws. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the College Bylaws Committee (Part IV, Section A) for review and recommendation. If approved by a majority of the Bylaws Committee, the proposed amendment shall be submitted to the voting faculty for vote by a written, secret mail ballot. A proposed amendment which, after consideration by the Bylaws Committee, has not been approved by a majority of the Committee, shall be submitted to the voting faculty for vote by secret, written mail ballot if at least ten percent of the voting faculty sign a petition requesting this action. The amendment shall be in force upon:
- Approval by the voting faculty, which shall be by at least a majority of those voting in a secret, written mail ballot, which vote shall be valid only if a majority of such faculty casts
- Approval by the Dean and Director.
- Approval by the President.
Questions of interpretation of these Bylaws shall be directed to the Bylaws Committee (Section IV, Section C), which shall review the question and forward its recommendation to the Dean and Director, whose ruling shall be final, except as covered under Faculty Appeal Procedures described in the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws.
Part II: Organization and functions
The College of Agriculture is composed of an administrative group and four academic components. These components are the School of Veterinary Medicine, Departments of Applied Economics and Statistics, Biochemistry, and Environmental and Resource Sciences, hereinafter referred to as Departments.
Faculty in the Departments have titles of Instructor (1), Assistant Professor (II) Associate Professor (IH) or Professor (TV). Those faculty having appointments in Cooperative Extension or Agricultural Experiment Station may have a second descriptive title reflecting that assignment Faculty may have appointments in Cooperative Extension, the Experiment Station, Resident Instruction or other UCCSN units.
The research function of the College is performed largely by faculty holding entire or joint appointments in the Agricultural Experiment Station. The Βι¶ΉΣ³» Agricultural Experiment Station is administered by the College of Agriculture. Research may also be performed in cooperation with or by the faculty in Resident Instruction or Cooperative Extension.
Part III: Administrative officers
The Dean and Director has responsibility for administering the College of Agriculture according to the College of Agriculture Bylaws, the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, the UCCSN Code, applicable laws as described in the University Administrative Manual, and as specified by the President.
The Associate Dean of Instruction in the College of Agriculture reports to the Dean and Director and has responsibility for administering the Resident Instruction programs. The Associate Dean of Instruction acts according to specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations analogous to those developed for faculty pursuant to Section 40 of the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws. The Dean and Director and the Associate Dean of Instruction shall, where feasible, mutually agree to the same. If it is not feasible the Dean and Director shall have final authority in the matter subject to the Associate Dean of Instruction's right to grieve the matter pursuant to the provisions in the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws.
The Associate Director of the Experiment Station reports to the Dean and Director and has responsibility for administering the research program. This is to be accomplished according to specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations analogous to those developed for faculty pursuant to Section 40 of the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws. The Dean and Director and the Associate Director of the Experiment Station shall, where feasible, mutually agree to the same. If it is not feasible, the Dean and Director shall have final authority in the matter subject to the Associate Director of the Experiment Station's right to grieve the matter pursuant to the provisions in the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws.
Each Department, is administered by a Chair who reports to the appropriate Associate Dean or Associate Director and the Dean and Director. Responsibilities and duties of Department Chairs shall be according to specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations analogous to those developed for faculty pursuant to Section 40 of the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws. The Dean and Director and the Department Chairs shall, where feasible, mutually agree to the same. If it is not feasible, the Dean and Director shall have final authority in the matter subject to the Department Chair's right to grieve the matter pursuant to the provisions in the Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws.
Part IV: Committees
Elections for service to standing committees will be on an academic year basis and completed by Departments before July 1 of each year. Results will be forwarded to the Dean and Director. Each Department may elect members to standing committees if the Departmental faculty desires representation. The Department's administrative officer will forward the names of the two faculty members receiving the most votes for each committee in the Departmental election, to the Dean and Director for appointment of one to the Personnel Committee, one to the Curriculum Committee and one to the Research Committee.
Purpose: To conduct all College elections, to recommend changes in College bylaws and to insure equitable representation of the College on the University Faculty Senate.
Membership: The Committee shall consist of one person, who is a voting member of lie College of Agriculture Faculty, from each Department desiring representation. Members shall .serve a three-year staggered term and shall be elected by the voting faculty members of the respective Departments.
Purpose: To plan and coordinate field days, and other events and conferences as deemed appropriate.
Membership: The Committee shall consist of one person,, who is a voting member of the College of Agriculture Faculty, from each Department desiring representation. Members shall serve a two-year staggered term and shall be elected by voting faculty members of the respective Department.
Purpose: To develop and update recommendations for the College curriculums, as currently written, to select the Annual Teacher of the Year, and to advise the Associate Dean on related matters as needed.
Membership: The Committee shall consist of one person, who is a voting member of the College of Agriculture Faculty, from each Department desiring representation, two undergraduate students and one graduate student. The Associate Dean of Instruction shall serve as a nonvoting ex officio member. Members shall serve a three-year staggered term and shall be elected by voting faculty members of the respective Departments selected according to the procedures of Part IV, Committees, of these bylaws. Student members shall serve one-year terms and be selected by the Student Advisory Council.
Purpose: To review all faculty applications for promotion and tenure submitted by the Department Chair and to make recommendations to the Dean and Director regarding concurrence or disagreements with evaluations of these applications. These recommendations will be independent of those made by the Dean and Director and made part of the individual's permanent record and as such.will be forwarded to the University Promotion and Tenure Committee. The Committee shall also serve as a grievance committee for personnel complaints. No grievance shall be heard by this Committee until acted upon according to specifications in Department bylaws. The Committee shall also conduct an evaluation of the Dean and Director and the Associate Dean and Associate Director in accordance with Part V, Section B of these Bylaws.
Membership: The Committee shall consist of one person, who is a voting member of the College of Agriculture Faculty, from each Department desiring representation. Members shall serve a two-year staggered term and shall be elected by voting faculty members of the respective Departments selected according to the procedures of Part IV, Committees, of these bylaws.
Purpose: To review Hatch, Regional Hatch and Mclntyre-Stennis research proposals which have had prior Departmental evaluation and have been submitted to the Associate Director of the Experiment Station. To select the Annual Researcher of the Year, and to-advise the Associate Director on other related research matters as needed. The review by this Committee shall be limited to the equity of the review process at the Department level, the adherence to proposal guidelines, and that the proposals aid in carrying out the research missions and goals of the College.
Membership: The Committee shall consist of one person, who is a voting member of the College of Agriculture Faculty, from each Department desiring representation. The Associate Director of the Experiment Station shall serve as a nonvoting, ex officio member. Members shall serve a three-year staggered term and shall be elected by voting faculty members of the respective Departments selected according to the procedures of Part IV, Committees, of these bylaws.
Purpose: To select annual scholarship recipients of funds provided to or by the College for scholarships and to provide advice to the Associate Dean in matters concerning student recruitment.
Membership: The Committee shall consist of one person from each Department desiring representation and two students. The two student members will be appointed by the Associate Dean of Instruction. The Student Center Coordinator will serve as a nonvoting ex-officio member.
Any ad hoc committee may be established for special needs by the Dean and Director.
Part V: Professional responsibilities, evaluations, and personnel recommendations
Elections for service to standing committees will be on an academic year basis and completed by Departments before July 1 of each year. Results will be forwarded to the Dean and Director. Each Department may elect members to standing committees if the Departmental faculty desires representation. The Department's administrative officer will forward the names of the two faculty members receiving the most votes for each committee in the Departmental election, to the Dean and Director for appointment of one to the Personnel Committee, one to the Curriculum Committee and one to the Research Committee.
All personnel evaluations of faculty other than the Dean and Director, the Associate Dean, the Associate Director, and the Department Chairs shall be made on the basis of specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations developed pursuant to Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, Part 3. Chapter HI, Section 40 and College Departmental Bylaws.
An evaluation of the Dean and Director, Associate Dean, and Associate Director will be conducted once every three years by the College Personnel Committee. The Committee shall contact the Department Chairs and faculty for input into this evaluation process. The Committee shall establish and, when necessary, modify criteria and procedures for College Administrator evaluations, and perform the evaluation. The criteria will be based upon specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations selected by the President after consultation with the Dean and Director. The criteria for evaluations of the Associate Dean and Associate Director shall be based on specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations developed in accordance with Part HI, Section B of these Bylaws.
Separate annual evaluation of the Department Chairs shall be conducted by the appropriate faculties and by the Dean and Director and/or the Associate Dean and Associate Director. The Departmental faculty evaluations of Department Chairs shall be done by procedures specified by Departmental Bylaws. These criteria shall be based upon specified mutually agreed upon performance expectations between the Chairs and the Dean and Director. These evaluations shall be submitted to both the Chairs and to the Dean and Director.
At the beginning of each calendar year, each faculty member will meet with the Department Chair to discuss the faculty members specified professional responsibilities for that year. All faculty members shall be evaluated by their Department Chair according to specified performance expectations developed pursuant to Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter HI, Section 40. At the conclusion of each calendar year faculty members will complete part one of the annual evaluation form and submit it to the Department Chair. The Department Chair will complete part two of the form and submit all the evaluations and the specified professional responsibilities mutually agreed upon, to the Departmental Faculty Peer Review Committee. The Committee will review each evaluation for accuracy and proper procedure. The Committee shall report in writing to the Department Chair any evaluations with which they do not concur giving supporting documentation or reasons for their views. All faculty evaluations will be in accordance with Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter HI, Section 41.
All personnel recommendations involving tenure, promotion, or meritorious evaluation shall follow the procedures and schedule specified in Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter HI, Sections 42 and 43.
The Department Chair shall notify each member of that Department of personnel recommendation actions as specified in Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter HI, Section 44.
The faculty will be evaluated for appointment, tenure, promotion and merit applying the standards stated in Section 3,4,2 of the UCCSN Code and Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter HI, Section 50b. Evaluation criteria will also include but are not limited to the following:
Teaching which includes documented evidence of teaching quality as determined by student and supervisory evaluations. Quality advisement of individual Extension clientele and quality instruction programs including regular subject matter revisions and development, will also be considered. For College of Agriculture faculty with Cooperative Extension appointment, the Department Chair shall consider input related to teaching effectiveness and other related duties from Area Chairpersons.
Research and Creative Activity. Faculty members are expected to conduct quality research and contribute to identified state-wide priorities in College Research Programs. These faculty members are evaluated based on research results which are documented in publication form such as: refereed journal articles, Experiment Station and Extension bulletins, fact sheets and on extramural funding success.
Part VI: Faculty meetings
Meetings of the faculty of the College of Agriculture may be called by the Dean and Director at appropriate times, or will be called upon petition for a meeting submitted to the Dean and Director by five voting faculty members.
Part VII: Department bylaws
Each Department shall have Bylaws. These various Bylaws shall be considered adopted and in full force and effect upon the following:
- Approval of the voting faculty of the Department concerned, which shall be by a two-
thirds majority of those eligible to vote in a written, secret mail ballot. - Approval of the Dean and Director.
- Approval of the President
Part VIII: Search procedures
In the case of any professional vacancies in the College of Agriculture, the College Administration shall inform the appropriate Department Chair within sixty days as to the status of the vacant position.
In the case of a vacancy, a College of Agriculture Search and Screening Committee of twelve members shall be formed. Six members shall be elected from the College faculty, (Part IV, Section A, College Bylaws). The President shall appoint three additional members from the College faculty, two additional members representing agricultural and citizen's interests, and one additional member representing the general University. The President shall choose the Chairperson. The Committee shall present a slate of three or more candidates to, and shall meet with, me President to discuss the proposed candidates.
In the case of a vacancy, a Collage of Agriculture Search and Screening Committee of seven members shall be formed. Four members shall be elected from the College faculty, (Part FV, Section A, College Bylaws). The Dean and Director shall appoint two additional College faculty members and one at-large member. The Dean shall appoint the Chairperson. This Committee shall present a slate of three or more candidates to, and shall meet with, the Dean to discuss the proposed candidates.
Departmental bylaws shall establish procedure for filling vacancies in these positions consistent with College of Agriculture and Βι¶ΉΣ³» Bylaws.