North Dakota State University
College of Human Development and Education
Bylaws
1st Draft -- January 1994
2nd Draft -- May 1994 -- based on faculty input
3rd Draft -- August 1994 -- based on faculty input and discussion at May College Meeting
4th Draft -- September 1994 -- based on faculty input and discussion at August College Faculty Meeting
5th Draft, for vote -- October 1994 -- based on faculty input and discussion at September College Faculty Meeting, September 29,1994
6th and Final Draft for one year pilot -- Adopted by faculty mail ballot, October 1994 (reviewed by University Attorney)
Update -- adopted by faculty mail ballot, December 1995
Update -- adopted at faculty meeting, August 1996
Revision -- adopted by faculty vote during December 1998
Revision -- adopted at faculty meeting, February 2001
PREAMBLE
The Faculty of the College of Human Development and Education, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, has adopted the following bylaws for a one-year pilot study to begin at the time of approval and end one year from this date to assist in the orderly conduct of its affairs and to expedite the performance of its obligations in accordance with administrative policies and the Rules and Regulations of the North Dakota Higher Education System. At the conclusion of the pilot year, (1994-95), the bylaws may be revised by a simple majority. After this time, the amendment process will need to be followed. Bylaws were adopted by Faculty mail ballot during December 1995. Therefore, the amendment process (as described in Robert's Rules of Order) will be followed if changes are proposed.
Section 1. Name - The name of this body shall be the Faculty of the College of Human Development and Education, North Dakota State University, hereafter referred to as the Faculty Organization.
Section 2. Purpose - The purpose of the Faculty of the College of Human Development and Education is to conduct the business of the College of Human Development and Education. The Faculty may discuss and take a position on any subject of college concern. (The faculty addresses decision making relative to standards, curriculum, etc. The faculty and its committees become advisory to the Dean and Unit Administrators.)
Section 3. Administration -
a) General - Administration of the College of Human Development and Education, insofar as it concerns the faculty shall be conducted by the Dean, Unit Administrators, and Associate/Assistants who may be appointed. The above shall be referred to as the Administration. These administrators compose the Dean's Cabinet. This team meets bi-monthly or at the call of the Chair. It is chaired by the Dean. Minutes are recorded and are available for faculty review, on request.
b) Faculty Appointments - Appointments are initiated by Unit Administrators and must be approved by the Dean, Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, President, and Board of Higher Education. In the event of a vacancy for a unit administrative(s) position, a Search Committee shall be appointed by the Dean, with input from the department faculty, for the purpose of initiating search and screen procedures.
c) Academic Freedom and Tenure - Academic Freedom and Tenure shall be guided by the policies outlined in state, university, college, and unit documents.
d) Faculty Responsibilities - The Faculty shall maintain an active interest in the future of and contribute to the progress of the College of Human Development and Education. Therefore, within the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Higher Education, North Dakota State University, the faculty shall perform those tasks auxiliary to teaching, service/outreach and research; e.g. serve upon faculty and administrative committees of the University and the College, promote diligence and scholarship in the student body, and such other duties as are delegated within the terms of their appointments.
e) Dean's Advisory Committee - A committee is appointed annually to provide input to the Dean, and to serve as faculty and staff liaisons to the Dean. The commitee also serves as a peer review panel for a variety of proposals and nominations submitted to the Dean's Office. The committee is composed of a faculty representative from each unit in the college, a staff representative, and the assistant to the Dean. Recipients of the Contributions to a Positive Environment are members for the year following their selection for the award. Faculty members serve four year terms. Meetings are held approximately once a month.
Section 4. Promotion, Tenure and Evaluation - Promotion, Tenure and Evaluation Committee - The Promotion, Tenure and Evaluation Committee conducts annual and three year evaluations of faculty in probationary appointments and conducts three year reviews of tenured faculty. In addition they review and evaluate the dossiers of faculty who apply for tenure and/or promotion. The committee also reviews and approves any changes in unit and College Promotion, Tenure and Evaluation criteria. The format of the committee recommendations, membership of the committee and length of membership are determined by rules set at the university level. Criteria used for reviews are set by the College unit (school or department), the College and the University. The committee's recommendation is based on a review of the unit's evaluation, specifically related to consistency with criteria as well as strength of rationale/justification and fairness. The committee chair is elected by the committee members at the first meeting of each academic year.
Candidates for tenure and/or promotion will be provided the opportunity to respond to the draft of the committee's recommendations, formally in person or in writing, if he/she so chooses. This response must take place before seven days have elapsed after the candidate receives the draft from the Human Development and Education PTE Committee. If a candidate chooses to accept the recommendation and not respond, the draft will become final seven days after the candidate has received it, and will be forwarded in the promotion, tenure and evaluation process.
Each unit (department/school) within the College of Human Development and Education will have a PTE Committee. Membership shall follow rules set at the university level. In a situation where a unit does not have three qualified unit faculty (NDSU Policy 352), the Committee shall consist of all qualified unit faculty available, the remainder to be qualified faculty from other units within the College. The unit faculty shall elect the outside members from all who qualify. The minimum membership for a unit PTE Committee shall be three (3).
Section 5. College Academic Affairs - The faculty shall develop, deliver and monitor instruction in the College of Human Development and Education. Unit Administrators manage the programs. To satisfy this obligation, both to the students and to the people of the State of North Dakota, it shall be the responsibility of the faculty within the limitations set by the Rules and Regulations of the Board of the Higher Education of North Dakota and NDSU to:
a) Cooperate in maintaining the standards of acceptable academic performance and established curricula within the units/programs of the College of Human Development and Education.
b) Recommend and maintain standards leading to approval for graduation from the academic programs of the College of Human Development and Education, North Dakota State University.
c) Consider and advise upon all general policies and measures bearing upon the quality of instruction in the College of Human Development and Education.
d) Participate as a member, or provide input as appropriate if not a member, of college committees which are organized to address academic affairs include the Academic Affairs Committee, the Student Progress Committee, and the Scholarship Committee.
Academic Affairs Committee: The purpose of the Academic Affairs Committee will be to review undergraduate and graduate curriculum proposals in the college. The committee will perform three functions: It will (1) alert units about upcoming curricular deadlines, (2) advise individual units about proposed curriculum changes, including consideration of such issues as course duplication, and (3) after review, recommend curriculum changes to the University Academic Affairs Committee.
Committee members will include one representative from each unit, elected by that unit for four-year terms. The Chair of this committee, elected annually by committee members, will serve on the University Academic Affairs Committee (after approval by the Senate). An appointed representative from the Dean's Office will serve as an Ad Hoc member to facilitate communication between the committee and the Dean's Office.
Curriculum changes can be determined in two ways:
* By program areas to appropriate unit heads and then presented to the College Academic Affairs Committee.
* By administration presented to appropriate unit chair(s) and faculty and then presented to the College Academic Affairs Committee.
Student Progress: The purpose of the Student Progress Committee is to assist the University in making decisions regarding academic deficiency actions and other student academic matters. The Student Progress Committee will deal with students referred to the college from the Registrar because they have failed to meet general University guidelines. (Special unit guidelines are the responsibility only of that unit). Committee members will include one representative for each unit, the Associate Dean, and the Director of Student Services and Advancement. The Committee will be chaired by an appointed representative from the Dean's Office who will be a non-voting member.
Scholarship Committee: The primary function of the Scholarship Committee is to screen candidates based on written applications and to select recipients for the annual scholarships awarded by the College of Human Development and Education. The membership of the Scholarship Committee is a representative from each unit with the Director of Student Services and Development as the chair.
e) Representatives for University Senate will meet qualifications established at the University level. The allocated number of senators will be elected by the faculty. The College faculty selects the representative to the Executive Committee from the elected senators.
Section 6. College Student Affairs - The College of Human Development and Education shall exist for the transmission of knowledge, the pursuit of truth, the development of students and general well-being of society. Therefore, the faculty shall:
a) Establish and maintain standards of professional and ethical conduct for the students of the College of Human Development and Education, conforming to the teaching obligations, functions and responsibilities of the College of Human Development and Education.
b) Review student affairs relative to guidelines and policies and act in an advisory capacity to Unit Administrators, the Dean, and Associate/Assistants who may be appointed regarding implementation of these policies in relation to academic matters.
Section 7. Research/Scholarship - The Faculty are expected to promote and conduct research and other scholarly/creative endeavors.
Section 8. Outreach and Service - The Faculty are expected to promote and conduct outreach and service in North Dakota, as well as on a regional, national and international level (as appropriate).
Section 1. Faculty Members - Faculty and lecturers with at least a 50% appointment in the College of Human Development and Education, North Dakota State University, shall be full voting members of the Faculty Organization.
The Dean, any appointed Associate/Assistants, the Director of Student Services and Advancement and Unit Administrators of the College shall be full members of the College Faculty Organization and may attend all meetings and have voice and vote. Other faculty and graduate assistants in the college are encouraged to participate in faculty meetings for discussion and learning purposes.
Graduate faculty are faculty who have received graduate faculty status through the Graduate School and hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above.
Adjunct, emeritus, honorary, and courtesy faculty appointments will be recommended by the Unit Administrators to the Dean for approval by the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs. Such faculty shall be contributing professionals with voice but without vote at the meetings.
Section 2. Rights and Privileges of Members - Members of the Faculty shall be entitled to participate in the deliberations of the College and vote upon the business brought before it. Voting members of the faculty do not include adjunct, emeritus, honorary or courtesy appointments, consultants or similar titles. Persons with these types of positions may enter into discussion and voice their opinion. However, they are not eligible to vote.
Section 1. Regular Meetings - The Faculty shall meet as scheduled during the regular school year; in most cases, 3-4 meetings will be held a year. The first meeting shall be held at the beginning of the fall semester prior to the first day of classes. Subsequent meeting dates shall be determined by the dean with input from college administrators and faculty.
Section 2. Special Meetings - The college administration may call special meetings of the Faculty as may be deemed necessary. Special meetings may also be called upon the written petition of five or more faculty; this petition must explain the rationale for the faculty to meet.
Section 3. Notice of Meetings - A written notice stating the place, day, and hour of regular meetings shall be delivered to each member at the beginning of the semester. Notice of special meetings and their purpose shall be delivered to faculty members at least a week before the meeting, except in the case of any emergency.
Section 4. Quorum - The presence of a simple majority of the voting faculty constitutes a quorum.
Section 5. Voting - Most Issues should be decisions of the college as a whole. However, departments should be allowed to set their own academic standards.
For matters that affect the College as a whole, such as bylaw amendments, proposals can originate with a unit or with the Dean's Cabinet. Any proposal must be presented to faculty before the day of the vote, unless there are extenuating circumstances or faculty agree they are ready for a vote, so that it can be reviewed prior to the vote. At the unit level, such proposals should be thoroughly discussed and there should be consensus within the supporting unit before submitting the item for College vote. Vote on such issues when presented to the College will be by individual faculty members.
The majority vote of those members present shall carry a motion. Upon request of two or more of the members a secret ballot shall be cast. When voting by mail a majority shall be one-half of those voting plus one. Voting by mail shall be done only in emergency situations.
If a faculty member is unable to attend a meeting but wishes to vote on an item of business at the meeting, a proxy vote may be cast. To vote by proxy, a faculty member expresses the way he/she wishes to vote in writing, signs and dates the statement, and gives it to the Unit Chair or Dean before the meeting. If a faculty member wishes to give another voting faculty member the power to vote for them, he/she should state this in writing with a signature and date and follow the procedure above.
Section 6. Rules of Order Regular and special meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rule of Order, most recently published edition.
Section 1. Standing Committees -
a) Academic Affairs Committee
b) Promotion, Tenure and Evaluation Committee
c) Student Progress Committee
d) Dean's Cabinet
e) Dean's Advisory Committee
f) Scholarship Committee
Section 2. Committee Structure
a) The chairperson shall convene the initial meeting.
b) The committee will elect the Chair unless otherwise specified In College guidelines.
c) Minutes shall be kept of all committee meetings, shall be sent to each committee member and a copy shall be filed In the Dean's office.
d) The official report of a committee shall be adopted by a majority vote and presented at a meeting of the Faculty Organization. Recommendations must be acted upon by the Faculty.
e) The Dean, any appointed associate/assistants, and Unit Administrators are ex-officio members of all committees.
f) Additional standing, ad hoc, or special committees may be created by the Faculty Organization and/or the College administration and shall function under general rules of this section.
Section 3. Special and Ad Hoc Committees -
a) Members are appointed by Dean and Unit Administrators and/or Unit Faculty.
b) Functions:
1) Duties are assigned by the Dean and Unit
Administrators or Faculty Organization of the College of Human Development and Education.
2) Minutes of the meetings shall be distributed as the minutes of Standing Committees. A copy is filed in the Dean's Office.
c) Meetings: Meetings are held as necessary.
Section 1. Amendment - These bylaws may be amended, repealed or altered, in whole or in part, and additional bylaws may be adopted by a majority vote of Faculty present. Amendments shall have been printed and circulated to faculty not less than 30 days prior to the meeting at which a vote is to be taken.
Section 2. Suspension of Bylaws - The bylaws may be suspended temporarily for a definite purpose by a two-thirds vote, of those who are eligible to vote and are present.
Section 1. Review Process - Once these bylaws are approved, or changed, by the College Faculty, they must be sent to the University Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, the University Attorney and any other appropriate University Administrators for review. This review will insure compatibility with all institutional and Board of Higher Education policies.
