School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaw Changes

The School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws have undergone formal review by a sub-committee of the Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development Committee.

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TO:                       UNC School of Medicine Faculty

FROM:                 Wesley Burks, M.D. and Cristy Page M.D., M.P.H.

DATE:                  June 28, 2021

RE:                       School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaw Changes

 

Dear Colleagues:

The School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws have undergone formal review by a sub-committee of the Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development Committee. We are writing to you today to provide information about the proposed revisions to those constitution and bylaws (see draft constitution and bylaws online) and to encourage you to vote when ballots are distributed via email next month. The proposed revisions to the School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws are congruent with current LCME standards.

The following changes to the constitution are being proposed:

1. Article I: update to allow all members of the Faculty of the School of Medicine (tenure track or fixed term) to vote on faculty business in the School of Medicine. Update to allow Adjunct faculty to participate in, and vote on, matters within the standing committees of the School of Medicine as noted in Article III of the Bylaws.
2. Article III: change the name of the Department of Allied Health Sciences to the Department of Health Sciences.
3. Articles II and III: Replacement of “he/she” and “his/her” language with “they” and “their”, respectively.

The following changes to the bylaws are being proposed:

1. Article II: update to note that Adjunct faculty are eligible for appointment to Committees as noted within the membership of specific standing committees of the School of Medicine in Article III.
2. Article III:
   1. Nominating Committee – updates titles for committee members: Vice Dean for Academic Affairs, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, and Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; clarifies that the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs serves as chair.
   2. Admissions Committee – adds four faculty members (two elected, two appointed) as voting members; clarifies student membership of the committee: ten student members distributed between the M2-4 classes; updates titles for committee members: Director of Office of Scholastic Enrichment and Equity and the Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; removes the Chair of the Scholarship Committee position as this no longer exists.
   3. Education Committee – updates titles for committee members: Senior Director of Academic Affairs; adds the Senior Director for Student Affairs as an ex-officio voting member; clarifies that the Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education serves as chair.
   4. Student Progress Committee – allows for the appointment of four additional faculty members as alternatives for the committee; updates titles for committee members: the Associate Dean for DEI Faculty Access and Success and the Director of Scholastic Enrichment and Equity.
   5. Committee to Review Appointments and Promotions to Associate Professor (Tenure Track), Committee to Review Appointments and Promotions to Full Professor (Tenured), and the Committee to Review Promotions of Fixed Term Faculty – removes the 1.0 FTE criteria for membership on these committee; updates title for committee member: Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.
   6. Committee to Review Promotions of Fixed Term Faculty – removes the requirement that at least half of the members be fixed term faculty.
   7. Post-Tenure Review Committee – updates title for committee member: Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.
3. Articles I, III, and IV: Replacement of “he/she” and “his/her” language with “they” and “their”, respectively.

The proposed bylaws changes will come to a vote next month via electronic ballot. If approved, the changes would begin to be operationalized during the 2021-22 academic year. Please contact Dr. Cam Enarson, Vice Dean for Strategic Initiatives, (cenarson@med.unc.edu) with questions.

We appreciate your consideration and strongly encourage you to vote on this important matter when the electronic ballot is distributed next month.