Earlier this year, the School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws underwent formal review, and the revisions were voted on in early August. The revised constitution and bylaws received the required two-thirds affirmative votes, and have been passed.
As we previously communicated to you via email, the School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws underwent formal review by a sub-committee of the Faculty Affairs and Diversity Leadership Committee. The proposed revisions were announced to the faculty prior to an electronic vote. In order to enact these revisions to our constitution and bylaws, two-thirds of the faculty votes received must be affirmative. We are pleased to announce that over 91% of votes were affirmative, and the proposed changes to the constitution and bylaws were approved. Thank you to all of the faculty who participated in the vote. The changes (e.g. committee membership) will begin to be operationalized this academic year. The next step in the process for the departmental name change is approval by the Provost.
The following changes to the constitution were approved:
- 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.
- Article III: change the name of the Department of Allied Health Sciences to the Department of Health Sciences.
- Articles II and III: Replacement of “he/she” and “his/her” language with “they” and “their”, respectively.
The following changes to the bylaws were approved:
- 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.
- Article III:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Committee to Review Promotions of Fixed Term Faculty – removes the requirement that at least half of the members be fixed term faculty.
- Post-Tenure Review Committee – updates title for committee member: Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs.
- Articles I, III, and IV: Replacement of “he/she” and “his/her” language with “they” and “their”, respectively.