University
of Missouri-St. Louis
College of Optometry Faculty Bylaws
Adopted May
22, 2001
Preamble
The University
of Missouri-St. Louis Collegeof Optometry was started in 1980 to provide professional
and post-graduate training in optometry and vision science. It has attracted
a faculty with a wide range of teaching, research, and clinical care experience.
The well being of the College depends on the utilization of this faculty's expertise
through a free exchange of ideas between faculty and administration in an atmosphere
of open communication and mutual understanding including civility, consideration
and mutual respect (See Addendum A). Effective operations of the College depend
on direct and active participation of the faculty and administration. To this
end, the faculty of the College of Optometry adopts the following governance
document in order to fulfill the goals and objectives described in the Mission
Statement.
Membership
The faculty of
the College of Optometry shall consist of all persons within the School holding
full-time (benefits eligible) and part-time academic appointments. Voting faculty
shall include full time members except those having an administrative (deans’
level) appointment. Except for voting, eligibility to serve as officers and
committee membership, administrators (deans’ level) and part-time faculty
have all privileges of the floor during meetings.
Functions
The faculty of
the College of Optometry shall meet to discuss and formulate faculty recommendations
on the affairs of the College. The primary function of the committees described
below will be to gather information for faculty discussion. These recommendations
will be deliberated and voted on by the faculty prior to being communicated
to the administration of the College and other constituencies as appropriate.
The Dean may choose to delegate decisions to the faculty as appropriate. Faculty
may delegate specific responsibilities to standing committees by simple majority
vote.
Officers
At its last regularly
scheduled meeting of the winter semester (usually May), the faculty shall elect
from its number a Chair, Assistant Chair, and a Secretary. These officers shall
serve a one-year term, renewable for a single year. No officer shall serve more
than two consecutive terms in a given office. In cooperation with the Dean,
the Chair shall call and preside over meetings of the faculty, seek to determine
the will of the faculty, and act as its spokesperson. The Assistant Chair shall
preside in the absence of the Chair. Should both Chair and Assistant Chair be
unable to attend a scheduled meeting, the faculty shall elect a chair pro tem
to preside. The Secretary shall keep records of the proceedings, determine attendance
and quorum. The Assistant chair shall distribute or post minutes of faculty
meetings within 14 days of the faculty meeting. The Chair, Assistant Chair,
and Secretary shall constitute the Leadership committee of the faculty.
Meetings
In addition to
regularly scheduled monthly faculty meetings, meetings of the faculty may be
called by the Dean, by the Chair of the Leadership committee, or by at least
3 voting members of the faculty. The Chair of the Leadership committee and Dean
shall work cooperatively to facilitate the convening of the faculty and to prepare
and distribute the meeting agenda at least 3 working days prior to the meeting.
A quorum shall be half the voting faculty. Although it is not expected that
faculty meetings will be conducted under strict parliamentary rules, if a parliamentary
authority for faculty meetings is needed, the latest edition of Robert’s
Rules of Order will be used. Voting will be by written mail ballot if approved
by a two-thirds vote of the faculty in attendance.
Amendments
The Optometry Faculty
Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the voting faculty, solicited
by a mail ballot. Bylaws changes shall become effective immediately upon receiving
faculty approval. Proposed amendments to the bylaws shall be submitted in writing
to the Chair of the Leadership Committee for reading at a duly-called faculty
meeting.
Committees
of the Faculty
A Nominating Committee,
selected by the Leadership Committee (before the April faculty meeting) will
work cooperatively with the Dean, in order to determine faculty interest in
serving on Special, Naturally Forming and Regular committees. Recommended committee
membership, presented by the Nominating Committee, shall be elected at the last
regularly scheduled faculty meeting in the winter semester. Terms for Officers
and committee assignments will commence immediately.
Each committee of the faculty is to gather information on issues within its
charge and bring policy recommendations to be presented to the faculty for subsequent
discussion and vote by the entire faculty. Unless predetermined, committees
shall elect a chair and secretary at their first meeting in the fall semester.
The secretary will announce meetings and record minutes. Approved minutes shall
be distributed or posted within 14 days of the respective meeting. Business
may be assigned to committees by the Chair of the Leadership Committee or the
Dean. Each committee should meet at least one time each semester.
Voting faculty members are eligible to vote on committee recommendations. Their
participation on each committee is essential for well-informed decisions to
be generated by committees.
The standing committees include 2 Special committees, 6 Naturally Forming committees
and 5 Regular committees. Additional non-voting ex officio members such as staff,
part-time faculty and student members shall be included as appropriate. The
committees and a brief description of their charges are listed below.
Special Committees
Leadership Committee: The Chair, Assistant Chair, and Secretary of the faculty shall constitute the Leadership Committee. They serve as the elected officers of the faculty and are obliged to determine and represent the will of the faculty.
Nominating Committee: The Nominating Committee is selected by the Leadership Committee and works cooperatively with the Dean in order to determine faculty interest in serving on Special, Naturally Forming and Regular committees.
Naturally Forming Committees
Budget and
Planning Committee: membership includes the Dean (will serve as chair),
Assistant Dean, Director of Optometric Services, Director of Residencies, Director
of the Graduate Program, Director of Student Affairs and Chair of the Leadership
Committee. The Development Officer shall serve as a non-voting member. Additional
ex officio members such as staff, students and a community member shall be included
as appropriate. This committee shall examine general budgetary allocations and
priorities; consider questions relating to the development of the School of
Optometry and its programs, and make recommendations on development and fiscal
matters.
Residency Committee: membership includes Director of Residencies (will
serve as chair) and Program Supervisors. The Director of Optometric Services
will serve as an ex-officio member. This committee will oversee admittance to
the residency program and make recommendations for policies regarding residency
programs.
Clinic Committee: membership includes Director of Optometric Services
(will serve as chair), Center Directors, Chiefs and Director of Externships.
The Center Manager shall serve as a non-voting member. The committee will make
recommendations concerning, but not limited to, clinical policy matters including
clinical teaching policies, student clinical performance, externships, utilization
of clinic space, and equipment acquisition. Each committee member is responsible
for gathering information with their respective faculty in order to bring recommendations
and information back to the committee.
Research: membership includes the graduate faculty and the faculty representative to the campus Human Subjects Committee and the Campus Associate Vice-Chancellor for Research as an ex-officio member. Additional non-voting members such as staff and student members shall be included as appropriate. This committee will make recommendations for policies supporting, encouraging and maintaining research and scholarly activity in vision and related sciences.
Graduate
Program: membership includes the Director of Graduate program (will serve
as chair) and graduate faculty. The campus Dean of the Graduate School will
serve as an ex-officio member. This committee will oversee admittance to the
graduate program and make recommendations for policies regarding the graduate
program.
Tenure and Promotion Committee: membership includes tenured associate
and full professors. Duties and responsibilities are determined by the University
of Missouri Collected Rules and Regulations and the College of Optometry Promotion
and Tenure Procedures and Standards.
Regular Committees
Faculty Affairs:
membership includes 5 members elected from the faculty (including at least
2 regular and 2 non-regular faculty). This committee shall make recommendations
for faculty development and teaching programs, assist with the development of
policies regarding workload and guidelines for faculty appointments, and promotion
of non-regular faculty. It will also make recommendations regarding open faculty
or administrative positions within the school.
Student Committee: membership includes Director of Student affairs (will
serve as chair) and 4 members elected from the faculty. Non-voting staff members
shall include the Coordinator of Student Affairs and students as appropriate.
This committee shall make recommendations regarding student affairs, scholarships,
financial aid and academic promotions.
Admissions committee: membership includes Director of Student affairs
(will serve as chair), at least 4 members elected from the faculty, at least
2 members of the student body and members of the staff as appropriate. This
committee reviews candidates applying for the professional program in the College
of Optometry. This Committee will review applicant records, letters of recommendation,
test scores and interviews, and recommend candidates for admission. It will
also make recommendations to the faculty concerning matters of admission policy.
Curriculum,
Instruction and Educational Policy Committee: membership includes 5 elected
members from the faculty. This committee shall have general responsibility for
recommending policies and procedures in the areas of curriculum and instruction
for degree granting and certificate programs. It will review and make recommendations
to the faculty about any curricular changes involving the professional school.
It shall also recommend policies regarding graduation requirements, special
programs, academic publications and continuing education.
Facilities, Libraries, Information Technology: membership includes Coordinator
of Informatics (will serve as chair), faculty member of the campus Computing
Committee and 4 elected members of the faculty. Additional members include the
graphics support staff and campus staff as ex officio members, such as, the
Director of the Health Sciences Library, Director of the Teaching and Learning
Center and a member of the campus computing staff. This committee will make
recommendations to the faculty concerning library procedures and policies. This
committee will make recommendations concerning space and facilities, such as
purchase of equipment, computers, and support facilities (including electrical
and machine shops, graphics etc.). The committee may appoint one optometry student
and one graduate student to its membership, as the committee considers appropriate.
Ad hoc Committee: As the need arises, the faculty may establish ad hoc
committees. The composition for each ad hoc committee shall be determined cooperatively
between the faculty and dean.
Organization
of the Staff and Student Body
Students and staff
through their respective organization may request or petition the faculty in
writing to place specific concerns on the agenda of a faculty meeting through
the Chair of the Leadership Committee.
Adopted May 22, 2001
Addendum A
Guidelines for a Productive Process
Sample Team Ground Rules