Bylaws
BYLAWS
COLLEGE OF NATURAL SCIENCE
The 1987 Bylaws for Academic Governance of Michigan State University, as amended, specify in Sections 1 and 2 certain responsibilities concerning faculty and student organization and participation in the governance of each college. Accordingly, these Bylaws are intended to provide a framework for meaningful participation of faculty and students in the academic governance of the College of Natural Science.
The procedures given in these Bylaws shall not be construed in any way which (1) limits or discourages the rights and opportunities of groups or individuals in the College from initiating actions or resolving problems through direct consultation with administrative officers of academic units, or (2) limits or discourages the Dean or his/her duly designated representatives from discussing and formulating programs of action with appropriate individuals or groups, while acting within the general framework of these Bylaws.
1.0 The Faculty of the College of Natural Science
1.1 Composition of the Faculty
1.1.1 The regular faculty of the College shall consist of all members of the regular faculty of the University, as defined in Section 1.1.1 of the University Bylaws, who hold an academic appointment in a unit of the College.
1.1.2 The temporary faculty of the College shall consist of all persons holding the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, or instructor, paid by the College, but not appointed under the rules of tenure.
1.1.3 Persons appointed as visiting faculty or Adjunct/Clinical faculty in the College, persons designated as lecturers in the College, and persons retired from the regular faculty of the College with the emeritus title, shall be honorary faculty.
1.2 Voting Faculty
1.2.1 The voting faculty in the election of University councils and committees shall be all regular faculty of the College.
1.2.2 The voting faculty in the election of College councils and committees and in elections pertaining to College policies and decisions shall be all regular University faculty engaged in the academic activities of the College on a regular basis and holding voting status in a department or unit of the College.
1.2.3 A faculty member jointly appointed in two or more units may vote only once in a given College election. In elections voted upon by two or more units the faculty member shall vote in that unit which has primary responsibility for initiating personnel action.
1.2.4 A faculty member may be elected to an academic governance body as a representative of any unit in which the person holds regular faculty status.
1.2.5 A faculty member may be elected to a College council or committee as a representative of a unit in which the person holds faculty voting status.
1.3 Faculty Meetings
1.3.1 The voting faculty of the College shall meet at least once each academic year, at a time determined jointly by the Dean and the College Faculty Advisory Council. Additional meetings may be called by the Dean or by the College Faculty Advisory Council.
1.3.2 The Dean, or in his/her absence, the Chairperson of the College Faculty Advisory Council, shall preside at College Faculty meetings.
1.3.3 Conduct of all College faculty meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, except as modified in these Bylaws.
1.3.3.1 The agenda for faculty meetings shall be prepared by the Dean and the College Faculty Advisory Council. Items may also be placed on the agenda by petition of any ten members of the regular faculty of the College.
1.3.3.2 The Office of the Dean shall notify members of the faculty of the time, place, and agenda of proposed meetings at least 72 hours prior to the meeting.
1.3.3.3 Each College voting faculty member in attendance shall have a vote on matters before the meeting. Honorary faculty and temporary faculty may participate in meetings, but without vote.
1.3.3.4 Action may be taken by a majority of a quorum. A quorum shall consist of those College voting faculty members in actual attendance. A mail ballot of the complete College voting faculty shall be required if requested by more than one-third of those present. Mail ballots shall be conducted by the Secretary of the College Faculty Advisory Council, with the aid of the Dean's Office. A quorum for a mail ballot shall be those ballots returned (marked or unmarked). The tally will be made ten calendar days after the last ballot is sent out.
1.3.3.5 The Secretary of the College Faculty Advisory Council, with the assistance of the Office of the Dean, shall serve as Secretary for faculty meetings. He or she with the assistance of the Office of the Dean shall distribute minutes of each meeting to all faculty in the College, and shall maintain a file of all past minutes in the Dean's Office.
2.0 The Students
2.1 Student Constituency of the College
2.1.1 The Student constituency of the College, for the purpose of selecting student representatives from the College to University committees, shall be all students who have declared with the Registrar a major or a major preference in an academic program administered in the College.
2.1.2 Those students who are enrolled as non-degree graduate students in programs of the College, as candidates for graduate degrees, or as candidates for graduate-professional degrees shall be deemed graduate students.
2.1.3 All other students shall be deemed undergraduate students.
2.2 Student Participation in College Academic Governance.
2.2.1 Student participation in academic governance bodies is described in Section 1.2.3 of the University Bylaws.
3.0 College Organization
3.1 The College recognizes the following three divisions: Physical Sciences (Chemistry, Geological Sciences, Physics-Astronomy); Mathematical Sciences (Mathematics, Statistics and Probability, Lyman Briggs, Division of Science and Mathematics Education); Biological Sciences (Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biological Sciences Program, Plant Biology, Center for Integrative Studies-General Science, Entomology, Food Science and Human Nutrition, Kellogg Biological Station, Medical Technology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Neuroscience, Physiology, Plant Research Laboratory, Zoology). A unit of the College not mentioned here and which contains faculty who are not voting members of another unit shall be included in the most appropriate of the three Divisions according to the wishes of the unit.
3.2 Dean
3.2.1 The chief executive officer of the College is the Dean.
3.2.2 The Dean is responsible for the educational, research, and service programs of the College. This responsibility includes budgetary matters, physical facilities, and personnel matters in his or her jurisdiction, taking into account the advisory procedures of the College.
3.2.3 Procedure for Consultation in the Search for and Selection of a Dean
3.2.3.1 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall have shared responsibility with the Provost to determine
procedures for the search and selection of a Dean.
3.2.4 The selection at the college level of assistant and associate administrators who are subject to Board approval shall be the responsibility of the Dean, who shall consult with the College Faculty Advisory Council and the Chairpersons and Directors. The Dean may establish a Search and Selection Committee in consultation with the College Faculty Advisory Council.
3.2.5 The Dean shall be subject to regular review at intervals not to exceed five years.
3.2.5.1 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall have shared responsibility with the Provost to determine procedures for the review of the Dean.
3.2.5.2 There is no limit, other than the limit imposed by the university rules on retirement from administrative positions, on the time an individual may continue in the position of Dean.
3.2.5.3 At any time during the term of office the appointment of the Dean, as Dean, may be terminated either by resignation or by action of the Board of Trustees upon recommendation of the President and the Provost.
3.2.6 The Dean shall participate in academic governance as part of administrative responsibility. This participation shall include those responsibilities listed in section 2.1.5 of the University Bylaws.
3.3 The College Advisory Councils
3.3.1 The Advisory Councils of the College of Natural Science shall consist of a College Faculty Advisory Council and a Dean's Student Advisory Council.
3.3.2 College Faculty Advisory Council.
3.3.2.1 Composition and Election.
3.3.2.1.1 Each academic unit within the College, regardless of its size, shall have one elected faculty representative on the College Faculty Advisory Council. An "academic unit" designates a College budgetary unit and/or a degree-granting unit of the College.
3.3.2.1.2 All regular faculty of the College shall be eligible for election as representatives on the College Faculty Advisory Council, with the following exceptions: (1) The Chairpersons of Departments or heads of academic units; (2) The Dean, and other College level administrators.
3.3.2.1.3 The faculty representatives from the academic units shall each be elected by voting faculty of each academic unit from among their own memberships in a manner to be decided upon by each unit. Vacancies on the Council shall be filled by election of a replacement by the unit so affected to complete the unexpired term.
3.3.2.1.4 The voting members of the College Faculty Advisory Council shall be elected during Spring semester and shall take office at the beginning of the Fall semester.
3.3.2.1.5 Members shall be elected for a two-year term, and no faculty member may be elected for more than two consecutive terms. As nearly as possible, half of the College Faculty Advisory Council shall be elected each year to a two-year term.
3.3.2.1.6 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall select one of the College faculty representatives to the Academic Council to serve as liaison between the two Councils. The liaison person shall have no vote unless he or she is an elected member of the College Faculty Advisory Council.
3.3.2.1.7 One undergraduate and one graduate student, selected annually by the Dean's Student Advisory Council shall serve on the College Faculty Advisory Council. They shall have both voice and vote except in those areas reserved to the faculty in Section 1.2.3 of the University Bylaws.
3.3.2.2 Functions.
3.3.2.2.1 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall advise the Dean on any matter which the Dean or a member of the College Faculty Advisory Council or ten college faculty members bring before it.
3.3.2.2.2 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall have delegated authority to nominate College Faculty representatives to the Academic Council, to Standing Committees thereof, and to other elected all-University Committees and to supervise elections to these bodies.
3.3.2.2.3 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall have shared responsibility with the College Faculty to nominate faculty for all-University committees when nominations are requested by the University Committee on Academic Governance or similar bodies.
3.3.2.2.4 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall have delegated authority to select faculty members for vacated, unexpired positions of College Standing committees.
3.3.2.2.5 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall have delegated authority to select College nominees for the Distinguished Faculty Awards, Teacher-Scholar Awards, and Excellence in Teaching Awards.
3.3.2.3 Procedures.
3.3.2.3.1 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall elect its own Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, and Secretary.
3.3.2.3.2 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall meet at least once each month during the academic year. Additional meetings may be called by the Dean or by the Chairperson, and must be convened on written request of four Council members.
3.3.2.3.3 The Chairperson of the College Faculty Advisory Council, in consultation with the Dean, shall prepare an agenda for each meeting of the College Faculty Advisory Council. Copies of the agenda for each regular meeting of the College Faculty Advisory Council shall be delivered to each academic unit no less than forty-eight hours preceding the time of convening of said meeting.
3.3.2.3.4 In addition to the Dean, and/or the Dean's designees or assistants, any interested person may attend any given meeting of the College Faculty Advisory Council. He or she may be heard at said meeting upon obtaining either the consent of two voting members of the College Faculty Advisory Council or the written request of ten members of the regular voting faculty of the College.
3.3.2.3.5 In exercising the responsibilities listed in Sections 3.3.2.2.2, 3.3.2.2.3, 3.3.2.2.4, and 3.3.2.2.5 the College Faculty Advisory Council shall request nominations from all academic units in the College. Requests shall be in writing and shall be made at least two weeks before the Council meets to review the nominations.
3.3.2.3.6 Ballots for election to the Academic Council, to Standing Committees thereof, and to other elected all-University committees shall be distributed to the regular faculty (as defined in Sections 1.2.1 and 1.2.2) of the College at least one week before they must be returned. These elections must be completed, and the results announced, no later than April 15 every year, or earlier if so requested by the University Committee on Academic Governance.
3.3.2.3.7 Action may be taken by a majority of a quorum. A quorum shall consist of those College Faculty Advisory Council members in actual attendance.
3.3.3 The Dean's Student Advisory Council
3.3.3.1 Composition and Election
3.3.3.1.1 The membership of this council consists of one undergraduate student from each Department or Academic unit in the College of Natural Science with an undergraduate degree program, one graduate student from each Department or Academic Unit in the College of Natural Science with a graduate degree program, up to ten student members-at-large and two faculty members chosen by the College Faculty Advisory Council.
3.3.3.1.2 In addition, the student representatives from the College to the Academic Council shall be ex-officio voting members.
3.3.3.1.3 Each Department or Academic unit in the College shall choose its representatives according to procedures established within the units.
3.3.3.2 Purpose and Procedures.
3.3.3.2.1 The Bylaws of the Dean's Student Advisory Council shall govern the operation of the Council in accord with such regulations as may be specified in the Bylaws for Academic Governance.
3.4 The Standing Committees of the College Natural Science
3.4.1 The College Standing Committees are: (1) College Curriculum Committee; (2) College Graduate Committee; (3) College Promotion and Tenure Committee; (4) College Scholarships and Awards Committee. .
3.4.2 Faculty Representation.
3.4.2.1 Each College Standing Committee shall include three elected regular faculty members with vote, one drawn from biological science units, the mathematical science units, and the physical science units, as described in Section 3.1.
3.4.2.1.1 All voting faculty of the College shall be eligible for election except the Dean, other college-level administrators, Directors, and Department Chairpersons.
3.4.2.1.2 No College faculty member may serve on more than one College Standing Committee.
3.4.2.1.3 An Academic unit may have only one elected faculty representative on a particular College Standing Committee at one time.
3.4.2.2 Election
3.4.2.2.1 The voting faculty of each College academic unit shall nominate, according to its own procedures, one eligible faculty candidate for each committee vacancy.
3.4.2.2.2 The College Faculty Advisory Council shall elect, according to its own procedures, the faculty members of the College Standing Committees from the lists of nominees submitted by the academic units of the College.
3.4.2.2.3 Those elected shall take office on August 16 of the same year.
3.4.2.3 Term of Office.
3.4.2.3.1 Except as provided in 3.4.6.1, elected faculty members of College Standing Committees shall serve three-year terms, with at least one new member elected to each committee each year.
3.4.2.3.2 Vacancies for uncompleted terms shall be filled by the College Faculty Advisory Council.
3.4.3 Student Representation.
3.4.3.1 The Chairperson of the College Faculty Advisory Council shall initiate correspondence with the Dean's Student Advisory Council prior to Spring semester each year, to solicit the representatives from these student groups to the several College Committees for the following academic year.
3.4.4 The College Curriculum Committee.
3.4.4.1 Composition and Election.
3.4.4.1.1 In addition to the three elected faculty representatives, the Curriculum Committee membership shall include one undergraduate student member and one graduate student member, both with vote. Members without vote shall include the College representatives to the University Curriculum Committee, the University Committee on Academic Policy, the Dean, a representative of the College Graduate Committee, and whichever Assistant and Associate Deans carry responsibility in undergraduate academic matters.
3.4.4.1.2 The two student members shall be elected to one-year terms each Spring by the Dean's Student Advisory Council, according to its own procedures, from undergraduate and graduate students who have declared majors or major preferences in the College.
3.4.4.1.3 Student vacancies for uncompleted terms shall be filled by the Dean's Student Advisory Council.
3.4.4.2 Functions.
3.4.4.2.1 The Curriculum Committee shall deal with undergraduate and graduate curricular matters. Any business coming before the Curriculum Committee related to graduate curricular matters is to be discussed jointly with the College Graduate Committee.
3.4.4.2.2 The Curriculum Committee shall have delegated authority to consider curricular changes and proposals for development of new programs.
3.4.4.2.3 The Committee shall work with College administrators in an advisory capacity on matters of curriculum within the College.
3.4.4.2.4 The Committee shall act as a study group on problems presented to it by the faculty and shall have shared responsibility with the Dean to present to the College faculty or to the College Faculty Advisory Council any curricular matters deemed appropriate for their discussion or action.
3.4.4.2.5 The Committee shall function as an advisory body in the area of educational policies and shall examine the broad educational issues affecting the College. Specifically, the Committee shall examine and evaluate policies relating to subject matter, methods of instruction, academic advising, graduation requirements, and curriculum revision. The Committee shall periodically review the curricular policies of the College.
3.4.4.3 Procedures.
3.4.4.3.1 The Committee shall devise its own operating rules, consistent with University Curriculum Committee policy and procedures.
3.4.4.3.2 The Committee shall meet as often as required but not less than once each semester, exclusive of the summer sessions.
3.4.5 College Graduate Committee.
3.4.5.1 Composition and Election.
3.4.5.1.1 In addition to the three elected faculty representatives, the College Graduate Committee membership shall include two graduate student members with vote. Members without vote shall include the College Faculty members of the University Graduate Council, the Dean, and whichever Assistant and Associate Deans carry responsibility in graduate academic matters.
3.4.5.1.2 The two student members shall be elected to one-year terms each Fall by the Dean's Student Advisory Council, according to its own procedures, from graduate degree candidates in the College.
3.4.5.1.3 Student vacancies for uncompleted terms shall be filled by the Dean's Student Advisory Council.
3.4.5.2 Functions.
3.4.5.2.1 The Graduate Committee shall serve as the coordinating committee for the Graduate programs of the College.
3.4.5.2.2 The Graduate Committee shall have shared responsibility with the Dean on matters concerning graduate programs.
3.4.5.2.3 The Graduate Committee shall review and discuss jointly with the College Curriculum Committee all matters which deal with the graduate curriculum of the College.
3.4.5.2.4 The Graduate Committee shall serve as a formal channel of communication on matters involving the graduate programs and research activities in the College that may be received from individuals, department chairpersons, or department faculty members.
3.4.5.2.5 The Graduate Committee shall have delegated authority to screen and assign fellowships which may become available to candidates from the College.
3.4.5.3 Procedures.
3.4.5.3.1 The Committee shall devise its own operating rules.
3.4.5.3.2 The Committee shall meet as often as required to perform its function, but at least once each semester, excluding summer sessions.
3.4.6 College Promotion and Tenure Committee.
3.4.6.1 The Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee membership shall include the three faculty described in Section 3.4.2 plus one additional faculty member to be elected for a one-year term by the College Faculty Advisory Council from a list of nominees submitted by the Academic units of the College. All members shall have the rank of Professor.
3.4.6.2 The Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee shall have shared responsibility with the Dean in making recommendations regarding promotion and tenure of faculty appointed in the College of Natural Science.
3.4.6.3 The Faculty Promotion and Tenure Committee shall meet when necessary for tenure and promotion considerations. The Committee shall devise its own operating rules consistent with the section on College-level Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion Committees in the Faculty Handbook.
3.4.7 College Scholarships and Awards Committee
3.4.7.1 Composition and Election
3.4.7.1.1 In addition to three faculty described in section 3.4.2, the College Scholarships and Awards Committee membership shall include one undergraduate student and one graduate student, both with vote. The Assistant or Associate Deans responsible for academic matters will be members without vote.
3.4.7.1.2 The two student members shall be elected to one- year terms each Spring, by the Dean's Student Advisory Council, according to its own procedures, from undergraduate and graduate students who have declared majors or major preferences in the College.
3.4.7.1.3 Student vacancies for uncompleted terms shall be filled by the Dean's Student Advisory Council.
3.4.7.2 Functions
3.4.7.2.1 The Scholarships and Awards Committee shall have responsibility for developing or implementing the selection procedures for all endowed scholarships and awards which are selected at the College level, as defined by the guidelines of the scholarship or award.
3.4.7.2.2 The Committee shall have the responsibility for selecting the endowed award winners as defined by the guidelines of the scholarship or award.
3.4.7.2.3 The Committee shall work with College administrators in determining the selection procedures for other college-level awards.
3.4.7.2.4 The Committee shall meet when necessary for scholarship and award considerations. The Committee shall devise its own operating rules.
3.4.8 The College Standing Committees shall report to the College Faculty Advisory Council at least once a year. The College Standing Committees will provide written reports at the end of the academic year and make an oral presentation to the FAC the next Fall. These reports will be made available to the Chairs/Directors in the College of Natural Science.
3.5 Special Committees
3.5.1 Special committees may be established by the Dean, by the College Advisory Council(s), or by a majority vote of the College faculty present and voting at a duly called College Faculty meeting.
4.0 Interpretation, Amendment, and Review
4.1 The interpretation of these Bylaws shall be the responsibility of the College Faculty Advisory Council, which shall have final authority on interpretation.
4.2 Amendments to these Bylaws can be made by the following process:
4.2.1 The College Faculty Advisory Council will initiate an amendment and bring the proposed amendment to a College faculty meeting.
4.2.2 After discussion of the proposed amendment, the College faculty can by majority vote choose to do one (only) of the following (3) alternatives:
4.2.2.1 Vote down the amendment.
4.2.2.2 Send the amendment back to the College Faculty Advisory Council.
4.2.2.3 Submit the amendment to the voting College faculty at large (as defined in 1.2) for a mail vote. A yea by the majority of the respondents to the mail vote will be an approval of the amendment and the amendment will be enforced.
4.3 These Bylaws shall be reviewed by the College Advisory Councils at intervals not to exceed five years and by the University Committee on Academic Governance at its discretion. Decisions of the University Committee on Academic Governance can be appealed to Academic Council.
4.4 These Bylaws replace the Bylaws of the College of Natural Science as amended July 1982
5.0 Grievance Procedure
5.1 Any College of Natural Science faculty member with the rank of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, lecturer, instructor, assistant instructor, research associate, specialist or librarian may initiate a grievance procedure, alleging violation of existing policies or established practices by an administrator, by filing a complaint with Faculty Grievance Officer (FGO) pursuant to the procedures set forth in the Faculty Grievance Procedures as published in the Michigan State University Faculty Handbook. If a hearing, under the faculty grievance procedure (FGP), is required at the college level the model academic unit grievance procedure (approved by the University Committee on Faculty Affairs, 4/30/91) shall be used.
5.2 In addition to, or instead of, the pursuit of the formal grievance procedure, the grievant and the respondent, by mutual consent, may request the Dean of the College of Natural Science to pursue options and procedures leading to the informal resolution of the grievance.
APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 6-10-88
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 5-31-89
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 5-7-92
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 4-15-93
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 4-21-94
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 5-14-96
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 4-25-97
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 3-30-99
REVISIONS APPROVED BY COLLEGE FACULTY 5-10-06