Download a pdf copy of the college bylaws [1].
These bylaws are created for the College of Communication and Information [hereinafter referred to as the "College]."
Communication between the Faculty and the College administration should be open and clear to insure maximum Faculty participation in administrative affairs. This includes Faculty approval of the creation of academic programs or the elimination of existing academic programs with curricular matters not being mandated solely by budgetary decisions. The Faculty should also participate in establishing long-range goals and strategies, and should be consulted in the selection and retention of administrative officers of the College including the Dean, Associate Dean(s), and Directors.
While the nature, extent, and particular form of Faculty participation in academic affairs may differ among Schools, the Faculty is responsible for decisions on curriculum and degree programs and requirements. The Faculty provides advice on (a) decisions regarding the hiring of new Faculty members, including the choice of new Directors; and (b) consideration of tenure and promotion of Faculty members. Each School shall develop bylaws regulating decisions on curriculum, degree programs and requirements, the hiring of new personnel, and the tenure and promotion of Faculty members.
College Bylaws, particularly when dealing with the responsibilities and authority of administrators and Faculty, shall reflect the policies and procedures found in the current Faculty Handbook and other official documents stating University of Tennessee policies. Nothing in these bylaws shall abridge the respective powers and prerogatives residing in the University Faculty or the University Administration.
The College Bylaws precede those of the Schools. Schools may not enact bylaws that conflict with those of the College.
Faculty members shall decide on matters of concern to their School, especially in curricular and Faculty affairs. College oversight of School decisions shall be limited to matters that directly impact another School or the College as a whole.
All persons holding appointment in the College at the rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, or professor are voting members. Administrators with academic rank are voting members.
An individual formally associated with the College may be admitted into membership upon a two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire membership after that request has been included in the meeting agenda. Such membership shall be limited to one academic year. The new member may not vote until the meeting following admission to voting membership.
With the exception of meetings of the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Administrative Committee, and the Dean's Advisory Council, individuals with an interest in College affairs may attend College committee meetings.
At the discretion of the presiding officer, and with the consent of the voting members, non-voting members may be granted the floor to address a matter about which they have particular knowledge or experience. The decision of the presiding officer to allow a non-voting member to speak may be appealed by a voting member and overturned by a majority of voting members.
The Dean shall call and conduct at least two regular meetings each year with one in the fall term and the other in the spring term. In addition to the meetings specified above, the College may also meet at the call of the Dean or upon request of fifteen percent of the membership or upon the formal request of the majority of members of a standing committee. A meeting must be held within ten working days of such a formal request.
a. Agenda Distribution
The Dean shall distribute to all members an agenda five working days in advance of a scheduled College meeting. Meetings shall be announced publicly to comply with open meeting requirements.
b. Quorum
A majority of the voting membership constitutes a quorum.
c. Conduct of Meetings
The Dean shall preside at College meetings. If the Dean will be absent, she/he shall appoint a substitute to conduct the meeting. The Dean shall appoint a Parliamentarian to provide advice upon proper procedure. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the College in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the College may adopt.
d. Voting
Voting shall be by voice or hand, unless a secret ballot is requested by a majority of the members present.
e. Reporting
The Dean shall appoint a recording secretary to record discussion and action taken at the meeting. These minutes shall be distributed to members no later than five working days after the meeting.
The College recognizes these units:
The chief executive and academic officer of the College is the Dean. The Dean serves at the pleasure of the Chancellor and is appointed following established University policies and procedures. College Faculty, professional staff, and students have an advisory role in selecting the Dean.
Administrative and Professional staff shall be appointed by the Dean of the College and shall serve at his/her pleasure within the guidelines of University rules, policies, and procedures. The Dean may appoint an Associate Dean(s) as the need arises and he/she shall serve under the same conditions as other administrative staff. In preparation for such an appointment, each Faculty member of the College shall be surveyed anonymously for comment.
The chief executive and academic officer of a School shall be the Director. School Directors are appointed for a renewable five-year term and serve at the will of the Dean and the Chancellor. In preparation for such an appointment, each Faculty member of the School shall be surveyed anonymously for comment.
The Dean evaluates School Directors each year following the procedures in the Faculty Handbook. College Faculty participates in the appointment and review process following the procedures in the Faculty handbook.
Professional staff members within the Schools are appointed without a definite term and serve at the pleasure of the Director. The Director evaluates professional staff each year. In preparation for this evaluation, the School Director solicits anonymous written comment from each Faculty member of the School.
The purpose of the College-wide standing committees is to identify and solve problems of interest to the College as a whole. Committees within each School should deal with matters of particular importance to that School.
Advisory councils provide the Dean with advice on a variety of topics important to the College. While advice is sought and valued, the Dean alone has the authority to make decisions for the College in matters other than the curriculum. The Board of Visitors, the Dean's Advisory Council, and the Administrative Committee are continuing advisory councils. The Dean may create other councils as needed.
Other working groups within the College are formed to meet specific purposes either as detailed in these bylaws or in the charges to those groups as they are formed.
Unless otherwise specified, voting membership in all committees of the College shall be limited to Faculty members as defined in section IV.A.1. However, voting members of the committee may choose to invite contingent Faculty, staff and/or students to join the committee and may assign voting privileges to those members as appropriate. Unless otherwise specified, committee members shall elect the chair of the committee.
Unless otherwise noted, the general principles for College meetings outlined in section IV.B apply to meetings of working groups of the College.
The duties and responsibilities assigned to the Dean for College meetings shall be assigned to chairs of working groups of the College unless otherwise specified
Working groups should follow procedures noted in section IV.B for distribution of agendas and minutes of meetings. In addition, a report summarizing the activities of each working group shall be presented to the College at the end of each academic year unless the minutes and/or year-end report contain confidential personnel matters.
a. Purpose and Duties
The Faculty Affairs Committee shall consider and make recommendations on issues of particular concern to the Faculty such as evaluation of Faculty performance, and workload issues. The charge is to 1) consider requests for tenure and promotion; and 2) review policies and procedures to insure that the College Faculty is treated in an equitable and professional manner.
When a Faculty member requests tenure and/or promotion consideration, the Faculty Affairs Committee shall review recommendations by School tenure/promotion committees. Following the language in the Faculty Evaluation Manual, the committee brings "broader Faculty and administrative judgments to bear and also monitors general standards of quality, equity, and adequacy of procedures used."
b. Term
Two tenured Faculty members elected by the Faculty in each School shall serve a two-year term staggered within the unit.
a. Purpose and Duties
The Graduate Studies Committee considers the policies and procedures associated with graduate students, including recruitment, quality of life issues, and curriculum. In addition, the Committee shall consider how to better involve students in College and School academic research initiatives. Finally, the Committee shall consider action to make College research more visible in the external environment. The charge is to 1) review graduate student policies and procedures; 2) review the graduate curriculum where there is College-wide impact and advise the College; 3) develop and coordinate interdisciplinary programs, 4) review recruitment strategies and materials, 5) review doctoral student applications and progress in the degree, 6) suggest member(s) to represent the College on the Graduate Council, and 7) consider and advise the Dean on graduate student grievances.
b. Term
One tenured or tenure-leading Faculty member elected by the Faculty in each School shall serve staggered two-year terms. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs is an ex-officio member of this committee.
a. Purpose and Duties
The Technology Committee shall deal with strategic planning for the acquisition and maintenance of information and instructional technology. In addition, policies and procedures for acceptable use of College informational and instructional technology resources shall be considered. The charge is to 1) participate in the strategic planning process; 2) ensure that the College acquires and implements the information and instructional technology needed to ensure that graduates are well prepared for current and future practice; 3) provide technology necessary for Faculty to be productive teachers and researchers; and 4) provide the technology necessary for administrative and professional staff to be effective and efficient.
b. Term
One tenured or tenure-leading Faculty member elected by the Faculty in each School shall serve one-year terms. The Director of Technology is an ex-officio member of this committee.
a. Purpose
The Undergraduate Studies Committee focuses on the several policies and procedures associated with the undergraduate minors and majors, including recruitment, quality of life issues, and curriculum. The charge is to 1) review curricular matters where there is College-wide impact and advise the College; 2) develop and coordinate interdisciplinary programs; 3) suggest member(s) to represent the College on the Undergraduate Council, and 4) review recruitment strategies and materials, relevant academic policies, and undergraduate student grievances.
b. Term
One tenured or tenure-leading Faculty member elected by the Faculty in each School shall serve staggered two-year terms. The Associate Dean for Academic Programs and the Director of the Center for Undergraduate Studies and Advising are ex-officio members of this committee.
a. Purpose and Duties
The DRC, as part of the University of Tennessee human subjects review process, will initially review all research involving human participants initiated by faculty, staff, and students in the College of Communication and Information for compliance with legal, regulatory, and ethical provisions for the protection of research participants' rights. Applicable ethical standards include principles of the Belmont Report and codes of professional ethics governing the disciplines involved.
b. Term
One tenured or tenure-leading Faculty member elected by the Faculty in each School shall serve staggered two-year terms. If possible, the college representative to the University Institutional Review Board should be an elected member of this committee.
a. Purpose and Duties
The Research Advisory Committee promotes and facilitates College-wide research activities. The charge is to: 1) assist with planning and execution of the College annual research symposium; 2) function as a "think tank" that focuses on ways to foster new research activity; and 3) provide faculty input into the operations of the Center for Information and Communication Studies.
b. Term
Two tenured or tenure-leading Faculty members elected by the Faculty in each School shall serve a two-year term staggered within the unit. A doctoral student member will be appointed to a one-year term by the Associate Dean for Academic Programs. At least one staff member of the Center for Information and Communication Studies will be an ex-officio member of this committee.
a. Purpose and Duties
The Administrative Committee provides the Dean with candid advice and counsel on a broad range of concerns relating to the management of the College.
b. Members
The Council shall consist of the Dean, the Associate Dean(s) and Directors. If a Director is unable to attend, a proxy may represent the unit. Other members of the College shall participate as the Dean requests.
c. Meetings
The Council shall meet at least once each month except during the summer term. Additional meetings may be called by the Dean or by two of the members.
a. Purpose and Duties
The Board assists development of the College by identifying and helping to secure external funding. The Board is an advocate on the College's behalf, and identifies trends and developments within the communication and the information communities likely to impact professional training and scholarly activity.
b. Members
The members are nominated by Directors in consultation with their Faculty members to equitably represent the various constituencies of the College. Final approval rests with the Dean.
c. Meeting
The Board meets at least once each year. Additional meetings may be called by the Dean or by fifteen percent of the Board members. The Dean shall provide members and the Faculty with an agenda and appropriate documents at least three weeks before the meeting. Meetings are open to College Faculty and staff unless the Dean has previously advised that the meeting shall be closed and provides a rationale. However, only Board members may vote.
d. Term
The members serve a three-year term. The term may be renewed if the School nominates the person again and is approved by the Dean. Terms shall be staggered to insure continuity.
a. Purpose and Duties
The purpose of the Advisory Council is to provide the Dean with candid advice and counsel on a broad range of Faculty and professional staff concerns.
b. Members
Each School shall elect one tenured or tenure-leading Faculty representative to serve on this Council. The Dean shall appoint one member each to represent exempt and non-exempt staff as well as contingent Faculty. The members shall then elect a chair. Elections shall be held in the spring for those who shall serve in the following academic year.
c. Term
The members serve a one-year term.
To provide an opportunity to collaborate in the study of intellectual concerns and topics of interest to Faculty in the College as a whole, interest groups may be created where Faculty interest is demonstrated. Such groups may consider research, teaching, and public service related to particular topical concerns.
Interest groups are open to anyone in the College or affiliated units who share research, teaching, and public service activities in the area of intellectual concern around which the group is formed.
Interest groups may exist as long as they are active. Members serve on their own initiative.
Ad-hoc committees consider important matters beyond the scope of a College standing committee or that need to be addressed by two or more College standing committees.
The Dean may create ad hoc committees on her/his initiative, upon request from Faculty and Directors, or as required by motions passed at a College Faculty meeting. Faculty and students may ask to serve. The Dean shall make the final decision.
These committees meet until their charge is completed.
University-wide committees and councils provide an opportunity for College Faculty to participate in and influence the creation of policies and procedures for the Knoxville campus and the University system.
Anticipated vacancies on University committees and councils where the College has representatives shall be announced to College Faculty according to the schedule of that committee or council.
The College shall follow University committee and council guidelines or procedures in selecting members to serve. In some cases, the chair of that committee or council or a selection committee shall appoint members. In some cases, the Dean shall appoint the member. In other cases, College Faculty shall elect members. In this case, candidates may be nominated, with the approval of the candidate, and elected by the Faculty at a College Faculty meeting or via ballots distributed to Faculty and returned to an appropriate person for counting.
Members of University committees and councils shall report to the College within ten working days after each meeting. If there is more than one College representative, one should report. The representative shall also be available to respond to questions and comments at the following College Faculty meeting.
The bylaws of the College may be amended by a two-thirds vote at any scheduled meeting. At least five working days prior to the scheduled meeting, all College Faculty members must receive notice of an intention to amend, proposed amendments, and an agenda that provides opportunity for discussion and voting on proposed amendments.
Once an amendment has passed, the revised bylaws shall be available on the College website. In addition, a hard copy of the current bylaws shall be available in the College office and in each School office.
Amended September 14, 2007
Links:
[1] http://www.cci.utk.edu/files/bylaws07.pdf