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MEDICAL CENTER
FACULTY
ORGANIZATION PLAN
The George Washington University
Washington, D.C.
Adopted March 14, 1977
As amended 1979-80; April 1983; January 1, 1984; October 5, 1988;
March 27, 1991; May 6, 1992; November 3, 1993; May 3, 1995; May 1, 1996;
September 16, 1998; February 6, 2002; May 1, 2002;
April 18, 2005; December 15, 2006; March 5, 2007
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
FACULTY ORGANIZATION PLAN
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE I. PURPOSE
AND POWER
SECTION 1. OBJECTIVE
These principles and procedures for faculty governance define the role
of the faculty as a whole in the academic community of The George Washington
University Medical Center. These principles recognize the central role
of the partnership between faculty and administration in this community
and, further, they clarify the special responsibilities of the faculty
within this partnership. These procedures codify the faculty's primary
responsibility in curriculum design and evaluation, the support of faculty
and student research, the granting of degrees, the appointment, promotion,
and granting of tenure to members of the faculty, and the maintenance
of the system of faculty governance itself through an equitable electoral
process. These procedures are designed to encourage cooperation between
faculty and administration in the allocation of Medical Center physical
and financial resources and provide for regular reports to the faculty,
by administration, on a broad range of issues which concern them.
SECTION 2. STRUCTURE AND POWER
The Medical Center Faculty Organization shall consist of two bodies:
the Medical Center Faculty Assembly which shall consist of all faculty
members in full-time, voluntary, or research classes of active-status
service in the grades specified in Article II, Section I; and a Medical
Center Faculty Senate which shall be an elected representative body acting
for the Faculty as a whole in legislative and advisory capacities. The
powers, duties and privileges of the Assembly and Senate shall be exercised
in accordance with the Charter of the University and subject to the authority
of the Board of Trustees and shall relate to matters which are of concern
to more than one academic department of the Medical Center or to the Faculty
as a whole.
ARTICLE II. THE MEDICAL CENTER
FACULTY ASSEMBLY
SECTION 1. MEMBERSHIP
The voting membership of the Faculty Assembly shall consist of all faculty
members in the following grades of academic service:
- Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, Instructor.
- Clinical Professor, Professorial Lecturer, Associate Clinical Professor,
Associate Professorial Lecturer, Assistant Clinical Professor, Clinical
Instructor, Lecturer, Special Lecturer, Adjunct Professor, Adjunct Associate
Professor, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Adjunct Instructor.
- Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, Assistant Research
Professor, Research Instructor.
In addition, such members of the Administrative Board as might not otherwise
be qualified for membership shall be members of the Faculty Assembly.
SECTION 2. OFFICERS
The Vice President for Health Affairs shall be Chair of the Assembly;
the Chair of the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall be Vice
Chair; the position of Secretary shall alternate between the Deans of
the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School of Public Health
and Health Services on an annual basis. The Dean to serve first as Secretary
shall be determined by lot.
SECTION 3. MEETINGS
- A regular meeting of the Assembly shall be held in the months of
September and March of each year.
The agenda shall be prepared by the Chair and shall include any matter
requested by the Senate or the Executive Committee or by petition of
twenty-five or more members of the Assembly.
The call for the meeting shall include the time, place and agenda of
the meeting and shall be circulated to the membership no later than
the tenth day preceding the meeting.
- A special meeting of the Assembly may be called by the Vice President
for Health Affairs, by the Deans of the School of Medicine and Health
Sciences or the School of Public Health and Health Services, by the
Chair of the Executive Committee of the Senate, or by any of these at
the request of twenty-five or more members of the Assembly, for any
time and place, giving as much notice as circumstances permit.
The agenda for the special meeting shall be prepared by the person calling
the meeting in consultation with the Executive Committee of the Medical
Center Faculty Senate.
- A quorum for any meeting shall consist of 100 members.
- The Assembly shall act by the affirmative vote of a simple majority
of members present and voting unless the action proposed be an adverse
review of a decision of the Medical Center Faculty Senate in which case
the affirmative vote of two-thirds of members present and voting shall
be required.
- The Bylaws of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly shall be subject
to confirmation and amendment by the Assembly.
SECTION 4. FUNCTIONS
The functions of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly shall be to:
- Receive information from the Vice President for Health Affairs and
such members of the Administration as they may designate on matters
of faculty interest or concern.
- Elect from among its members a Faculty Senate to function on its
behalf in the exercise of faculty prerogatives.
- Receive reports from the Medical Center Faculty Senate as to the
actions it has taken and the activities of faculty committees. The Assembly
shall have the power to direct the Senate to take appropriate action
with respect to any matter of concern to the Faculty. The Assembly shall
have the power to review any action taken by the Senate and on the basis
of such review take action as may be deemed appropriate by the Assembly.
- Act as a referendum body on questions referred to it for that purpose
by the Senate or the Administration.
ARTICLE
III. THE MEDICAL CENTER FACULTY SENATE
SECTION 1. FUNCTIONS
The Medical Center Faculty Senate shall be the agency acting on the behalf
of the Medical Center Faculty in the exercise of their prerogatives as
specified in the Charter of the University, the Faculty Code and the Faculty
Organization Plan. Its functions shall be:
- To formulate principles and objectives and find facts, so as to recommend
policies to the Vice President for Health Affairs.
- At the direction of the Assembly, at the request of a member of the
faculty, group of faculty, or the Vice President for Health Affairs,
or on its own initiative, to consider any matters of interest or concern
to the faculty and make its recommendations or otherwise express its
opinion with respect thereto to the Medical Center Faculty Assembly,
the Vice President for Health Affairs, or through him/her to the President
and Board of Trustees.
- To be the faculty agency to which the Vice President for Health Affairs
and/or members of the Administration should initially present information
and with which they consult on matters of concern to the faculty.
- To establish and appoint standing or ad hoc committees to
study and make reports on any matters of concern to the faculty.
- To be the agency for fulfillment of faculty responsibilities with
respect to appointments of the Vice President for Health Affairs, Deans,
Associate Deans, Assistant Deans and similarly functioning administrative
offices and department chairs (in line with the GWU "Procedures for
the Implementation of the Faculty Code," Sec. C, Items 1,2,3,4, and
5).
- To be the agency for initial mediation on issues of academic freedom
and ethics (in compliance with Paragraph 2. (a) of Section E. of the
"Procedures for the Implementation of the Faculty Code" of the George
Washington University).
- To receive reports from the Administration of the Medical Center
on the execution of academic policies and proposals.
- To receive reports from all faculty committees for review and consideration
and onward transmission.
- To report on a regular basis to the Faculty Assembly as to decisions
made and actions taken on its behalf
SECTION 2. ORGANIZATION
A. Membership
1. The Vice President for Health Affairs shall be a member of the Faculty
Senate ex officio and he/she or any other presiding officer may
vote to break a tie as provided for in Senate Bylaws 6(c).
2. All members of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly, save those
holding academic administrative appointments in the rank of Dean,
Associate Dean or Assistant Dean, shall be eligible for election to
the Medical Center Faculty Senate.
3. Faculty membership of the Senate shall be in two categories: (a)
departmental members; and (b) at-large members.
(a) Departmental Membership
In this category, Senate seats shall be apportioned according to department
size determined by the number of active status faculty in the following
grades of academic appointment: Regular with the rank of Instructor,
Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor; and Research,
with the rank of Associate Professor or Research Professor, and Assistant
Research Professor with two or more years of University Service. The
faculty defined herein are eligible for election to the Senate as departmental
representatives. Each faculty member has one vote which represents the
Department in which he/she holds his/her primary appointment.
(i) Each department having five or more faculty members as defined
in 3(a) shall be an independent constituency for the election of Senate
members. Those departments having fewer than five full-time faculty
members shall be grouped by school to form a single constituency for
each school for the election of Senate members.
(ii) Within the departmental constituencies, all faculty members as
defined in 3(a) shall be eligible to vote and serve as members of the
Senate.
(iii) Within the departmental constituencies, Senate seats shall
be distributed as follows:
Departments having five or more faculty members as defined in 3(a)
but less than twenty to elect one Senate member.
Departments having twenty or more faculty members as defined in 3(a)
but less than fifty to elect two Senate members.
Departments having fifty or more faculty members as defined in 3(a)
to elect three Senate members.
The grouped departmental constituency referred to in paragraph (i)
above to elect the same number of Senate members (but not less than
one) as a department of comparable size.
(b) At-Large Faculty Senate Seats
At-large Senate seats shall consist of four seats elected from and
by voluntary faculty and the fifteen elected members of the Executive Committee
as delineated in Section 3c, (i- v).(c)
The Faculty Senate Executive Committee The Faculty Senate
Executive Committee shall consist of:
(i) four faculty members elected from and by the faculty in the basic science
departments in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences; (ii)
four faculty members elected from and by the faculty in the departments
in the School of Public Health and Health Services;
(iii) four faculty members elected from and by the faculty in clinical
departments in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences;
(iv) one faculty member elected from and by the faculty of the health
sciences programs in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and
(v) two faculty members elected from and by the voluntary faculty; one
each from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and from the School
of Public Health and Health Services. 4. Senate members consisting
of both departmental and at-large representatives shall form the voting
membership of the Senate.
5. In addition to members elected from constituencies as defined above,
the Senate shall have ex officio membership (without vote) consisting
of:(a) The Vice President for Health Affairs; the Dean of the School
of Medicine and Health Sciences and the Dean of the School of Public Health
and Health Services;
(b) A representative from each of the student bodies (School of Medicine
and Health Sciences; School of Public Health and Health Services; Health
Sciences programs; and graduate students) elected by the students from
each of these constituencies;
(c) A representative of the house staff elected by the house staff organization;
(d) The President of the Alumni Association for the School of Medicine and
Health Sciences, and the President of the Alumni Association for the School
of Public Health and Health Services, or their designees. B.
Officers
The Vice President for Health Affairs shall preside at meetings of the
Senate; in his/her absence the presiding officer shall be, in order, the
Chair and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Medical Center
Faculty Senate; in their absence, the Senate membership shall elect a
presiding officer pro tem. The Dean (either the Dean of the School
of Medicine and Health Sciences or the Dean of the School of Public Health
and Health Services, who shall serve on an annual basis, the Dean first
to serve to be determined by lot) shall be the Secretary of the Senate.
The Rules of Procedure of the Senate may provide for other officers.
C. Terms of Office The term of office
for faculty members of the Senate shall be three years beginning July 1,
save that in the first election following the adoption of these amendments,
members shall serve a period of one, two, or three years to be decided by
lot as to provide for the annual election of one-third of the faculty members
of the Senate. SECTION
3. ELECTION OF SENATE FACULTY MEMBERS
The election of faculty members of the Senate shall be held subject to
the following general requirements:
1. The Senate shall establish a Standing Committee on Elections consisting
of: in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, three representatives
of the full-time service faculty of the basic science departments, three
representatives of the full-time service faculty of the clinical departments,
one representative of the full-time service faculty of the health sciences
programs, and one representative of the voluntary faculty; in the School
of Public Health and Health Services, three representatives of the full-time
service faculty of the departments in the School, and one representative
of the voluntary faculty, which shall:
(a) Receive nominations from the constituencies identified in Sections
2.A.3.a and 2.A.3.b of this Article;
(b) Ensure that there are at least two nominations for each Senate
vacancy;
(c) Assist the departmental constituencies of Section 2.A.3.a in the
conduct of their own elections;
(d) Report the results of the departmental elections to the Assembly;
(e) Assist the constituencies of the Assembly in the elections of the
Executive Committee and the other at-large Senate members;
(f) Report the results of the at-large elections to the Assembly.2.
The constituencies listed in Sections 2.A.3.a and 2.A.3.b in this article
shall devise their own procedures for the nomination of candidates for
Senate membership.
3. Voting shall be by secret ballot and other procedures (e.g., mail
or electronic ballot) as will ensure the widest participation possible.
4. Election of the Executive Committee and other at-large members of
the Senate shall be held in February of each year. Elections for departmental
members of the Senate shall be held as soon as practicable after the results
of the Executive Committee elections have been transmitted to the members
of the Assembly.
5. In the event that a vacancy occurs in the Senate membership or a member
is unable to serve for a period which would include three consecutive
regular meetings of the Senate, or of the Executive Committee, the constituency
involved shall be entitled to elect a representative for either the remainder
of the term or for a lesser period pro tempore.
SECTION 4. MEETINGS
1. Regular meetings of the Senate shall be held in September, November,
February, and May.
2. Special meetings may be called by the Vice President for Health Affairs,
or by the Chair of the Executive Committee, or upon request of the Assembly,
or by the petition of ten elected members of the Senate.
3. A quorum shall consist of the next whole number greater than half
of the elected faculty members of the Senate.
4. The agenda for any regular meeting of the Senate shall be prepared
by the Executive Committee of the Senate in consultation with the Vice
President for Health Affairs. The agenda shall be circulated by the Secretary
to all members of the Assembly and to all members of the Administration
prior to the date set for the meeting. In the case of special meetings
of the Senate, the agenda shall be circulated with the call of the meeting
providing as much notice as is practicable. If, at any regular meeting,
any item of business is deemed sufficiently urgent by a majority of the
elected faculty members of the Senate or by two-thirds of the members
present and voting, whichever is greater, action may be taken with regard
thereto by the Medical Center Faculty Senate without its previous inclusion
in the agenda.
5. A summary of the minutes of each meeting of the Senate shall be furnished
by the Secretary to all members of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly
and to such administrative officers and other members of the Medical Center
as may be designated by the Vice President for Health Affairs or by the
Senate. A copy of the full minutes of each meeting shall be distributed
to each member of the Senate and shall be made available upon request
to any member of the Faculty Assembly.
6. Except as otherwise provided or required by the Assembly, the Senate
may adopt such rules governing its operations and procedures as it may
deem appropriate.
SECTION 5. COMMITTEES
A. General
There will be three kinds of Senate Committees: the Executive Committee,
Standing Committees, and Special Committees. The Executive Committee and
all Standing Committees shall meet as directed by the Senate or as determined
by the Committees themselves or by their Chairs, but in no case less often
than once a year. Committee meetings shall be conducted according to orderly
procedure, records of deliberations shall be kept and reports made to
the Senate as often as required but not less than annually. Copies of
reports shall be filed with the Secretary and shall be available to members
of the Assembly and administrative officers of the Medical Center.
Faculty members of all committees (including the Executive Committee)
shall be elected or appointed for a three year term, except that in the
year following the adoption of these amendments, terms of faculty members
shall be for one, two, or three years, determined by lot, to allow for the
annual election or appointment of one-third. No elected member may serve
more than two consecutive terms on any standing committee or the Executive
Committee.
The Senate shall establish such procedures for temporary replacements
of members of the Executive Committee as shall seem necessary to assure
that the Executive Committee not be prevented from acting in emergencies
because of inability to assemble a quorum. B.
The Executive Committee 1. Membership
The Executive Committee shall consist of 15 faculty members
of the Assembly elected in accordance with Article III, Section 2.A.3.(b),
the Deans of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and of the School
of Public Health and Health Services, ex officio (without vote) and
the Vice President for Health Affairs ex officio (without vote).
The composition of the membership of the Executive Committee has already
been described in Article III, Section 2.A.3(c). Any regular faculty member
of the Executive Committee shall be eligible for election by the Executive
Committee as its Chair and Vice Chair. Membership of the Executive Committee
shall be subject to the restriction that no two members shall have been
elected to the Executive Committee by the same department. The positions
of Chair and Vice Chair shall always be split between representatives of
the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School of Public Health
and Health Services, and the position of Chair shall regularly rotate between
representatives of the two Schools. The term of office of the Chair and
Vice Chair shall be one year, with the Chair and Vice Chair eligible for
re-election to a second term.
2. Functions (a) The
Executive Committee shall be the initial and primary interface between the
Faculty and the Administration for the discussion of all matters of interest
and concern to the faculty. (b) The Executive Committee
shall act on behalf of the Senate in those matters requiring immediate action
when it is not feasible to call a special meeting of the Senate. Any such
action on the part of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the Senate
at its next meeting. (c) The Executive Committee shall
serve as a budget and long-range planning advisory committee in working
with the Administration to develop short and longer term budget and planning
strategies and priorities; it shall receive the annual Medical Center budget
for review at the time of its submission to the Board of Trustees. (d)
The Executive Committee may review existing or proposed policies put forward
by the Administration that affect the Faculty and may, as part of its review,
request information and data from members of the Administration. (e)
The Executive Committee shall act as a Conference Committee representing
the Senate in discussions at joint conference sessions with similar committees
derived from other Medical Center organizational units; e.g., the Executive
Committee of the Hospital or the Medical Faculty Associates. (f)
The Executive Committee shall serve as the Committee on Committees for the
Senate and in that capacity shall nominate a slate of faculty members, including
a chair, for each standing and special committee. Individual faculty members
of the Senate shall have the right to make additional nominations by petition
to the Executive Committee prior to the election meeting, or from the floor
at such meeting. The Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate shall determine
the size and composition of committees where this is not defined by Bylaws,
and in any event shall recognize in its process experience, interest, record
of service, and especially the need for continuity. (g)
In consultation with the Vice President for Health Affairs, the Executive
Committee shall arrange the agenda for meetings of the Medical Center Faculty
Senate and serve as the channel by which any member of the Assembly may
introduce matters for consideration of the Senate. (h)
The Executive Committee shall assist in carrying into effect the actions
of the Assembly and of the Senate and make regular progress reports with
respect thereto to the Senate. (i) The Executive Committee
shall prepare and submit reports on the work of the Senate and on any other
matter directed by the Senate, to the Assembly and to the Vice President
for Health Affairs. An annual report covering the work of the Senate for
the entire academic year shall be prepared and distributed to all members
of the Assembly. (j) The Executive Committee shall receive
reports prepared by any department or other faculty group which may be of
concern or interest to any other department or faculty group, and arrange
for the appropriate distribution of such reports. (k) The
Executive Committee shall assign specific matters for study to the appropriate
standing or special committees of the Senate and receive reports thereon.
3. Meetings
Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at
least once each month throughout the year. Special meetings may be called
by the Chair or on request by the Vice President for Health Affairs, three
members of the Executive Committee, or ten members of the Senate. Minutes
of all meetings shall be kept and distributed to the Senate as soon thereafter
as is practicable.C. Standing and
Special Committees
1. The committees of the Senate shall have power to inquire, hear, deliberate,
advise, assist and administer, and to receive and propose resolutions
regarding all matters within the functions of the Senate set out in Section
1 of this Article. 2. The name, membership, duties and
jurisdiction of each standing committee of the Senate shall be set down
in the Senate Bylaws. Special committees may be established by the Senate,
and subcommittees may be established by the Senate or by its committees.
3. The following general principles shall apply to all
standing and special committees of the Senate:
(a) The committees may consist of elected members of the Assembly, members
of the Administration ex officio, representatives of student
and other interest groups, and individuals appointed by the Vice President
for Health Affairs or by the Deans of the School of Medicine and Health
Sciences and of the School of Public Health and Health Services. (b)
While the chair of each standing committee shall normally be an elected
faculty member of the Senate, a non-Senator deemed qualified may be
appointed as a committee chair at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
All Senators shall be strongly encouraged to serve on at least one standing
committee. (c) Every special committee or sub-committee
shall include at least one elected faculty member of the Senate. (d)
The term of office for elected and appointed faculty members of standing
committees shall be three years, except that in the election following
adoption of these amendments, terms shall be for one, two, or three
years, determined by lot, so as annually thereafter to elect or appoint
one-third of the committee. The chair of each committee shall have a
term of one year but may be re-nominated and elected for additional
terms. (e) In so far as practicable, each committee
shall be broadly representative of the faculty. (f)
No faculty member shall be an elected member of more than two standing
committees.
(g) The composition and membership of each standing and special committee
or sub-committee of the Senate shall be reported to the members of
the Assembly in a timely fashion. (h) Each committee of the Senate
shall report to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate.
ARTICLE IV: AMENDMENT AND PERIODIC REVIEW OF THE MEDICAL CENTER FACULTY
ORGANIZATION PLAN
1. Amendments to the Medical Center Faculty Organization
Plan may be proposed to the Assembly by the Vice President for Health
Affairs, by the Senate, by petition to the Chair of the Assembly by 50
faculty members of the Assembly, or by a faculty committee established
for that purpose as provided below. Proposed amendments shall be published
and appear as an item of Business on the Agenda for a regular or special
meeting of the Assembly.
2. The adoption of a proposed amendment by the Assembly
shall require the favorable vote of two-thirds of those present and voting
or, in the absence of a quorum of the entire Assembly, shall be submitted
to a mail ballot and require a favorable vote of two-thirds of ballots
received within two weeks of the initial mailing. In order to qualify
for a valid election, the minimum number of ballots received in any specific
vote should be no less one hundred.
3. The Medical Center Faculty Organization Plan shall
be subject to review at intervals of four years.
The review shall be undertaken by a special Senate Quadrennial Review
Committee established for that purpose. The committee shall consist of:
from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences: two members of the full-time
faculty of the basic science departments, two members of the full-time
faculty of the clinical departments, one member of the full-time faculty
of the health sciences programs, one member of the voluntary faculty,
and one member of the research faculty. From the School of Public Health
and Health Services: two members of the full-time faculty of the departments
of the School, and one member of the voluntary faculty. The committee
shall prepare a written report which describes proposed revisions to the
Faculty Organization Plan. The report shall be circulated to all members
of the Faculty Assembly.
4. The Chair of the Executive Committee of the Medical
Center Faculty Senate shall be responsible for conducting the nomination
and election of the Review Committee and for convening the initial meeting
of the Committee.
BYLAWS OF THE MEDICAL CENTER FACULTY ASSEMBLY
1. Notice of Meeting
Notice of a meeting of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly shall consist
of the time and place of the meeting, the type of meeting, whether regular
or special, the means by which the meeting has been called, and the Agenda;
and the Secretary shall put the Notice in the University mails at least
ten days (not including the meeting day) prior to the meeting.2.
Presiding Officer The Vice President for Health Affairs shall be
the Chair of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly and the presiding officer.
In the absence of the Vice President, the presiding officer shall be, in
order, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Executive Committee of the Medical
Center Faculty Senate; in their absence the Assembly shall elect a presiding
officer pro tem.3.
Order of Business The ordering of business on the Agenda shall
be done by the Vice President for Health Affairs, and matters may be taken
up out of the announced order at the Chair's discretion with the approval
of a majority of members present and voting. A matter for debate which does
not appear on the Agenda may be taken up only by a two-thirds affirmative
vote which suspends the Rules of Procedure for that matter.4.
Meetings Meetings of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly shall
normally be closed subject to the Medical Center Faculty Assembly's right
to declare the meeting open to non-members by a majority vote.5.
Debate Debate and amendments (including substitute motions) must
be germane to the question being debated. In order to raise the issue of
germaneness, a member may interrupt debate to call for a ruling by the Chair,
or the Chair may raise the issue: the Chair's ruling on germaneness may
be overturned only by a majority vote.6.
Rules of Order Except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, the
Medical Center Faculty Assembly shall govern itself according to Robert's
Rules of Order. The Parliamentarian of the Medical Center Faculty Senate
shall advise the Chair on points of order.7.
Voting (a) The first vote on a question shall normally be by voice,
and the Chair shall announce the result. If the Chair or any member calls
for a division of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly, the Chair shall appoint
tellers and shall call for a show of hands, announcing the number of affirmative
and negative votes. A secret ballot may be taken by notice in the Agenda,
or on a motion carried by a majority of those present and voting. (b)
Items for the agenda of the Faculty Assembly prepared in accordance with
Section 3, Paragraphs 1 or 2, and requiring (either in accordance with this
Constitution and Bylaws or by the Robert's Rules of Order) two-thirds of
affirmative votes for passage, must be presented in written and precise
language for direct vote or debate and distributed as part of the agenda
of a proposed meeting. If the Faculty Assembly, due to absence of a quorum
(as defined in Article II, Section 3.3), shall be unable to convene at a
regular or specially scheduled meeting and fails to consider the items on
the agenda, the Faculty Senate will, at its next scheduled meeting, consider
such agenda items and determine whether the issues are of sufficient urgency
to require the response of the Faculty by absentee ballot. The Senate shall
decide by a majority vote as a matter of ordinary business, whether to initiate
and conduct such a ballot. Decision of this issue by Faculty vote of two-thirds
of those voting will be binding upon the Faculty Assembly. This Constitution
and Bylaws may be amended by such voting procedures. Any action may be reconsidered
only at the next regularly scheduled Faculty Assembly meeting in accordance
with the Robert's Rules of Order upon a motion introduced by a member of
the Faculty Assembly who voted in favor of the adopted action. The
Faculty Assembly may, in the absence of a quorum, by majority vote of members
present and voting at a meeting called in accordance with the Constitution
and Bylaws, determine to send any item of regular business to mail ballot
for decision.8. Adoption and Amendment
The Bylaws, having been prepared by an ad hoc Faculty committee
of the Medical Center, may be adopted by the Medical Center Faculty Assembly
by a majority vote. The Bylaws may thereafter be amended by introduction
of the proposed amendment at any regular or special meeting of the Assembly
as an item for the Agenda at the next following regular or special meeting
of the Assembly. The proposed amendment shall then be treated as an ordinary
item of business and shall carry by a two-thirds affirmative vote of those
present and voting.
BYLAWS OF THE MEDICAL CENTER FACULTY SENATE
1. Notice of Meeting
Notice of a meeting of the Medical Center Faculty Senate shall consist
of the time and place of the meeting, the type of meeting, whether regular
or special, and the Agenda prepared by the Executive Committee of the
Senate in consultation with the Vice President for Health Affairs.
2. Presiding Officer The Vice President
for Health Affairs shall be the Chair of the Medical Center Faculty Senate
and its presiding officer: in the absence of the Vice President for Health
Affairs, the presiding officer shall be, in order, the Chair and Vice Chair
of the Executive Committee of the medical Center faculty Senate; in their
absence the Senate membership shall select a presiding officer pro tem.3.
Meetings
Meetings of the Senate shall normally be open to members of the University
community.
4. Rules of Order and Parliamentarian Except
as specifically provided to the contrary in the Bylaws, the Senate shall
govern itself according to Robert's Rules of order. A Parliamentarian shall
be appointed at the first regular meeting of each session by the Vice President
for Health Affairs with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Parliamentarian
shall advise on parliamentary procedure for meetings and shall assist in
the drafting of Resolutions. Rulings announced by the Presiding Officer
shall govern the Senate unless appealed and overruled by a majority vote.5.
Resolutions Resolutions shall, so far as is appropriate, adhere
to the form specified in Section 3 of Appendix II of the University Faculty
Organization Plan.6. Voting (a)
Elected faculty members of the Senate shall be the voting members except
as provided below to break a tie vote.
(b) A "majority vote" shall be one vote more than one-half of the elected
members present and voting.
(c) Voting shall ordinarily be by voice with the presiding officer calling
for "Ayes" and "Nays" and declaring the result, except that any member,
elected or ex officio, may call for a division of the Senate. Voting
in a division of the Senate shall ordinarily be by show of hands, with
the presiding officer appointing non-voting tellers and announcing the
"Ayes" and "Nays." In a division of the Senate, the presiding officer
may, when announcing a tie vote, vote orally to break the vote. (d)
Upon the call of six elected members, a roll call vote shall be taken. The
Secretary shall call the role alphabetically, recording beside each name
"Aye," "Nay," "Not Voting," or "Absent;" and the presiding officer shall
vote last and only if wishing to break a tie vote between the "Ayes" and
the "Nays." The presiding officer shall announce all the results of a role
call vote. (e) By a majority vote, a secret ballot shall
be taken. The Secretary, as teller, shall record the "Ayes" and the "Nays"
and inform the presiding officer who shall announce them: and, if there
is a tie vote between the "Ayes" and the "Nays," the presiding officer may
vote orally to break the tie.7. Quorum
A "quorum" shall consist of the next whole number greater than one-half
of the elected members.
8. Minutes Minutes of the meetings
of the Medical Center Faculty Senate shall include a list of members present
and absent. A copy of the Minutes of each meeting shall be made available
upon request to any member of the Medical Center Faculty Assembly.9.
Standing Committees
The intent of the committee structure is to create an overarching Medical
Center faculty governance while recognizing the curriculum, personnel,
and admissions authorities of the two schools. There shall be standing
committees of the Medical Center Faculty Senate for the following areas
of faculty responsibility and concern:
(a) Committee on Academic Freedom and Ethics
(b) Committee on Admissions and Advanced Standing
Committees on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure:
(c) School of Medicine and Health Sciences APT Committee
(d) School of Public Health and Health Services APT
Committee
Curriculum Committees:
(e) Committee on Health Sciences Curricula
(f) Committee on Public Health and Health
Services Curricula
(g) Committee on Undergraduate Medical Curricula
(h) Committee on Educational Resources
(i) Elections Committee
Evaluation Committees:
(j) Committee on Health Sciences Student Evaluation
(k) Committee on Medical Student Evaluation
(l) Committee on Public Health and Health Sciences
Student Evaluation (m) Committee on Expedited Searches
(n) Committee on Faculty Support Services and Professional
Development
(o) Committee on Research
The Chair of each standing or special committee shall submit a written
annual report to the Executive Committee summarizing the committee's
activities for that year along with any key decisions and recommendations
made by the committee. In addition, the chair shall make an annual oral
presentation before the Faculty Senate summarizing the committee's activities
during the year.
10. Membership, Duties and Jurisdiction of Standing
Committees of the Faculty Senate
(a) Committee on Academic Freedom and Ethics
The committee shall consist of nine faculty elected from the
Assembly as follows: From the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, two
faculty from the clinical departments, two faculty from the basic science
departments, one faculty from the health sciences programs, and one voluntary
faculty member. From the School of Public Health and Health Services, two
faculty representing the seven departments of the School, one faculty from
the voluntary faculty. The Medical Center General Counsel and the Associate
Vice President for Health Research, Compliance, and Technology Transfer
shall also be members, ex officio, without vote.
The committee shall receive and study questions referred to it by the
Senate in the area of academic freedom of faculty members and of ethics,
and report thereon to the Senate. The committee shall be responsible for
developing criteria and procedures for adjudicating disputes arising from
interpretation of the University's Policy on Conflicts of Interest. The
committee may provide the vehicle for informal hearings and mediation
of disputes between faculty. At the request of a faculty member, the committee
will provide confidential advice and/or mediation prior to the faculty
member's filing a formal grievance under the relevant provisions of the
Faculty Code.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. (b)
Committee on Admissions and Advanced Standing
The committee shall consist of eight faculty elected from the
Assembly as follows: five faculty from the School of Medicine and Health
Sciences, one of whom shall be from the Health Sciences Programs, and one
of whom shall be from the voluntary faculty; three faculty from the School
of Public Health and Health Services, one of whom shall be from the voluntary
faculty; three student members elected by the appropriate student body to
include one representative from the M.D. undergraduate program, one representative
from the health sciences programs, and one representative from the public
health and health services programs; a minority of members appointed by
the Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and by the Dean of
the School of Public Health and Health Services. The elected and appointed
members shall form the voting membership of the committee. The Dean of the
School of Medicine and Health Sciences, the Dean of the School of Public
Health and Health Services, and the Associate Dean of Health Sciences Programs
shall be members, ex officio, without vote.
The committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the
Senate on the standards and procedures for the selection and admission
of the student bodies and on the standards and procedures for the award
of admission with advanced standing.
The committee in fulfilling its responsibility may request reports from
responsible Medical Center officers and obtain outside data to conduct
the review of admissions policy for the Schools and Programs.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate.
Committees on Appointments, Promotions, and Tenure (APT):
(c) School of Medicine and Health Sciences
APT Committee
The committee shall consist of eight faculty members elected from the Assembly
as follows: four full-time faculty from the clinical departments; two full-time
faculty from the basic science departments; one full-time faculty from the
health sciences programs, and one voluntary faculty member. At least one
of the committee members shall hold either a joint or dual appointment in
the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School of Public Health
and Health Services.
The committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the
Senate on the standards and procedures for appointment, promotion, and
tenure of faculty members in full-time service in the ranks of Assistant
Professor, Associate Professor and Professor. The committee shall also
study specific cases referred to it by the Dean of the School of Medicine
and Health Sciences and make recommendations to the Dean for the appointment,
promotion, or award of tenure to faculty members.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate.
(d) School of Public Health
and Health Services APT Committee
The committee shall consist of six faculty members elected from the Assembly
as follows: five full-time faculty representing the School of Public Health
and Health Services, and one voluntary faculty member. At least one of
the committee members shall hold either a joint or dual appointment in
the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The committee shall be responsible for making recommendations to the
Senate on the standards and procedures for appointment, promotion, and
tenure of faculty members in full-time service in the ranks of Assistant
Professor, Associate Professor and Professor. The committee shall also
study specific cases referred to it by the Dean of the School of Public
Health and Health Services and make recommendations to the Dean for the
appointment, promotion, or award of tenure to faculty members.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. Curriculum
Committees:
(e) Committee on Health Sciences Curricula
The committee shall consist of: six faculty elected from the
Assembly in such distribution as to ensure adequate representation from
each Health Science Program, including voluntary faculty; a minority of
members appointed by the Associate Dean for Health Sciences; and a student
representative elected by the Health Sciences Student Council. The elected
and appointed members shall form the voting membership of the committee.
To ensure the widest possible input, the committee, at its discretion, may
invite other relevant faculty such as course directors and other relevant
administrators to participate in a non-voting capacity.
The committee shall: (a) develop goals and objectives for health science
education; (b) initiate and test new educational proposals; (c) consider
proposals relating to program development; (d) oversee program curricula
and the integration of the health sciences programs into the education
missions of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and the School
of Public Health and Health Services.
To fulfill the stated goals and objectives the committee shall develop
a subcommittee structure as follows: (a) a subcommittee for curricular
development and (b) a subcommittee for curricular evaluation. The chairs
of these subcommittees are to be selected from the membership of the parent
committee. Subcommittee members may be drawn from both voting and non-voting
membership of the committee and from other relevant faculty and administrators
invited to participate. Voting membership on the subcommittees shall not
overlap.The committee shall report regularly to the Executive Committee
of the Faculty Senate and to the Faculty Senate.
(f) Committee on Public Health and Health
Services Curricula
The committee shall consist of: seven School of Public Health and Health
Services faculty--with one faculty member being drawn from each of the
School's seven departments--elected from the Assembly including one voluntary
faculty member; a minority of members appointed by the Dean of the School
of Public Health and Health Services; and one student representative appointed
by the Dean of the School of Public Health and Health Services. The elected
and appointed members shall form the voting membership of the committee.
To ensure the widest possible input, the committee at its discretion may
invite other relevant faculty such as course directors and other relevant
administrators to participate in a non-voting capacity.
The committee shall: (a) develop goals and objectives in undergraduate
and graduate public health, health services, and exercise sciences education;
(b) initiate and test new educational proposals; (c) create and implement
curricular changes by working with departments and interdisciplinary groups;
and (d) monitor quality and assess the attainment of the stated goals
and objectives.
To fulfill the stated goals and objectives, the committee shall adopt
a subcommittee structure as follows: (a) a subcommittee for the undergraduate
public health major (i.e., the BSPH degree program), and (b) a subcommittee
for the Doctor of Public Health program. The chairs of these subcommittees
are to be selected from the membership of the parent committee. Subcommittee
members may be drawn from both the voting and non-voting membership of
the committee and from other relevant faculty and administrators invited
to participate. Voting membership on the subcommittees shall not overlap.
The committee shall report regularly to the Executive Committee of the
Faculty Senate and to the Faculty Senate.
(g) Committee on Undergraduate Medical Curricula
The committee shall consist of: six faculty elected from the Assembly
in such distribution as to ensure adequate representation of disciplines
and programs involved in the four years of undergraduate medical education,
including voluntary faculty; a minority of members appointed by the Dean
of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and a student representative
from the fourth year elected by the fourth year students. The elected
and appointed members shall form the voting membership of the committee.
To ensure the widest possible input, the committee at its discretion may
invite other relevant faculty, such as course directors and other relevant
administrators, to participate in a non-voting capacity.
The committee shall: (a) develop goals and objectives in undergraduate
medical education; (b) initiate and test new educational proposals; (c)
create and implement curricular changes by working with departments and
interdisciplinary groups; and (d) monitor quality and assess the attainment
of the stated goals and objectives.
To fulfill the stated goals and objectives, the committee shall adopt
a subcommittee structure as follows: (a) a subcommittee for curricular
development and (b) a subcommittee for curricular evaluation. The chairs
of these subcommittees are to be selected from the membership of the parent
committee. Subcommittee members may be drawn from both the voting and
non-voting membership of the committee, and from other relevant faculty
and administrators invited to participate. Voting membership on the subcommittees
shall not overlap.
The committee shall report regularly to the Executive Committee of the
Faculty Senate and to the Faculty Senate. (h)
Committee on Educational Resources The committee shall
consist of nine faculty elected from the Assembly as follows: from the School
of Medicine and Health Sciences, two full-time faculty from the clinical
departments, two full-time faculty from the basic sciences departments,
one full-time faculty from the health sciences programs, and one voluntary
faculty member; from the School of Public Health and Health Services, two
full time faculty representing the departments of the School, and one voluntary
faculty member. The Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and
the Dean of the School of Public Health and Health Services may each appoint
one additional member. The elected and appointed members shall form the
voting membership of the committee. The Associate Vice President for Educational
Resources shall be a member, ex officio, without vote.
The committee shall review policies, practices, and resources relating
to programs of continuing education, distance learning, telemedicine,
the Office of Information Technology, biomedical communications, library
resources, and other educational resources and make recommendations on
these programs to the Faculty Senate and to the Associate Vice President
for Educational Resources. The committee shall meet regularly and make
reports and recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty
Senate. (i) Committee on Elections
The Committee shall consist of twelve faculty members elected from
the Assembly as follows. From the School of Medicine and Health Sciences:
three full-time faculty from the basic science departments; three full-time
faculty from the clinical departments; one full-time faculty from the Health
Sciences Programs; and one representative from the voluntary faculty. From
the School of Public Health and Health Services: three full-time faculty
from the departments of the School of Public Health and Health Services;
and one representative from the voluntary faculty.
The committee shall be responsible for soliciting nominations for the
election of the Executive Committee and Departmental and other at-large
members of the Senate. It shall assist the constituencies in ensuring
that there are two nominations for each position to be filled and that
they meet the distribution requirements specified in the Faculty Organization
Plan. It shall conduct the elections for the Executive Committee and announce
those results to the Assembly prior to Departmental elections. The Committee
shall assist the constituencies in interim elections to fill vacancies
in the Executive Committee or the Senate for the unexpired term of office,
or pro tempore during a member's sabbatical or other temporary
leave. The Committee shall establish other procedures to facilitate the
orderly process of nomination and elections and report thereon to the
Executive Committee and to the Senate.
Evaluation Committees:
(j) Committee on
Health Sciences Student Evaluation The committee shall
consist of: six faculty elected from the Assembly in such distribution as
to ensure adequate representation from each Health Science Program; and
a minority of members appointed by the Associate Dean for Health Sciences.
The elected members shall form the voting membership of the council. To
ensure the widest possible input, the committee, at its discretion, may
invite other relevant faculty such as course directors and other relevant
administrators to participate in a non-voting capacity.
The committee shall be responsible for: (a) hearing appeals by students
concerning performance evaluation and making recommendations to the Associate
Dean for Health Sciences on such cases: (b) studying specific cases referred
to it by the Associate Dean and making appropriate recommendations thereon;
and (c) monitoring and enforcing codes of student comportment.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate.
(k) Committee on Medical
Student Evaluation
The Committee shall consist of (a) faculty members elected from the Assembly
in the following distribution: five from the basic science faculty, five
from the clinical faculty, four from the voluntary faculty; and (b) a minority
of members appointed by the Dean of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences
to include a student representative from each of the four M.D. classes,
the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, the Associate Dean for Student
Affairs, the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Curriculum, other Dean's
office representatives as needed, and members representing other special
interests. The elected and appointed members shall form the voting membership
of the Committee, with the exception of the three Assistant Deans, who shall
serve ex officio without vote.
The Committee shall be responsible for: (a) studying specific student
cases on academic difficulty and professional comportment referred by
the Administration and making recommendations thereon to the Dean of the
School of Medicine and Health Sciences; and (b) reviewing, recommending
modifications to, upholding and enforcing the "Regulations for M.D. Candidates."
When such cases involve students in the M.D./M.P.H. programs, the Administration
will refer the case to the appropriate student evaluation committee(s).
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. (l)
Committee on Public and Health Services Student Evaluation
The committee shall consist of: six School of Public Health
and Health Services faculty elected from the Assembly in such distribution
as to ensure adequate representation from each of the departments; and one
member appointed by the Dean of the School of Public Health and Health Services.
The elected members shall form the voting membership of the committee. To
ensure the widest possible input, the committee at its discretion may invite
other relevant faculty such as course directors and other relevant administrators
to participate in a non-voting capacity.
The committee shall be responsible for: (a) hearing appeals by students
concerning performance evaluation and making recommendations to the Dean
of the School of Public Health on such cases: (b) studying specific cases
referred to it by the Dean and making appropriate recommendations thereon;
and (c) monitoring and enforcing codes of student comportment.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. (m)
Committee on Expedited Searches The committee shall
consist of faculty members at the rank of Associate Professor or above.
Three members shall be elected from the Assembly in the following distribution:
one from the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, one from the School
of Public Health and Health Services, and one from the Health Sciences,
the terms to rotate off sequentially by year. Three additional members shall
be appointed by the Executive Committee for the particular search at hand.
The Executive Committee may appoint additional members as voting members,
at least one of whom shall be from the searched department, which must be
represented on the committee. The Search Committee may invite others to
provide outside input as appropriate; these persons may attend meetings
without voting privileges. Voting at committee meetings takes place only
with the presence of a quorum, and a positive vote must have a majority
of the total members.
The expedited search process will be initiated by the Vice President
for Health Affairs after approval by the Executive Committee. The Vice
President for Health Affairs will set the parameters and time-line of
the search. The expedited search process shall conform to the Faculty
Code and to the principles and recommendations set forth in the final
report by the Committee on Expedited Searches as approved by the Executive
Committee on July 21, 1998.
The committee, when activated, shall meet regularly and make reports
and recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. (n)
Committee on Faculty Support Services and Professional
Development
The Committee shall consist of: four faculty from the School
of Medicine and Health Sciences representing the clinical, basic science,
health science, and voluntary faculties; and two faculty from the School
of Public Health and Health Services, one of whom shall be a member of the
voluntary faculty. The elected members shall form the voting membership
of the committee. The Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, the Associate
Dean for Public Health, and the Associate Dean for Health Sciences shall
serve ex officio, without vote.
The committee shall review, evaluate, and recommend Medical Center policies
and practices which have impact on the general effectiveness of the faculty
in the performance of its duties and responsibilities to the Medical Center,
the University, and the community. The areas of focus shall include but
not be limited to professional development and enrichment for full-time
and voluntary faculty, salary equity, the general academic environment
such as ancillary support to enhance (a) teaching effectiveness, (b) patient
care, (c) administrative work, (d) research opportunities, (e) the relationship
between full-time and voluntary faculty, and any other related issues
assigned by the Faculty Senate. The committee shall meet regularly and
make reports and recommendations to the Executive Committee and to the
Faculty Senate. (o) Committee
on Research
The Committee shall consist of faculty actively engaged in research
as follows: eight faculty members from the School of Medicine and Health
Sciences, of whom four shall represent the basic sciences, four the clinical
sciences, and one the health sciences; four faculty members from the School
of Public Health and Health Services; one faculty member from the voluntary
faculty; and one student representative from the Beaumont Society. These
14 members shall comprise the voting membership of the committee. The Associate
Vice President for Research shall be a member ex officio, without
vote, and shall appoint other additional non-voting members to constitute
a minority of members.
The Committee shall: (a) develop policies on research development and
support; (b) serve as an advisory body to the Associate Vice President
for Research for the allocation of fiscal and other resources in support
of research; (c) monitor the effectiveness of the Medical Center research
support services; (d) receive and review research applications from faculty
members; and (e) advise the Medical Center Administration on the award
of available resources for the support of specific research projects.
The committee shall meet regularly and make reports and recommendations
to the Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. 11.
Special Committees
Committee on Masters and Ph.D. Graduate Programs
The membership of this committee shall consist of: faculty who are
graduate program directors for the Masters and Ph.D. degree programs granted
by the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences in the School of Medicine and
Health Sciences, the School of Public Health and Health Services, and the
Columbian School of Arts and Sciences; and the Director of the GW Institute
for Biomedical Sciences, the Dean of the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences,
the Associate Dean for Health Sciences Programs, and the Dean of the School
of Public Health and Health Services. The Deans or their designees shall
serve ex officio, without vote.
The Committee shall serve as a forum for discussing issues and making
recommendations pertaining to the Masters and Ph.D. degree programs and
their integration with other programs of the Medical Center and Columbian
School of Arts and Sciences; it shall provide for communication through
their representatives among the graduate programs and the Medical Center
Executive Committee and the Columbian School of Arts and Sciences Dean's
Council; and it shall provide for communications between the graduate
programs and their faculties. The committee shall report to the Executive
Committee of the Faculty Senate and to the Faculty Senate. 12.
Amendments Amendments to the Bylaws of the Medical Center Faculty
Senate may be introduced to the Senate or they may be originated within
the Executive Committee of the Medical Center Faculty Senate at the suggestion
of the Parliamentarian, and they shall be treated as nearly as may be as
Resolutions. Enactment of the amendment shall be by majority vote.
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