Faculty

Table of Contents Committees of the Dean Faculty Council Chapter IV: Faculty Chapter II: Academic Programs Search the Faculty Handbook

Faculty Handbook
Chapter III: Organization and Governance

COMMITTEES OF THE FACULTY COUNCIL

The Faculty Council is responsible for all standing committees, except those specifically designated as reporting to the Dean or the Executive Faculty. All policy statements recommended by the Committees of the Faculty Council must be approved by the Faculty Council prior to submission to the Executive Faculty.

Except as otherwise indicated, neither the chairpersons nor members of the various committees are required to be members of the Faculty Council. Any committee chairperson who is not an elected representative to the Faculty Council will serve as an Ex Officio, non-voting member of the Faculty Council.

The chairperson of each committee will submit the minutes of each meeting to the Steering Committee and present an annual oral and written report to the Faculty Council. Such reports will summarize the Committee's activities during the prior year and any recommendations for policy changes. Additional reports may be requested by the President of the Faculty Council.

The responsibility of committee chairpersons will be to facilitate committee deliberations and to act as spokespersons to convey committee decisions to faculty via the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council. Except where specifically indicated the chairpersons are not empowered to act independently of their committee. Each committee chairperson will have the prerogative to request the Steering Committee to replace a committee member who fails to attend at least sixty percent of the meetings or other wise fails to fulfill committee obligations. In the event that a committee member is unable to complete a term of service, the chairperson will request the Steering Committee to appoint another member of the faculty to complete the unexpired term.


  1. Steering Committee
    1. Composition:

      The Steering Committee will consist of three officers and six additional elected representatives of the Faculty Council. The Steering Committee will be representative of the entire faculty: three of its members will be basic science faculty, three full-time clinical science faculty and three part-time/voluntary clinical science faculty. The President of the Faculty Council will serve as chairperson of the Steering Committee.

      1. Charge to the Steering Committee:
        1. To meet monthly with the Dean. Two of these meetings per year will be held jointly with the Steering Committee of the Student Council. The agenda of these joint meetings will relate to issues of mutual interest to students and faculty.
        2. To represent the faculty on the Executive Faculty.
        3. To prepare the agenda for the Faculty Council meetings.
        4. To transact all business of the Faculty Council between meetings.
        5. To receive minutes of all Faculty Council committees and transmit these minutes to the Faculty Council, the Executive Faculty and the Research and Education Policy Committee of the Board of Trustees.
        6. To appoint members to any ad hoc committees of the Faculty Council.
        7. To appoint members to the following standing committees of the Faculty Council: library, bylaws and governance, elections, faculty relations, faculty welfare, faculty services and faculty disciplinary tribunal.
        8. To nominate, upon request of the Dean, members for any ad hoc committees of the Dean.
        9. To nominate members to the following standing committees of the Dean: curriculum, harassment committee and grievance board, student admissions and student promotions committees and any other standing committees of the Dean.
        10. To receive and consider issues of concern to the Medical School and the Faculty Council which do not fall within the jurisdiction of the existing committees.
        11. To submit minutes of the meetings of the Steering Committee to the Faculty Council, Executive Faculty, and the Research and Education Policy Committee of the Board of Trustees.
  2. Library Committee

      1. Composition:

      This committee will consist of ten faculty members, one of whom shall serve as chairperson, a second and a third year medical student and a graduate student. The membership will be composed of four basic science faculty, three full-time clinical science faculty, and three part-time/voluntary faculty. The Director of the Gustave L. & Janet W. Levy Library will serve as an ex officio, non-voting member of this committee. Additional members may be appointed by the Steering Committee in accordance with requirements established by extramural agencies.

      2. Appointments:

      The chairperson and nine faculty members will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council, each for a term of five years. Two appointments will be made annually such that twenty percent of the faculty members will change each year. The students will be elected by the second and third year Medical School classes and Graduate student body: each will serve a term of one year.

      3. Charge to the Library Committee:

      1. To review and make recommendations on library practices, policies and programs including selections, deletions, hours, etc. to the Dean and the Director of the Gustave L. & Janet W. Levy Library.
      2. To serve as a channel of communication between the library and its users.
      3. To assist the Director of the Library in the development of curriculum for library education programs for students and faculty.
      4. To review interinstitutional relations that involve interlibrary exchange programs and cooperative projects on library planning and development.

  3. Faculty Relations Committee
    1. Composition:

      This committee will consist of five faculty members, one of whom shall serve as chairperson. The membership will be composed of two basic science faculty, two full-time clinical science faculty and one part-time/voluntary clinical science faculty.

    2. Appointments:

      The chairperson and four faculty members will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council, each for a term of five years. One appointment will be made annually such that twenty percent of the faculty members will change each year.

    3. Charge to Faculty Relations Committee:

      To receive all requests for hearing of any grievance from faculty, to review all components of the situation leading to the grievance, and, if feasible, mediate the grievance or refer it with recommendations to the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council, the Executive Faculty, and the Dean.

  4. Committee On Faculty Welfare

    1. Composition:

      This committee will consist of ten faculty members one of whom shall serve as chairperson. The membership will be composed of five basic science faculty and five full-time clinical science faculty. The Senior Administrative Officer of Human Resources will serve as an ex-officio member of this committee.

    2. Appointments:

      The chairperson and nine faculty members will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council. The chairperson will be appointed for a term of five years. Each member will be appointed for a term of three years: three appointments will be made annually such that one third of the faculty members will change each year.

    3. Charge to Committee on Faculty Welfare:

      1. To review, on an ongoing basis, all Medical School policies concerning areas of faculty welfare including tuition grants-in-aid, retirement programs, sabbaticals, professional practice, benefits, housing, security, parking, etc., and formulate recommendations that incorporate the opinions of the faculty on such policies.
      2. To examine, on request of the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council, specific areas of faculty welfare and report findings to the Faculty Council.
      3. To maintain a dialogue with the Compensation Committee, the Research and Education Policy Committee, and any other committees of the Board of Trustees that relate to Faculty Welfare.

  5. Committee On Faculty Services:

    1. Composition:

      This committee will consist of ten faculty members one of whom shall serve as chairperson. The membership will be composed of four basic science faculty, four full-time clinical science faculty and two part time/voluntary faculty. The Chief Financial Officer of the Medical School will serve as an ex officio member of this committee.

    2. Appointments:

      The chairperson and nine faculty members will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council. The chairperson will be appointed for a term of five years. Each member will be appointed for a term of three years: three appointments will be made annually such that one-third of the faculty members will change each year.

    3. Charge to the Committee on Faculty Services:

      1. To review, on an ongoing basis, all Medical School policies concerning areas of faculty services including purchasing, fund accounting, accounts payable, mail, personnel, engineering, etc. and formulate recommendations that incorporate the opinions of the faculty on such policies.
      2. To examine, on request of the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council, specific areas of faculty services and report findings to the Faculty Council.

  6. Bylaws And Governance Committee

    1. Composition:

    This committee will consist of ten faculty members one of whom shall serve as chairperson. The membership will be composed of three basic science faculty, four full-time clinical science faculty and three part-time/voluntary faculty. The President of the Faculty Council and the Dean will serve as ex officio, voting members of this committee. A member of the General Counsel's Office will serve as Counsel to the committee.

    2. Appointments:

    The chairperson and nine faculty members will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council, each for a term of five years. Two appointments will be made annually such that twenty percent of the faculty members will change each year. The President of the Faculty Council and the Dean will be ex officio members of this committee.

    3. Charge to the Bylaws Committee:

    1. To receive and review all requests for amendment or revision of the Bylaws or Governance.
    2. To formulate amendments and revisions in the Bylaws and Governance and forward such recommendations to the Steering Committee.
    3. To review and make recommendations on procedural and jurisdictional matters as they pertain to the Bylaws and Governance at the request of the President of the Faculty Council.

  7. Elections Committee

    1. Composition:

    This committee will consist of three faculty members one of whom shall serve as chairperson. The membership will be composed of one basic science faculty, one full-time clinical science faculty and one part-time/voluntary faculty.

    2. Appointments:

    The chairperson and two faculty members will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council. The chairperson will be a member of the Steering Committee.

    3. Charge to the Elections Committee:

    1. To coordinate the nomination of representatives to the Faculty Council and the nomination of officers and members of the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council.
    2. To conduct, count ballots and validate the election of representatives to the Faculty Council and the election of officers and members of the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council.

  8. Faculty Disciplinary Tribunal

    1. Composition:

    The Faculty Disciplinary Tribunal will consist of seven members and three alternates. The members will include one Department Chairperson (who will serve as chairperson of the Disciplinary Tribunal), three Professors, two Associate Professors and one Assistant Professor. In the chairperson's absence, one of the Professors will assume the role of chairperson of the Disciplinary Tribunal. The chairperson of the Disciplinary Tribunal may be a member of a Basic Science or Clinical Department. The remaining members will be composed of two faculty from Basic Science Departments, two full-time faculty from Clinical Departments and two faculty from the part-time or voluntary faculty. Each member must be from a different Department. The alternates to the Disciplinary Tribunal will include one Professor, one Associate Professor and one Assistant Professor. Each alternate must be from a different Department. The President of the Faculty Council will designate one or more alternates to serve as members of the Disciplinary Tribunal only when a quorum cannot be obtained without their participation. Any five of the members and designated alternates will constitute a quorum for the purposes of convening and holding a hearing.

    2. Appointments:

    The seven members and three alternates to the Disciplinary Tribunal will be appointed by the Steering Committee of the Faculty Council to serve two-year or three-year terms that shall be overlapping, to provide continuity of membership.

    3. Charge to Faculty Disciplinary Tribunal:

    1. To conduct a hearing.
    2. To make a written report to the Dean, setting forth its findings of fact.
    3. To include in its written report recommendations to the Dean as to whether disciplinary action is appropriate, and if so, what action should be taken. Additional information on the Faculty Disciplinary Tribunal will be found in Chapter IV, Section 17.
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