Preamble

 

The purpose of the Plan of Organization is to provide a framework within which the College of Chemical and Life Sciences can fulfill its missions of teaching, research, extension, and service effectively and efficiently.  Shared governance at the University means governance shared among faculty, staff, students, and administrators.  Among these, the faculty have the fundamental role.  This Plan provides for shared governance within the College, including the participation of elected and appointed members of the College in advisory bodies and in the evaluation of the operation of the College.  The Plan also mandates shared governance within the units of the College.  All provisions of this Plan are to operate in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Plan of Organization of the University of Maryland, College Park, and the relevant policies of the Board of Regents, and the University of Maryland System.

 

A guiding principle of sound governance among people of reason and good will is a mutual regard for one another.  Such regard is manifested in the sharing of information and advice between the administrators of the College, representatives of the College community, and the College community generally on all matters of mutual concern.  In this spirit, the College community, through its elected representatives, shall advise, consult with, and make recommendations to the administrators of the College.  College administrators, in turn, shall respond to such consultations and keep the College community informed of the condition of the College and the welfare of its members.

 

 

Mission Statement

 

The mission of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences is to provide high quality undergraduate and graduate education in the life sciences, to conduct strong research and extension programs, and to serve the life science needs of the University, the State, and the national and international communities.

 

 

Article I.  Units within the College

 

The units of the College consist of the academic departments, the separate graduate degree-granting programs administered within the College that have been approved by the Campus Senate and by the campus administration following the applicable procedures, and several University Centers in which the College participates.  The academic departments are the following:

 

·        Department of Biology

·        Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics

·        Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

·        Department of Entomology

 

The separate graduate degree-granting programs of the College are the following:

 

·        Behavior, Ecology Evolution and Systematics

·        Chemical Physics

·        Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences

·        Master of Life Sciences

·        Molecular and Cell Biology

·        Neuroscience and Cognitive Science

·        Sustainable Development and Conservation Biology

 

The centers and institutes in which the College participates are the following

                       

·        ATRIUM (Arabidiopsis thaliana Research Initiative at University of Maryland)

·        Center for Biodiversity

·        Center for Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

·        Center for Biological Structure and Organization

·        Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Biology of Hearing

·        Center for Neuroscience

·        Center for Plant Nematology

·        Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN)

·        Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

 

New departments or separate graduate degree-granting programs or the centers and institutes listed that are administered in all or part by the campus shall be accorded the same rights and responsibilities as the existing departments or separate programs or centers.  Departments or programs or centers that are merged with other departments or programs, or that are discontinued, will simultaneously lose their status within the College.

 

 

Article II.  Administration

 

A.     The Dean

 

The Dean is the chief administrative officer of the College and is appointed by the Provost.  The Dean has the authority and responsibilities assigned by the Provost, including the responsibility for the College budget, for the academic programs of the College, and for recommendations on appointments, promotion, and tenure.  The Dean shall represent the interests of the College and shall act to further the mission of the College.  The Dean shall be appointed for a fixed term not to exceed five years, be eligible for reappointment, and be reviewed at regularly designated intervals by a committee appointed by the Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs.

 

B.     The Department Chairs

 

The Department Chairs of the academic departments are the administrative officers of their units and shall represent the interests of their department in the College and on the campus.  They are appointed by the Dean and will be reviewed periodically by a committee appointed by the Dean in consultation with the department.  They exercise those functions delegated to them by the Dean, including the following responsibilities:

 

-         operation of the academic programs of their unit,

-         departmental budget,

-         functioning of the support staff,

-         submission of recommendations concerning the appointment,  and

-         promotion and tenure of faculty.

 

The Chairs shall follow the principles of shared governance outlined in the Preamble of this Plan within their departments.

 

C. The Directors

 

The Directors of separately budgeted and cross-departmental academic programs and centers are administratively responsible for the operation of their programs, and they shall follow the principles of shared governance outlined in the Preamble of this Plan.  Appointment and review procedures are outlined in the Plan of Governance of the appropriate.

    Article III.  The College Advisory Council  

1.      Purpose

 

The purposes of the College Advisory Council are to:

 

1.      advise the Dean on all matters of concern to the College (except those specifically delegated to standing College Committees defined in Article V).  These matters include:

 

a.       policies, including College degree requirements and academic advising;

 

b.      academic planning, to include:

 

(i)      priorities for the College, (ii)    the review of academic programs, unit performance, and unit activities, and (iii)   budget, space, and other resource allocations;

 

c.       the structure and functioning of the College, its departments, and      its other units, including:

 

(i)      the review of all Plans of Organization for academic departments and other units of the College, and (ii)    the review of all proposals which would involve major changes in the structure or functions of the College;

 

2.      be the organization representing the faculty of the College;

 

3.      oversee College elections and referenda, including:

 

a.       setting guidelines and supervising the election of members of the College Advisory Council and of any other elected College bodies,

 

b.      supervising any referenda to be acted on by the members of the College (including the plans of organization of student or staff councils),

 

c.       providing any supervision required by the current Campus Plan of Organization for the election of members of the Campus Senate, and

 

d.      nominating faculty, staff, and student members of the College to serve on the Provost’s committee to select a new Dean or to review the performance of the current Dean prior to consideration of reappointment.

 

4.      advise the Dean on the appointment of and the charge to committees, as specified in Article V, and to approve the membership of such committees; and

 

5.      serve as an appeals body for members of the College, except for appeals on appointment, promotion, and tenure which shall be handled in accordance with Article V, Section C.

 

It is the intent of this Plan that the College Advisory Council will be the center of College governance activities.  With the exception of the four standing committees in Article V, the Council will serve as the body involved in such advisory and decision-making processes.  Reports of ad hoc College committees will be provided to the membership of the College Advisory Council.

 

B.  Membership

 

The College Advisory Council will consist of the following members, each of whom may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms.  Terms will commence at the beginning of the fall semester.

 

1.      Elected Faculty Members.  The full-time faculty of each department shall elect their member(s) of the College Advisory Council as provided by their plan of organization.  These elected members of the Council must be chosen from among those tenured and tenure-track faculty, full-time instructors, and full-time lecturers who do not hold an administrative appointment as chair, as director of a College unit, or at the College or campus level.  Each department is entitled to at least one member.  Departments with more than 15 faculty members are entitled to elect a member of the College Advisory Council for each 15 faculty members, or major fraction thereof, in the department.  The elected members will serve a two-year term unless elected to serve an uncompleted term of another member of the Council.  In departments with more than one member of the Council, the terms should be staggered.

 

2.      Undergraduate Student Member.  The Dean shall appoint one undergraduate student to a one-year term on the Council unless an undergraduate student representative body is organized in accord with Article VI of the Plan, in which case the constituent body will elect the undergraduate student member of the College Advisory Council.

 

3.      Graduate Student Member.  The Dean shall appoint one graduate student to a one-year term on the Council unless a graduate student representative body is organized in accord with Article VI of this Plan, in which case the constituent body will elect the graduate student member of the College Advisory Council.

 

4.      Non-Exempt Staff Member.  The Dean shall appoint one non-exempt staff member to a two-year term on the Council unless a non-exempt staff representative body is organized in accord with Article VI of this Plan, in which case the constituent body will elect the non-exempt staff member of the College Advisory Council.

 

5.      Exempt Staff Member.  The Dean shall appoint one exempt staff member to a two-year term on the Council unless an exempt staff representative body is organized in accord with Article VI of the Plan, in which case the constituent body will elect the exempt staff member of the College Advisory Council.

 

6.      Dean.  The Dean (or in the absence of the Dean, the Dean’s designated representative) shall be an ex officio member of the College Advisory Council without vote.

 

C.  Officers

 

The College Advisory Council shall elect a Chair, a Vice Chair, and a Secretary from among its elected faculty members at the first meeting of a new Council, as soon as possible after the beginning of the fall semester.  These officers will serve for a one-year term and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms.  The elected officers will constitute the Executive Committee of the College Advisory Council.

 

D.  Meetings

 

The College Advisory Council shall meet at least once each semester during the academic year.  The Executive Committee is responsible for calling meetings and for setting the agenda for the meetings of the Council after consultation with the Dean.

 

E.  Subcommittees  

The College Advisory Council may set up a subcommittee to assist in carrying out a mandated function, provided that the chair and the majority of the members of the subcommittee are members of the College Advisory Council.  Any reports from the subcommittee are submitted to the Council and all its members.

    Article IV.  The College Leadership Council  

A.  Membership

 

The Leadership Council consists of the Dean and the Chair of each academic department of the College.

              B.  Functions  

The Leadership Council is advisory to the Dean and provides a forum for the exchange of information and discussion of matters pertinent to the administration of the College as a whole and/or the administration of the departments and other units. The Dean may choose to invite members of the College administration to some or all of the College Leadership Council meetings, and may invite others to such meetings for discussion of particular topics.

              C.  Meetings  

The College Leadership Council meetings are convened by the Dean, who chairs the meetings.  A minimum of three meetings per semester will be held during the academic year. 

 

 

Article V.  College Committees  

In addition to the Executive Committee of the College Advisory Council, specified in Article III, above, the standing committees of the College are:

 

            A.  College Undergraduate Program Committee (CUPC)

            B.  The College Policy, Course and Curriculum Committee

 

C.  The Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee

 

1.      After soliciting from the Chairs nominations of three full professors in each Department, the Dean shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the College Advisory Council, two full professors from each academic department.  The APT committee will elect one member as chair. Faculty members will serve for a maximum of two years.  Terms of members from the same department will be staggered.  No APT committee member from the candidate’s department or who has participated in a lower-level review of a candidate shall have either voice or vote on that candidate, except to respond to a request for information of a general sort relating to that particular field of study. The Dean shall be an ex officio member of the APT committee without vote.

 

2.      The APT committee shall deliberate in confidence and shall then make written recommendations to the Dean on all cases of tenure, promotion, or appointment to the rank of Associate Professor or Professor;

 

The Committee shall meet with the Dean to discuss its written recommendations.

 

3.      When it is necessary in accord with approved campus or College procedures for the College to consider an appeal of an appointment, promotion, or tenure action, the Dean shall appoint an APT Appeals Committee in the same fashion as the regular Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee.  The APT Appeals Committee will elect its own chair, consider the appeal, and make its recommendations in the same fashion as the regular APT committee.

 

4.      Decisions on all cases for awarding the title emeritus or emerita will be made by the Dean on advice from the candidate’s department chair.

 

            D.  Graduate Council

 

            In addition to these standing committees, the Dean may appoint ad hoc College committees.  These committees will be appointed and charged with the advice and consent of the College Advisory Council and may not be charged with responsibilities assigned to the College Advisory Council in Article III or the standing committees in this Article.  The reports of ad hoc College committees shall be provided in a timely manner to the membership of the College Advisory Council.

 

  Article VI.  Student and Staff Councils  

The students and the staff of the College may create democratically organized councils.  The formation of such a council requires approval of a Plan of Organization by referendum of the constituency involved and the approval of the Dean. The purpose of such a council is to convey the interests and concerns of its constituents to the Dean and to the College Advisory Council, and to convey information from the Dean and the Advisory Council to its constituents.

    Article VII.  The Faculty Assembly  

The Faculty Assembly of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences shall consist of all full-time faculty members of the College. The Chair of the College Advisory Council will serve as the chair of all meetings of the Faculty Assembly. A meeting of the Faculty Assembly shall be called by the Chair of the College Advisory Council upon:

 

A.     the vote of a majority of the members of the College Advisory Council,

 

B.     the written petition by 25% of the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the College, or

 

C.     the recommendation of the Dean.

 

The Faculty Assembly may pass recommendations concerning the College and its operations which shall be forwarded to the Dean and, as the Faculty Assembly deems appropriated, the Provost and the President.

    Article VIII.  The College Assembly  

The College Assembly of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences shall consist of all full-time faculty, all others holding faculty rank and title, the staff of the College and all elected members of constituency councils formed under Article VI (or the appointed members of the College Advisory Council if such constituency councils are not formed). The Dean or the Chair of the College Advisory Council will serve as the chair of all meetings of the College Assembly.  A meeting shall also be called by the Dean or the Chair of the College Advisory Council upon:

 

A.     the vote of a majority of the members of the College Advisory Council,

 

B.     the written petition presented to the Chair of the College Advisory Council by 25% of the College faculty, the College staff, and the elected members of the student constituency councils, or

 

C.     the recommendation of the Dean.

 

The College Assembly may pass recommendations concerning the College and its operations which shall be forwarded to the Dean and, as the College Assembly deems appropriate, the Provost and the President.

    Article IX.  Rules of Procedure  

All College councils, assemblies, and standing committees will operate in accord with the current Robert’s Rules of Order.  The quorum will be a majority of the body.  By-laws may be adopted by these bodies upon a three-fourths vote of the body.

    Article X.  Adoption and Amendment of the Plan of Organization  

To be adopted, the Plan of Organization of the College of Chemical and Life Sciences must be submitted to a referendum of the faculty (tenured and tenure-track faculty, full-time lecturers, and full-time instructors) of the College.  Approval of the Plan requires a majority of the votes cast.  Each full-time faculty member defined above must be mailed a copy of the complete Plan during the academic year when classes are in session, and provided with a mail ballot due no earlier than ten days after the mailing.  Mail ballots will be returned to and counted by the Chair of the College Advisory Council and a member of the Dean’s staff.

 

Amendments to the Plan of Organization of the College may be proposed by a:

 

A.     majority vote of the College Advisory Council,

 

B.     petition presented to the chair of the College Advisory Council, signed by 25% of the full-time faculty of the College, or

 

C.     majority vote of a standing committee of the College.

 

Approval of such amendments must be by referendum of the faculty conducted by the College Advisory Committee in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph.