Faculty Assembly Bylaws

The Faculty Assembly of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is established for the purposes of Faculty governance.

1. Educational Policy
   The College of Medicine Faculty Assembly shall be concerned with matters of College educational policy, including curriculum, admissions, degree programs, and certificates. Thisdocument does not govern the curriculum for non-College of Medicine courses for any dual-degree programs.
2. Matter of General Faculty Interest
   The Faculty Assembly shall consider matters within the College of general faculty interest which shall include, but not be limited to, equitable policies on faculty tenure, hiring, and promotion; student affairs; and administrative matters, including College organization.
3. Advisory to the Dean
   The Faculty Assembly and its Committees shall be advisory to the Dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, with the exception of the College of Medicine Curriculum Committee and the College of Medicine Admissions Committee for the Doctor of Medicine degree.

Collectively, the faculty of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine will constitute the College of Medicine Faculty Assembly. The College Faculty Assembly will include all individuals who hold a faculty title with professorial rank, instructors, lecturers, adjuncts, guest faculty, visiting professors, and other instructors whose salary is supported by the College of Medicine. Only those faculty members with tenure, in tenure-earning positions, or in contract positions that are full-time (as defined below), with a primary appointment in the College of Medicine, may vote, hold office, and be elected to serve on committees, except for the College of Medicine Curriculum Committee, College of Medicine Admissions Committee for the Doctor of Medicine degree, the Medical Student Promotions and Professional Standards Committee (MSPPSC), and the subcommittee named the Committee of Appointments and Promotion (CAP) of the Promotion and Tenure committee, on which FAU College of Medicine affiliate faculty may serve as appointed members.

Nonvoting Members

All faculty holding decanal titles and departmental chairs shall be ex-officio, non-voting members. Faculty on leave of absence will be considered non-voting members of the Faculty Assembly.

Full-Time Faculty

For purposes of LCME accreditation and reporting, full-time status referred to herein shall mean .5 FTE or greater. This classification shall not affect the University’s determination of full-time, which shall remain 1.0 FTE.

The officers of the Faculty Assembly shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair, and a Secretary.

1. Officers
   Officers shall be members of the Faculty Assembly (excluding faculty with decanaltitles and Departmental Chairs).
   
   1. The Chair
      1. The Chair shall call all meetings of the Faculty Assembly.
      2. The Chair shall preside over meetings of the Faculty Assembly.
      3. The Chair shall represent the Faculty Assembly at meetings of the College's Expanded Executive Leadership Team.
      4. The Chair shall represent the Faculty Assembly as a whole to the Dean and other College administrators.
      5. The Chair shall serve as one of the College Representatives to the University Faculty Senate.
      6. The Chair shall remind all departments to elect representatives to committees ofthe Faculty Assembly in March.
      7. The Chair shall appoint someone to act as official parliamentarian at all Assembly meetings.
      8. The Chair shall distribute to each Faculty Assembly member a meeting notice and anagenda prior to each meeting of the Faculty Assembly, as described below.
      9. The Chair shall prepare and distribute ballots, paper or electronic, to all voting members for the election of officers.
      10. The chair shall conduct all Faculty Assembly meetings in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
   2. The Vice-Chair
      1. The Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair.
      2. The Vice-Chair shall consult and coordinate with the Chairs of Standing and Special Committees on a regular basis.
   3. The Secretary
      The Secretary shall be responsible for the following and for such other duties that are appropriate to the office:
      1. Minutes: The Secretary shall record and transcribe minutes for all meetings of the Faculty Assembly, record motions, actions, and decisions (according to Robert's Rules of Order), as well as attendance at Faculty Assembly meetings, and distribute copies of the minutes of the meetings of the Faculty Assembly to each member with the agenda for the next meeting.
      2. The Secretary shall coordinate and oversee the election of the College of Medicine members to the University Faculty Senate.
      3. The Secretary shall maintain records of the Faculty Assembly.
2. Term of Office
   Officers shall serve two-year terms beginning with the fall semester and ending at theconclusion of the summer term. Officers remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election with a maximum of three consecutive terms or six years. Following an absence ofone term, officers are eligible to serve if elected.
3. Nomination and Election
   1. Nomination
      The Chair shall call for nominations electronically prior to the meeting, from the floor, or by paper ballot for each office at the last meeting of the spring semester. Once the nomination is closed, no further nominations will be accepted.
   2. Election
      1. The Secretary shall distribute a ballot, paper or electronic, to each voting member within one week of the nominations.
      2. A teller committee composed of one voting member selected by each candidate shall count the ballots or verify the electronic ballots.
      3. Election shall be by majority vote of the valid ballots returned.
      4. The Chair shall be elected first, followed by the Vice-Chair and then the Secretary.

1. The Agenda
   
   1. Meeting Notice and Agenda
      Notice of a Faculty Assembly meeting shall be delivered to each member at least two weeks prior to the meeting, and the agenda at least three working days in advance of the meeting. Such notice and agenda may be provided electronically to each member's official FAU email address.
   2. Submission of Items
      Members of the Faculty may submit agenda items to the Secretary for the consideration by the Faculty Assembly Executive Committee (FAX Committee). Proposed agenda items should be submitted to the FAX Committee in advance of the FAX Committee meeting at which the agenda for the Faculty Assembly meeting is set (normally two to three weeks before the Faculty Assembly meeting).
   3. Items by Petition
      If at least thirty percent of the voting members submit an agenda item by petition, the Chair must include it on the Faculty Assembly agenda for the next meeting. Such agenda items should be submitted to the FAX Committee in advance of the FAX Committee meeting at which the agenda for the Faculty Assembly meeting is set (normally two to three weeks before the Faculty Assembly meeting).
   4. Items Added from the Floor
      Items added to the Faculty Assembly agenda from the floor may not be acted upon until the next Faculty Assembly meeting.
2. The Order of Business
   The FAX Committee shall determine the order of business for each Faculty Assembly meeting when preparing the agenda. In addition to items requiring decision, the agenda for regular meetings shall normally include Announcements and Open Discussion.

1. Regular Meetings
   The Faculty Assembly shall hold at least one meeting each year, typically in the Fall.
2. Reports
   The annual meeting will include reports from Committees as requested by the FAX Committee.
3. Special Meetings
   The Chair shall call special meetings when needed, or when thirty percent of voting members petition to have one, or upon the request of the Dean.
4. Quorum
   The quorum for a Faculty Assembly meeting shall be forty percent of the faculty eligible to vote.
5. College-Wide Vote
   A motion before the Faculty Assembly may be decided by ballot, paper or electronic, or a verbal or "show of hands" vote, subject to the following conditions:
   
   1. Motion for ballot
      Any main motion will be decided by electronic or paper ballot when four (4) or more members at the meeting request it.
   2. Summary
      The Chair shall appoint two members to provide a summary of the arguments, pro and con, to accompany the ballot.
   3. Ballots
      Voting shall be by electronic or paper ballot which shall be distributed by the Secretary to the voting members no later than four weeks after the discussion. The motion will pass after approval by a majority of those who return valid ballots, providing at least 40 percent of the voting members have returned valid ballots. A vote may take place at a meeting where a motion is made and approved, with such vote subject to the terms of the motion.

Section 1. General Requirements

All existing Committees, and future committees, of the Faculty Assembly of the College of Medicine shall be subject to the following:

1. Quorum
   A simple majority of the voting members of the standing committees, unless otherwise stipulated, shall constitute a quorum.
2. Announcement and Agenda
   All Committees shall strive to hold meetings when all members can attend. Notice of meetings and their agenda shall be announced to all Committee members no less than five days before a meeting. In the event of the necessity for an "emergency" meeting, the agenda will be communicated electronically 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice and agendas maybe provided electronically.
3. Minutes
   Committees shall keep minutes and forward those as requested by the FAX Committee to the Vice-Chair of the Faculty Assembly.
4. Reports
   Each Committee shall report to the Faculty Assembly as requested by the FAX Committee, according to Article VI, B above.
5. Representation
   The Biomedical Science Department and the Clinical Science Departments shall be entitled to have elected representatives, provided each department has members that meet the eligibility requirements for each standing committee. If a department does not have a sufficient number of eligible faculty to serve on a standing committee, eligible faculty members may be nominated and elected from other College departments. Members representing Departments shall be responsible for carrying forward the viewpoints of all Department members and shall keep Department members informed of Committee business.
6. Administration Membership
   Decanal faculty and Departmental Chairs may serve ex-officio, without voting, on Committees as assigned by the Dean.
7. Student Service on Committees
   Students who serve on Committees must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing.
8. Other Ex-Officio Members
   Ex-officio members, non-voting, may be added to Committees at the discretion of the Faculty Assembly or the Dean. Decanal faculty and departmental chairs, if elected by the faculty at large, may serve as voting members on the College of Medicine Curriculum Committee (COMCC), the Curriculum Integration and Program Evaluation Subcommittee (CIPEC) and the Medical Student Promotions and Professional Standards Committee (MSPPSC).
9. Committee Member Performance and Responsibility
   If a Committee member is not meeting the performance standards of such Committee, then such member shall be subject to removal from the Committee, based upon the decision of the Committee Chair in consultation with the Dean.

Section 2. Standing Committees

1. Requirements
   Unless stipulated otherwise under the requirements for a specific Committee, the following requirements apply to all Standing Committees.
   1. Membership
      Membership for each of the Standing Committees is specified below.
   2. Date for Election to Membership
      All Departments and other programs, where appropriate, shall nominate and vote for the election of their Committee representatives in March.
   3. Terms
      New members shall attend meetings of the Committee in March through June and in July shall assume “official” membership and serve two-year terms. Members remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election with a maximum of three consecutive terms or six years, except in situations when there are insufficient numbers of eligible faculty per department to serve then term limits will be suspended. Following an absence of one term, members are eligible to serve if re-elected. For all new committees, initial terms of appointment shall be staggered such that one-half of the Committee shall be appointed for a one-year term, and one-half of the committee shall be appointed for a two-year term. At the termination of each of these appointments, all ensuing appointments shall revert to two-year appointments.
   4. Vacancies
      In the event of a vacancy on a Committee, the Chair of the affected Committee, will ask the corresponding Biomedical science Departmental Chair or Clinical science Departmental Chairs to identify nominees eligible to serve on the Committee. In the absence of eligible faculty members, eligible faculty members may be nominated and elected from one of the other College departments. Eligible voting members of the department shall elect from the slate of Chair-identified nominees a replacement to serve immediately to the end of the current term. In the event the remaining term is less than one year, that person will be eligible to stand for election to another term.
   5. Meetings
      Committees shall meet regularly, as necessary, but at least once each fall and spring semester. Dates of meetings should be announced to all members well in advance of such meetings.
   6. Committee Officers
      Each Standing Committee shall elect a Chair and other officers (Vice Chair and/or Secretary) who shall each serve two years. Such officers remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election or re-appointment, except as otherwise described under the "Terms" section II, A3.
      
      1. The Chair
         The elected Chair of Standing Committees shall serve as a voting member of such committee, and shall:
         
         1. preside at Committee meetings
         2. solicit agenda items, then prepare and distribute the agenda
         3. communicate with the Vice-Chair of the Faculty Assembly as requested by the FAX Committee
         4. serve on corresponding University Committees during his/her service, if approved by the Dean and the University and if consistent with University practice.
         5. If the Chair is unable to fulfill his/her duties as chair, the Committee may elect a replacement from among the Committee members.
      2. Vice-Chair
         1. The Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair.
         2. The Vice-Chair shall consult and coordinate with the Chair of Standing Committee on a regular basis.
      3. The Secretary
         The Secretary of each Standing Committee shall:
         
         1. take minutes, present them to such Committee for adoption at its next scheduled meeting and distribute them to each member of the Committee, the Vice Chair of the Faculty Assembly, the Dean of the College of Medicine, and others when appropriate;
         2. pass all minutes and all Committee data to the newly elected Secretary at the first meeting of the Committee in the fall. Note: Administrative staff shall carry out the functions described in #1 & #2 in the following committees: COMCC, CIPEC, College of Medicine Admissions Committee for the Doctor of Medicine degree, and MSPPSC.
   7. Administrative Titles
      Recognizing that from time to time, administrative titles may change, all administrative titles delineated in this document shall reflect such changes, and shall not require a vote by the members of the Faculty Assembly.
   8. Committee reports
      The chairs of the Standing Committees shall provide to the Faculty Assembly one annual Committee report which shall summarize the activity of such Committee over the prior period.
   9. Nominations and election of Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary where specified, shall be from the floor, or by electronic or paper ballot at the last meeting of the Spring Semester.
   10. Voting Procedure in Case of a Tie
       In the event of a tie vote, the Dean shall cast the deciding vote.
2. The Committees
   The following Standing Committees are established.
   
   1. The Faculty Assembly Executive Committee (FAX Committee)
      The structure and responsibilities of the FAX Committee shall include the following:
      
      1. Membership
         The membership of this Committee shall be comprised of the Chair, the Vice-Chair, the Secretary of the Faculty Assembly and four College representatives to the University Faculty Senate (see Article VIII, below). The Chair of the FAX Committee will serve as a fifth representative to the Faculty Senate. The membership of the FAX Committee and the four Faculty Senators shall be voted on every two years, with two faculty members from the Department of Biomedical Science and two faculty members from the Clinical Science Departments serving as University Faculty Senators. Chairs of Standing Committees may be invited as necessary to attend FAX Committee meetings, but they cannot vote. The responsibilities of the FAX Committee shall include the following:
         
         1. Agenda
            The Committee shall set the agenda for Faculty Assembly meetings.
         2. Elections
            The Committee shall issue calls for nominations and prepare ballots, paper or electronic, for College-wide elections.
         3. Advisory to the Dean
            The Committee shall communicate to the Dean the views and/or concerns of the Faculty Assembly.
         4. Advisory to the Faculty Assembly
            The Committee shall initiate, discuss, evaluate, and recommend short and long- range plans and policies for the College to the Faculty Assembly.
         5. Committee Officers
            The Chair and the Secretary of the Faculty Assembly shall serve as the Chair and Secretary for this Committee.
         6. Quorum
            A quorum for this Committee shall consist of four members.
         7. Frequency of Meetings
            Meetings should occur at least 2-3 weeks before the meeting of the Faculty Assembly, or when deemed necessary, or at the request of the Dean. The FAX Committee shall meet with the Dean upon request.
   2. The College of Medicine Graduate Programs Committee
      The structure and responsibilities of the College of Medicine Graduate Programs Committee shall include the following:
      
      1. Membership
         Membership to this committee will consist of 4 representatives from the Biomedical Science Department and 3 from the Clinical Science Departments to reflect the proportional distribution of primary appointments and annual responsibilities of faculty membership. Eligibility will be determined based on a number of factors evidencing active involvement in graduate programs including annual assignment in teaching graduate course(s) or active role in graduate student mentors. In the future, the number of representatives may be adjusted based on establishment of new departments and addition of new faculty eligible for participating in graduate programs. Members must meet the definition of “Graduate Faculty,” as defined in the Graduate College Governance Document (April 30 2021) which at a minimum requires:
         
         Members must hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above (clinical, research or scientist/faculty). Members must be actively involved in graduate teaching or graduate mentoring.
         
         Members must hold a graduate teaching assignment in AOR from their Department Chair that is non-zero.
         
         The Senior Associate Dean for Research shall serve as a non-voting ex officio member of the Committee. The Committee shall also elect a Secretary.
         
         Elected members shall serve a two-year term. Members remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election, as described under the "Terms" Section II, A3.
      2. Approval of Courses and Programs
         1. The Committee shall review and report to the Faculty Assembly recommended changes to the graduate programs including new courses. This Committee should encourage new course development and provide feedback and guidance to faculty members who propose new courses.
         2. Recommendations for changes in the Integrative Biology Curriculum for the doctoral degree shall be made and considered in accordance with policies established by the Department of Biological Sciences in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science.
      3. Communication of Recommendations
         The Committee shall communicate its recommendations in writing to the Dean or the Faculty Assembly, and the Department initiating a proposal for a new course or program within two weeks of its review.
      4. Development of Policies and Procedures for graduate programs
         The Committee shall review and recommend to the Dean and to the Faculty Assembly policies and procedures related to:
         
         1. Academic standards
         2. Admissions
      5. Representation on Integrative Biology Admissions Committee
         This Committee shall elect a member from its membership to serve as the College representative on the Admissions Committee of the Integrative Biology Ph.D. Program, subject to approval by the Dean and by the University.
      6. Act as the Admissions Committee for the Master's Program in Biomedical Science
         This Committee will review all applicants to the Master's Program in Biomedical Science and make recommendations to the Dean of the College of Medicine.
      7. Awarding of Teaching Assistantships (TA) and Research Assistantships (RA)
         The Committee will recommend the award of College TAs and RAs to qualified students to the Dean of the College of Medicine. The Committee will advise the Dean and faculty in advance when TA or RA openings become available. The award of TAs and RAs remains subject to College of Medicine and University policies.
      8. Graduate Student Petitions
         The Committee shall review and recommend to the Dean approval or, for cause, disapproval of graduate student petitions.
      9. Representation to Graduate Council
         The Chair of the Graduate Programs Committee will serve as a College of Medicine representative to the University Graduate Council, subject to approval by the Dean and by the University.
   3. The Research Committee
      The structure and responsibilities of the Research Committee shall include the following:
      
      1. Membership
         Membership to this committee will consist of 4 representatives from the Biomedical Science Department and 3 from the Clinical Science Departments to reflect the proportional distribution of primary appointments and annual responsibilities of faculty members. Eligibility will be determined based on a number of factors including minimum annual research assignment >10% or demonstrating research activity and productivity in the form of 3 peer-reviewed publications over the past 5 years and/or research mentored at least 3 graduate, undergraduate, medical scholar trainees or post- doctoral fellows/ associates during the last five years. In the future, number of representatives may be adjusted based on establishment of new departments.
         
         The Senior Associate Dean for Research shall serve as an ex officio non-voting member of the committee. The Committee shall also elect a Secretary.
         
         Elected members shall serve a two-year term. Members remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election, as described under the “Terms” section II, A3.
      2. Responsibilities
         Responsibilities of the Committee shall include the review of policies regarding budget allocations, including allocations for equipment and infrastructure. The Committee will make recommendations to the Dean.
      3. Communication of Recommendations
         The Committee shall communicate its recommendations in writing to the Dean and the Faculty Assembly.
   4. The Research and Scholarship Committee
      1. Mission
         The mission of FAUCOM RSC is to assist with the development and implementation of resources to enhance trainee (medical student, resident, fellow) participation in research and other scholarly activities as a whole. The Committee will make resource recommendations to the Dean, UME curricular recommendations to the COMCC, and GME curricular recommendations to the GMEC.
      2. Membership
         The Biomedical Science Department shall be entitled to three representatives and the Clinical Science Departments shall be entitled to three representatives collectively, with the goal of equal representation on the Committee. Faculty composition should ideally represent both UME and GME. In the future, number of representatives may be adjusted based on establishment of new departments. Research and Scholarship Committee members may have attained an M.D., D.O., or a PhD in a basic science or social/behavioral science discipline.
         
         Eligibility will be determined based on a number of factors including minimum annual research assignment >10% or demonstrating research activity and productivity in the form of 3 peer-reviewed publications over the past 5 years and/or research mentored at least 3 graduate, undergraduate, medical scholar trainees or post-doctoral fellows/ associates during the last five years.
         
         The Senior Associate Dean for Research (or designee) shall serve as a permanent ex officio non-voting member of the committee. Appointed members will include Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives, Director of Student Affairs, Director of GME (or designee) Director of the Office of Program Evaluation and Assessment, Director of the Lifelong Learning and Discovery Thread, and a GME research representative. Trainees (i.e., 2 medical students representing M1-M4 in good academic standing, 2 residents and 1 fellow) shall serve as advisory, non-voting members. The Committee may invite others to attend its meetings as necessary or appropriate. The Office of Research shall provide secretarial and other administrative support services for the committee.
      3. Governance and Elections
         Initial terms of appointment shall be staggered such that one-half of the Committee shall be appointed for a one-year term, and one-half of the committee shall be appointed for a two-year term. At the termination of each of these appointments, all ensuing appointments shall revert to two-year appointments. New members shall serve a two-year term upon election. Members remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election or re-appointment with a maximum of 3 consecutive terms or 6-years. Following an absence of one term, officers are eligible to serve if elected. Elections shall be held annually. Nominations can be self-nominations.
      4. Meetings
         Meetings shall occur monthly at a date that is decided by consensus of the members. Roberts Rules of Order shall be acceptable as a parliamentary guide in the deliberations of the organization. All faculty and staff members must commit to attending at least 60% of all meetings over the period of one year and contribute to the work of the committee. If an elected committee member is unable for any reason to fulfill their duties, including failing to attend at least 60% of regularly scheduled committee meetings, the UME and GME Chairs of the Research and Scholarship Committee in consultation with the Dean may call the committee's voting members to vote on whether such a committee member should be dismissed.
      5. Communication of Recommendations
         The Committee shall communicate its recommendations in writing to the Dean, the COMCC, and the GMEC, as applicable, and the Faculty Assembly.
      6. Committee Officers
         The Committee shall elect two Chairs, one from the Biomedical Science Department and one from the Clinical Science Departments who shall serve two years. Such officers remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election or re- appointment, as described under the "Terms" section II, A3.
   5. The College Promotion and Tenure Committee
      The structure and responsibilities of the College Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be as follows:
      
      1. Membership
         Only full-time faculty who are Associate Professors or full Professors shall serve on the College Promotion and Tenure Committee. The Biomedical Science Department shall be entitled to four representatives and the Clinical Science Departments shall be entitled to four representatives collectively, with the goal of equal representation on the Committee.
         
         In situations where a member of a Clinical Department of a specific discipline will be discussed, a representative from the Clinical Department may be added as an ad hoc member. Departments should select tenured faculty for committee membership when possible, with a goal of at least three tenured professors from the BMS and Clinical Science Departments, with these six members designated as “Tenure Voters”. Additional non-tenured members are eligible to vote on decisions of promotion but may not vote on decisions regarding tenure.
         
         In the event that the numbers of eligible tenured faculty in the department decreases, thereby affecting the number of eligible committee members as described above, additional Committee members may be added using one of the following methods, subject to the approval of the Dean of the College of Medicine and the Provost:
         1. If a department does not have a sufficient number of eligible tenured faculty to serve on the committee, one or more non-tenured professors may serve and vote on decisions regarding promotion, but may not vote on decisions regarding tenure (fewer than 6 Tenure Voters on the committee).
         2. If a department does not have a sufficient number of eligible tenured faculty to serve on the committee, one or more tenured faculty members may be nominated and elected from other College departments.
         3. If a department does not have a sufficient number of eligible tenured faculty to serve on the committee, one or more tenured faculty members may be recruited, nominated and elected from another FAU College.
         
         When an additional tenured committee member is needed as described above, the Chair of the Promotion and Tenure Committee will consult with the Chair of the department affected (who may consult with the Dean), who will then contact the Chair of the other COM departments, or the Chair of a comparable department in another FAU College, to solicit nominations of tenured faculty to serve on the committee. The affected department will then vote to confirm the Committee membership.
      2. Applications for Consideration
         The Committee shall consider faculty portfolios and recommendations from the Departmental Promotion and Tenure Committees and the Department Chairs shall forward its final numerical vote according to University guidelines to the Dean. Any discussion or comments regarding the case under review will be held strictly confidential.
         
         Following Departmental review and recommendation, the Committee will also review the curriculum vitae of new faculty who are offered “tenure as a condition of employment” to ensure they meet established criteria for tenure according to College and Universities guidelines. Following review, the Committee will forward its recommendations to the Dean.
      3. Voting
         The Chair shall make every effort to schedule meetings so that all members can be present. All eight members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee, including the Chair, will vote on promotions of non-tenure track faculty. Members who vote on promotions of tenure track faculty to Associate Professor or Full Professor shall be at equal or greater rank than the promotion applied for and members who vote on tenure decisions of tenure track faculty to Associate Professor or Full Professor must be tenured.
      4. Representation to University Committee
         The Chair of the Promotions and Tenure Committee will serve as the College of Medicine representative to the corresponding University Committee, subject to approval by the Dean and the University. In the event the Chair is unable to serve, the Vice Chair will serve as the College representative, subject to approval by the Dean and the University.
      5. Development of Policies and Procedures
         The Committee shall recommend to the Faculty Assembly general policies and procedures affecting promotion and tenure. Except as required by University guidelines, the Committee shall keep no minutes of its deliberations on promotion or tenure cases. The Committee shall keep and publicize minutes of its discussions on other issues.
      6. Election of Officers
         All members of the Committee must be in attendance at meetings or cast their vote electronically.
      7. Departmental Promotion and Tenure Committees
         The Biomedical Science and Clinical Science Departments shall establish departmental bylaws, criteria, or other documents covering Promotion and Tenure policies and procedures and shall establish Departmental Promotion and Tenure Committees, consisting of the tenured faculty to review and vote on tenure cases, and the eligible department faculty to review and vote on promotion cases. The Departmental Promotion and Tenure Committees shall evaluate faculty according to the candidate’s departmental criteria for promotion and/or tenure. The College of Medicine Unified Guidelines for Promotion and Tenure of Faculty and the Clinical Science Departments' guidelines for Appointment and Promotion of Clinical Affiliate and Affiliate Faculty.
         
         Faculty who serve on the College Promotion and Tenure Committee shall not be eligible to vote at the departmental level. Following departmental review and voting, the Chair of the Department shall provide an independent evaluation of the candidate via Interfolio. The Departmental and Chair recommendations shall then be considered by the College Promotion and Tenure Committee during review of the candidate’s e- Portfolio. The College Promotion and Tenure Committee will forward its voting results and recommendations to the Dean via Interfolio, who shall then provide his/her own evaluation before submitting the faculty member’s e-Portfolio to the Provost and Chief Academic Officer (for cases that do not involve tenured or tenure track faculty) or the University Promotion and Tenure Committee (for cases that involve review of tenured or tenure-track faculty). The College Promotion and Tenure Criteria shall guide promotion and tenure actions for the College Promotion and Tenure Committee.
   6. The College of Medicine Sustained Performance Evaluation (SPE) Committee
      In response to the Provost's instructions (see  performance Evaluation Policy Committee (COMSPEPC)" was established and reported out its recommendations, subsequently approved by the eligible voting members of the Faculty Assembly, on Jan 31, 2017. The Committee recommended the establishment of two separate department SPE Committees, representing the Biomedical Sciences Department and the collective Clinical Sciences Departments.
      
      The SPE process is separate and distinct from annual and other employee evaluations in that the evaluation will focus on long-term accomplishments over a period of multiple years. Most importantly, the SPE process has been designed to uphold the University’s fundamental principles of tenure, academic freedom, due process, and confidentiality in personnel matters.
      1. Membership of Department SPE Committees
         The Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Science Departments SPE Committees shall consist of Associate or Full tenured Professors. The Committees shall be composed of at least three faculty members. In all cases, any person with a plausible, perceived conflict of interest in evaluating a particular faculty member cannot serve on the Department Peer SPE Committee in the year of that faculty member’s SPE.
      2. Date for Election to Membership
         The Departments shall ordinarily elect their Committee representatives in the latter part of the spring semester.
      3. Terms
         Initial terms of appointment shall be staggered such that one-half of the Committee shall be appointed for a one-year term, and one-half of the committee shall be appointed for a two-year term. At the termination of each of these appointments, all ensuing appointments shall revert to two-year appointments. New members shall serve a two-year term upon election. Members remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election or re-appointment.
      4. Vacancies
         In the event of a vacancy on a Committee, the Chair of the affected Committee, will ask the Departmental Chairs to identify nominees eligible to serve on the Committee. Eligible voting members of the department shall elect from the slate of Chair- identified nominees a replacement to serve immediately to the end of the current term. In the event the remaining term is less than one year, that person will be eligible to stand for election to another term.
      5. Meetings
         The Committee shall meet regularly, as necessary, as required by the specific language in the enabling Policy. Dates of meetings should be announced to all members well in advance of such meetings.
      6. Committee Officers
         The Committee shall elect a Chair who shall serve two years and a Secretary who shall serve one year. Such officers remain eligible to serve subsequent terms upon re-election or re- appointment, except as otherwise described under the “Terms” section II, A3.
      7. The Chair
         The Chair of the Committee shall be elected by the Committee membership, shall serve as a voting member of such committee, and shall:
         
         1. Preside at Committee meetings.
         2. Solicit from the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and the respective Department Chairs named above, the names of candidates scheduled to undergo review, then prepare and distribute the agenda.
         3. If the Chair is unable to fulfill his/her duties as chair, the Vice-Chair may preside at Committee meetings.
      8. Department SPE Committee Deliberations
         The department committees shall conduct their deliberations in accordance with the College SPE Guidelines (see https://www.fau.edu/medicine/faculty-staff/policies/). In particular, these committees shall review each SPE file in light of the department’s published performance expectations (see https://www.fau.edu/medicine/faculty-staff/policies/), and assess whether those expectations have been met.
      9. Establishment of a permanent College of Medicine Ad Hoc Sustained Performance Evaluation Policy Committee (COMSPEPC).
         The previously established ad hoc COMSPEPC shall be established as a permanent committee of the faculty to meet as needed. The membership shall be established as 6 tenured Associate or Full Professors, three each from the Biomedical Science Department and the Clinical Science Departments collectively.
         
         The Committee shall review and evaluate current SPE policy guidelines and make recommendations for updating current policy as required by future instructions from the Office of the Provost.
   7. The College of Medicine Curriculum Committee (COMCC)
      The Curriculum Committee is charged with the full and absolute responsibility for the continuous quality improvement (CQI) process including reviewing, evaluating, and making policy for the medical education program as a whole, including curricular content, design and development, methods of pedagogy, methods of student assessment, and setting standards for student academic and professional achievement, based on the medical education mission and resources of the College of Medicine. The Committee shall regularly review all aspects of the educational program leading to the MD degree and make revisions when deemed necessary. The Committee shall typically meet monthly and provide the Dean with appropriate updates, reports and evaluations.
      
      1. Membership
         The voting membership of the COMCC shall consist of nineteen (19) appointed members and eight (8) elected members: 1) the Lead Basic Science Course Director; 2) the Lead Clinical Science Course Director; 3) three (3) elected Course Directors; 4) the Associate Director of Year 3; 5) the Associate Director of Year 4; 6) three (3) elected Clerkship Directors; 7) all Curriculum Thread Directors; 8) the Chairs of the Learning Resources subcommittee and the Curriculum Integration and Program Evaluation subcommittee; and 9) one (1) elected student each from each class year; 10) the ICA Director; 11) Director of Program Evaluation and Assessment; 12) one representative from each of the areas of Educational Technology, Simulation Center, and the Library, and; 13) two (2) additional elected faculty members that meet the eligibility requirements from the Biomedical Science Department and the Clinical Science Departments with the goal of equal representation, excluding faculty members holding decanal titles and departmental chairs. Eligibility requirements for elected members include 1) having graduated from an accredited medical school, or 2) serving/having served as a course/clerkship/curriculum/thread director, program director, assistant program director or having fulfilled a cumulative teaching commitment of 10% in medical education over the two-years prior to the election. If a voting member of the COMCC serves in more than one of the forgoing positions such member shall be limited to one vote on the committee and shall be counted as one person for purposes of determining quorum. The Associate Dean for Medical Education, the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions, the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions, the Assistant Dean for Pre- Clinical Curriculum, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, shall be permanent ex officio non-voting members of the Committee. Elected faculty and staff shall serve for two (2) year terms with elections held by the end of the academic year. The terms of service for initially elected faculty members under item 12 above will be staggered so that one faculty member will serve an initial term of 2 years, while the other faculty member will serve for 1 year, with elections thereafter every 2 years. Elected students will serve for four-year terms. If an elected faculty member, staff or student is unable for any reason to fulfill his/her duties, including failing to attend at least 60% of regularly scheduled committee meetings, the Chair of the COMCC may call a vote of the committee’s voting members to vote on whether such committee member should be dismissed. Any vacancies shall be filled in accordance with the process described under Article VII, Section (2) (A) (4) on Vacancies.
         
         A faculty Vice Chair shall be elected by the COMCC and shall serve as Vice Chair and Chair-elect for a two-year term, after which he/she shall become Chair for a two- year term. In the event that the Vice Chair is unable to assume the role of Chair after his/her term as Vice Chair, another faculty
         
         Chair will be elected by the COMCC members for a two-year term. Members serving as Vice Chair or Chair may not hold decanal titles or be departmental chairs.
      2. COMCC Subcommittees.
         There shall be two Subcommittees of the COMCC, and other ad hoc working groups as needed for curriculum development. The Chair for each of the Subcommittees shall be elected by the members of the respective subcommittee.
         
         1. The Learning Resources Subcommittee shall work in collaboration with the library, FAU Office of Information Technology, College of Medicine Information Technology, faculty and staff to provide direct input and feedback on library collections, services, and policies and shall facilitate the development and implementation of a vision for effective utilization of technology in teaching, learning and scholarship among the faculty, students, administration, and staff. The voting membership of the Learning Resources Subcommittee shall be comprised of the College of Medicine librarian(s), the College of Medicine representative to the FAU Office of Information Technology Advisory Committee, the College of Medicine Director for Health Information Technology, Manager of Educational Technology, one M1/M2 course director, one M3/M4 clerkship director, and one elected IT/learning resources student representative from each class. The Associate Dean for Medical Education (or designee), Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions, Assistant Dean for Pre-Clinical Curriculum, and Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum shall be permanent ex officio non-voting members of this committee. The Chair of the Learning Resources Subcommittee shall be elected by the voting members of the subcommittee.
         2. The Curriculum Integration and Program Evaluation Subcommittee (CIPEC) shall facilitate the review of the curriculum as a whole, including 1) monitoring curriculum content to identify gaps, redundancies, and appropriate sequencing, 2) ensuring integration of content within periods of study (horizontal integration) and across years (vertical integration), 3) monitoring student learning outcomes and approaches to student assessment, and 4) monitoring program evaluation data. CIPEC shall typically meet monthly and will report to the COMCC and make proposals with regard to these matters. The voting membership shall be comprised of all appointed members: 1) The Chair and Vice Chair of the COMCC; 2) All Course Directors for Years 1 and 2; 3) All Core Clerkship Directors for Year 3; 4) The Lead Basic Science Course Director; 5) The Lead Clinical Science Course Director; 6) The ICA Director; 7) The Director of Program Evaluation and Assessment; 8) The Associate Director of Year 3; 9) The Associate Director of Year 4 ; 10) All Curriculum Thread Directors; 11) One student elected from each class year, and; 12) One faculty member from the Simulation Center. If a voting member of CIPEC serves in more than one of the forgoing positions such member shall be limited to one vote on CIPEC and shall be counted as one person for purposes of determining quorum. The Associate Dean for Medical Education, the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions, the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions, the Assistant Dean for Pre-Clinical Curriculum, the Assistant Dean for Clinical Curriculum, and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs shall be permanent ex officio non-voting members. Any faculty members involved in the medical education program may attend as a non-voting guest.
            
            A Vice Chair shall be elected by the CIPEC and shall serve as Vice Chair and Chair-elect for a two-year term, after which he/she shall become Chair for a two- year term. In the event that the Vice Chair is unable to assume the role of Chair after his/her term as Vice Chair, another faculty Chair will be elected by the CIPEC members for a two-year term. Members serving as Vice Chair or Chair may not hold decanal titles or be departmental chairs.
   8. The Medical Student Promotions and Professional Standards Committee (MSPPSC)
      The Medical Student Promotions and Professional Standards Committee is charged with the responsibility of reviewing the total performance of all medical students and shall make determinations in regards to student standing, advancement, graduation, and disciplinary action including dismissal. Performance in all FAU MD Educational Program Goals and Physician Competency Reference Set (PCRS) competencies will be used to determine advancement and graduation. These competencies will be evaluated by a variety of measures in all clinical and academic settings of the University.
      
      1. Membership
         The MSPPSC is composed of four (4) appointed and six (6) elected for a total of ten (10) voting faculty members, including the MSPPSC chair. The following four (4) members representing curriculum leadership are appointed: 1) the Lead Basic Science Course Director; 2) the Lead Clinical Science Course Director; 3) the Associate Director of Year 3; 4) the Associate Director of Year 4. The remaining six (6) eligible faculty members are elected from the Biomedical Science Department and the Clinical Science Departments with the goal of (3) from the Biomedical Science Department and (3) from the Clinical Science Departments.
         
         Eligibility requirements for elected members include 1) having graduated from an accredited medical school, or 2) serving/have served as a course/clerkship/curriculum/thread director, program director, assistant program director or having fulfilled a cumulative teaching commitment of 10% in medical education over the two-years prior to the election. The following individuals serve ex officio without vote on the MSPPSC: the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions; the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs; Director of Student Success Services; and; One (1) designated staff member who serves as secretary to the MSPPSC.
         
         The University General Counsel (or designee) will attend meetings and/or be available to advise the committee as necessary. The MSPPSC may invite others to attend its meetings as necessary or appropriate.
      2. Appeals Process
         In the event of any adverse decision by the Committee, an affected student has the right to an appeal process as described in the College of Medicine Student Handbook.
   9. The College of Medicine Admissions Committee
      The College of Medicine Admissions Committee for the MD Program is charged with the full and absolute responsibility of admitting medical students to the College of Medicine.
      
      Candidates shall be selected based upon their academic, experiential, and personal qualities. Admission decisions shall not be influenced by any political or financial factors. Members of the Admissions Committee may or may not conduct interviews of candidates, but they are required to review all application materials including the application appraisal report and interview report in order to cast their ballot. All members of the Committee must attend an orientation session each year at the beginning of the admissions cycle, as well as an end-of- cycle admission review meeting.
      1. Membership
         The Admissions Committee shall consist of eleven (11) appointed and four (4) elected for a total of fifteen (15) members. The majority of voting members on the Committee shall be faculty from the College of Medicine (not at the decanal level), and the remaining members will include affiliate faculty holding a College of Medicine appointment (not at the decanal level), and three (3) medical students in good academic standing. All members of the Admissions Committee must undergo Florida Atlantic University’s FERPA training and execute the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Confidentiality Agreement.
         
         Four (4) of the Committee’s eligible faculty members shall be elected with the goal of (2) from the Biomedical Science Department and (2) from the Clinical Science Departments, and the rest of the faculty members shall be appointed by the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions or the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions in consultation with the Dean of the College of Medicine. Eligibility requirements for elected members include 1) having graduated from an accredited medical school, or 2) serving/have served as a course/clerkship/curriculum/thread director, program director, assistant program director or having fulfilled a minimum teaching commitment of 10% in medical education in the two-years prior to the election and having fulfilled the minimum required medical student application reviews for a single admissions cycle within two-years prior to the election. Elected faculty shall serve for two (2) year terms, with elections held at the end of the academic year. The term of service for initially elected faculty members will be staggered so that three (3) elected faculty members will serve an initial term of two (2) years, while the other two (2) elected faculty will serve an initial term of 1 year, with elections occurring every year thereafter. Appointed faculty shall serve for two (2) year terms. Students serving on the Committee shall serve one (1) year terms. All members of the Committee (except the student members) may be re-elected or re-appointed for additional terms.
         
         Chairs of Standing Committees and College of Medicine Department Chairs shall be voting members if serving on the Admissions Committee. If an elected or appointed faculty member or elected student member is unable for any reason to fulfill his/her duties, including failing to attend at least 60% of regularly scheduled Committee meetings, the Chair of the Admissions Committee may call for a vote of the Committee’s voting members to vote on whether such Committee member should be dismissed from the Committee. Any faculty vacancies shall be filled in accordance with the process described under Article VII, Section (2) (A) (4) on Vacancies. Any student vacancies shall also be filled by the process described under Article VII, Section (2) (A) (4) on Vacancies; however, the slate of eligible student nominees will be identified by the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions or the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions rather than Departmental Chairs. Quorum for the Admissions Committee shall be a simple majority of the voting members. Faculty members from the College of Medicine must constitute the majority of voting members at all Committee meetings.
         
         Chair: Voting members of the Admissions Committee shall elect a chair. The chair will serve a term of 2 years and may be re-elected for subsequent terms. The chair’s term as a Committee member shall automatically be extended as necessary to match his or her term (or terms, if re-elected) as chair. In the temporary absence of the chair, the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions or the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions shall appoint an interim chair, from among the voting members of the Committee, to serve for the duration of one Committee meeting. If the chair is vacated permanently, the members of the Admissions Committee will elect a replacement chair from among the Committee members, which replacement will serve for the remainder of the vacated term. The voting members will then elect a new chair.
      Ex-officio: All faculty members from the College of Medicine holding decanal positions (including at the assistant and associate levels) shall be ex officio non-voting members of the Committee for so long as they hold those positions.
      
      Students: Each year, the Senior Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Admissions or the Associate Dean for Educational Affairs and Admissions shall select six (6) students to rotate on the Committee for a term of one year only. However, only three (3) students at any given time will be in attendance and eligible to review and exercise their vote on a single applicant, thereby ensuring at all times a total number of fifteen (15) voting members on the Committee. All student representatives (including all rotating students) must be in good academic standing at the time of their appointment and must remain in good standing while serving on the Committee.
      
      Additionally, all student representatives (including all rotating students) must undergo all necessary training prior to service.
      
      Staff: The Office of Admissions shall provide secretarial and other administrative support services for the Committee.

Section 3. Special Committees

The Faculty Assembly shall establish Special Committees at its discretion on any topic not assigned to a Standing Committee. All Special Committees shall be reviewed annually and may be continued only by a majority vote of the Faculty Assembly.

Section 1. Eligibility

There shall be five faculty member representatives to the University Faculty Senate, unless otherwise stipulated by the University Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws. The Chair of the Faculty Assembly serves as a member, based on Article IV, and four full-time individuals matching the definition of faculty in the University Faculty Senate Bylaws are eligible for nomination and election to any of the positions allocated to the College on the University Faculty Senate.

Section 2. Nomination

The Secretary of the Faculty Assembly shall request nominations-at-large from the Faculty.

Section 3. Election

1. Preparation of Ballot
   The Secretary will prepare a ballot containing the names of all nominees who have agreed to run.
2. The Election Process
   The Secretary, or a replacement designated by the Chair should the Secretary be a candidate, will conduct the election process.
   
   1. He/she will distribute the ballots, paper or electronic, to the voting members of the Faculty Assembly.
   2. The Chair of the Faculty Assembly shall appoint a teller committee consisting of three faculty members not up for election to count the ballots or verify the electronic ballots.
   3. The winners shall be determined on the basis of who has received the most votes.
   4. If a tie vote occurs, the Dean shall cast the deciding vote.
   5. The Secretary will report the results to the University Faculty Senate, the Provost, and to those elected.

The parliamentary authority of the College of Medicine is Robert’s Rule of Order Newly Revised.

Section 1. Proposal

Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by either of two methods.

1. FAX Committee
   The FAX Committee may act as, or appoint, a Special Bylaws Committee to formulate proposals for amendment.
2. Faculty Petition
   Ten percent of the voting members of the Faculty Assembly may present a proposal for amendment by petition to the Chair of the Faculty Assembly.

Section 2. Consideration

1. Discussion
   A proposed amendment will be placed on the Faculty Assembly agenda for discussion. A motion to send the proposed amendment to a ballot shall be in order after the call for the question, but before a vote is taken. The motion to send to a ballot shall be adopted providing one-third of the members present, or ten members, whichever is greater, favor such a motion.
2. Summary
   The Chair shall appoint two members to prepare a summary of the arguments, pro and con, to accompany the ballot.

Section 3. Adoption

1. Ballots
   Voting shall be by ballot, paper or electronic, which shall be distributed by the Secretary of the Faculty Assembly to the voting members no later than two weeks after the discussion. A vote may take place at a meeting being held, providing that a motion to hold an immediate vote is adopted, and is subject to the same requirements as the motion to send to ballot.
2. Tellers
   A teller committee appointed by the Chair of the Faculty Assembly shall count ballots or verify the electronic ballots no later than two days after distribution.
3. Vote Required
   For amendments to the Bylaws to become effective, 1) at least 40 percent of the voting members of the faculty must return valid ballots, 2) 3/5 of those returned votes must be in favor, and 3) the Office of the Provost approves the changes.

¹ These Bylaws follow, and remain subject to, FAU’s current University Faculty Senate Constitution and Bylaws as well as all applicable University regulations, policies and procedures and president’s and provost’s memoranda.

Revision History