Bylaws of the College of Business

For purposes of these Bylaws, the college faculty shall consist of all university faculty, as defined in the University Bylaws, who are assigned to the college or whose annual evaluations are the responsibility of the college. College faculty include academic faculty (ranks O, I, II, III, or IV) on regular annual contracts, academic faculty who are employed on contracts that are renewable contingent upon funding, and administrative faculty(ranges 1-7). For purposes of these Bylaws, the college faculty includes the Dean and any assistant or associate deans, but excludes classified staff, part-time instructors on Letters of Appointment, graduate students appointed as teaching assistants or research assistants, and adjunct faculty.

All members of the college faculty shall have the right to a full vote on university-wide ballots and on the adoption or amendment of University Bylaws, these Bylaws, and the faculty member’s respective department bylaws. Voting on curricular matters shall be limited to those faculty members with instructional responsibilities. Voting on matters relating to the creation, elimination, or reorganization of academic departments shall be limited to academic faculty. Voting on matters relating to the appointment, promotion, and tenure of academic faculty shall be limited to academic faculty members who have attained the rank or status under consideration. In their bylaws, departments may specify other voting limitations on their members, provided that (i) any such limitation does not proscribe the right of faculty to vote on bylaws and that (ii) any such limitation clearly identifies which group of faculty shall not vote on which specific matter.

The Dean shall arrange for the election or appointment of a College Secretary from among the members of college faculty. The term of appointment shall be determined by the Dean but shall not exceed three years. The duties of the College Secretary shall be to administer all college-wide elections and any vote to amend these Bylaws.

The Dean may convene a meeting of the college faculty at any time during the academic year, on working days when faculty are on contract, by giving a written or electronic notice of not less than five academic working days. The Dean shall convene at least two college faculty meetings each academic year.

1. A special meeting of the college faculty shall be convened by the Dean to consider any matter upon a written petition presented to the College Secretary and signed by at least twenty percent of the members of the college faculty. The meeting shall be convened no later than fifteen academic working days following receipt of the petition.
2. At any college faculty meeting properly convened by the Dean, a majority of those faculty present may vote to submit any question to the entire college faculty for a vote by secret ballot, to be administered by the College Secretary according to section 2.3.9 of the University Bylaws. For any other vote in a college faculty meeting, a quorum shall consist of fifty-one percent of the members of the college faculty.

Every academic faculty member in the college shall serve in an academic department, and all college faculty who are assigned at least half time to a department shall be a member of that department. These departments are authorized by the Board of Regents and shall be listed in the College Administrative Manual, which is described later in these Bylaws. Administrative faculty members may serve in academic departments, the Dean’s Office,or any other administrative unit.

Academic departments shall develop, adopt, and maintain bylaws that shall be subordinate to and not conflict with these Bylaws, the University Bylaws, and the NSHE Code. Department bylaws shall provide for the department’s organizational and administrative structure, as well as its personnel policies and procedures. Procedures for the amendment of department bylaws are described in Section 2.1.2 of the University Bylaws, and the College Bylaws Committee shall advise the Dean on all proposed amendments to department bylaws. The most recently approved department bylaws, including any approved amendments and any approved policies and procedures, shall be forwarded to the Office of the Faculty Senate and be made available to all faculty.

The bylaws of each academic department shall establish the duties and term of office for the department chair, along with specific procedures for nominating, providing feedback for the evaluation of, and recommending removal of the department chair. Any nominee to serve as department chair shall be a full-time tenured faculty member of the department.

1. Responsibilities of department chairs

   The department chair shall be responsible to the Dean for managing the department and carrying out the missions of the college and the department. The chair shall also be responsible for administering and executing all policies established by the department bylaws.

2. Evaluation of department chairs

   The Dean is responsible for the annual evaluation of the department chair. The department’s personnel committee shall provide feedback for this evaluation in accordance with the department bylaws, and shall consider both the chair’s role as an academic faculty member and the chair’s role as the department administrator. In considering the chair’s role as the department administrator, the committee shall seek input from all department faculty and classified staff assigned to the department. If the chair is a member of the committee, the chair shall not participate in any aspect of this evaluation process. This committee shall share its feedback with the chair prior to sending it to the Dean, and the chair shall have the right to submit a written response to the Dean.

The College Executive Committee shall be a standing committee composed of the Dean and all department chairs in the college. This committee shall be responsible for advising the Dean on all matters related to the administration of the college. The Dean may also appoint other faculty to represent specific academic disciplines, or other members such as associate deans or center directors. In any matter requiring a formal vote, only department chairs may vote, except that the Dean may vote to break a tie.

There shall be four standing committees composed of elected members of the college faculty: the College Academic Personnel Committee, the College Curriculum Committee, the College Assessment Committee, and the College Bylaws Committee. Department chairs may not serve on any of these standing committees. Elections shall be held in the spring semester, and terms shall run for three consecutive academic years, staggered so that roughly a third of committee member terms expire each spring. Prior to the beginning of the academic year, each of these committees shall elect its own committee chair for a one-year term. If a committee fails to elect its chair, then the Dean shall appoint one of the committee members to serve as chair for a one-year term. Any member of a standing committee may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the other committee members. If an elected member of a standing committee is removed, resigns, or is otherwise unable to serve, the chair of that member’s home department shall appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the member’s term.

1. College Academic Personnel Committee

   The College Academic Personnel Committee shall be composed of tenured academic faculty who do not concurrently serve on any other personnel committee at the department or university level, and who are not currently applying for promotion. A member must resign from this committee before applying for promotion. The academic faculty of each department shall elect one faculty member to this committee. The Dean may appoint up to two additional academic faculty members to one-year renewable terms to promote broad and fair faculty representation. This committee shall be responsible for reviewing whether the annual evaluations performed by any departmental personnel committee or chair have been performed in an equitable manner and in accordance with the University, College, and Department Bylaws. This committee shall review all applications for promotion or tenure and provide an advisory vote to the Dean. Members of the committee shall not vote on such applications at the department level. The committee shall also advise the Dean on any other matter relating to the continuing employment, tenure, promotion, or annual evaluation of any academic faculty member.

2. College Curriculum Committee

   The College Curriculum Committee shall be composed of academic faculty members with instructional responsibilities. The academic faculty of each department shall elect one faculty member to this committee. The Dean may appoint up to two additional academic faculty members to one-year renewable terms to promote broad and fair faculty representation. The Dean may also appoint up to two additional administrative faculty members to serve as non-voting ex-officio members of the committee. This committee shall be responsible for reviewing all proposals to change the college’s courses and curriculum in the University Catalog, and for advising the Dean on any other matter relating to the college’s courses and curriculum.

3. College Assessment Committee

   The College Assessment Committee shall be composed of academic faculty members with instructional responsibilities. The academic faculty of each department shall elect one faculty member to this committee. The Dean may appoint up to two additional academic faculty members to one-year renewable terms to promote broad and fair faculty representation. This committee shall be responsible for advising the Dean on any matter relating to the college’s course and program assessment, accreditation, and the assurance of learning.

4. College Bylaws Committee

   The academic and administrative faculty of each department shall elect one faculty member to this committee. The Dean may appoint up to two additional academic faculty members to one-year renewable terms to promote broad and fair faculty representation. The Dean may also appoint one additional administrative faculty member. This committee shall be responsible for annually reviewing these Bylaws and the College Administrative Manual in order to keep them up to date, for reviewing any proposed amendments to either document, and for making recommendations to the college faculty regarding these documents. This committee shall also advise the Dean regarding any proposed amendments to department bylaws.

The College Executive Committee may create, appoint, and charge any ad hoc committee, and the recommendations of any such adhoc committee shall be advisory to the Dean. The terms of these committees shall be limited to two years, and the committee’s term shall expire after completion of the charges. Ad hoc committees may also be created, appointed, and charged by the college faculty in a properly-constituted faculty meeting, as described in Section 2.4 of these Bylaws.

The Dean of the college is appointed by the President, and shall be the chief administrator and executive officer of the College of Business, and the chair of college faculty meetings.

1. Responsibilities and Duties of the Dean

   The Dean shall be directly responsible to the President and the Provost for the execution of university policy. The President and the Provost shall determine the duties of the Dean.

2. Annual Evaluation of the Dean

   The Provost is responsible for conducting the annual evaluation of the Dean, and shall be advised in the evaluation process by the College Academic Personnel Committee. In providing its feedback to the Provost, this committee shall consider the Dean’s accomplishments. It shall consult with the other members of the College Executive Committee, and also seek input from all faculty and classified staff in the college, whether voting members or not. This committee shall share its feedback with the Dean prior to sending it to the Provost, and the Dean shall have the right to submit a written response to the Provost.

3. Appointment of the Dean

   Procedures for the appointment of the Dean shall follow Section 3.6.4 of the University Bylaws, and the College Secretary shall conduct the election of nominees for the search committee. Should a vacancy occur before the normal expiration of the dean’s term of office, the College Academic Personnel Committee shall meet as an advisory committee to assist the President in selecting an Interim Dean.

The Dean may be assisted by associate deans, who serve at the pleasure of the Dean. In appointing an associate dean, the Dean shall choose a tenured member of the college faculty. Upon resignation or termination, the associate dean shall have the right to return to the college faculty in a position equivalent to the one held prior to appointment. Before creating a new associate dean position, the Dean shall first consult with the college faculty.

1. Responsibilities and Duties of Associate Deans

   The duties of an associate dean shall be determined by the Dean, and included in a formal job description, which the Dean shall share with both the College Academic Personnel Committee and the College Executive Committee.

2. Annual Evaluation of Associate Deans

   The Dean is responsible for the annual evaluation of associate deans, and shall be advised in the evaluation process by the College Academic Personnel Committee. In providing its feedback to the Dean, this committee shall consider the associate dean’s accomplishments. It shall seek input from all academic faculty in the college, as well as any faculty or staff who report to the associate dean. This committee shall share its feedback with the associate dean prior to sending it to the Dean, and the associate dean shall have the right to submit a written response to the Dean.

With approval from the academic faculty, obtained by a majority of academic faculty at a properly convened meeting, and authorization from the President and, if required, the Board of Regents, the Dean may establish bureaus or centers to help fulfill the mission of the College of Business. These shall be listed in the College Administrative Manual, along with their mission, structure, and responsibilities. All such bureaus or centers must submit an annual written report to the Dean on their activities and finances, and the Dean shall make these reports available to the college faculty.

The Dean may appoint administrative faculty to help fulfill the responsibilities of the Dean’s Office, the departments, or any bureaus and centers. All administrative faculty shall be annually evaluated by their supervisors according to the procedures in the University Administrative Manual. The creation of any new administrative faculty position funded by the state-supported budget shall first require consultation with the College Executive Committee.

Any member of the college faculty may propose amendments to these Bylaws by submitting the proposed amendment (and its rationale, if any) in writing to the College Bylaws Committee. If a majority of the committee recommends in favor of the proposed amendment, or if a petition signed by ten members of the college faculty is submitted to the College Secretary, the committee shall submit the proposed amendment to the Faculty Senate for review. Upon completion of that review, the committee shall distribute the proposed amendment and the committee’s recommendations to the college faculty. A meeting of the college faculty may then be called to discuss the recommendations, as described in Chapter 2 of these Bylaws. Any amendment shall be adopted upon:

1. review by the Faculty Senate;
2. approval by a two-thirds vote of the college faculty in a secret ballot as described in Sections 2.1.1 and 2.3.9 of the University Bylaws;
3. approval by the Dean; and
4. approval by the President.

The most recently approved College Bylaws, including any approved amendments, shall be forwarded to the Office of the Faculty Senate and be made available to all faculty.

The Dean shall maintain a College Administrative Manual, which shall be available to all college faculty. This College Administrative Manual shall include procedures to implement these Bylaws, and shall be consistent with these Bylaws. Any change or addition to the College Administrative Manual must be reviewed by the College Bylaws Committee before being distributed to the college faculty with the committee’s recommendation, and a meeting of the college faculty may be called to discuss them, as described in section 2 of these Bylaws. Any amendment to the College Administrative Manual shall be adopted upon:

1. approval by a majority of the college faculty voting in a secret ballot as described in Sections 2.1.1 and 2.3.9 of the University Bylaws; and
2. approval by the Dean.

The college follows the personnel policies and procedures listed in the NSHE Code, the University Bylaws, and the University Administrative Manual. Departments are responsible for the initiation of tenure, promotion, and annual evaluations for all academic faculty assigned to their departments, and the expectations for these evaluations shall be included in the department bylaws. Evaluations for administrative faculty members are initiated by their supervisors, and shall follow the procedures in the University Administrative Manual.

The standards for tenure are established in the NSHE Code. Tenure-track academic faculty members of rank II, III, and IV may be considered for appointment with tenure at any time during the probationary period of employment.

A probationary member of the faculty shall be evaluated and formally considered annually for reappointment at the department and college levels.

A probationary member of the faculty must undergo a careful and thorough third-year review, to assess the faculty member’s progress toward tenure. Department chairs must forward the results of this third-year review to the Dean and the College Academic Personnel Committee, who shall advise the Dean. The Dean will inform the faculty member and department chair, in writing, of the results and recommendations of the review.

Departments will recommend tenured and tenure-track faculty for promotion based on the following criteria:

1. Promotion to Associate Professor (Rank III)

   A faculty member at Rank II shall be eligible for promotion to Rank III when the faculty member has established a substantial record of achievement in teaching, scholarly or creative work, and service. A departmental recommendation for promotion to Rank III may precede, accompany, or follow a recommendation for tenure. At minimum, promotion requires that the department’s recommendation shall include an “excellent” evaluation for either teaching or scholarly activity, and no rankings below “satisfactory.” As directed in Section 3.3.5 of the University Bylaws, departments shall follow clear and established procedures to obtain appropriate external evaluations of the faculty member’s achievements.

2. Promotion to Professor (Rank IV)

   A faculty member at Rank III shall be eligible for promotion to Rank IV when the faculty member has established a sustained record of excellence in a professional field. The record shall document appropriate research output judged significant by peers external to the University in the field; distinguished professional service; and distinction in teaching or related activities. The record may include exceptional administrative achievement as well.

Departments and College units may recommend non-tenure-track faculty for promotion based on professional responsibilities and performance expectations as specified in the faculty member’s role statement. A departmental recommendation for promotion of Rank 0 faculty shall require a rating of “excellent” in their primary responsibilities (teaching or scholarly or creative work), and no rating below “satisfactory” in the other areas of responsibilities. Departments shall obtain appropriate external reviews of Rank 0 research faculty being considered for promotion. Evaluation of promotion applications shall include the following criteria:

1. Promotion to Rank 0(II)

   A non-tenure-track faculty member in Rank 0(I) shall be eligible for promotion to Rank 0(II) when the faculty member has demonstrated a record of achievement in their professional responsibilities.

2. Promotion to Rank 0(III)
   

   A non-tenure-track faculty member at Rank 0(II) shall be eligible for promotion to Rank 0(III) when the faculty member has established a substantial record of achievement in their professional responsibilities.

3. Promotion to Rank 0(IV)
   A non-tenure-track faculty member at Rank 0(III) shall be eligible for promotion to Rank 0(IV) when the faculty member has established a sustained record of achievement in their professional responsibilities.