Bylaws of the College of Science

Part I: Bylaws, Authorization, Scope, and Amendment

Mission
The College unites disciplines in the pure and applied physical sciences, life sciences, mathematics and statistics, and earth sciences and engineering into a solid framework of education and research around the central tenets of the scientific method and logical reasoning. While maintaining and enhancing traditional disciplines, the College will develop synergies and interdisciplinary efforts that further the University’s recognition as a premier institution of scientific teaching and learning and research. Graduates of the College will have a wealth of technical skills and problem solving abilities to prepare them for professional careers. The College’s teaching and learning, research, and outreach missions promote scientific and numerical literacy and create an awareness of the value of science in addressing society’s problems and enhancing economic development.
Units within the College
1. The College departments are Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geological Sciences and Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, Mining Engineering, and Physics; and its statewide programs are the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and the Nevada State Climate Office.
2. The Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering is a School within the College of Science that contains the Departments of Geography, Geological Sciences and Engineering, and Mining Engineering and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and the Nevada State Climate Office.
3. The College also includes research units within departments and research centers that have been approved by the Board of Regents. At the discretion of the President, the directors of the research centers and units shall report to a department chair, the MSESE Director, or the Dean.

Bylaws shall be adopted or amended following the procedures outlined in this section. See Part 3, Sections 9 and 11 regarding eligibility for voting.
1. The Bylaws Committee shall consult broadly with the College faculty when bylaws are being drafted or amended.
2. Prior to being submitted to the College of Science faculty for a vote, a draft of the bylaws or bylaw amendments shall be submitted for preliminary review as follows:
  1. The draft will be submitted to the Dean for comment and review. If requested, the Bylaws Committee will submit subsequent drafts.
  2. After receiving written approval to proceed from the Dean, the draft will be submitted to the Faculty Senate for review and comment. The Faculty Senate will send comments to the Bylaws and Code Committee, the Dean, and the Provost.
  3. After giving consideration to comments from the Faculty Senate, the Bylaws Committee will submit the revised draft to the Office of the Provost. If requested, the Bylaws Committee will submit subsequent drafts.
  4. The Bylaws Committee must receive written approval to proceed from the Dean and the Provost before proceeding to a vote of the faculty. It is the Bylaws Committee’s responsibility to follow up with each of these offices to obtain statements in writing authorizing the College to continue to the next stage and a vote of the faculty.
  5. The final draft of the bylaws or bylaw amendments shall be submitted to a vote by the faculty after receiving approval to proceed. If approved by the faculty, the Bylaws Committee will forward the draft to the Dean for approval and signature.
3. The Dean will forward the draft of the bylaws or bylaw amendments to the Provost, who will forward them to the office of the President for approval.
4. When the President approves the bylaws or bylaw amendment, the President’s office will notify the Dean in writing, thereby authorizing implementation of the bylaws or bylaw amendments.
Initial Adoption of the Bylaws
The College of Science faculty will vote upon and approve the Bylaws by secret mail ballot. The faculty will be deemed to have approved the Bylaws if a majority of those casting ballots approve the Bylaws. The vote shall be valid only if a majority of the faculty cast votes.
Amendment of the Bylaws
Any member of the faculty as defined below may propose an amendment to the Bylaws by submitting the proposed amendment in writing to the Dean, who will appoint an ad hoc College Bylaws Committee, which shall meet to consider the proposal. If the College Bylaws Committee approves the proposed amendment, it must then follow the procedures outlined in Section 3.A. A proposed amendment shall be distributed to the faculty at least ten working days in advance of consideration, whereupon it shall be discussed in open meeting. If the College Bylaws Committee does not approve the proposed amendment and thus chooses not to submit the proposed amendment to the faculty, then a petition signed by fifteen percent (15%) of the faculty will result in the Bylaws Committee following the procedures outlined in Section 3.A. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws of the College of Science are adopted when they have been approved by a majority vote of those faculty casting ballots, and by written approval of the Dean of the College and the President of the University.The vote shall be valid only if a majority of the faculty cast votes.
Placement of the current College bylaws on file.
The Dean will provide a final copy of the College bylaws, in its entirety, including the President’s approval signature, to the following offices: President, Provost, Faculty Senate, and Library Reference Desk. The approved bylaws, signed by the Dean and President, shall be maintained in the office of the Dean. An electronic copy of the approved bylaws shall be made available to the entire faculty.

Part II: Organization of Units

Dean
The Dean shall be the chief administrator and executive officer of the College of Science, the Chair of its Faculty, and an ex-officio, non-voting member of all its committees except the committee to evaluate the Dean. The Dean shall be or become a member of the College Faculty, formally associated with a department, center, research component or other constituent part.
1. Responsibilities and Duties of the Dean. The Dean shall be responsible to the President of the University of Nevada, Reno for executing and implementing University policy as it affects the College of Science. The Dean shall be responsible to the Faculty of the College of Science for advancing the mission of the College and for executing and implementing College Bylaws and approved faculty actions. The Dean shall lead the Faculty in curriculum and program planning, encouraging scholarly and creative development appropriate to the disciplines among Faculty and students alike. The Dean will approve all appointments made in the College. The Dean will be the representative of the College to both the University and external constituencies.
2. Search Procedures.
  1. Consistent with Chapter VI, Section 66 of the University Bylaws, should the Deanship become vacant, a nationwide search shall be conducted in order to fill the vacancy. A search committee for filling the vacancy will be established. After conducting the search, the search committee shall forward an unranked list of acceptable candidates, with statements of strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, to the President/Provost for consideration.
  2. Composition of the Search Committee. No member of the search committee may be a candidate for the position. The committee will consist of the following thirteen (13) members:
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Biology and Chemistry
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Physics
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Geography, Geological Sciences and Engineering, and Mining Engineering
    One (1) faculty member elected from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory
    Two (2) faculty “at large” appointed by the President
    One (1) Classified Staff member elected by COS staff
    One (1) graduate or undergraduate student from COS appointed by the President
    One (1) member of the COS Advisory Board appointed by the President
    One(1) chair appointed by the President. The President may appoint a sitting Dean of another College to chair the search committee.
3. Vacancy. Should a vacancy occur, the President shall appoint an Acting Dean. Within 10 days of the announcement of an existing vacancy or of a forthcoming vacancy, whichever is earlier, the College Personnel Committee shall meet as an advisory committee to assist the President in the selection of an Acting Dean. No member of the advisory committee shall be a candidate for the position of Acting Dean. The Acting Dean shall serve until the selection of a Dean as provided in the Bylaws,but no longer than 24 months.
4. Temporary Assumption of Authority. Should the Dean be temporarily absent or incapacitated, the Associate Dean shall assume the authority and functions of the Dean. If the Associate Dean cannot assume the Dean’s authority, the President shall appoint a Dean Pro Tem.
5. Evaluation of the Dean. An evaluation of the Dean shall be conducted every three years by a Faculty committee and forwarded to the President/Provost.
  1. The committee shall consist of the following seven (7) members:
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Biology and Chemistry
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Physics
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Geography, Geological Sciences and Engineering, and Mining Engineering
    One (1) faculty member elected from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory.
  2. The evaluation shall be conducted every three years beginning in the spring semester of the Dean’s second year in office. The committee shall prepare an evaluation instrument and solicit responses to it from all College Faculty and may seek additional input from other relevant constituencies, including but not limited to students, staff, advisory board members, and other administrators in the University.
  3. The committee shall summarize evaluations received and forward this along with its recommendations to the President/Provost.
6. Associate Deans and Director of MSESE. On the basis of search and appointment procedures described below, the Dean shall recommend appointment of Associate Deans and a Director of the MSESE to assist the Dean and the Faculty in conducting College business. Additional Assistant Deans may be appointed by the Dean if deemed necessary.
Associate Deans
1. Duties. Duties will be assigned by the Dean, but are expected to include, but not be limited to the following:
  1. lead University Core-curriculum related issues for the College
  2. serve on the College Curriculum Committee, and lead the College in curriculum and student related issues in general
  3. serve as the Dean’s representative as required
  4. represent the College within and outside the University
  5. promote research in the College of Science
  6. lead interdisciplinary efforts and college-wide initiatives, in collaboration with the Director of MSESE
2. Term of Office. The Associate Dean shall serve at the pleasure of the Dean.
3. Appointment procedure. The Dean shall announce an available position to the faculty.
  1. A search committee shall consist of the following eight (8) or nine (9) members:
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Biology and Chemistry
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Physics
    Two (2) faculty elected from the departments of Geography, Geological Sciences and Engineering, and Mining Engineering
    One (1) faculty member elected from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory
    Up to two (2) additional faculty from the College of Science appointed by the Dean.
  2. The Search Committee shall solicit nominations and applications from the Faculty, review those applications and nominations, and submit an unranked list of acceptable candidates, with statements of strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, to the Dean. No member of the Search Committee shall be a candidate for the position. All nominees must be members of, or eligible for, appointment to the Faculty of the College of Science.
4. Evaluation. The Dean shall evaluate the Associate Deans annually.
Director of the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering (MSESE)
The Director is responsible for oversight of curriculum development, budget, personnel, and development and alumni relations in the School. For personnel, the Director will make recommendations to the Dean, with assistance from department chairs, for hiring, personnel evaluation, and promotion and tenure. The Director will provide the primary contact for the School’s external constituencies, will be involved in private fund raising for the School, and will allocate income from the Mackay endowments, consistent with donor intent, except those parts designated for units moving to the College of Engineering. One of the Director’s main responsibilities will be to foster the acquisition of new resources to make the School more self-sufficient.
1. Search Procedures
  1. A search committee for filling a vacancy for the position of School Director shall be established. The voting members of the search committee shall consist of:
    One (1) faculty member each elected from each department and statewide program in the MSESE;
    One (1) member-at-large from the School, nominated and elected by voting faculty of the School;
    One (1) student member, selected by the students of the School;
    One (1) representative from the classified staff of the School, elected by the members of the classified staff;
    Two (2) representatives of the Mackay constituency external to the University, one of which must be from the mineral industry; appointed by the Dean.
    One (1) or two (2) representatives of the College of Science at-large; appointed by the Dean.
    The Dean may appoint non-voting members.
  2. No member of the search committee may be a candidate for the position. The Dean will appoint the chair.
  3. The Provost will decide whether the search will be internal to the Mackay School of Earth Sciences and Engineering or an external, nationwide search.
  4. After conducting the search, the committee shall forward an unranked list of acceptable candidates for the School Directorship, with statements of strengths and weaknesses of each candidate, through the College of Science Dean and the Provost to the President for selection.
2. The Dean shall evaluate the MSESE Director annually.

College Personnel Committee
1. Charge to the Committee
  1. Advise the Dean on
    1. Promotion and tenure packages;
    2. Evaluations of probationary faculty in their third year;
    3. Requests for reconsideration of any faculty personnel actions;
  2. Initiate the process of faculty review of the Dean’s performance.
2. Representation on the Committee
  1. For the purposes of committee representation, the Departments will be grouped as follows:
    1. Departments of Biology and Chemistry
    2. Departments of Mathematics and Statistics and Physics
    3. Departments of Geological Sciences and Engineering, Geography, and Mining Engineering
    4. Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the Nevada Seismological Laboratory.
  2. The committee will consist of nine (9) members: two (2) representatives each from groups i, ii, and iii; one (1) representative from group iv; and two (2) faculty members at large appointed by the Dean to provide balance (for example, in terms of appropriate representation of lecturers and grant-supported research faculty).
  3. Nominations and elections to the committee will be held in the spring semester for service at the beginning of the academic year and shall be initiated by the Dean. The committee annually will elect a chair from among its elected members and serve until the next committee is elected. Should a vacancy occur among the elected members during the year, the Dean shall forthwith appoint a member to serve out the year, whereupon nominations and elections shall be held at the usual time for the remainder of the vacated term.
  4. With the exception of the members appointed by the Dean, who will serve for one year, the members of the committee will initially serve staggered one-, two-, and three-year terms (with two serving one year, two serving two years, and three serving three years). After the initial terms have been served, newly elected members will serve three-year terms.
College Curriculum Committee
The College Curriculum Committee shall advise the Dean and the College Faculty on courses, curricula, College requirements and academic standards. The Committee shall review and evaluate proposed courses and course changes; review and evaluate programs, majors and minors; review and revise College requirements as necessary. The Committee shall advise the Dean of its affirmative and negative recommendations and findings. The Dean shall forward the affirmative recommendations and findings of the Committee to the University Courses and Curriculum Committee and, where appropriate, to the Graduate Council. Negative decisions of the College Curriculum Committee may be appealed by the concerned department to the Dean.
1. Committee Membership. The College Curriculum Committee shall consist of eight (8) members:
  One (1) faculty member each from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Geological Sciences and Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics, Mining Engineering, and Physics.
  The Associate Dean shall serve as Chair of the Committee.
2. Term of Office. Faculty members of the Committee shall serve three-year terms, staggered so that that two or three new members shall join the Committee each academic year.
3. Elections. Nominations and elections to the Committee shall occur during the spring semester of each academic year.
4. Vacancy. Should a vacancy occur among elected members, the Dean shall appoint a successor to serve out the academic year, election for the vacant position to occur during the spring semester.
Additional Committees
The Dean may establish additional committees to meet specific needs of the College of Science, independently or in response to a majority vote at any College Faculty Meeting. The Dean shall define the sphere of activity, scope, method of operation, and composition of such committees. The Dean may seek the Faculty’s advice in defining the sphere of activity, scope, method of operation, and composition of such committees. Members of additional committees may be appointed by the Dean, be elected, or both, depending upon the purpose of the committee.

Eligibility, Duties and Responsibilities
Chairs shall serve as administrative officers of their departments; be faculty within their respective departments; be ex-officio members of all department committees, except when they are being evaluated as either faculty members or as Chairs.
Selection
1. Nomination of department chairs shall follow department and unit bylaws. The nominee for chair may be recommended from existing unit members or the department may recommend to the Dean or the Dean may recommend to the Provost that an external search be conducted to identify a new Chair.
2. Nominations for department chair in the Departments or units in the MSESE are submitted to the Director of the School. The Director submits a recommendation to the Dean. Nominations from the other Departments of the COS are submitted to the Dean. The Director of the MSESE and the Dean have the option to reject the nominee and request that a new nominee be elected by the Department.
3. Department Chairs are appointed by the Provost after considering the recommendation of the Dean.
4. The appointment of the Director of the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and its employees shall adhere to Nevada Revised Statutes 514.030.
Evaluation
1. An annual evaluation of the department chair shall be conducted in accordance with department and unit bylaws, and consistent with UNR bylaws. This evaluation is to be completed each year by the deadline for annual faculty evaluations.
2. Each department shall report the findings to the Dean.
3. The Dean shall use the report from the department, together with other relevant information, to evaluate the chair. The MSESE Director will make recommendations to the Dean regarding evaluations of the MSESE chairs.
4. The Dean may meet with representatives of the department and with the chair, separately and/or together, to discuss the results of the evaluation.

Part III: Faculty

The College faculty shall consist of all faculty holding authorized continuing positions designated as at least 0.5 FTE in the College, as provided in the NSHE Code and UNR Bylaws. This includes rank 0 faculty, those academic faculty not eligible for tenure, and all administrative faculty.
Academic faculty are those faculty whose duties involve teaching or research. Depending on duties, they will be called: Lecturer, Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, Assistant Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, Research Professor, or Research Scientist/Engineer. Titles of geologist or metallurgist, for example, will be considered as scientist or engineer as appropriate. The equivalence of ranks in tenure track and non-tenure track positions is as follows:

Academic faculty ranks
Title	Tenure Track	Non-tenure track
Instructor Research Scientist/Engineer Lecturer		0 (I)
Assistant Professor Assistant Research Professor Lecturer	II	0 (II)
Assistant Professor Assistant Research Professor Lecturer	III	0 (III)
Professor Research Professor Lecturer	IV	0 (IV)

Temporary teachers and/or researchers, i.e., those persons who do not hold regular continuing contracts, such as visiting faculty, sabbatical replacements, etc., will be called by the same titles but will have the word “visiting” precede the title, for example, Visiting Assistant Professor.
A faculty member with a split appointment will represent the department in which she/he has the major appointment or in the case of a 50-50 appointment, in which she/he has selected to be regarded as the “home” department for administrative purposes.

Part IV: Faculty Personnel Policies

Department bylaws shall specify, in accordance with University Bylaws and the mission statement of the department, the professional responsibilities of academic faculty members in areas of teaching, scholarly activity, and service, and of administrative faculty members in their applicable areas. Relative weighting of different areas of responsibility shall be indicated (if weightings are unequal), or as mutually agreed upon by the individual faculty member and the appropriate agent of the department or unit.
A faculty member’s duties shall consist of an assigned combination of teaching, scholarly activity, and service or professional development. Examples of these activities include but are not limited to the following:
1. Instruction. Instruction includes activities such as class teaching; extension teaching; preparation and development of courses; evaluation of student performance; consultation with students; direction of undergraduate and graduate students in independent study, research, internships and practica; advising of undergraduate and graduate students; professional development of teaching skills; and service on undergraduate and graduate committees.
2. Scholarly Activity. Scholarly activity includes the advancement, integration, and application of knowledge through research and scholarship related to the faculty member’s discipline, leading to:products such as books, book chapters, articles, software,and public presentations; studies designed to enhance the teaching of that discipline; seeking and acquiring funding (e.g. grants and contracts) in support of scholarly activity; and evidence of professional development where the above criteria may not be applicable.
3. Service. Service includes activities such as:
  1. University Service: administrative activities; participation on Department, College and University committees, boards, panels, and similar activities; assigned professional responsibilities of administrative faculty members;
  2. Community service: consulting, committee work and other services to community groups, projects and organizations where such service is intrinsically related to the professional competence of the individual faculty member;
  3. Outreach service: the development of services or programs of importance to the community;
  4. Disciplinary service: activities related to professional growth and development, holding office in professional organizations, editing and refereeing for professional journals, reviewing research proposals, and similar professional activities.

Mutually Agreed Upon Responsibilities
All personnel evaluations shall be made on the basis of specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations mutually agreed upon by the individual faculty member and the appropriate agent of the Department or unit as defined in its Bylaws. Professional responsibilities specified for each faculty member shall accord with the mission and priorities of the faculty member’s Department or unit. Neither the faculty member nor the agent of the Department or unit can unilaterally (a) determine or (b) alter the responsibilities of a faculty member. Significant discrepancies between a faculty member’s role statement or the assigned professional responsibilities of administrative faculty members and the Department or component’s mission must be approved by the Dean of the College of Science.
1. Academic Role Statements. Each academic faculty member’s role statement shall document the mutually agreed upon responsibilities including the faculty member’s responsibilities in teaching, scholarly activity, and service as defined in Section 15 of these Bylaws. The faculty member and Department or unit agent shall sign the role statement. Faculty members and their Department or unit agents shall review and revise responsibilities and role statements once each year. The Dean of the College of Science shall review all role statements and their specification of professional responsibilities.
2. Administrative Faculty Position Description Questionnaire (PDQ). Each administrative faculty member’s PDQ shall document their responsibilities and emphasis of effort. The faculty member and supervisor shall review and revise the PDQ once each year. The Dean of the College of Science shall review all PDQ’s and their specification of professional responsibilities.
3. Disagreements. If a faculty member and the responsible Department or College component agent cannot agree upon specified professional responsibilities, the matter is subject to mediation by the Dean of the College of Science. If mediation by the Dean fails, then the matter is subject to mediation by the University administration.
Standards of Review
All evaluations shall be based on equitable criteria and procedures for assessing the quality of a faculty member’s performance, whether in annual evaluation, merit consideration, promotion or consideration for continuing contract status. All evaluations of academic faculty shall include peer review. All evaluations shall be based on careful assessment of pertinent evidence in order to arrive at just and equitable recommendations.
Annual Evaluation Process
Departments and other College units directed to do so by the Dean shall annually evaluate all faculty engaged in teaching, scholarly and creative activity, and service or professional development as defined in Section 15 of these Bylaws, according to procedures outlined in Unit Bylaws.
1. Criteria for Evaluation. Faculty shall be evaluated annually on their accomplishment of professional responsibilities and performance expectations as specified in the academic role statement or in the assigned professional responsibilities of administrative faculty members.
2. Documentation. Each academic faculty member in the College of Science shall submit a standard form and supporting materials to the Department (or if directed to do so by the Dean, other College units) documenting the faculty member’s performance for the year. Departments shall submit an evaluation for each of its faculty members to the Dean of the College of Science. Administrative faculty shall be evaluated in accord with the procedures specified by their Unit.
3. Signatures. All evaluations submitted to the Dean of the College of Science shall include a statement signed by the affected faculty member indicating that the faculty member has read the evaluation.
4. Disagreement with Annual Evaluation. Faculty members who disagree with their annual evaluations may attach a written statement to the document stating their objections. Such written statements become part of the annual evaluation. (A peer review process for disputes is being developed by NSHE and will be adopted by these bylaws when approved.)

Eligibility for Tenure
Full-time, tenure-track academic faculty members of rank II, III, and IV are eligible for appointment with tenure at any time during the probationary period of employment.
Probationary Period
Seven years of uninterrupted full-time employment is the maximum probationary period for both tenure-track faculty and non-tenure-track faculty of ranks II, III, and IV for whom eventual continuing status is a requirement. If a tenure-track faculty member has not been awarded tenure by the end of his or her sixth probationary year, the Provost will notify the faculty member that the contract issued for the seventh academic year will be a terminal contract. Tenure-track faculty are generally not eligible for tenure consideration during the year a terminal contract is in effect unless approved by the President.
Reappointment of Tenure-Track Faculty of Ranks II, III, and IV
1. Schedule for First- and Second-Year Faculty. Departments and other College units must evaluate faculty of ranks II, III, and IV for reappointment before March 1st of their first academic year and before December 1st of their second academic year. Departments and other College units must notify first-year faculty of intent not to reappoint him or her by March 15th of the faculty member’s first year. Departments and other College units must notify second-year faculty of an intent not to reappoint him or her by December 15th of the faculty member’s second year.
2. Third-Year Review. Tenure-track faculty of ranks II, III, and IV must undergo a careful and thorough third-year review, conducted in accordance with Department or unit Bylaws. The third-year review will assess the faculty member’s progress toward tenure and may determine reappointment for the following academic year. The Department or unit will forward the results of this review to the Dean or MSESE Director for MSESE faculty and to the College Personnel Committee, with copies to the faculty member. After review and consultation with the College Personnel Committee, the Dean will inform the faculty member and department chair, in writing, of the results and recommendations of the College review within 15 working days of final action.
Procedures
1. Initiating Consideration for Tenure. A probationary academic faculty member may request consideration for tenure in any year of the probationary period. The faculty member should express his or her intentions to the Department Chair or unit Director by July 1st so that the chair or director may solicit external reviews. The faculty member should submit documentation of research and creative activity, as appropriate, teaching, as appropriate, and university, community, and professional service, as appropriate, to his or her Department Chair or unit Director by September 1st of the year in which the faculty member wishes to be considered for tenure.
2. Departmental Evaluation. Department or unit bylaws should establish fair and equitable procedures for conducting evaluations for tenure that are consistent with UNR Bylaws and the NSHE Code.
Standards for Appointment with Tenure
Section 49 of the University Bylaws sets minimum standards for consideration for tenure. The faculty member must demonstrate a record of achievement in teaching, if a university instructor, or a record of effectiveness, efficiency, and ability to perform assigned duties, if a non-teacher. In addition, a faculty member must demonstrate continuing professional growth. More specifically, the Department or College unit that recommends a tenure-track candidate for tenure must evaluate the candidate as “excellent” in teaching or in scholarly or creative work and at least“satisfactory” in other assigned duties.

Promotion of Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty
Departments and College units will recommend tenured and tenure-track faculty for promotion based on specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations mutually agreed to by the faculty member and the responsible agent as specified in department or unit bylaws.
1. Promotion to associate professor (Rank III). A faculty member at Rank II shall be eligible for promotion to Rank III when he or she 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. Such a recommendation shall include an “excellent” evaluation of teaching or scholarly or creative work, at least a “satisfactory” ranking of service, and no rankings below “satisfactory.” Departments and College units shall obtain appropriate external evaluations of the faculty member’s achievements according to procedures defined in their Bylaws.
2. Promotion to professor (Rank IV). A faculty member at Rank III shall be eligible for promotion to Rank IV when he or she has established a sustained record of excellence in a professional field. The record shall document publication or creative work judged significant by peers external to the University in the field; distinguished professional service; and distinction in teaching or related activities. The record may document exceptional administrative achievement as well. Departments and College units shall obtain appropriate external evaluations of the faculty member’s achievements according to procedures defined in their Bylaws.
Promotion of Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
Departments and College units will recommend non-tenure-track faculty for promotion based on specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations mutually agreed to by the faculty member and the responsible agent as specified in department or unit bylaws.
1. Promotion to assistant professor [Rank 0(II)]. A non tenure-track faculty member in Rank 0(I) shall be eligible for promotion to Rank 0(II) when he or she has demonstrated potential for professional achievement in teaching, scholarly or creative work, and service.
2. Promotion to associate professor [Rank 0(III)]. A non tenure-track faculty member at Rank 0(II) shall be eligible for promotion to Rank 0(III) when he or she has established a substantial record of achievement in teaching, scholarly or creative work, and service. A departmental recommendation for promotion to Rank 0(III) shall include an “excellent” evaluation of teaching or scholarly or creative work, at least a “satisfactory” ranking of service, and no rankings below “satisfactory.” Departments and College units shall obtain appropriate external evaluations of the faculty member’s achievements according to procedures defined in their Bylaws.
3. Promotion to professor [Rank 0(IV)]. A non tenure-track faculty member at Rank 0(III) shall be eligible for promotion to Rank 0(IV) when he or she has established a sustained record of excellence in a professional field. The record shall document publication or creative work judged significant by peers in the field; distinguished professional service; and distinction in teaching or related activities. The record may document exceptional administrative achievement as well. Departments and College units shall obtain appropriate external evaluations of the faculty member’s achievements according to procedures defined in their Bylaws.

Reconsideration
NSHE Code sections 3.4.5, 5.2.3, and 5.2.4 provide that upon denial of appointment with tenure, a salary increase, promotion, or reappointment to employment, a faculty member may request reconsideration of the denial. "Salary increase" includes a merit increase. To preserve a right to reconsideration,within 15 working days of the denial, the faculty member must ask the decision-maker in writing for the reasons for the denial. The decision-maker must provide the reasons for the denial in writing within 15 calendar days. A request for reconsideration must be filed in writing within 15 working days of receiving the written reasons. The request for reconsideration shall be accompanied by the reasons, arguments, and supporting documentation that form the basis of the request. The request for reconsideration shall be forwarded through the administrative channels of the initial consideration. A final decision shall be rendered by the President after receiving recommendations by the COS Personnel Committee and the Dean.
Grievances
A grievance is an act or omission to act by a person or group of the University acting in an official capacity allegedly resulting in an adverse impact on the employment conditions of a faculty member relating to salary, promotion, appointment to tenure or other contractual status, or relating to alleged violations of the NSHE Code, UNR Bylaws, or COS Bylaws. Non-reappointment under procedures deriving from NSHE Code 5.4.2, 5.9.1 or 5.9.2 and furlough or lay off for financial exigency or curricular reasons is not subject to the grievance procedure.

UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter II, Grievance Procedures through University Grievance Committee, discuss the grievance procedure. In order to initiate a grievance a faculty member must first request reconsideration. If the faculty member is dissatisfied with the President’s decision, he or she may file a written Notice of Grievance (within 15 working days) with the Chair of the University Grievance Committee. For properly filed grievances, the University Grievance Committee shall hold a hearing, and then forward its recommendation to the President for final decision (subject to the approval of the Board of Regents in the case of tenure decision).

Merit increases provide a means of rewarding meritorious achievement within the College of Science.

Eligibility
Chapter 3, Section 42 of the University Bylaws requires that all academic and administrative faculty shall be evaluated and formally considered annually for merit increases. In accordance with university bylaws, Chapter 3, Section 40, annual evaluations of “Excellent” or “Commendable” shall be considered meritorious.
Recommendation for Merit Recognition
Departments/units will recommend to the Dean merit pay increases in accordance with their bylaws and based on annual evaluation outcomes. Recommendations shall follow written guidelines established by the department/unit. These guidelines shall include review procedures to ensure consistency among recommendations for merit increases. Department/unit bylaws shall recognize the faculty member’s right to request reconsideration and grieve unfavorable merit recommendations as set forth in College Bylaws Section 19 and UNR Bylaws.
Criteria for Annual Merit Recognition
Each department/unit shall establish specific criteria for recommendations of merit increases. Criteria shall consider effectiveness and productivity in responsibilities set forth in the faculty role statement. Normally, meritorious activity for academic faculty shall be demonstrated by creative or research activity resulting in publication in refereed journals or comparable, discipline-specific forums; grants; or presentations at professional meetings; teaching effectiveness, where required, recognized in student or peer evaluations; and service to the School, University, or professionally related service to the community or the discipline. Normally, meritorious activity for administrative faculty shall be demonstrated by their effectiveness in performing their duties as described in their position descriptions. Criteria may allow for degrees of merit within meritorious evaluations.
Evaluation Years When No Merit Funds Are Available
Department/Unit bylaws shall provide that faculty activities in the evaluation year shall be evaluated by department/unit annual merit recognition criteria and a written recommendation for merit recognition be made as for years when merit funds are available. A favorable recommendation for merit in an unfunded year shall be considered in the subsequent year’s merit recommendation.

Termination for Financial Exigency or Curricular Reasons
All faculty are subject to termination for financial exigency or curricular reasons as specified in the Code, subsections 5.4.5 through 5.4.7. Financial exigency must be declared by the Regents, and terminated faculty are entitled to 60 days notice if funds are available, and 15 days notice in any case. Termination for curricular reasons occurs when the reduction or elimination of a unit, program, or project related to the missions of the University of Nevada results in the elimination of positions. Curricular revisions resulting in the elimination of positions must originate in the academic planning process of the University and be approved by the President. NSHE Code provides for at least seven months notice in the event of a contract termination for curricular reasons. Faculty subject to termination for financial exigency or curricular reasons are entitled to a written description of the basis for the decision. The NSHE Code describes processes and timetables for a faculty request of reconsideration. The President makes the final decision on the reconsideration.
Termination for Cause
Termination is one sanction available to the University for causes and under the procedures of the NSHE Code, Chapter 6. "For Cause" in the Code refers to conduct incompatible with the purposes of an academic community. For faculty this includes failure to perform employment duties, insufficient level or quality of service, insubordination, falsification of employment documents, dishonesty, conviction of some criminal acts, being under the influence of intoxicants, unauthorized or abused absence from duty, or conduct showing that a faculty member is unfit to remain or might harm other faculty members of one's unit. Precise definitions and further prohibited activities are listed in NSHE Code 6.2.

Table of Contents

Part I: Bylaws, Authorization, Scope, and Amendment

1. Authorization and Scope

2. Mission Statement

3. Adoption and Amendment of Bylaws

4. Interpretation of Bylaws

Part II: Organization of Units

5. Administrators

6. Council of Chairs

7. College Committees

8. Department Chairs

Part III: Faculty

9. Faculty Definitions

10. Organization of Faculties

11. Faculty Voting Rights

12. Faculty Meetings

Part IV: Faculty Personnel Policies

13. Faculty Rights

14. Faculty Appointment and Search Procedures

15. Professional Responsibilities

16. Annual Evaluation of Faculty

17. Tenure

18. Promotion

19. Reconsideration and Grievances

20. Merit

21. Termination