Bylaws of the School of Medicine

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med) Bylaws, refer to, interface and are consistent with the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Bylaws and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Code. They cover infrastructure issues, policy, and procedures that are unique to the School of Medicine in addition to other UNR Med policy [http://med.unr.edu/policy]. UNR Med administration and departments may develop policies and procedures for operations as provided for in Section 2.1.2 of UNR Bylaws.

The UNR Med Bylaws are authorized by Section 2.1.1 of the University of Nevada, Reno Bylaws and Section 1.3 of the Nevada System of Higher Education Code as adopted by the Board of Regents.

The UNR Med Bylaws provide for the organizational and administrative structure, the personnel policies and the administrative procedures for UNR Med. They shall at all times be subordinate to and consistent with the UNR Bylaws, Board of Regents’ policy, the Code, and the laws of both the State of Nevada and the United States.

The approved UNR Med Bylaws will be updated as needed by the UNR Med Faculty Council to maintain conformity with the UNR Bylaws and the NSHE Code, following instructions in the University Administrative Manual for Unit Bylaws.

Any member of the UNR Med faculty and/or the dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine may propose amendments to the UNR Med Bylaws. Proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing to the Faculty Council. Upon approval of a simple majority of the UNR Med Faculty Council, amendments will be forwarded to UNR Faculty Senate Office. The amendment(s) will be incorporated into UNR Med Bylaws and be in full force upon completion of the following steps as provided for in Section 2.1.1 of UNR Bylaws:

1. UNR Med Faculty Council review of proposed amendment(s) and vote to amend Bylaws.
2. Review by the Faculty Senate.
3. Approval by the UNR Med faculty-at-large in a confidential process as described in section 2.3.8 of UNR Bylaws.
   1. Faculty-at-large includes all UNR Med faculty with 0.5 or greater FTE;
   2. Confidential voting to be conducted electronically; and
   3. Approval by a two-thirds majority of those voting (UNR Bylaws section 2.1.1).
4. Approval by the dean of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.
5. Approval by the president of the University of Nevada, Reno.

Questions of interpretation of the UNR Med Bylaws shall be directed to the Faculty Council, which shall review the questions and forward a recommendation to the dean of the School of Medicine. The dean’s decision shall be based upon appropriate consultation, and consistent with the NSHE Code, UNR Bylaws, and established UNR Med policies and procedures, which may include consultation with legal counsel. The dean’s decision is final.

UNR Med is organized into an administrative unit and academic departments all of which report to the dean. The dean’s office shall maintain a current organizational chart on its website.

The dean’s office consists of the dean, all associate and assistant deans, and any other administrative personnel appointed by the dean including those who also have appointments in academic departments. It shall be administered by the dean.

Academic Departments
The academic departments shall be administered by departmental chairs and designated according to their major area(s) of specialization and function. These academic departments include:

1. Emergency Medicine
2. Family and Community Medicine
3. Internal Medicine
4. Microbiology and Immunology
5. Neurology
6. Obstetrics and Gynecology
7. Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
8. Pediatrics
9. Pharmacology
10. Physiology and Cell Biology
11. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
12. Speech Pathology and Audiology
13. Surgery

For the purposes of these Bylaws, basic science departments include Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology, and Physiology and Cell Biology.

For the purposes of these Bylaws, clinical departments include Emergency Medicine, Family and Community Medicine, Internal Medicine, Neurology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Speech Pathology and Audiology, and Surgery.

For the purposes of these Bylaws, the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is considered both a basic science and a clinical department.

Savitt Medical Library, Sanford Center for Aging, and Student Health Center shall each be administered by a Director.

Each academic department shall have a chair who is responsible for the administration of the department. The chair reports directly to the dean. Individual departments may adopt their own departmental Bylaws if they so choose. Departmental Bylaws will be subordinate to and must conform to UNR Med Bylaws, the UNR Bylaws, NSHE Code, and the laws of the State of Nevada and the United States.

Department Bylaws must be reviewed by UNR Med Faculty Council and approved by:

1. A majority vote of the departmental faculty in a written ballot (following instruction given in section 2.3.8 in the UNR Bylaws);
2. The department chair; and
3. The dean, following instruction in the UNR Bylaws section 2.1.2, and the University Administrative Manual (Section 48).

Creation, abolition, or substantial alteration in the organization of administrative units within UNR Med will follow the processes set out by the NSHE Code.

The Dean is the principal administrative officer of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.

The dean is responsible for the overall administration of the School of Medicine. The dean’s responsibilities shall include the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the school’s policies, budget and programs, and for maintaining a standard of excellence. The dean may appoint an executive associate dean, senior associate deans, associate deans and assistant deans and other personnel to assist in the efficient administration and operation of the medical school.

The dean shall make an annual State of the School report, which will be made available to faculty and administrative personnel.

Evaluation of the Dean
An evaluation of the dean shall be conducted as described in the dean’s contract and as outlined in the UNR Bylaws section 3.3.2.

UNR Med shall have an executive associate dean and senior associate, associate, and assistant deans as appointed by the dean. Each position with a title has specific duties and responsibilities as outlined in the job description.

The executive associate dean and senior associate deans serve advisory roles to the dean and are voting members of the UNR Med Executive Committee (except for the senior associate dean of Legal Affairs, who advises the Executive Committee). Associate and assistant deans are voting members of the UNR Med Executive Committee.

For the purpose of LCME reporting, the Chief Academic Officer (CAO) of UNR Med is the associate dean for Medical Education and the Principal Academic Officer (PAO) of the Las Vegas campus is the campus director for Medical Education.

Each academic department in UNR Med shall have a department chair appointed by the president upon recommendation by the dean.

When there is a vacancy in the office of department chair, an internal or external search will be conducted, or an interim appointment made by the dean. Nomination of chairs shall be made by search committees to the dean. The dean recommends one candidate to the president for appointment.

Responsibilities of Department Chairs
Chairs are directly responsible to the dean for the administration of their respective departments and for maintaining a standard of excellence in the department.

With the aid of the departmental faculty members, the chair is responsible for the development and maintenance of an environment that fosters high standards in teaching, research, scholarly activity, service, and clinical service. The chair presides over departmental meetings and reports to the departmental faculty members all matters that affect the faculty or departmental programs. The chair ensures that departmental faculty members have adequate voice in decisions affecting their welfare and the welfare of the department. The chair is responsible for the evaluation of departmental faculty and staff members. Chairs meet annually with each faculty member to discuss their evaluation and academic/ career progression. Chairs make recommendations concerning promotion and tenure according to processes set forth in NSHE Code and UNR Bylaws. Chairs are responsible for departmental faculty and staff member recruitment.

Chairs prepare an annual budget in collaboration with the senior associate dean for Administration and Finance and maintain financial records concerning departmental activities. An annual department report is prepared by each chair and submitted to the dean and members of the department concerning the department's accomplishments during the past year in the areas of recruitment, teaching, research, scholarly activity, service, and clinical service.

Chairs are responsible for maintaining adequate records on the following:

1. Performance records of students, faculty and staff;
2. Inventory of departmental equipment;
3. The history of their respective departments; and
4. Such other information as directed by the dean.

Chairs are responsible for all university equipment and facilities that have been assigned to or acquired by their respective departments.

Evaluation of Department Chairs
The dean evaluates the performance of chairs each year with input from the faculty and staff members within the chair’s department. The Faculty Council develops and electronically distributes evaluation questionnaires to department faculty and staff members. The responses are tabulated to protect anonymity and forwarded to the dean. The department chair(s) can be removed from the position of chair at the discretion of the President in accordance with NSHE code and UNR Bylaws.

Except as specified, all committee members must hold a faculty appointment at UNR. Members of committees shall be either elected or appointed as provided in this section. Nominations for elected committee positions will be solicited by UNR Med Faculty Council.

An annual election will be held in the spring semester for all committees. Committee terms will begin on July 1 and run through June 30 of a subsequent calendar year. When a committee vacancy occurs during a member’s term, appointed positions will be filled by an appointment by the dean, and elected positions will be filled by the dean on an interim basis until a new election is held to fill the unexpired term. Committee members who fill a position midterm will serve out the remainder of the term of the member being replaced.

It will be the responsibility of the committee chair to develop and distribute an agenda in advance of each committee meeting. The dean or his/her designees may be ex-officio members of committees and will attend either at his or her pleasure, or by invitation of the committee chair to address a particular issue.

• 2.2.5.1 Faculty Council

  Responsibilities
  The Faculty Council has shared governance, advisory, and communication responsibilities at UNR Med.

  1. Specific responsibilities include:
     1. Conducting general faculty council meetings and UNR Med faculty committee elections;
     2. Reviewing and proposing revisions to the UNR Med bylaws and policies;
     3. Requesting and reviewing institutional reports (e.g., medical education, finance and faculty recruitment);
     4. Reviewing any issues deemed relevant to faculty teaching, research, service, or clinical activity as brought forward by faculty or administration, excluding confidential personnel matters;
     5. Reviewing and maintaining the confidentiality of the annual chairs’ questionnaires and ensuring the integrity of the chair evaluation process;
     6. Participating in the Strategic Planning process at UNR Med;
     7. Disseminating UNR Med information relevant to the faculty members in their departments and units; and
     8. Providing all other duties assigned to the Faculty Council by these bylaws.
  2. The Faculty Council shall obtain regular reports from the UNR Med Faculty Senate representatives regarding Senate agendas, votes, and activities and reports from the UNR Med Practice Plan faculty representative.

  Membership
  The Council shall consist of representatives from each academic department and a representative number of administrative faculty will be selected by the administrative faculty of UNR Med, with apportionment determined by the dean. The faculty members in each department and the administrative unit will select their representatives. Unit leaders and department chairs are not eligible to be representatives. Each representative will serve staggered three-year terms with one third of the membership rotating on/off the Faculty Council each year. Members may serve more than one three-year term. A Faculty Council member who rotates off will be responsible for assuring that his/her replacement has been identified and oriented to his/her new responsibilities.

  The chair and vice-chair of the Faculty Council are elected by the Council from among its members. The chair and vice chair shall serve for two years. The chair and vice chair may be reelected to serve an additional term. The chair represents Faculty Council as a voting member of the UNR Med Executive Committee.

  The Faculty Council shall meet at least six times each year. Agendas shall be sent to Faculty Council members in advance of each meeting. Meeting summaries shall be published on the Faculty Council website.

• 2.2.5.2 Department Chairs and Center Directors Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Department Chairs and Center Directors Committee has shared governance, advisory, and communication roles at UNR Med.

  Membership
  This group is composed of all current department chairs and the directors of Sanford Center and Student Health and meets at least six times per year. The dean, executive associate dean, and chief of staff are ex-officio members.

  This committee addresses school-wide educational, administrative, service, and research topics as determined by the members in coordination with the dean, excluding confidential personnel matters. One basic science department chair and one clinical department chair will be selected by committee members to represent the Department Chairs and Center Directors Committee as voting members of the UNR Med Executive Committee.

• 2.2.5.3 UNR Med Executive Committee

  Responsibilities
  The UNR Med Executive Committee is responsible for working with the dean as the executive committee of UNR Med. The committee works with the dean to determine administrative policies, major process changes, and reports and engages in problem-solving related to the functioning of the school. The committee reports to the dean.

  The committee shall meet at least six times per year. Agendas shall be sent to Executive Committee members in advance of each meeting. Agenda items shall be solicited from all committee members.

  Membership and Voting Procedures
  Voting members of the Executive Committee are: chief of staff, executive associate dean, all senior associate deans with the exception of the senior associate dean for Legal Affairs, all associate deans, all assistant deans, the department chair representatives, Faculty Council chair, the PAO of Las Vegas campus and the senior director of Advancement and Engagement.

  Non-voting members of the Executive Committee include the dean and representatives from administrative areas of UNR Med as appointed by the dean.

• 2.2.5.4 Committees for Undergraduate Medical Education

  The associate dean for Medical Education will communicate decisions and recommendations from the following education committees to the dean. The associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs is ex-officio on medical education committees. When an action concerning an individual medical student’s progress is recommended by the Years 1 –2 or Years 3 –4 committee, the associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs is responsible for taking appropriate action and for keeping the curriculum committees informed as appropriate of any actions and/or status changes.

  Medical student committee members must be excused from participation and required to leave during all deliberations when the performance of an individual medical student is reviewed unless the student who is the subject of the review has consented in writing to the participation of the medical student members.

  Medical Education Steering Committee
  Responsibilities
  The Medical Education Steering Committee (MESC) has institutional responsibility for overall design, management, and evaluation of undergraduate medical education curriculum. It ensures development, coordination, integration, and evaluation of the undergraduate medical education curriculum, plans joint meetings of the Years 1–2 and Years 3–4 curriculum committees, develops and approves medical education policy, plans and facilitates faculty participation in important medical education activities, and helps plan and facilitate faculty development programs. The MESC will make reports to the Faculty Council as requested.

  Membership

  1. The MESC is composed of elected and appointed faculty members as represented on the table titled: Composition of the Medical Education Steering Committee.
  2. There will be no more than 15 and no fewer than eight voting members of the MESC.
  3. The chairs of the Years 1–2 and Years 3–4 Curriculum Committees are ex-officio and voting members.
  4. One student from among the Year 1–2 Curriculum representatives and one student from among the Years 3–4 Curriculum representatives will serve as voting members of the MESC. The student representatives to the MESC will be chosen by a process to be determined by the student curriculum representatives.
  5. Faculty members will be elected by the faculty at large.
  6. Two faculty members will be appointed by the basic science chairs and two faculty members will be appointed by the clinical department chairs from among the course and block directors.
  7. Two faculty members will be appointed by the dean upon recommendation of the associate dean for Medical Education, which may be academic or administrative faculty.
  8. Elected and appointed faculty members will serve staggered three-year terms beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 with some of the membership rotating off each year. Faculty members will be limited to two successive three-year terms on this committee.
  9. Additional persons may be appointed by the associate dean for Medical Education to serve as non-voting members of the committee based on the needs of UNR Med.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures

  1. The chair of the MESC will be an appointed or elected faculty member and will serve a two-year term, following an election by the members of the committee. The two-year term may be extended by vote of the members up to the end of the chair’s original term on the committee and may be extended further if the committee member is reelected or reappointed.
  2. The chair of the MESC will be an appointed or elected faculty member and will serve a two-year term, following an election by the members of the committee. The two-year term may be extended by vote of the members up to the end of the chair’s original term on the committee and may be extended further if the committee member is reelected or reappointed.
  3. The associate dean for Medical Education and the PAO of any regional campuses will serve in an ex-officio role.
  4. Each elected and appointed faculty member and student will have one vote.
  5. The MESC may organize task forces or sub-committees with members from within and outside the committee as needed.

  Year 1 – 2 Block Directors Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Years 1–2 Block/Course Directors Committee is responsible for the creation, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the curriculum for the pre-clerkship phase of medical school. It ensures coherence and continuity of content and policies across all blocks in years 1 and 2, as well as coordination with the Years 3–4 Clerkship/Elective Directors Committee. This committee is subordinate to the MESC and may develop policies that are submitted to the MESC for approval.

  Membership
  Years 1–2 Block Directors Committee consists of the directors of all required blocks/courses in the pre-clerkship phase of medical school. Block/Course Directors attend throughout the academic year in which they serve as a director. Two student representatives per class (MS 1 and MS 2) are elected by their respective classes with final approval by the associate dean for Medical Education and the associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs in consultation with the committee chair.

  The senior associate dean for Academic Affairs, associate deans for Medical Education, Admissions and Student Affairs, and Graduate Medical Education and the chair of the Years 3–4 Clerkship/Elective Directors Committee serve in a non-voting, ex-officio capacity. Additional members may be appointed by the associate dean for Medical Education to serve in a non-voting capacity based on the needs of UNR Med.

  Year 3 – 4 Clerkship/Elective Directors Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Years 3–4 Clerkship/Elective Directors Committee is responsible for the creation, implementation, coordination, and evaluation of the curriculum for the clerkship/elective phase of medical school. It ensures coherence and continuity of content and policies across the years 3 and 4 curriculum, as well as coordination with the Years 1–2 Block Directors Committee. This committee is subordinate to the MESC and develops policies that are submitted to the MESC for approval.

  Membership
  Years 3–4 Clerkship/Elective Directors Committee consists of the directors of all required experiences in the third and fourth years of medical school. For required experiences that occur on more than one campus, the director of each campus' rotation shall be a member of the committee. The committee shall also include up to four elective directors who are elected by members of the committee. Two student representatives per class (MS 3 and MS 4) are elected by their respective classes with final approval by the associate dean for Medical Education and the associate dean for admissions and Student Affairs in consultation with the committee chair.

  The senior associate dean for Academic Affairs, associate deans for Medical Education, Admissions and Student Affairs, and Graduate Medical Education and the chair of Years 1–2 Block Director Committee serve in a non-voting, ex-officio capacity.

  Additional members may be appointed by the associate dean for Medical Education to serve in a non-voting capacity based on the needs of UNR Med.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures for Years 1–2 and Years 3–4 Committees
  The chairs of the Years 1–2 and Years 3–4 committees are members of their respective committee and are elected by the members of the committee. The chair serves a two-year term that may be extended for an additional two-year term by vote of the committee members. Each faculty member will have one vote. Students will have one vote per class.

  The committee chairs will ensure that the committees monitor and discuss student progress (academic and professional) on an on-going basis. The chairs may refer students with serious academic or behavioral or other non-academic issues to the associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs. The committee chairs will make committee reports at each meeting of the MESC and to others as requested, assess and address concerns from both students and faculty in an on-going basis, and forward concerns that substantially impact the full M.D. program to the MESC with recommendations for resolution. The committee chairs may propose or recommend substantive curricular changes to the MESC.

  The Years 1–2 and Years 3–4 committees accept direction and tasks from the Medical Education Steering Committee (MESC) and may organize task forces or sub-committees (with members from both within the committee and outside of the committee) as needed. Per any applicable policy, these committees may recommend students with interest in UNR Med special programs (e.g., scholarly concentrations and dual degrees) to the Student Promotion and Conduct Committee (SPCC) for approval.

• 2.2.5.5 Medical School Admissions Executive Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Medical School Admissions Executive Committee (AEC) is responsible for screening all medical school applicants put forth by the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs, and for selecting all entering medical students at UNR Med. The AEC is also responsible for and has authority for all policies, requirements, and procedures for criteria related to application, selection criteria, and admission to the medical school. All admission policies and procedures must be non-discriminatory and conform to state and federal regulations.

  Membership

  1. One chair: The assistant dean for Admissions or the associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs will serve as the chair of the committee and is responsible for presenting all applicants put forth by the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs to the committee for consideration. The chair is a non-voting member, except for instances requisite of a tie-breaker vote.
  2. Five UNR Med faculty members: Two clinicians, two basic science faculty members, and one faculty-at-large, all of whom are elected by the faculty-at-large and approved by the dean.
  3. One non-medical school faculty member from a Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) four-year, degree-granting institution who is appointed by the dean.
  4. Two practicing physicians from Nevada who are appointed by the dean. At least one of these appointments shall be a UNR Med alumnus.
  5. Two medical students from the second- and/or third-year class who are appointed by the dean.

  The non-student members, with exception of the chair, shall serve staggered three-year terms and may not serve for more than two terms in succession. Non-student members who have a one-year break in service shall be eligible for reelection and/or reappointment. The student members shall serve staggered two-year terms.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures
  The committee shall meet no less than twice a year at the discretion of the associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs. The presence of 80% of committee membership constitutes a quorum. All committee members will have one vote. The proceedings of this committee are to be confidential and all committee members will sign and follow confidentiality and conflict of interest agreements.

• 2.2.5.6 Student Promotion and Conduct Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Student Promotion and Conduct Committee (SPCC) committee is responsible for overseeing the personal and professional development of the medical students at UNR Med. The committee shall evaluate student progress and performance relative to UNR Med criteria and make decisions concerning student probation, suspension, dismissal, reinstatement, and related academic matters. In making such decisions the committee shall consider both academic and non-academic criteria, including the professional judgment of the faculty concerning the student's ultimate ability to become a competent physician. The associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs shall be responsible for presenting to the committee relevant information concerning all medical students whose performance requires review.

  The committee shall establish and publish its policies and procedures in the Student Handbook and UNR Med policy website. All policies and procedures related to personal and professional development of medical students will originate and be reviewed by the committee. To the extent such policies and procedures relate to student discipline and sanctions against students, those policies are subject to review by the University General Counsel and are effective upon approval of the President pursuant to NSHE Code section 10.1. The committee will also be responsible for annual review of the Student Handbook and for recommending any desired changes to the associate dean for Admissions and Student Affairs and the associate dean for Medical Education. The committee shall periodically review the criteria for technical standards required of medical students, student promotion and graduation, and obtain commentary on recommended changes from the Medical Education Steering Committee.

  Membership
  The committee shall include eleven voting faculty members elected by the faculty-at-large who serve staggered three-year terms and ex-officio, non-voting members with no term limits. Five of the faculty members shall be academic faculty members from basic science departments and five academic faculty members from clinical departments. The eleventh member may be academic or administrative faculty member from any department or unit within UNR Med. For review of students in dual degree programs, a member of the UNR graduate faculty from the other degree program will join as a voting member if the student comes before the committee. No member shall serve more than two terms in succession. A chair shall be appointed by the dean from the elected faculty members on the committee and have full voting privileges. Non-voting members of the SPCC include the senior associate deans for Academic Affairs and Legal Affairs, the associate deans for Admissions and Student Affairs, and Medical Education, the PAO, the UNR Med Learning Specialist, and others as provided by the Student Discipline and Dismissal Policy.

  Meeting
  The committee shall meet no less than six times a year. The proceedings from this committee are to be confidential to the extent allowed by law.

• 2.2.5.7 Promotion and Tenure Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Promotion and Tenure Committee is responsible for advising the dean on third-year reviews and recommendations for tenure and academic promotions.

  Membership
  The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be composed of five faculty members which shall consist of two faculty members from basic science departments, two faculty members from clinical departments, and one at-large member. Membership in the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be limited to only one member from a department. All members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be ranked at no less than associate professor, have been on the UNR Med faculty for at least three years, or two years if a professor, and must hold an appointment of at least 0.5 FTE in the School of Medicine. The committee must include at least three members who hold tenure and the rank of professor.

  All committee members shall be elected by the faculty-at-large and shall serve staggered three-year terms. One of the elected members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be appointed by the dean to serve as the committee chair. The committee chair may request that the dean appoint additional members to serve one year only in the event there are a significant number of applications for promotion and/or tenure that will place considerable burden on committee members.Departmental chairs and faculty members who are concurrently being considered for tenure or promotion are not eligible to serve on this committee.

  Tenured and non-tenured members may vote on applications if the faculty member has already attained the rank or status at issue. When evaluating teaching, research or service, the committee shall utilize the criteria that are stated in the NSHE Code and UNR Med Bylaws. The Committee shall report all individual recommendations to the Dean of UNR Med.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures
  The committee shall meet no less than once a year. The proceedings from this committee are to be confidential to the extent allowed by law.

• 2.2.5.8 Conflict of Interest Committee

  Responsibilities
  The UNR Med Conflict of Interest Committee (COI) is responsible for defining, identifying, and evaluating potential conflicts of interest related to private commercial interests such as pharmaceutical companies, medical supply companies and biomedical technology in their interactions with UNR med faculty, students, residents, and staff in associated clinical facilities. The committee’s activity is limited to the UNR Med COI policy. The UNR COI committee and COI Designated Official oversee UNR COI policy and COI management plans related to UNR policy.

  The committee acts to review, approve, or deny requests for exceptions to UNR Med COI policy and helps to disseminate information to inform and educate the UNR Med community about COI. The committee reviews and revises the UNR Med COI policy annually, for approval by the Med Executive Committee.

  Membership
  The membership of the committee shall be between five and 15 members, appointed by the dean. Each member selected shall be a UNR Med faculty or staff member. The dean should endeavor to include representatives from various areas of medical school education including undergraduate medical education, graduate medical education, research, and compliance offices.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures
  The committee shall meet no less than twice a year. Voting may occur both in person and electronically. A majority vote of the entire committee is required for approval of COI exemption requests, policy revisions, and related matters.

• 2.2.5.9 Research Space Efficiency Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Research Space Efficiency Committee will review the density of research activity and funding in the basic science laboratories of UNR Med annually. It will report findings to the dean and identify opportunities to increase the efficiency of laboratory space usage and make recommendations on locating new research programs.

  Membership
  There are seven members: two from each basic science department and the senior associate dean for Research. Members are proposed by the senior associate dean for Research and appointed by the dean.

  Meeting
  The committee shall meet no less than once a year.

• 2.2.5.10 Graduate Medical Education Committee

  Responsibilities
  The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC) has responsibility for oversight and administration of all aspects of residency education and establishes and implements policies and procedures regarding the quality of graduate medical education and the work environment for all fellows and residents.

  Membership
  GMEC at UNR Med is comprised of all program directors of accredited and representative unaccredited programs, residency coordinators from all programs, peer selected residents from all programs, hospital administrators, the Designated Institutional Officer (DIO) and the institutional GME director. Administrative support is supported by the GME office.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures
  The GMEC meets monthly. Each program director has one vote. The DIO is the chair and is a non-voting member.

• 2.2.5.11 Council on Diversity Initiatives

  Responsibilities
  The Council on Diversity Initiatives (CDI) is responsible for expanding UNR Med’s initiatives to promote diversity and inclusion. The CDI is also responsible for reviewing UNR Med’s Institutional Diversity Categories and administering surveys to collect information related to diversity and inclusion at UNR Med.

  Membership
  The CDI is co-chaired by the associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion and the Assistant Dean for Admissions. The CDI is comprised of invited faculty and staff members from UNR Med, the School of Community Health Sciences, The Center: Every Student, Every Story (The Center) at UNR, and UNR Med student leadership representatives.

  Meeting and Voting Procedures
  The CDI meets a minimum of six times per year.

The faculty participates in shared governance in accordance with the UNR Med and UNR Bylaws, the NSHE Handbook, the Constitution and laws of the State of Nevada, and the Constitution and laws of the United States of America.

• General

  The UNR Med faculty shall consist of all persons holding appointments as provided in NSHE Code. Faculty ranks, rights, and contracts are described UNR Bylaws section 2.3.

• Definitions of Faculty

  Academic and administrative faculty are defined by UNR Bylaws section 2.3.2. Departments may have department representation on Faculty Council by a department faculty member who holds a joint faculty appointment. Adjunct and Clinical Faculty are defined in UNR Bylaws 2.3.6.

• Faculty Votes

  Voting rights of UNR Med faculty members are specified in UNR bylaws. UNR Med faculty members with an appointment of 0.5FTE or greater shall have the right to vote except as specified in UNR Med or department bylaws. Professional employees on letters of appointment are not granted voting rights. UNR Med departments may specify voting privileges for faculty members on letters of appointment and faculty members on temporary appointments in department Bylaws.

• Professional Responsibilities

  All personnel evaluations shall be made on the basis of specified professional responsibilities that are stated in the faculty member's role statement or administrative faculty member’s Individual Performance Objectives as mutually agreed upon by the faculty member and supervisor. Faculty members will be evaluated on teaching, research, and service. These specified professional responsibilities shall be in accordance with the mission and priorities of the faculty member's department, as either defined in the department bylaws or agreed upon by the departmental faculty members, its chair, and the dean.

  The faculty member's role statement shall be subject to appropriate periodic review by the individual faculty member and his or her chair and effort will be made to accommodate subsequent changes that may be desired by either party.

  If a member of the faculty and the chair are unable to reach an agreement concerning the faculty member's specified professional responsibilities, a meeting of the faculty member and his or her chair must be arranged with the dean for resolution. The dean will make a final decision pursuant to any rights faculty have under UNR Bylaws or NSHE Code.

  The professional responsibilities for academic faculty shall be applied in consideration of the NSHE Code 3.4.2 in annual evaluations, promotion, and tenure and shall apply under the following categories:

  • Teaching/Performance of Assigned Duties

    Teaching effectiveness shall be evaluated by department chairs, members of the academic faculty, and formal student and resident evaluations in accordance with NSHE Code 3.4.2.a.1.A. A record of effectiveness as a teacher may include, but is not limited to, demonstrated teaching competence and efficiency in a classroom, laboratory, and/or clinical setting,the ability to communicate effectively with students and demonstrated skill in handling classroom and other duties related to teaching. Such a record may also include, for example, a showing of the ability to impart knowledge, to excite students’ interested in the subject matter, to evoke response in students and to demonstrate competence in advising students.

    The evaluation of a faculty member's teaching will not be based solely on quantitative assessment, but will also take into consideration written commentaries and other materials that attest to the quality of instruction provided by the faculty member.

    The evaluation of an academic faculty member whose role does not include instruction shall include evidence to demonstrate a record of effectiveness, efficiency, and ability to perform assigned duties.

  • Research, Scholarly, Creative, and Entrepreneurial Activity

    Research effectiveness shall be evaluated by department chairs and members of the academic faculty in accordance with NSHE Code 3.4.2.2. This shall include demonstrated continuing professional growth related to the academic faculty member’s discipline or program area as shown by a record of research, scholarly, creative, or entrepreneurial activity resulting in publication or comparable productivity.

    The evaluation of a faculty member's performance in research will take into consideration multiple sources. Such recognition of achievement shall be documented in supporting materials.

  • Service

    Service effectiveness shall be evaluated by department chairs and members of the academic faculty in accordance with NSHE Code 3.4.2.1.3.a-e. A record of service may include, but is not limited to:

    1. Membership and participation in professional organizations;
    2. Ability to work with the faculty and students of the member institution in the best interests of the academic community and the people it serves, and to the extent that the job performance of the academic faculty member's administrative unit may not be otherwise adversely affected;
    3. Service on university or System committees;
    4. Recognition among colleagues for possessing integrity and the capacity for further significant intellectual and professional achievement; and
    5. Recognition and respect outside the System community for participation in activities that use the faculty member’s knowledge and expertise or further the mission of the institution, or that provide an opportunity for professional growth through interaction with industry, business, government, and other institutions of our society, within the state, the nation, or the world.

  Performance shall be documented by materials in support of the annual evaluation.

• Evaluations
  • Annual Evaluation

    Each faculty member shall be evaluated annually in regard to the specified professional responsibilities that are stated in the Role Statement (academic faculty) or Individual Performance Objectives (IPO) (administrative faculty).

    Performance shall be rated as excellent, commendable, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory. An overall rating of either excellent or commendable shall be considered meritorious performance. Evaluation is based on those categories specified in the Role Statement/ IPO.

    A faculty member may have a Role Statement with no expectation of activity in a given area of activity. If the Role Statement effort is agreed upon by the department chair and approved by the dean, then that area does not require evaluation.

    All evaluations shall be initiated by the department or unit, and shall be made on the basis of equitable criteria for assessing the quality of performance for each area of professional activity evaluated. These criteria and the procedures by which they are evaluated shall be those specified in department, UNR Med, and UNR Bylaws. All evaluations shall be based on a careful and professional assessment of relevant admissible evidence to ensure a just and equitable evaluation.

    Each faculty member shall be responsible for submitting the documentation on which their evaluations will be based as specified in department, UNR Med, and UNR Bylaws. The chair or supervisor shall then review this documentation and write an annual evaluation of each faculty member's performance. This evaluation shall carry a signed statement indicating that the faculty member has read the evaluation or has waived the right to read it. The documentation and department evaluation will then be forwarded to the dean who shall subsequently formally evaluate each faculty member's performance. If the final evaluation and merit level are changed by the dean, the chair shall be notified and the chair shall review changes with the faculty member.

    If the faculty member disagrees with the annual evaluation rating, the faculty member may submit a written rejoinder (Section 5.16 of the Code) and/or may initiate a reconsideration and/or grievance through regular administrative channels as specified in UNR Bylaws 3.2.3 and 3.3.2.

  • Evaluation Schedule

    Each member of the faculty shall be evaluated annually by their chair or supervisor and the dean.

    Faculty members receiving an overall rating of unsatisfactory on their annual evaluation shall be provided with constructive feedback in the written evaluation for improving their performance. This constructive feedback must include a written plan for improvement, which must be specific and must be provided at the time of the first unsatisfactory rating. Tenured faculty members may be terminated after receiving two consecutive unsatisfactory ratings. The written assessments will be shared with the faculty member and filed with the Dean’s Office and the Office of Academic Affairs.

    All tenure track faculty members shall be formally evaluated by their chair and the UNR Med Promotion and Tenure Committee regarding progress toward tenure in the third year of a probationary appointment. Annual evaluations of progress toward tenure are required each subsequent year until tenure. These evaluations will include a written assessment of the faculty member’s progress. The probationary faculty member shall be informed of this evaluation in writing. All progress towards tenure evaluations will be included in faculty tenure applications.

Consideration for promotion will proceed in accordance with the procedures and timelines outlined in the UNR Bylaws 3.3.5.

Administrative Faculty
Promotion of administrative faculty will follow guidelines outlined in the UNR University Administrative Manual.

Academic Faculty

• Process and Criteria

  The Promotion and Tenure committee evaluates and rates faculty member applications for promotion in three areas of professional responsibility: teaching, research, and service. For clinicians, service includes patient care responsibilities. Only committee members who have already attained the rank or status at issue may participate in the evaluation.

  The UNR Med Promotion and Tenure Committee shall apply the following criteria in evaluation of applications for promotion:

  1. Promotion to Rank II or Rank (0) II

     Faculty hired in Rank I are eligible for appointment to Rank II upon completion of the requirements stated in the employment offer. A faculty member in Rank (0) I shall be eligible for promotion to Rank (0) II when the faculty member has attained a terminal degree in an appropriate professional field and has demonstrated evidence of achievement in teaching and/or research. A minimum of four and maximum of eight external peer-review letters are required for all applications for promotion to Rank 0 (II) in a research appointment. A minimum of three letters is required for promotion to Rank 0 (II) for other positions at Rank 0 (I).

  2. Promotion to Rank III or Rank (0) III

     A faculty member in Rank II shall be eligible for promotion to Rank III when the faculty member has established a substantial record of achievement in teaching, research, and service. Faculty members in Rank 0 (II) are evaluated according to distribution of effort in their role statements. A departmental recommendation for promotion to Rank III may precede, accompany, or follow a recommendation for tenure for faculty members hired on the tenure track. A minimum of four and maximum of eight external peer-review letters are required for all applications for tenure and for all applications for promotion to Rank III or to Rank 0 (III) in a research appointment. A minimum of three letters is required for promotion to Rank0 (III) for other positions at Rank 0 (II). Progress toward promotion shall be evaluated according to the schedule outlined in UNR Bylaws 3.3.5.

  3. Promotion to Rank IV or Rank (0) IV

     A faculty member in Rank III shall be eligible for promotion to Rank IV when the faculty member has established a sustained record of achievement in teaching, research, and service. The record shall document publications or creative work judged significant by peers in the field; distinguished service; and distinction in teaching and related activities. Faculty members in Rank 0 (III) are evaluated according to distribution of effort in their role statements. Promotion to Rank IV requires evidence of national or international impact. A minimum of four and maximum of eight external peer-review letters are required for all applications for promotion to Rank IV or to Rank 0 (IV) in a research appointment. A minimum of three letters is required for promotion to Rank 0 (IV) for other positions at Rank 0 (III).

     All completed UNR Med academic faculty applications for promotion and/or tenure are submitted to the Office of Academic Affairs and reviewed by the UNR Med Promotion and Tenure Committee. The committee will review the applicant’s documentation, external letters, and the chair’s evaluation and make an independent recommendation to the dean prior to the dean's formal evaluation.

     Faculty members are responsible for assembling and submitting applications by the UNR Med application deadline. Chairs are responsible for soliciting external letters and submitting chair evaluations and letters from external reviewers by the UNR Med application deadline.

• Eligibility for Promotion

  All recommendations for promotion of a faculty member will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the UNR Med Promotion and Tenure Committee. The committee will take into account the faculty member’s achievements and evaluations in the review period (i.e., the time since hire or last promotion) in addition to external review letters and other documentation accompanying the application.

  For faculty members in a basic science department, eligibility for consideration for promotion to the next rank is an excellent performance rating in either teaching or research and no less than a satisfactory rating in the other two areas.

  For faculty members in a clinical department, eligibility for consideration for promotion to the next rank is an excellent performance rating in either teaching or service activity and no less than a satisfactory rating in the other two areas.

• Negative Recommendations

  If a negative recommendation for promotion is received at any level, the faculty member has the right for reconsideration of the decision following the procedures in UNR Bylaws and the NSHE Code.

As provided in Subsection 3.4.2 of the Code, the consideration of a recommendation for appointment of an academic faculty member with tenure shall include the application of the three standards and the ratings contained in this subsection, which shall be applied in consideration of the conditions for appointment with tenure stated in Subsection 3.1.2 of the Code. The burden of demonstrating that these standards have been met lies with the applicant for appointment with tenure. In standards one and two, an academic faculty member being recommended for appointment with tenure must receive an excellent rating in one of these standards and no less than a satisfactory rating in the other.

• Standard One: Teaching/Performance of Assigned Duties

  Either of the following:

  1. If applying for tenure as a University instructor, a record of effectiveness as a teacher, including, but not limited to demonstrated teaching competence and efficiency in a classroom and/or laboratory, and/or clinical setting, the ability to communicate effectively with students, and demonstrated skill in handling classroom and other duties related to teaching. Such a record may include, for example, a showing of the ability to impart knowledge, to excite students' interest in the subject matter, and to evoke response in students and to demonstrate competence in advising students.
  2. If applying for tenure as a member of the academic faculty whose role does not include instruction, include a record of effectiveness, efficiency, and ability to perform assigned duties.
• Standard Two: Research, Scholarly, Creative, and Entrepreneurial Activity

  Demonstrated continuing professional growth related to the academic faculty member's discipline or program area as shown by a record of research, scholarly, creative, or entrepreneurial activity resulting in publication or comparable productivity.

• Standard Three: Service

  In addition to standards one and two, an academic faculty member being recommended for appointment with tenure must receive a satisfactory rating or better in the area of service, which may include, but is not be limited to:

  1. Membership and participation in professional organizations;
  2. Ability to work with faculty members and students in the best interests of the academic community and the people it serves, and to the extent that the job performance of the academic faculty member's major unit may not be otherwise adversely affected;
  3. Service on University or System committees;
  4. Recognition among colleagues for possessing integrity and the capacity for further significant intellectual and professional achievement; and
  5. Recognition and respect outside the System community for participation in activities that use the faculty member’s knowledge and expertise or further the mission of the University, or that provide an opportunity for professional growth through interaction with industry, business, government, and other institutions of our society, within the state, the nation or the world.
• Negative Recommendations

  If a negative recommendation for tenure is received at any level, the faculty member has the right for reconsideration of the decision following the procedures in UNR Bylaws and the NSHE Code.

Faculty ranks for academic faculty and compensation grades for administrative faculty are described in the UNR Bylaws and University Administrative Manual.

Graduate programs in UNR Med will determine their respective graduate faculty members in accordance with the graduate faculty criteria outlined in the Graduate Council Bylaws.

UNR Med will have faculty representatives to the UNR Faculty Senate and the Graduate Council as provided for in their respective Bylaws.

Faculty Senate
UNR Med Faculty elects Faculty Senators through annual voting by the faculty-at-large. The number of senators is determined by the Faculty Senate. Faculty Senators serve as advocates for faculty welfare, provide input to campus policies and make recommendations to the President. One UNR Med Faculty Senator reports at each Faculty Council meeting. Faculty senators also gather faculty opinions and relay those back to the Faculty Senate.

Graduate Council
UNR Med elects its representative(s) to the Graduate Council through annual voting by the graduate faculty. The number of representatives is determined by the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council reviews and recommends to the President, through the Provost’s Office, and subject to the dean of the Graduate School, policy matters pertaining to graduate education, such as graduate teaching, graduate program needs, and graduate student and faculty research.