Subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System and with the aim of promoting academic excellence, this document describes and establishes the role of the faculty in the governance of The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.
ARTICLE ONE Organizational Bodies
The names of the organizational bodies addressed by this document shall be the Administrative Council (Council), the Faculty Senate (Senate), Assembly of the Faculty (Assembly) and the Departments.
For purposes of defining membership in the Senate and the Council, the current administrative units are the Departments of: Diagnostic Sciences; Endodontics; Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery; Orthodontics; Pediatric Dentistry; Periodontics and the School of Dental Hygiene; Prosthodontics; Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials. Additions or deletions to the designated administrative units shall be determined by the Dean of the Dental Branch after review by the Council and the Senate, and approval by the President of the Health Science Center upon the recommendation of the Coordinating Board and Board of Regents. This paragraph shall be revised to reflect changes in the list of Departments without further approval and comment by the Council, Senate or Assembly.
ARTICLE TWO The Dean
The Dean is the senior administrative official of the Dental Branch subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. The Dean shall be responsible for all decisions regarding the academic, clinical and administrative affairs of the Dental Branch in consultation with the Council, Senate and the Assembly where appropriate. All recommendations and reports submitted to the Dean by the Senate, Council, Assembly and the various standing committees shall be considered advisory.
ARTICLE THREE Administrative Council
The purpose of the Administrative Council (Council) shall be to develop an agenda of issues of concern to Dental Branch administrators and departmental chairs, to meet in order to receive and distribute information related to those issues, and to develop positions and recommendations on those issues.
Section 1. Membership of the Council
The Council shall consist of the Dean, the Department Chairs, and the Director of the School of Dental Hygiene. The Associate and Assistant Deans and the President of the Senate shall be ex officio members of the Council without voting privilege.
Section 2. Officers of the Council
The Dean shall serve as Chair, preside over meetings and maintain the agenda. The Chair shall send copies of the minutes of the meetings to all members of the Council and post them on the Council’s site on Blackboard. Department Chairs shall be responsible for distributing minutes to all faculty members within their departments.
Section 3. Meetings of the Council
A regular meeting of the Council shall be held at least ten (10) times each year. Council members may submit items for the printed agenda to the Dean up to one (1) week before a meeting. The agenda shall include a report by the Dean and provisions for consideration of old and new business. Special meetings of the Council may be called by the Dean or by one-fourth of the Council members by way of a written request. Special meetings of the Council shall be restricted to items of business for which the special meeting was called, unless additional items are added to the agenda by unanimous consent of the voting members present. The agenda for each regular or special meeting shall be circulated when possible to all Council members at least four (4) days in advance of the meeting.
A majority of the Council membership shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Sturgis' The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedures shall guide the conduct of all meetings and a Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the Chair at the first meeting after September 1st each year.
Faculty members or other interested parties may be invited to attend a Council meeting. The invited individual may be accorded the privilege of the floor by the Chair, but shall not have the right to vote.
Section 4. Responsibilities of the Council
The Council shall be responsible for:
ARTICLE FOUR Faculty Senate
The Senate shall act as the representative body of the faculty in all institutional matters. The Senators are the elected representatives of the faculty and shall in their deliberations be guided by the opinion of their constituents when possible.
Section 1. Membership of the Senate
The Senate shall consist of Senators representing the Departments. All faculty members (0.5 F.T.E. or greater), except the Chairs of the Departments, the Dean, and the Associate and Assistant Deans shall be eligible for election as Senators.
Each administrative unit shall elect and be represented by one (1) Senator for every twelve (12) F.T.E.s or fraction thereof assigned to the unit. Each Senator shall have one (1) vote.
Each Senator shall be elected for a full term of three (3) years. A Senator shall not be eligible for re-election after serving two (2) consecutive full terms, until the regular election held in the year following the end of his/her second term. One-third of the Senators shall be chosen annually.
The Committee on Committees shall institute uniform procedures for, and administer and certify the election of Senators within each administrative unit. Only faculty members with a primary appointment in an administrative unit are eligible to vote for the Senator from that unit. Visiting faculty and part time faculty (less than 0.5 F.T.E.) are ineligible to vote.
The regular election of Senators shall be held by ballot each academic year before May 31st. Newly elected Senators shall take office September 1st of the year elected.
In the event that a regularly elected Senator is unable to attend a Senate meeting, the Senator shall designate a qualified alternate representative from within that department to serve in the Senator's absence. The designee shall identify himself/herself to the President and the Secretary at the beginning of the Senate meeting and shall be accorded full voting rights.
A Senator absent from more than one-half of the regular meetings from September 1st through August 31st of an academic year as certified by the Secretary of the Senate shall be subject to having the Senate declare the office vacated. If a new department is established, the Senate shall make provisions for its representation at the next regular meeting of the Senate. If a department is discontinued, it shall cease to be represented. If two (2) or more departments are merged, the successor department shall elect the Senator(s) to replace the existing Senator(s) representing the merged departments. Vacancies arising from the resignation of a Senator or from other causes shall be filled by election of a new Senator from the represented department to complete the unexpired term of office vacated and shall be eligible for two (2) additional terms. An election shall be held within four (4) weeks of the time the Senate President is notified of a vacancy.
Section 2. Officers of the Senate
The Senate shall elect by ballot from among its members a President (first year only), President-Elect and Secretary at the first meeting after September 1st of each academic year.
The President of the Senate shall preside over meetings of the Senate, publicize the agenda for Senate meetings, and be responsible for sending Senate documents (including minutes) to the Dean and posting them on the Faculty Senate site on Blackboard. The President shall be an ex officio member of the Administrative Council without voting privilege and be responsible for presenting a report of Council activities to the Senate. The President shall serve as a Dental Branch representative to the Health Science Center Interfaculty Council.
The President-Elect shall assume the President's responsibilities in the absence of the President and shall assume the Presidency at the first meeting after September 1st of each academic year. The President-Elect shall serve as a Dental Branch representative to the Health Science Center Interfaculty Council.
The Secretary shall maintain a record of the attendance of each Senator at all meetings and shall compile, publish, and preserve the minutes of all Senate meetings. The Secretary is responsible for sending the minutes to the President of the Senate and to each Senator. The Secretary shall insure that all committee reports are received in accordance with these Bylaws.
The Immediate Past President shall serve in an advisory capacity to the President and shall serve as the Chair of the Committee on Committees.
If the Senatorial term of the President has expired and he/she has not been re-elected to the Senate, then he/she shall serve as a Senator At Large in order to fulfill the duties of the office.
If the Senatorial term of the Immediate Past President has expired and he/she has not been re-elected to the Senate, he/she shall continue to serve the Senate as an ex officio member for one year. As an ex officio member, the Immediate Past President shall have privileges of the floor, but shall not have the right to vote.
Section 3. Meetings of the Senate
The Senate shall hold a regular monthly meeting at least ten (10) times each year. Senate members may submit items for the printed agenda to the President of the Senate up to one (1) week prior to the meeting. Special meetings of the Senate may be called by the President of the Senate or by one-fourth of the Senate members by way of a written request. The agenda of all special meetings shall be restricted to items of business for which the special meeting was called unless additional items are added to the agenda by unanimous consent of the voting members present. The agenda for each regular or special meeting shall be circulated when possible to all Senators at least four (4) days in advance of the meeting.
A majority of the Senate shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of its business. Sturgis’ The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedures shall guide the conduct of all meetings. A Parliamentarian shall be appointed by the President of the Senate at the first meeting after September 1st of each year. Thirty-three percent (33%) of the Senators present and voting or the President of the Senate may cause a delay of vote until the next meeting on an issue requiring the Senators to consult with their constituents.
Meetings of the Senate shall be open to all faculty members. Faculty members or other interested parties may be invited to attend Senate meetings and may be accorded the privilege of the floor by the President of the Senate to speak on specified matters, but shall neither have the right to vote nor shall they count in the determination of a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 4. Responsibilities of the Senate
The Senate shall be empowered to:
ARTICLE FIVE The Assembly of the Faculty
The purpose of the Assembly shall be the achievement and maintenance of excellence in education, scholarly activity and service at the Dental Branch.
Section 1. Membership of the Assembly
The Assembly organization shall consist of all those faculty members appointed to The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston with an appointment of 0.5 F.T.E. or greater. Faculty members whose primary appointment is at UTDB shall have voting privileges.
Section 2. Officers of the Assembly
The President of the Senate shall preside at meetings of the Assembly and publicize the agenda for Assembly meetings. An individual from the department of the Senate President shall be designated to assist the President of the Senate in compiling, publishing and sending the minutes of all meetings of the Assembly to the Office of the Dean and the Senate. The President of the Senate shall also post the minutes at the Faculty Senate site on Blackboard. The Dean will maintain hard copies of all Assembly minutes and reports in the Office of the Dean. The President-Elect of the Senate shall preside at Assembly meetings in the absence of the President.
Section 3. Meetings of the Assembly
A regular meeting of the Assembly shall be held at least twice each academic year. Public notice of the regular meeting shall be made available to all faculty by the presiding officer at least three (3) weeks before the meeting. Faculty members may submit items for the printed agenda to the President of the Senate up to two (2) weeks before the Assembly meeting. The agenda, which shall be published in advance of the meeting, shall include provisions for consideration of old and new business.
A special meeting of the Assembly may be called upon request of the Dean, the President of the Senate, the Council, or by twenty (20) members of the Assembly by a written request to the President of the Senate. The agenda, outlining the reasons for which the special meeting was called, shall be circulated when possible to the members of the Assembly at least four (4) days before the meeting. The special meeting shall be restricted to the consideration of the item(s) of business for which the meeting was called unless additional items are added to the agenda by unanimous consent of the voting members present.
One quarter of eligible members (0.5 FTE and above) shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Sturgis' The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall guide the conduct of all meetings and the Parliamentarian of the Senate shall serve as Parliamentarian of the Assembly. The Dean or presiding officer may invite interested parties to attend meetings as guests of the Assembly. Such guests may be accorded the privilege of the floor, but shall neither have the right to vote nor count in the determination of a quorum for the transaction of business.
When a vote is taken at a meeting of the Assembly, a ballot shall be used if requested by twenty percent (20%) of the voting members present and voting.
Section 4. Responsibilities of the Assembly
The Assembly of the Faculty shall be responsible for
ARTICLE SIX Members of the Faculty
The members of the faculty shall include all faculty appointed to The University of Texas Dental Branch at Houston.
Section 1. Responsibilities of the Faculty
The members of the faculty shall, through committees or other appropriate channels,
ARTICLE SEVEN Committees
Section 1. Appointment of Committees
There shall be a specially constituted Committee on Committees, composed of seven (7) non-administrative, full-time faculty members. The Immediate Past President of the Senate shall serve as Chair of the Committee on Committees; the President of the Senate shall assume these duties if the Immediate Past President is unable to serve. Four (4) members of the Committee shall be appointed by the President of the Senate with approval by the Senate and two by the Dean. Members shall serve a two (2) year term with one-half the membership to be chosen each year. The functions of the Committee on Committees shall be to advise the Dean, Council, and Senate concerning the efficacy of the committee structure and, at least annually, submit to the Dean a slate of nominees to fill vacancies on all standing committees except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws. The Dean shall select committee members from these nominees. The duration of service by members of standing committees shall be three (3) years and not exceed six (6) consecutive years. Insofar as possible, one-third of the membership of each committee, except the Committee on Committees, shall be new to each committee in any given year. The pattern of appointment shall preserve continuity and equitable representation of committee membership. The Senate shall determine the numbers and qualifications of members of the committee and designate ex officio members who shall serve without voting privilege. Each committee shall elect from among its membership (excluding ex officio and student members) the officers at the first meeting of the new committee year.
Section 2. Standing Committees
Standing committees shall develop operating procedures and policy statements that shall become effective when they have been accepted by their respective charging bodies. Any proposed change of policy or procedure of a committee must be made known in written form on a timely basis to the Faculty Senate for its review, comment, recommendations and/or approval.
Each committee Chair shall submit an Annual Report of committee activities and recommendations to the Dean, Senate President and the Chair of the Committee on Committees. The Chair of the individual committee shall post its Annual Report (excluding confidential material such as the Activity Report) at its committee site on Blackboard. The Chair of the Committee on Committees will post the full Annual Reports at the Committee on Committees site on Blackboard.
Each committee shall be charged and shall report its current decisions and recommendations in the manner outlined below.
2.1 Committees Reporting Their Current Decisions and Recommendations to the Dean
2.1.1 Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean, shall be to evaluate the credentials and qualifications of the faculty members, or prospective faculty members, and to make recommendations to the Dean concerning their appointment, reappointment promotion in rank, suitability for tenure appointment, and Six-Year Reviews. Three fourths of the committee membership shall be appointed from among the full-time, tenured members of the faculty, and one fourth from the full-time non-tenure track faculty, all of whom shall hold the rank of Associate Professor or higher, but are not departmental chairs or other administrators. A non-tenure track member of the committee shall not vote on recommendations for tenure. The committee chair shall be a tenured faculty member. The Committee shall include adequate representation selected from among all departments.
2.1.2 Committee on Committees - The functions of the Committee on Committees, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean, shall be to advise the Dean, Administrative Council and Senate concerning the efficacy of the committee structure. At least annually, the Committee shall submit to the Dean a slate of nominees to fill vacancies on all standing committees except as otherwise provided by these Bylaws. The Committee shall institute and administer uniform procedures for the election of Senators and other formal elections within the Dental Branch, and shall propose at least one nominee for each elected position not otherwise covered by these Bylaws. This Committee shall be chaired by the immediate Past President of the Senate.
2.1.3 Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean, shall be to evaluate dental and dental hygiene students' academic performance and their suitability to receive professional degrees or diplomas, to recommend to the Dean their academic status including promotion, probation, or dismissal. The Committee shall coordinate with the Office of Student Affairs to endorse student awards. The actions of the Committee shall be in accordance with guidelines approved by the Senate.
2.1.4 Dental Admissions Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean, shall be to recruit applicants for dental school, to evaluate the credentials and qualifications of these applicants, to recommend to the Dean those applicants best suited for the study of dentistry, and to encourage them to enroll as pre-doctoral students at the Dental Branch.
2.1.5 Faculty Development & Evaluation Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean and Senate, shall be to enhance development of Dental Branch faculty by identifying and/or establishing development opportunities. It shall solicit, review and nominate faculty for development leave. The Committee shall also evaluate faculty nominees for Faculty Awards and make recommendations to the Dean.
2.1.6 Research Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean, shall be to encourage and facilitate research at the Dental Branch.
2.2 Committees Reporting Their Current Decisions to the Senate
2.2.1 Advanced Education Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Senate, shall be to review each advanced education program sponsored by the Dental Branch and make recommendations regarding admissions, curriculum, hospital affiliations, graduate supervisory committees and student thesis proposals. This committee shall evaluate and make recommendations concerning progress, retention and awarding of post graduate degrees to Dental Branch post graduate students. All recommendations regarding candidates for admission, retention or awarding of degrees shall be referred directly to the Dean for action. The Committee shall include the Department Chairs and Program Directors of those departments involved in advanced dental education, and members of the faculty experienced in clinical or basic science research.
2.2.2 Curriculum Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by and reports to the Senate, shall be to review and coordinate all aspects of the curriculum, to make recommendations to the Senate when appropriate, and to monitor and ensure the quality of educational programs.
2.3 Committees Reporting Their Current Decisions to the Director of the School of Dental Hygiene
2.3.1 Dental Hygiene Admissions and Curriculum Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Dean, shall be to serve in an advisory capacity to the Director of the School of Dental Hygiene, especially in areas of recruitment, admissions and academic programs.
2.4 Committees Reporting Their Current Decisions to the Dean and Senate
2.4.1 Outcomes Assessment Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Dean and reports to the Dean and Senate, shall be to manage continuous outcomes assessment of the Dental Branch Institutional Mission, Goals and Objectives.
2.4.2 Credentialing Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Dean and reports to the Dean and Senate, shall be to review and make recommendations in professional liability matters and for professional credentialing. The Report to the Senate shall not include material of a confidential nature.
2.4.3 Clinical Affairs Committee - The purpose of this committee, which shall be charged by the Senate and reports to the Dean and Senate, shall be to evaluate and recommend procedures and/or policies to ensure proper clinical instruction, administration of comprehensive patient care and Quality Assurance/Quality Control issues and to help ensure that the Dental Branch is in compliance with accreditation standards in all clinical areas.
ARTICLE EIGHT Amendment of These Bylaws
Amendment of these Bylaws may be proposed by a petition signed by twenty (20) members of the Assembly, any member of the Assembly in a meeting of the Assembly, the Senate, the Administrative Council, the President of the Senate, or the Dean. The properly proposed amendment shall be sent to the Senate for review and recommendation to the Assembly. The proposed amendment of the Bylaws and the Senate recommendation shall be submitted to the members of the Assembly at least thirty (30) days prior to the next regular meeting of the Assembly (following submission of the petition) or a special meeting of the Assembly called for the purpose of considering the amendment. Ratification of the amendment shall require a two-thirds vote of the Assembly members present and voting at a meeting of the Assembly at which there is a quorum. Amendments will become effective following approval by the Dean, the President of the Health Science Center and the Executive Vice-Chancellor for Health Affairs of The University of Texas System as necessary.
Updated 12/06
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