Bylaws of the
Department of Astronomy
University of Florida
13 May 2011
1. Composition and Organization of the Department
1.1. Composition of the Department
1.1.1. The Department consists of tenured and tenure-track professors,
emeritus professors, adjunct professors, scientists, engineers and
technicians, postdoctoral researchers, administrative staff, computer
support personnel, graduate students, and undergraduate students who
have declared a major offered by the Department. These individuals
shall be known as Department members.
1.1.2. Unless otherwise noted, the term ‘faculty’ in this document shall
refer to any and all positions specified as part of the Faculty Senate’s
definition of this term. Refer to Senate Bylaw 21, Section A.
1.1.3. Professors in the Department are appointed as part of the tenure
stream. All other faculty are appointed on fixed terms.
1.2. Voting Privileges and the Committee Process
1.2.1. The voting faculty shall normally consist of all full-time faculty as
defined in Senate Bylaw 21, Section A. This includes those with appointments
that are jointly funded by the Department of Astronomy and another department.
In certain instances, as noted in these bylaws, voting eligibility of
Department members may be redefined. For the remainder of this document,
the subset of the faculty composed of tenured and tenure-track faculty
and Scientists with at least 3 years of service will be referred
to as ‘TTFS3.’
1.2.2. Members of the Department, independent of their voting
eligibility, can participate in Department governance by serving as
members of standing and ad hoc committees.
1.2.2.1. None of the above shall be considered as a restriction on any
individual member of the Department to make his/her views known to the
Chair of the department, the Associate Chair of the department, or the
Chair of a particular committee in private conferences.
1.2.3. The members of each committee shall be appointed by the department
Chair with the consent of the member to be appointed. The chair of the
committee shall also be appointed by the department Chair with the consent
of the member to be appointed.
1.2.4. The term of service for each member of a committee and the number
of members on each committee are given below in the particular section
devoted to each committee. However, the Chair may, at his or her discretion,
adjust the number of committee members and the terms of the committee
members for any reason one of which might be to preserve memory on the
committee so as to optimize the efficiency of each committee.
1.2.5. In all cases, the Chair of the department is a voting member of
the department and the Chairs of each committee are considered voting
members of their committees.
1.2.6. The Chair of the department shall not serve as a member of any
committee except as noted in other sections of these bylaws.
1.2.7. Each committee shall maintain an email distribution list of faculty
members who have declared their interest in attending meetings of the
committee. Announcement of committee meetings shall be made to this
email distribution list.
1.2.8. The recommendations of a committee shall be described in a
report that specifies which issues require a faculty vote.
1.2.9. This report shall be distributed to the faculty three
working days in advance of a faculty meeting and discussion of the report
shall be placed on the agenda. The recommendations in the report
shall be voted-on after sufficient discussion has occurred.
1.2.10. In general, only major recommendations of committees will require
a faculty vote as determined by each committee and the Department
chair. The status of a recommendation as major must be explored
during the regular faculty meetings as committee chairs report
on their activities, as specified in Sec. 1.4.5.
1.2.11. Faculty voting shall occur on each recommendation as
determined by the committee. However, the entire report of
recommendations can be voted on as a group if a majority of
the faculty present at the meeting agree to do so.
1.2.12. The results of a vote will be determined on the basis
of the number of votes cast by the eligible faculty. For
example, a vote requiring a 2/3 majority will be considered ‘passed’
if 2/3 of the total number of votes cast favor the measure. This is
regardless of whether the vote is by ballots, show of hands, or
some other process.
1.2.13. In all cases where there is a voting impasse on an issue that
must be decided one way or another and is time-sensitive,
the Chair of the department invokes executive power and
makes the final decision. A voting impasse is such that after adequate
debate and voting of the faculty, the required voting majority
cannot be achieved.
1.2.14. Committees that do not want to deliberate on a specific
issue are free to turn over responsibility for acting on the matter
to the faculty or to the department chair.
1.3. Duties, Responsibilities and Term of Office of the Chair and
Associate Chair
1.3.1. The Chair shall discharge all administrative duties and
responsibilities consistent with the constitution of the University of
Florida, the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate, and the Bylaws of the
department.
1.3.1.1. The Chair shall be the official departmental liaison to the
University of Florida administration. No member except for the
department Chair or his/her designated representative
shall be the official spokesperson for the Department.
1.3.1.2. Aside from routine administrative communications, faculty
may initiate contact with members of the University
administration only after the Chair and Associate Chair have been
informed and given an opportunity to respond if necessary.
1.3.1.3. The Chair shall serve as the chief development (fundraising)
coordinator of the department. Faculty wishing to initiate development
activities with the Advisory Council must inform the Chair and Associate Chair
in advance of beginning such activities. Faculty involved in other types
of fundraising should inform the Chair and Associate Chair as soon as
possible. In particular, if there is any potential for a gift as part of
these activities, the Chair and Associate Chair must be informed right
away unless the donor explicitly requests not doing so.
1.3.2. The Associate Chair shall work closely with the Chair and provide
advice to the Chair. During a temporary absence of the Chair, the
Associate Chair shall assume all responsibilities of the Chair.
1.3.2.1. A temporary absence shall be an absence not to exceed 12 weeks.
1.3.3. In the event of an absence by the Chair which is anticipated to
exceed 12 weeks, the Associate Chair shall become the interim Chair
while a new chair search is conducted in consultation with the College
Dean.
1.3.4. The Chair and Associate Chair may, at their discretion, delegate
duties and responsibilities to other members of the Department.
1.3.5. The Chair shall make every reasonable effort to inform the members
of the Department, insofar as he/she is aware, of all College and
University decisions, policies, proposed policies or changes in policies
that may bear on the future of the Department so that he/she may derive
the full benefit of informed advice.
1.3.6. Each term of the department Chair shall normally be three to
five years in duration, but is ultimately determined by the College Dean.
1.3.6.1. There is no limit, other than the limit imposed by the
University rules on retirement from administration positions, on the
number of terms an individual may serve as Chair. This applies to both
consecutive and nonconsecutive terms.
1.3.7. The Department Chair is to be nominated by the Dean after formal
consultation with the Chair Search Committee (CSC). The process is
described in the following subsections.
1.3.7.1. The current department Chair meets with the College Dean to
discuss his/her status and future as the department Chair. If the
Dean agrees to a search for a new Chair, then the process shall
proceed as follows.
1.3.7.2. Nominees for the CSC are solicited from the full
faculty by the Governance Committee. Individuals who have declared
their candidacy for the position of department chair should not,
be involved with the CSC. Normally, only tenured full
professors are eligible to be department Chair.
1.3.7.3. Tenured faculty vote on the composition of the CSC from among
the nominees.
1.3.7.4. The 5 candidates with the most votes will be elected to the CSC,
which will select its chair from among its members. The committee must
then determine whether or not they want to add up to two more members for
diversity in order to represent the interests of the department’s
constituents. The College Dean then appoints one external committee member
and the Dean’s liaison to the CSC. Committee composition shall remain such
that a majority of the Committee members are full-time faculty in the
department.
1.3.7.5. The CSC shall meet with the College Dean to clarify their charge.
1.3.7.6. The CSC so established solicits nominations for the department
Chair, which can include the current Chair.
1.3.7.7. Each nominee shall submit a written statement not to exceed one
typed page (single spaced) describing their qualifications to be the Chair
(prior governance experience, prior interactions with the Dean’s office,
relevant committees, etc.).
1.3.7.8. The candidates shall be interviewed by the CSC and the department
faculty. These interviews can take place in the same meeting or in separate
meetings.
1.3.7.9. The CSC considers the candidates’ statements and the interviews
and prepares a report to the College Dean
nominating two or three Chair candidates. At their discretion, the CSC
may recommend the appointment of a specific candidate to be the department
Chair. The report to the College Dean can be oral.
1.3.7.10. The Dean’s nomination shall be forwarded to the
President for approval. If the CSC does not concur in the
Dean’s nomination, then the Committee’s dissenting report shall be
forwarded to the President along with the nomination made by the
Dean.
1.3.7.11. In the case of a search involving candidates outside the
Department’s full time faculty, the CSC would work with the CLAS Dean to
formulate an advertisement for the position. The CSC would conduct
interviews as would normally be done for a senior faculty position. The
procedure would then mirror the internal search.
1.3.8. The Associate Chair shall be selected after the department Chair
has been selected by the College Dean. The Associate Chair shall serve
for a time that is commensurate with that of the department Chair.
1.3.8.1. Nominations of tenured faculty to serve as the Associate Chair
shall be solicited by the Governance Committee, and the list of nominees
shall be made public to the faculty.
1.3.8.2. The department Chair shall select one candidate from among the
nominees to be voted on by the faculty.
1.3.8.3. All full-time faculty shall vote on the Associate Chair candidate.
1.3.8.4. A majority vote is required to approve the Associate Chair
candidate.
1.3.8.5. In cases where a candidate does not receive the majority of
the votes, a new round of nominations shall be solicited and the
process repeated (Sec. 1.3.8.2).
1.3.8.6 In cases where the Associate Chair has not fulfilled the
duties expected of him/her, the department Chair shall request
that the Associate Chair be replaced. This request requires
the approval of a majority of the TTFS3. If granted, the procedure
to select a new Associate Chair will be implemented as described
beginning in Sec. 1.3.8.
1.4. Faculty Meetings
1.4.1. Meetings shall be open to all members of the faculty. The Chair may
restrict meetings to subsets of the faculty in order to deal with matters
reserved for such faculty. For example, these matters can include but are
not limited to:
1.4.1.1. Academic matters pertaining to programs, examinations, and curriculum.
1.4.1.2. Matters pertaining to personnel, including hiring, promotion,
and staff affairs.
1.4.2. Meetings of the faculty may be called by the Chair or the Associate
Chair, if the Chair is not available.
1.4.3. The Chair or Associate Chair, if the Chair is not available, shall
call a faculty meeting at the request of three or more members of the
faculty.
1.4.4. Faculty meetings shall be moderated by the Chair or Associate Chair,
if the Chair is not available.
1.4.5 Regular meetings of the faculty shall typically take place once
per month. All normal business of the department shall generally be
conducted during these regular meetings, including committee reports
(Sec. 1.4.5.1.) and other items the Chair or faculty members wish to bring
up for discussion. The agenda for the regular faculty meetings shall be
distributed to the faculty as described in 1.4.8. These meetings shall
generally be open to all department faculty except in cases where the Chair
decides to restrict attendance as described in 1.4.1.
1.4.5.1. At each regular faculty meeting, each committee is required to
provide an oral or written report of their activities since the last regular
faculty meeting. The committee chair or their designated representative shall
provide the report.
1.4.5.2 Special meetings of the faculty may also be called if necessary,
for example to deal with a specific issue that cannot wait until the next
scheduled regular meeting. The agenda for these special faculty meetings
shall be distributed to the faculty as described in 1.4.8.1. Generally
speaking, such meetings shall not take the place of regular faculty
meetings. Committee reports are not required at these special meetings.
1.4.6. The Chair may also decide to open the faculty meetings to other
members of the department who have a interest in an item on the agenda.
1.4.7. A quorum for conducting business shall exist when 1/3 of the
total number of tenured and tenure-track faculty and 1/2 of the
tenure and tenured track faculty in residence are present,
available on the telephone or by video-link. Faculty
on authorized travel or on leave are the only individuals not
considered to be in residence.
1.4.7.1. In case a member of the faculty cannot physically attend a
meeting and cannot participate by telephone or video-link, he/she can
contact the Chair in advance of the meeting and express an opinion with
regard to the agenda items being discussed. Tenured and tenure-track
faculty who utilize this option and do not attend the faculty meeting will
not count towards the meeting quorum.
1.4.8. An agenda for the faculty meeting and supporting documents shall be
distributed to those eligible to attend the meeting at least three working
days prior to the meeting. The individual who called the meeting shall be
responsible for the preparation and distribution of the agenda.
1.4.8.1. Under exceptional circumstances a faculty meeting may be called by
the Department Chair or the Associate Chair, if the Chair is not available,
on 24 hours notice. In that case, a serious effort shall be made to
communicate the agenda for this meeting to eligible members of the
Department.�The quorum rules apply to votes in these cases plus
at least two-thirds of the faculty present must agree to a vote.
1.4.8.2. For meetings restricted to a subset of the faculty, advanced
notification of such meetings shall be distributed to all faculty members
including a brief explanation of the rationale for the restriction.
1.4.9. The expectation is that major issues will be brought to
a faculty meeting for discussion. After this discussion, a motion by any
member of the faculty present at the meeting is required to proceed
with a vote. This motion must be seconded before the actual vote can
occur.
1.4.9.1. Except as noted in other sections of these bylaws, motions shall be
approved by a simple majority of the total votes cast by the eligible
voting faculty as pertains to the specific item. Eligibility shall be
determined based on conflict of interest and ‘no concern’ considerations.
1.4.9.2. Except as noted in other sections of these bylaws, votes on
motions discussed during faculty meetings shall be advisory to the Chair.
However, it is expected that the Chair will follow the advice of the
faculty vote.
1.4.9.3. Votes shall normally be by show of hands, but any voter may
request a secret ballot. Any faculty vote shall be open to (e)mail voting
within 3 days of the faculty meeting, if deemed appropriate by the Chair
or requested in advance of the meeting by any faculty member.
1.4.10. Minutes from each faculty meeting should be distributed to the
faculty shortly afterwards. At a minimum, this document should describe
the topics discussed and any action items or decisions made during the
meeting whether voted on or not. Voting results should also be tabulated
in this document.
2. Standing Committees
2.1. The Standing Committees of the Department are:
2.1.1. Colloquium
2.1.2. Computing Facilities
2.1.3. Department Governance
2.1.4. Graduate Admissions
2.1.5. Graduate Curriculum
2.1.6. Instrument Advisory
2.1.7. International Relations
2.1.8. Journal Club
2.1.9. Library
2.1.10. Public Outreach
2.1.11. Space Allocation
2.1.12. Telescope Time Allocation
2.1.13. Undergraduate Curriculum / General Education
2.1.14. GTC Advisory Committee
2.2. Function and Composition of the Colloquium Committee
2.2.1. The task of this committee is to schedule and arrange speakers
for the weekly departmental colloquium series.
2.2.1.1. Suggestions for speakers should be solicited from members of
the department.
2.2.2. Members of the committee shall be tenured or tenure-track faculty,
scientist-track faculty, and postdoctoral researchers.
2.2.3. The committee shall consist of three members, who shall serve for 3 years.
2.2.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.2.5 The decisions of the committee should be acted upon by the Chair of
the committee or his/her designee. The other members of the committee
should be kept updated on progress as speakers are contacted and their
visits scheduled.
2.3. Function and Composition of the Computing Facilities Committee
2.3.1. The task of this committee is to assess the computing facilities in
the department on a periodic basis and suggest steps to improve the
efficiency and overall working of the system.
2.3.2. Members of the committee shall be any faculty member of the
department. A member of the computer system administration staff shall
serve in an ex-officio capacity.
2.3.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.3.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.3.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. The major recommendations of the committee shall be
brought to the faculty meetings for approval under the guidelines
specified in Secs. 1.2 and 1.4 of these bylaws. A two-thirds
majority of the TTFS3 is required to approve the major recommendations
of the committee. This vote is advisory to the department Chair.
2.4. Function and Composition of the Department Governance Committee
2.4.1. The task of this committee is to consider issues pertaining to the
governance of the department. This includes the possibility of amending
these bylaws in response to advice from members of the department.
2.4.2. Members of the committee shall be tenured and tenure-track faculty
(two members) as well as scientist-track (one member) and engineer-track
(one member) faculty who have served for at least 3 consecutive
or nonconsecutive years.
2.4.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.4.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.4.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. The major recommendations of the committee shall be
brought to the faculty meetings for approval under the guidelines
specified in Secs. 1.2 and 1.4 of these bylaws. However, a
three-quarters majority of the voting faculty (Sec. 1.2.1) under
the requirements described in Sec. 1.4 is required to approve
the recommendations of the committee. The votes are binding.
2.5. Function and Composition of the Graduate Admissions Committee
2.5.1 The task of this committee is to evaluate applications from
prospective graduate students, and establish an incoming class of students
based on the available resources as provided by the Chair.
2.5.2 The committee shall consist of tenured and tenure-track faculty.
2.5.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.5.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.5.5 The recommendations of the committee shall be acted upon
by the Chair of the committee until the ideal number of incoming
graduate students is attained as determined by consultations with
the department Chair.
2.5.5.1 The committee Chair shall update the committee members as the
admissions process develops after they have made their recommendations.
2.6. Function and Composition of the Graduate Curriculum Committee
2.6.1 The task of this committee is to consider issues related to the
graduate curriculum as deemed by the Chair of the department. In
particular, this committee is charged with periodically reviewing the
graduate curriculum and devising modifications.
2.6.2 Members of the committee shall be from the ranks of the
TTFS3 faculty but should have experience teaching or
coordinating graduate classes as determined by the
department chair. One graduate student may also serve on this
committee as determined by the department chair. The capacity in
which the graduate student serves (e.g. ex officio) will also
be determined by the department chair. If not already serving,
the Associate Chair of the department is encouraged
to be an ex officio member of this committee.
2.6.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.6.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.6.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. The major recommendations of the committee shall be
brought to the faculty meetings for approval under the guidelines
specified in Secs. 1.2 and 1.4 of these bylaws. A simple majority
of the tenured and tenure-track faculty is required to approve the
recommendations of the committee. This vote is advisory to the
department Chair.
2.7. Function and Composition of the Instrument Advisory Committee
2.7.1. The task of this committee is to consider issues related to the
instrumentation program and the Service Center as deemed by the Chair
of the department.
2.7.1.1. The department Chair shall serve as the Chair of this committee
and will select the members of the committee.
2.7.2. Membership of the committee shall include as many as 5 instrumentation
PIs and as many as 3 tenured faculty who do not typically serve in this
capacity. The Instrumentation Program Coordinator shall serve in an ex
officio capacity.
2.7.3. Members of the committee shall serve for a minimum of 3 years.
2.7.4. Only members of the committee are eligible to attend the meetings
unless the department Chair requests that others be present.
2.7.5. The recommendations of the committee are considered
advisory to the Chair.
2.8. Function and Composition of the International Relations Committee
2.8.1. The task of this committee is to foster efforts to improve the
international activities of the department, and be aware of new
opportunities and therefore take advantage of the department’s
strengths.
2.8.2. Membership in the committee is open to all interested faculty.
2.8.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.8.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.8.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. The major recommendations of the committee shall be
brought to the faculty meetings for approval under the guidelines
specified in Secs. 1.2 and 1.4 of these bylaws. A simple majority of
the voting faculty is required to approve the recommendations of
the committee. This vote is advisory to the department Chair.
2.9. Function and Composition of the Journal Club Committee
2.9.1. The task of this committee is to arrange weekly talks associated
with AST 6396 (Journal Club) and AST 6395 (Frontiers in Astronomy). In the
current format these talks are held as the Florida Lunch Astronomy Seminar
Hour (FLASH).
2.9.2. The committee is open to all faculty, engineers, and postdocs.
2.9.3. Each member shall serve for one year.
2.9.4. The chair of the committee must be a teaching faculty member since
this committee is associated with AST 6395 and AST 6396.
2.9.5. All meetings shall be open to any interested members of the department.
2.9.6. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions
regarding routine issues such as the talk schedule and locations. Any
changes that would impact AST 6395 and AST 6396 in a more fundamental way
require approval by the tenured and tenure-track faculty.
2.10. Function and Composition of the Library Committee
2.10.1. The task of this committee is to maintain periodical resources in
the department and represent the department in interactions with the
science library pertaining to issues such as journal subscriptions,
storage of archival materials, electronic resources, and book purchases.
2.10.2. Committee membership is open to all tenured and tenure-track
faculty as well as Scientist-track faculty.
2.10.3. Each member shall serve for three years.
2.10.4. All meetings shall be open to all members of the department.
2.10.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. For large issues, such as changes to journal subscriptions,
recommendations will be voted upon by the tenured and tenure-track faculty
as well as Scientist-track faculty. This vote is advisory to the department
Chair.
2.11. Function and Composition of the Public Outreach Committee
2.11.1. The task of this committee is to lead public outreach events
that will enhance the prominence of the department and the
University. To encourage collaboration and enhance coordination
of outreach efforts, department members should inform the chair of
the outreach committee in advance of committing department resources
to outreach efforts. The chair of the outreach committee will then
assess what, if any, impact the effort will have on the department
and its resources. The committee is also charged with occasionally
producing material to publicize the department.
2.11.2. All members of the faculty as defined in Sec. 1.1.2, and
postdoctoral reserchers, are eligible to be on this committee.
2.11.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.11.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.11.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. The major recommendations of the committee shall be brought
to the faculty meetings for approval under the guidelines specified in
Secs. 1.2 and 1.4 of these bylaws. A simple majority of the voting
faculty is required to approve the recommendations of the committee.
This vote is advisory to the department Chair.
2.12. Function and Composition of the Space Assessment Committee
2.12.1 The task of this committee is to periodically assess the use of
space in the department. “Space” includes all departmental space including
offices, laboratories, and storage areas.
2.12.2 Requests for such an assessment normally originate with the
Department Chair. If other department member(s) wish to have a space
issue addressed (e.g. to request a substantial change in the use of
departmental space), they should contact the Department Chair. The Chair
will present this request to the Space Committee to investigate and
produce recommendations.
2.12.3 Committee membership shall consist of one of each of the following:
a tenure or tenure-track professor (in addition to the Department Chair),
a scientist, an engineer, a postdoc, a graduate student, a member of the
administrative (office) staff, and a computing support staff member.
2.12.4 Faculty and departmental support members of the committee shall
normally serve for 3 years. Postdoctoral and graduate student members
shall normally serve for 2 years.
2.12.5 Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the chair of the committee or the
Department Chair determines that a conflict of interest exists.
2.12.6 Implementation of major recommendations of this committee must be
approved by a majority vote of eligible faculty. Eligible voting faculty
include TTFS3 plus senior engineers with at least 3 years of service at
the faculty level. The vote is advisory to the department chair.
2.13. Function and Composition of the Time Allocation Committee
2.13.1. The task of this committee is to assign observing time on
all telescopes to which the department has access.
2.13.2. The membership of the committee is limited to TTFS3.
The majority of the members shall be tenured and tenure-track faculty.
2.13.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.13.4. Meetings of this committee are limited to current members.
2.13.5. The recommendations of the committee in terms of how the
submitted proposals are ranked are binding and shall be forwarded
to the relevant observatory/telescope for scheduling.
2.14. Function and Composition of the Undergraduate Curriculum / General
Education Committee
2.14.1. The task of this committee is to consider issues related to the
undergraduate curriculum as deemed by the Chair of the department. In
particular, this committee is charged with periodically reviewing the
undergraduate curriculum and the general education offerings and devising
modifications.
2.14.2 Members of the committee shall be from the ranks of the TTFS3
faculty but should have experience teaching or coordinating undergraduate
classes as determined by the department chair. If not already serving,
the Associate Chair of the department is encouraged to be an ex officio
member of this committee.
2.14.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years.
2.14.4. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
2.14.5. The committee shall have the power to make binding decisions for
routine issues. The major recommendations of the committee shall be brought
to the faculty meetings for approval under the guidelines specified
in Secs. 1.2 and 1.4 of these bylaws. A simple majority of the tenured
and tenure-track faculty is required to approve the recommendations
of the committee. This vote is advisory to the department Chair.
2.15. Function and Composition of the GTC Advisory Committee
2.15.1. The task of this committee is to ensure a significant
scientific return on the investment made in the GTC.
2.15.2. Members of the committee shall consist of two UF
representatives on the GTC Steering Committee, two UF
representatives on the joint IAC-UF Committee, one UF
representative on the GTC Users Committee, the chair of
the UF-TAC, and one UF postdoc. The faculty members on this
committee shall be drawn from the ranks of TTFS3. This
committee would be chaired by the department chair.
2.15.3. Members of the committee shall serve for 3 years,
which can be modified by the chair to promote efficient
functioning of the committee.
2.15.4. Any member of the department is eligible to
attend the meetings of this committee except in cases
where the Chair of the committee determines that a
conflict of interest exists.
2.15.5. The recommendations of the committee are considered
advisory to the Chair.
3. Ad Hoc Committees
3.1. The Chair may appoint any Ad Hoc Committee if he or she feels such a
committee will assist the efficient operation of the Department.� Such
committees shall have a specific purpose and shall serve for a specified
time.� The Chair shall establish the Mode of Participation of such Ad Hoc
Committees.
3.2. Function and Composition of the Faculty Search Committee
3.2.1. Whenever a tenure-track faculty member is to be hired into the
Department of Astronomy, an ad hoc Search Committee shall be
appointed by the Chair.
3.2.2. The Search Committee shall have the responsibility of evaluating the
candidates based on their applications as well as other relevant
information and constructing a short-list of applicants to be further vetted.
3.2.3. Candidates on the short list shall be invited for interviews and
presentation of colloquia or seminars after the tenured and tenure-track
faculty members of the department have had the opportunity to review their
credentials and approve them as candidates for the position.
3.2.4. After these visits, the procedure shall normally be as follows.
3.2.4.1. The relative merits of the candidates will be discussed at a
meeting of the tenured and tenure-track faculty members.� Following this
discussion, the tenured and tenure-track faculty members shall decide
on the ranking of the top three candidates.
3.2.4.2. Each member of the tenured and tenure-track faculty shall vote
on their top choice. Then, keeping in mind the possibility that their top
choice may not be available, they should vote on their second ranked choice;
then, if this candidate is not available, their third-ranked choice.
A two-thirds majority of the tenured and tenure-track faculty is required to
decide upon the candidates at each rank. Each voting faculty member has one
vote and cannot provide a fractional vote. This vote is advisory to the
department Chair.
3.2.5. In the case of scientist-track hires by members of the tenured
and tenure-track faculty, the procedure is as follows.
3.2.5.1. The PI of the grant funding the position Chairs the search
committee and selects the members of the search committee, which should
consist of no fewer than 3 tenured or tenure-track faculty. A Scientist
with at least 3 years of service can optionally be appointed as well.
3.2.5.2. The members of the search committee then come to a mutual
agreement on how to proceed consistent with University of Florida hiring
policies.
3.2.5.3. A majority vote of the TTFS3 in the department is required to
recommend the candidate for hiring into the scientist track. This vote is
advisory to the PI of the grant funding the position.
3.2.6. In the case of department members currently employed as postdoctoral
researchers being promoted to the scientist-track, the procedure is as
follows.
3.2.6.1. A CV for the candidate shall be made available to the TTFS3 in the
department.
3.2.6.2. The qualifications of the candidate shall be discussed at a
meeting of the TTFS3 in the department.
3.2.6.3. A majority vote of the TTFS3 in the department is required to
recommend the candidate for promotion to the scientist track. This vote is
advisory to the department Chair.
3.2.7. In the case of nonmembers of the department wishing to be appointed
in the scientist track, the procedure is as follows.
3.2.7.1. A CV for the candidate shall be made available to the TTFS3 in the
department.
3.2.7.2. The qualifications of the candidate shall be discussed at a
meeting of the TTFS3 in the department .
3.2.7.3. A majority vote of the TTFS3 in the department is required to
recommend the candidate for appointment to the scientist track. This vote
is advisory to the department Chair.
3.2.8. All other faculty shall be hired in a manner consistent with the
above as determined by the department Chair.
3.3. Function and Composition of the New Initiatives Committee
3.3.1. The task of this committee is to investigate and nurture new
initiatives that could benefit the department. These initiatives should
be consistent with the department’s overall goals.
3.3.2. All members of the faculty are eligible to be on this committee.
The majority of the members shall be tenured and tenure-track faculty.
3.3.3. Any member of the department is eligible to attend the meetings of
this committee except in cases where the Chair of the committee determines
that a conflict of interest exists.
3.3.4. The recommendations of the committee shall be brought to the faculty
meetings for approval under the guidelines specified in Secs. 1.2 and 1.4
of these bylaws. A majority of the voting faculty is required to approve
the recommendations of the committee. This vote is advisory to the department
Chair.
3.4. Function and Composition of the Financial Assessment Committee
3.4.1. The task of this committee is to advise the chair on financial
matters in the department.
3.4.2. The department chair shall decide the membership of the committee
based on his/her current advisory needs.
3.4.3. The department chair shall decide who is eligible to attend the
meetings of this committee.
3.4.4. The recommendations of the committee shall be brought to the
department Chair to be acted upon. These recommendations are purely
advisory.
3.5. Faculty Dispute Procedure
3.5.1. Any member of the department may initiate a grievance procedure,
alleging violation of existing policies or established practices by another
member of the department.
3.5.2. In addition to the grievance procedures established by the
University, members of the department are encouraged to approach the
department Chair and Associate Chair to investigate whether the grievance
can be addressed using an internal departmental mechanism.
3.5.3. At the discretion of the Chair, an ad hoc
committee may be appointed to investigate the alleged grievances.
3.5.3.1. The Chair shall establish the charge of the grievance committee as
well as a mechanism by which the grievance will be addressed to the
satisfaction of all parties involved.
3.6. Function and Composition of the Performance Review Committee
3.6.1. The task of this committee is to assist the Chair in the
preparation of faculty dossiers for tenure, promotion, merit salary
increases, market equity salary increases, Salary and Performance
Plan (SPP) salary increases, and/or associated activities.
3.6.2. The committee shall consist of at least three members
including professors and scientists with at least 3 years
of service. The exact combination and number of members shall
be consistent with the rank and track of faculty being evaluated.
3.6.3. The department Chair shall solicit nominations for this
committee. The full-time faculty (as appropriate for the rank
and track of faculty being evaluated) shall vote on the nominees.
If the required participation as described in Sec. 3.6.2 is not
achieved through the vote, the department Chair shall appoint
additional members to meet these requirements.
3.6.4. Only members of the committee are eligible to attend the
meetings unless the committee Chair requests that others be present.
3.6.5. The committee, in consultation with the department Chair,
shall assess whether the dossiers meet the criteria for tenure,
promotion, merit salary increases, market equity salary increases,
or Salary and Performance Plan (SPP) salary increases, whichever is
relevant. The reports of the committee outlining their recommendations
are to be submitted to the Chair of the department.
3.6.6. The tenured faculty on the committee review the performance
of the tenured and tenure-track faculty. The full committee reviews
the performance of the rest of the faculty. Generally speaking,
faculty of a given rank review the performance of those at or below
them in rank.
APPENDICES
1. Tenure and Promotion Criteria
1.1. Tenure and Promotion to Associate Professor and Promotion to Full
Professor are based on distinguished professional activities in the areas
of teaching, research, and service. Candidates must exhibit “distinction”
in two of these areas, and these are research and teaching. “Distinction”
is defined as an excellent and sustained record of accomplishment. The
distinction of a candidate is based on productivity, innovation and creativity,
and positive impact on students, the community, and the field of astronomy.
These criteria are evident in the evaluation of teaching through student
class evaluations, contributions to Department and University curriculum,
peer evaluations, and recognition of teaching. Distinction in research
and scholarship is especially evident through the documentation of productivity
included in the packet and the evaluation of that record by internal and
external referees in light of expectations of productivity at major research
universities.
1.2. TEACHING – There should be evidence of a sustained commitment to
excellence in teaching by the candidate as reflected in student teaching
evaluations, faculty/departmental peer evaluations, and instructional
materials. Peer evaluations are expected for promotion and tenure to
Associate Professor as well as promotion to Full Professor. If student or
peer evaluations are not present in the packet, their lack must be explained
by the candidate and/or chair/director.
1.3. RESEARCH – There should be evidence of a body of work of sufficient
quality and quantity that has produced at least the beginning of a national
reputation for significant and creative contributions to the candidate’s
field of research for the promotion to Associate Professor with tenure.
In addition, there should be evidence of the promise of continued intellectual
growth and productivity. For promotion to Professor, an established
national and/or international reputation is expected, as well as the
indication of sustained high quality work.
1.4. SERVICE – For promotion to Associate Professor/tenure, there should
be evidence of a positive contribution to the life of the department, college,
and university. For promotion to full Professor, a candidate is expected
to make a positive contribution to the department through service on key
committees as well as participation in university and professional service.
The latter includes but is not limited to serving on review committees
for funding agencies, telescope time allocation committees, and refereeing
papers for professional journals. A candidate’s service record may also
include service to the state and the nation.
2. Promotion Criteria for Scientists
2.1 Promotion to the ranks of Associate Scientist and Scientist are based on
distinguished professional activities, which may include research, service,
or teaching. Candidates will be evaluated on, and must exhibit distinction
in, at least two of these areas; the areas of evaluation will depend on the
candidate’s defined duties and responsibilities since time of hire or time
of previous promotion. “Distinction” is defined as an excellent and sustained
record of accomplishment. The distinction of a candidate is based on
productivity, leadership, innovation, and creativity in their research
activities, which may include instrumentation development. These criteria
are evident in their publication record, grant applications and awards, and
service contributions to the Department, the University, and the profession.
Distinction in research and scholarship is especially evident through the
documentation of productivity included in the packet and the evaluation of
that record by internal and external referees in light of expectations of
productivity at major research universities. Distinction in teaching is
evident in the evaluation of teaching through in-class student evaluations,
contributions to the Department and University curriculum, peer evaluations,
and recognition of teaching. Service to the Department and University
includes membership on advisory committees related to institutional
operations as well as membership on student research committees, which
provide mentoring and guidance to graduate and undergraduate students.
2.2 RESEARCH – There should be evidence of a body of work of sufficient quality
and quantity that has produced at least the beginning of a national reputation
for significant and creative contributions to the candidate’s field of research
for the promotion to Associate Scientist. In addition, there should be evidence
of the promise of continued intellectual growth and productivity as well as
leadership in obtaining funding to support the candidate’s research, which
can include instrumentation. This leadership can include having a central
role in a research or instrumentation project. For promotion to Full
Scientist, an established national and/or international reputation is
expected, as well as the indication of sustained high quality work and
consistent leadership in acquiring research and/or instrumentation funding.
2.3 TEACHING � For scientists funded to teach undergraduate or graduate courses
or to provide critical support for these courses, there should be evidence
of a sustained commitment to excellence in teaching by the candidate as
reflected in student teaching evaluations, faculty/departmental peer
evaluations, and/or instructional materials. Peer evaluations of the
candidates teaching and/or support activities are expected for promotion
to Associate Scientist as well as promotion to Full Scientist. If student
or peer evaluations are not present in the packet, their lack must be
explained by the candidate and/or chair/director.
2.4 SERVICE – For promotion to Associate Scientist, there should be evidence of
a positive contribution to the life of the department, college, and/or
university, which includes service on graduate student committees for
members of the graduate faculty. There should also be a record of service
to the profession. This includes but is not limited to serving on review
committees for funding agencies, telescope time allocation committees, and
refereeing papers for professional journals. For promotion to Full Scientist,
a candidate is expected to have a consistent record of positive contributions
to the department through service on key committees and, for members of the
graduate faculty, graduate education as shown by membership on or chairing
(or co-chairing) of graduate committees; as well as participation in university
and professional service. A candidate’s service record may also include service
to the state and the nation.