Environmental Studies Program Bylaws

(Approved 13-0, via email, on 4/27/18)

I.    Name

This organization shall be known as the Environmental Studies Program within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of San Francisco.

II.    Objectives

The objectives of the Program shall be:

A.    To plan, organize, and deliver a sound and rigorous curriculum to students obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies from the University of San Francisco.

B.    To devise and offer courses in Environmental Studies and its minor programs which will contribute to the education of students at the University of San Francisco.

C.    To work with other departments and programs at the University of San Francisco to offer students a broad selection of elective courses that will enhance their knowledge and skills in their pathway.

D.    To carry out the responsibilities assigned to the Environmental Studies Program by the University in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement with the USF Faculty Association.

III.    Membership of the Environmental Studies Faculty Advisory Board

The membership of the Environmental Studies Program Faculty Advisory Board shall be composed of the following:

A.    All members of the USF Full-time Faculty Association, in good standing, who hold academic appointments in the Environmental Studies Program.

B.    Full-time faculty and library liaisons affiliated with the Environmental Studies Program.

C.    The Environmental Studies Program Faculty Advisory Board shall not exceed 20 members, except in exceptional circumstances approved by the Board in conjunction with appointment by the Associate Dean for the Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

D.    Members of the Board are nominated by the Program Director in consultation with the Faculty Advisory Board. Efforts will be taken to recruit and maintain faculty representing Humanities, Social Sciences, and Sciences. Nominations are submitted to the Associate Dean for the Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for appointment.

E.    Length of appointments for members of the Board are flexible and are determined in consultation with the Program Director and the Associate Dean for the Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

F.    Faculty on sabbatical or leave are not responsible for attending Board meetings or fulfilling Board responsibilities. An interim representative may be appointed in consultation with the Program Director and the Associate Dean for the Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for appointment.

G.    Board members may be removed if they miss meetings for an entire semester and/or do not fulfill responsibilities. Removal of a Board member is recommended by the Program Director and occurs by vote of a majority of Faculty Advisory Board Members in consultation with the Associate Dean for the Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

IV.    Responsibilities of Environmental Studies Faculty Advisory Board Members

All Environmental Studies Program Board Members are responsible for the following:

A.    Attending Environmental Studies Program Faculty Advisory Board meetings and participating in the development and evaluation of the program.

B.    Advising Environmental Studies undergraduate majors and minors as appropriate.

C.    Representing the Environmental Studies Program to their respective home departments and programs.

D.    Attending Environment Studies programming and events.

E.    Assisting with strategic, long-term planning for the Environmental Studies Program.

F.    Participating in standing and ad hoc committees based on need and faculty interest and expertise.

G.    Participating in program review and assessment.

V.    Program Director

A.    Pursuant to the CBA and the USF Chair & Director Handbook, the Environmental Studies Program Director is the chief administrative officer of the program and is responsible for the equitable and effective use of the program’s resources and for providing leadership and focus for the program and its undergraduate and graduate programs.

B.    The Program Director, as Administrative Lead, shall be responsible for: Course scheduling for the major and minor programs (including summer session and intersession), with due regard to program needs and individual faculty preferences; Representing the program at Arts Council and College Council meetings; Mentoring new faculty; Supervising adjunct faculty, as needed; Supervising searches for new hires; Overseeing Academic Program Review; Overseeing assessment and compliance with university criteria and WASC; Overseeing work of standing and ad hoc committees; Advising, including serving as the primary advisor for all new undergraduate students until they are assigned specific advisers and assisting with undergraduate group advising; Serving as point of review and signature for all student needs including graduation checks, add/drop forms, PEAI forms, internship agreements, and thesis agreements; Planning and leading Environmental Studies Program Board meetings and, in conjunction with Board, engaging in long-term planning for the program; Cultivating and maintaining the necessary relationships with other schools, departments, and programs to ensure the continued interdisciplinarity of the Environmental Studies Program; Providing Program Assistant supervision and appraisal, when requested; Planning events; Overseeing the Program’s budget in consultation with, and on behalf of, the program faculty and provide the Environmental Studies Board with budget summaries for review at the end of each semester; Serving as the point person for issues and difficulties that arise between students and faculty; Answering general questions about the undergraduate programs for prospective and visiting students; Participating in the recruitment of new undergraduate students; Serving as program liaison for media inquiries, development, and community engagement; Developing branding and marketing for the program; and Maintaining the program’s social media presence, along with other staff and faculty.

C.    The term of the Environmental Studies Program Director shall be three years. A year is defined as an academic year. When the Program Director is not able to fulfill his or her three-year term, an Interim Director will be selected by the Board in consultation with the Associate Dean for Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The term of the Interim Director shall be either the remainder of the academic semester in which s/he is appointed or the remainder of the academic year in which s/he is appointed. The length of terms will be determined in consultation with the Board and the Deans. Following the procedures in Paragraph D, below, the Board will vote on a new Director to take over at the end of the Interim Director’s term. The Interim Director is eligible to be elected Director for a full three-year term following his or her term as Interim Director.

D.    Nominations for Environmental Studies Program Director are put forth in the spring semester preceding the end of the current Director’s term. Any full-time faculty member with a primary or affiliate appointment in the Environmental Studies Program may be nominated for the position of Program Director. Self- nominations are acceptable. Nominees must approve their nomination. The Program Director is selected by a simple majority of faculty present in a secret ballot vote of the Faculty Advisory Board, following the voting procedures in Section XII. The selected faculty member’s name is then submitted to the Associate Dean for Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for confirmation and appointment.

E.    The Environmental Studies Program Director may be re-elected following the procedures contained herein for one additional, consecutive three-year term.

VI.    Committees

Permanent standing and ad hoc committees may be created at faculty meetings, as necessary.

VII.    Faculty Advisory Board Meetings

A.    Regular meetings of the Environmental Studies Program Faculty Advisory Board will be scheduled at the beginning of each semester. Regular meetings will be held three times per semester during the academic year. If no new business is put forward, meetings may be cancelled.

B.    Faculty Advisory Board meetings shall provide the forum for discussion for all questions of policy, proposals, evaluation, and coordination with all departments and programs that work in conjunction with the Environmental Studies Program. Active participation by all Board members is welcomed and encouraged.

C.    Agenda items for Faculty Advisory Board meetings shall be solicited one week in advance and approved by the Program Director. New items may be placed on the agenda at a meeting by a simple majority vote of the members present.

D.    A quorum for meetings shall be a simple majority of the Faculty Advisory Board. If a quorum is not reached at a meeting, all voting shall be postponed until a future date.

E.    Special meetings may be called by the Program Director or a simple majority of the Department.

VIII.    Voting Procedures

A.    Unless otherwise noted in these by-laws, all measures shall require a majority vote of those present at a Faculty Advisory Board meeting where a quorum is present. Should a faculty member be unable to attend a meeting in person, but wish to participate in the meeting via a video conference procedure such as Skype, prior approval must be obtained by the Program Director. Such approval will be granted only in exceptional circumstances. For those procedures which require voting by secret ballot as noted in these bylaws, only faculty members present at the meeting will be able to vote.

B.    Unless otherwise noted in these by-laws, voting will be by a simple show of hands. Any member of the Faculty Advisory Board may request a secret ballot for a vote. For those procedures requiring voting by secret ballots, ballots will be handed out at the meeting and tabulated by the Program Director once the voting is complete.

C.    Absentee or proxy ballots are not allowed.

D.    Faculty on sabbatical or leave from the university are not eligible to vote, unless they have attended the meeting at which the topic under vote has been discussed.

E.    Robert’s Rules of Order shall be considered normative but not mandatory for conducting Faculty Advisory Board meetings, subject to the discretion of the Program Director.

IX.    Approval of New Courses

A.    New courses proposed for the undergraduate curriculum must be approved by a simple majority vote of the Faculty Advisory Board upon recommendation of the Curriculum Committee.
 
B.    Syllabi for proposed new courses will be provided to all Board members for review one week prior to the Board meeting at which the vote will be taken.

C.    Upon approval by the Faculty Advisory Board, new courses will be submitted to the College of Arts and Sciences Curriculum Committee according to current procedures by the Program Director.

X.    By-Laws Revisions

A.    The Environmental Studies Program Faculty Advisory Board shall have the power to alter, amend, or abolish these by-laws or to adopt new by-laws by a two-thirds vote of those present at any faculty meeting.

B.    All proposed changes must be distributed to all Faculty Advisory Board members a minimum of one week prior to when a vote would occur.

XI.    Exceptional Circumstances

In the event unforeseen circumstances arise which interfere with adherence to these bylaws, the Environmental Studies Program Director will bring the situation to the attention of the Faculty Advisory Board for discussion and debate, as appropriate. In addition, the Environmental Studies Program Director will consult with the Associate Dean for Sciences and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences regarding such exceptional circumstances as appropriate.