Bylaws of the Faculty

Revised March 14, 2007

Faculty rights and academic governance within the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources are derived from and shall be in accordance with the Bylaws of the University of Missouri-Columbia Faculty. Thus, these bylaws are created to define more precisely the form and substance of academic governance within the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and to foster an academic environment of shared leadership dedicated to the acquisition and transfer of knowledge.

• Voting membership in the Faculty of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, (hereafter identified as the Faculty), shall be granted to those individuals whose academic duties and obligations are primarily to the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and who hold Tenure track or Professional track academic appointments. Professional track academic appointments, which are also called non-regular faculty, include three groups: (1) full-time, ranked, non-regular faculty (non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty); (2) full-time, unranked, non-regular faculty and (3) part-time, non-regular faculty (adjunct faculty).
• Tenure track faculty are individuals holding the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor. Professional track faculty are individuals holding titles that in addition to one of three academic faculty levels (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor) also contain a "mission" designation (i.e., Teaching, Extension, or Research) (Assistant Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, or Teaching Professor; Assistant Extension Professor, Associate Extension Professor, or Extension Professor; Assistant Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, or Research Professor). All Tenure or Professional track faculty must be selected using a departmentally constituted committee, consisting of multiple faculty members, during the search process.
• Voting membership in the Faculty may be extended to individuals with Adjunct or Academic Associate track appointments, who are nominated by an academic department, program or Division of the College and approved by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Policy Committee. Academic departments may nominate individuals holding Adjunct or Academic Associate appointments who, by the nature of their position and duties, should be extended voting membership. Nominees should be submitted to the CAFNR Policy Committee for action. Nominees not approved by the academic department or Committee can appeal at a CAFNR faculty meeting (see Article V of these bylaws.) A simple majority vote of the CAFNR faculty voting will be required to overturn the academic department or CAFNR Policy committee decision. Individuals in these categories are not compelled to seek or accept voting rights within their respective academic departments, Division or CAFNR.
• Each academic department shall annually compile and submit a list of voting members to the CAFNR Policy Committee. Only voting members may be elected to offices within the College.

• Rights, Ethics and Responsibilities
  1. The rights, ethics and responsibilities of the Faculty shall be those specified in from The Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri System, Chapter 300.010 adopted November 14, 1974 as amended.
• Authority.
  1. The Faculty’s authority, as delegated by the Board of Curators, is of three types as quoted below from The Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri System, Chapter 300.010 C.3: direct and primary, in which the faculty has essential decision-making authority; shared, in which the faculty participates with others; and advisory, in which the faculty counsels with the person or officer with ultimate decision-making authority.
  2. Primary and direct authority.
     • The College Faculty has essential decision-making authority in matters directly affecting the educational and research program of the College, including but not limited to:
       1. Articulation and maintenance of standards of academic performance. This includes but is not limited to guidelines for appropriate research, service, and scholarship; requirements for graduation; and related matters.
       2. Construction and approval of courses of instruction and of curricula.
       3. Construction and approval of procedures governing educational support programs of the College.
       4. Formulation of criteria determining professional standing of faculty – including but not limited to such matters as tenure, promotion, termination, guidelines for responsibility, Faculty standing with regard to Graduate Faculty membership and doctoral dissertation supervision.
       5. Determination of an appropriate faculty committee structure.
       6. Determination of minimum admission requirements.
       7. Selection of awardees of academic scholarships.
  3. Shared Authority.
     • The College Faculty has shared authority by which it participates cooperatively with other persons or offices in matters such as:
       1. Development and articulation of students' rights and responsibilities.
       2. Selection of awardees for honorary degrees.
       3. Application of criteria affecting professional standing of faculty.
  4. Advisory Authority.
     • The College Faculty has advisory authority and responsibility with other persons or offices in matters such as:
       1. Budget and resource allocation.
       2. Planning, including capital expenditures and physical facilities.
       3. Selection of departmental, divisional, and College level administrators.
       4. Determination of the College standing committee structure.
       5. Development and implementation of general business procedures that facilitate academic program excellence.
       6. Use of facilities for program activities.
       7. Application of criteria affecting promotion, tenure, and termination of individuals.

• The Chair of the Faculty of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources shall be the Dean of the College. The Chair shall preside at faculty meetings.
• The office of Vice-Chair of the Faculty shall be the Chair of the CAFNR Policy Committee. The Vice-Chair shall preside at meetings of the Faculty in the absence of the Chair, or at other times when so designated by the Chair or by CAFNR Policy Committee.
• The College faculty, at their first fall semester meeting, shall elect the offices of Secretary and Parliamentarian. These officers shall serve a one-year term and are eligible for re-election.

• The Faculty shall meet at least once each semester.
• Additional meetings may be called by the Dean of the College, CAFNR Policy Committee, or by written request signed by 15 faculty members representing at least three academic departments of the College and submitted to the Chair of CAFNR Policy Committee or the Dean of the College. Meetings called by written request of faculty shall occur within 15 days of receipt of the request.
• The Dean shall distribute a detailed agenda to each faculty member at least seven days prior to the faculty meeting.
• Any reports of a standing committee or a special committee requiring action of approval by the Faculty of the College (e.g. curriculum changes, policy changes) shall be submitted in whole or by way of summary by the appropriate committee chair to the Dean at least 14 days prior to the faculty meeting at which said reports are to be considered.
• The Dean shall distribute said reports to the Faculty at least seven days prior to the faculty meeting at which the reports are to be considered.
• Parliamentary Rules. The parliamentary authority for meetings or any committees shall be the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
• Quorum. A quorum shall consist of those in attendance at the meeting.
• Order of Business
  1. Consideration of minutes (Minutes of the previous meeting shall be made available to faculty members within 14 days after regular faculty meetings.)
  2. Reports of standing committees. (See Article V, Section D)
  3. Reports of special committees. (See Article V, Section D)
  4. Special business
  5. Unfinished business
  6. New business

• College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Policy Committee.
  1. Purpose and Functions:
     • To represent the Faculty of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources in all matters pertaining to the mission of the College.
  2. Responsibilities to the Faculty
     • CAFNR Policy Committee has an obligation to keep the faculty informed of agenda items and current issues. Faculty elected to CAFNR Policy Committee should be those who represent the department and while having a right to their individual opinion and viewpoint, have a primary objective of representing the sponsoring department. Main issues within each department will be formulated to ensure that the entire faculty has a sense of involvement and a voice in the issue.
  3. Organization and Operation of Committee
     • The CAFNR Policy Committee shall be comprised of Faculty whose academic duties and obligations are primarily to the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources. Members shall be chosen from each academic department of the College by a faculty vote. Each academic department shall elect at least one representative. Academic departments with more than 25 voting faculty members shall elect two representatives. Elections shall be held prior to August 1 and the terms of membership will begin the first day of the fall semester. No representative shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
     • Officers of the CAFNR Policy Committee shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Parliamentarian; each elected annually. The CAFNR Policy Committee will elect officers from within its membership at the first CAFNR Policy Committee meeting in the fall semester, which shall be convened by the previous Chair of CAFNRPC or his/her designate. Officers cannot hold the same office longer than two consecutive terms.
     • The Officers of the CAFNR Policy Committee shall forward concerns of the Faculty to the Dean of the College for placement on the next regular faculty meeting agenda.
     • The members present at a CAFNR Policy Committee meeting will constitute a quorum for the meeting.
     • CAFNR Policy Committee meetings shall be open. Agendas for CAFNR Policy Committee meetings shall be mailed to each faculty member seven days prior to each meeting. Minutes of CAFNR Policy Committee meetings shall be distributed to each member of the Faculty.
     • Any faculty member may request consideration of faculty matters by the CAFNR Policy Committee and may request to appear before the committee regarding such matters.
     • Activities of the CAFNR Policy Committee shall be reported to the Faculty of the College at the regular faculty meetings for informational purposes and faculty action.
• The standing committees of the Faculty shall be:
  1. Those appointed by the Dean or a designated representative
     • Safety and Health Committee
     • Review Committee for Awarding Adjunct Professorial Titles
     • Professional Track Faculty Committee
     • Underrepresented/Diversity Enhancement Committee
     • Faculty Responsibility Committee
     • International Committee
  2. Those appointed by the Associate Dean for Resident Instruction or a designated representative.
     • Courses and Curricula
     • Scholarship and Awards
     • Learning Improvement
     • Undergraduate Recruitment
     • Graduate Student Recruitment and Advisory
  3. Those appointed by the Associate Dean for Research or a designated representative.
     • Field Day Scheduling
     • Greenhouse Operations and Users
     • Fertilizer and Agriculture Limestone
     • Seed Policy
     • Sanborn Field Oversight
  4. Those appointed by the Divisional Policy Committee.
     • Members to the University Faculty Responsibility Committee
  5. Committee membership shall be limited to voting members of the Faculty.
  6. The Committee on Faculty Responsibility shall be appointed in accordance with the UMC Faculty Bylaws, (see The Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri System, Chapter 300.010 L.6.a.2.
  7. Members of the Promotion and Tenure committee will be nominated and elected as specified in Appendix A to these Bylaws.
  8. Members of the Professional Track Promotion Committee will be nominated and elected as specified in Appendix B to these Bylaws.
  9. Membership of other standing committees shall be nominated by the Faculty and appointed by the Dean, subject to the limitation that no person may serve on more than two standing committees at any given time. Students should be appointed as ex officio members on appropriate committees.
  10. The CAFNR Policy Committee or the Dean shall establish additional ad hoc committees as necessary.
  11. Standing committees may establish their own by-laws that will become an integral part of these by-laws as an appendix following approval by the faculty at a regular faculty meeting. By-laws shall be submitted to the faculty within twelve months of the effective date of these by-laws or within twelve months of the formation of a committee.
• The Dean shall establish additional committees with extramural responsibilities as necessary for:
  • Alumni Relations
  • Faculty Development
  • Financing
  • Honorary Degrees
  • Programming
  • Recognition and Awards
  1. Membership, rules, and regulations for extramural committees shall be developed in concert with the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

• At least 25 voting members of the Faculty or a majority of CAFNR Policy Committee members may propose amendments to these bylaws. All proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Chair of the CAFNR Policy Committee. Proposed amendments shall be distributed to the voting membership of the Faculty at least three weeks prior to the next college faculty meeting and placed on the agenda of the next meeting for discussion. Balloting shall be conducted by mail and a two-thirds majority vote of the Faculty eligible to vote shall be required for the adoption of an amendment.

• The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Promotion and Tenure Committee consists of:
  1. Six tenured members of the faculty in CAFNR. One faculty member will be from each of the administrative Divisions of the College (Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Food Systems and Bioengineering, Natural Resources, Plant Sciences, Applied Social Sciences.) All tenured faculty are eligible to serve on the P&T Committee.
• All members are elected for staggered, two-year terms. Three new members will be elected each year.
• Nominations will be made as follows:
  1. All members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee must be tenured faculty members.
  2. Each administrative Division will nominate at least two persons from their tenured faculty. Three faculty members will be elected each year to serve a two-year term on the committee. The initial rotation of membership (see paragraph B above) will be determined by the CAFNR Policy Committee.
  3. Election is by mail ballot. All CAFNR Tenure track faculty members may vote. All tenure track faculty may vote on nominees from each administrative Division.
• CAFNR faculty may make additional nominations if they so choose at the faculty meeting.
• The Dean of CAFNR will convene the first meeting of the CAFNR Promotion and Tenure committee.
• In cases where membership of this committee is compromised for any reason, the CAFNR Policy Committee will determine how to replace members.
• The committee will review each case in the following manner:
  1. The chairperson of the committee will disseminate the promotion and tenure materials, as well as the University Collected Rules & Regulations pertaining to promotion and tenure and the CAFNR By-laws related to promotion and tenure, to the members of the committee.
  2. The chairperson will assign two members of the committee to serve as primary reviewers of each case. While each committee member is expected to review the materials provided for each case, it is the responsibility of the two reviewers to present the case to the committee as a whole.
  3. During a meeting of the committee, members are to deliberate each case and conduct a vote on each case by secret ballot.
  4. The chairperson is responsible for the accuracy and consistency of the letter to the dean.

• The College Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources’ Professional Track Promotion Committee consists of six members of the CAFNR Promotion and Tenure Committee (see Appendix A) and the following additional members:
  1. Six members of the Professional track faculty of CAFNR. One faculty member will be chosen from each of the academic Divisions of the college (Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Food Systems and Bioengineering, Natural Resources, Plant Sciences, Applied Social Sciences.).
• Professional track members will be elected to serve staggered two-year terms. Three new members will be elected each year.
• Academic Divisions will nominate at least two persons from their Professional track faculty members. The CAFNR faculty at large will be given the opportunity to add nominees to this category.
• Election is by mail ballot. All voting members of the CAFNR may vote on representatives from CAFNR.
• In cases where membership of this committee is compromised for any reason, the CAFNR Policy Committee will determine how to replace members.

Bylaws revised March 14, 2007