College of Engineering and Computer Science Bylaws

Approved: 2/26/03

Amended: 4/24/09

1. INTRODUCTION

   The bylaws of the College of Engineering and Computer Science establish procedures for the participation of the faculty in the governance of the College and describe methods by which the faculty make recommendations on faculty development, curriculum, and other issues affecting the College.

2. COLLEGE COMMITTEES

   The standing committees of the College are the Steering Committee, the Curriculum Committee, the Petitions Committee, the Graduate Studies Committee, the Faculty Development Committee, the Scholarship Committee, the Academic Computing Committee and the Teaching Awards Committee. The Dean or the faculty of the College may request the Steering Committee to create ad hoc committees to undertake and discharge specific tasks. The purpose, composition, activities and authority of the standing committees are listed below.

   1. General Responsibility

      It is expected that standing committees may establish guidelines they view as helpful in the efficient execution of their duties. These guidelines are not binding on future committees. If a standing committee formulates guidelines that it believes should be incorporated into college policy, it may submit a proposal to the Steering Committee for inclusion on the agenda of the next faculty meeting.

      Recommendations, findings, reports, minutes of meetings, and correspondence of all standing or ad hoc committees shall be maintained by the current committee chair or person designated by the Committee, and submitted to the college office.

   2. Elections

      Elections shall be supervised by the College Steering Committee. Regular elections will be conducted so as to be completed by mid-May of each year. Initially, all full-time college faculty will be canvassed to solicit nominations, according to the requirements for each elected committee, until a slate of candidates is available. The election shall then be conducted by secret ballot. If a vacancy develops on an elected committee, an election will be held to elect a replacement for the remainder of the unexpired term.

   3. Appointments

      Faculty appointments to standing and ad hoc committees shall be the responsibility of the Steering Committee. Each year, the outgoing Steering Committee shall request nominations from each department for committee vacancies that will occur and appoint the members to the committees for the following year. The Steering Committee is also responsible for appointment of student members to the committees on a yearly basis.

   4. Terms of Appointments

      Faculty who are members of the Steering Committee and the Faculty Development Committee are elected; all others are appointed. The term of appointment or election to a standing committee is two years for faculty members and one year for student members. Appointments will take effect September 1 of each year and the new committees will take office in the Fall term.

   5. Steering Committee
      1. Purpose

         The purpose of the Steering Committee is to coordinate faculty governance activities of the College and administer the functions of Engineering and Computer Science faculty committees. The specific responsibilities of the Committee are as follows:

         1. Shall prepare an agenda for and announce college faculty meetings. Such meetings shall be held at least once per regular academic quarter.
         2. Shall supervise elections for elected committees of the College.
         3. Shall appoint membership for all nonelected committees and supervise the activities of all standing and ad hoc committees.
         4. Shall appoint membership for all nonelected committees and supervise the activities of all standing and ad hoc committees.
         5. Shall maintain a record of the official activities of the Steering Committee and of the faculty meetings. Shall name a recording secretary who will receive and preserve the records of activities of the various standing and ad hoc committees.
         6. Shall be in an advisory capacity to the Dean.
      2. Composition

         The Steering Committee shall be composed of a Bargaining Unit Faculty Member (BUFM) from each department, the Dean of the College as a non-voting member, and the College of Engineering and Computer Science representative to student government. The Dean will convene the first meeting. The Chair of the committee shall be selected by the committee from its own elected faculty members at the first meeting after the announcement of election results. The BUFM representatives shall be elected by the BUFMs in the College and shall serve staggered two (2) year terms.

      3. Activities

         The Committee shall normally meet monthly during the academic year but must meet at least quarterly during the academic year.

   6. Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
      1. Purpose

         The Committee has the responsibility for evaluating and making recommendations on departmental requests for all undergraduate curriculum changes that require consideration by UUCAPC.

         A department chair or department curriculum committee chair may appeal a College Undergraduate Curriculum Committee recommendation by notifying the Chair of the College Steering Committee within four working days of their receipt of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee recommendation. Appeals will be presented to the College faculty for discussion and vote at a College faculty meeting.

         Undergraduate courses designated as College of Engineering and Computer Science courses because they are multi-disciplinary in nature and deemed not suitable for oversight by a single department may be proposed by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. Approval requires a 2/3 vote of the faculty attending a college faculty meeting to receive a positive recommendation.

      2. Composition

         The committee shall be composed of one BUFM from each department and a CECS undergraduate student who is a non-voting member of the committee. The faculty representatives shall serve staggered two year terms.

         In the event that the faculty representative of a department cannot attend a meeting, the department may provide an alternate BUFM representative for the meeting.

         The committee will recommend to the Steering Committee each year a continuing member to be the college representative to the University Undergraduate Curriculum and Academic Policies Committee for the following year.

   7. Undergraduate Petitions Committee
      1. Purpose

         The Undergraduate Petitions Committee is responsible for making recommendations on undergraduate student petitions specifically related to College of Engineering and Computer Science policies and requirements that pertain uniquely to the College. The committee makes recommendations on petitions involving university requirements to be acted on by the University Petitions Council.

         The Committee will also mediate and where possible help to resolve disputes between faculty and undergraduate students over grades or other academic evaluations, when these cannot be resolved by normal consultation with faculty, Chairs, or the Dean.

      2. Composition

         The College of Engineering and Computer Science Petitions Committee shall be composed of a BUFM from each department and an undergraduate CECS student member. The faculty members shall serve staggered two-year terms.

         The committee will recommend to the Steering Committee each year a continuing member to be the college representative to the University Petitions Committee for the following year.

   8. Graduate Studies Committee
      1. The duties of this Committee shall be as follows:
         1. Review college policies for graduate programs in the graduate area and make appropriate recommendations.
         2. Provide liaison between the College and the University Graduate Council.
         3. Review all graduate course changes, additions, or deletions, and major curriculum changes proposed by departments or by the program faculty of multi-disciplinary programs and make appropriate recommendations.
         4. Review graduate student petitions and make recommendations.
         5. Review applications for full graduate faculty membership and make recommendations to the School of Graduate Studies.
         6. Mediate and where possible help to resolve disputes between faculty and graduate students over grades or other academic evaluations, when these cannot be resolved by normal consultation with faculty, Chairs, or the Dean.
         7. Act as a liaison between the College and the University library.

            A department may appeal a Graduate Studies Committee recommendation by notifying the Chair of the College Steering Committee within four working days of their receipt of the Graduate Studies Committee decision. Appeals will be presented to the College faculty for discussion and vote at a College faculty meeting.

            Recommendations for curriculum and academic policies of multi-disciplinary graduate degree programs will be the responsibility of the program faculty.

      2. Composition

         The committee shall be composed of one BUFM from each department and a CECS graduate student who is a non-voting member of the committee. The faculty representatives shall serve staggered two year terms.

         In the event that the faculty representative of a department cannot attend a meeting, the department may provide an alternate BUFM representative for the meeting.

   9. Faculty Development Committee
      1. Purpose

         To work on behalf of the College to achieve a faculty of outstanding ability and superior performance in teaching, scholarship and professional service. The specific responsibilities of the Committee are as follows:

         1. To serve as a review panel for the College of Engineering and Computer Science in the evaluation of departmental proposals for promotion and tenure of faculty.
         2. To review and make recommendations on applications for professional development leave. (Only BUFMs may participate.)
         3. When requested by the Dean, to review and make recommendations on applications for WSU sponsored funding opportunities.
         4. To encourage high standards of faculty achievement and promote the adoption of such standards by the faculty as a whole.
      2. Composition

         The Faculty Development Committee shall be composed of two tenured professors and one tenured associate professor from each department. BUFMs and department chairs are eligible to serve as elected members of the committee. The college representative serving on the University Promotion and Tenure Committee must be a professor in the bargaining unit and elected at-large in the college. This person shall serve as a non-voting member of the college Faculty Development Committee.

         The department BUFMs elect the committee members from their department. The committee members serve staggered two-year terms. In the event that a department has insufficient tenured professors or associate professors to be elected for this committee, the department may elect

         • An additional professor to fill the associate professor position or
         • Additional associate professors to fill professors positions

         Associate professors will not be permitted to vote on promotions to the rank of professor. The Dean is an ex-officio non-voting member and is the Chair for all promotion and tenure deliberations.

      3. Activities

         The Faculty Development committee shall meet as needed to undertake such tasks as it may set for itself in achieving the goals expressed above.

   10. Scholarship Committee
       1. Purpose

          The purpose of this committee is to review and rank applicants for various scholarships available to students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. This is done in cooperation with the Coordinator of Scholarships of the University Office of Financial Aid.

       2. Composition

          The Scholarship Committee shall be composed of one faculty representative from each department and one CECS student. The faculty members shall serve staggered two-year terms. The College Development Officer will be an ex officio non-voting member of the committee.

       3. Activities

          The Scholarship Committee shall meet as needed to undertake such tasks as necessary to achieve the above goals. One member will represent the college on the University Scholarship Committee.

   11. Academic Computing Committee
       1. Purpose

          Serve as an advisory body to the Dean on issues dealing with the acquisition and usage of technology in the College. In particular the committee will make recommendations on the

          1. Allocation of computer resources involving hardware, software, and supporting personnel.
          2. Strategic planning for computer resources, which involves setting priorities, etc. for:
             1. Education
             2. College supported research
             3. Administration networking
       2. Composition

          Membership consists of one faculty representative appointed from each of the departments, four CECS student representatives, the Assistant Dean for Fiscal Affairs, and the system administration staff.

          Each department representative and the student representative has one vote. The system administration staff has a single vote. The Assistant Dean for Fiscal Affairs serves a purely advisory role and does not have a vote.

          The chairperson also serves as the representative to the University Technology Committee.

   12. Teaching Awards Committee (amended April 24, 2009)
       1. Purpose

          The purpose of the Teaching Awards Committee is the selection of outstanding teachers within the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The specific responsibilities of the committee are:

          1. Choose the annual winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Faculty along with other candidates deemed worthy of recognition.
          2. Choose the annual winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Adjunct Faculty along with other candidates deemed worthy of recognition.
          3. Choose the annual winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Teaching Assistants along with other candidates deemed worthy of recognition.
       2. Composition

          The Teaching Awards Committee shall be comprised of one student from each department nominated by the Student Government senator of the college, approved by the Steering Committee, plus the past three faculty award winners as non-voting members. The chair of the committee shall be elected from among the student members at the first meeting of the academic year.

       3. Activities

          Meetings as necessary to facilitate implementation of award selections according to college and university deadlines.

3. SELECTION OF DEAN

   The selection process for a Dean shall be initiated by the Provost. The Provost shall announce whether the search is to be external or restricted to candidates currently employed by the University. The Provost shall appoint a Search Committee that will include at least four bargaining unit faculty members from the college. A majority of the committee will be persons who have faculty status. The committee will follow all University Affirmative Action policies and procedures and will consult with the college faculty such that each full-time faculty member has an opportunity for input, both at the onset of the search and in response to specific candidates. The committee will recommend one or more candidates to the Provost according to the charge of the committee.

4. COLLEGE FACULTY MEETINGS

   PURPOSE

   The purpose of College faculty meetings is threefold: to discuss and make recommendations on issues of interest to the faculty, to make faculty recommendations to the appropriate University committees, and to inform the faculty of items of interest occurring in the College and the University.

   College faculty meetings shall be held at least once per quarter during the academic year. The chair of the Steering Committee shall be the chair of the College faculty meetings.

   The format of College faculty meetings will be

   • Approval of minutes of preceding meeting
   • Presentation by the Dean
   • Committee Reports
   • Unfinished Business
   • New Business
   • Announcements

   The Steering Committee shall set the agenda for each College faculty meeting and shall make the agenda available to all full-time faculty members of the College at least 4 days prior to the meeting. The Steering Committee will solicit items for the agenda from the faculty and College committees at least ten days prior to each College faculty meeting. Items forwarded to the Steering Committee by the Dean or by a petition signed by 10% of the College BUFMs will be included on the agenda.

   All items subject to faculty vote must be introduced as new business at one meeting and voted on at the subsequent meeting. The lone exception to this procedure is when a motion is made to suspend the rules to have an immediate vote on an item of new business. A vote of 66% of the College BUFMs (not just those at the meeting) is required to suspend the rules. A simple majority of the faculty attending the College faculty meeting is required to pass a recommendation, unless specifically indicated elsewhere in this document. Voting by full-time faculty will be conducted using secret ballot, if requested by one or more faculty members.

5. AMENDMENTS

   These Bylaws may be amended pursuant to the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

   Amendment #1: An amendment to the College Bylaws was approved by faculty vote at the April 24, 2009 CECS faculty meeting to change the Ad-Hoc Teaching Committee to a Standing Committee named Teaching Awards Committee. The purpose, composition and activities of the committee were also approved as written herein.