November 1, 2007

To:       Carmen Wilson, Chair

            Faculty Senate

From: Articles and Bylaws Committee

            Keith Sherony, Chair

            Suzanne Anglehart

            Paul Beck

            Ronda Knox

            Sarah Shillinger

Re:      Committee Report

In its August 13, 2007 charge letter, the Articles and Bylaws Committee was instructed to amend bylaw wording for two Faculty Standing Committees. A third charge to amend bylaw wording was directed to the committee in an October 4, 2007 email. What follows are the charges and the committee’s recommendations for wording.

·        Develop by-law language for the Research and Grants committee to “inform grant applicants of their award.  Applicants who do not receive money shall be given reasons for their denial.”

Q. The Research and Grants Committee

Duties and responsibilities of the committee shall include:

1. Establishing written guidelines and screening and selection procedures for research proposals.

2. Establishing written procedures for evaluating and ranking research proposals.

3. Receiving and evaluating research proposals from members of the faculty.

4. Apportioning institutional funds for research and informing grant recipients of their awards.

5. Providing applicants who did not receive grant money reasons for denial.

56. Advising the coordinator of gifts and grants in the solicitation of grant monies.

76. Providing the UW-L Foundation with a list of committee faculty members from which it may select advisory members for its Grants and Review Committee.

Membership of the committee shall consist of the provost/vice chancellor (or his/her designated representative) and nine faculty members. Members of the faculty who submit research proposals during a given year shall not be members of the committee during that year. The coordinator of gifts and grants shall serve as an administrative consultant to the committee for grants advisory purposes. The committee shall elect its chairperson.

·        Develop by-law language for the General Education Committee to elect its chair.

H. The General Education Committee

Membership of the committee shall consist of nine faculty, none of whom shall have any designated administrative responsibility, and one student appointed annually by the Student Association. Consecutive appointments may be allowed for up to five years.  The faculty membership shall include at least two representatives from each of the College of Liberal Studies and the College of Science and Health, and at least one representative from the College of Business Administration.  One alternate shall be provided for each appointed member, and so far as possible, representation of appointed members and alternates shall be rotated with respect to departments and schools.  In addition, the Director of the General Education Program shall be a member of the committee and shall serve as the chair and convener of the committee.  The provost/vice chancellor, the registrar, and the academic deans shall serve as administrative consultants to the committee. The committee shall elect its chair.

·        Update the Joint Promotion Committee bylaws to accurately reflect how information about the promotion process is disseminated. This recommendation was prompted by the following considerations:

1.      UW-L no longer has an Employee Handbook and information about promotion in A Guide to Faculty Promotions and Portfolio Development at UW-La Crosse, which is located on the HR website.

2.      The JPC no longer publicizes its procedures in the Campus Connection, rather they are in the aforementioned guide on the HR website.

3.      The JPC should be obliged to publicize its informational meeting in the Campus Connection.

N.  The Joint Promotion Committee

Duties and responsibilities of the committee shall include reviewing promotion files subject to the following rules of operation:

1. The committee members shall use the general performance and achievement criteria that are described in the Employee Handbook under the heading of "Rank, Promotion and Tenure." “A Guide to Faculty Promotions and Portfolio Development at UW-La Crosse” (the most current version of which is posted on the HR website http://www.uwlax.edu/hr/promo-resources.htm).  Criteria include teaching, research, professional and public service, and contributions to the university. The committee shall provide guidelines for the submission of departmental criteria and other data supporting candidacy for promotion. Following the establishment of rules and procedures and prior to submission of candidate application, the Joint Promotion Committee shall hold a meeting for eligible candidates to describe the promotion process. The Joint Promotion Committee shall publicize this meeting in the the procedures that it employs  Campus Connection annually and prior to the submission deadline for promotion files.