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Bylaws of The School of Information Studies
The Florida State University

Approved
September 24, 2003

Content Control: On 11 September 2002 the Bylaws of the School of Information Studies entered the content control system of the Information Architecture Group, Office of the Deans and have been assigned the single source document number: ssd120. The IAGOD maintains custody of the official copy of this document and all changes must be made on that copy before the document can be revised in print or electronic form. For major revisions, an electronic copy of ssd1120 in Microsoft Word can be checked out from the Information ArchCI Help Deskt, iaod@lis.fsu.edu. Minor corrections may be sent in the body of an email. The Assistant Dean for Administrative Services must approve all technical changes. All other changes must be approved by a vote of the faculty.

Section A. Faculty Membership and Voting Privileges
Section B. Jurisdiction
Section C. Meetings
Section D. Team and Committee Structure and Operations
Section E. Representative to the Faculty Senate
Section F. Promotion and Tenure
Section G. Faculty Voting
Section H. Amendments

These Bylaws are established to assist the School's faculty and administrators in conducting School business efficiently and with fairness to all concerned. These may not in any way contradict or supersede the Constitution of the University, or other higher authority.

Section A. Faculty Membership and Voting Privileges

1. Those persons who hold tenured or tenure-track appointments at the ranks of assistant professor, associate professor, and professor, who have a full academic year appointment in the School are considered to be full members of the faculty.

2. Each year at the first faculty meeting these tenured or tenure- track faculty shall vote on whether they wish to grant voting privileges to members of the faculty in non-tenure tracks who fit the following criteria:

Have a permanent appointment
Hold a Ph.D.
Have continuing teaching responsibilities as part of their regularly assigned duties.

Section B. Jurisdiction

1. The faculty shall be the basic legislative body of the School. Subject to the Constitution of the University and the rules of the Board of Trustees, it shall determine the requirements for the several academic degrees, shall establish admissions and grading policies, and shall approve course offerings. It may act on any other academic matter of concern to the School.

2. The faculty may reflect and deliberate any issue of general interest to the University or School and make recommendations to the appropriate officer or body.

Section C. Meetings

1. The faculty shall meet at least once in each of the academic terms, except for summer

2. Special sessions shall be held at the call of the Dean either on her/his own initiative, or at the written request of not fewer than four members of the faculty.

3. The Dean of the School shall be the presiding officer. In the absence of the Dean, the person designated by the Dean shall preside.

4. Any faculty member, team, or committee may request that a discussion or action item be put on the agenda of a faculty meeting. The Executive Secretary to the Deans shall issue a call for these items prior to each faculty meeting.

5. One-half plus one of the voting members of the faculty shall constitute a quorum.

Section D. Team and Committee Structure and Operations

1. The following teams and committees shall be employed to enhance the School’s ability to accomplish its mission. Teams and Committees will make every effort to include at least one doctoral student in order to provide an opportunity for potential future faculty to gain experience with the inner workings of an academic unit.

Program Teams: Three program teams develop the School’s programs and curricula.

These teams will make every effort to include at least one student from the respective program. In addition, program teams will include a representative from the Information Services Team, Student Services Team, and Administrative Services Team to serve as service area advisors.

Undergraduate Program Team

Reviews undergraduate student admission policies and services, including placement, financial support, curricula, and other issues related to undergraduate students.
Recommends to faculty new or revised policies, regulations, and course offerings.

Master’s and Specialist Program Team

Reviews Master’s and Specialist student admission policies and services, including placement, financial support, curricula, and other issues related to masters and specialists students.
Recommends to faculty new or revised policies, regulations, and course offerings.

Doctoral Program Team

Selects doctoral students for admission.
Reviews doctoral student admission policies and services, including placement, financial support, curricula, and other issues related to doctoral students.
Recommends to faculty new or revised policies, regulations, and course offerings.
Recommend faculty for doctoral directive status.

Service Teams
Five service teams develop and review strategic and/or operational policy and and provide general oversight of the individuals who manage the day-to-day operations of the School services to faculty, staff, and students.

The Information Services Team, Student Services Team, and Administrative Services Team will select one representative from the team to serve as a service area advisor to each program. Service area advisors will attend program team meetings to advise program teams as needed on issues relevant to the advisor’s service area. Service area advisors also will inform their service team of program team activities to ensure service areas address program needs.

Research and Development Service Team

Supports the mission of Florida State University and the goals of the School, including the Information Use Management and Policy Institute, as pertains to faculty, staff, and student development and research.
Promotes the School’s research process by working with the University Foundation and Florida State University’s Sponsored Research Services and Research Foundation to develop funding, provide policies, and review and recommend procedures about research activities.

Information Services Team:

Develops and recommends policies related to information technology and services within the school, including Library Services, User Services, Instructional Development, Information Architecture, Database Services, and Network Services.
Promotes technology integration by working with the Office of Technology Integration and the Office of Telecommunications.

Student Services Team

Reviews policies and procedures that facilitate student support, including communication materials used in recruiting and advisory reference, financial support, student records, student life, and related matters.
Ensures distance students are integrated into the activities and governance of the school.
Coordinates all student awards (including the Sharon and Summers Awards) in cooperation with the Dean for Academic Affairs.

Administrative Services Team

Develops and coordinates the management and implementation of policies and procedures such as security issues, budgeting, and disaster preparedness.
Reviews school administrative procedures as needed to ensure adherence to University and School administrative policies.
Recommends to the Deans new administrative policies and revisions to existing administrative policies.
Ensures staff is integrated into the activities and governance of the School.

Planning Services Team

Evaluates the School’s ability to respond to a dynamic, changing environment in consideration of social, political, economic and technological forces.
Develops vision and mission statements for the School.
Develops a competitive strategy, goals, and objectives to achieve the mission.
Makes fundamental decisions and takes action to adjust the School’s direction in response to a changing environment.
Evaluates the School’s ability to meet requirements of the University, Board of Education, and accrediting agencies and prepares program presentations.

Committees
Three special purpose committees address more narrowly defined institutional needs of the school, university, and faculty. (NOTE: Ad hoc teams may be formed as necessary to address the School’s particular and temporary needs. These ad hoc teams shall be identified and tasked in the Philosophy and Operations Guide.)

Deans’ Advisory Committee:

Advises the Deans regarding planning, management, and budget matters.
Advises the Deans regarding strategic opportunities.
Made up of Program Team Coordinators, Promotion and Tenure Committee Chair, and one non-tenure-track faculty member.

Promotion and Tenure Committee

Considers and recommends to the Dean those faculty members who meet requirements for promotion and/or tenure.
Generally, five tenured faculty members shall comprise this committee.
In accordance with the Florida State University Faculty Handbook, non- tenured faculty may hold membership on this committee as long as tenured faculty members comprise a majority.
The Dean of the School is ineligible to serve on this committee.
Faculty members being considered for promotion and/or tenure are ineligible to serve on this committee.
Members of this committee are not required to have a Program Team assignment; however, they do serve on a Service Team and comprise the Faculty Development and Recognition Committee.
Tenured and tenure-track faculty shall elect members to the committee.
The Dean of the School shall initiate a secret ballot poll at the beginning of the academic year, requesting each tenured and tenure-track faculty member to vote for not more than five individuals to serve on the committee.
The five individuals receiving the highest number of votes shall comprise the committee, with the stipulation that the majority must be tenured.
The tenured person receiving the highest number of votes shall be the chairperson of the committee and serve as the representative to the university’s promotion and tenure committee.

Faculty Development & Recognition Committee

Conducts peer review of teaching and third-year reviews.
Monitors faculty mentoring program.
Determines faculty candidates for faculty recognition awards, including teaching awards, named Professorships, association awards (ALISE, ASIST, etc.), and other national and international awards.
Made up of members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee and one non- tenure- track faculty member.

2. The Dean of the School shall revise team and committee operations and structure as recommended by the faculty and shall appoint members to teams and committees where appropriate. Usually, the team rather than the Dean shall appoint student members.

The plan for the current year is in the School’s Philosophy and Operations Guide for Teams and Committees.
The plan includes the philosophy of team and committee structure with respect to the governance of the school and provision of strategic policy.
The plan includes guidance for team and committee operations and membership for the academic year.

3. The Dean of the School shall present the proposed team and committee membership to the faculty prior to the first faculty meeting of the academic year in sufficient time for the faculty to review and make recommendations to the plan. Recommendations made by the faculty shall be incorporated as warranted.

4. The faculty shall vote on whether to accept any revisions to the team and committee structure at the first faculty meeting of the academic year.

5. Teams shall identify objectives for the current academic year. Objectives will be posted in meeting minutes.

6. Consideration shall be given to the following items when revisions and appointments are made:

The School’s vision, mission statement, and strategic plan.
Available resources, including faculty and staff and their current and projected duties and responsibilities.
Diversity of representation on teams to facilitate a holistic view of the School.

Section E. Representative to the Faculty Senate

The Dean will send a list of eligible senators (full-time, tenured or tenure- track) to the faculty for election. The faculty members will return the secret ballot in a sealed envelope to the Dean. A simple majority wins.

Section F. Promotion and Tenure

1. The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall consider all faculty members below the rank of full professor for promotion or tenure, or both, if applicable, each year.

2. For specific procedures see Florida State University Faculty Handbook and the School’s guidelines.

Section G. Faculty Voting

1. Should voting privileges for non-tenure track faculty be approved, they shall have the right to vote in all of the School’s elections except promotion and tenure considerations and membership elections to the Promotion and Tenure Committee.

2. A simple majority shall determine the outcome of elections to office and questions put to the voting faculty.

3. Elections to Office and Promotion and Tenure Nominations

Voting shall be by secret ballot poll when electing persons to various offices or for promotion and tenure nominations. Electronic voting, such as email, may be used for this purpose. Those voting shall exercise due caution to ensure the ballot is sent only to the person designated to count the vote.
Another ballot shall be called in the case of a tie. This will continue until the tie is broken.

4. Voting on Questions

In all other votes of the faculty, a majority of those present and voting shall determine the outcome except when mail, telephone conference, or electronic means are used to vote. Faculty may cast a proxy vote at any meeting at which they will be absent by notifying the Dean in advance of the meeting of their intention to do so. The notification must include the name of the faculty member who will cast the vote and indicate on which questions that person is authorized to cast the proxy vote.
- In the case of a mail vote, the Dean shall distribute the ballot either through internal or U.S. mail. The ballot will identify the question to be decided and specify a deadline for the return of marked ballots. The Dean will count the ballots and announce the results as soon as practical after the ballots are received. The ballots shall be maintained for inspection for ten working days.
- In the case of a telephone conference, the Dean shall be responsible for stating the question and allowing for discussion prior to the vote.
- In the case of an electronic vote, the Dean shall be responsible for communicating the question and designating an individual to whom electronic ballots are to be sent. The ballots shall be maintained for inspection for ten working days.
When a motion to conduct a vote is passed by a majority of those present and voting, in a properly called and conducted meeting of the faculty, no mail, telephone, or electronic vote may be taken.
If a run off is required it shall be conducted in the same manner as the initial vote.

Section H. Amendments

Any four (4) members of the faculty may propose an amendment to these Bylaws. Except in case of emergency as determined by the Dean, or a majority of the faculty, these amendments shall be distributed to the faculty at least one week prior to the meeting at which they will be considered, and shall include a brief rationale by those proposing the amendment. A majority of the faculty voting in the affirmative is required to adopt an amendment to these Bylaws.

Adopted by Faculty September 24, 2003

Revised and Proposed to the Faculty on August 22, 2003

Bylaws of The School of Information Studies The Florida State University

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