CONSTITUTION
School of Business and Economics
University of Minnesota Duluth
Approved by SBE Senate
November 15, 1995
PREAMBLE
The purposes of the School of Business and Economics of the University of Minnesota are (1) to provide its students with those business and economics principles necessary for leadership in either the private or public sector, (2) to encourage research both for its contribution to new knowledge and its contribution to the regional economy; and (3) to serve the continuing educational needs of business, industry, and the constituencies of the regional community. The School of Business and Economics (hereinafter called the School) adopts this Constitution to facilitate the achievement of these goals.
ARTICLE I. GENERAL POWERS
All matters relating to the mission of the School consistent with actions or policies of the Regents of the University of Minnesota heretofore and hereafter taken or established are committed to the Chancellor, the Dean, and the School of Business and Economics Senate as herein provided. The authority of the School of Business and Economics Senate (hereafter called the Senate) shall be exercised subject to the provisions of Regents' policies, as amended from time to time, including collective bargaining agreements as approved by the Regents.
ARTICLE II. DEAN
SECTION 1.
Executive Officer
The Dean shall be the chief representative and executive officer of the School and shall have general administrative authority over this School. The Dean, in consultation with the Senate, shall provide leadership for formulating policies, for introducing and testing educational ideas and proposals, and for stimulating discussions leading to improvement of the educational programs of this School.
SECTION 2.
Budgets
The Dean shall be accountable for the expenditure of funds and shall be responsible for the preparation and presentation of budget recommendations to the Chancellor. The budget shall be prepared and allocated by the Dean in consultation with departments and other administrative units of the School.
SECTION 3.
Suspension of Actions
In the event that the Dean suspends implementation of any action taken by the Senate or any of its standing committees, the Dean shall provide a written explanation for the suspension and ask for reconsideration of such action.
SECTION 4.
Selection and Appointment of the Dean
The Chancellor, following an appropriate search process in which tenured faculty from the School constitute a majority of the Search Committee, shall recommend to the President and Board of Regents the appointment of the Dean. The Dean shall be eligible for reappointment. The length of the initial appointment and any reappointments shall be consistent with University policies.
At the beginning of the last year of an appointive term, or earlier if the Chancellor feels it is appropriate, the Chancellor shall review the status, progress, and effectiveness of the Dean's administration. At any time during the Dean's term, a special committee consisting of the School's department heads shall conduct a referendum of the Senate on the status of the Dean at the written request of 20 percent of the voting members of the Senate or at the request of the Dean. A petition for a referendum shall be submitted to the special committee of department heads. If a majority of the members of the Senate cast ballots in favor of the Dean's removal from office, the special committee shall request the Chancellor to initiate a review immediately.
ARTICLE III. ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOL
SECTION 1.
Units
The administrative organization of the School shall be in the form of academic departments, the Center for Economic Development, and other administrative units as are determined by the administration in consultation with the Senate.
A recommendation of the Senate for the establishment and disestablishment of any such units shall require at least two-thirds approval of the Senate membership.
SECTION 2.
Administration of Academic Departments
a. Each department shall elect a nominee for department head and the Dean shall recommend appointments for department heads to the Chancellor.
b. Department Heads shall serve at the discretion of the Dean and shall perform such administrative duties as shall be assigned to them.
c. Recommendations on recruitment of faculty shall be made by the department concerned to the School Search Committee, which shall forward its recommendation to the Dean.
d. Faculty and non-faculty staff may participate in departmental governance, except where such participation would be inconsistent with University/School policy or relevant labor agreements.
SECTION 3.
Student Representation
Academic departments and other units may select one or more student representatives to participate in departmental or unit governance, except where such participation would be inconsistent with University/School policy or relevant labor agreements, or is deemed to be inappropriate by a majority of the voting members of the Department/unit.
SECTION 4.
Advisory Boards
Subject to approval of the Administrative Committee and Dean, the School, Academic Departments, and other units may appoint advisory boards to provide input to policy determination and other activities of the unit(s). The composition, mission and activities of these boards shall be at the discretion of the unit(s), except where this would be inconsistent with University/School policies or relevant labor agreements.
ARTICLE IV. ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS
SECTION 1.
Administrative Committee
The Administrative Committee will evaluate the effectiveness of recommended or established policies as well as recommend policy changes, deletions and additions to the Dean and to appropriate faculty members and departments. The Administrative Committee shall also have supervision over requirements for admission to the School, scholastic requirements for each of the programs offered by the School, and matters pertaining to scholastic standing and probation. Information and data needed to make these evaluations and recommendations shall be made available to the Administrative Committee by the Dean and faculty members of the School. The Administrative Committee shall set the agenda for meetings of the Senate. The members of the Administrative Committee shall be the Dean, Heads of the academic departments, the Associate Dean, the Head of the Center for Economic Development, and the Assistants to the Dean. Members not holding faculty appointments shall not have voting rights on curriculum, academic policy and faculty merit decisions. The Administrative Committee may establish sub-committees or assign specific tasks from time to time as the committee deems appropriate. The Dean or the Assistant/Associate Dean shall be the presiding officer of the Administrative Committee or any sub-committee.
SECTION 2.
School Search Committee
The Dean shall annually appoint a School Search Committee which shall include at least one representative from each department in the School. The purpose of the School Search Committee shall be to make recommendations on recruitment of faculty for the School to the Dean.
SECTION 3.
Dean's Ad Hoc Committees
The Dean may form, implement, or dissolve ad hoc advisory committees which may include or be composed of members of the faculty, the community, business persons, or students. Such committees may be appointed for a period of one year or less and may report solely to the Dean.
SECTION 4.
Non-Faculty Staff
The Dean shall be responsible for all appropriate matters relating to non-faculty staff employed by the School. The non-faculty staff of the School shall be comprised of all individuals holding full-time and part-time non-faculty academic and civil service appointments in the School.
ARTICLE V. SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS SENATE
SECTION 1.
Composition
The Senate shall be composed of the President, Chancellor, Dean, School faculty representatives, School non-faculty staff representatives, and student representatives as hereinafter specified.
a. The School faculty representatives of the Senate shall consist of all those individuals who hold non-temporary appointments with academic rank of Instructor and above in any Department or other unit that is administratively within the School.
b. The School non-faculty staff representatives to the Senate shall include all persons holding non-temporary non-faculty academic or non-temporary Civil Service appointments who are deemed to be employees of the School.
c. The composition of the student representatives within the Senate shall be as follows: Two Student Representatives from each Department.
All undergraduate student representatives to the Senate shall be required to continue to carry at least 12 credits per quarter, and all graduate representatives shall be required to maintain registration, or forfeit membership in the Senate.
SECTION 2.
Voting Rights
Members of the Senate shall have equal voting rights, except that only Senate faculty representatives shall have voting rights on curriculum issues.
SECTION 3.
Powers in General
a. The Senate shall have the authority and responsibility to make recommendations to the Dean on educational matters concerning the School.
b. The Senate shall have the responsibility of advising the Dean on such student concerns as the Senate deems appropriate.
SECTION 4.
Senate Committees
a. The Senate, by appropriate Bylaws, may create standing committees charged with such responsibility as the Senate has the power to confer.
b. Members of the Senate and SBE Advisory Council members may serve as voting members on Senate committees, unless specifically proscribed in the Bylaws.
SECTION 5.
Officers
a. The Dean shall be Chairperson of the Senate.
b. A Vice-Chairperson shall be elected by the Senate from its membership. The term of office for the Vice-Chairperson shall be one year and he or she shall serve no more than four consecutive terms. He or she shall be elected at the first meeting of the academic year, and shall serve until his or her successor has been elected. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall preside at Senate meetings. In the absence of both the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson, such other person as the Senate shall designate shall preside.
c. The Chairperson shall appoint a Secretary of the Senate who need not be a member of the Senate. The Secretary shall record minutes of all meetings and shall maintain a file of all such minutes in the Dean's Office. Minutes of meetings of the Senate shall be submitted to all members of the Senate and made available to those members of the faculty, staff, and students as the Senate may from time to time direct. The Secretary shall maintain the official roster of the Senate members and the official roster of voting Senate members.
SECTION 6.
Meeting
If warranted by agenda, at least one regular Senate meeting shall be held each academic quarter. Special meetings shall be called at the request of the Chairperson or any five voting members of the Senate. A minimum of a three-day written notice stating the agenda is required for all members. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the total voting membership of the Senate. Action of the Senate may be taken upon a simple majority vote of a quorum, except as specified in this Constitution and Bylaws.
ARTICLE VI. CONSTITUTIONAL INTERPRETATION
When questions of interpretation of this Constitution or Bylaws arise, they shall be resolved by the Senate Constitution Committee.
ARTICLE VIII. AMENDMENTS TO CONSTITUTION
This Constitution can be amended by a two-thirds vote of all voting members of the Senate. Any proposed amendment shall be proposed and endorsed by at least three voting members of the Senate. The proposed amendment must be presented in writing to all voting members of the Senate no less than five days prior to a Senate meeting. It must be listed as an official agenda item and presented for information and possible revision at that meeting. After the proposed amendment has been presented for information and possible revision at a Senate meeting, the vote on the proposed amendment shall take place by mail ballot no sooner than five days after the adjournment of that meeting.
ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS
Bylaws to this Constitution may be enacted, amended, or repealed in the same way as this Constitution can be amended, except that a simple majority vote is required.
THE BYLAWS OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE SCHOOL
OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS
ARTICLE I. SENATE RULES OF ORDER
Unless otherwise provided in the School of Business and Economics Constitution or these Bylaws or provided by special rules of order adopted by the Senate, Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall be followed.
ARTICLE II. SCHOOL ELECTIONS
The Senate Constitution Committee shall be responsible for administration of all elections for School faculty and non-faculty staff.
ARTICLE III. SENATE COMMITTEES
- The standing committees of the Senate shall consist of the following: Constitution Committee, Honors, Awards and Students' Concerns Committee, Undergraduate Committee, Graduate Committee, Research Committee, and Outreach Committee.
- Standing committees and their chairpersons shall be nominated by the School Administrative Committee and approved by the Senate.
- Unless otherwise specified, the term of membership on standing committees shall be two years commencing on July 1 and continuous service shall be limited to four consecutive years. Exceptions to this limitation include that the Assistant to the Dean for Student Affairs shall be a member of the Honors, Awards and Students' Concerns Committee and the term of membership of student members on standing committees shall be one year commencing on July 1 and continuous service shall be limited to three consecutive years. Vacancies occurring within any academic year shall be filled by the Administrative Committee for the remainder of the unexpired term.
- No person shall serve on more than two Senate Standing Committees at any given time.
ARTICLE IV. FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES OF STANDING COMMITTEES
- The Constitution Committee shall serve as the final interpretation authority for this Constitution and Bylaws and shall recommend constitutional and bylaw changes when necessary. It shall settle jurisdictional disputes between Senate Committees, and shall serve as a grievance resolution committee for any issues not subject to grievance procedures of relevant labor agreements or subject to the standing grievance or appeals committees of the Campus or the University. As such the Committee shall be available for informal consultation about potential grievance situations. The Committee shall also carry out such other duties as are assigned in these Bylaws.
- The Honors, Awards and Students' Concerns Committee shall search out, facilitate, and recommend procedures for the conferment of all existing honors and awards to students, faculty, and alumni of programs housed in the School, and it shall recommend the creation of new honors and awards as seems appropriate. It shall also provide liaison between the Senate and student government committees which are active in student affairs. It shall investigate student concerns which are outside the jurisdiction of a single academic unit, make recommendations relative to these concerns to the Senate or its appropriate committees, and carry out such other duties as are assigned in these Bylaws.
- The Undergraduate Committee is responsible for routine undergraduate curriculum matters including, but not limited to, consideration of individual course proposals that do not materially alter the nature and content of undergraduate programs. The Committee will also be responsible for making recommendations to the Senate on: (1) assessment and revision of current undergraduate programs; (2) development and assessment of new undergraduate programs; and (3) undergraduate student recruiting, admissions, retention, advising, graduation, and career planning and placement.
- The Graduate Committee is responsible for routine graduate curriculum matters including, but not limited to, consideration of individual course proposals that do not materially alter the nature and content of the graduate program. The Committee will also be responsible for making recommendations to the Senate on: (1) assessment and revision of current graduate programs; (2) development and assessment of new graduate programs; and (3) graduate student recruiting, admissions, retention, advising, graduation, and career planning and placement.
- The Research Committee is responsible for monitoring research progress and making recommendations to the Senate on: (1) general research objectives and faculty research development programs; (2) research incentives and support; and (3) means for integration of research with instruction and outreach.
- The Outreach Committee is responsible for developing, monitoring and coordinating annual outreach plans; and developing outreach objectives, policies, and plans for student and faculty internships, active learning opportunities, sponsored research, and non-degree programs (seminars, workshops, extended training and development programs).
ARTICLE V. SPECIAL COMMITTEES
The Senate may establish special committees to make recommendations on special topics of concern to the School, subject to the following limitations:
a. A special committee shall have a specified period of existence and shall be considered disassembled upon acceptance of its report by the Senate.
b. The Senate shall provide each special committee with an explicit written statement of its charge, expected period of duration, and interim reporting requirements at the time it appoints the special committee.
ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEE RULES
- All standing committees of the Senate shall meet at least once each academic year.
- All Senate committees shall keep records of their meetings and proceedings. Copies of these records shall be sent to each academic department within the School, shall be placed on file in the School office, and shall be available for inspection, subject to All-University restrictions.
- Each standing committee of the Senate shall report on its activities once each year at the last regular spring quarter meeting of the Senate by submitting a written progress report. These progress reports shall be distributed to the voting members of the Senate by the secretary at least three days in advance of this meeting.
- Any standing committee of the Senate shall be required at the request of the Chair, or upon simple majority vote of the Senate members present and voting, to report to the Senate the status of any matter then being considered by any such standing committee.
- Any action of any committee of the Senate shall be subject to review by the Senate, except as stated herein.
RETURN TO:SBE POLICIESPAGE
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and
employer.
Comments here ~~> 
Page Copyright: Carolyn Zanko
Last Modified:Monday, June 08, 1998 - 9:55:22 AM
Page URL: http://www.d.umn.edu/~czanko/constitu.html