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by-laws

Faculty of the School of Public Health (Berkeley - San Francisco)

PART I - FUNCTIONS

The academic governance of the School of Public Health is conducted by the faculty of the School. Graduate study and higher degrees are subject to the policies and rules of the Graduate Council of the Berkeley Division. The faculty (Berkeley-San Francisco) is responsible to the Assembly of the Academic Senate, and it conducts its business in a manner consistent with the by-laws of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate.

PART II - MEMBERSHIP

In addition to ex officio members, By-Law 64, members of this Faculty are:

1. The Chancellor at UC San Francisco

2. All faculty members of the School of Public Health who are members of the Academic Senate.

PART III - OFFICERS

  1. Faculty Chair: The Chairperson serves for a term of one year, beginning and ending the first day of the fall semester. The Vice Chair automatically assumes the Chair following his/her term as Vice Chair. The Chair, upon the end of his/her term becomes "Past Chair" for I year as an eighth Faculty Council member with non-voting status.
  1. Faculty Vice Chair: The Faculty Council annually elects a Vice Chairperson from its current members for the term of one-half year, at the beginning of the spring semester. At the close of this term, the Vice Chairperson automatically becomes the Chairperson.
  1. Faculty Secretary: The Faculty Council elects a Secretary from among its members to serve for a period of one year at the beginning of the academic year.
  1. Faculty officers will be elected by means of a secret mail ballot. In the event that an elected officer, member of the Faculty Council, or member of the Wellness Fund Committee is unable to serve, a special election to fill the vacancy will be held within 60 days of notification of such event. Terms will be for two years each with three to four members being replaced on alternating years.

PART IV- FACULTY COUNCIL

The Faculty Council oversees and coordinates the curricula of the School and recommends to the Academic Senate members of the School such changes in the curricula and in requirements for degrees as may from time to time seem advisable. It has the power to recommend legislation to the Academic Senate members of the School but this power does not interfere with the right of the members when meeting as a whole to recommend legislation directly to the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate. The Faculty Council consults with Deans and Division Heads to facilitate the implementation of curriculum policies and legislation of the School as intended by the Academic Senate. The Faculty Council provides Academic Senate consultation to the Dean required by the principle of shared governance adopted for the University of California by the Regents.

  1. Appointments to Standing Committees of the Faculty are made by the Chair of the Faculty as described in Part VI paragraph I. The Faculty Council may create special or ad hoc committees not provided for in these By-Laws. Appointments to these committees are made to the Faculty Chair.
  1. The following are voting members of the Faculty Council: (1) The Chair of the Faculty, (2) the Vice Chair of the Faculty, (3) the Secretary of the Faculty, (4) four at-large members elected by the Faculty from a slate of nominations, which slate must include at least one faculty member from each Division, and (5) three students selected by the student body representing the masters, doctoral and undergraduate programs. At-large members are elected to two-year terms. The Dean of the School is an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Council. The Chair of the Faculty may appoint additional non-voting members such as alumni, persons from the community, public health professionals, and Associate Deans.
  • The Faculty Council functions as an elections committee. Election procedures follow the pattern established in the Berkeley Division Academic Senate By-Laws 20, Section C, with the word "Division" replaced by the phrase "School of Public Health Faculty."

PART V- MEETINGS

At least one meeting of the faculty will be held during the Fall and the Spring semesters. A special meeting of the faculty may be called at any time by the Faculty Chair or Vice Chair. A special meeting may also be called by the Faculty Chair or Vice Chair upon the written petition of five voting members. The call to a special meeting must be sent to all faculty members at least five days of instruction prior to the meeting.

1. Quorum The presence of 20 voting members constitutes a quorum.

2. Order of Business The order of business at meetings of the faculty is:

  • Adoption of Minutes
  • Report of the Dean and Associate Deans
  • Report of Faculty Council (including relevant committee matters)
  • Reports of Standing Committees
  • Unfinished business
  • New business

Minutes of previous meeting, written reports of standing committees and, when required, of special and ad hoc committees as well as announcements from the Dean and Associate Deans, and Division Heads must be circulated five instruction days in advance of the meeting.

The regular order of business at meetings of the faculty may be suspended at any meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members present.

3. Suspension of Rules The rules of the faculty may be suspended by vote of the faculty provided that not more than two voting members present object to such suspension.

PART VI - COMMITTEES

  • Standing committees of the faculty are provided for in these by-laws. Members of the standing committees, unless otherwise noted, are appointed by the Chair of the Faculty for two year terms. Appointments are to be made not later than the 12th week of instruction in the Spring semester for service in the following year; appointments should be staggered to provide for continuity. Unless otherwise noted, standing committees should have at least two students as full voting members; students are appointed for one year terms early in the Fall semester of the year of their service. Associated Deans and non-Senate persons may serve as non-voting members of the standing committees. A list of the current standing committees and their terms of reference are appended to these by-laws as Attachment A.
  • The Faculty Council may create special or ad hoc committees not provided for in these by-laws. Appointments to these committees are made by the Faculty Chair.
  • The chairs of the standing committees are appointed for one year terms and are selected from the Faculty Council whenever possible.

PART VII - AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

These By-Laws may be amended or repealed at any regular or special meeting of the faculty by a two-thirds vote of the members present, provided that written notice of amendment has been sent to each member of the faculty at least ten instruction days previous to the meeting at which the amendment is to be moved. No amendment can be made that is inconsistent with legislation adopted by the campus Academic Senate.

Attachment A

List of Standing Committees of the Faculty

A. Curriculum Committee

  1. Periodically reviews and makes recommendations on all curricula of the School leading to the MPH and DrPH degrees and the Upper division undergraduate major.
  1. Recommends additions of new curricula and/or deletions of existing curricula, consistent with the future needs of public health and the mission of the School
  1. Reviews and makes recommendations on core MPH courses, in respect to content, appropriateness, integration and core course alternates
  1. Annually reviews the allocation of student enrollments to the various professional degrees curricula of the School, and recommends changes as needed
  1. Approves or disapproves proposed new courses, for submission to the campus Committee on Courses
  1. Reviews admissions standards for professional degree programs and makes recommendations
  1. Reviews and evaluates comprehensive examinations for the School's professional degrees, and makes recommendations where necessary
  1. Takes action on individual petitions for relief from or substitution of School of Public Health core course.

B. Academic Personnel Committee

  • Reviews, monitors and develops academic personnel policies, as necessary.
  • Provides advice to the Dean regarding academic personnel issues.
  • Provides advice to the Dean regarding specific academic personnel actions, upon request.
  • Provides advice to the Dean regarding appointment of ad hoc committees for faculty advancements and search committees upon request.
  • The Committee shall be comprised of four full professors and no student member shall be appointed to the Committee.

C. Research Committee

  • Advises faculty, staff, and students with regard to:
  • (a) Extramural research funding opportunities
  • (b) Changes in research grant procedures
  • (c) Research services available on Campus and within the School
  • Obtains small grants for student and faculty research support, including endowments where possible.
  • Recommends to the Dean support for individual faculty and students from funds available to the School.
  • Enhances the quality of the research environment in the school for faculty, staff and students.

D. Multicultural Concerns Committee

Works with the Dean, Associate Deans and Division Chairs to meet the School's diversity goals in faculty, student and staff recruitment.

  • Works with all segments of the School to increase multi-cultural awareness, sensitivity and cultural competence.
  • Undertakes programs dealing with special minority concerns in public health and education for public health.

E. Wellness Fund Committee

  1. As an advisory committee to the Dean, recommends general guidelines and long-range planning for expenditures from the Wellness Fund. These will be presented by the Dean in writing to the faculty prior to implementation.
  1. Develops an annual allocation plan to be presented by the Dean to the faculty for approval prior to implementation. Any deviation from the allocation plan which exceeds $25,000 must be presented to the faculty and approved before transfers can be made.
  1. Reviews an annual written report prepared by the Dean's office prior to presentation by the Dean to the faculty. This report accounts for the distribution of funds from the previous year.

This committee is composed of three faculty members, elected by the Faculty at large, one student, and the Dean of the School. The terms of office for the faculty members shall be three years (except for some initial terms which shall be shortened in such a way that one term ends each year). The term of office for the student member shall be one year. Expiring terms are to be refilled by faculty vote no later than the 12th week of the spring semester, to become effective on the last day of the Spring semester. Replacement of persons unable to complete terms will be accomplished according to Part III, Section 4.