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  1. Faculty
  2. Governance
  3. Bylaws of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

Bylaws of the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences

  • Codified October 22, 1969
  • Amended October 11, 1975 and December 15, 1983
  • Edited July 1, 1985
  • Amended October 24, 1985; September 20, 1990; April 1, 1998; April 19, 2002; April 16, 2003; July 15, 2013; and April 1, 2014
  1. Jurisdiction
  2. Membership and Meetings
  3. Permanent Councils
  4. Communication
  5. Amendment of Bylaws
  6. Parliamentary Authority
     

I. Jurisdiction

  1. The Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences (Dietrich School; Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences; formerly School of Arts and Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences) of the University of Pittsburgh shall have jurisdiction over curricula and instructional programs, degree requirements, admissions, grading regulations, and other related academic matters pertaining to its constituent departments and schools.

II. Membership and Meetings

  1. Persons included. All persons who hold full-time tenure stream academic appointments in the University of Pittsburgh with the titles Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor, and with a primary appointment in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences; those Research Assistant Professors, Research Associate Professors, Research Professors, and part-time faculty, who are in the tenure stream; full-time appointment stream Teaching Assistant Professors, Teaching Associate Professors, and Teaching Professors (hereafter referred to collectively as Appointment Stream Faculty); the Chancellor; the Provost; the Dean of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and the College of General Studies (hereafter referred to as the Dean), and the Associate Deans of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, are members of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. The student members of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Council (Dietrich School Council), the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Council (Dietrich School-UC), the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Council (Dietrich School-GC), the six student members of the College of General Studies Council, the President of the Student Government Board, the President of the General Studies Student Government, and the President or Head of the Graduate Student Organization shall be allowed full voting participation in meetings and will participate in ballots by mail. Two student members of the Black Action Society who are enrolled in the Dietrich School shall have full voting participation in the meetings of the Dietrich School and in voting by mail.
  2. Persons excluded. Adjunct Professors, Research Professors, Visiting Professors, Research Associates, Teaching Associates, Assistant Instructors, Acting Instructors, Instructors not in the tenure stream, Teaching Fellows and Teaching Assistants are not members of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences.
  3. Meeting of full faculty. The Dietrich School shall hold general meetings in early October and late February, at times and places to be determined by Dietrich School Council. The Dean shall preside, or in the Dean's absence, the Vice Chairperson of Dietrich School Council. Additional meetings may be called by the Dean, at the request of any of the permanent Councils, or on petition of 40 members of the Dietrich School presented to the Dean. Meetings of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and of its Councils shall be open to the University community as observers, except that any Council may, by a two-thirds vote, specify certain of its meetings as closed meetings. Decisions of the full faculty, whether made in meeting or by referendum, shall override decisions of the Councils. The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and the Councils shall take due cognizance of the principle of the autonomy of the constituent departments and schools. Prior to any general meetings, a faculty member may present to the Dean a personally written letter declaring inability to attend, stating the reason for said inability, and requesting an absentee ballot. Immediately after the meeting, the faculty member will receive a ballot providing for a vote on all motions that have come before the meeting, with the exception of motions to amend a motion, motions to substitute a motion, and matters strictly related to parliamentary procedure such as a motion to limit debate, or to adjourn. On matters regarded by the Dietrich School Council as complex and controversial, Dietrich School Council may receive or call for position papers to be developed by departments or groups of interested faculty; these shall be circulated to the faculty by the Dean, and a spokesperson for each group which has developed a position paper shall have precedence in debate if a full meeting is held.
  4. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of 100 members of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. If a vote on an announced agenda item cannot be taken at a meeting because of the lack of a quorum, a majority of those present may refer the matter to a mail ballot circulated to all eligible voters defined in Section II.2.
  5. Agenda. The agenda for each full meeting shall be prepared by Dietrich School Council, and distributed to the entire faculty 10 days in advance of any meeting. Items may be placed upon the agenda of regular meetings by petition of 40 members of the faculty presented to Dietrich School Council no less than 14 days in advance of such meeting. In the case of called meetings, the meeting call shall indicate the agenda. Decision, but not discussion, shall be limited to agenda items.

III. Permanent Councils

  1. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Council (Dietrich School Council). This Council shall consist of the Dean (who shall preside); the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs; nine elected tenure stream faculty members, who shall not be Department Chairpersons, with three members elected from each division and no more than one member from any one department; one representative of each of the Councils of the Department Chairpersons; three full-time appointment stream faculty members, with one member elected from each division; two undergraduate students appointed by the Student Government Board; and two graduate students appointed by the Graduate Student Organization. The Council shall elect one of its members each year to be Vice Chairperson, who shall preside at the meetings of Dietrich School Council and of the faculty in the absence of the Dean. The Dietrich School Council shall act for the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences in intervals between meetings of the full faculty. Dietrich School Council actions shall take effect 30 days (excluding regularly scheduled vacations) after gazetting as prescribed in paragraph 13, unless a petition of 40 members of the faculty is received by the Dean in the interim calling for a full Dietrich School meeting to vote on the issue in question. It may request a report from either of the Councils of initial jurisdiction on any matter, and may overrule such Council. Dietrich School Council shall elect the Faculty Grants Committee and other committees whose work relates to the full School.
  2. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Council (Dietrich School-UC). This Council shall consist of the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and the College of General Studies (who shall preside), nine elected tenure stream faculty, with three members elected from each division and no more than one member from any one department; three full-time appointment stream faculty members, with one member elected from each division; and five students appointed by the Student Government Board. The Council shall deal with matters of curricula and instructional programs, degree requirements, admissions, grading regulations, and other related academic matters in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate programs as the Council of initial jurisdiction. The Dietrich School-UC shall report its actions to Dietrich School Council, and may refer any matter to Dietrich School Council for decision. Actions of the Dietrich School-UC shall take effect 30 days (excluding regularly scheduled vacations) after gazetting as prescribed in paragraph 13, unless (a) it is overridden by the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Council within 20 days after gazetting, or (b) a petition of 40 members of the faculty is received by the Dean in the interim calling for a full faculty meeting to vote on the issue in question.
  3. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Graduate Council (Dietrich School-GC). This Council shall consist of the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies (who shall preside), six elected members of the Graduate Faculty, and five students elected by the Graduate Student Organization. The Council shall deal, in accordance with the regulations of the University Council on Graduate Study, with the matters noted in paragraph 8 above for which it is the Council of initial jurisdiction. The Graduate Council shall report its activities to Dietrich School Council, and may refer any matter to Dietrich School Council for decision. Actions of the Dietrich School-GC shall take effect 30 days (excluding regularly scheduled vacations) after gazetting as prescribed in paragraph 13, unless (a) it is overridden by the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Council within 20 days after gazetting, or (b) a petition of 40 members of the faculty is received by the Dean in the interim calling for a full Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences meeting to vote on the issue in question.
  4. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Planning and Budgeting Committee (Dietrich School-PBC). This Committee shall consist of the Dean (who shall preside); the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and the College of General Studies; three tenure stream faculty members (one from each division) appointed by the Dietrich School Council from among its elected members; three tenure stream faculty members elected directly by division; three full-time appointment stream faculty members elected directly by division; three staff members elected by division; and three Graduate Student members (one from each division) appointed by the Dietrich School Graduate Student Organization. The Dietrich School-PBC members will serve for staggered three-year terms and meet as necessary during the year. The Dietrich School-PBC shall work with and advise the Dean regarding budgetary matters and planning in the framework of the University's Planning and Budgeting System (PBS) as adopted originally in 1992 and modified from time to time.
  5. College of General Studies Representation. While the Council of the College of General Studies is independent of Dietrich School Council and its actions cannot be overruled by Dietrich School Council, the College of General Studies shall have representation in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences as provided in paragraph 2.
  6. Meetings of Councils. Each Council shall determine the frequency and time of its meetings. A quorum shall be half of the membership of the Council.
  7. Nominations and Elections. No later than one month prior to the October meeting of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences each year, Dietrich School Council shall prepare a slate of at least nine candidates for membership on the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Nominating Committee. The slate shall include at least two tenure stream faculty and one full-time appointment stream faculty member from each of the three divisions, and each candidate shall have given prior indication of willingness to serve. The slate shall be advertised in the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Gazette at least 10 days prior to the October meeting. The slate shall be presented at that meeting; additional candidates, who have indicated their willingness to serve either by statement at the meeting or by prior consent in writing, may be nominated from the floor. The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences shall then elect the Nominating Committee of nine members, including three members from each of the three divisions, for a term of one year. This committee shall nominate at least two faculty members to stand for election for each vacancy on the Dietrich School Council, Dietrich School-UC, Dietrich School-GC, and Dietrich School-PBC, and obtain the agreement of these candidates. The list of nominees shall be circulated to the members of the School not later than the end of January. Additional nominations may be made in any division by petition of 20 faculty members in that division, which petition must be in the hands of the Dean of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences no later than the end of February. The Dean will then conduct a mail ballot of all members of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences during March; members will vote for candidates in their own division; the candidates in each division with the highest number of votes shall be declared elected, and take office September 1. Terms of service for Dietrich School Council, Dietrich School-UC, and Dietrich School-PBC shall be for three years; for the other Councils, terms shall be for two years. In case of vacancies in any Council, that Council shall make interim appointments effective until the next election. Councilors shall not serve consecutive terms, but may be reelected after an absence of one year. When elections to a Dean's Search Committee are necessary, the nominating committee provided for in this paragraph shall be convened, and shall choose a slate of eight Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences members; from this slate, four members of the Search Committee shall be elected by mail ballot of the eligible voters. Appointments shall be made with the consent of the committee obtained in a closed meeting.

IV. Communication

  1. All formal actions of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences and its various Councils will be reported in a Gazette. The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Gazette will be published at least twice each month (excluding regularly scheduled vacations) and immediately after a meeting of the Dietrich School-UC, Dietrich School-GC, Dietrich School Council, or the full Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. It will report all actions referred to in paragraphs 7, 8, and 9 above as well as the formal actions of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences general meetings. In the event no action occurs, the Gazette will announce lack of activity. A copy of the Gazette will be distributed to each department and it will be posted on a bulletin board outside of the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences offices. The Gazette will also be used to announce Dietrich School faculty appointments, promotions, resignations, deaths, etc.

V. Amendment of Bylaws

  1. Amendments. Amendments may be proposed by Dietrich School Council, or by petition of 25 members presented to the Dean. To take effect, an amendment must be moved, seconded, and debated in a meeting of the full Dietrich School, and voted on by mail ballot.

VI. Parliamentary Authority

  1. In the absence of any bylaw or standing rule to the contrary, Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern transactions of this organization.