Bylaws
Bylaws of the Faculty Organization of the School of Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
*Adopted by Medical Faculty Assembly on March 4, 2002
*Amended April 7, 2003
*Amended April 12, 2007
Article I - Names
The names of the bodies constituted in this document shall be the Medical Faculty Assembly and the Medical Faculty Council of the School of Medicine of UT Health Science Center at San Antonio, hereinafter referred to as the Assembly and the Council.
Article II- Roles and Responsibilities
The Assembly shall act as the principal body for the development of policy for the School of Medicine subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. The Medical Dean, as the chief administrative officer, is responsible for approval and implementation of all policy decisions, subject to the approval of the President of the Health Science Center. The Council shall consider any matters referred to it by the Dean and act as the advisory body to the Dean.
The Assembly and Council shall consider all matters that, directly and indirectly, affect the ability of the School of Medicine faculty to carry out with excellence their programs of teaching, research, and patient care service. These governing bodies may submit recommendations on any matters affecting the interests of the School of Medicine to the Dean for his action and transmittal to the President, the Chancellor, and/or Board of Regents.
Article III - Medical Faculty Assembly
Section I. General Membership
The Assembly shall consist of all members of the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio faculty appointed to the School of Medicine or the Graduate School and holding the rank of Professor, Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and\or Instructor.
Section II. Voting Members
Each Assembly member who holds a full time faculty appointment shall have one vote.
Section III. Purposes and Responsibilities
A. Faculty and Academic Affairs: The purpose and objectives of the Assembly are to foster, support, and maintain excellence in all aspects of medical education, research, and health service at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School of Medicine.
B. Administrative Affairs: The Assembly is formed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System and exercises its authority within those rules. Members of the Assembly shall exhibit an active interest in the progress and future of the School of Medicine and shall be charged with active participation in major planning for the School of Medicine and the campus as a whole. The Assembly shall accept responsibility for performing those functions essential to the furtherance and conduct of programs of excellence in all activities of the school.
The Assembly is responsible for conducting elections to identify the School of Medicine representatives to the UTHSCSA Faculty Senate. The Assembly shall forward issues to the Faculty Senate that may affect the rights, privileges, responsibilities, and welfare of the faculty.
C. Student Affairs: Since the School of Medicine exists primarily as an educational endeavor, the members of the Assembly shall exhibit active interest in student affairs.
1. The Assembly has responsibilities to establish, by example, and to maintain, by appropriate means, exemplary standards of ethical, moral, personal, and professional conduct by the student body.
2. Insofar as practical, and within the Rules and Regulations of the University and pertinent laws, the conduct and regulation of student activities other than those relating to academic matters shall be controlled by the students acting through their own organization and rules.
3. Consideration shall be given to insuring appropriate student representation on School of Medicine committees and in various functions as defined by the faculty bodies.
Section IV. Officers
A. Officers: The Officers of the Assembly shall be the Chair, the Vice-Chair, and the Assembly Representative to the Council, and the Secretary/Treasurer. No two officers, for a particular term, may represent the same academic department. Members of the Medical Faculty Council such as Deans, Associate Deans, Interim Deans, Chairs or Acting Chairs of Academic Departments of School of Medicine and Chairs or Acting Chairs of the Graduate School of Biomedical Science are not eligible to serve on the MFA EC.
B. Roles and Responsibilities: The Chair shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Assembly Executive Committee and of the Assembly (regular and special meetings). The MFA Executive Committee, with the approval of the Dean, shall review and approve/disapprove the nominations submitted to the four (4) standing School of Medicine Committees. The Vice-Chair shall preside over Assembly and Executive Committee meetings in the absence of the Chair. The Vice-Chair and the Assembly Representative are responsible for attending all Council meetings as voting members of the Council. The Secretary/Treasurer of the Assembly is responsible for the minutes of the Executive Committee and Assembly meetings and shall post them, in a timely fashion, to the Faculty Government website and shall also oversee the financial affairs of the Assembly.
C. Assembly Terms and Progression of Officers: All terms of the Officers correspond to the UTHSCSA fiscal year of September 1 through the following August 31. The Secretary/Treasurer shall serve a term of one year. The Secretary/Treasurer shall then serve as the Assembly Representative in term year 2, Vice-Chair in term year 3, and Chair in term year 4. Therefore, individuals elected as Secretary/Treasurer shall serve as an Assembly Officer for a total of four years. In the event of an Officer vacancy in mid-term, each remaining Officer will assume the role and responsibilities of the next progression of Officer’s position for the remainder of the term or until a special election can occur. One of the remaining Officers shall additionally assume the Secretary/Treasurer role and responsibilities.
D. Assembly Executive Committee: The Executive Committee of the Assembly shall be comprised of the Officers of the Assembly (Chair, Vice-Chair, Assembly Representative to the Council and Secretary/Treasurer). The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to organize and develop the agenda for regular and special meetings of the Assembly and to focus the activities of the Assembly. The Assembly Executive Committee shall also oversee Assembly elections. The Assembly Executive Committee may call a special election in the event of a vacancy of an Assembly Officer. The recent past Chair will serve as an Ex-Officio member.
Section V. Elections
A. Election of Assembly Officers: The Assembly shall elect the Secretary/Treasurer from its membership annually by the end of May. Officers must be elected from the membership of the Assembly and will hold office from September 1st of the elected year until August 31st of the following year.
B. Nomination and Election Procedures: The Assembly Executive Committee shall serve as the Election Committee that oversees annual elections of the Assembly Secretary/Treasurer and the School of Medicine Faculty Senators, as well as special Assembly elections. The Election Committee shall determine the method of nomination of candidates, balloting, and ballot counting, and certifying the election. The call for nomination of candidates from and by the Assembly membership shall occur in March. A member of the Election Committee will be designated to confirm each nominee’s willingness to be a candidate. The slate of candidates will be developed from nominations received by the Election Committee, and a brief biosketch will be submitted from each candidate. The biosketches will be distributed to the members of the Assembly at least two weeks prior to the end of April using broadcast e-mail, Faculty Government website posting, and other notification, if deemed necessary. Voting will be allowed for a one-month voting period, after which the Election Committee will certify the election prior to the end of May of a given year. Election procedures may be held in conjunction with those in Article V. C.
Section VI. Impeachment of Assembly Officers
A Petition for Impeachment of an elected officer of the Assembly is created when requested by at least 20 percent of the members of the Assembly. This written Petition for Impeachment shall be forwarded to the Dean of the School of Medicine. The Dean shall appoint an Impeachment Committee consisting of those members of the Assembly Executive Committee who are not so named in the Petition for Impeachment. The Impeachment Committee shall determine the method of voting and will request a special poll for Assembly members to vote for or against impeachment. A vote of no confidence shall consist of at least 50 percent of the Assembly voting in the impeachment poll. If the Impeachment Committee certifies a vote of no confidence, the impeached officer’s appointment will be terminated immediately. The Impeachment Committee shall determine the method of notification of all parties regarding the voting results.
Section VII. Meetings
A. Regular Meetings: Regular meetings of the Assembly shall be convened by the Assembly Executive Committee at least once a year and up to quarterly. The Assembly Executive Committee shall meet monthly. Assembly members may submit items for any meeting agenda up to three days prior to the meeting. Proposed items for Assembly vote cannot be introduced unless submitted in writing to all members of the Assembly prior to the meeting.
- Special Meetings: A special meeting of the Assembly shall be convened (a) at the direction of the Council, (b) upon request from the Dean, or (c) upon request of 10 percent or more of the members of the Assembly. Written notice of such special meetings with the agenda shall be sent to all Assembly members one week in advance of the meeting.
B. Quorum: A majority of the Assembly members present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Assembly business.
C. Rules and Procedure: Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) shall govern the conduct of all meetings.
D. Records and Reports: A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Assembly shall be recorded, and a copy will be sent to the Dean of the School of Medicine for permanent filing. Minutes of the Assembly meetings will be posted on the Faculty Government website within one month of the meeting.
E. Guests: The Assembly Chair may invite faculty members or other interested parties to attend as guests. Assembly members or other interested parties may, upon written request addressed to the Assembly Chair, be granted permission for guests to attend a meeting of the Assembly. Such guests shall have the privilege of the floor but shall not have the right to vote.
Article IV - Medical Faculty Council
Section I. General Membership
The Faculty Council shall consist of the Dean, all chairs of academic departments of the School of Medicine and of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and two Assembly Representatives each serving a one-year term. The ex-officio members of the Assembly are the Vice Dean and the Associate and Assistant Deans of the School of Medicine.
Section II. Voting Members
The Dean and all chairs of academic departments of the School of Medicine and Graduate School shall each have one vote. The Assembly shall have two voting members of the Council - the Assembly Vice-Chair and the Assembly Representative. Any voting member may send a comparable departmental or Assembly representative to vote in his/her absence. The ex-officio members may not vote or second motions.
Section III Purposes and Responsibilities
A. Faculty and Academic Affairs: The purpose and objectives of the Council are to foster, support, and maintain excellence in all aspects of medical education, research, and health service at the School of Medicine of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
B. Administrative Affairs: The Council is formed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System and exercises its authority within those rules. Members of the Council shall exhibit active interest in the progress and future of the School of Medicine and shall be charged with active participation in major planning for the School of Medicine and the campus as a whole. The Council shall accept responsibility for performing those functions essential to the furtherance and conduct of programs of excellence in all activities of the school.
C. Student Affairs: Since the School of Medicine exists primarily for its educational endeavors, the members of the Council shall exhibit active interest in student affairs.
1. The Council has responsibilities to establish, by example, and to maintain, by appropriate means, exemplary standards of ethical, moral, personal, and professional conduct by the student body.
2. Insofar as practical, and within the Rules and Regulations of the University and pertinent laws, the conduct and regulation of student activities, other than those relating to academic matters, shall be controlled by the students acting through their own organization and rules.
3. Consideration shall be given to insuring appropriate student representation on medical school committees and in various functions as defined by the faculty bodies.
Section IV. Officers
A. Officers: The Officers of the Council shall consist of the Chair, the Vice Chair, and the Secretary. The Dean of the School of Medicine shall be the Chair of all sessions of the Faculty Council and of the Council Executive Committee. There shall be a Vice Chair and a Secretary elected annually by the Council from its membership. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to record minutes of the Council meetings and to post them, in a timely fashion, to the Faculty Government website.
B. Executive Committee of the Council: The Executive Committee of the Council shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. The duties of the Council Executive Committee shall be to organize and develop the agenda for the regular and special meetings of the Council and to focus the activities of the Council. The Executive Committee shall oversee annual election of the Council Vice Chair and Secretary.
Section V. Elections
A. Officers: The Council shall elect the Vice Chair and Secretary no later than May. Officers must be elected from the voting membership of the Council and will hold office from September 1st until August 31st of the following year.
B. Executive Committee: The Council Executive Committee shall serve as the Election Committee that oversees the annual election of Council officers. The Election Committee shall determine the method of nominating the candidates, voting, and certifying the election.
Section VI. Meetings
A. Meetings: The Council will have a regular monthly meeting. Special meetings of the Council may be convened by either of the following: the Chair, upon request in writing from four members of the Council, or upon 25 percent of the Assembly. Written notice and the agenda will be distributed consistent with the urgency of the matter(s) at hand.
B. Quorum: A majority of the voting membership of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of Council business.
C. Rules and Procedure: Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) shall govern the conduct of all meetings.
D. Records and Reports: A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Council shall be recorded, and a copy will be sent to the Dean of the School of Medicine for permanent filing. Minutes of the Council meetings will be posted on the Faculty Government website within one month of the meeting.
E. Guests: The Council Chair may invite faculty members or other interested parties to attend as guests. Council members or other interested parties may, upon written request addressed to the Council Chair, be granted permission for guests to attend a meeting of the Council. Such guests shall have the privilege of the floor but shall not have the right to vote.
Article V- Faculty Senate
A. Purpose: In accordance with the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio Bylaws of the Faculty Senate, there are three major purposes for the Senate: 1) to contribute actively toward the goals and missions of the Institution for its ultimate benefit and improvement; 2) to provide a means for campus-wide communication among faculty of all the schools and departments, as well as between the faculty and the administration; and 3) to serve as the representative voice of the faculty of the University.
B. Representation: Each UT Health Science Center at San Antonio School (Allied Health, Dentistry, Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Medicine, and Nursing) shall be represented in the Senate as stipulated through Senate Bylaws allocation based on number of full-time faculty.
C. Election of Faculty Senators: The Chair of the Faculty Senate will inform the Assembly Chair of the number of Faculty Senate positions to be elected annually by the end of March. Senators will hold office for a term of three academic years. Balloting to determine Assembly representation to the Faculty Senate will be through vote of only Medical School faculty members of the Assembly, since Graduate School faculty select separate representation. Election procedures may be held in conjunction with other Assembly elections. (See Article III. Section V. Elections)
Article VI - Standing Committees
There shall be the following standing committees: There are four (4) standing committees. The supervisory Dean and the chair of each standing committee shall recommend replacements for current members rotating off the committee in addition to the request sent out by the MFA Executive Committee regarding faculty interest. The MFA Executive Committee will review all submitted names and approve/disapprove these nominees with the approval of the Medical Dean. The MFA Executive Committee may provide feedback and/or submit recommendations for new members to each of the four standing committees.
A. Admissions Committee
Appointment: Members are appointed to a term of three years. The Dean of the School of Medicine shall appoint a Chair annually.
Membership: Faculty members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Medical Faculty Assembly Executive Committee. In situations where deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service by any committee member. The Admissions Committee consists of one or more faculty members from each department (representation appointed by department size), at least twenty-five senior medical students, and six to ten non-UT Health Science Center at San Antonio physicians (appointed by the Dean). A group of at least twenty experienced members are appointed by the Dean to form a Selection Subcommittee that evaluates individual applicants and submits to the Chair their recommendations for interviewing applicants. The Admissions Committee members interview and evaluate individual applicants and submit their recommendations to the Selection Subcommittee. The Selection Subcommittee then ranks the applicants and submits their recommendations for admission to the Chair.
Charge: To recommend to the Dean applicants for admission to the School of Medicine, as well as to establish admissions criteria. The committee will make a report of its actions annually to the Assembly.
B. Curriculum Review Committee
Appointment: Members are appointed to a term of three years. The Dean of the School of Medicine shall appoint a Chair annually.
Membership: Faculty members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Medical Faculty Assembly Executive Committee. In situations where deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service by any committee member.
Voting membership shall consist of four MS I Course Directors or co-directors, four MS II Course Directors or co-directors, two MS III clerkship directors, one MS IV course director, three faculty at large members (non-course directors, but involved in teaching) and four medical students of any year.
Ex-officio (non-voting) members are the dean for Academic Affairs and Director of Curriculum, the dean for Student Affairs, two representatives from the Division of Educational Research and Development, the Director of Academic and Facilities Scheduling, a representative from the Medical Education Committee of the Bexar County Medical Society, a representative from the School of Medicine Alumni Association, the vice-president of the Office of Student Services, and the registrar.
Charge: To establish the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Medicine, to evaluate the quality and organization of the current curriculum, and to develop and recommend to the Dean of the School of Medicine strategies for implementing changes in the content, scope, and sequence of courses, selectives, and electives. The committee will make a report of its actions annually to the Assembly.
C. Pre-Clinical Promotions Committee
Appointment: Members are appointed to a term of three years. The Dean of the School of Medicine shall appoint a Chair annually.
Membership: Faculty members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Medical Faculty Assembly Executive Committee. In situations where deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service by any committee member. Faculty should be drawn from the basic science departments and from those clinical departments, which have major teaching responsibility in the freshman and sophomore years: Biochemistry, Cellular and Structural Biology, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Physiology, Family and Community Medicine, Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery. The dean of Student Affairs will be a member of this committee.
Charge: To monitor professionalism, academic honesty, and scholastic progress of students within the freshman and sophomore years. The committee shall evaluate the specific factors related to the academic problems of those students who do not qualify for promotion under the existing printed promotions guidelines of the School of Medicine. Similar procedures will occur for student performance on the United States Medical Licensing Examination. The committee shall have the responsibility for developing, recommending, and implementing promotion policies; for monitoring students’ progress through the freshman and sophomore curriculum; and for identifying and dealing with all cases of academic deficiency. The committee shall review and recommend modifications of the Guidelines for Professionalism section of the Student Handbook. This Handbook must be distributed and reviewed by each medical student to assure the highest level of professionalism. The Chair shall forward all committee recommendations to the Dean of the School of Medicine. The committee will make a report of its actions annually to the Medical Faculty Assembly.
D. Clinical Promotions Committee
Appointment: Members are appointed to a term of three years. The Dean of the School of Medicine shall appoint a Chair annually.
Membership: Faculty members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Medical Faculty Assembly Executive Committee. In situations where deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service by any committee member. Faculty should be drawn from the clinical departments, which have major teaching responsibility in the junior and senior year: Family and Community Medicine, Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery. It is always helpful to have members of other clinical departments also serve on this committee, in addition to those mentioned above. The dean of Student Affairs will be a member of this committee.
Charge: To monitor professionalism, academic honesty, and scholastic progress of students within the junior and senior years. The committee shall evaluate the specific factors related to the academic problems of those students who do not qualify for promotion under the existing printed promotions guidelines of the School of Medicine. Similar procedures will occur for student performance on the United Stated Medical Licensing Examination.
Section III. Ad Hoc Committees
Ad Hoc Committees are created by the Medical Dean who will appoint the members and the Chair of each Ad Hoc Committee. The Dean will give each Ad Hoc Committee its charge at the first scheduled committee meeting. The committees shall not exist beyond the academic year in which appointed, unless specifically appointed by the Medical Dean for a longer period.
Section IV. Accountability
Committee Chairs shall submit a written report to the Chair of the Assembly and/or the Dean of the School of Medicine, upon request.
Article VII - Jurisdiction
Section I. Protests of Council Action
Members of the Assembly may submit to the Assembly Chair, in a timely manner, individually signed protests concerning Council action. If such protests concerning any given item are received from at least 20 percent of the Assembly, the Assembly Chair must present the protested item for reconsideration by the Council at the next regularly scheduled meeting.
Section II. Repeal of Council Action
In the event that protested Council action is upheld, it shall be the prerogative of the Assembly to affirm, modify, or rescind the contested Council action by a three-fourths vote of the entire Assembly membership.
Article VIII - Bylaws Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the Assembly present provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted in writing to all members of the Assembly at least thirty days prior to such a meeting. Amendments may be proposed by Assembly Executive Committee action, Council resolution, or by petition of twenty-five percent of the members of the Assembly membership.
Article IX - Bylaws Enactment
The provisions of this instrument shall become effective upon its adoption by a majority vote of the Assembly membership. The Assembly Executive Committee shall review the Bylaws every five years. When major revisions are deemed necessary, the Assembly Executive Committee will recommend that the Dean appoint an Ad Hoc Bylaw Committee.