Bylaws of the Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate was created under terms of Article IV, Section 2, of the Charter of Organization of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate, Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (OSU-COM), January 10, 1985. This document has been amended to the Charter of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (OSU-CHS). The College of Osteopathic Medicine and the graduate programs are functional academic units of the Center for Health Sciences.

In accordance with Article VII, Section 4, of the Charter of the General Faculty and Faculty Senate of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, the following bylaws for the operation of the Faculty Senate were adopted by the General Faculty on August 26, 1986 and subsequently amended.

Article I
The Chief Academic Officer
1. Is the Provost of OSU-CHS or his/her designee.
2. Shall preside at regular and special meetings of the General Faculty.
3. May sit at the Faculty Senate meetings without voting privileges.
4. Shall receive recommendations of the Faculty Senate and is urged to provide information necessary or helpful to the Faculty Senate for the proper discharge of its functions, including information about major policy changes which are to be recommended to the Board of Regents, or which any group advisory to the Chief Academic Officer may have under study.
Article II
Elected Officers of the Faculty Senate
1. The President
  1. Shall be responsible for providing leadership to the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate.
  2. Shall form special committees with the consent of the Faculty
    Senate.
  3. Shall make the physical arrangements necessary for the effective conduct of the business of the Faculty Senate.
  4. Shall, in consultation with the Chief Academic Officer and
    the Faculty Senate Officers, prepare the agenda for the General Faculty meetings.
  5. Shall, in consultation with Faculty Senate Officers, be responsible for
    1. preparing the agenda for the Faculty Senate meeting
    2. distributing the agenda three (3) working days before the meeting to all Faculty Senate Members and the General Faculty, and
    3. advising the Chief Academic Officer regarding the agenda.
  6. Shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the Faculty Senate.
  7. Shall take steps necessary to execute the actions of the Faculty Senate, such as presenting to the Chief Academic Officer of the Center a list of Faculty Senate recommendations which require administrative action.
  8. Shall provide liaison with the General Faculty, including a report on the business of the Faculty Senate at each meeting of the General Faculty, and at other times as appropriate, and shall refer communications from members of the General Faculty to the appropriate committees.
  9. Shall present the official position of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate before such groups as may be appropriate
  10. In the absence of the Chief Academic Officer or a designee, will preside at General Faculty meetings.
2. President-elect
  1. Shall work closely with the President in order to become familiar
    with the duties of the President.
  2. Shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence.
  3. Shall assist the Secretary upon request.
  4. Shall be a voting member of the Faculty Senate.
3. The Secretary
  1. Shall prepare and distribute the summary minutes of each Faculty
    Senate meeting to members of the General Faculty as soon as practical after each Faculty Senate meeting.
  2. Shall be responsible for keeping a complete set of minutes for all Faculty Senate Meetings which shall be made available to a member of the General Faculty on request.
  3. Shall record the names and attendance of Faculty Senate members who are present at each meeting, either in person or at a distance by using video conferencing or other electronic methods to determine if a quorum is present to conduct business.
  4. Shall, within three (3) working days following each Faculty Senate
    meeting, prepare a list of Faculty Senate recommendations which
    require administrative action.
  5. Shall prepare and present to each Faculty Senate meeting a cumulative list of all Faculty Senate recommendations to the Administration which are waiting action by the Chief Academic Officer of the College. The list shall include the titles of the recommendations and the dates on which these were submitted to the Chief Academic Officer.
  6. Shall carry on the necessary correspondence of the Faculty Senate.
  7. Shall, with the approval of the Chief Academic Officer, be provided
    administrative assistance.
  8. Shall be held responsible for the records and other physical property
    assigned to the Faculty Senate.
4. The Sergeant-at-Arms/Treasurer
  1. Shall be responsible for maintaining the order of the meetings of the
    General Faculty and the Faculty Senate.
  2. Shall be responsible for interpretation and resolution of questions of order during the course of a formal meeting of the General Faculty and Faculty Senate. Shall be the authority en residence regarding Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.
  3. Shall prepare an annual budget for the Faculty Senate, if required.
  4. Shall be responsible for collection of any dues assessed by vote of the General Faculty, and for reporting all disbursements, collections and financial accounts to the Faculty Senate and the General Faculty.
5. Provision for Absence
  1. In the absence of the President of the Faculty Senate, the duties of that office shall devolve to the President-elect.
  2. In the absence of the President-elect, the duties of that office shall devolve to the Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms/Treasurer in that order.
  3. In the absence of the Secretary, the duties of that office shall
    be assumed by a qualified substitute arranged for by the Secretary, if possible, or by the President.
Article III
Members of the Faculty Senate
1. Shall serve the Center community as conscientious members of the academic profession, assigning a high priority to their responsibilities as Faculty Senate members, bringing to the attention of the Faculty Senate such matters as they believe are in the best interests of the Center, and shall be required to answer in no other place for their actions as Faculty Senate members. A Faculty Senate member may be replaced for failure to attend three (3) consecutive meetings or a total of five (5) meetings per term other than those absences caused by conflicts with scheduled classes or other Center duties, leaves of absence, or personal emergencies.
2. Shall convey to the Faculty Senate all written communications from members of the General Faculty.
3. Shall provide information to the General Faculty regarding activities of the Faculty Senate.
4. May request reimbursement of expenses incurred in carrying out Faculty Senate responsibilities.
5. May resign from the Faculty Senate without prejudice.
Article IV
Meetings
1. Regular meetings of the Faculty Senate shall be held as directed in
  Article VII, Section 5, Charter of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate of the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the Faculty Senate. Attendance and voting may occur in person or from a distance by using video conferencing or other electronic methods.
2. Special meetings of the Faculty Senate may be called in accordance with provisions of the Charter. Faculty Senate members shall be notified in writing of the date and place of the meeting not less than three (3) working days in advance of the meeting. In case of emergency, a meeting may be called without written notification; however, each available member shall be personally notified of the meeting in sufficient time to be able to reach the place of the meeting. A majority of the elected Faculty Senate members must approve of the meeting when it is called to order.
Article V
Agenda
1. The order of business shall include the following:
  1. Roll call
  2. Approval of minutes
  3. Reports of committees, boards, etc.
  4. Report of Chief Academic Officer
  5. Old business
  6. New business
  7. Adjournment
2. The agenda shall include all unfinished business and such new business as is required by the Charter, suggested by the Chief Academic Officer, referred by the General Faculty, or submitted by a Faculty Senate member.
3. The agenda shall be approved by the Faculty Senate. The order of business may be changed thereafter only with the approval of the Faculty Senate.
Article VI
Procedure
1. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.
2. The Sergeant-at-Arms/Treasurer will be the sole authority regarding
  interpretation of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised.
3. The use of a secret, written ballot shall be mandatory in the following cases:
  1. When requested by an elected member of the Faculty Senate.
  2. When two (2) or more members of the Faculty Senate have been
    nominated for the same position.
Article VII
Center Governance
1. The Charter of the General Faculty charges the Faculty Senate, as the
  agency of the General Faculty, to be an essential participant in recommending policies, procedures, and long-range plans which determine the direction of the Center. Such participation may be initiated as follows:
  1. BY THE FACULTY SENATE AND ITS COMMITTEES. The Faculty
    Senate and its committees may recommend the review of Center policies, procedures, and long-range plans.
  2. BY FACULTY MEMBERS. Members of the General Faculty who wish to make recommendations concerning policies, procedures, and long-range plans should communicate directly with the Faculty Senate.
  3. BY ADMINISTRATORS. Recommendations by administrators may be brought before the Faculty Senate through the Chief Academic Officer.
2. The A&M Board of Regents and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education have been granted the legal authority to give official approval to policies, procedures, and long-range plans. The Chief Academic Officer is urged to bring proposals to the Faculty Senate for their study and consultation before such changes are submitted to the A&M Board of Regents.
3. The implementation of policy or translation of policy into day-to-day operations is the responsibility of administrators of the Center. In the event that the Chief Academic Officer deems it necessary to create committees to assist in implementing policies, procedures, and long-range plans, the Faculty Senate advises the Chief Academic Officer in the selection of faculty members to serve on such committees.
4. The Faculty Senate shall actively cooperate in ensuring that channels of communications are established and maintained. Effective communication requires the broadest possible exchange of information and ideas.
Article VIII
Committees
1. Initial Appointments
  1. Faculty members and faculty chairs of Center-wide Committees and Regulatory Committees are recommended by the Faculty Affairs Committee in consultation with the Chief Academic Officer and appointed by the Faculty Senate. Faculty Senate committees and their chairs are appointed by the Faculty Senate or elected by the General Faculty (Promotion and Tenure Committee, Promotion and Tenure Resolution Committee, and Curriculum Oversight Committee). It is the responsibility of the Faculty Affairs Committee to poll the faculty each year concerning their committee service preferences and it is the responsibility of the faculty to respond to the poll. The Faculty Affairs Committee will share reported faculty preferences with the Chief Academic Officer and request recommendations from the Chief Academic Officer for Center-wide and Regulatory committee membership. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall also obtain the recommendations of 1) the Research Committee concerning faculty appointments to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee and Chemical Hygiene & Radioisotope Use Committee, 2) the OSU-CHS Affirmative Action Officer concerning faculty appointments to the Affirmative Action Committee, and 3) the Associate Dean for Enrollment Management for the Student Accessibility Committee. The Faculty Affairs Committee will then recommend committee membership to the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate will review and approve the committee membership recommended by the Faculty Affairs Committee and announce committee appointments on or before the General Faculty Meeting held in Spring. Committee appointments will become effective each year on June 1.
  2. The Chief Academic Officer is an ex-officio member of all Center-wide committees. All appointed and elected committee members shall have voting rights.
2. Filling Vacancies on Committees
  1. When a vacancy occurs for the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Promotion and Tenure Resolution Committee, or the Curriculum Oversight Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee will refer back to the votes of the General Faculty during the previous Spring General Faculty meeting. During the first year of the Curriculum Oversight Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee will refer back to the electronic votes of the General Faculty during the summer. The Committee will report to the Faculty Senate the person who received the next highest number of votes in the appropriate category (i.e. graduate programs or clinical sciences faculty).
  2. When a vacancy occurs for a member or Chairperson on the Faculty Affairs Committee or the Budget and Benefits Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee will make a recommendation for replacement to the Faculty Senate. The Faculty Senate will make the appointment. The replacement will complete the term of the committee member being replaced.
  3. When a vacancy occurs for the Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Faculty Affairs Committee will refer back to the votes of the General Faculty during the previous Spring General Faculty meeting. The Committee will report to the Faculty Senate the person who received the next highest number of votes in the appropriate category (i.e. graduate programs or clinical sciences faculty).
  4. To expedite filling in vacancies or meeting additional mandated requirements of the Institutional Review Board, Institutional Biosafety Committee, Chemical Hygiene & Radioisotope Use Committee, and Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee that occur during the course of the year, the Vice President for Research may choose a replacement and notify the Faculty Senate of the appointment.
3. Length of Service
  1. As a general guideline, faculty should expect to serve on the Student Selection Committee and at least one other committee each year. Faculty should expect to serve a three (3) year term on most Center-wide, Faculty Senate and OSU-COM committees in order to provide continuity and enhance committee effectiveness. The terms of faculty service should be staggered so that returning and new members are appointed each year. Because service on Regulatory Committees may require special expertise, faculty may be asked to serve for longer periods of time on these committees. Whenever possible, committee chairs should have served on that committee during the previous year. A record of faculty committee appointments shall be maintained by the Faculty Affairs Committee for five (5) years in order to facilitate these guidelines.
4. Responsibilities
  1. The general responsibilities of Center committees are described below. The Chief Academic Officer or Faculty Senate may request that committees undertake specific assignments appropriate to their general areas of responsibility. Faculty members may request that a committee consider an issue. The Center-wide committees shall make regular reports and may submit recommendations to the Faculty Senate and Chief Academic Officer. Reports of a highly confidential nature may be reported solely to the Chief Academic Officer at the discretion of the committee. Recommendations of the Center-wide committees will not be implemented until approved by the Chief Academic Officer.
5. Center-wide Committees
  1. Learning Resources Committee
    1. The Learning Resources Committee shall formulate and evaluate policies and procedures governing the academic services of the Library, Information Technology, Learning Technology Services, and other learning resources within the Center.
    2. Membership shall consist of four (4) members of the faculty, four (4) students, the Director of the OSU-CHS Medical Library, a representative from educational resources, and the Director of Information Technology.
    3. Of the four (4) faculty, one (1) must have a D.O. degree, and one (1) must have a Ph.D. or other degree and represent graduate programs, and one (1) must be from the Cherokee Nation site. The term of service by the Cherokee Nation site faculty member may alternate by service term between having a D.O. degree and a Ph.D. or similar degree. Student representation from the Cherokee Nation site shall consist of one (1) MSI student and one (1) MSII student*
    4. *Note: The MSI student will be added in the fall of 2020 and the MSII student will be added in the fall of 2021.
  2. Student Affairs Committee
    1. The Student Affairs committee shall monitor and recommend policies and procedures governing student activities and affairs, student guidance, student awards, student discipline, campus facilities for students, student health, student employment, student loans, student social and intramural activities, student scholarships, and similar matters. Membership shall consist of two (2) faculty, three (3) students recommended by the Student Government Association which shall include one (1) OMS-representative from the Tulsa Campus, one (1) OMS representative from the Tahlequah campus, and one (1) dual degree graduate student representative, the Assistant Dean for Enrollment Management, the Assistant Dean of Student Life, the Associate Dean of Clinical Education, the Assistant Vice President of Operations, the student Government President, Student Government Executive Vice President. Of the two (2) faculty, one (1) must have a D.O. degree, one (1) must have a Ph.D. degree or similar degree representing graduate programs. The two OMS representatives will remain on the committee through the first and second year of their medical school curriculum. The dual degree graduate student representative will serve a one-year term. The Student Government President and Executive Vice President will remain on the committee through the fourth year of their medical school curriculum.
  3. Research Committee
    1. The Research Committee shall promote faculty and student research. The committee serves as an advisor to the Vice President for Research and Faculty Senate in matters concerning research. The specific duties of the committee shall include the following: develop and evaluate long-range research plans and programs of the Center; recommend policies and guidelines concerning the administration of research grants and contracts; recommend policies and guidelines concerning intramural research grants and the use of Center research space, equipment, and personnel; review and make recommendations concerning the functions of the Office of Research; obtain faculty input concerning all areas of research and represent the research needs of the faculty to the Vice President for Research and Faculty Senate; recommend for membership and be advised of the actions of the Institutional Animal Care and Use, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Biosafety, and Chemical Hygiene and Radioisotope Use regulatory committees; recommend policies and procedures concerning fraud and misconduct in research.
    2. The Research Committee shall operationalize its mission by regularly meeting no less than quarterly with special meetings allowed under authority of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes §§ 301-314. The Committee shall receive, review, and make comments and recommendations on regulatory committee reports and other business brought to the Research Committee in open meetings. Minutes of Research Committee meetings, once approved, will then be forwarded to the Offices/Representatives of the Vice President for Research and Faculty Senate with copies to the Department Heads of the Center for Health Sciences.
    3. Membership shall consist of two (2) members from the clinical sciences faculty and two (2) members from the biomedical sciences faculty, two (2) Members-at-large who may represent other programs in which research is conducted, the chairs of the four (4) regulatory research committees (Institutional Animal Care and Use, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Biosafety, and Chemical Hygiene & Radioisotope Use) or their designees, recognizing that one (1) person may chair more than one (1) committee, the Director of the Medical Library, the Assistant Director of Research Compliance or designee, and the Vice President for Research. The Vice President of Research is a non-voting ex-officio member. The committee defines a quorum as a simple majority of the membership.
6. Faculty Senate Committees
  1. Faculty Affairs Committee
    1. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall address issues of importance to the Faculty and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate regarding such issues. These issues include but are not limited to 1) policies involving appointment, reappointment, dismissal, promotion, tenure, leave, summer work, sabbatical, professional standards of conduct, working conditions, workload, outside employment and consultation, and research activities, 2) review of governance documents, 3) appoint appropriate faculty to the Department Personnel Committee when that department does not have more than two tenured faculty members to serve. The committee shall poll faculty on committee service preference and receive recommendations for committee membership from the Chief Academic Officer and other appropriate sources as described in the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate, VIII, A. The committee shall send recommendations for committee appointments to the Faculty Senate. This committee shall also implement procedures for election of Faculty Senators and the Faculty Senate President-elect.
    2. Membership shall consist of five (5) members of the Faculty. At least two (2) members shall come from the clinical sciences faculty and at least two (2) members from the graduate programs’ faculty. Efforts should be made to represent all faculty ranks.
  2. Budget and Benefits Committee
    1. The Budget and Benefits Committee shall provide information and make recommendations to the Faculty Senate regarding budgetary policy and benefit matters formulated at state, university and Center levels. Membership shall consist of five (5) members of the faculty and the senior fiscal officer of the Academic Health Center (ex-officio, non-voting). At least two (2) of the faculty members shall come from the clinical sciences faculty and at least two (2) from the graduate programs’ faculty. Efforts should be made to represent all faculty ranks.
  3. Promotion and Tenure Committee
    1. The Promotion and Tenure Committee is a Center-level committee responsible for 1) providing the Chief Academic Officer with a recommendation regarding initial appointment, reappointment, promotion or tenure, and 2) making recommendations to the General Faculty regarding guidelines for promotion and tenure. The committee examines 1) the documentation provided by the faculty member, 2) the standards that have been adopted by the department, and 3) the Statements of Recommendation provided by the unit personnel committee and the unit administrator. The committee reviews these documents for fairness in the review procedure at the departmental level and for consistency within the Center. Promotion and Tenure Committee members are tenured faculty members who are selected by a vote of the General Faculty as described in the Charter of the General Faculty and the Faculty Senate and the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate. Faculty members who serve as departmental chairs or divisional deans are not eligible to serve on the committee.
    2. Membership shall consist of six (6) tenured faculty (at least one (1) at the professor level) who will be selected each year by the General Faculty in an election conducted by the Faculty Senate. Three (3) members shall come from the clinical sciences faculty, at least one (1) of whom must hold the D.O. degree, and three (3) from the graduate programs’ faculty. Members shall be elected for three (3) year terms on a staggered basis one (1) clinical and one (1) graduate programs faculty member per year). The Chair of the committee shall be decided by vote of the committee members at their first meeting.
  4. Promotion and Tenure Resolution Committee
    1. The Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Resolution Committee is a Center-level committee responsible for dispute resolution in the OSU-CHS reappointment, promotion, and tenure process. The committee will use the procedure set for in the OSU-Faculty Handbook with the exception of membership and election which are described below:
      
      Four (4) tenured faculty
      
      Two (2) members shall be elected from the clinical sciences faculty
      
      At least one (1) of whom shall have a medical degree
      
      Two (2) members shall be elected from the graduate programs’ faculty
      
      The Faculty Senate President shall be the chair of the committee
      
      If the President has direct involvement in the P&T process, then the Immediate Past President shall serve as the chair;
      
      If the Immediate Past President has direct involvement in the P&T process, then the Incoming President shall serve as chair
      
      Committee membership having a conflict or current P&T involvement
      
      The Faculty Senate shall elect from their membership a replacement for the committee member to temporarily serve on his/her behalf until such conflict or involvement is resolved
      
      Conflict will be defined as direct involvement in the P&T process including the applicant’s department chair or a member of the department personnel committee or OSU-CHS RPT Committee
7. Regulatory Committees
  1. Affirmative Action Committee
    1. The Affirmative Action Committee acts as an advisory board in all matters concerning affirmative action. The general functions of the Committee are to provide periodic training programs on affirmative action policies and procedures for Center officials and employees; to review continually the content of the Affirmative Action Program and assess the progress being made; and to give policy advice to the Chief Academic Officer with respect to affirmative action/equal opportunity for all persons on campus. Membership shall consist of the Director of Affirmative Action, two (2) faculty members (one (1) from the clinical sciences faculty and one (1) from the graduate programs faculty), two (2) staff members, one (1) representative from either Enrollment Management or Student Affairs, the President of the Student National Medical Association, and one (1) student who is a member of a different minority group than the President of the Student National Medical Association.
  2. Institutional Review Board
    1. The Institutional Review Board shall review and approve all Center research projects involving human subjects in order to provide assurance that the Center is in compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations governing the use of human subjects in research. The committee shall review research protocols involving human subjects with respect to the qualifications of the investigators and the provisions for obtaining the informed consent of all human subjects involved in research as well as other issues pertaining to compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Refer to the OSU-CHS Institutional Review Board Policies for membership assignment details.
  3. Scientific Review Committee of the Institutional Review Board
    1. The Scientific Review Committee (SRC) will function as a subcommittee of the Institutional Review Board (IRB). The SRC will review all intramural research projects involving human subjects which require full Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval prior to the IRB meeting to provide assurance to the IRB that the study design is scientifically sound and has a reasonable chance of answering the research question before placing any humans at risk in the study. The SRC will evaluate and comment on scientific soundness of the proposed research to include background, design, methodology and statistical analysis. The SRC will submit recommendations in writing to the Principal Investigator and the IRB describing any problems identified with the proposed research. The recommendations are non-binding for the Principal Investigator.
    2. Membership of the SRC will consist of four (4) to six (6) doctoral level faculty members with expertise in research design and statistics and up to two (2) public members with the same qualifications.
  4. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
    1. The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee shall monitor and assure adherence to laws and regulations pertaining to the use of living animals in research projects and teaching laboratories conducted at the Center. The committee shall develop and distribute an application form for experimental animal use to Center faculty and periodically meet to review applications. The committee shall notify faculty of the approval or disapproval of their applications and provide statements that approved projects are in compliance with federal regulations concerning the humane care and use of animals in research and teaching.
    2. Membership shall consist of two (2) members of the faculty, at least one (1) of whom must come from the graduate programs faculty, the Center's consulting veterinarian, one (1) member whose primary concerns are in a nonscientific area; and one (1) member who is not affiliated with the institution in any way other than as a member of the IACUC.
  5. Institutional Biosafety Committee
    1. The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) shall review all research and instructional activities performed by individuals acting as agents of OSU-CHS (e.g., faculty, researchers, staff, students, and employees) requiring protection of workers and the environment from the biological consequences of recombinant and pathogenic organisms, as well as their products. The committee may formulate recommendations and guidelines concerning biosafety policies in order to assure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, as well as OSU-CHS policies. The policies, procedures and duties of the IBC will adhere to the guidelines set forth by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Office of Science Policy. Membership shall be congruent with NIH eGuidelines and will consist of no fewer than five (5) individuals having expertise in the areas of biological safety, animal containment, recombinant DNA, and infectious agents. At least two (2) members must represent the local community and not be affiliated with OSU-CHS and one (1) member must represent the laboratory technical staff. One (1) Office of Research official will serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member. Members may have one or more of the above areas of expertise, but each of the areas must be represented in the final roster of at least five (5) members. OSU-CHS members will serve in their respective roles indefinitely, while unaffiliated members will serve for a term of three years. Alternate members having pertinent expertise will serve in an ad hoc capacity when a quorum cannot be established due to the recusal of regular members. Should any member decide to step down, a replacement will be recommended by the IBC, except as noted in section VIII.B.4 of the Faculty Senate Bylaws. Meetings shall be held monthly (unless otherwise indicated) and are open to the public. The committee may close to the public any meeting, or part of a meeting, consistent with protecting privacy, proprietary interests, the health and safety of University employees, the environment, and/or the community; or as otherwise required by law or regulation.
  6. Chemical Hygiene and Radioisotope Use Committee
    1. The Chemical Hygiene and Radioisotope Use Committee (CHRUC) shall act as the faculty liaison between the PI’s, staff and students and the regulatory/compliance arm of the Office of Research. Committee responsibilities consist of; a) development, coordination, implementation, and annual review the OSU-CHS Chemical Hygiene manual and the Radiation Safety manual, b) work in concert with regulatory/compliance in the Office of Research to maintain oversight and assure compliance with appropriate regulatory compliance rules regarding the safe and appropriate use of (hazardous) chemicals and radioisotopes, c) review all research and instructional activities involving radioisotopes and/or other hazardous chemicals performed by individuals acting as agents of OSU-CHS (e.g., faculty, researchers, staff, students, and employees) and d) formulate
      recommendations and guidelines concerning hazardous chemical policies in order to assure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and guidelines, as well as OSU-CHS policies. The CHRUC will work with the Laboratory Safety Coordinator and the Office of Research Regulatory Compliance personnel to stop work where imminent hazards to the health and safety of employees/students exist until the hazards are eliminated. The CHRUC will have a direct report to the Research Committee but may report to other entities where appropriate. Membership
      shall consist of no fewer than five (5) faculty to include one (1) with expertise in the areas of chemical behavior, hazard mitigation, and containment principles, at least two (2) with expertise in the areas of proper radioisotope containment, usage, and handling principles, the Radiation Safety/Chemical Hygiene Officer [RSO/CHO ex officio]. A designate of the Office of Research will serve as an ex-officio member. Meetings shall be held bi-monthly and are open to the public. The committee may close to the public any meeting, or part of a meeting, consistent with protection of privacy; proprietary interests; health and safety of University employees, the environment, and the community; or as required by law or regulation.
8. College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM) Committees
  1. Academic Standards Committee
    1. The Academic Standards Committee shall formulate and monitor adherence to policies and procedures governing cognitive and non-cognitive academic activities of OSU-COM students. This includes reviewing policies governing admission, promotion, dismissal and graduation of students. This committee shall annually review and update as needed the “Academic Standards Handbook”. The Academic Standards Committee shall also determine the academic progress of all students, meet with students who have academic or non-cognitive grade deficiencies, and make recommendations on student performance and remediation of deficiencies to the Senior Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.
    2. Membership shall consist of seven (7) members of the faculty. At least three (3) of the faculty members shall come from the clinical sciences faculty and at least three (3) from the biomedical sciences faculty. One clinical sciences faculty member and one biomedical sciences faculty will come from the OSU-COM at Cherokee Nation campus. Representatives from the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Clinical Education, and the Office of Student Services may also attend meetings in a support role to the committee (all are ex-officio, non-voting).
  2. Student Selection Committee
    1. The purpose of the Student Selection Committee is to provide recommendations to the Dean of the COM concerning the admission of applicants to the Doctor of Osteopathy degree program. Members of the committee shall serve on interview teams which shall review applications for admission and interview applicants invited to the Center for this purpose. The interview teams shall prepare recommendations concerning the admission of each applicant interviewed and these recommendations shall be forwarded by the committee chair to the Dean of the COM. Members of the Student Selection Committee will be appointed annually by the Dean of the COM and shall include faculty from the clinical sciences and biomedical sciences divisions. The size of the committee may vary according to need and the availability of faculty. It is expected that most COM faculty will be members of this committee.
  3. Continuing Medical Education Committee
    1. The Continuing Medical Education Committee shall review and make recommendations concerning the programs presented by the Office of Continuing Medical Education in order to assure high standards for the educational programs offered to osteopathic physicians and other health care providers. Membership shall consist of physician representatives from all clinical departments, the Director of Continuing Medical Education, and the Associate Director/Coordinator of Continuing Medical Education.
  4. Curriculum Oversight Committee
    1. The Curriculum Oversight Committee of the COM is a college-level committee responsible for the design, oversight, and evaluation of the four-year undergraduate medical curriculum to ensure that curricular objectives inherent in the mission of the COM are achieved. Within the areas of design, oversight, and evaluation, the committee shall 1) define goals and objectives of the medical curriculum; 2) assure that the medical curriculum meets accreditation standards and fulfills the mission and vision of the medical school; 3) coordinate curriculum to ensure vertical and horizontal integration; 4) keep informed of advances in medical education and serve as a forum for discussion of curricular trends; 5) ensure that the curriculum is delivered utilizing best practices in instructional methodology; 6) conduct ongoing review and evaluation of the curriculum vis-à-vis goals, objectives, and educational standards; recommend revisions as necessary; 7) conduct scheduled, systematic, comprehensive reviews of each course, system and clerkship and recommend revisions as necessary; 8) evaluate student outcomes; 9) coordinate with Academic Skills Coordinator to identify at-risk students and to develop strategy to remedy deficiencies; 10) recommend performance standards for instructors, course directors, coordinators, clerkship directors, and thread chairs; 11) approve changes in course descriptions and contact hours; 12) set course and exam schedules; 13) make suggestions regarding the appointment of course directors/course coordinators; 14) make recommendations about faculty development programs. The Curriculum Oversight Committee will report to the Dean and receives input from the Year 1 / 2 Coordination Committee, Clerkship Committee, Student Committee, and the Thread Coordination Committee. The Curriculum Oversight Committee typically will meet monthly but may meet more frequently as needed. The Curriculum Oversight Committee shall report and make recommendations to the Dean. The Curriculum Oversight Committee shall give a monthly report to the Faculty Senate.
    2. Curriculum Oversight Committee Membership
      
      The Curriculum Oversight Committee shall include at-large faculty who are to be elected from the Tulsa site and the Cherokee Nation site. There will be a total of six faculty positions, with four from the Tulsa site and two from the Cherokee Nation site. Both the biomedical sciences and the clinical sciences faculty shall be equally represented at both sites. These six members are to be elected members are elected by the General Faculty in an election process supervised by the Faculty Affairs Committee. To be nominated for a faculty position, a petition shall be submitted by an eligible faculty member or his or her sponsor with signatures of three (3) voting members of the General Faculty and an accompanying signed statement by the candidate indicating willingness to serve if elected. These documents shall be filed with the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee at least thirty (30) days prior to election. Each at-large member will be elected for a term of three years.
      
      A faculty representative of the Year 1 / 2 Coordination Committee, Thread Coordination Committee, and Clerkship Committee shall be elected from their respective committees. These Curriculum Coordination Committees and the Student Coordination Committee will be defined by the Curriculum Oversight Committee. Other members of the Curriculum Oversight Committee include an OED representative, Director of Student Services (Academic Skills Coordinator), Chair of the Learning Resources Committee, an Information Technology Representative, the Chair of the Academic Standards Committee, and the Chair of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Committee.
      
      The following student representatives will serve on the committee: One student from each site will represent both of the pre-clinical years (the first four semesters) and a fourth year student to represent the clinical years (the last four semesters), for a total of three (3) student members of the Curriculum Oversight Committee. The chair of the Curriculum Oversight Committee shall be one of the four (4) at-large faculty members, elected by vote of the committee members at their first meeting, and shall serve as chair for the term of their office. The chair shall alternate, whenever possible, between biomedical sciences and clinical sciences.
      
      If a vacancy occurs during the service term, if there is one-half or less remaining of the term, the Faculty Senate President may make an appointment for the remainder of the term. At the next election, the appointed person may, with the agreement of the department chair, be a candidate for election to a full term as part of the standard Curriculum Oversight Committee membership. If there is greater than one-half of the term remaining, the Faculty Affairs Committee shall conduct an election to fill the vacancy.
      
      All Curriculum Oversight Committee members are expected to contribute to the committee’s activities and attend at least 2/3 of regular meetings.
  5. Student Accessibility Committee
    1. The Student Accessibility Committee reviews and approves all requests from medical students for accommodations due to disabilities. The Committee will act in accordance with the College’s policies and procedures with regard to student disabilities. In addition to considering requests for accommodations, the Committee may formulate and submit recommendations for revisions to the College’s policies and procedures with regard to student disabilities.
    2. Membership shall consist of at least three (3) faculty members (at least one from biomedical sciences and at least one from clinical sciences) and the Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, the Assistant Dean of Student Life, and the Director of the Office of Academic Success.
Article IX
Amendment of Bylaws
1. These Bylaws may be amended with the following procedure:
  1. Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any committee or member of the General Faculty and shall be submitted to the Faculty Senate for review and approval.
  2. Amendments approved by the Faculty Senate shall be submitted to members of the General Faculty at least fifteen (15) days prior to a vote of the General Faculty.
  3. Amendments must be approved by a majority vote of the General Faculty in a manner approved by the Faculty Senate.
2. Amendments to these Bylaws shall be effective immediately after approval by the General Faculty.
Article X
Adoption

These Bylaws shall become effective after they have been approved by the General Faculty. Faculty approval shall consist of a majority of General Faculty members voting by written ballot.

Amendment History
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 10, 1994
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 18, 1995
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 14, 1997
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 15, 2003
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 9, 2007
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 8, 2008
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 13, 2009
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 13, 2010
- Amended by the General Faculty on December 16, 2011
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 11, 2012
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 16, 2013
- Amended by the General Faculty on July 12, 2013
- Amended by the General Faculty on September 16, 2013
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 15, 2014
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 14, 2015
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 11, 2017
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 10, 2018
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 10, 2019
- Amended by the General Faculty on October 1, 2019
- Amended by the General Faculty on December 17, 2019
- Amended by the General Faculty on January 23, 2020
- Amended by the General Faculty on March 5, 2020
- Amended by the General Faculty on May 31, 2020
- Amended by the General Faculty on June 9, 2021
- Amended by the General Faculty on January 12, 2022

Bylaws of the Faculty Senate

The Chief Academic Officer

Elected Officers of the Faculty Senate

Members of the Faculty Senate

Meetings

Agenda

Procedure

Center Governance

Committees

Amendment of Bylaws

Adoption

Amendment History