Bylaws

College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources Bylaws

Updated June 2023

CHAPTER I
FOREWORD
These Bylaws will be considered an adjunct to the current Bylaws of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and the Bylaws of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, hereinafter referred to as the Institute (or IANR), and will take precedence over the Bylaws of individual units within the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, hereinafter referred to as the College or CASNR.

CHAPTER II
NAME
A. The name of the organization will be the Faculty of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, hereinafter referred to as the Faculty.

B. For the purposes of these bylaws, unit will mean department, center, school or any subdivision, with an undergraduate, professional or graduate program.

CHAPTER III
STRUCTURE
The administrative officers, the method for their selection, and their responsibilities will be in accordance with the UNL Bylaws.

CHAPTER IV
MEMBERS
A. The membership of the Faculty will consist of (a) all persons holding the rank of instructor or above or equivalent rank, and occupying funded positions in CASNR [i.e., Instructor, Lecturer, Assistant Professor of Practice, Associate Professor of Practice, Professor of Practice, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor] and (b) those persons holding (1) the rank of temporary lecturer, and (2) adjunct, visiting, courtesy, or research associate (post doctoral) appointments and engaged in formal teaching activities. 

B. The voting membership shall consist of those persons listed in A. (a) above.

CHAPTER V
MEETINGS
A. The Dean of the College, or the Dean's designated representative, will preside at all meetings of the Faculty except those called by the chairperson of the Faculty Advisory Council, in which case said person shall preside.

B. A meeting may be called as follows: 
1. by the Dean,
2. by a standing committee,
3. by petition of ten (10) percent of the voting Faculty, or
4. by any unit in the College through a letter from the unit administrator to the Dean.

C. Notification and agenda of regularly scheduled faculty meetings will be mailed to the Faculty at least one (1) week in advance. The faculty will receive reasonable notice of special meetings.

D. All general and committee meetings of the College will be open.

E. Items will be placed on the agenda in one of the following ways: 
1. by the Dean,
2. by a standing committee,
3. by petition of ten (10) percent of the faculty, or
4. by any unit in the College through a letter from the unit administrator to the Dean.

F. A quorum will consist of fifteen (15) percent of the Faculty.

G. The Dean will hold an annual meeting within thirty (30) days of the start of classes for the academic year.

CHAPTER VI
COMMITTEES
A. The standing committees for the College will be: 
1. Curriculum Committee,
2. Committee on Scholarship,
3. Teaching Awards Committee, and
4. College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) Faculty Advisory Council. 

B. Meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order. A simple majority of a quorum will decide issues1. [A quorum in boards and committees is a majority of the members of the board or committee unless a different quorum is fixed (Robert's Rules of Order, 10th edition)].

C. The purpose, method of establishment, and selection of membership to committees are as follows:
1. CURRICULUM COMMITTEE
a. Membership

1) Composition
The Committee may consist of one representative of each unit (Department, School, Center or Professional Program with a degree program) and majors aligned within CASNR as voting members and one non-voting member as follows:

• One faculty member from each of the 12 academic units and Center for Grassland Studies
• One faculty member from the Doctor of Plant Health Steering Committee
• One faculty member from the Forensic Science Program
• One faculty member from the PGA Golf Management Program
• One faculty member from the Environmental Studies Program
• Dean of the College or designee (represents Applied Science and Integrated Science)
• The University Curriculum Committee representative from CASNR as ex officio (voting)
• The Graduate Council representative in IANR as ex officio (non-voting)

Each degree program is entitled to provide a non-voting representative to the Committee in addition to the official voting member from the unit. In this case, representatives from the same unit will caucus to provide a single vote.

Opportunities for intentional student engagement in curriculum matters will be provided through regular meetings (at least once per semester) with the Student Advisory Board.  

2) Methods of Selection
a) One faculty member may be chosen from each unit as the voting member and each degree program has the option to designate a non-voting member who may attend the meetings.
Each voting faculty member will have had a teaching and/or advising appointment in the College for at least three (3) years prior to serving on the Committee.
b) Voting faculty members from each unit will be nominated by the administrator of the unit, in consultation with the faculty who teach and/or advise students in the unit. The CASNR Faculty Advisory Council will appoint a faculty member from the nominations submitted for each unit. Each faculty member will serve a two-year term.
c) New committee members will be appointed prior to the second week of the first semester.
b. Authority and Responsibilities

1) General
The Curriculum Committee will have the authority and the responsibility to examine, study, or request study of, and establish procedures and policies for, any matters concerned with the undergraduate and graduate curriculum of the College, subject to review by the Faculty as detailed below. The Curriculum Committee shall function as an active "parent" unit in all matters relating to: a) courses prefixed AGRI; b) courses and curriculum for CASNR Professional Programs (e.g. Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine and Doctor of Plant Health); and c) all other courses and any CASNR curriculum without an academic unit sponsor (e.g., B.S. in Applied Science, minor in Energy Science, or minor in Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program).

2) Unit Requests
The Committee will act for the Faculty on all matters dealing with curriculum, including initiation, deletion and changes in degree programs, minors and certificates. A written summary of the committee actions will be distributed to the faculty by the Dean's Office for review. The unit or professional program administrator will coordinate response to the summaries. Any unit or group of at least five (5) faculty may challenge a decision of the Committee on the above matters by filing a written objection, within a time specified by the Committee, with the Dean. Such a written objection will result in an attempt at resolution by the Dean. If such a resolution is not achieved the written objection may cause the matter in question to be brought before the full Faculty for discussion, debate, and vote. Established University of Nebraska-Lincoln procedures for proposing new courses, revision, and/or modifying existing courses will be followed. The Committee will act for the Faculty, subject to review by the units as detailed above.

3) Student Requests
The Curriculum Committee will have authority for approving, rejecting, or modifying the properly referred student requests such as substitution/waiver of courses, and waiver of the residency rule. Student requests will be forwarded through the advisor, the unit administrator, and the Dean. Committee authority may be delegated to the Dean.

The Curriculum Committee will hear appeals from students on grades received in the College. Such appeals, however, will be heard by the Committee only after the student has appealed without satisfaction to the course instructor, the departmental grade appeals committee and the unit administrator. A student who wishes to appeal to the Committee will notify, in writing, the Dean or the committee chairperson, and will include in the notice a statement of the grounds of appeal. Both the student and the instructor will be given opportunity to present materials to the Committee in the presence of each other and separately.

2.COMMITTEE ON SCHOLARSHIP
a. Membership
1) Composition
The Committee will consist of three (3) faculty members and one (1) student member.

2) Methods of Selection
a) Faculty - The three (3) faculty members will be appointed by the Dean for staggered three-year terms, with the chairperson of the Committee rotating each year to the senior member.
b) Student - The student member will be selected annually by the CASNR Student Advisory Board. The student member will participate in committee activities except when individual students or student records are being discussed, evaluated, reviewed or ranked.
b. Responsibilities

The Committee on Scholarship will be responsible for the following tasks:
1) Recommending criteria for graduation with distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction. Recommending to the Faculty, prior to December, May, and August graduations, senior students worthy of graduation with distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction.

2) Advise the Dean on scholarship policies.

3. TEACHING/ADVISING AWARDS COMMITTEE
a. Membership
Members of the Teaching/Advising Awards Committee will be appointed by the Dean from the pool of past winners for a three year term. No unit will have more than one (1) member on the Committee.
b. Responsibilities
The Teaching/Advising Awards Committee will be responsible for recommending candidates for the Distinguished Teaching Award and other teaching and advising awards in consultation with the CASNR Student Advisory Board.

4. COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES AND NATURAL RESOURCES (CASNR) FACULTY ADVISORY COUNCIL
a. Membership

1) Composition
The Council will consist of one (1) faculty representative from each unit with each serving a two-year term with approximately one-half of the membership rotated each year. No member will be a unit administrator, or hold any budgeted administrative office, within the College.

2) Methods of Selection
One (1) council member will be selected from each unit. Council members will be selected by individual unit procedures that include assent of the faculty.
b. Authority and Responsibilities
1) To provide counsel and advice on any topic that the Dean shall refer to the Committee that potentially impacts the College.
2) To counsel the Dean on affairs not under the jurisdiction of other standing committees.
3) To serve as a liaison between the College's administration and the Faculty.
4) To annually review procedure for evaluation of the Faculty and administrators within the College in concert with the Liaison Committee of IANR.
5) To recommend to the Dean the establishment of ad hoc committees (e.g. Teaching and Learning Improvement Committee, Advising Improvement Committee, Recruitment, Retention and Placement Committee).
6) The Council will act as the College Committee on Committees.
7) The Council will serve as a source of advice to the Dean on general matters of teaching.
8) The Council will provide the primary review of CASNR educational assessment results.

CHAPTER VII
CHANGE OF BYLAWS
These Bylaws are intended to conform with the Bylaws of the IANR. Changes in the latter are assumed to infer necessary changes in the College Bylaws. Changes in College Bylaws will require a two-thirds majority vote of those responding to a mail ballot. Changes to the Bylaws may be initiated by the CASNR Faculty Advisory Council, by any unit in the College, or by petition of five (5) percent of the Faculty.

CHAPTER VIII
STUDENT LIASON GROUP
A. The CASNR Student Advisory Board will be the official Association of Students of the University of Nebraska (ASUN) approved liaison among students of the College, the Dean, and the Faculty. An annual report (if prepared) on the students' perception of the "State of the College" shall be distributed by the Dean to the Faculty. This report should not name individual faculty.

B. Composed of eight-to-sixteen students and two faculty advisors, the CASNR Advisory Board represents students of the College. The board serves in an advisory role in matters of academic programs and services at the unit, college, or university level. It functions as a liaison for students in matters brought before the faculty and/or administration. The board is composed of student representatives as specified on the CASNR website that contains these Bylaws. The intent is to divide the student body into four groups which roughly equal numbers and related degree programs. Proposed changes to the degree program grouping used for selection of the Advisory Board will be presented to the CASNR Student Advisory Board for their approval.