Bylaws of the Faculty Senate of the Renaissance School of Medicine

Section 1 – Standing Committees

1. Executive Committee
2. The Committee on Academic and Professional Progress
3. The Committee on Student Admissions
4. The Committee on Appointment, Promotion and Tenure
5. The Committee on Curriculum
6. The Faculty Assistance Committee
7. The Committee on Student Affairs
8. The Committee on Resource Allocation and Academic Planning
9. Environmental Committee (currently inactive; it may be activated depending on implementation of an RSOM Strategic Plan on Environment)

Section 2 – Other Committees

Other committees will be appointed on an ad hoc basis by the President of the Senate for specific terms.

Section 3 – Executive Committee of the Senate

A.    Membership:

The Executive Committee shall consist of five Senators nominated by vote of the Senators representing the Departments of Anatomical Sciences, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, Microbiology and Immunology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Pharmacological Sciences and Physiology and Biophysics and ten Senators nominated by vote of the Senators representing the other Departments of the School, with ordinarily no more than one Senator from each Department. In addition, there will be one representative from each of the major affiliate teaching campuses (Northport VA, NUMC, Southampton, or as defined by the Dean’s office) without regard for department. The affiliate campus representatives will be either appointed or elected by faculty members at the affiliated institution. The Faculty Senate shall approve each nominated candidate by majority vote. 

Membership of the Executive Committee will also include the President of the Senate, who shall serve as Chairperson, and the Secretary of the Senate. Other individuals, such as the Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine and the Vice Dean for UGME may be invited to participate in the Executive Committee on an ex officio basis. 

B.    Terms Limitations:

Executive Committee members serve a 3-year term. At the end of a member’s term, their Department Chair may reappoint that member for up to 2 additional terms, with the consent of the Senate President. Alternatively, at the completion of any term, a new member may be nominated by the Department Chairs of the basic science or clinical departments respectively, to fill the quota assigned to those two departmental groups in section 3A. The nominated member(s) will be approved by majority vote. 

C.    Functions of the Executive Committee:

The Executive Committee will be responsible for:

1. Advice to the Dean on all matters that are a responsibility of the faculty and its Senate.
2. Monitoring the implementation of policy determined by the Senate in the areas for which the Senate is responsible.
3. Setting the agenda for Senate meetings.
4. Developing committee slates and, jointly with the Dean, participating in the selection of Standing Committee chairpersons.
5. The referral of matters as necessary to appropriate committees and the receiving of reports from committees after an interval indicated by the Executive Committee.
6. Reporting actions taken by the Executive Committee to the Senate for its consideration.

D.    Meetings of the Executive Committee:

1. The Executive Committee will meet at least eight times during the academic year, generally on a monthly basis. The Executive Committee can also meet at the request of the Dean or by petition of three Executive Committee members.
2. The President of the Senate will prepare the agenda for Executive Committee meetings.

Section 4 – Election and Selection of Senate Standing Committees

Membership of the Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate will be widely representative of the various RSOM departments and affiliated institutions, giving due consideration to faculty members of different academic ranks.

A.    Chairpersons of the Standing Committees of the Senate:

Committee chairpersons will serve a 4-year term. At the end of each 4-year term, the Executive Committee of the Senate, in consultation with the Dean, shall either reappoint the current chairperson to additional term(s) or propose a new faculty person to fill that role. Approval of the proposed candidate will be decided by majority vote. Each standing committee will determine if the chairperson is counted as one of the allotted members of the committee, and whether the chairperson is a full voting member or only votes in case of a tie.

B.    Standing Committee members:

The term of standing committee members is 3 years. At the end of a member’s term, the committee chairperson may solicit the Executive Committee to allow reappointment of that member for up to two additional terms without requiring they stand for re-election. Beyond that time, if a member’s continued participation is deemed necessary for the function of the standing committee, the committee chair may request an exception to term limitations and petition the Executive Committee to reappoint a member for additional term(s). Current members who are not reappointed may stand for re-election by the process outlined below.

In the Spring of each year, the President and Secretary of the Faculty Senate will consult with each committee chairperson to determine the number of vacancies to be filled by election. They will then email the entire RSOM faculty to solicit nominees to join committees that have vacancies. The solicitation will identify how many vacancies exist for either basic science or clinical faculty, respectively, and will include committee meeting times and general duties required of members. Nominees must agree in advance to serve if elected. Selection for membership in the Executive Committee and the Admissions Committee are exceptions to this process; their membership selection process is outlined in sections 3A and 8B, respectively. 

All nominees for committee membership will appear on a ballot for voting by the Faculty Senate. Shortly after the vote, the President and Secretary of the Faculty Senate will consult with the chairperson of each committee to assign new committee members based on the results of the voting and on the need to promote broad departmental representation on the various committees; in some cases, this may require restricting the number of members from an over-represented department. Voting will occur electronically and will take place prior to the start of the academic year.

If an existing member of a standing committee becomes disruptive of the functioning of that committee, any committee member may call for an anonymous vote by the members of the committee to remove the disruptive member from the committee. The vote shall be by simple majority of that standing committee, in which the disruptive member shall not vote. The disruptive member may appeal the decision to the officers of the Senate, who may confirm, overrule or refer the decision to the Faculty Senate. If removed, that person will be excluded from applying to rejoin that committee in the future. The Secretary of the Executive Committee will then arrange a special ballot to fill the vacancy created in accordance with section D below. 

C.    Shared governance with Ex officio committee members from the Dean’s office:

Members of the Dean’s office may serve as ex officio non-voting members of standing committees to provide advice to the committee. In particular, the Curriculum Committee, the Committee on Student Affairs and the Admissions Committee are required to select an ex officio member from the Dean’s office to provide relevant data and advice (e.g. related to RSOM admissions, student mistreatment or curricular details), so that the committee can act in compliance with accreditation standards. 

D.    Midterm vacancies:

To fill a midterm vacancy of a standing committee or a vacancy of one of the offices of the Senate, the Executive Committee will nominate a replacement for the remainder of the term. The nominee may serve on the committee pending approval by the Senate at their next scheduled meeting. Approval of the nominee will require an affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Senate.

To fill a midterm vacancy of a standing committee chairperson, the Executive Committee, in consultation with the Dean, will propose a nominee for the remainder of the term. The nominee may serve as chairperson pending approval by the Senate at their next scheduled meeting. Approval of the nominee will require an affirmative vote of a simple majority of the Senate.

The Dean shall appoint a Search Committee for RSOM Departmental Chairs after consultation with the Executive Committee. In the event of a vacancy in the Deanship, the Vice President for Health Sciences in consultation with the Executive Committee will appoint a Search Committee, a majority of whose members will be from the RSOM faculty.

Section 5 – Committee on Appointments, Promotions and Tenure

A.    Membership:

1. The Committee on Appointments, Promotion and Tenure shall consist of 25 members. Nine representatives, ordinarily one from each of the following, will be chosen from the Departments of Anatomical Sciences, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Biomedical Informatics, Microbiology and Immunology, Neurobiology and Behavior, Pathology, Pharmacological Sciences, and Physiology and Biophysics. Twelve representatives will be chosen from the other Departments. There will be two representatives from the Northport VA and one from NUMC and Southampton or as defined by the Dean's office; these appointments will be made without regard to departmental affiliation. If no individual is elected, one will be appointed. The nominations shall be approved by majority Senate vote. The membership must be consistent with University policy and regulations concerning peer review.
2. The Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs will serve as an ex officio non-voting member of the Committee.

B.    Functions:

The Committee on Appointments, Promotion and Tenure shall receive from the Dean all recommendations for appointment/reappointment to the rank of Associate Professor and Professor, and all recommendations for tenure. After consideration, the Committee shall transmit its agreement or disagreement with the recommendations to the Dean. 

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the Committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and the Senate by majority vote.

Section 6 – Committee on Curriculum

A.    Membership:

The Curriculum Committee will be composed of a general membership consisting of seven voting faculty members from the Basic Science Departments, ten voting faculty members from the Clinical Departments, one additional voting faculty member-at-large, one voting faculty member from the VAMC Northport and one voting faculty member from each clinical affiliate site. Among the general membership no more than one person from any single department may serve as a voting member of the committee with the following three exceptions: a) the Department of Medicine may have two voting members; b) a member-at-large may be from a department already represented; and c) the chair of the committee may be from a department already represented. The chairs of the three standing subcommittees (LACES, Phase I, and Phase II/III) of the Curriculum Committee will also serve as voting members; the chairs of these subcommittees may come from any department and their departmental affiliations will not affect the number or distribution of departments represented among the committee’s general membership. Student representation on this committee will consist of one voting representative from each of the medical school classes chosen from students in good standing and one voting member from the MSTP program chosen by fellow student members. The Vice Dean for UGME will serve as the ex officio (non-voting), administrative co-chair of this committee.

B.    Functions:

The Committee on Curriculum shall meet monthly. Except in extraordinary circumstances, the meetings are open to all faculty and students.

1. The committee shall develop a statement identifying the goals of the various curricula of the Renaissance School of Medicine.
2. The committee shall assess the curricula in terms of meeting these goals.
3. The committee shall consider changes in the curricula that may be necessary to meet the stated goals and report actions to the Dean, to the Executive Committee, and the Senate. Such changes may include: course or departmental offerings or requirements; sequencing of courses; time allocations for courses, academic calendar, etc.
4. The committee shall consult with those Departments and Schools whose programs may be affected by any contemplated curricular changes.
5. The committee shall post the minutes of each meeting to the committee website.

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

Section 7 – Committee on Academic and Professional Progress

A.    Membership:

The voting membership of the Committee on Academic and Professional Progress shall be composed of 15 voting members, the Associate Dean of Student Affairs, the Associate Dean of Admissions, and two additional representatives from the UGME office, ex officio. A simple majority of voting committee members will constitute a quorum.

The 15 voting members shall include four from the Basic Science departments of the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM), four from the Clinical Science departments of the RSOM, and seven from either Basic or Clinical Science Departments. No more than three individuals shall serve on the committee from any one department of the RSOM.

Three of the voting members shall be from our affiliates: VA, NUMC and Southampton; these appointments will be made without regard for department.
Additionally, there are four non-voting student members, one from each of the four classes of the Renaissance School of Medicine.

B.    Functions:

The Committee on Academic and Professional Progress shall initiate, establish and review policies pertaining to academic standards and shall make recommendations to the Dean and the Executive Committee in regard to awarding of honors, academic requirements, advancement of students and the granting of diplomas and degrees as well as review of marginal academic performance and breaches of professionalism.

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

Section 8 – Committee on Student Admissions

A.    Membership:

The Committee on Admission (COA) shall consist of at least thirty representatives from the Clinical and Basic Science Departments; a representative from the Dean's Office, the Associate Dean for Admissions; and fourteen second year students. Voluntary or salaried faculty in good standing can serve on the Committee on Admissions. Emeritus faculty members can also serve on the COA and Executive Sub-committee of the COA.

B.    Executive Subcommittee of the COA:

The Executive Subcommittee consists of 10 appointed faculty members of the COA at large and the Chair of the COA. The COA Chair heads the Executive Sub-committee and is a voting member of the committee. The selection of Executive Subcommittee members is made by the Chair of the COA, in collaboration with the Associate and Assistant Deans of Admissions. Criteria for selection include prior experience and work involvement in the admissions process. An attempt to maintain diversity in terms of faculty rank and departmental affiliation on the Executive Subcommittee is also considered in determining the membership make-up. The Faculty Senate will be provided with a list of the current Executive Subcommittee members and their prior involvement in the admissions process. Upon a vacancy, the COA Chair, in collaboration with the Associate Dean for Admissions, will appoint a replacement from the COA. In general, all appointees to the Executive Subcommittee may serve for two consecutive 3-year terms. The Associate Dean of Admissions serves as the administrative co-chair of the Executive Subcommittee, who participates in committee deliberations but does not vote.

C.    Executive Subcommittee Policy, Procedures and Review:

The Executive Subcommittee functions include:

1. Review Candidates for the Renaissance School of Medicine. The Executive Subcommittee meets on average twice monthly during the admissions cycle to review all interviewed candidates for admission. The Executive Sub-committee decides whether an applicant is immediately accepted, placed on a wait list, or declined. Prior to such a determination, faculty and student members of the COA at large complete an interview scoring instrument that is designed to review holistically the applicant’s prior experience and attributes, including maturity, motivation, communication skills, leadership skills, research and understanding of health care. Each interviewed applicant has two interviews, and an interview score is generated. To avoid bias, applicants will not be interviewed by the same person who screened her/his application. Similarly, to avoid undue bias and pressure, applicants who are related to faculty, alumni or current students will be assigned interviews with individuals who are not in contact with the relation. Executive Subcommittee members are required to recuse themselves from voting in situations where they may be unduly influenced (e.g. applicant is a relative of a faculty member who is in the same department as Executive Subcommittee member). A mean of the two interview scores and academic metric score (an algorithmically designed assessment of the GPA and MCAT) is totaled and a list is provided to the Executive Subcommittee for review. Consistent with a holistic admissions process, there is a careful review of the applicant’s candidacy. Issues of concern described in the application, letters of recommendation and interviewer reports are also presented to the Executive Subcommittee.

2. Admissions Policy. The Executive Subcommittee determines policy related to admissions.

3. Admissions Procedure. The Executive Subcommittee determines whether the admissions process needs modification.

D.    The COA at large shall render assistance as needed for carrying out the responsibilities of the Committee and the admissions process. The COA at large may participate in the review or development of policies and procedures pertaining to the admission of students. Any recommended changes in policies and procedures brought forth by a COA committee member will be presented to the Executive Subcommittee of the COA. Upon review, the Executive Subcommittee will vote on the implementation of the proposed modification.

E.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the COA shall be approved by the Executive Subcommittee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

Section 9 – The Committee on Student Affairs

A.    Membership:

The Committee on Student Affairs shall consist of nine voting faculty members. Faculty members may be from Stony Brook University or its clinical affiliates (NUMC, Northport VA and Southampton); however, at least two faculty members shall come from Stony Brook University and one shall come from the Northport VA. Faculty members may come from any department and should include at least three individuals with knowledge or responsibilities in the following three areas: a) graduate medical education; b) pre-clinical undergraduate medical education; and c) clinical undergraduate medical education. Student representation on this committee shall consist of one voting student member from each medical class, chosen from among students in good standing. The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will serve as a non-voting, administrative co-chair.

B.    Functions:

The Committee on Student Affairs shall broadly consider and make recommendations to the Dean and the Executive Committee on matters affecting the well-being of the student body. The committee is expected to convene a minimum of 8 times annually.

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

Section 10 – The Committee on Resource Allocation and Academic Planning

A.    Membership:

The Committee on Resource Allocation and Academic Planning shall consist of ten faculty members, four from the Basic Science Departments and six from the Clinical Departments. No Department may have more than one representative.

B.    Functions:

The Committee on Resource Allocation and Academic Planning shall broadly consider matters of the budget and the growth, development of the hospital and the Renaissance School of Medicine and maintenance of its academic, research and clinical programs. It will also initiate and/or review recommendations about long range, strategic planning and advise with respect to new departments and academic programs in the RSOM. The committee will meet a minimum of quarterly. The chairperson of the committee will also meet annually with the CFO of the Hospital and separately with the CFO of the RSOM to review annual budgets prior to their adoption and will meet subsequently during the year with each of them for a mid-year budget review.

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

Section 11 – Faculty Assistance Committee

A.    Membership:

The Faculty Assistance Committee (FAC) will consist of eight faculty members, three from the Basic Sciences and five from the Clinical Sciences. There shall not be more than one representative from any one department. The membership should reflect various faculty ranks.

A representative from the UUP may serve on the committee to assist in determining whether cases brought before the committee are appropriate for referral to the UUP. If the UUP determines at any point that the case may or does impact on terms or conditions of employment the case will be referred in a timely manner to the UUP. The UUP member will not vote on cases heard within the committee’s purview.

B:    Functions:

The Faculty Assistance Committee (FAC) has been created to assist faculty of the Renaissance School of Medicine who are seeking to resolve conflicts concerning the faculty’s relationship with their department, the institution or their colleagues. Upon being notified that a faculty member is seeking assistance, the FAC will determine the most appropriate hearing body, be it a university-wide committee, an RSOM committee, the UUP or another appropriate committee. The FAC is not designed to replace any already-existing committees. If a faculty member’s request cannot be distributed to any appropriate committee or organization, the FAC may decide by a simple majority vote whether to become the hearing body.

Upon deciding to review the issue, the FAC will review written documentation and will have the authority to request any other form of documentation it deems appropriate. If, in the course of its deliberations, it becomes evident that the issue is one that can be reviewed by an already existing hearing body (be it a university-wide committee, an RSOM committee or the UUP), all collected data will be transferred to that hearing body. In situations where the issue remains with the FAC, when documentation is complete, the committee shall distribute its findings to the faculty members involved and the Dean of the Renaissance School of Medicine for approval and implementation.

The Chairperson of the FAC will report to the Senate annually listing case-load and the generic nature of issues reviewed. All privileged information will be protected.

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

D.    Exclusions:

The committee will not serve as the hearing body for disagreements concerning a faculty member’s specific salary or other form of compensation.

Section 12 – Environmental Committee (currently inactive)

A.    Membership:

The membership of the Environmental Committee will consist of a Chair, 12 faculty members (with at least 4 from basic science departments and at least 4 from clinical departments), 5 student representatives (1 each from the Renaissance School of Medicine, the graduate school, the School of Health Professions, the School of Nursing and the School of Social Welfare) and 6 administrative representatives (1 from the Renaissance School of Medicine Dean’s office, the School of Health Professions, the School of Nursing, the School of Social Welfare, the Long Island State Veterans Home and Stony Brook University Hospital).

B.    Functions:

The committee shall organize ideas and coordinate initiatives of East Campus faculty, students, and staff that are intended to make the university a “greener” environment. These include but are not limited to energy use, recycling, waste, facilities planning and traffic. The committee shall also work in conjunction with the existing University Senate Standing Committee on the Campus Environment (CCE), which has a parallel mission.

C.    Any changes in operating procedures, principles and policies of the committee shall be approved by the Executive Committee and by majority vote of the Faculty Senate.

Proposals to amend these Bylaws may be initiated by the Executive Committee of the Senate or by petition of at least ten members of the Senate. Such proposals must appear on the agenda in advance and be announced at one regular meeting of the Faculty Senate. Afterward the proposal will be distributed by email to the entire Faculty Senate for a reading/discussion period not to exceed 30 days. This will be followed by an email vote for APPROVAL/YES, DISAPPROVAL/NO or CONTINUED DISCUSSION. Amendments will require an affirmative vote of a majority of the Senate quorum to be adopted. A vote by 10 members of the Senate to “continue discussion” will bring the proposal back for discussion at the next Senate meeting.