CAFNR Faculty Bylaws

Article I: Purpose

Faculty rights and academic governance within the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) are derived from and shall be in accordance with the Bylaws of the University of Missouri Faculty. Thus, these bylaws are created to define more precisely the form and substance of academic governance within CAFNR, and to foster an academic environment of shared leadership dedicated to the acquisition and transfer of knowledge.

Article II: Faculty Membership

  1. Voting membership in the CAFNR Faculty, (hereafter identified as the Faculty), shall be granted to those individuals whose academic duties and obligations are primarily to CAFNR and who hold tenure track or professional track academic appointments. Professional track academic appointments are full-time, ranked, non-regular faculty (non-tenure track (NTT), as defined in CRR 310.035.B).
  2. Tenure track faculty are individuals holding the titles of Assistant Professor, Associate Professor or Professor. Professional track faculty are individuals holding titles that in addition to one of three academic faculty levels (Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor) also contain a “mission” designation i.e., Teaching, Extension, or Research (Assistant Teaching Professor, Associate Teaching Professor, or Teaching Professor; Assistant Extension Professor, Associate Extension Professor, or Extension Professor; Assistant Research Professor, Associate Research Professor, or Research Professor). All tenure or professional track faculty must be selected using an academic Division committee, consisting of multiple faculty members, during the search process.
  3. Voting membership in the Faculty may be extended to individuals with Adjunct or Academic Associate appointments (i.e., individuals who do not automatically have voting rights), who are nominated by an academic Division of the College. Nominees who apply for and are not approved by the Division for voting rights can appeal to the CAFNR Policy Committee. A simple majority vote of the CAFNR Policy Committee will be required to overturn the academic Division decision.
  4. Each academic Division shall annually compile and submit a list of voting members to the CAFNR Policy Committee. Only voting members may be elected to offices within the College.

Article III: Faculty Rights, Ethics, Responsibilities, and Authority

  1. Rights, Ethics and Responsibilities.
    1. The rights, ethics and responsibilities of the Faculty shall be those specified in from The Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri System, Chapter 300.010 adopted November 14, 1974 as amended.
  2. Authority.
    1. The Faculty’s authority, as delegated by the Board of Curators, is of three types as quoted below from The Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri System, Chapter 300.010 C.3: direct and primary, in which the faculty has essential decision-making authority; shared, in which the faculty participates with others; and advisory, in which the faculty counsels with the person or officer with ultimate decision-making authority.
    2. Primary and direct authority.
      1. The College Faculty has essential decision-making authority in matters directly affecting the educational and research programs of the College, including but not limited to:
        1. Articulation and maintenance of standards of academic performance. This includes but is not limited to: guidelines for appropriate research, service, and scholarship; requirements for graduation; and related matters.
        2. Construction and approval of courses of instruction and of curricula.
        3. Construction and approval of procedures governing educational support programs of the College.
        4. Formulation of criteria determining professional standing of faculty – including but not limited to such matters as tenure, promotion, termination, guidelines for responsibility, Graduate Faculty and Doctoral Faculty membership.
        5. Determination of an appropriate faculty committee structure.
        6. Determination of minimum admission requirements.
        7. Selection of awardees of academic scholarships.
    3. Shared Authority.
      1. The College Faculty has shared authority by which it participates cooperatively with other persons or offices in matters such as:
        1. Development and articulation of students’ rights and responsibilities.
        2. Selection of awardees for honorary degrees.
        3. Application of criteria affecting professional standing of faculty.
    4. Advisory Authority.
      1. The College Faculty has advisory authority and responsibility with other persons or offices in matters such as:
        1. Budget and resource allocation.
        2. Planning, including capital expenditures and physical facilities.
        3. Selection of Divisional and College level administrators.
        4. Determination of the College standing committee structure.
        5. Development and implementation of general business procedures that facilitate academic program excellence.
        6. Use of facilities for program activities.
        7. Application of criteria affecting promotion, tenure, and termination of individuals.

Article IV: Officers of the Faculty

  1. The Chair of the Faculty of CAFNR shall be the Dean of the College. The Chair shall preside at faculty meetings.
  2. The office of Vice-Chair of the Faculty shall be the Chair of the CAFNR Policy Committee. The Vice-Chair shall preside at meetings of the Faculty in the absence of the Chair, or at other times when so designated by the Chair or by the CAFNR Policy Committee.
  3. On behalf of the College faculty, the Policy Committee at their first fall semester meeting, shall elect the offices of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Parliamentarian. These officers shall serve a one-year term and are eligible for re-election. (see Article VI, 3b)

Article V: Faculty Meetings

  1. The Faculty shall meet at least once each semester.
  2. Additional meetings may be called by the Dean of the College, CAFNR Policy Committee, or by written request signed by 15 faculty members representing at least three academic Divisions of the College and submitted to the Chair of CAFNR Policy Committee or the Dean of the College. Meetings called by written request of faculty shall occur within ten work days of receipt of the request.
  3. The Dean shall distribute a detailed agenda to each faculty member at least five work days prior to the faculty meeting.
  4. Any reports of a standing committee or a special committee requiring action of approval by the Faculty of the College (e.g., curriculum changes, policy changes) shall be submitted in whole or by way of summary by the appropriate committee chair to the Dean at least ten work days prior to the faculty meeting at which said reports are to be considered.
  5. The Dean shall distribute said reports to the Faculty at least five work days prior to the faculty meeting at which the reports are to be considered.
  6. Parliamentary Rules. The parliamentary authority for meetings or any committees shall be the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
  7. Quorum. A quorum shall consist of over 50% of the elected members in attendance at the meeting.
  8. Order of Business.
    1. Consideration of minutes (Minutes of the previous meeting shall be made available to faculty members within ten work days after regular faculty meetings.)
    2. Reports of standing committees. (See Article V, Section D)
    3. Reports of special committees. (See Article V, Section D)
    4. Special business
    5. Unfinished business
    6. New business

Article VI: Committees

A. CAFNR Policy Committee.

  1. Purpose and Functions
    a. To represent the Faculty of the CAFNR in all matters pertaining to the mission of the College.
  2. Responsibilities to the Faculty
    a. CAFNR Policy Committee has an obligation to keep the faculty informed of agenda items and current issues. Faculty elected to CAFNR Policy Committee should be those who represent their division and, while having a right to their individual opinions and viewpoints, have a primary objective of representing the faculty in their division. Division representatives are responsible for communicating issues of concern within their divisions to the Policy Committee and ensuring that their entire faculty, including NTT faculty, has a sense of involvement and a voice in the issue. Recognizing that a division has among its faculty a diversity of disciplines, functions, and appointment types, it is expected that the elected representatives reflect this diversity.
  3. Organization and Operation of Committee
    a. The CAFNR Policy Committee shall be composed of Faculty whose academic duties and obligations are primarily to the CAFNR. Members shall be elected to two-year terms from each division of the College by a division-wide faculty vote. Each division will be represented by two faculty members, elected in alternating years to provide continuity. Elections shall be held prior to August 1 and the terms of membership will begin the first day of the fall semester. No representative shall serve more than two consecutive two-year terms. Meetings shall be held at least once a semester. If a representative must be absent from a meeting, they may designate (by notifying the Chair) an alternate from their division to assume their role, including voting on motions.
    b. Officers of the CAFNR Policy Committee shall be the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Parliamentarian; each elected annually. The CAFNR Policy Committee will elect officers from within its membership at the first CAFNR Policy Committee meeting in the fall semester, which shall be convened by the previous Chair of the CAFNR Policy Committee or his/her designate. Officers cannot hold the same office longer than two consecutive terms.
    i. The Chair shall organize and preside over meetings, attend appropriate college-level meetings on behalf of the faculty, and lead the Dean’s review.
    ii. The Vice Chair will take the place of the Chair when the Chair cannot fulfill his or her duties.
    iii. The Secretary will be responsible for ensuring minutes are recorded and posted.
    iv. The Parliamentarian is responsible for ensuring parliamentary law is utilized at CAFNR Policy and Faculty meetings. The Parliamentarian will assist in voting matters of the faculty.
    c. The Officers of the CAFNR Policy Committee shall forward concerns of the Faculty to the Dean of the College for placement on the next regular faculty meeting agenda.
    d. A quorum shall consist of over 50% of the elected members of the Policy Committee present at a scheduled meeting.
    e. CAFNR Policy Committee meetings shall be open. Agendas for CAFNR Policy Committee meetings shall be emailed to all Policy Committee members and posted on the CAFNR website (cafnr.missouri.edu) five work days prior to each meeting. Minutes of CAFNR Policy Committee meetings shall be posted on cafnr.missouri.edu upon approval by the Committee.
    f. Any faculty member may request consideration of faculty matters by the CAFNR Policy Committee and may request to appear before the committee regarding such matters.
    g. Activities of the CAFNR Policy Committee shall be reported to the Faculty of the College at the regular faculty meetings for informational purposes and faculty action.

B. Standing committees of the Faculty and Staff:

  1. Committees appointed by the Dean or a designated representative shall be:
    a. Safety and Health Committee
    b. Review Committee for Awarding Adjunct Professorial Titles
    c. Professional Track Faculty Committee
    d. Underrepresented/Diversity Enhancement Committee
    e. International Programs Committee
  2. Committees appointed by the Associate Dean and Director of Academic Programs or a designated representative shall be:
    a. Courses and Curricula Committee
    b. Scholarship and Awards Committee
    c. Undergraduate Recruitment Committee
    d. International Education (Study Abroad) Committee
  3. Committees appointed by the Associate Dean for Research or a designated representative shall be:
    a. Greenhouse Operations and Users Committee
  4. Committees appointed by the CAFNR Policy Committee shall be:
    a. CAFNR Faculty Responsibility Committee (This committee may be convened to review and make recommendations to the Dean regarding alleged cases of faculty irresponsibility that have not been resolved at the divisional level. Membership shall consist of one representative per division.)
  5. Standing committee membership:
    a. Shall be limited to voting members of the Faculty.
    b. The Committee on Faculty Responsibility shall be appointed in accordance with the UMC Faculty Bylaws (see The Collected Rules and Regulations of the University of Missouri System, Chapter 300.010 L.6.a.2.)
    c. The Promotion and Tenure committee members will be nominated and elected as specified in Appendix A to these Bylaws.
    d. Members of the Professional Track Promotion Committee will be nominated and elected as specified in Appendix B to these Bylaws.
    e. Membership of other standing committees shall be nominated by the Faculty and appointed by the Dean, subject to the limitation that no person may serve on more than two standing committees at any given time. Students should be appointed as ex officio (non-voting) members on appropriate committees.
    f. Standing committees may establish their own bylaws that will become an integral part of these by-laws as an appendix following approval by the faculty at a regular faculty meeting. Bylaws shall be submitted to the faculty within twelve months of the effective date of these bylaws or within twelve months of the formation of a committee.
    C. Ad hoc committees*:
    a. The CAFNR Policy Committee or the Dean shall establish additional ad hoc committees as necessary.
    D. The Dean shall establish additional committees with extramural responsibilities as necessary for:
    o Alumni Relations
    o Faculty Development
    o Financing
    o Programming
    o Recognition and Awards

*Membership, rules, and regulations for extramural committees shall be developed in concert with the Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Article VII: Amendments

At least 25 voting members of the Faculty or a majority of CAFNR Policy Committee members may propose amendments to these bylaws. All proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Chair of the CAFNR Policy Committee. Proposed amendments shall be distributed to the voting membership of the Faculty at least three weeks prior to the next college faculty meeting and placed on the agenda of the next meeting for discussion. Adoption of a proposed amendment will require participation of at least 40% of the faculty members eligible to vote, and an affirmative vote of two-thirds of those who vote. 

Appendix A: Promotion and Tenure Committee

  1. The CAFNR Promotion and Tenure (P&T) Committee consists of:
    1. Six tenured members of the faculty in CAFNR. One faculty member will be from each of the administrative Divisions of the College (Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, Natural Resources, Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Applied Social Sciences). All tenured faculty are eligible to serve on the P&T Committee.
  2. All members are elected for staggered, two-year terms. Three new members will be elected each year.
  3. Nominations will be made as follows:
    1. All members of the P&T Committee must be tenured faculty members.
    2. Each administrative Division will nominate at least two persons from their tenured faculty. Three faculty members will be elected each year to serve a two-year term on the committee. The initial rotation of membership (see paragraph B above) will be determined by the CAFNR Policy Committee.
    3. All CAFNR tenure track faculty members may vote. All tenure track faculty may vote on nominees from each administrative Division.
  4. CAFNR faculty may make additional nominations at the faculty meeting.
  5. The Dean of CAFNR will convene the first meeting of the CAFNR P&T committee.
  6. In cases where membership of this committee is compromised for any reason, the CAFNR Policy Committee will determine how to replace members.
  7. The Committee will review each case in the following manner:
    1. The chairperson of the committee will disseminate the P&T materials, as well as the University Collected Rules & Regulations pertaining to promotion and tenure and the CAFNR By-laws related to promotion and tenure, to the members of the committee.
    2. The chairperson will assign two members of the committee to serve as primary reviewers of each case. While each committee member is expected to review the materials provided for each case, it is the responsibility of the two reviewers to present the case to the entire committee.
    3. During a meeting of the committee, members are to deliberate each case and conduct a vote on each case by secret ballot.
    4. The chairperson is responsible for the accuracy and consistency of the letter to the dean.

Appendix B: Professional Track Promotion Committee

  1. The CAFNR Professional Track Promotion Committee consists of six members of the CAFNR P&T Committee (see Appendix A) and the following additional members:
    1. Six members of the Professional track faculty of CAFNR. One faculty member will be chosen elected from each of the academic Divisions of the college (Animal Sciences, Biochemistry, Food, Nutrition and Exercise Sciences, Natural Resources, Plant Sciences and Biotechnology, Applied Social Sciences.).
  2. Professional track members will be elected to serve staggered two-year terms. Three new members will be elected each year.
  3. Academic Divisions will nominate at least two persons from their Professional track faculty members. The CAFNR faculty at large will be given the opportunity to add nominees to this category.
  4. All voting members of the CAFNR may vote on representatives from CAFNR.
  5. In cases where membership of this committee is compromised for any reason, the CAFNR Policy Committee will determine how to replace members.

Bylaws edited and approved by CAFNR faculty, April, 2024.