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FAA Bylaws

Bylaws

  1. Name

    The name of this organization shall be “The College of Fine and Applied Arts of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign” (“College”).

  2. Purpose

    The purpose of these bylaws is to promote the orderly conduct of the business of the College. These bylaws supplement the University Statutes. If they conflict with the Statutes the Statutes shall prevail. Roberts’ Rules of Order (Scott Foresman, 9th revised edition) shall apply to the extent that its provisions are not inconsistent with the University Statutes or these bylaws.

  3. Faculty & Other Members of the College

    1. The faculty comprises:
      1. Persons holding an appointment of fifty percent or more in the College as professor, associate professor, or assistant professor, who are tenured or receiving probationary credit toward tenure.
      2. The Dean and Associate and Assistant Deans of the College, provided they also hold appointments with the rank or title of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor and are tenured or receiving probationary credit toward tenure.
    2. The following shall be known as members of the College for purposes of governance and are granted: vote in College elections; voice at College meetings; and eligibility to serve on elected and appointed College committees.
      1. Persons holding at least a fifty percent appointment in the College as a Specialized Faculty member, as defined by Provost’s Communication No. 25, except those modified by “adjunct” or “visiting.”
      2. Persons holding at least a fifty percent appointment in the College as an academic professional who also hold the specialized faculty title or titles of professor, associate professor, assistant professor, instructor, or lecturer in the College.

    These provisions do not take precedence over voting privileges as determined by each unit for elections held in those units, and apply only to elections held by the College. Those with joint appointments with units inside and/or outside of the College can only be elected and appointed to committees as representatives of their “home” unit on campus (school, department, other).

  4. Officers

    1. The presiding officer at meetings of the College shall be the Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, or in the Dean’s absence, the elected Vice Chair of the Executive Committee.
    2. The Secretary of the College shall be appointed annually by the Dean. The Secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the College.
    3. The Dean shall preserve the minutes of all meetings of the College.

  5. Meetings of the College

    1. At least one regular meeting of the College must be held each academic year. The Dean may call additional meetings as the need arises.
    2. At the request of a majority of the Executive Committee or upon receipt of a written petition signed by 30 members of the College, the Dean shall call a special meeting upon giving notice as required in V.3. The petition and notice of the meeting shall state the proposed agenda or resolution(s). Debate and action at the special meeting shall be confined to said agenda or resolution(s).
    3. The faculty and other members of the College shall receive written notice and the proposed agenda of each meeting of the College from the office of the Dean at least 21 days in advance of the meeting. Such notice shall state a deadline at least 7 days later for receipt in the Dean’s office of pre-filed motions or other items to be placed on the agenda as specified in Section V.5.B. The College shall receive notice of any such additions to the agenda at least 7 days before the meeting.
    4. Should a situation require immediate action, the Dean, with the consent of the Executive Committee, may designate a special meeting as an emergency meeting. Notices of an emergency meeting must be delivered to unit offices not less than 24 hours before the hour set for such meeting and must be plainly marked “Emergency Meeting.”
    5. Agenda
      1. The agenda and order of business for a regular meeting shall be established by the Dean in consultation with the Executive Committee, except that an item must be included on the agenda if requested by a simple majority of the Executive Committee.
      2. Any committee or member of the College may submit an item to the Dean and it must be considered for inclusion on the agenda for a regular meeting. Pre-filed resolutions filed by two or more members of the College must be included on the agenda. Items submitted after the 7-day deadline will not be included on the agenda for that meeting.
      3. Items not included on the agenda may be introduced at any regular meeting as new business by members of the College. Items introduced as new business may be discussed, debated, and referred to committee but no action may be taken on those until a subsequent meeting of the College.
    6. Quorum
      1. A quorum at a regular meeting shall consist of those members present. The quorum for a special meeting shall be fifty members of the College.
      2. The quorum for an emergency meeting shall be thirty members of the College.

      In all cases, a quorum shall require a majority of members present be tenured or tenure-track faculty.

    7. Voting Procedures
      1. Voting privileges shall be extended in accordance with Article III. Those with visiting, adjunct, and emeritus appointments shall have voice but not vote. Any member of the College holding joint appointments in two or more units of the College shall have only one vote.
      2. Voting shall be by voice by yeas and nays, but a division may be obtained by any member of the College upon request.
      3. A motion to employ a paper ballot in voting on a resolution is not debatable and shall require a simple majority.
      4. Proxy and Absentee votes are not permitted.
    8. Members of standing committees of the College will be elected by the members of the College at a meeting.

  6. Committees

    1. Executive Committee
      1. The Executive Committee consists of one elected tenured or tenure-track faculty member from each state-funded budgetary unit of the College, except that any school shall have two (2) elected members. One academic professional staff member from both Krannert Art Museum and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts shall be elected from those units. Heads or directors of units are not eligible to serve.
      2. The election process shall be conducted by secret written ballot by the individual units. Faculty who hold appointments in more than one unit must select in which unit they will vote. Members will be elected for staggered two-year terms and may serve not more than two consecutive terms.
      3. The Dean serves as chair of the Executive Committee but shall not vote, except in case of a tie.
      4. The Executive Committee shall:
        1. Advise the Dean on policy, budget planning, and the College strategic plan.
        2. Advise and consult with the Dean on matters brought to it by the Dean or independently initiated by the Committee.
        3. Advise and consult with the University Library on matters brought to it by the library or independently initiated by the committee.
        4. Communicate regularly to the faculty/staff of each unit on the business of the College Executive Committee as deemed appropriate.
        5. Make a yearly recommendation to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs on the reappointment of the Dean and oversee the evaluation of the performance of the Dean every five years in accordance with the University policy and procedure on such evaluation.
        6. Prepare nominations for standing committee membership (Section VI.4) for submission to the members of the College. Nominations will also be possible from the floor of the College Meeting.
      5. The Executive Committee shall elect three members to serve on the College Academic Disciplinary Committee. The FAA associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs shall serve ex officio.
      6. The Executive Committee shall elect seven members to serve on the College Elections and Credentials Committee, one from each academic unit.
      7. Members of the Executive Committee, with exceptions noted in Section VIII.1, also serve as the College Grievance Committee as established in Section VIII.
      8. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the Dean or by three members of the Executive Committee at a time determined in consultation with members.
      9. In the event that a committee member cannot attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, the committee member should designate a representative. The designee shall have voice and vote in the meeting.
    2. Officers of the Executive Committee
      1. The Dean shall chair the Executive Committee, except when the Committee meets to advise the Chancellor and President on the appointment or reappointment of the Dean or to review the Dean’s performance.
      2. A Vice Chair, who shall chair the Committee in the Dean’s absence, shall be elected by the Executive Committee from among its members.
    3. Specialized Faculty Advisory Committee
      1. The Specialized Faculty Advisory Committee consists of up to one member elected by the specialized faculty from each state-funded budgetary unit of the College. Members shall hold specialized faculty titles as defined by Communication #25, except those modified by the terms “adjunct” or “visiting.”
      2. The election process shall be conducted by the individual units through secret ballot. Specialized Faculty with at least a fifty percent appointment in the unit are eligible to vote; members who hold appointments in more than one unit must select in which unit they will vote. Members will be elected for staggered two-year terms and may only serve more than two consecutive terms if no other members are eligible to serve. For purposes of such elections, specialized faculty with appointments in the College but not in any particular department shall be assigned a departmental affiliation by the Dean of the College.
      3. The Specialized Faculty Advisory Committee shall:
        1. Discuss matters of concern specific to specialized faculty in FAA.
        2. Nominate two specialized faculty from two different academic units and of sufficient rank to serve as members-at-large of the Promotion and Tenure Committee.
        3. Advise and consult with the Dean on matters brought to it by the Dean or independently initiated by the Committee.
      4. A Chair shall be elected by the Committee from among its members.
      5. Meetings of the Committee shall be called by the Dean or by three members of the Committee at a time determined in consultation with members.
    4. Promotion and Tenure Committee

      The Promotion and Tenure Committee consists of one full professor elected from and by each of the tenure-granting units of the College by secret written ballot and three tenured faculty appointed by the Dean, not more than one of whom may be from any one unit of the College. Members will be elected or appointed for staggered three-year terms and may serve not more than two consecutive terms. The chair, director, or head of a unit is not eligible to serve. If a unit includes no eligible full professor, an associate professor may be elected. A member who resigns will be replaced for the remainder of that term by the same procedure by which that member was selected. In addition, two specialized faculty of Associate or higher rank will serve as at-large members of the College Promotion and Tenure Committee. These members will join the Committee only for evaluation of specialized faculty cases under consideration for promotion. Their appointment will come via nomination from the Specialized Faculty Advisory Committee, as approved by the Dean in consultation with the Administrative Council. If no specialized faculty of sufficient rank are willing and able to serve, the committee will proceed without the participation of members-at-large.

      The committee shall elect its chair from among its members. After consultation with the College Executive Committee and the College Promotion and Tenure Committee, the Dean will issue procedural and substantive guidance to units with respect to promotion and tenure. The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall review all promotion and tenure submissions from the units of the College and recommend changes in the papers to the submitting units. After opportunity for resubmission, the Committee shall take a secret written ballot on the merit of each candidate and forward the vote along with any written comments it deems appropriate to the Dean. The Committee’s vote shall be reported on each candidate’s papers when submitted to the campus Promotion and Tenure Committee. Units within the College shall maintain their promotion and tenure requirements and procedures in a manner that is consistent with College policies and the Provost’s policies. The responsibility for preparation of all submissions and papers proposing advancement in academic rank or awarding of tenure shall be in the unit in which the eligible candidate’s largest percentage of appointment is held. Such unit shall be designated the responsible unit by the Dean of FAA for each non-tenured faculty member of the College unless otherwise designated through agreement by all concerned unit heads and the Dean.

    5. Administrative Council

      The Administrative Council comprises the chairs, directors, or heads of all academic and service units reporting directly to the Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts: Krannert Art Museum, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts; Schools of Art and Design, Architecture, and Music; the Departments of Dance, Landscape Architecture, Theatre, and Urban and Regional Planning. The Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts chairs the Administrative Council, which will have monthly scheduled meetings, with additional meetings as needed called by the Dean or at the request of members of the Administrative Council. The Council works closely with the Dean on all matters of College policy including budget and strategic planning.

    6. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access Committee
      1. The committee shall work to advance diversity, inclusion, equity, and access and oppose racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, and prejudice in all its forms, in all aspects of the college mission.
      2. The committee includes, but is not limited to, one or two faculty or staff from each academic and administrative unit, appointed by the Dean based on recommendations from the unit executive officers. The Dean may also appoint student representatives to the committee. The committee also includes the Associate Dean for DEI, who will serve as the representative for the Dean’s Office. In addition, the committee will invite input from FAA students during at least one meeting per semester.
      3. Members will serve staggered terms with possibility of renewal.
      4. The Dean shall appoint a chair of the committee; typically this shall be the college’s Associate Dean for DEI. The chair will represent the college in campus-level diversity and accessibility efforts and serve to connect college-level goals and work to campus-level initiatives and priorities.
    7. Appointed Standing Committees

      The following committee is appointed by the Dean:

      1. Courses and Curriculum
    8. The Dean shall appoint such ad hoc or special committees as are recommended by the Executive Committee, the faculty, and other members of the College, or as deemed necessary by the Dean.
    9. The chair of any College committee may request to make presentation(s) to the Executive Committee.

  7. Reviews of Administrators

    All chief administrators of state-funded budgetary units within the College, as well as the Dean, shall be subject to periodic review as described in detail in the current Guidelines for Reviews of Administrators in the College of Fine and Applied Arts.

    1. Chairpersons of departments, directors of schools and Krannert Art Museum and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and the Dean shall be reviewed annually by their respective Executive or Advisory Committee who shall give notice of a recommendation to reappoint or not to reappoint to the administrator to whom the administrator being reviewed reports. Heads of departments shall be reviewed annually by their respective Executive or Advisory Committee in consultation with the Dean.
    2. Chairpersons and heads of departments, directors of schools and Krannert Art Museum and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and the Dean shall also be more thoroughly evaluated at least once every five years. For these evaluations, a review committee shall be appointed by the administrator to whom the administrator being evaluated reports in consultation with the Executive Committee of the unit. This review committee shall consult with faculty, academic professionals, non-academic staff, and students of the unit whose administrator is being evaluated and shall prepare a report including summaries of comments or surveys received, an evaluation of the administrator’s performance, and any recommendations for future action. This report shall be presented to the administrator’s direct supervisor, who shall discuss the report with the administrator under evaluation and take any appropriate actions.
    3. The members of the Dean’s Evaluation Committee should reflect the makeup of the members of the College, and may include staff and/or students in the College as well as faculty. The chair of a Dean’s Evaluation Committee normally should be a faculty member holding the rank of full professor and whose primary appointment is in a different college, and should be appointed by the Provost.

  8. Procedures for Complaints and Grievances

    These procedures apply to faculty as defined in items 1 and 2 in Section III A of these bylaws and other members of the College as defined in Section III B. Other academic staff and academic professional staff should refer to campus grievance procedures. Civil Service employees should refer to Policy and Rules for Civil Service Staff for procedures applying to that employee group. These procedures are intended to address complaints from faculty of the College concerning actions and policies of the executive officers of the units of the College, members of the College staff, or members of College committees, except complaints related to discrimination and/or harassment.

    1. The Grievance Committee shall consist of the members of the College Executive Committee elected from the tenure-granting departments and schools except those elected from the unit from which the grievance arises. An additional appointee from the Specialized Faculty Advisory Committee shall serve as a member only for purposes of grievances concerning specialized faculty. The elected Vice Chair of the Executive Committee shall chair the Grievance Committee unless the chair is from the unit from which the grievance arises, in which case the Committee will select a chair for the particular case. The Committee shall be advisory to the Dean.
    2. Before filing a formal grievance with the Committee, the grievant should first try to resolve the problem informally with the individual(s) against whom the grievance is being made (“the respondent(s)”).
    3. In the event that informal resolution is not possible, the formal grievance should be explicitly stated in writing and presented to the chair of the Grievance Committee and the Dean, including the facts relating to the matter and the resolution sought by the grievant.
    4. Within 10 working days of receiving a grievance, the Committee will inform, in writing, the individual(s) against whom the grievance is made of the matter under dispute, including the identity of the grievant. The respondent(s) will then be given the opportunity to reply in writing to the written grievance, within 10 working days of receipt.
    5. The grievant will be given the opportunity to reply in writing to the respondent’s rejoinder within 10 working days of receipt.
    6. Within 10 working days of receiving the respondent’s rejoinder, the Committee will convene to address the grievance and to solicit whatever information it deems appropriate to consider. At that meeting, the Committee will establish a time frame for completing this stage of the process and will inform the grievant and respondent of this schedule.
    7. The grievant will have the right to be accompanied by an advisor of his/her choice at any and all stages of the grievance process.
    8. The findings of the Committee will be communicated in writing to the Dean, the grievant, and the respondent(s).
    9. The Dean will, within 10 working days of receiving the Committee’s recommendations, consider the recommendations of the Committee and take any action he or she considers appropriate. The Dean will communicate his or her decision to the grievant, the respondent(s), and the Grievance Committee. The Dean’s decision may be appealed to the UIUC Faculty Advisory Committee.

    All deliberations of the Committee will be kept in strictest confidence.

    All grievance investigations will function in a timely manner, specifying reasonable time frames for each step in the process, and a known point at which the process shall be considered complete.

  9. Amendments or Additions to Bylaws

    1. Proposals for amendments or additions may be made by any member of the College by submitting the proposed change to the Dean or to the Executive Committee.
    2. Amendment of these bylaws may occur in either of two ways:
      1. A two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at a College meeting, provided that the notice of the proposed amendment shall have been set forth in the notice of the meeting.
      2. The Executive Committee may, by a majority vote of those present and voting, require that a written ballot be submitted to the College. Approval shall be by a simple majority of the votes cast.

The College of Fine and Applied Arts bylaws were revised and approved by the tenured and tenure-track faculty and other members of the College at the College meeting on May 5, 2022.

Previous Versions of Bylaws

May 3, 2018 September 17, 2013 September 2013 Revisions April 2013 Revisions
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