1. FACULTY

The faculty of the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology of the University of Georgia consists of all the regular and adjunct professors, associate professors, and assistant professors having full or part-time appointments in the department plus research professionals, emeritus faculty, and such ex-officio members as may be designated by the statutes of the University of Georgia and the By-laws of Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Tenured and tenure-earning faculty members with full and part-time appointments constitute the eligible voting faculty.

2. HEAD

The Department Head is the chief administrative officer of the department and is responsible for the equitable and effective use of the department’s resources and for providing leadership and focus for the department. The term of office for the Department Head is three years and during the Fall semester of the third year of service, the tenured and tenure-earning faculty members, shall review, in consultation with the Dean of the Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, the performance of the incumbent and vote on his or her continued service. As long as the review of the Department Head is positive, the Dean may reappoint the incumbent for an additional three-year term. There is no limit on the number of three-year terms that may be served.

Associate Head: An Associate Department Head, recommended by the Head and approved by a majority of the eligible voting faculty, shall assist the Head for a three-year term. At the end of each three-year term, expected to coincide with evaluation of the Head, the Head will recommend to the faculty that the incumbent either be reappointed or not. The tenured and tenure-earning faculty will vote on the recommendation, with a majority vote binding. There is no limit on the number of three-year terms that may be served.

3. FACULTY MEETINGS

Regular meetings of the faculty will be scheduled before the beginning of each semester and held monthly during the academic year. Special meetings may be called by the Head as deemed necessary or may be called upon petition by not less than one-third of the eligible voting faculty. In all special meetings, discussions and actions shall be limited to specific items enumerated on the agenda. For all meetings, a quorum shall consist of a majority of the tenured and tenure-earning faculty. The Head is responsible for providing minutes of each meeting to be approved by the eligible voting faculty at the subsequent meeting. A representative of the departmental Graduate Student Association is invited to attend each meeting.

4. COMMITTEES

The standing committees of the department that are appointed by the Head include the Computer Committee, the Graduate Studies Committee, the Grievance Committee, the Safety Committee, the Seminar Committee, and the Undergraduate Studies Committee. Committee membership is for three-year terms that may be renewed. The Department Head may, in addition, appoint ad hoc committees or individuals as needed for specific purposes. All members of the faculty are eligible for committee service with voting privileges. The Executive Committee, composed of tenured and tenure-earning faculty and to be elected by a majority vote of the eligible voting faculty for three-year terms, acts in an advisory capacity to the Department Head on matters of policy, faculty recruitment, promotions and tenure, budget, student relations, curriculum, space allocation, and planning.

5. BY-LAW REVISIONS

The faculty of the department shall have the power to alter, amend, or abolish these By-laws or to adopt new By-laws by majority vote by written ballot at any regular or special faculty meeting. All proposed changes must be distributed to the faculty a minimum of two weeks prior to the faculty meeting at which the vote will occur.