VCOM Faculty Handbook

VCOM Faculty Senate Overview To function effectively, the College needs input from a variety of groups that represent a diversity of interests. The Campus Faculty Assemblies, Campus Faculty Senates, and College-wide Faculty Senate provide an accessible mechanism for voicing faculty concerns and ideas to the College. These exist to foster a community of mutual respect and cooperation within the College, and to expedite and promote communication in matters of faculty concern to the VCOM’s Administration. Each VCOM campus shall have a Campus Faculty Assembly and Campus Faculty Senate. The Campus Faculty Assembly exists so as to provide faculty members the opportunity to freely exchange ideas and concerns. The Campus Faculty Senate is responsible to represent the faculty on their campus on matters that affect the campus faculty to the Campus Dean and Campus Associate Deans. A College-wide Faculty Senate exists to represent the faculty to both the Provost and the President on institution wide decisions and policies that affect the college faculty. Campus Faculty Assembly and Campus Faculty Senate Membership of the Campus Faculty Assembly All contracted faculty members (full-time or part-time) at the level of Instructor or greater constitute the Faculty Assembly on each campus. VCOM’s officers and senior administrators (President, Provost, Campus Deans, Vice Presidents, Vice Provosts, and Associate Deans) are not considered members of the Faculty Assembly. Membership of the Campus Faculty Senate The Campus Faculty Senate shall consist of seven voting representatives (Campus Senators) elected from the ranks of the Campus Faculty Assembly. Members of the Campus Faculty Assembly will elect their own Campus Senators. Campus Senators will serve two-year terms and may not serve more than three consecutive terms. Representation on the Campus Faculty Senate is determined as follows: a. Three Campus Senators from the biomedical sciences discipline/department. b. Two Campus Senators from the primary care discipline/department (family medicine, osteopathic manipulative medicine, sports medicine, geriatrics, underserved care, internal medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, pediatrics). c. Two Campus Senators from the medical specialties discipline/department (emergency medicine, surgery, psychiatry, neurology, radiology). d. Campus Faculty Senates of New Branch Campuses will be represented by seven, at-large, full time faculty members until equal representation amongst the three divisions listed above is possible (usually within the 2nd or 3rd year of operation). When mature, the Campus Faculty Assembly will elect seven Campus Senators from each division as noted above. The new elections will be held no later than the next election date. Duties of the Campus Faculty Senate The duties of the Campus Faculty Senate are to represent the faculty on their campus on matters that affect the campus faculty to the Campus Dean and Associate Deans. The responsibilities and powers of the faculty remain with the faculty as a whole.

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