Guidelines for the Governance of the Division of Science and Mathematics

(Approved by the Division of Science and Mathematics on April 14, 2020.)

1. Introduction 
   The UMN Morris Constitution provides a legal basis for the existence of the division as the basic academic functional unit of the campus. These guidelines are intended to supplement the constitution in areas of operation of the division not explicitly covered there. In case of any conflicts between the two documents, the provisions of the UMN Morris Constitution take precedence. 
    
2. Division Chair 
   The chair serves the division in three distinct capacities:
   1. as chief administrative officer responsible for setting and maintaining standards of teaching and scholarly productivity, for the allocation of budgets and research space and other divisional resources, for curricular development, and for personnel matters within the division, as specified by the UMN Morris Constitution;
   2. as the official representative of the division to the administration, and as a liaison between the administration and the division;
   3. as a distinguished member of the faculty, whose teaching and scholarly accomplishments serve as a model to his/her constituents and earn the respect of the campus community. 
       
3. Discipline 

   1. Organization 
      The discipline will be the basic organizational unit of the division. The existing disciplines within the division are: biology, chemistry, computer science, geology, mathematics, physics, and statistics. All faculty of the discipline, including professors, associate professors, assistant professors, instructors, lecturers, and teaching specialists, and student representatives will constitute and be voting members of the discipline. Regular participation in discipline functions is considered an integral part of the faculty members' and student representatives' responsibility to the university. 

      The division also houses the environmental science major which is managed by the Environmental Science Advisory Group. This group, defined in more detail in the appendix, functions in many ways like a discipline.

   2. Functions 
      The discipline will advise the division chairperson on such matters as faculty  positions, curriculum, budget, student petitions, directed studies, teaching  assignments, library acquisitions, purchase and maintenance of equipment, student  employment, or other matters affecting the discipline. 
       
   3. Coordinator 
      Each discipline will select a faculty member of the discipline as its coordinator. The  method of selection and term of office of the coordinators is left to the individual  disciplines. In the event that a discipline fails to select a coordinator, the division  chairperson will appoint one. 
      The duties and responsibilities of the coordinator will include:
      1. serving as liaison between the division chairperson and the discipline, including  service on the Divisional Advisory Council (as described below);
      2. coordinating and facilitating the discipline's handling of those matters listed in  Section C.2.;
      3. calling discipline meetings and serving as chairperson of these meetings; d) appointing a secretary to take minutes of discipline meetings. 
          
   4. Other Discipline Responsibilities 
      Some other responsibilities within a discipline such as T.A. supervision, library  holdings, overseeing instrumentation items and other equipment, freshman  placement, etc. may be coordinated by individuals designated by the discipline. The  work of these individuals and discipline representatives on divisional committees will  be reported to the discipline for information and/or approval in a timely manner. 
       

   5. Student Representatives 
      There will be one student from each discipline for each 30 majors, or fraction thereof,  in that discipline serving as student representative to the division and to the individual  discipline. In their capacity as voting members of the division and the individual  discipline, they will act as representatives-at-large of the students in the division and  will serve as liaison between the disciplines and the students in the individual  disciplines. Terms for student representatives will be one year, with elections held the  previous spring semester. The vote tallies will be retained, and should an elected  representative leave school or resign his/her duties as representative during the term  of office, the next runner-up from the original election will be appointed as a  replacement. 

      Students will be expected to declare their major area(s) at the time of voting. A  student may declare more than one major area; however, the individual student  should have a total of one vote, to be divided between the majors declared.

4. Divisional Advisory Council 
    
   1. Functions 
      The Divisional Advisory Council (DAC) will serve as the major liaison between the  division chair and the disciplines, and as an advisory group to the division chair. The  group will meet as necessary to review and discuss divisional business and decisions. 
       
   2. Composition 
      The DAC will consist of the coordinator of each discipline, including the coordinator  of the Environmental Science program, plus the division chair who will serve as  chairperson of the DAC. 
       
5. Committees 
    
   1. The division chair, the DAC or the division may establish ad hoc committees to  undertake special charges. The charge, membership, and term of office will be  defined as those committees are established. 
       
   2. Standing Committees 
       
      1. A Division Safety Committee will be established as a standing committee to  insure continued safety consciousness and compliance with various safety  regulations. This committee will consist of one faculty member from each of the  disciplines. Disciplines will select their representatives at the beginning of each  fall semester on the initiative of the division chair, who will also serve as  convener of the first meeting. The committee, in consultation with the division  chair, will establish appropriate formats for meetings, keeping records, dispensing  information, and conducting safety inspections.
      2. Other standing committees may be established by the procedure described below  for amending this document. 
          
6. Amendment Procedures 
   The Division of Science and Mathematics may amend these guidelines by a two-thirds  majority vote of its voting membership, providing that a proposed amendment has been  presented at a previous meeting of the division and has been distributed to the voting  members at least two weeks prior to the vote on its adoption.

Appendix: Environmental Science Advisory Group

1. Each discipline in the Science and Mathematics Division has the option to appoint one  faculty member to the Environmental Science Advisory Group.
2. A coordinator will be selected by the group by simple majority vote (if consensus cannot be  reached.)
3. Appointments of group members, including the coordinator, will run for a calendar year  (January-December) and are renewable.
4. Appointments will be solicited by the coordinator in December of each year.
5. Student representatives will be selected following the same procedure as used for Science  and Mathematics Division disciplines.
6. Members will take back to their disciplines issues that arise pertaining specifically to their  disciplines.
7. Members will bring to the group issues pertaining to the environmental science major that  arise from the disciplines (e.g. faculty leaves affecting the offering of a course). 

The Environmental Science Advisory Group coordinator, with input from the advisory group, is responsible for ECAS, PCAS, and catalog updates. This includes the option of appropriate delegation to other members of the advisory group.

The advisory group will create and maintain a list of environmental science advisers which will be available in the division office and in the advising office.

The advisory group will vote on student petitions and waivers for the environmental science major.

In the event advisory group membership drops below four faculty, at the next division meeting the advisory group structure and support will be addressed.

A list of advisory group members will be made available in the division office.