Guidelines for the Governance of the Division of Science and Mathematics

(Amended and Approved by the Division of Science and Mathematics on April 7, 2026.)

  1. Introduction 
    The UMM 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 UMM 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 UMM 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, environmental science, 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. The faculty in a discipline should meet and consult with faculty from outside of that discipline who contribute to the curriculum of the program pertaining to that 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; 
      4. 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, 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.