Faculty Assembly

Authority: Roseman University of Health Sciences (RUHS) is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities and is authorized by the Nevada Commission on Postsecondary Education. The college of medicine is authorized by the Board of Trustees, the university’s principal fiduciary governing board, who voted to create the college.

Purpose: These bylaws establish the governance of the RUCOM faculty and describe the means for participation in that governance. The bylaws are written to assist faculty, staff, and college administrators in meeting their responsibilities so that members of the administration and faculty may understand their mutual responsibilities and faithfully perform their duties in pursuing excellence in education, research, clinical practice, and service.

This document provides a written record of the consensus of the faculty of RUCOM regarding its self-governance. Nothing in this document shall conflict with policies of RUHS or the RUHS Faculty Handbook. If any such conflict should arise, the university policies and/or provisions of the RUHS Faculty Handbook shall prevail.

A. General
B. Dean
C. Administrative Structure
D. Departments
E. Centers & Institutes

The dean is the college of medicine’s chief administrative officer and may serve as, or delegate his authority as, the chief academic officer. Administrative responsibilities for the college are delegated to senior executive deans who are responsible for the organization and implementation of programs under their authority. Academic departments are charged with implementation of the educational, research, and clinical programs of the college.

All administrative divisions and academic departments report directly or indirectly to the RUCOM dean.

1. Appointment: The dean is appointed by the president of RUHS after consultation with the RUHS Administrative Council and the appointment is reported to the RUHS Board of Trustees. The dean reports to the president and serves at the will of the president.

2. Responsibilities: The dean is responsible for the conduct and quality of the medical education program, development, and expansion of the college consistent with the college’s mission, implementation of policies established by the RUHS Board of Trustees, maintenance of adequate faculty to achieve the goals of the medical education program, strategic planning for the college, and functional integration of all programmatic components. The dean oversees medical education, scholarly activity, patient care, and community outreach activities at the college of medicine and is charged with seeking and maintaining accreditation by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME).

Together with the duly appointed and elected committees of the faculty, the dean is responsible for the development and implementation of college of medicine policies; development and administration of the college’s educational program(s); supporting continuing education for professional and lay audiences; contribution to the development of university policies; patient care provided under the auspices of the college of medicine; support and encouragement of research; and leadership in the state of Nevada in these various areas.

The dean is responsible for reviewing the leadership team and the department chairs annually and for five-year chair evaluations.

3. Authority: The dean has such authority and duties as prescribed by the RUHS Board of Trustees and by these bylaws. The dean has the authority to carry out the responsibilities of the position, including but not limited to developing, approving, and implementing policies, administering budgets, and providing leadership in pursuit of the college of medicine’s missions and strategic initiatives. The dean may create offices and appoint and delegate responsibilities to additional administrators to assist in discharging these duties, including senior executive, associate and assistant deans, and directors.

The dean shall create offices headed by senior executive deans to carry out the administration of the Roseman University College of Medicine under his direction. The dean appoints senior executive deans who serve at the pleasure of the dean.

Departments are the academic units charged with implementation and enhancement of the educational, scholarly, and clinical programs of the college of medicine. There are three academic departments: the Department of Basic Sciences, the Department of Clinical Sciences, and the Department of Bioethics, Humanism, and Policy. All faculty are members of at least one academic department. Each department is overseen by a department chair.

1. Department Chairs: Department chairs are appointed by the dean and report directly to the dean. Department chairs are expected to lead the development and enhancement of their department and play an active role in assessing, determining, and making recommendations regarding departmental budget and space needs. Department chairs make recommendations regarding departmental faculty appointments, compensation, professional advancement, and multi-year contracts. Department chairs are responsible for annual performance reviews for departmental faculty and are expected to ensure adequate mentoring and professional development and promotion of departmental faculty. Department chairs work with individual faculty members to determine allocation of effort to education, research, clinical and/or administrative activities and to ensure the work profile is consistent with the faculty member’s professional category.
2. Five Year Chair Evaluations: The performance of each chair is reviewed in depth every five years. Chairs are evaluated in the context of meeting their responsibilities and duties and their efforts to realize the specific goals agreed to by the department, the chair, and the dean. The time of evaluation should be toward the end of the penultimate year of the term of office. An evaluation of the work of any department chair at other than the regular period may be initiated by the chair of the department, the dean, or the president; in addition, such a review may be requested by a simple majority of full-time employed members of the department by a petition to the dean.

RUHS has a policy for the establishment of centers and institutes. These entities, when established, will be incorporated into the organizational structure of the college of medicine, and will potentially bridge departmental as well as college boundaries, for the overall benefit of RUHS. The ability to create centers and institutes and assign their leadership rests with RUHS leadership.

A. Definitions
B. Faculty Appointment, Promotion, & Five-Year Contract
C. Faculty Annual Review

1. Faculty: The terms “faculty” and “faculty member” denote individuals who contribute to the Roseman University College of Medicine’s educational mission, are recommended for appointment by the Faculty Appointment and Promotions Committee and are appointed by the dean.
2. Faculty Categories and Rank: Faculty categories and rank designations are described in the RUCOM Faculty Appointment Policy.

Terms of appointment and matters of promotion shall be governed by applicable university regulations, policies, and procedures. As an academic unit of RUHS, RUCOM is subject to university promotion policies. RUCOM promotion and appointment policies and procedures are set forth in the RUCOM Faculty Appointment and Promotion Guide.

All regular, clinical practice, and clinical teaching faculty directly involved with medical education, regardless of rank, will be evaluated annually by their department chair or chair’s designee.

A. Faculty Assembly
B. Standing Committee Charges
C. University Level Governance
D. Communication Regarding Governance

The Roseman University College of Medicine (RUCOM) Faculty Assembly serves as the representative body for RUCOM faculty. It collaborates with and advises the dean, academic leadership, and other individuals and committees on matters concerning the well-being and future of the college of medicine, its faculty, and students through its executive committee and elected representatives to RUCOM standing committees. The Faculty Assembly operates according to the Faculty Assembly Charter. 

1. Faculty Executive Committee: The Faculty Assembly is governed by an executive committee of elected members. The executive committee consists of a chair, a chair-elect, and the immediate past chair. The Executive Committee of the Faculty Assembly provides a forum for faculty concerns, discussion, and communication throughout the year. It meets regularly to hear matters of concern to the college, prepare the list of nominated candidates for college and university committees, and administer elections. Between faculty assembly meetings, the Executive Committee has the authority to conduct business and make recommendations on behalf of the faculty. The executive committee operates according to the Faculty Assembly Charter.
2. Voting Privileges: Only regular faculty with 0.4 FTE or higher are eligible to vote. All faculty holding executive dean or department chair titles shall be ex-officio non-voting members of the assembly. Faculty on leave of absence will be considered non-voting members of the faculty.

1. Standing Committee Operations
2. Admissions Committee Charge
3. Continuous Quality Improvement Committee Charge
4. Curriculum Committee Charge
5. Dean’s Executive Committee Charge
6. Faculty Appointment & Promotion Committee Charge
7. Learning Environment & Professionalism Committee Charge
8. Medical Student Promotion & Review Committee Charge

a. Committee Chairs: The dean of the college of medicine appoints the chair of each standing committee. Individuals may not concurrently serve as chair of more than one standing committee.

b. Committee Appointments: The dean of the college of medicine, in consultation with the Faculty Executive Committee of the Faculty Assembly, will appoint members to serve on committees of the college when they have the sole authority for appointment or when necessary to fill any mid-year vacancy.

c. Elected Committee Positions: The Faculty Executive Committee shall annually solicit nominations, including self-nominations, from the faculty to serve as elected members of the various committees at the college and university level. These nominations shall serve as the basis for the slate of candidates for faculty elections.

d. Meeting Minutes: Each committee will keep the minutes of its meetings, indicating the date and time of the meeting, those in attendance, and actions taken. Copies of the minutes will be maintained by the Office of Faculty Affairs and Learning Innovation.

e. Annual Reports: Committees will prepare annual reports of their activities which shall be submitted by the committee chair to the Dean’s Executive Committee no later than June 15 of every year. A summary of each report will be presented at the appropriate meeting of the Faculty Assembly.

f. Sub-Committees: Standing committees may create sub committees to address specific needs as per their charters.

The Admissions Committee is charged with establishing clear guidelines and objectives for the admissions process, ensuring holistic review and a fair and transparent evaluation process for all applicants to Roseman University College of Medicine (RUCOM). The mission of the committee is to identify and select individuals who demonstrate academic excellence, diverse perspectives, and potential contributions to RUCOM and the practice of medicine. By upholding high standards of integrity, inclusivity, and thoroughness, the committee aims to build a talented and diverse medical student body that will thrive in the medical community and make meaningful contributions to society. The admissions committee has the final authority to select students for the MD degree program. The committee operates according to the Admissions Committee Charter.

The Continuous Quality Improvement Committee is charged with overseeing a monitoring system that ensures effective processes for maintaining compliance with LCME accreditation standards, including determining the timing of review of specific elements and documenting continuous quality improvement initiatives, assessment plans, results, and use of results for improvements. The committee may also conduct other quality improvement activities based on RUCOM priorities. The committee operates according to the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee Charter.

The Curriculum Committee is charged with the central management of the RUCOM doctor of medicine degree program curriculum. The Curriculum Committee and its subcommittees develop and review educational program objectives; ensure horizontal and vertical curricular integration; monitor the overall quality of courses and clerkships; monitor outcomes of the entire curriculum; and monitor the doctor of medicine degree program curriculum for achievement of program goals and compliance with accreditation standards. The Curriculum Committee operates according to the Curriculum Committee Charter.

The Dean’s Executive Committee is charged with providing strategic dialogue and counsel to the dean and with the management and operation of RUCOM. The dean meets regularly with the committee, and members of the committee are embedded in the committee governance structure of the college to facilitate communication to and from the Dean throughout all operational areas. The dean, as the chief administrative officer, is responsible for approval of and implementation of all policy decisions not otherwise delegated to a standing committee with independent authority. The committee operates according to the Dean’s Executive Committee Charter.

The Faculty Appointment and Promotion Committee (FAPC) is charged with reviewing and recommending candidates for appointment, promotion, and/or five-year contract in accordance with the guidelines and standards presented in the Roseman University Faculty Handbook, the Roseman University College of Medicine Faculty Appointment and Promotion Guide, and college-level policy and procedure. The committee shall regularly review and make recommendations concerning the guidelines and standards for faculty appointment, promotion, and contract renewal. The committee operates according to the Faculty Appointment and Promotion Committee Charter.

The Learning Environment and Professionalism Committee is charged with ensuring that the college of medicine maintains high-quality, professional, respectful, and nurturing learning environments including in clinical, simulation, classroom, laboratory, household, library, and study spaces. The committee promotes high standards for professional behavior at the college especially by fostering respect, beneficence, adaptability, curiosity, compassion, integrity, responsiveness, discernment, and excellence. Toward this end, the committee makes policy and procedure recommendations based on analysis of data related to the learning environment at RUCOM. The committee operates according to the Learning Environment and Professionalism Committee Charter.

The Medical Student Promotion and Review Committee (MedSPARC) is charged with ensuring that all students who advance in the medical school curriculum perform at a level consistent with RUCOM’s mission, vision, values, and educational policies. The committee is responsible for issues related to medical student advancement, promotion, graduation, and any disciplinary action. The committee is charged with evaluating and making decisions concerning promotion, remediation, probation, involuntary leaves of absence, extended curriculum plans, suspension, dismissal, graduation, and all other disciplinary actions. The committee operates according to the Medical Student Promotion and Review Committee Charter.

College of medicine faculty shall contribute to university-level governance by serving in the RUHS Faculty Senate, RUHS standing committees, and/or ad hoc committees requiring faculty participation.

3. RUHS Faculty Senate: The Roseman University College of Medicine is entitled to a minimum of two representatives to the Roseman University of Health Sciences Faculty Senate.
4. RUHS Standing Committees:
   Ad Hoc Standing Committee on Faculty Rights
   Ad Hoc Special Review Committee
   Standing Committee on Academic Integrity
   Standing Committee on Chemical, Biological, and Radiation Safety
   Animal Care and Use Committee
   Institutional Review Board
   Standing Committee on Information and Technology Services
   University Website Steering Committee
   University Fringe Benefits Committee
   Standing Committee on Employee Tuition Assistance
5. RUHS Ad Hoc Committees: RUHS faculty are entitled to request an Ad Hoc Grievance Special Review Committee for the purpose of mediating a grievance or an Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Rights for the purpose of contesting an adverse employment. The function, operation, and membership of these committees is outlined in the RUHS Faculty Handbook. Each type of committee includes a spot for an elected member of the RUCOM faculty.
   a. Ad Hoc Committee Selection:
   To streamline the process of selecting faculty representatives for these two committees, the RUCOM Faculty Assembly will conduct a single vote to create a pool of potential representatives by electing two members of each department to serve in the pool. This pool will be used to select faculty members for ad hoc committees as the need arises using the process outlined in the RUCOM Ad Hoc Committee Selection Procedure.

The Office of Faculty Affairs and Learning Innovation will house the meeting records of the Faculty Assembly and the Faculty Executive Committee and will provide the administrative support to ensure that the faculty is given at least one week’s notice of the time, place, and agenda for meetings of either body to ensure the timely distribution of meeting minutes to the faculty.

Proposals to amend these bylaws may be initiated by the Faculty Executive Committee or the college of medicine dean. The Faculty Executive Committee will assess the proposals and create draft amendments. Draft amendments will be provided to the faculty via email, and faculty will have a minimum of 20 days to comment on the draft amendments. After the 20-day comment period, the Faculty Executive Committee shall meet to consider comments and prepare proposed amendments for a full vote of the faculty. A motion to amend the bylaws must be passed by a simple majority of eligible voting members at a meeting of the Faculty Assembly. After a successful vote of the faculty to amend the bylaws, the Faculty Executive Committee shall forward amendments to the dean for final approval. The bylaws of the college shall stand automatically amended as necessary to comply with policies of RUHS or with the law.