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UTRGV School of Medicine Bylaws

UTRGV School of Medicine Bylaws

Effective Date: May 1, 2022 (as amended)

PREAMBLE

These Bylaws provide a framework within which the faculty of the School of Medicine ("SOM") participates in the educational and decision-making processes of the School. These Bylaws are valid to the extent they comply with policies, procedures, and processes set forth by the State of Texas, The University of Texas System ("UT System") Regents' Rules and Regulations, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ("UTRGV'') and the UTRGV Handbook of Operating Procedures (“HOP").

ARTICLE I. NAME

This organization shall be known as the Faculty of the School of Medicine at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

The names of the School of Medicine entities created in this document shall be The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine Faculty Assembly (herein referred to as the Assembly), the Dean's Advisory Committee and the Council of Chairs. These governing bodies may submit recommendations on any matters affecting the interests of the SOM to the Dean for action and transmittal to the President, the Chancellor, and/or Board of Regents, as appropriate.

ARTICLE II. MISSION

The mission of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine (UTRGV SOM) is to educate a diverse group of dedicated students, residents, and fellows who will become physicians and who will serve across all the disciplines of medicine; to bring hope to patients by advancing medical knowledge through research; to integrate education and research to advance the quality and accessibility of patient care in an integrated manner; and to engage with the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) communities to benefit Texas and the world.

ARTICLE III. DEAN of the SOM

The President of the University appoints the Dean in conformance with such guidelines as the President may from time to time promulgate.

The Dean shall report to and be accountable to the President or his/her designee and shall serve at the pleasure of the President.

The Dean is the chief executive officer and the chief academic officer of the SOM. The Dean's duties and responsibilities are defined by any pertinent policies of the UT System Board of Regents and by the Dean's position description that may be issued by the President from time to time.

The Dean is responsible for all decisions regarding the academic, administrative, and financial affairs of the SOM.

The Dean shall be responsible for the administration of the SOM's budget that may be adopted by UTRGV and the UT System Board of Regents, including any budget rules or guidelines that may be adopted pursuant to that budget.

The Dean shall support the Assembly in carrying out its duties as set forth in these Bylaws, including requesting the Faculty Assembly to elect faculty to serve on designated standing SOM committees and providing an annual State of the School of Medicine address or statement that sets forth the academic condition of the SOM and outlines goals for the improvement of the academic policies and programs.

ARTICLE IV. SOM ORGANIZATION

SOM Administration and Staff

The Dean shall be responsible for supervising the SOM's administration and, subject to applicable UTRGV and UT System policies and within the authorized budget, shall appoint Senior Associate Deans, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, Department Chairpersons, Center/Institute Directors and other academic and administrative personnel to assist in those administrative activities.

Academic Departments/Centers/Institutes

Academic Departments/Centers/Institutes are established by the Dean from time to time with the approval of the President, and any required UT System or State of Texas authorities.

Each academic Department/Center/Institute shall be administered by a Department Chairperson, or for Institutes and Centers by Director. Chairpersons/Directors serve at the pleasure of the Dean. Chairpersons/ Directors are appointed for initial terms not to exceed six years but may be considered for subsequent reappointment. When a vacancy occurs, the Dean shall define the process to be used in filling that vacancy.

Responsibilities and Authority of each Department Chairperson/Center Director/Institute Director:

• Shall be directly accountable to the Dean;
• Shall be responsible for the administration of his/her Department/Center/Institute;
• Shall hold regular meetings of the Department/Center/Institute faculty to present pertinent information and to discuss issues that may include. among others, Department /Center/Institute or SOM policies, educational, research and service programs, long-range objectives and current problems. Chairpersons of larger Departments and Directors of larger Centers/Institutes that have been divided into Sections/Programs may elect to have regular meetings with the Sections Chiefs/Program Directors rather than with the entire faculty, with the expectation that the Chiefs will meet with their section/program faculty to present and discuss matters from the Section Chiefs'/Program Directors' meetings at regular intervals;
• Shall recruit and recommend to the Dean the appointment of faculty and other personnel;
• Shall be responsible for his/her Department's/Center's/Institute’s role in carrying out the programs that are the responsibility of SOM faculty;
• Shall be responsible for the implementation of all UTRGV and SOM policies and regulations applicable to the Department/Center/Institute;
• Shall prepare the Department/Center/Institute budget to be submitted to the Dean annually including recommendations for compensation of both faculty and non-faculty personnel;
• Shall be responsible for the budgetary control of his/her Department/Center/Institute and for the allocation of space within his/her Department/Center/Institute;
• Shall recommend faculty appointments, promotions and tenure to the Dean and pertinent UTRGV SOM committee for review and processing;
• Shall organize the Department/Center/Institute in a way that best serves the needs of the Department/Center/Institute and SOM, and provide for appropriate interaction with Department/Center/Institute faculty and between its faculty and leadership;
• Shall be responsible for the career development and mentoring of faculty members in his/her department.

ARTICLE V. FACULTY MEMBERSHIP

The General Faculty of the SOM shall consist of all full-time faculty members within the School (i.e., tenured, tenure-track, and full-time non-tenure track faculty members at the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor) and all part-time faculty members who are employed by the School of Medicine at least 0.5 FTE. A meeting of the General Faculty, led by the Dean, shall be held at least four times per year. Special meetings of the General Faculty may be called by the Dean, with the purpose stated in the call.

 

ARTICLE VI. FACULTY ASSEMBLY

Faculty Assembly General Membership: The Assembly shall consist of all members of the General Faculty of the SOM as defined above.

Faculty Assembly Voting Membership: Each Assembly member shall have one vote. Voting may be carried out at meetings of the Assembly or electronically in a verifiable system.

• Voting at Assembly meetings: For a vote on a formal proposal to be taken at a Faculty Assembly meeting, it must be circulated to the voting members of the Assembly at least 14 calendar days (including holidays) before the vote. Attendance of 20% of the voting members of the Assembly constitutes a quorum. A simple majority of votes cast is required to pass a proposal.
• Voting electronically: A formal proposal may be voted on electronically by voting members of the Assembly using a verifiable, secure online system. Votes must be recorded from at least 50% of the voting members of the Assembly for the election to be valid. A simple majority of votes cast is required to pass a proposal.

Charge: The Assembly shall act as the principal advisory body for the development of policy for the SOM subject to the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System. The Dean of the SOM, as the Chief Executive and Academic Officer, is responsible for approval and implementation of all policy decisions, subject to the approval of the President of UTRGV, and when required by the UT System Board of Regents.

Faculty and Academic Affairs: The purpose and objectives of the Assembly are to foster and support excellence in all aspects of medical education, research, health care delivery, and community partnerships at the SOM.

Administrative Affairs: The Assembly is formed in accordance with the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents and exercises its authority within those rules. Members of the Assembly shall exhibit an active interest in the SOM's progress and future. It shall be charged with active participation in major planning for the SOM and the Institution as a whole. The Assembly shall accept responsibility for performing those functions essential to the furtherance and conduct of programs of excellence in all activities of the SOM. The Assembly shall forward issues to the UTRGV Faculty Senate that may affect the rights, privileges, responsibilities, and welfare of the faculty.

Student Affairs: Since the School of Medicine is, at its core, an educational endeavor, the members of the Assembly shall exhibit active interest in student affairs.

• The Assembly has responsibilities to establish, by example, and to maintain, by appropriate means, exemplary standards of ethical, moral, personal, and professional conduct by the student body.
• Insofar as practical, and within the Rules and Regulations of the University and pertinent laws, the conduct and regulation of student activities other than those relating to academic matters shall be controlled by the students acting through their own organization and rules.
• Consideration shall be given to ensuring appropriate student representation on SOM committees and in various functions as defined by the faculty bodies.
• Upon recommendation by the Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee, the Assembly is responsible for recommending candidates for certification for graduation by the President of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, the Chancellor of The University of Texas System, and the Board of Regents of The University of Texas System.

Faculty Assembly Officers: The officers of the Assembly shall be the Chair, Chair-Elect, Assembly Representative-at-large, and the Secretary/Treasurer. For a given term, no two officers, may represent the same department. Members of the Dean's Advisory Committee and SOM Faculty Senators are not eligible to serve as officers of the Assembly. The officers shall be elected by the Assembly. The Chair, Chair-Elect of the assembly are ex officio members of the Dean's Advisory Committee.

Terms of Assembly Officers: All terms of the officers correspond to the SOM fiscal year of September 1 through the following August 31. The Chair-Elect and Representative-at-Large will be elected annually for a one-year term. At the conclusion of these terms, the Chair-Elect will become the Chair, and the Representative-at-Large will become the Secretary/Treasurer. The Chair and Secretary/Treasurer will each serve a one-year term. Faculty members completing two years of service as Officers are eligible for immediate re-election once. Individuals are limited to four consecutive years as an Officer but are eligible for election again following at least one year in which they do not hold office.

Following the one-year term as Chair, the Immediate Past Chair may serve in a non-voting advisory capacity for one additional year at the request of the incoming Chair. In the event of a mid-term officer vacancy, the following succession rules will apply:

• Chair vacancy: The Chair-Elect will become Chair for the remainder of the current year and the following year. The Assembly Executive Committee will appoint an interim Chair-Elect from the faculty until a special election is conducted.
• Chair-Elect vacancy: The Assembly Executive Committee will appoint an interim Chair-Elect from the faculty until a special election is conducted..
• Secretary treasurer vacancy: The Representative-at-Large will become Secretary/Treasurer for the remainder of the current year and the following year. The Assembly Executive Committee will conduct a special election for a new Representative-at-Large, who will serve the remainder of the vacated one-year term.
• Representative-at-large vacancy: The Assembly Executive Committee will conduct a special election for a new Representative-at-Large, who will serve the remainder of the vacated one-year term.

Assembly Executive Committee: The Assembly Executive Committee (herein referred to as the Assembly EC) shall be composed of the officers of the Assembly (Chair, Chair-Elect, Assembly Representative-at-Large and Secretary/Treasurer) and three Faculty Senators from the SOM. The SOM Representative on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee serves as a member of the Assembly EC. The remaining two SOM senators will be chosen by the Officers of the Assembly to ensure diversity of representation of departments. The duties of the Assembly EC shall be to develop the agendas for regular and special meetings of the Assembly and to focus the activities of the Assembly.

Roles and Responsibilities: The Chair shall convene and preside over all meetings of the Assembly EC and of the Assembly (regular and special meetings). The Chair and the Chair-Elect (or designee) shall attend all Dean's Advisory Committee meetings and shall have one vote between them. The Chair-Elect shall preside over Assembly and Assembly EC meetings in the absence of the Chair. The Chair (or Chair's designee) shall attend the meetings of the UTRGV Faculty Senate. The Secretary/Treasurer is responsible for the minutes of the Assembly EC and Assembly meetings, and the Chair shall post them, in a timely fashion, to the Assembly website and shall oversee any financial affairs of the Assembly.

Faculty Assembly Meetings: Regular meetings of Assembly shall be convened by the Assembly EC at least one a year and no more than quarterly. The Assembly EC shall meet at least once every two months. Assembly members may submit items for any meeting agenda; agenda items must be submitted at least three days prior to the meeting. Proposed items for Assembly vote cannot be introduced unless submitted in writing to all members of the Assembly prior to the meeting.

Faculty Assembly Minutes: A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Assembly meetings shall be recorded, posted electronically and a copy will be sent to the Dean for permanent filing. 

Faculty Assembly Special Meetings: A special meeting of the Assembly shall be convened (a) at the direction of the Executive Committee, (b) upon request from the Dean, or (c) upon request of 10 percent or more of the members of the Assembly. Written notice of special meetings shall be sent to all Assembly members with a copy of the agenda for the meeting one week in advance of the meeting.

Election of Assembly Officers: The Assembly shall elect the Representative-at-Large and Chair-Elect from its membership annually by the end of May on a date determined by the Chair. The officers must be elected from the membership of the Assembly and will serve for two years as described under Faculty Assembly Officers, from September 1st of the elected year until August 31st of the second year.

Nomination and Election Procedures: The Assembly EC shall serve as the Election Committee that oversees annual elections of the Representative-at-Large of the Assembly, the Chair-Elect of the Assembly, members of the Promotion, Tenure, and Appointment Committee (PTAC) as outlined in the description of the PTAC, and members of the Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC) as outlined in the description of the CCAC. The Election Committee shall administer special Assembly elections as needed. The Election Committee shall determine the method for nominating candidates, balloting, and counting ballots, and for certifying the election. The call for nomination of candidates by the Assembly membership shall occur between March 1 and April 15. A member of the Election Committee will be designated to confirm each nominee's willingness to be a candidate. The slate of candidates will be developed from nominations received by the Election Committee, and a brief biographical sketch will be submitted by each candidate. The biographical sketches will be distributed to the members of the Assembly by email at least two weeks prior to the start of voting and posted on the Assembly website. Voting will be allowed for 15 calendar days, after which the Election Committee will certify the election. Election procedures may be held in conjunction with the election of the Faculty Senate. The Election  process will be completed by May 31 at the latest. Terms of appointment for Officers and elected committee members will be September 1 through August 31.

Impeachment of Assembly Officers: A Petition for Impeachment of an elected officer of the Assembly may be created when requested by at least 20 percent of the members of the Assembly. This written Petition for Impeachment shall be forwarded to the Dean of the SOM. The Dean shall appoint an Impeachment Committee consisting of those members of the Assembly EC who are not named in the Petition for Impeachment. The Impeachment Committee shall determine the method of voting and will request a special poll for Assembly members to vote for or against impeachment. A vote of no confidence shall consist of at least 50 percent of the Assembly eligible to vote in the impeachment poll. If the Impeachment Committee certifies a vote of no confidence, the impeached officer's appointment will be terminated immediately. The Impeachment Committee shall determine the method of notification of all parties regarding the voting results. The vacated office will be filled as described under Terms of Assembly Officers.

  

ARTICLE VII. ADVISORY COMMITEES AND COUNCILS

DEAN'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE

General Membership: The Dean's Advisory Committee shall consist of the Dean, all department chairs of the SOM, all directors of institutes/centers in the SOM, the Assembly Chair, the Assembly Chair-Elect, and the Assembly Secretary/Treasurer. The Vice, Senior Associate, Associate, and Assistant Deans of the School of Medicine are ex-officio members of the Committee with voting privileges. The Dean's Advisory Committee is advisory to the Dean, who shall make final decisions.

Voting Membership: Each member of the Dean's Advisory Committee shall have one vote. The ex- officio members may vote, make a motion, or second a motion. The Chair and Chair-Elect of the Assembly EC shall have one shared vote.

Charge: The purpose and objectives of the Dean's Advisory Committee are to foster and support excellence in all aspects of medical education, research, health care delivery, and community engagement at the SOM. The Dean's Advisory Committee shall consider any matters referred to it by the Faculty Assembly or by the Dean and shall act as the advisory body to the Dean. The Dean's Advisory Committee will consider and approve all non-curriculum related policies, with input from the Assembly EC. The Dean's Advisory Committee may establish standing committees as needed.

Dean's Advisory Committee Officers: The Officers of the Dean's Advisory Committee shall consist of the Chair and the Vice-Chair. The Dean of the SOM shall be the Chair and will appoint a Vice-Chair. The duty of the Vice-Chair is to serve as the Chair in the Dean's absence.

Dean's Advisory Committee Meetings: The Dean's Advisory Committee shall have regular monthly meetings. Special meetings of the Dean's Advisory Committee may be convened by either of the following: the Dean, upon request in writing from four members of the Dean's Advisory Committee, or upon request by 25 percent of the Assembly. For each meeting, a written notice and the agenda will be distributed in advance of the meeting at a time consistent with the urgency of the matter(s) at hand.

Dean's Advisory Committee Minutes: A full set of minutes of each meeting of the Dean's Advisory Committee shall be recorded, and the Dean's Office shall hold these minutes for permanent filing.

 

COUNCIL OF CHAIRS

Members: The Council membership will include all permanent and interim Chairs who supervise and evaluate faculty and who have budgetary oversight for a SOM department. The Chair of the Council is elected annually by the membership of the Council.

Charge: The purpose of the Council is to facilitate and improve the work of the Chairs in the SOM. The Council will foster communication and collaboration among the Chairs and encourage discussion of ideas, procedures, processes, and policies that are of mutual concern to the basic science and clinical departments. The Council will address organizational issues that are specific to the Chair role and will formulate recommendations for the Dean's consideration. The Council also will serve as a consultative body when the Dean requires input from the Chairs on specific issues.

Meetings: The Council of Chairs will meet monthly. The Dean of the SOM will be invited to attend at least every third meeting of the Council.

ARTICLE VIII. STANDING COMMITTEES and AD HOC COMMITTEES

All the committees named in these Bylaws, and all ad hoc committees, are medical school committees as defined in the Texas Occupations Code 160.007 and the Texas Health & Safety Code, 161.031-033. All communications to and from these committees are privileged and confidential and not subject to subpoena or discovery. Additionally, all such committees will include representation in accordance with applicable accreditation requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) and Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

1. Appointment of Committees

All committee appointments will coincide with the SOM's fiscal year, September 1 through August 31. Committee appointments will be identified by June 30 of each year with terms to begin 1 September. Committee rosters will be posted on the SOM's website no later than August 15 of each year. Unless otherwise noted, all committee members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Committees on Committees (COC). Faculty and staff will serve three-year  staggered terms with an option of a second term; students will serve a period one of one year as permitted by their academic status. In situations where an appointment at a certain rank is required (such as on the Promotion, Tenure, and Appointment Committee), individuals who will have the required rank on September 1 will be eligible for appointment. Election of faculty to committee positions will be done through the Faculty Assembly Election Committee process outlined above. Student members of committees will be nominated or elected by the Student Government Association depending upon committee requirements, reviewed by the Committee on Committees, and approved by the Dean. Resident members of committees will be nominated or elected by the Resident Leadership Council depending upon committee requirements reviewed by the Committee on Committees, and approved by the Dean. In the initiation of standing committees, the end of the initial terms of appointment will be staggered to provide for the subsequent even turnover of the membership annually.

The Dean, with input from the committee on Committees (COC), shall appoint the chairs (except for the Promotion, Tenure, and Appointment Committee for which the Chair is elected by the PTAC membership, and the Diversity Committee for which the Chair is the Chief Diversity Officer) and all members of all standing committees of the SOM. The Dean shall send a letter of appointment to each new committee member and publish a list of all standing committees, committee members, and committee chairs on or before August 15 of each year. In situations, deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service of any committee member. A committee chair may terminate the appointment of a committee member at the end of the academic year if the member does not attend meetings and/or vote at least 50% of the time. Each committee Chair is empowered to create additional subcommittees as needed. Terms are staggered to assure regular turnover of members. An administrative staff member will be assigned to each committee to provide administrative support. Additional non-voting members from the SOM administration may be added as needed to assist committees.

    2. Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committees may be created by the Dean of the SOM, who will appoint the members and the chairs of such committees. The Dean will give each ad hoc committee its charge at the first scheduled committee meeting. Each ad hoc committee shall not exist beyond the academic year (September 1 through August 31) in which it was created, unless specifically appointed by the Dean for a longer specified period. 

3. Committee Reporting Requirements

The chairs of each standing committee must submit to the Dean quarterly reports on committee activities. In August of each year, the committee Chair must submit a report of the committee accomplishments during the previous year, a set of priorities and goals for the coming year, and an assessment plan to monitor progress. Chairs are required to promptly notify the Dean and any applicable committee or dean relevant to the issue at hand, of any issues that come to the committee's attention that require immediate action.

4. Committee Composition, Meetings and Minutes

Composition. The composition of standing committees, including the number of members and membership criteria, are outlined in the Bylaws. Changes in the composition may be determined by the Dean, with the advice from the COC and in accordance with accreditation requirements. Consideration shall be given to ensuring appropriate student representation on medical school committees and in various functions as defined by the faculty bodies. All committee chairs may invite individuals as guests to attend committee meetings as needed to provide the committee with needed information. Such guests shall not have a vote, put forward a motion, or second a motion.

Meetings. All standing committees shall meet at least quarterly. Such meetings may be held electronically or telephonically. A majority, defined as 50% plus 1, of the voting members shall serve as a quorum on all matters. Special meetings of a committee may be convened by any of the following: the Committee Chair, the Dean, or upon request in writing from four members of the committee. A written notice of the meeting and the agenda will be distributed in a time frame consistent with the urgency of the matter(s) at hand.

Minutes. Minutes of each standing committee meeting shall be recorded, and a copy approved by such committee will be sent to the Dean's office for permanent filing.

5. Standing Committees

a. Committee on Committees

Charge: The Committee on Committees (COC) shall advise the Dean concerning the membership criteria, number of members, length of membership terms, and charges of the standing committees and shall make recommendations on the membership of those committees. The COC will identify qualified, interested members of the UTRGV SOM faculty, staff, and student/resident body to propose for membership on standing committees of the SOM. It may also be called upon to propose members for ad hoc committees, task forces, or other groups at the request of the Dean.  In addition, the COC is responsible for periodically reviewing existing committees so that appropriate recommendations can be made to the Dean regarding changes, additions, or deletions affecting the role, scope, and structure of those committees.

Membership: Seven (7) faculty members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Committee on Committee as outlined in this Section. In situations deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service of any committee member. 

Process: Annually, no later than April 1, the COC will send out a call for nominations (including self-nominations) of candidates to the membership of the Faculty Assembly, in addition to identifying potential committee nominees and encouraging their participation. The call will include a list of all standing committees with open positions; the charge for each committee; a statement indicating that an expression of interest does not guarantee election; and an opportunity for respondents to rank committees by level of interest.

The Committee on Committees will confirm each nominee's (other than self-nominations) willingness to serve if appointed. Nominations will close on April 30. The COC will review all submitted nominees who have agreed to serve if appointed and will forward approved nominees to the Dean by May 31. Every effort will be made by the COC to provide the Dean with twice the number of approved nominees as needed; the final selection of committee members will be made by the Dean from these approved nominees no later than June 30th.

 

b. Accreditation Review and Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (ARCQI)

Charge: The Accreditation Review and Continuous Quality Improvement Committee (ARCQI) is responsible for regularly monitoring the accreditation standards of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME) during the interval between accreditation visits for the purpose of continuous quality improvement of its medical education program. ARCQI shall assure that benchmarks and measurements selected for monitoring are appropriate and measurable and provide monitoring and oversight of any action plans.

In addition, the ARCQI committee shall address the following:

• Any existing or new elements where LCME expectations have evolved;
• Elements that include policies that must be congruent with current operations;
• Elements that directly or indirectly affect the core operations of the school; and
• Standards/elements that were cited in the SOM's previous LCME survey.

Membership: Membership on the committees shall consist of preclinical (4) and clinical faculty members (4), student (1), and staff members (2). At the discretion of the Dean, the appropriate deans for assessment, evaluation, accreditation, and quality improvement will be included as ex officio members.

Meetings: The ARCQI Committee will meet at least quarterly.

 

c. Admissions Committee

Charge: The Admissions Committee shall evaluate individual applicants, decide on offering interviews, and to decide the final ranking for acceptance following the interviews. The committee will make admission decisions in accordance with the educational goals articulated in the SOM mission statement. The committee will maintain independence and make decisions without external influence. The final authority for admissions decisions is the Admissions Committee. Decisions by the Admissions Committee cannot be overruled or rejected. The admissions Committee is empowered to create additional subcommittee as needed.

Membership: The committee will comprise a minimum of 20 members, of whom at least 75% are SOM full-time faculty. The remaining committee members may be residents, medical students, and community faculty.

 

d. Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC)

Charge: The Central Curricular Authority Committee (CCAC) is the body that oversees the undergraduate medical education program. The CCAC provides central oversight and is responsible for the overall design, management, integration, evaluation and enhancement of a coherent and coordinated curriculum. Specifically, the CCAC shall:

• Define objectives that guide curricular content and provide the basis for program evaluations of effectiveness;
• Define types of patients, clinical conditions, levels of responsibility, and appropriate settings for student experiences;
• Assure that the curriculum incorporates opportunities for active learning, independent study, development of critical thinking and problem-solving, demonstration of ethical behaviors, and practice of communication skills;
• Assure assessment of student outcomes;
• Ensure comparable educational experiences across sites within a discipline;
• Ensure that student formative and summative assessments measure outcomes linked to defined curricular objectives and that students receive them in a timely manner;
• Access expertise in curricular design, pedagogy, assessment and evaluation methods;
• Utilize national norms of accomplishment as a frame of reference;
• Monitor content and workload in each discipline and identify gaps and redundancies;
• Evaluate both whole and component parts of the curriculum for achievement of medical education program objectives, revising curriculum continuously and with freedom from parochial, political or department pressures;
• Ensure logical sequencing of the various segments of the curriculum;
• Ensure content is coordinated and integrated within and across the academic periods of study (i.e., horizontal, and vertical integration); 
• Establish graduation requirements for M.D. candidates;
• Ensure compliance with the LCME requirement; and 
• Considers and approves all curriculum related policies.

Membership: The committee shall include at least 16 voting faculty members unless otherwise determined by the Dean with advice from the Committee on Committees, and in accordance with accreditation requirements. Eight faculty members (four from the basic sciences and four from clinical areas) are appointed by the Dean based on the recommendations of the Committee on Committees. Eight faculty members (four basic science and four clinical) who are involved in teaching in the pre-clerkship or clerkship years will be elected by the Assembly in an election administered by the FAEC. In situations deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean extend or shorten the period of service of any committee member.

Four student representatives (one from each year) will be included on the CCAC. The student representatives will each have one vote. 

The Chair will be appointed by the Dean or the Dean's designee. The Vice Chair will be elected by the voting members of the CCAC. 

Academic officers without teaching or research responsibilities may serve as ex officio members without voting privileges. 

 

CCAC Subcommittees: Organizationally, the CCAC approves all components of the curriculum and its integration, monitors the effectiveness of the curriculum,, and recommends improvements in the curriculum to the appropriate education dean responsible for the educational program. The work of the CCAC is informed and supported by input from its subcommittees. The CCAC chair may, with the approval of a majority of the members of the CCAC, restructure existing subcommittees, create new subcommittees, or dissolve subcommittees, to best support the charge of the CCAC. Members of the subcommittees may be drawn from the faculty assembly, the CCAC, or the UTRGV faculty at-large depending on the needs of the committee. Medical students may be named to the subcommittees to act as liaisons to their classes.  

 

e. Diversity Committee

Charge: The Diversity Committee shall have the responsibility to advise and assist the Chief Diversity Officer in developing, updating and supporting policies and programs that advance diversity and inclusion related to the SOM faculty, staff, students and other trainees, and in particular, with regard to recruitment, hiring, retention and promotion. This committee reports through the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs to the Dean and the SOM Faculty Assembly.

Membership: The Chief Diversity Officer serves as Chair. Six (6) Faculty members are appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Committee on Committees. Two (2) residents and two (2) student members are elected by their respective peers. Nomination and selection will include consideration of needs for equitable diversity and inclusion representation. Additional individuals from the UTRGV community who can contribute to the committee's efforts may be appointed as non-voting members. These additional non-voting members are recommended by the committee, with a formal appointment at the discretion of the Dean. 

 

f.  Graduate Medical Education Committee

Charge: The Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), in collaboration with the Designated Institutional Official (DIO), is responsible for all ACGME-accredited programs of the SOM. The GMEC is responsible for establishing and implementing policies in accordance with the ACGME and the GMEC Policies and Procedures, monitoring and advising on all aspects of residency and fellowship education in sponsored GME programs, and adjudicating matters of deliberation. This responsibility includes ensuring the quality of education and the work and learning environments for all residents and fellows in all programs and ensuring compliance with ACGME policies. The GMEC shall oversee the performance of appropriate evaluations of each training program to assess compliance with both the institutional requirements and relevant program requirements of the ACGME. The GMEC shall serve as a forum for discussion of GME issues, to include not only clinical environments but also resident and fellow quality of life, recruitment, and outcomes.

Membership: The membership of the GMEC includes at least the following voting members: The DIO (who is a voting ex officio member); a minimum of two program directors from the SOM's ACGME-accredited programs; a minimum of two peer-selected residents/fellows from among the SOM's ACGME-accredited programs; and a quality improvement or patient safety officer or designee. Additional members and subcommittees may be appointed by the DIO in order to carry out portions of the GMEC's responsibilities. The GMEC Chair is appointed by the Dean or the Dean's designee.

Meetings: The GMEC meets at least once every two months.

 

g. Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC)

Charge: The Medical Student Evaluation and Promotion Committee (MSEPC) is charged with the review of the academic progress and professional development of each student during all components of the four-year medical education program. The MSEPC has a primary responsibility for recommending for graduation only those candidates who have satisfactorily completed all graduation requirements and demonstrated the professional conduct appropriate for a physician. The Committee, acting under the authority delegated to it by the Dean of the SOM, shall be responsible for decisions on leaves of absence and/or curriculum deceleration, promotion or termination of students in the academic program, and/or remediation of medical students. Students may appeal any decisions set forth by the MSEPC to the SOM Dean. whose decision is final. Module and clerkship directors are not eligible for memberships.

Membership: Faculty members are appointed to the MSEPC by the Dean on the recommendation of the Committee on Committees as outlined under Committee on Committees. In situations where deemed necessary for efficient committee functioning, the Dean may extend or shorten the period of service by any committee member. Voting membership shall consist of one at-large teaching faculty, three teaching faculty from the pre-clerkship curriculum, and three teaching faculty from the clerkship curriculum. Module directors and clerkship directors are not eligible from membership. Faculty from the Offices of Student Affairs, Educational Affairs. and Academic Advising attend meetings on an as-needed basis to provide the information required for consideration of cases but are not present for the committee deliberations. The committee chair and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, determine meeting dates by polling committee members, settings agendas, and ensuring the smooth flow of business. 

 

h. Optimal Learning Environment Committee (OLEC)

Charge: The Optimal Learning Environment Committee (OLEC) will help to foster a positive and professional learning environment by sponsoring initiatives, outreach and educational programming aimed at enhancing communication and professionalism in all learning environments. The OLEC is charged with:

• promoting a learning environment that best supports student and resident education;
• raising awareness about what constitutes mistreatment and unprofessional behavior through working with appropriate offices to develop educational activities for medical students, residents, and faculty;
• reviewing the results of student and resident evaluations of courses, clerkships, and rotations related to the learning environment;
• reviewing surveys of students, residents, and other groups to ascertain further information regarding positive and negative influences in this arena;
• monitoring influences (positive and negative) throughout the learning environment; and
• formulating policies, creating action plans, and reviewing ongoing data on the learning environment.

Membership: The OLEC will comprise the following individuals: Four (4) pre-clinical faculty members, appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Committee on Committees serving three-year staggered terms; six (6) clinical faculty members (at least one from each clinical affiliate that is a base for residency programs), appointed by the Dean on the recommendation of the Committee on Committees, serving three-year staggered terms; two (2) staff members, serving three-year staggered terms, elected by vote of the SOM staff; two (2) residents, serving one-year terms, elected by vote of the SOM residents; and three (3) SOM medical students, one each from years 1, 2, and 3, serving one-year terms, elected by their respective classes. Residents and students may designate alternates to ensure adequate representation at each meeting.  The committee will elect its Chair for a two-year term from the faculty members who have served one or more years on the Committee. The Dean may appoint non-voting ex officio members whose roles and responsibilities are related to the undergraduate medical education program and the residency programs. 

Process: At the OLEC meetings the Associate Dean for Student Affairs or other appropriate Associate Dean from Education, Graduate Medical Education, Clinical Affairs, or Faculty Affairs will report on the incidents that have been brought to them regarding concerns about the learning environment and unprofessional behavior, with person identifiers redacted. Based on these sources of information the OLEC will make recommendations regarding the need for interventions (e.g., faculty and staff education and development) to address issues that are leading to a sub-optimal learning environment. The decision and final recommendations of this committee will be presented to the Central Curriculum Authority Committee (CCAC) and the Dean for consideration and action. At the end of the academic year, the OLEC chair will submit an annual report to the CCAC, UTRGV GMEC, and the Dean summarizing the issues reviewed during the year and the programming and initiatives developed in the response. 

Meetings: The OLEC will meet at least once every quarter

 

i. Promotion, Tenure and Appointment Committee (PTAC)

Charge: The Promotion Tenure and Appointment Committee (PTAC) is responsible for the oversight of all appointments of faculty members hired by the SOM; for establishing, maintaining, and implementing the criteria for promotion within the tracks and ranks of faculty; for recommending promotion and the conferral of tenure to deserving faculty members; and for post-tenure review of faculty. The committee will assess recommendations from the department chairs for appointments, promotions, and conferral of tenure. The PTAC Chair will forward all recommendations for Appointment, Promotion, and Tenure to the Dean of the SOM. Recommendations for policy changes related to Appointment, Promotions, and Tenure go to the Dean's Advisory Committee. Ex officio non-voting representatives to the PTAC include the Associate Dean Faculty Affairs and the Associate Dean for Diversity. The PTAC Chair may form subcommittees as needed to address post-tenure reviews; these subcommittees may include non-PTAC members to ensure appropriate departmental representation. 

Membership: The PTAC will have eleven (11) members drawn from faculty. Faculty members will include three (3) tenured full Professors; four (4) nontenured full Professors; two (2) tenured Associate Professors; and two (2) nontenured Associate Professors.

Appointment and Election of Members: The Dean shall appoint five (5) members: two (2) non-tenure track Professors, one (1) tenured Professor, and one (1) tenured-track Associate Professor, and one (1) non-tenure track Associate Professor. The General Faculty shall elect six (6) members; two (2) tenured Professors, two (2) non-tenure track Professors, one (1) tenure-track Associate Professor, and one (1) non-tenured track Associate Professor. The Chair must hold the rank of professor and will be elected by all the members of the Committee. An individual may be elected as Chair in multiple consecutive years. 

The terms of the elected and appointed members will be monitored by the Office of Faculty Affairs to determine open committee seats. The Chair of the Faculty Assembly Election Committee will be notified by May 15 of upcoming elected member vacancies each year and will develop a process to elect appropriate PTAC members. The office of the Dean will be notified by May 15 of the open positions that will need to be filled by appointment. 

Procedures:

All members of the committee may vote on decisions on promotion at their rank or below. Decisions on tenure will be voted on by the tenured members of the PTAC. The term of appointment of a PTAC member is three (3) years, which may be renewed one time, for a total of two (2) consecutive terms. Individuals who have served two consecutive terms must stand down for at least (1) year before serving another term. Initial forms will be staggered to assure consistent turnover of members. Any department member holding a position on the PTAC must recuse their vote for faculty applying for appointment, promotion, or tenure within their department. 

 

ARTICLE IX: APPROVAL OF AND AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed and submitted in writing by any member of the Assembly at a regular meeting of the Assembly EC, by Assembly EC action, by Council resolution, or by petition of twenty-five percent of the members of the Faculty Assembly membership. Proposed amendments are to be placed on the agenda of the following regular meeting of the Faculty Assembly EC for discussion and vote. Upon a two-thirds vote of the Officers of the Assembly, the proposed amendment is submitted in the form of secret ballot by the Chair of the Assembly to all members of the Assembly who have voting privileges. Amendments will be submitted in writing to all members of the Assembly at least 15 calendar days prior to such a vote. Approval of amendments requires affirmative votes of two-thirds of the ballots that are returned within 10 working days of the mailing. The amended Bylaws must receive final approval by the Dean and President of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, before becoming effective.

The Assembly EC shall review the Bylaws at least every five years. When major revisions are deemed necessary the Assembly EC will recommend that the Dean appoint an ad hoc Bylaw Committee. The ad hoc Bylaw Committee will present its recommendations to the Faculty Assembly Executive Committee and the Dean for comment, prior to distribution of the recommended revision of the Bylaws to the full Faculty Assembly for vote as described above.