Index of the UNLV Bylaws

Chapter I
Section 4. Faculty Organization

4.1 Definitions.
The faculty shall be composed of the following categories of positions within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas:

• 4.1.1 Academic Faculty. Authorized professional positions in the colleges, departments and units listed under Chapter I, Section 3.1 of the bylaws who are engaged in teaching, research, or the provision of library services, and those persons specifically identified by the president because of their need for the protection of academic freedom.


• 4.1.1.1 Tenured Academic Faculty. "Tenured Academic Faculty" means members of the academic faculty who have been awarded tenure at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.


• 4.1.1.2 Nontenured Academic Faculty. "Nontenured Academic Faculty" means members of the academic faculty who are in tenure-track positions but who have not completed their probationary period.


• 4.1.1.3 Nontenure-track Academic Faculty. “Nontenure-track Academic Faculty” means unranked members of the academic faculty who are not eligible to receive appointment with tenure and they will be designated Rank 0. (B/R 12/04)


• 4.1.2 Administrative Faculty. Authorized professional positions in the units listed under Chapter I, Section 3.2 of these Bylaws who are engaged primarily in activities supportive of the university's mission and who may also be affiliated with established academic colleges and/or departments. Administrative faculty may also perform such duties as teaching, research, consulting and community service.


• 4.1.3 Executive and Supervisory Faculty. The president, Executive Vice President and Provost, vice presidents, deans, associate and assistant deans, and--where equivalent to deans--directors are considered administrators, as are any such other executive and supervisory positions as may be defined by the Board of Regents, the Chancellor, or the president. (B/R 10/98)


• 4.1.4 Academic Council. The Academic Council shall consist of the deans of all academic colleges, the dean of libraries and such other persons as the Executive Vice President and Provost shall appoint. (B/R 10/98)

4.2 Assignment of Academic Faculty.
Each faculty member in this category will be assigned to a department after consultation with the department. Each academic faculty member may be assigned to the graduate faculty in accordance with the Graduate College Bylaws.

• 4.2.1 Academic Faculty Policy Recommendations. All academic faculty members may make recommendations and may vote on all matters of educational policy that affect undergraduate programs of instruction, unless by the terms of the contract the faculty member is exclusively a member of the graduate faculty.


• 4.2.2 Graduate Faculty Policy Recommendations. Graduate academic faculty members may make recommendations and may vote on all matters of educational policy that affect graduate programs of instruction.

4.3 Tenure.

• 4.3.1 Eligibility. Only those faculty with appointments as academic faculty as defined in Chapter I, Section 4.1.1 of the Bylaws who are in Rank II or above are eligible for tenure. Faculty placed in Rank 0 positions shall not be eligible for appointment with, nor shall have, tenure under any circumstances (Board of Regents Handbook, Title 2, Section 3.2.3). Administrators are eligible for tenure only in the capacity of academic faculty. (C 06/16)


• 4.3.1A Faculty members with well established careers or with tenure at another institution may be tenured at the time of initial appointment provided they: (1) meet the basic UNLV standards for tenure; (2) are recommended by a vote of those eligible to vote on tenure decisions according to the bylaws of the appropriate department; (3) receive written recommendations from the department chair, the dean of the college and the Executive Vice President and Provost; and (4) receive approval of the President of the University. (B/R 10/98) (C 06/16)


• 4.3.1B A Rank 0 faculty member may not be transferred into a tenure-track (Rank II or higher) position but must compete for such positions in accordance with Chapter III, Section 15 (Recruitment of Faculty ) of the UNLV Bylaws. (C 06/16)


• 4.3.1C Academic faculty members with well established careers or with tenure at another institution occupying administrative positions may be tenured at the time of initial appointment but only in the capacity of academic faculty, provided they: (1) meet the basic UNLV standards for tenure; (2) are recommended by a vote of those eligible to vote on tenure decisions according to the bylaws of the appropriate department; (3) receive written recommendations from the department chair, the dean of the college and the Executive Vice President and Provost; and (4) receive approval of the President of the University. (B/R 10/98) (C 06/16)


• 4.3.2 Interdepartmental Eligibility. Qualified academic faculty who are employed by more than one department shall be eligible for appointment with tenure in the department for which the terminal degree held by the faculty member is most appropriate. Such determination shall be made at the time of employment. In cases of disagreement, the Executive Vice President and Provost shall decide which department is most appropriate. (B/R 10/98)


• 4.3.3 Administrative Channels for Tenure Recommendations. The recommendation for tenure shall move through proper faculty and administrative channels from department or school to college to the Executive Vice President and Provost to the president; the Executive Vice President and Provost shall provide the Tenure and Promotion Committee with the tenure recommendations. The Faculty Senate Tenure and Promotion Committee shall consult with the Executive Vice President and Provost to ensure comparable rigor of criteria and procedures for recommendations across units. Faculty members not recommended for tenure may request reasons for denial, request reconsideration, and file a grievance with the Faculty Senate Grievance Committee. (See Nevada System of Higher Education Code, Chapter 5, Sections 5.2.3 and 5.2.4, and UNLV Bylaws, Chapter I, Section 4.6.9.) (B/R 12/04)


• 4.3.4 Tenure Standards and Procedures. Each department or school and college shall establish standards and procedures, including a reconsideration procedure, for tenure recommendations. Only persons who hold tenure at UNLV may vote on the application of a candidate for tenure. (B/R 12/04)


• 4.3.5 Notice of Nongranting of Tenure. Notice of nonreappointment of nontenured faculty shall be given as defined in the Nevada System of Higher Education Code 5.9.1 (rev. 8/30/84) as follows:


• “5.9.1 Minimum Notice of Nonreappointment. Except as provided in Subsections 5.4.2 and 5.9.2 of the Nevada System of Higher Education Code, and unless provided otherwise in an employment contract, notice of nonreappointment to employment of nontenured faculty at the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada State College, Henderson, College of Southern Nevada, Great Basin College, the Western Nevada College, the Truckee Meadows Community College and the special units shall be given: (B/R 12/04)
  • "(a) Not later than March 1 of the first academic or fiscal year of service, if the employment contract terminates at the end of that year, or if an employment contract for a one year appointment terminates during an academic or fiscal year, at least 90 calendar days in advance of its termination;
  • "(b) Not later than December 15 of the second academic or fiscal year of service, if the employment contract terminates at the end of that year, or if the second employment contract for a one year appointment terminates during an academic or fiscal year, at least 180 calendar days in advance of its termination;
  • "(c) At least 365 calendar days in advance of the termination of each succeeding employment contract of one academic or fiscal year's duration after the second year of service;
  • "(d) For employment contracts of less than one academic or fiscal year's duration, for a period of time which may be mutually agreed upon by the parties to such employment contracts, but, in all events, no less than 14 calendar days in advance of the termination of such contracts."
  
  
• 4.3.6 Termination of Appointment.


• 4.3.6.1 For Tenured Faculty. Termination of appointment with tenure for reasons other than financial or curricular exigency (Nevada System of Higher Education Code, Sections 6.2.1, 6.2.2) will be decided in accordance with Nevada System of Higher Education Code Sections 6.9 and 6.12.


• 4.3.6.2 Mid Tenure Review - For Nontenured Faculty Before the End of the Probationary Period. In addition to the annual reviews conducted by chairs/directors and deans, every candidate will have a mid-tenure (pretenure) review at the mid-point of the probationary period. For the purposes of this review, the faculty committees who will participate in the tenure decisions at the unit level will review the materials submitted by the candidate (including but not limited to annual reports, annual evaluations, and other appropriate materials) and advise the chair/director/dean of their opinion of the candidate’s progress toward tenure in terms of the criteria set forth in the Code, the university, college and unit bylaws, and any officially sanctioned standards provided. The chair/director will report the determination of the committee to the faculty member and to the dean. If the committee or the chair/director/dean deems the progress toward tenure is not satisfactory, the committee and/or the chair/director/dean may recommend remediation or recommend non-reappointment. At the college/unit level, the committee that will participate in the tenure decision will review the materials submitted, along with the chair/director’s assessment, and provide the dean with their determination about the progress of the faculty member toward tenure. The committee may suggest remediation or recommend non-reappointment. The dean may, after conferring with the chair/director and/or the faculty committees, recommend remediation or nonreappointment in a summary report to the Executive Vice President and Provost. When the likelihood of meeting tenure standards as defined in Nevada System of Higher Education Code Section 3.4.2 is negative, the member shall be notified in accordance with the Nevada System of Higher Education Code Sections 5.2.3, 5.2.4 and 5.9.1. (B/R 12/04)

4.4 Faculty Bylaws.

• 4.4.1 Department or Unit Bylaws Authorized. The faculty assigned to each department or unit must create bylaws to govern its internal operation. (B/R 12/04)


• 4.4.2 College or Unit Bylaws Authorized. The faculty of all departments within a college or unit constitute the college or unit faculty and shall create bylaws to govern its internal operation. The College Bylaw Committee shall periodically review unit bylaws and make appropriate recommendations to faculty. (B/R 6/08)


• 4.4.3 Graduate College Authorized. The graduate faculty within the University constitute the Graduate College and shall create bylaws to govern the internal operations of that college.


• 4.4.4 Approval of College, Department or Unit Bylaws. Any provision of college, department, or unit bylaws not consistent with the UNLV bylaws, and/or the NSHE Code, is invalid. All college, department, and unit bylaws are subject to approval by the president. (B/R 9/05)


• 4.4.5 Suspension of College, Department, or Unit Bylaws. Upon the recommendation of the College Dean and the Provost, the president may, in extraordinary circumstances, suspend a college, department, or unit bylaws, and place the affected unit in receivership, subject to sections (a) through (f) below.


• a. Prior to suspension, the president shall meet with the executive committee of the Faculty Senate, and inform them of the reasons for the suspension, the form of governance that will be used during the suspension, the requirements for return of normal faculty governance, and the expected length of the suspension;
• b. The president shall notify the affected faculty of the suspension, and provide them a summary of the information given to the Faculty Senate that protects the confidentiality of the affected individuals;
• c. Governance of the affected department shall be conducted in a manner that ensures equal treatment of all faculty; and recognizes that Chapter 2 of the NSHE Code, Academic Freedom and Responsibility, remains in force. Where possible, a tenured faculty member from another college should be assigned to observe the governance of the suspended unit;
• d. Suspension shall be for a period of one academic year, renewable as deemed necessary by the president. At the end of each academic year, the Camps Affairs committee of the Faculty Senate shall evaluate the progress of the department relative to the suspension, report to the president on the state of the department, and recommend whether or not suspension should be renewed. The president shall consult with the executive committee of the Faculty Senate prior to reviewing a suspension;
• e. The college, department or unit shall continue to be governed by the UNLV Bylaws and the NSHE Code. However, the placing of the department in receivership shall not itself constitute a grievable act, provided sections (a) through (d) are followed;
• f. The Faculty Senate may, by vote of its members, request that the proposed renewal of a suspension for a fourth year be placed as an agenda item before the Board of Regents.
(B/R 9/05)

4.5 Faculty Senate Authorized.
The faculty of UNLV has representation in a Faculty Senate, which shall be governed by its own internal bylaws.

4.6 Faculty Senate Committees Authorized.
Authority has been delegated by the President to the Faculty Senate to appoint members to the following standing committees and for these committees to function pursuant to their charges. The Senate shall create at least the following standing committees.

• 4.5.1 Academic Freedom and Ethics Committee.
• 4.5.2 Academic Standards Committee.
• 4.5.3 Administrative Faculty Committee.
• 4.5.4 Admissions Committee.
• 4.5.5 Campus Affairs Committee.
• 4.5.6 Curriculum Committee.
• 4.5.7 Faculty Development Leave Committee (B/R 12/04)
• 4.5.8 Fiscal Affairs Committee.
• 4.5.9 General Education Committee.
• 4.5.10 Grievance Committee
• 4.5.11 Faculty Senate Priority and New Program Committee
• 4.5.12 Program Review Committee
• 4.5.13 Sabbatical Leave Committee
• 4.5.14 Scholarship Committee
• 4.5.15 Special Hearing Committee (B/R 12/04)
• 4.5.16 Tenure and Promotion Committee (B/R 12/04) (B/R 3/03)

4.6 Academic College Committees Authorized.
The academic faculty of each college shall create at least the following College committees:

• 4.6.1 College Curriculum Committee.


• 4.6.2 Academic Standards Committee.


• 4.6.3 College Bylaw Committee. (B/R 6/08)

4.7 Administrative Faculty Unit.
The Administrative Faculty Unit shall create at least the following committees:

• 4.7.1 Faculty Senate Administrative Faculty Committee. (B/R 12/04)