A. Criteria for Faculty Membership in the Graduate Program

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1 I. Objective Communication Graduate Program Bylaws Administrative Home: UCD Department of Communication Revision date: Graduate Council approval date: November 14, 2007 The Graduate Program in Communication, is departmentally-based, offering a M.A. and a Ph.D. in Communication. The discipline of Communication examines how messages in various mediated and unmediated contexts are produced, used, and interpreted within and across different channels and cultures. The effects of communication on individual behavior and social-political institutions are central concerns of the field. The ultimate objective is the development of empiricallygrounded theories of communication and the application of these theories to the problems that affect individuals, groups and societal institutions. The Graduate Program emphasizes research and instruction in communication as a social-behavioral science, focusing upon the strategic aspects of social interaction and mediated discourse. II. Membership A. Criteria for Faculty Membership in the Graduate Program 1. All regular members of the Department of Communication with teaching appointments at UC Davis shall also be members of the Graduate Program. Non-departmental faculty members of the Academic Senate or Academic Federation whose appointment authorizes the direction of graduate work may be elected to membership in the Graduate Program. 2. Members of the Graduate Program must have a record of accomplishment and expertise in the discipline commensurate with the expectations of the University of California. Members must be engaged in scholarly pursuits that encompass the social-scientific study of human symbolic behavior and participate in professional activities in Communication. 3. Voting rights: All active members are eligible to vote. 1

2 B. Application for Membership 1. Nominations of prospective members to the Graduate Program may be made by any faculty member of the Graduate Program. After review and recommendation by the Membership Committee, appointments of new members are made by majority vote of the entire membership of the Graduate Program. 2. It is anticipated that a member of the graduate faculty will perform the following duties. a. Play an active role in the administration of the Graduate Program by serving on Graduate Program administrative committees; as a graduate adviser; or as an administrative officer of the program. b. Provide graduate level instruction, as appropriate, in addition to research instruction. c. Serve on dissertation, thesis, and examination committees. C. Emeritus Status Academic Senate faculty holding emeritus status are eligible for membership in the program, have full voting rights, and may serve as Chairs on any of the program committees and subcommittees. D. Review of Membership. Renewal of membership in the Graduate Program faculty will be automatic for departmental faculty. Renewal of membership in the Graduate Program for faculty who are not members of the Department of Communication shall be periodically reviewed on a threeyear cycle with one third of the membership reviewed each year. Minimal criteria for continuing membership are participation in two or more of the following: active engagement with graduate students, direction of or assistance in graduate student research, teaching graduate courses or upper-division courses with enrolled graduate students, service on Graduate Program committees. The revoking of membership in the program shall require a unanimous vote of the Executive Committee followed by a two-thirds vote by all members of the program. E. Membership Appeal Process 1. Membership denial may be appealed to the Executive Committee. A written statement containing a rebuttal of the reasons for denial must accompany the appeal within 30 days of written notice of denial. 2. Applicants denied membership or renewal of membership may use the final appeal to the Dean of Graduate Studies. 2

3 III. Administration A. The administration of the Graduate Program and its activities will be vested in the Chair of the Department of Communication and the Executive Committee. IV. Graduate Program Chair A. The Chair of the Department of Communication is the official Graduate Program chair. It is the policy of the Graduate Program that the Chair of the Department of Communication shall delegate the day-to-day responsibilities of the Graduate Program to the Graduate Program s Executive Committee, which shall be responsible for oversight of the program. B. The Chair of the Executive Committee is appointed by the Chair of the Department of Communication, who will serve as the Graduate Program Chair. The Executive Committee Chair must hold membership in the program. C. Length of Term. The normal term is for three years, however, the Chair may be reappointed. The Chair of the Department of Communication is empowered to make an appointment of a shorter duration. E. Duties. 1. Coordinate the activities of the Executive Committee and the Graduate Program. 2. Call and preside at meetings of the Executive Committee, at least once a quarter. 3. Represent the program to the Office of Graduate Studies, the administration, and other campus units. 4. Oversee the advising activities of the program. 5. Provide leadership and administrative direction with the objective for maintaining the highest academic standards for graduate education in Communication. 3

4 V. Committees A. Executive Committee. 1. Composition. a. The members of the Executive Committee include the Committee Chair, two other members of the program, and one nonvoting student representative. 2. Appointment. 3. Duties. a. The Committee Chair and the two faculty program members are appointed by the Chair of the Department of Communication. Appointment within the Department of Communication is neither expected nor required to be a faculty committee member of the Executive Committee. b. Committee members shall typically be appointed to serve three year terms that begin on July 1 and end on June 30. The Chair of the Department of Communication has the discretion to make appointments of a shorter duration. To the extent possible, the Department Chair shall stagger appointments to the Executive Committee such that the term of only one committee member shall expire in any given academic year. c. The non-voting student representative is appointed by the Chair of the Department of Communication upon recommendation of the Graduate Student Organization. a. The Executive Committee is responsible for providing leadership and administrative direction with the objective of maintaining the highest academic standards for graduate education in communication. 4. Meetings: The Executive Committee shall meet no less than once per academic term. 4

5 B. Recruiting, Admissions, and Fellowship Committee: The Executive Committee will serve as the program s Recruiting, Admissions, and Fellowship Committee. The Committee shall devise strategies for recruiting students into the program, admissions determinations, and evaluating and ranking applicants for fellowship. C. Bylaws Committee. The Executive Committee will serve as the program s Bylaws Committee. In this capacity, the committee is responsible for periodic review of the program s Bylaws to ensure that these are in accordance with policies established by the Graduate Council. A majority vote is required for the Committee to recommend changes in the Bylaws to the full membership of the program. D. Curriculum Committee. The Executive Committee will serve as the program s Curriculum Committee. In this capacity, the Committee is responsible for coordinating the curricular requirements of the program with regard to course scheduling and curriculumeducational policies, evaluating the relevance and value of potential courses for inclusion in the program, and communicating to students the availability of courses relevant to each specialization represented in the program, forwarding revised degree requirements to the Graduate Council for review and approval. E. Judicial Committee. The Executive Committee will serve as the program s Judicial Committee. In this capacity, the Committee is responsible for handling student petitions and grievances. F. Ad Hoc Committees. The Executive Committee is empowered to establish ad hoc committees as necessary to study, review, and report to the Executive Committee on topics and issues important to the successful administration and management of the program. VI. Student Representatives A. The Graduate Student Organization shall elect one nonvoting student representative to the Executive Committee. The student representative is appointed to the Executive Committee by the Chair of the Department of Communication. B. The Chair of any committee with student members must excuse the student representatives from meetings during discussions about other students, personnel actions or disciplinary issues relating to faculty, rankings of existing students for funding, and for disciplinary issues related to students. 5

6 VII. Graduate Advisers A. Graduate Advisers are appointed for two years, in compliance with the policies and procedures of the Graduate Council and the Office of Graduate Studies. Graduate advisers must be members in good standing of the Graduate Program in Communication. The Executive Committee Chair nominates advisers to the Office of Graduate Studies for appointment. B. The Executive Committee may, at its discretion, appoint a Master Adviser. The purpose of the Master Adviser is to serve as an advising resource for other advisers and to preside over meetings of the advisers as a group. C. The Graduate Adviser serves as representative of the Graduate Program in its dealings with graduate students in the program, with the following specific duties: to keep track of the progress of each graduate student in the Program; to provide advice on how the student may best complete the requirements of the Program; to determine whether and how graduate student work satisfies Program requirements; to administer required examinations; to advise the Communication Department concerning scheduling of courses relevant to the Graduate Program; to communicate to students their standing in the Program. VIII. Meetings A. The Executive Committee Chair will call the annual meeting of the Graduate Program every Spring quarter. B. Additional meetings will be called upon receiving a written petition by 50 percent or more of the members of the Graduate Program. C. Meetings are scheduled by the Graduate Program Coordinator via with a two week notice. D. Faculty may participate and vote via if away from campus. IX. Quorum A. A quorum for the purpose of modifying bylaws or establishing program policy must be greater than 50% of the Graduate Program faculty members who are eligible to vote. B. Passage of proposals must require a minimum of 50% +1 of the members who actually vote. C. Balloting can be done either in a meeting of the program or via . If via , a one-week time for expression of opinions about the proposal must be allowed prior to the acceptance of votes. 6

7 D. The method of balloting for any particular issue shall be decided upon by the Executive Committee. X. Order of Business A. Calling the Meeting to Order. The Executive Committee Chair may not call a meeting to order until a quorum is present. B. Approval of Minutes. Minutes from the previous meeting shall be distributed to all Graduate Program members. Corrections are made as needed. C. Committee Reports. The first substantive item of business shall be the hearing of reports from established committees and special committees (such as ad hoc committees). The Executive Committee Chair shall determine the order in which these reports are given. Reports are generally for information only. D. Unfinished Business. Following the hearing of reports, the Executive Committee Chair shall reintroduce any unfinished business matters from the previous meeting. Unfinished Business may include any matter from the previous meeting that was on the agenda but not reached for discussion; was postponed for later discussion; or was left pending. E. New Business. After unfinished business matters have been addressed, members may introduce any new item for the consideration of the Executive Committee. As a courtesy, members intending to introduce new business items are expected to notify the Executive Committee Chair of their intentions prior to the meeting. F. Closing the Meeting. The Executive Committee Chair shall close the meeting once all new business matters have been discussed or in response to a motion to close the meeting that is seconded and supported by a majority vote. XI. Amendments Amendments to these bylaws must be approved in compliance with the Graduate Program s quorum policy. A. Proposed Amendments: Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by any member of the Graduate Program. Proposed amendments must be submitted electronically to the Chair of the Executive Committee. B. Publicity: Amendments shall be circulated to the faculty via electronic mail. 7

8 C. Voting Procedures: Voting on any proposed amendment shall take place no earlier than three weeks and no later than six weeks following its submission to the Executive Committee Chair. A quorum vote of all members of the Graduate Program shall be required for passage. Voting shall take place in a meeting of the Program faculty, with proxy votes allowed for members unable to attend. D. Review and Approval: All amendments and revisions must be submitted to the Graduate Council for review and approval. 8