CONSTITUTION

1. Function of the Council
   
   1.1 The Faculty Council approves and recommends to the Senate all regulations and proposals concerning courses and programs of study in the Faculty of Science (FOS). Council approves FOS policies and procedures and discusses and makes recommendations to the Dean on any other matters affecting the academic life and development of the FOS.
   
   
2. Membership of the Council
   
   2.1 Voting membership in the Council shall be limited to:
   
   (a) the Dean of Science, Associate Deans of Science, Heads of Departments in the FOS (including Geography and Economics), and all members of the Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Association (MUNFA) holding an appointment as an Academic Staff Member (ASM or ASM-CE) in the FOS and those academic staff members of the departments of Economics and Geography as specified in By-laws 1.1 and 1.2; 
   
   (b) the Senior Academic Advisor and the Teaching Consultant for the Faculty of Science; 
   
   (c) one staff member from each department in the FOS whose duties will normally include academic advising and/or instruction, nominated by the Department Head following consultation with the department; 
   
   (d) one graduate student and one undergraduate student per department and one graduate student per Interdisciplinary Program in the FOS nominated by the Department Head (or Interdisciplinary Program Chair) following consultation within the department or program. Eligibility of student members is defined in the By-Laws; 
   
   (e) three undergraduate student representatives nominated by the Memorial University of Newfoundland Students' Union (MUNSU) and two graduate students nominated by the Graduate Students' Union (GSU). Eligibility of student members is defined in the By-Laws; and
   
   (f) the Assistant Registrar for the FOS.
   
   
3. Meetings
   
   3.1 Meetings of the Council are open to all members of the university community.
   
   3.2 Regular meetings of the Council are scheduled and held as stated in the By-Laws.
   
   3.3 Special meetings of the Council may be called by the Dean of Science or upon the petition of at least 15 members of the Council.
   
   3.4 The quorum shall be as defined in the By-laws.
   
   3.5 Joint meetings of the Council may be held with any of the Councils of other Faculties or Schools in the University when deemed desirable by the Dean of Science in consultation with the officers of the other Councils.
   
   
4. Officers
   
   4.1 The Dean of Science shall be the Chair of the Council. In the absence of the Dean, one of the Associate Deans may be delegated the Chair's responsibilities.
   
   4.2 The Dean, acting on behalf of Council, shall appoint a Secretary to Council from among the staff in the Dean's Office whose responsibilities shall include (i) maintaining a record of attendance, (ii) preparing agendas and minutes, (iii) submitting recommendations and proposals approved by Council to Senate, and (iv) corresponding as needed with other Faculty Councils.
   
   
5. Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws
   
   5.1 Any notice of amendment to this Constitution or its By-Laws must be submitted in writing to the Chair of the Council and shall include the proposed text of the motion and a rationale for the proposed change.
   
   5.2 The Chair of the Council shall circulate a notice of meeting to all voting members of the Council not less than 14 days in advance of any meeting to consider the amendment(s). Such notice shall enunciate the proposed motion and give the date, time and location of the meeting at which the motion or motions will be considered.
   
   5.3 Adoption of the amendment shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting members present at the meeting.
   
   5.4 Changes to the Constitution (but not to the By-Laws) require approval by the Senate and ratification by the Board of Regents before they take effect.
   
   
6. Committees of the Council
   
   6.1 The Council shall have the power to establish Standing and ad hoc Committees and to delegate to those Committees whatever functions it deems appropriate.
   
   6.2 The Terms of Reference and Membership of Standing Committees of the Council shall be set forth in the By-Laws.
   
   6.3 Ex-officio members on committees of the Council are voting members.
   
   By-Laws
   

1. Membership
   
   1.1 Inasmuch as the Department of Geography offers a program in Physical Geography leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree, the academic staff members of that Department who are Physical Geographers shall be voting members of the Faculty Council, as will the Head of the Department of Geography. For the purpose of committee membership on the Standing Committees of this Council, this group will be considered a Department.
   
   1.2 Inasmuch as the Department of Economics offers a program in Economics leading to a Bachelor of Science Degree, the academic staff members and the Head of that Department shall be voting members of the Faculty Council, and, as such, will be entitled to membership on the Standing Committees of this Council.
   
   1.3 Graduate or undergraduate students shall be appointed as members of Council for a one-year term, and may be reappointed to additional one-year terms. The undergraduate student members representing the departments must have declared a major or joint major in a program offered by the Department that appointed them. The graduate student members must be enrolled in a graduate program offered by the Department or Interdisciplinary Graduate Program that appointed them. Undergraduate students appointed by MUNSU must have declared a major in a program offered by the FOS. Graduate students appointed by the GSU must be enrolled in a graduate program in the FOS.
   
   
2. Meetings of Faculty Council
   
   2.1 The Council will meet regularly each month throughout the Fall and Winter Semesters at such times and places as are announced. Such regular meetings may be extended through the Spring Semester, should the Chair or Council so decide.
   
   2.2 It is the responsibility of the Secretary (or delegate) to prepare and make available the Agenda for, and minutes of, the meetings of the Council.
   
   2.3 Except with special leave of the Council, all documents and motions for discussion at a regular meeting shall be made available to members at least five calendar days prior to the meeting.
   
   2.4 A quorum shall be a minimum of 20 of the eligible voting membership of the Council as defined in 2.1 of the Constitution including a minimum of 15 members defined in 2.1 (a).
   
   2.5 The Chair shall cast a vote only in the event of a tie.
   
   
3. Intra-University Liaison
   
   3.1 The Council may invite to its meetings one non-voting representative from all other Faculties and Schools.
   
   3.2 When other Councils invite representatives from the Faculty of Science to attend their meetings, appropriate members of the FOS will be proposed by the Dean (or delegate), and shall be ratified by Council.
   
   
4. Standing Committees of Council
   
   Standing Committees of the Council are permanent bodies tasked with deliberating issues and making recommendations to Council for a decision, or making decisions delegated to them by the Council. Members of Standing Committees are encouraged to keep colleagues in their home departments informed about applicable Committee business.
   
   4.1 Membership on a Standing Committee is normally for one academic year, September 1 to August 31.
   
   4.2 The Dean (or delegate), acting on behalf of Council, is responsible for ensuring that the membership of Standing Committees is filled in accordance with these By-Laws.
   
   4.3 Committee membership for the academic year shall be ratified by Council at its first meeting of the academic year.
   
   4.4. Standing Committees of the council shall choose their own Chair from among their membership.
   
   4.5 All Committees of the Council shall have the power to form ad hoc sub-committees for liaison with appropriate committees or sub-committees representing other Faculties or Schools in the University. The Council shall be informed of such arrangements.
   
   4.6 A quorum for a meeting of or a decision by of a Standing Committee shall be the greater of 33% plus one of the voting membership, or three voting members. This also includes electronic meetings (e.g. votes held via email).
   
   
5. Undergraduate Studies Committee
   
   5.1 There shall be a Standing Committee on Undergraduate Studies which shall recommend to Council for approval the addition, modification, or deletion of courses, programs, departmental regulations, and faculty regulations pertinent to undergraduate studies in the FOS.
   
   5.2 The Undergraduate Studies Committee shall make decisions on other such matters that are delegated by Faculty Council.
   
   5.3 The Undergraduate Studies Committee shall consist of:
   
   (a) the Associate Dean of Science (Undergraduate and Administration) (ex officio);
   
   (b) the Senior Academic Advisor for Science (ex officio);
   
   (c) the Teaching Consultant for the Faculty of Science (ex officio)
   
   (d) one ASM from each department nominated by the Department Head following consultation within the department;
   
   (e) one ASM from Co-Operative Education in the FOS nominated by the Dean (or delegate);
   
   (f) the Assistant Registrar for the Faculty of Science (ex officio); and
   
   (g) one undergraduate student who has declared a major in a program offered by the FOS, nominated by MUNSU
   
   5.4 Members of the Undergraduate Studies Committee may invite an Academic Program Officer (or equivalent) from their department to attend committee meetings in a non-voting capacity to provide information about relevant items of business.
   
   5.5 The Chair of the Faculty Council (or delegate) is authorized to approve, for recommendation to the Senate and on behalf of the Faculty Council, the addition, modification, or deletion of courses, programmes and departmental regulations proposed by the Departments of Economics and Geography. If this approval is not granted by the Chair, such proposals shall be referred to the Undergraduate Studies Committee.
   
   
6. Undergraduate Waivers and Appeals Sub-Committee
   
   6.1 A standing sub-committee of the Undergraduate Studies Committee shall be known as the Undergraduate Waivers and Appeals Sub-Committee. This subcommittee shall adjudicate requests for waivers of undergraduate academic program regulations, course substitutions, and other student-related cases involving undergraduate academic programs in the FOS.
   
   6.2 Requests for waivers are normally initiated by a letter from the Head of the Department (or delegate) to the Assistant Registrar for the FOS, who will bring them to the sub-committee.
   
   6.3 Students who wish to appeal decisions in accordance with the General Academic Regulations (Undergraduate), should submit a letter to the Assistant Registrar for the Faculty of Science, who will bring the appeal to the sub-committee.
   
   6.4 The Membership of the Undergraduate Waivers and Appeals Sub-committee shall be:
   
   (a) the chair of the Undergraduate Studies Committee;
   
   (b) the Associate Dean (Undergraduate and Administration) (ex officio); and
   
   (c) the Assistant Registrar for the FOS (ex officio)
   
   
7. Graduate Studies Committee
   
   7.1 There shall be a Standing Committee on Graduate studies which shall recommend to Council for approval the addition, modification, or deletion of courses, programs, departmental regulations, and faculty regulations pertaining to graduate students in the FOS.
   
   7.2 The Graduate Studies Committee shall make decisions on other such matters that are delegated by Faculty Council.
   
   7.3 The Graduate Studies Committee shall consist of:
   
   (a) the Associate Dean (Graduate and Research) (ex officio)
   
   (b) one ASM from each department with a graduate program nominated by the Department Head following consultation with the department;
   
   (c) one ASM from Co-Operative Education in the FOS nominated by the Dean (or delegate);
   
   (d) the Chair of each Interdisciplinary Program (or delegate); and
   
   (e) one graduate student enrolled in a FOS graduate program, recommended by the GSU.
   
   
8. Library Committee
   
   8.1 There shall be a Standing Committee on the Library which shall act in an advisory and consultative capacity to the Council on all matters concerning library facilities insofar as they affect the FOS. The Committee shall be responsible for developing adequate liaison with the officers of the University Library.
   
   8.2 The Library Committee shall consist of:
   
   (a) the Associate Dean of Science (Graduate and Research);
   
   (b) a Librarian responsible for a FOS subject area;
   
   (c) one ASM from each department nominated by the Department Head following consultation within the department;
   
   (d) one undergraduate student who has declared a major in a program offered by the FOS, recommended by MUNSU; and
   
   (e) one graduate student enrolled in a FOS graduate program, recommended by the GSU.
   
   
9. Awards Committee
   
   9.1 There shall be a Standing Committee on Awards which shall (i) act as a selection committee for the Dean of Science Faculty awards and (ii) assist in the nomination of ASMs for awards external to the FOS.
   
   9.2 The Awards Committee shall consist of:
   
   (a) A minimum of three ASMs from different Departments within the FOS and appointed by the Dean (or delegate).