College of Pharmacy Constitution

The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, membership to activity in a local commission created for the purpose of dealing with discrimination, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Preamble

1.1 It is the purpose of this Constitution to foster a culture of inclusivity and engagement, an informed collegiate community, and to promote open communication among the collegiate community, and the administration of the College of Pharmacy. The Constitution provides a democratic framework in which are defined the roles of the faculty, staff, students, and administration in initiating recommendations, formulating decisions, and communicating the basis for decisions to those affected.

1.2 This Constitution is not part of the employment contract between the University and its employees. It does not establish terms and conditions of employment.

Article I - General Powers

1.1 All powers relating to the educational and administrative affairs of the College of Pharmacy (CoP) are delegated by the Board of Regents and in accord with the constitution of the University Senate, and consistent with actions of these bodies heretofore or hereafter taken, to the Dean, the Departments, the faculty, the staff, the student body, as herein provided for the purpose of governing the CoP. These powers may be modified at the discretion of the Board of Regents.

Article II - Dean/Chief Executive Officer

Section 1. Duties & Authority of the Dean

1.1 The Dean is the chief academic and executive officer of the College of Pharmacy (CoP), responsible for overseeing the academic priorities and day-to-day administrative operations of the CoP, including but not limited to setting a vision and aligning CoP resources to support that vision; inspiring and supporting faculty, staff, and students in the activities of teaching and learning, research, and public engagement; garnering internal and external support for the CoP; and building relationships and support with alumni, donors, civic, and business leaders and other key partners in the community.

1.2 The Dean shall provide leadership in formulating policies and procedures and supporting efforts toward continued improvement of the CoP’s programs.

1.3 The Dean shall be responsible for the development and periodic review of departmental programs and appropriate personnel in accordance with University policies.

1.4 The Dean shall be responsible for representing the CoP’s programs to the University, alumni, and community.

1.5 The Dean, or the Dean’s designee, shall be responsible for communicating official business of the CoP with other University authorities. The Dean may assign specific administrative duties to members of the faculty and administration of the CoP and may delegate executive authority to them.

1.6 Where action of the Board of Regents is requested or required, the Dean shall make such recommendations as are necessary to the appropriate University authorities. Such recommendations shall include, but shall not be limited to, appointment, promotion, tenure, and salary increases. The Dean shall report such decisions to the individual faculty members directly and/or through Department Heads.

1.7 The Dean is responsible for the fiscal management of the CoP, as defined in the Bylaws.

1.8 The Dean shall be the official spokesperson of the CoP.

1.9 The Dean shall lead the development of the CoP’s strategic plan.

1.10 The Dean shall establish effective mechanisms for faculty input and consultation on policy development, strategic planning, and implementation of plans.

1.11 The Dean shall execute other responsibilities as defined by the Bylaws.

Section 2. Appointment of the Dean

2.1 The Dean is appointed by, and serves at the discretion of, the Executive Vice President and Provost (EVPP), subject to the approval of the Board of Regents. The EVPP has sole authority and responsibility for decisions related to the dean's employment, including but not limited to selection, performance evaluation, and termination. A search committee will be appointed by the EVPP and its membership shall be made up of representatives from CoP constituencies, including faculty, staff, and students, as defined below. The search process shall provide faculty, staff, and students with an opportunity to meet with and hear in a public forum from candidates who are announced as finalists for the position, and allow for input to the EVPP. Interim appointments will be made by the EVPP following established University policies and procedures.

Article III - Faculty

Section 1. Definition

1.1 The faculty of the College of Pharmacy (CoP) shall be composed of all faculty personnel, as defined by the University, holding appointments as Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, or Professor, including members on leave.

1.2 The Regular Faculty of the CoP shall consist of Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, and Instructors who hold regular (either tenured or tenure-track) appointments to the CoP.

1.3 The Contract Faculty of the CoP shall consist of Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, and Instructors who hold a 0.5 FTE or greater (non-administrative) appointment within the CoP.

1.4 Voting Faculty are Regular Faculty and Contract Faculty as defined in 1.2 and 1.3 of this section and shall have permanent voting privileges; however only Regular Faculty shall have voting rights regarding the Promotion and Tenure of Regular Faculty.

1.5 The Voting Members of the College Assembly are the Voting Faculty and those members of other constituencies to whom voting privileges have been extended by Voting Faculty, as defined in the Bylaws.

1.6 Graduate Faculty are faculty who have received an appointment from the Dean or Dean’s designate, as defined in the Bylaws, to carry out graduate education in a graduate program of CoP.

1.7 Voting Graduate Faculty are those faculty who are members of the Voting Graduate Faculty Assembly, as defined in the Bylaws.

Section 2. Academic Freedom, Faculty Rights, Privileges, Responsibilities, and Grievances

2.1 The CoP faculty shall be governed by University policies in all matters addressed by these policies which are in effect at the time of adoption or amendment of this Constitution, or as such policies may be subsequently amended.

2.2 The faculty is responsible for the academic affairs and internal academic policies of the CoP, and may delegate its authority as it deems appropriate.

Article IV - Other Constituencies

Section 1. Definitions

1.1 Other constituencies are those groups, defined below, that participate in College of Pharmacy (CoP) activities.

Section 2. Academic Professional and Administrative (P&A) Staff

2.1 P&A staff shall consist of professional personnel who are assigned to duties enhancing the research, teaching, and service functions of the CoP, and administrative personnel who are involved in policy development or execution, or in directing, coordinating, or supervising activities in the CoP.

Section 3. Civil Service and Bargaining Unit (CSBU) Staff

3.1 CSBU staff are individuals hired through the University’s Office of Human Resources and are affiliated with units administratively within the CoP.

Section 4. Students

4.1 Students are those undergraduate, professional, and graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota and in good standing in educational programs administered by the CoP.

Section 5. Responsibilities, Rights, and Privileges

5.1 Members of these other constituencies may participate in the affairs of the CoP, including governance, committee structure, grievance procedures, and the review of the CoP Constitution, as specified in the Bylaws. Each constituency may be governed by its own set of governing documents, consistent with this document and University policies.

5.2 Representatives on CoP committees shall be chosen according to procedures specified in these Bylaws or committee charter(s).

Article V - Governance/Administrative Structure

Section 1. Governance

1.1 The governance structure of the College of Pharmacy (CoP) is the organization of the faculty, administration, and other constituencies for the purpose of reaching decisions concerning the academic affairs and internal academic policies of the CoP.

1.2 The governance shall be established by the Voting Faculty of the CoP.

1.3 Faculty and other constituencies are expected to participate in CoP governance as specified in the Bylaws and required by University policy.

Section 2. Administrative Structure

2.1 The administrative structure of the CoP shall consist of the Dean, the Dean’s administrative staff, academic departments, and CoP committees.

2.2 As the chief executive officer, the Dean of the CoP shall be responsible for appointing officers and establishing administrative structure to support and facilitate the teaching, research, and service functions of the CoP as well as the allocation and expenditure of resources available to the CoP.

Section 3. The Academic Departments

3.1 The faculty of the CoP shall be organized into academic departments, as described in the Bylaws.

Section 4. Department Head

4.1 The Department Head is appointed by the Dean, following the procedures described in the Bylaws.

4.2 The Dean is responsible for conducting a periodic review of the Department Head.

Section 5. Committees

5.1 Committees are as defined in the Bylaws.

Article VI - Ratification and Amendments

Section 1. Ratification of the Constitution

1.1 All members of the Voting Faculty prior to the effective date of this Constitution, shall be eligible to vote on the ratification of the articles contained herein.

1.2 The articles of this Constitution shall be submitted to vote by the Voting Faculty at a special meeting called for that purpose. Each article shall be submitted to a vote separately and shall be ratified upon a two-thirds majority of those voting.

1.3 Voting on ratification of this Constitution shall be electronic balloting and asynchronous.

1.4 These articles shall be deemed effective upon their acceptance and approval by the Executive Vice President and Provost.

Section 2. Amendments

2.1 Amendments to this Constitution shall be submitted by proposal from the committee responsible for Constitution and Bylaws, or by a petition signed by a simple majority of the members of the Voting Faculty. All amendments shall be reviewed by the committee responsible for Constitution and Bylaws and their recommendation presented to the faculty.

2.2 Notice of proposed amendments, together with the recommendation of the committee responsible for Constitution and Bylaws, shall be given in writing to all Voting Faculty at least ten (10) calendar days before the Voting Faculty is called upon to act on them.

2.3 All members of the Voting Faculty shall be eligible to vote on Constitutional amendments.

2.4 Amendments will require approval by a two-thirds majority of those casting a vote.

2.5 Voting on amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws shall be electronic balloting and asynchronous.

2.6 A simple majority of Voting Faculty present at a meeting of the College Assembly may modify proposed amendments, additions, or deletions to the Constitution. These modified amendments, additions, or deletions to the Constitution shall be subject to the process indicated in Sections 2.2-2.5 of this Article.

Section 3. Implementation

3.1 This Constitution and its amendments shall become effective immediately after adoption by the Voting Faculty and approval by the appropriate University authorities.

Section 4. Interpretation

4.1 Authority to interpret this Constitution and its amendments shall reside with the Faculty Consultative Committee.

History of Changes and Approvals to this Document

July 28, 1989 Ratified by the CoP Faculty

June 21, 1990 Modified by the CoP Faculty

April 19, 1991 Modified by the CoP Faculty

April 17, 1992 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

July 15, 1998 Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

August 5, 1998 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

September 2, 1998 Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

October 9, 1998 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

May 16, 2001 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

June 25, 2001 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

July 8, 2002 Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

November 4, 2002 Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

January 8, 2004 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

September 7, 2004 Constitution and Bylaws modified by CoP Faculty

April 26, 2005 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

April 13, 2006 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

August 20, 2009 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

June 25, 2015 Constitution Modified by the CoP Faculty

July 27, 2015 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

May 18, 2017 Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

September 20,2018 Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

July 29, 2020,Constitution Modified by the CoP Faculty

June 5, 2021,Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

September 29,2021,Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

March 3, 2022, Constitution and Bylaws Modified by the CoP Faculty

August 12, 2023, Constitution and Bylaws Modified by COP and Center for Allied Health Programs