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PREAMBLE
SECTION I: THE FACULTY
A. Composition
B. Duties and Prerogatives
C. Meetings
D. OfficersSECTION II: COMMITTEES
a) Introduction and Requirements
F. Composition and Jurisdiction of Standing Committees
1. Faculty Executive Committee
2. Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee
SECTION III. PERSONNEL PROCEDURES
B. Overview of the Review Process
E. Notice of Non-Support for a Candidacy
1. Personnel Actions Not Requiring PRB Review
I. Faculty Vote Level on Appointment at or Promotion to the Rank of Librarian
J. Criteria for Personnel Actions
SECTION IV: LIBRARY REPRESENTATIVES
B. Members of University-Wide Committees
SECTION V: ADOPTION AND AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS
These Bylaws constitute the regulations for the internal governance of the Faculty of the University Libraries. The authority vested in the Faculty of the University Libraries is recognized in Article II, Section 5, of the Bylaws of the Voting Faculty, State University of New York at Buffalo, which states that "The faculties of the academic units of the University and of the University Libraries shall have original and primary jurisdiction regarding their own internal academic policies and procedures...." These Bylaws are subject to the provisions of the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York and other relevant provisions of the University at Buffalo's policies and procedures. (See the Faculty and Professional Staff Handbook; see also the current Agreement Between the State of New York and United University Professions.) Unless specified to the contrary by these Bylaws, the business of the University Libraries Faculty shall be conducted in accordance with Robert's Rules of Order.
The Faculty of the University Libraries shall include as non-voting members the Chancellor of the State University of New York, the President of the State University of New York at Buffalo, and the Associate Vice President for University Libraries. It shall include as voting members all tenured and term appointees holding the academic ranks of Librarian, Visiting Librarian, Associate Librarian, Visiting Associate Librarian, Senior Assistant Librarian, Visiting Senior Assistant Librarian, Assistant Librarian, and Visiting Assistant Librarian. Library Faculty on non-tenured track appointments are ineligible to vote on personnel actions.
In its advisory capacity as defined by and subject to the provisions of the Policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, the Faculty shall participate in the formulation of academic objectives of the Faculty; may advise the Associate Vice President for University Libraries on any matters pertaining to the goals, policies and operations of the University Libraries; shall participate in defining the service functions of the Faculty and Libraries to the academic community; shall participate in the development and preservation of the holdings and resources of the University Libraries. The Faculty shall also enact and enforce rules for its own governance, and it shall consider, transact or delegate such business as is within the scope of its responsibilities. The duties and prerogatives of the Faculty are delineated in further detail within the sections dealing with the various Standing Committees. However, the procedures of any standing Committee may not take precedence over these Bylaws.
I.C.1.There shall be a minimum of two meetings of the library Faculty as a whole during each academic year, a fall meeting and a winter/spring meeting. Written reports of the Faculty's Standing Committees shall be presented at each meeting by the Committee Chair or a designated representative. The Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the Faculty. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the Secretary of the Faculty Executive Committee shall act as Chair and designate another member of the Faculty Executive Committee to act as Secretary. If both the Chair and Secretary are absent, the Faculty Executive Committee members shall designate a Chair and Secretary pro tem.
I.C.2. The Faculty Executive Committee shall prepare a written notice of and an agenda for any regular meeting, and shall send them to each voting member of the Faculty.
Such written notice and agenda shall be placed in the U.S. or University mail at least 14 days before the date of the meeting. The agenda, under the heading of New Business, shall provide for discussion of items suggested from the floor. However, no item shall be voted upon at a regular meeting which has not appeared on the agenda. One-third of the voting members of the Faculty shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting.
Upon the request of any three voting members of the Faculty at a meeting, a vote upon any matter shall be taken by secret ballot. In all votes taken at Faculty meetings a simple majority of those present and voting shall decide the issue, except that amendments to these Bylaws shall require a two-thirds majority of those voting.
I.C.3. Special meetings of the University Libraries Faculty may be called by the Faculty Executive Committee upon its own initiative. Additionally, it shall do so upon written request from at least ten percent of the voting members of the Faculty or upon the request of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
The Faculty Executive Committee shall place a notice of and an agenda for the meeting, which shall include the requested items, for each Faculty member in the U.S. or University mail no later than seven days from receipt of the request for the special meeting. At special meetings of the Faculty only the matter or matters in the agenda shall be considered. A special meeting is to take place no later than seven calendar days after issuance of the notice of and agenda for the meeting; except, if an amendment to these Bylaws is to be included on the agenda, such meeting shall be called to meet two weeks after issuance of the call.
I.C.4. The Faculty Executive Committee shall take minutes for all Faculty meetings and distribute a copy thereof to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries and to all voting members of the University Libraries Faculty as expeditiously as possible.
I.D.1. The Associate Vice President for University Libraries shall be Chair ex officio of the University Libraries Faculty.
I.D.2. The Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be Vice-Chair of the University Libraries Faculty and preside at regular and special meetings of the Faculty.
I.D.3. The Secretary of the Faculty Executive Committee shall act as Secretary of the Faculty.
I.D.4. A Parliamentarian may be appointed to advise the Chair on procedural matters at meetings.
The University Libraries Faculty shall have the following Standing Committees:
Subject to the longevity and tenure requirements of APT and FEC, all voting members of the Faculty shall be eligible to serve on any Standing Committees, with the following limitation:
II.A.1.a) No Faculty member may serve simultaneously on more than one Standing Committee. Although a member of an appointed Committee is eligible to run for an elected Committee while serving a current term, a member of an elected Committee must resign that membership before being eligible to run for another membership.
II.A.1.b) A Faculty member who is a unit library director, a member of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries' (AVPUL) senior staff, or who is a member of the AVPUL's Directors' Council or any such successor management body that the AVPUL may create, is ineligible to serve on the Faculty Executive Committee.
II.A.2.a) Introduction and Requirements
Members of the Faculty Executive Committee and the Appointment, Promotion and Tenure Committee shall be elected at large, with voting by mail ballot, beginning in February. These elections shall be conducted by the Faculty Elections Committee. The Committee members so elected shall take office at the end of the May meeting of the Faculty. Full election results shall be transmitted to all voting members of the Faculty as soon as practicable after the elections, and a Roster shall be distributed by the Faculty Elections Committee upon the completion of the election schedule.
II.A.2.a)(1) All voting members of the University Libraries Faculty shall be eligible to vote for candidates to fill any vacancies in the two elected Standing Committees, and for the election of Faculty Senate Representatives.
II.A.2.a)(2) Separate ballots shall be used to fill each slate of vacancies for the elected Standing Committees.
II.A.2.a)(3) The Faculty members receiving the highest number of votes for the vacancies available shall be elected to fill those vacancies. Tie votes shall be resolved by runoff elections.
II.A.2.a)(4) Eligibility for election is determined in Sect. II.A.1 of the Bylaws.
II.A.2.a)(5) The Elections Committee shall announce the candidates via e-mail or other electronic medium. The Library Faculty will have seven calendar days in which to respond regarding changes or additions to the ballot. In the event the number of candidates for either FEC, APT, or Faculty Senate equals the number of vacancies, in a regular or mid-term election, the Secretary of FEC shall cast a vote for each candidate at the next FEC meeting, electing the candidates, thereby eliminating a ballot vote by the entire Faculty.
The general elections of the University Libraries Faculty will be held according to the following procedures.
II.A.2.b)(1) In January, the Faculty Elections Committee shall mail to each Faculty member a General Elections packet. This packet will contain:
a. Election schedule,
b. Current roster, and
c. Declination/Affirmation form.
II.A.2.b)(1)(a) The election schedule will list dates for each election, provide deadlines for returning the Declination/Affirmation forms and election ballots, and state the duration of the terms which newly elected Faculty members will serve.
II.A.2.b)(1)(b) The current roster will show who is on each committee and expiration date of each member's term.
II.A.2.b)(1)(c) The Declination/Affirmation form will contain instructions for determining eligibility and the form for requesting that a member's name should be included or excluded from each ballot. Faculty members who do not return their Declination/Affirmation form will be omitted from the ballots.
II.A.2.b)(2) The general elections will be held consecutively in the order determined by the Elections Committee. Elections will be run in consecutive order so that no Faculty member can be elected simultaneously to more than one Standing Committee.
II.A.2.b)(3) The General Election season will be scheduled so that it can be completed by the end of May.
In the event that resignation or extended absence creates a vacancy on one of the two elected Standing Committees, the Chair of that Committee shall notify the Elections Committee giving the effective date of the vacancy. This vacancy shall then be filled to the end of the original term of office by a Faculty member eligible, as of the effective date of the vacancy, for service on the Committee involved, provided that the original term of office has a minimum of six months to run. If the vacancy created is of less than a six month duration, the Faculty member elected will fill the unexpired term and also the next regular term of office. A special Declination/Affirmation form will be sent out to all Faculty members to determine eligibility for a midterm election. A ballot listing alphabetically all these eligible Faculty members shall be distributed to all voting members of the University Libraries Faculty by the Elections Committee within one month before or after the effective date of the vacancy. The person who receives the highest number of votes shall be elected. Tie votes shall be resolved by a run-off election. Mid-term vacancies on the two appointed Standing Committees shall be filled as prescribed by the appointment procedures for these Committees.
The Faculty or any Standing Committee of the Faculty may request the creation of ad hoc committees to consider matters not within the jurisdiction of a Standing Committee, or to consider particular matters within the jurisdiction of a Standing Committee with the consent of a majority of that Standing Committee. The actual composition, duration and charge of ad hoc committees shall be determined by the Faculty Executive Committee, and ad hoc committees shall be responsible to the Faculty Executive Committee.
Any Standing Committee shall have the right to create subcommittees from among its own members to consider any particular matter within its jurisdiction. Any such subcommittee shall be responsible to its parent Standing Committee only.
II.D.1. All Standing Committees shall maintain minutes of their meetings.
II.D.2. All Standing Committees shall submit written quarterly reports to the Faculty Executive Committee. These reports shall be appended to the official minutes of the quarterly and annual meetings of the Faculty.
All Standing Committees may adopt Standing Rules to govern their internal operations. All such Standing Rules and any revisions thereto shall be provided annually to all members of the Faculty.
a) Composition
b) Duties
c) Officers
d) Meetings
This Committee shall consist of five voting members of the University Libraries Faculty each of whom has been a member of the Faculty for at least two years. To assure continuity there will be rotation of membership, with two members elected in one year and three members elected the next year.
II.F.1.b)(1) The Faculty Executive Committee shall act as the representative of the University Libraries Faculty and in an advisory capacity to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
II.F.1.b)(2) The Faculty Executive Committee shall review and make recommendations, including courses of action, to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries on all matters of interest to the University Libraries Faculty, including goals and policies of the University Libraries, e.g., collection development, public services, technical services, etc.
II.F.1.b)(3) The Faculty Executive Committee shall actively solicit expressions of opinion from the voting members of the University Libraries Faculty and on whatever topics and by whatever methods it deems most appropriate. It is incumbent on the Committee to act upon any matter of interest to the voting Faculty which is brought to its attention.
II.F.1.b)(4) The Faculty Executive Committee shall draw up and distribute the agenda for all general Faculty meetings.
II.F.1.b)(5) The Faculty Executive Committee shall submit reports to the Faculty at all regular Faculty meetings.
II.F.1.b)(6) The Faculty Executive Committee shall keep and distribute minutes of its meetings and Faculty meetings to all members of the voting Faculty.
II.F.1.b)(7) The Faculty Executive Committee shall determine the composition and charge of the Faculty Standing and Ad Hoc Committees except for the Committee on Appointment, Promotion and Tenure. Such Committees are fully accountable to the Faculty Executive Committee as specified in their charges.
II.F.1.b)(8) The Faculty Executive Committee shall make all documents and other materials in its files freely available for inspection upon request by any member of the voting Faculty, except personal information about another individual. It will be incumbent upon the Committee to bring to the attention of the voting faculty any documents which the Committee considers of general and major importance to the Library Faculty as a whole.
II.F.1.b)(9) The Faculty Executive Committee shall actively seek information from the Associate Vice President for University Libraries on matters of interest to the Faculty. The Faculty Executive Committee shall also actively seek advice from the University Libraries Faculty to be transmitted to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
II.F.1.b)(10) The Faculty Executive Committee shall request a "State of the Libraries" report from the Associate Vice President for University Libraries to be delivered at the regular May meeting of the Library Faculty.
II.F.1.b)(11) The Faculty Executive Committee shall conduct a biennial survey of the Libraries Faculty on the state of the University Libraries. The result of the survey shall be transmitted to the Senior Vice President, the Associate Vice President for University Libraries, and the Libraries Faculty.
II.F.1.b)(12) The Faculty Executive Committee may appoint a Parliamentarian to advise the presiding officer on points of procedure or error that may arise at meetings of the Faculty. The Parliamentarian may serve for an unlimited number of terms.
The Faculty Executive Committee shall elect its Chair and Secretary for renewable terms. No individual may serve as Chair for more than a total of two years in any four-year period. The Secretary may serve for no more than four consecutive years.
The Chair shall preside at all regular and special meetings of the Faculty and of the Faculty Executive Committee, shall draw up the agenda for Committee and Faculty meetings with the assistance of the Committee members, and shall represent the Committee and the Library Faculty as a whole in matters arising both internally and externally to the University Libraries as necessary.
The Secretary shall take minutes at all Faculty Executive Committee and Faculty meetings and shall keep and maintain Faculty Executive Committee files. The Secretary shall forward FEC files to the University Archives on a regular basis. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the Secretary shall act as Chair and designate another Committee member to act as Secretary. If both the Chair and the Secretary are absent, the Committee members present shall designate a Chair and Secretary pro tem.
II.F.1.d)(1) Regular meetings of the Faculty Executive Committee shall be held twice monthly on Tuesdays of each calendar month, or the nearest day when a simple majority can be present.
II.F.1.d)(2) Additional meetings of the Faculty Executive Committee may be called at any time by the Chair of the Committee, at the request of at least two members of the Committee, or at the request of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
II.F.1.d)(3) FEC meetings will be open to all members of the University Libraries Faculty and to others by invitation of the Faculty Executive Committee unless FEC votes unanimously to go into executive session. Non-FEC members present at an FEC meeting may comment from the floor on items on the agenda.
II.F.1.d)(4) Items not on the written agenda may be brought up for discussion and/or vote during the meeting by any member of the Committee under the heading of "other business." Any member of the voting Faculty may propose items to be added to the agenda of an upcoming meeting. Such proposals shall be submitted in writing to any member of the Committee not later than one hour before the meeting.
II.F.1.d)(5) Only members of FEC can vote at FEC meetings.
a) Composition
b) Duties
c) Officers
d) Meetings
This Committee shall consist of seven tenured voting members of the Faculty of the University Libraries. To assure continuity in the Committee's work, there will be rotation of membership, with three members elected in one year and four members elected the next year. No member of the APT Committee shall be permitted to participate in the consideration of any personnel action brought before the Committee that pertains to that member.
II.F.2.b)(1) In accordance with the procedures established in Section III of these Bylaws and Policies, and Criteria for Faculty Personnel Actions (1988) and applying the evaluative criteria contained in this Faculty's Criteria Document(1990)
[Appendix I], the APT Committee shall consider and make recommendations to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries on:
II.F.2.b)(1)(a) All term appointments to the University Libraries Faculty (excluding Research Foundation appointments).
II.F.2.b)(1)(b) All term reappointments to the University Libraries Faculty, including non-supported reappointments subject to Sections III.E. and III.F, (excluding Research Foundation appointments).
II.F.2.b)(1)(c) All promotions of University Libraries Faculty members (excluding Research Foundation promotions).
II.F.2.b)(1)(d) All cases involving the granting of continuing appointment to University Libraries Faculty members.
II.F.2.b)(1)(e) All temporary appointments which extend beyond one year; APT's review to occur at the end of the first year.
II.F.2.b)(2) The APT Committee shall submit in writing to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries a written recommendation concerning the disposition of each case which it considers.
II.F.2.b)(3) The APT Committee may at any time request from the Associate Vice President for University Libraries a status report on any case which it has considered.
II.F.2.b)(4) The APT Committee shall distribute minutes of its meetings only to its members. All files of the Committee shall be confidential.
II.F.2.b)(5) The APT Committee shall present an annual report to the Faculty at its May meeting. This report shall be a general summary of the Committee's activities, including the number and type of cases considered. Interim reports shall also be presented at the August, November, and February quarterly meetings of the University Libraries faculty.
The APT Committee shall select a Chair and a Secretary who shall serve for one-year renewable terms. No individual may serve as Chair for more than a total of two years in any given four year period. The Secretary may serve for the full four-year period.
It shall be the duty of the Chair of this Committee to establish the agenda for the meetings of the Committee. The Chair shall preside at meetings and shall be able to vote. The Chair shall also act as spokesperson for the Committee, shall prepare regular reports for the Faculty and shall present these reports to the University Libraries Faculty at the quarterly meetings.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to keep complete minutes of the meetings of the APT Committee and circulate these promptly to all members of the Committee. In the temporary absence of the Chair, the Secretary shall act as Chair and designate another APT Committee member to act as Secretary.
If both the Chair and Secretary are absent, the APT Committee members present shall designate a Chair and Secretary pro tem.
Meetings shall be called by the Chair whenever deemed necessary to conduct business which falls under the jurisdiction of this Committee. Meetings of the APT Committee shall be closed meetings. Attendance at these meetings for everyone except Committee members shall be by invitation only.
A quorum shall be necessary to conduct business at a meeting. A quorum shall consist of four persons (simple majority of the members of the Committee) for consideration of all personnel actions not requiring review by the Presidential Review Board. Five is the quorum for personnel actions requiring review by the Presidential Review Board.
a) Composition
b) Duties
c) Officers
d) Meetings
This Committee shall consist of three voting members of the University Libraries Faculty appointed by the Faculty Executive Committee. To assure continuity in the Committee's work, there will be a rotation of membership, with two members appointed in one year and one member appointed the next year.
II.F.3.b)(1) The Elections Committee shall supervise and administer all elections of the University Libraries Faculty in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws.
II.F.3.b)(2) The Elections Committee shall maintain a current list of voting members of the University Libraries Faculty.
II.F.3.b)(3) The Elections Committee shall transmit election results to all voting members of the Faculty as soon as practicable after elections.
II.F.3.b)(4) The Elections Committee shall establish detailed election procedures and policies not described in these Bylaws as needed and shall record them in its Standing Rules.
II.F.3.b)(5) The Elections Committee shall present regular reports to the Faculty at the quarterly meetings of the University Libraries Faculty.
The Elections Committee shall elect its Chair and Secretary for one year renewable terms.
Meetings shall be called by the Chair whenever deemed necessary to conduct business which falls under the jurisdiction of this Committee.
The University at Buffalo's Policies, Procedures, and Criteria for Faculty Personnel Actions (PPC), as approved by the President June 1988, sets out University-wide policies and procedures governing the appointment, promotion and granting of continuing appointment to faculty. It is incumbent on each member of this Faculty to be familiar with the PPC, and with the sections of both the SUNY Board of Trustees' Policies and the SUNY/UUP Agreement dealing with appointment, promotion and continuing appointment.
The PPC recognizes the right of Faculties to establish procedures internal to themselves to carry out Faculty level review of personnel actions and sets out parameters for those procedures. This Section of the Bylaws, establishing this Faculty's internal procedures, must be read in concert with and as supplementary to the provisions of the PPC. In the PPC's terminology each of the Libraries' Units is a Department, each of the Unit Heads is a Department Chair, and the Associate Vice President for University Libraries is the Faculty's Dean.
The provisions of this Section do not apply to Research Foundation appointments, reappointments or promotions. Such personnel actions are solely the province of administrative procedure.
The PPC states that "The academic excellence of a University is established and maintained at the departmental level" (PPC, II, A). It specifies that "A major responsibility for establishing and maintaining a high degree of excellence rests on the Chairs who must recruit individuals of great promise, ensure that faculty will be regularly evaluated, and oversee efforts to assist current faculty members in improving their performance. They must also take responsibility for difficult decisions which may lead to non-renewal of faculty members..." (op. cit.). The PPC also states that "Faculty members share the responsibility for and take an active role in recruiting and evaluating members of their Department/Faculty by their advisory votes..." (op. cit.).
Subject to the non-renewal notice and continuing appointment provisions of the Policies of the Board of Trustees, and Sections III.E & III.F of these Bylaws, the Unit Head initiates all personnel actions for appointment, reappointment or non-support of reappointment, and the granting of continuing appointments. Faculty at or seeking the rank of Associate Librarian or Librarian may request consideration for “early” continuing appointment. An advisory vote on these personnel actions is taken at the Unit level, with all voting Faculty members in the Unit, other than the candidate and the Unit Head, being eligible to vote. Concurrently the Unit Head develops a dossier for the personnel action.
Promotions in rank are not subject to any time provisions, but are achievement driven. The responsibility for initiating promotional personnel actions is shared by both the Unit Head and the candidate. An advisory Unit vote is taken on all promotional personnel actions, with all voting Faculty members in the Unit, other than the candidate and the Unit Head, being eligible to vote. Concurrently the Unit Head develops a dossier for the promotional personnel action.
Subject to Sections III.E & III.F of these Bylaws, the Unit Head’s recommendation on the personnel action, accompanied by the result of the Unit vote and the dossier, are forwarded through the Office of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries to APT. Acting for the Faculty as a whole, and basing its decision on the above described written documentation, a presentation made to it by the candidate’s Unit Head and a presentation by an advocate if one is selected by the candidate, APT takes an advisory vote. The results of the APT vote are then transmitted in writing to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
For personnel actions not involving the granting of continuing appointment or appointment at or promotion to the rank of Librarian, the Associate Vice President for University Libraries acting under a grant of authority from the Senior Vice President makes the final determination on the action or a recommendation to the Senior Vice President.
Personnel actions involving the granting of continuing appointment and appointment at or promotion to the rank of Librarian require additional review. The Associate Vice President for University Libraries forwards to the Vice President and Chief Information Officer /Office of the Provost the written documentation on which APT voted, the vote of APT, and the Associate Vice President for University Libraries' recommendation. Additionally for an appointment at or promotion to the rank of Librarian, a vote of Library Faculty holding the rank of Librarian is taken and that vote is included in the materials being forwarded to the Vice President and Chief Information Officer /Office of the Provost which transmits all the above to the President's Review Board (PRB) for its advisory vote. The Office of the Provost, after receiving PRB's vote, sends a recommendation to the President who makes the final determination, excepting if all prior levels of review have been negative, the Office of the Provost is empowered to reject the candidacy.
Different criteria are appropriately used by the various participants in the review of a personnel action. The Criteria for Library Faculty Personnel Actions (Appendix I) is this Faculty's statement of what constitutes excellence in librarianship. The Unit level vote, APT's vote, and the recommendations of the Unit Head and the Associate Vice President for University Libraries should be based on the Criteria. PRB's vote should be informed by the Criteria, but as charged by the President, PRB's vote addresses the question of "whether or not the candidate would be appointed, promoted and/or granted continuing appointment under the standards generally applied...at the leading public research universities" (PPC,II,C,1).
III.C.1. All voting Faculty in a Unit, except those on non-tenure track appointments, the candidate and the Unit Head, may vote on any personnel action requiring a Unit vote.
III.C.2. Prior to a Unit vote on a personnel action, a meeting of the Unit's voting Faculty, excepting the candidate, shall be called to discuss a proposed personnel action. Any non-Faculty line supervisor(s) of the candidate shall be invited to participate in the meeting to help inform the discussion. The discussion shall be considered confidential and no written minutes or summary shall be produced. No Unit meeting is required when, excluding the Unit Head and the candidate, fewer than two Unit voting Faculty are assigned to the Unit or are available to meet and subsequently to vote (sabbatical or other leaves, extended illness, etc., may at times make some Faculty unavailable for meeting and voting). A Unit will make all reasonable efforts to schedule the meeting to secure the presence of the necessary number of Unit voting Faculty.
III.C.3. Prior to the Unit meeting, all Unit voting Faculty, excepting the candidate, shall at minimum be provided with a copy of:
III.C.3.a) The candidate's curriculum vitae;
III.C.3.b) The candidate's Conditions of Employment Letter, excepting that in the case of an appointment, the position description used in recruitment shall be provided;
III.C.3.c) All letters of reference to be included in the dossier as it leaves the Unit, excepting any mandatory line supervisor letter(s) and the Unit Head's letter.
Mandatory line supervisor letters(s) and the Unit Head's letter are prepared after the Unit meeting has been held.
III.C.3.d) A statement of the candidate's research interests and a service statement, excepting in the case of an appointment;
III.C.3.e) Supplemental material.
III.C.4. Voting shall be by written ballot with precautions to insure the anonymity of the ballots. The ballot shall provide for a positive vote, a negative vote and an abstention for each personnel action involved.
III.C.5. The vote of a Unit shall be taken in a timely fashion to afford the Unit Head the benefit of the vote in formulating the Unit Head's recommendation.
The dossier consists of written materials assembled by the Unit Head to aid APT, the Associate Vice President for University Libraries, the Vice President and Chief Information Officer/Office of the Provost, the PRB and the President in reviewing a personnel action. After it leaves the Unit the dossier is supplemented by letters of recommendation and transmittal from each administrative officer who participates in the review process and by PRB's evaluation when PRB reviews the action. A detailed description of the procedures for assembling of the dossier are found in the Standing Rules of APT.
III.E.1. Personnel Actions Not Requiring PRB Review
III.E.1.a) When the candidate’s Unit Head recommends against a personnel action, including the non-support of reappointment, the Unit Head must notify the candidate in writing at the time the negative recommendation is made and advise the candidate of the candidate’s right to appoint an advocate.
III.E.1.b) If the candidate invokes the right to advocacy under Section III.F. below, the Unit Head prepares the dossier.
III.E.1.c) If the candidate fails to invoke the right to advocacy under Section III.F. below, the review process ceases and no dossier is prepared.
III.E.1.d) When APT makes a negative recommendation on a proposed personnel action, the Office of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries must notify the candidate in writing at the time the negative recommendation is made and advise the candidate of the candidate's right to appoint an advocate.
III.E.2. Personnel Actions Requiring PRB Review (cf. PPC,II,C,4,b)
III.E.2.a) When any administrative officer below the Vice President and Chief Information Officer recommends against a personnel action, the officer must notify the candidate in writing at the time the negative recommendation is made and advise the candidate of the candidate's right to appoint an advocate.
III.E.2.b) When PRB makes a negative recommendation on a proposed personnel action, the Office of the Provost must notify the candidate in writing within seven working days after receipt of PRB's report and advise the candidate of the candidate's right to appoint an advocate.
III.F.1. In personnel actions not requiring PRB review the candidate has the right to appoint an advocate if the candidate’s Unit Head is not in support of the action, including reappointment, or if APT makes a negative recommendation to the Associate Vice-President for University Libraries.
III.F.1.a) The candidate, within seven working days of advocacy being triggered, must notify the Office of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries in writing whom the candidate has designated as advocate.
III.F.1.b) The advocate must be a member of the Libraries Faculty or the Libraries professional staff and have direct personal knowledge of the candidate's performance. (cf. PPC, II,C,4,a,2)
III.F.1.c) The advocate shall add to the dossier a written statement which addresses the quality and impact of the candidate's work, service and scholarly accomplishments; the advocate may, in the statement, suggest expert evaluators highly qualified to review the candidate's work; the advocate should not attack prior levels of review. (cf. PPC, II,C,4,a,3 & 4)
III.F.1.d) The advocate may also choose to make an oral statement to APT and/or to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
III.F.1.e) Review proceedings are not adversarial hearings or bargaining sessions. The advocate's task is not to attack the dossier or the judgment of prior levels of review, but to present the case for the candidate and to explain the candidate's work, contribution, and promise, and to point out to the review bodies and/or administrative officers the material or information in the dossier that would be especially helpful in evaluating the candidate's achievements and promise. (cf. PPC, II,C,4,a,3)
III.F.1.f) Advocates must adhere to the rules on confidentiality. Since advocates may have access to confidential material not available to the candidate, they must avoid disclosure of confidential material to the candidate. (cf. PPC, II,C,4,a,5)
III.F.2. In personnel actions requiring PRB review the right of advocacy may also be invoked at the start of the review process, or at a subsequent stage, if the candidate believes the case will be strengthened or more fully presented through the use of an advocate (cf. PPC,II,C,4,a). The right of advocacy is likewise triggered if any administrative officer below the Vice President and Chief Information Officer, or PRB or APT makes a negative recommendation (cf. PPC,II,C,4,b).
A candidate who wishes to withdraw from the peer review process must send a written request for withdrawal to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries (copied to the unit head) or to the administrative officer before whom the case is pending if the case has been transmitted beyond the Libraries (cf. PPC, II.C.5).
III.H.1. Each member of APT shall be provided with a copy of the candidate's dossier, absent supplemental material, no later than seven days prior to the scheduled date of APT's consideration of the personnel action, or by a later date agreed to by the Chair of APT. Supplemental materials will be available for review in the Office of the Associate Vice President. However, no member of APT who stands in a familial relationship to the candidate may participate in any stage of APT's review of the personnel action.
III.H.2. APT shall meet and review the candidate's full dossier. The dossier shall be presented by the candidate's Unit Head, or the Unit Head's designee, or by the Associate Vice President for University Libraries or the Associate Vice President's designee. If an advocate has been appointed, the advocate may also make a presentation to APT. APT shall meet separately with each presenter. In no case shall APT meet with the candidate.
III.H.3. After the dossier presentation(s), and with only members of APT present, APT shall vote.
III.H.3.a) There shall be a separate vote for each personnel action being considered for the candidate.
III.H.3.b) A member of APT may vote on a personnel action even though the APT member has voted on the personnel action at the unit level or has contributed to the candidate's dossier.
III.H.3.c) If APT believes the dossier does not present sufficient information on which to make an informed vote, APT may postpone its vote and return the dossier to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries for clarification or additional material.
III.H.3.d) APT shall immediately and orally transmit the direction of its vote to the Unit Head, who shall then inform the candidate. APT shall report its quantitative vote in writing to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries.
III.I.1 All Faculty members holding the rank of Librarian may vote on a proposed appointment at or promotion to the rank of Librarian, even though a Faculty member has or will vote on the personnel action at a different Level, or has contributed to the dossier.
III.I.2 Immediately following APT's consideration of an action involving the appointment at or promoting to the rank of Librarian, the Office of the Associate Vice President for University Libraries shall schedule a meeting of all Faculty members holding the rank of Librarian and shall designate a Chair Pro Tem for the meeting by rotation based on seniority in rank of the Librarians. Each Librarian shall be provided with a copy of the candidate's dossier, absent supplemental material and APT's report on its vote, no later than seven days prior to the scheduled date of the meeting. Supplemental materials will be available for review in the Office of the Associate Vice President.
III.I.3. After a discussion of the candidacy, voting shall be by written ballot with precautions to insure the anonymity of the ballots. The ballot shall provide for a for a positive vote, a negative vote and an abstention.
III.I.4. The Chair Pro Tem or a designee shall report to the Associate Vice President for University Libraries in writing the quantitative vote and a summary of the discussion.
The basic criteria for personnel actions are established by the SUNY Board of Trustees (cf. SUNY Board of Trustees' Policies, Article XII, Titles A and B). The PPC discusses the application of these basic criteria within the context of the University at Buffalo's commitment to "achieve status as one of the top-ranked public research universities in the nation, and to maintain that position" (PPC, Introduction). The PPC also notes that by the Presidential directive of November 9, 1983, a Faculty may develop standards individual to itself but which are based on information gathered periodically "from the most distinguished public universities in the country concerning academic standards in use in the several disciplines." Attached as an appendix to these Bylaws is this Faculty's statement of special standards, its Criteria for Library Faculty Personnel Actions.
III.J.2.a) The Criteria document will be revised periodically as necessary, but no less frequently than quinquennially with the year 1990 being the beginning year of the first cycle of revision. The method and timing of the review will be determined by the Faculty Executive Committee.
III.J.2.b) The Criteria document shall form the basis of review at all levels within the University Libraries Faculty structure.
III.J.3. Criteria by Academic Rank
III.J.3.a) The PPC sets out the level of achievement appropriate at each academic rank (cf. PPC,I,A). This Faculty's Criteria document should be read in conjunction with the PPC's discussion of rank.
III.J.3.b) This Faculty believes that PPC's description of the achievement appropriate to the rank of Associate Librarian parallels the level of achievement necessary for the attainment of continuing appointment. It is the position of this Faculty, therefore, that continuing appointment be granted only at the minimum rank of Associate Librarian.
Elections of Faculty Senators shall be conducted according to procedures described in the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate. The number of Senators representing the University Libraries Faculty shall be determined by the Faculty Senate.
The Standing Committee on Elections shall conduct the elections of the University Libraries Faculty's representatives to the Faculty Senate. These elections shall be conducted according to Article V of The Charter of the Faculty Senate, State University of New York at Buffalo (see Faculty and Professional Staff Handbook). The outgoing Faculty Senate Executive Committee (FSEC) representative shall convene the Senators prior to August 15 of each year to orient the new Senators. The Senators will elect the new FSEC representative from amongst themselves.
IV.A.2.a) The Senators shall represent the University Libraries Faculty at the meetings of the Faculty Senate.
IV.A.2.b) The University Libraries Faculty representative to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall consult with the Library Faculty Executive Committee on matters of library concerns and nominations to University-wide committees.
IV.A.2.c) The University Libraries Faculty representative to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall present written reports to the Library Faculty at the quarterly meetings of the University Libraries Faculty.
The members of the University-wide Committees shall present reports on matters of interest to the Faculty at the quarterly meetings of the University Libraries Faculty.
A referendum to effect the adoption of these revised Bylaws shall be conducted by mail. All voting members of the University Libraries Faculty shall receive ballots, and a two-thirds majority of those voting shall be required to adopt these revised Bylaws.
Amendments may be proposed by the Faculty Executive Committee or by petition containing the text of the proposed amendment and the signatures of at least ten percent (10%) of the voting members of the Faculty. Petitions shall be submitted to the Chair of the Faculty Executive Committee.
The Bylaws shall be amended in one of two ways, the choice to be at the discretion of FEC:
V.B.2.a) At a meeting of the Faculty by a two-thirds majority of those Faculty members present and voting; or,
V.B.2.b) Through a mail ballot by a two-thirds majority of those Faculty members voting. Ballots are to be returned to the Chair of FEC. FEC will count the ballots, either at one of its regular meetings or at a special meeting called for that purpose. To be counted, all ballots must be received within fourteen (14) calendar days of the distribution date shown on the ballot.
The Faculty Executive Committee shall submit proposals to amend to the voting members of the Faculty via campus mail or other appropriate method.
V.B.3.a) If the vote is to be held at a Faculty meeting, proposals to amend shall be submitted to the voting members of the Faculty at least two weeks in advance of the meeting at which the proposal is to be considered.
V.B.3.b) If the vote is to be conducted by mail, proposals to amend and accompanying ballots may be submitted to the Faculty at any time.
V.B.4. Effective Date of Amendment
An amendment shall become effective immediately upon its adoption. The date of adoption shall be considered the date on which the vote is counted.
Provisions of these Bylaws concerning consultation of the Library Administration with the Faculty shall be subject to the approval of the President of the University.
Revised August 2004, August 2006, June 19, 2008
Content provider: Ed Herman
Comments: lib-staffweb@buffalo.edu
Last update: 31 August, 2006
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