UF Mathematics

Organization
and Procedures

Preamble.

This pattern is not intended to be legalistic or technical, but to give basic guidelines for the authority, responsibility, and procedures within the Department. It should function as an aid to the Department in fulfilling its responsibilities, not as an end in itself. It should allow the faculty members to concentrate their efforts on their professional activities in mathematics.

Department Organization.

The Chair is responsible for the following items subject to the approval of the Steering Committee: recommending adjunct, permanent and visiting faculty appointments in accordance with section F of Procedures, acting as liaison with the Dean of the College, making budget recommendations, making faculty teaching assignments, and Departmental assignments (Assistant or Associate Chair, Graduate Coordinator, Undergraduate Coordinator, Committees and their Chairs, Undergraduate Student Advisors, etc.), considering leave requests, and faculty evaluations. The Chair and the Steering Committee shall keep the faculty informed of matters of Departmental interest.

In addition to the Steering Committee, there shall be the following standing committees: the Graduate Committee (responsible for the graduate program and the advising of the graduate students), the Undergraduate Committee (responsible for the undergraduate program), the Tenure and Promotion Committee (responsible for supervising promotion and tenure proceedings), and the Visitors and Colloquium Committee (responsible for recommending visiting appointments and arranging colloquium visitors). The Graduate Coordinator will act as Chair of the Graduate Committee.

The Department Chairman may form other committees as necessary subject to the approval of the Steering Committee.

Procedures.

A. Selection of the Chair.

The Steering Committee less the current retiring Chair shall implement the search procedures of the College and University for selecting a new Chair.

B. Election of the Steering Committee

The Steering Committee shall consist of six elected members and the Department Chair who shall chair the committee. Elections for members of the Steering Committee shall be held prior to the end of each academic year. All full-time tenured and all tenure-accruing members of the Department shall be eligible to vote and to be elected. The Steering Committee shall supervise the elections. Each year three members shall be elected to serve two year terms. There shall be a one week nominating period. Nominations can be made by a single eligible faculty member with consent of the nominee. The election shall take place by secret mail ballot one week after nominations are closed. Each individual may vote for three of the candidates. The full professor with the most votes shall be elected. The associate professor with the most votes shall be elected. The person with the most votes of the remaining candidates shall be elected. The newly elected members shall assume their responsibilities immediately. Special elections shall be held to fill vacancies.

The steering committee shall elect a speaker (other than the department chair) by majority vote at its first meeting after each election. The speaker will serve until the next steering committee election. The speaker's duties will include (1) coordinating and communicating the activities of the steering committee, and (2) chairing meetings of the steering committee when the department chair is absent.

C. Changes in degree requirements.

Undergraduate degree requirements are recommended by the Undergraduate Committee and must be approved by the tenured or tenure-accruing faculty. Graduate degree requirements are recommended by the Graduate Committee and must be approved by the graduate faculty.

D. Course offerings.

Graduate course offerings for each term shall be determined by the Graduate Committee with approval of the Chair and Steering Committee. Undergraduate course offerings shall be determined by the Chair upon recommendation of the Undergraduate Committee and approval of the Steering Committee.

E. Promotion and Tenure.

The policies and procedures for promotion and tenure shall be determined by the Steering Committee. The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall supervise the promotion and tenure proceedings in conformance with the guidelines set up by the Steering Committee, the College, and the University.

F. Appointments.

All appointments shall be recommended to the Dean by the Chair according to the guidelines of the Department, College, and University. New permanent faculty appointments shall be recommended to the Chair by specially appointed search committees. Visiting appointments shall be recommended to the Chair by the Visitors and Colloquium Committee.

G. Budget.

The Chair shall recommend the Department budget to the Dean in accordance with the procedures of the College and University. He shall present a preliminary draft of the budget to the Steering Committee and bring a final draft to the Steering Committee for approval before making his recommendations to the Dean.

H. Colloquium visitors.

Arrangements for colloquium visitors shall be handled by the Visitors and Colloquium Committee.

I. Faculty meetings.

Faculty meetings may be called by the Chair, the Steering Committee, or by petition of at least five faculty members of the Department. Such meetings may be for the dissemination of information or discussion of issues of importance to the functioning of the Department.

J. Amendments.

This documents may be amended by vote at a faculty meeting. The precise wording of the amendment shall be circulated one week in advance of the meeting. All full-time tenured and all tenure-accruing members of the Department (including those on leave) are eligible to vote. The amendment will be approved if over fifty percent of those eligible vote in favor.