Earlier this year, the School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws underwent a review, and the proposed revisions were voted on by faculty in late May-early June. The revised constitution and bylaws received the required majority affirmative votes, and have been passed.
As was communicated to you previously via email, the School of Medicine Constitution and Bylaws underwent a review. The proposed revisions were announced to the faculty prior to an electronic vote. To enact these revisions to our constitution and bylaws, a majority of the faculty votes received must be affirmative.聽We are pleased to announce that over 93% of votes were affirmative, and the proposed changes to the constitution and bylaws were approved. Thank you to all the faculty who participated in the vote. The changes (e.g. committee membership) will be operationalized during the 2025-26 academic year.
Summary of Approved Changes
There were no changes to the constitution.
The following changes to the bylaws were approved:
- Article I: Meetings of the Faculty of the School of Medicine
- Removes the requirement that a special meeting of the faculty be called by the Senior Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs. Per the bylaws 鈥淪pecial Meetings may be called by the Dean or on the written request of ten percent of the members of the School鈥檚 Faculty.鈥�
- Article III: Standing Committees of the School of Medicine
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- Nominating Committee – Removes the vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion as a voting member (this position no longer exists); Clarifies the role of the committee: 1. Review the nominees for election to the Standing Committees of the School of Medicine and recommend a slate of eligible candidates for election.聽 In the current bylaws the responsibility is to 鈥渄evelop鈥� the slate of candidates.
- Admissions Committee – Increases the number of committee members appointed by the dean from fourteen to sixteen and increases the number of committee members elected by the faculty of the medical school from six to eight; clarifies that the five student members of the committee come from the M4 class; adds the assistant dean for admissions as a voting member and allows the assistant dean for admissions to serve as chair of the committee in the absence of the associate dean for admissions; removes the four ex-officio non-voting members of the committee: vice dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion, director of the office of scholastic excellence and equity, and the associate dean for medical alumni affairs (these positions no longer or will no longer exist) and the associate dean for student affairs (does not routinely attend committee meetings).
- Education Committee – increases the number of committee members elected by the faculty of the medical school from two to four and the number of committee members appointed by the dean from four to six; clarifies that each regional campus has one appointed member or designee; clarifies that student membership on the committee is the two student body copresidents or designees; clarifies that the faculty co-chairs of the three phase committees are members of the committee; removes the vice dean for academic affairs, the senior director of curricular affairs, and the senior associate dean for graduate medical education/designated institutional official as voting members of the committee; adds the Associate Dean for Curricular Affairs or designee as a voting member; adds 鈥渙r designee鈥� for the associate dean for student affairs who serves as a voting member of the committee; adds the associate dean for admissions, or designee as an ex-office nonvoting member of the committee; and clarifies that the additional members who may be appointed by the dean serve as non-voting ex-office members.
- Student Progress Committee – increases the number of elected basic science and clinical faculty members on the committee from one to two; removes the requirement that the elected members 鈥渃ome from a pool of experienced educators (prior service as a medical school course or clerkship director and/or a member of the Academy of Educators.鈥�; removes the associate dean for faculty access and success and the director of scholastic enrichment and equity as ex-office non-voting members (positions no longer exist); adds 鈥渙r designee鈥� for the associate dean for student affairs who serves as an ex-officio nonvoting member of the committee; removes the assistant dean for student affairs as an ex-office non-voting member (this position may serve as the designee for the associate dean for student affairs).
- Committee to Review Appointments and Promotions to Associate Professor (Tenure Track), Committee to Review Appointments and Promotions to Full Professor (Tenured), and the Committee to Review Promotions of Fixed Term Faculty – Adds 鈥渙r designee鈥� for the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs who serves as an ex-officio non-voting member of these committees; clarifies that each of the committee has co-chairs who are appointed by the dean.
- Post-Tenure Review Committee – Adds 鈥渙r designee鈥� for the Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs who serves as an ex-officio non-voting member and chair of the committee.
Please contact Dr. Cam Enarson (cenarson@med.unc.edu) with any questions.