BYLAWS
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in
ARID LANDS RESOURCE SCIENCES
Revised February 2004
The Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Arid Lands
Resource Sciences (ALRS) offers a program of graduate study leading to the
Doctor of Philosophy degree with a major in Arid Lands Resource Sciences. The
program is interdisciplinary and provides an academic environment in which to
examine the ecological, economic and social factors which influence the sustainable
use of arid and semiarid lands. Special interdisciplinary concentrations
combining aspects of the biological, physical, and social sciences, not
available in the usual major-minor degree programs, may be used by advanced
students with promising research projects and strong interests in arid lands.
This interdisciplinary program includes faculty
members representing almost 20 different departments across the campus. The
current participating departments include, but are not limited to: Agricultural
and Resources Economics, Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Anthropology,
Architecture, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Family and Community Medicine,
Geography and Regional Development, Geosciences, Hydrology and Water Resources,
Molecular and Cellular Biology, Near Eastern Studies, Office of Arid Lands
Studies, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Plant Sciences, Political Science,
Psychology, Renewable Natural Resources, and Soil, Water and Environmental
Science, The Udall Center, and the Institute for the Study of Planet Earth.
This broad based interdisciplinary group is currently represented by over 50
different faculty members. These details are stated explicitly in the Graduate
Student Handbook for Arid Lands Resource Sciences and are available on our
website.
As the program has grown dramatically over the past
few years, the size of the general faculty and the executive committee has
grown appropriately. The Executive Committee (appointed by and responsible to
the Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies and Economic Development)
serves as the executive, policy, and administrative agency for the Program. The
structure and organization of this Committee shall conform to the Guidelines
for Interdisciplinary Programs established by the Vice President for Research,
Graduate Studies and Economic Development.
Innovative planning and creative leadership are
essential to maintain and foster excellence in this very diversified
interdisciplinary program. These and related functions are served by the Committee
(Faculty) on Arid Lands Resource Sciences and its Executive Committee. In the
following sections the Bylaws that govern policies and operating procedures are
outlined.
Executive
Committee and Chairperson of the Committee
1. The Chairperson of the Committee will be appointed
by the Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies and Economic Development
from nominations submitted by the Executive Council. The Chairperson will
normally serve a five-year term and may not serve more than ten years consecutively
or two terms as the Chair. A second term must be approved by a two-thirds
positive vote by the Executive Committee.
The duties of the Chair are: a) call and preside at
meetings of the Executive Committee as needed, but not less than one time per
semester, b) appoint necessary subcommittees as needed, d) administer the
budget of ALRS Program, e) apply for institutional graduate fellowship and
recruitment awards, obtain fee waivers and reward students for both meritorious
performance and financial need. f) manage administrative matters and serve as
the immediate supervisor of the program staff person, g) prepare annual reports
and budget requests, h) direct course change and approval forms and oversee the
updating of the graduate handbook, and i) assist students in following through
on their qualifiers and finding the appropriate dissertation advisor.
2. The Executive Committee consists of at least 9
members representing the major areas of study within the Arid Lands Resource
Sciences Program. The Executive Committee is responsible for nominating or
receiving nominations for new members of the Executive Committee and will vote
on these nominations. Members of the Executive Committee will be appointed
only from the membership of the ALRS Committee (Faculty). Each Executive
Committee member will serve a five-year term, which can be renewed by vote of
the Executive Committee and approval of the Vice President for Research,
Graduate Studies and Economic Development.
The Executive Committee is responsible for
administering the ALRS graduate program, including admission of graduate
students, evaluation of continuing graduate students, publicizing the Program
both intra- and extra-murally, planning the continued updating and development
of the Arid Lands Resources Sciences Program, formulating the annual budget,
assisting in the securing and allocating of the necessary funding, and advising
University administration on issues pertinent to the overall program.
3. A member of the Executive Committee may be asked
to step down as a member of the Executive Committee if that person has three
unexcused absences from Executive Committee meetings during a year or fails to
respond to three application packages. If that person can demonstrate an
active membership in the general Committee, they may continue to serve as a
general member, but not as a member of the Executive Committee until at least
two years have passed.
Standing Assignments or Committees
1. As needed a curriculum committee will be
established to review the core curriculum and provide recommendations for
improving the program, updating the requirements, and substituting courses for
courses that have been dropped. This committee shall consist of members of the
Executive Committee and the professors responsible for teaching the core
curriculum. Student input will be requested to assist in this task. This task
should be undertaken at least once every three years if not more often,
depending on circumstances.
2. The Executive Committee shall be responsible for
the recruitment and admissions of all graduate students. The completed packet
of each applicant will be distributed to the Executive Committee, who can
accept the student as is, reject the applicant, recommend acceptance with
probation, or call for an executive committee meeting to discuss the applicant
and make a final decision. If two-thirds of the Executive Committee vote yes
for acceptance of any one candidate, that shall be construed as an official
acceptance. If one-third of the Executive Committee vote no on acceptance of
any one candidate, that shall be construed as an official non-acceptance. If a
committee member does not respond within a reasonable time (more than three
weeks), that vote shall be accepted as an abstention and majority rule shall be
the deciding factor. When deemed necessary the Chair shall call a special
admissions meeting. A quorum (for a meeting or mail-in voting) shall
constitute two-thirds of the Executive Committee membership with majority vote
deciding the result.
Membership
Nominations for membership in the ALRS Committee
(Faculty) can be made by submitting a request for membership, a recent
curriculum vita and two letters of recommendation to the Chair of the Executive
Committee. The Chair can then poll the executive committee or submit the
information for a formal vote. A two-thirds majority of positive votes of the
Executive Committee shall be required for recommendation to membership to the
Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies and Economic Development who
shall confer membership. Criteria for membership shall include scholarly and
research productivity in arid lands research and active service with students
as dissertation directors, committee members or sources of research funding.
Members shall be listed as Faculty of the Arid Lands
Resource Sciences Committee in the graduate handbook and in the Graduate
Catalog.
A member of the Committee or Executive Committee on
Arid Lands Resource Sciences may be dropped from membership due to failure to
participate in the activities of the Committee (e.g. refusal to be actively
involved in the teaching of the required courses, track courses, special
electives or required independent study). Participation includes but is not
limited to service as a dissertation director for graduate students, active
participation as committee members on graduate committees, providing funding
and advice to students.
Membership shall be the subject of periodic review by
the Executive Committee. In the event that a member is dropped from the
program, that member may reapply if the criteria established above are met.
Amendments
The Bylaws may be amended or revised by motion of the
Executive Committee and a two-thirds positive vote of the ALRS Committee.
