Chair:
Jess Mandel (Medicine/Pulmonary/Critical Care and Sleep)

Vice Chair:
Susan Little (Medicine)

Members:

• Angela Bazzi (Public Health)
• Mojgan Hosseini (Pathology)
• Rana McKay (Medicine)
• Jason Sicklick (Surgery/Surgical Oncology)
• Francesca Torriani (Medicine)
• Shirley Tsunoda (Pharmacy)

5.8 Bylaws of the Health Sciences Faculty (PDF Version)
Approved by the San Diego Division 10/28/08, Am 4/12/16, Am 4/13/21

I) FUNCTION

The bylaws will establish the organization and operational procedures of Health Sciences to foster a culture of respect, professionalism, and excellence in all aspects of health sciences education, research, clinical practice, and service. Establishing criteria for admissions, curricula and degree requirements will reside within the individual Schools of the Health Sciences.

The Health Sciences Faculty shall form and conduct the governance of the Health Sciences, subject to the Bylaws and Regulations of the Academic Senate of the University of California and the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate Bylaws and Regulations and in compliance with State and Federal law. The Health Sciences Faculty will discharge its duties as specified by the Standing Orders of the Regents of the University of California and advise the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Deans in Health Sciences concerning various matters, including the resources necessary to perform its missions and implement the curricula as part of the shared governance process of Health Sciences.

The Health Sciences Faculty shall engage in research in biomedical science, pharmaceutical science, health care, public health or related fields, to fulfill the responsibility of the University to develop, transmit, and apply new knowledge in the health sciences. Am 4/13/21

II) MEMBERSHIP

The Health Sciences Faculty shall be invited to attend and participate in all meetings of the Health Sciences Faculty and serve as voting members of standing committees or subcommittees of the Health Sciences Faculty, except in such cases in which voting privileges are restricted only as indicated in Health Sciences bylaws, paragraph III, “Voting Membership,” immediately below. Am 5/25/10

The members of the Health Sciences Faculty shall consist of:

1. Those members of the San Diego Division of the Academic Senate who hold appointments in Health Sciences Schools or who hold an FTE, or portion thereof, assigned to the School of Medicine (SOM), Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) or Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science (HWSPH). Am 4/13/21
2. Salaried HS Clinical Faculty, Adjunct Faculty and Professors of Practice who have appointments in Health Sciences Schools and who devote at least 51% of their professional effort in support of the programs of the Health Sciences Schools. Am 4/13/21
3. Faculty from other UCSD Schools with academic appointments in Health Sciences who devote a significant proportion of their professional effort to the programs of the SOM, SSPPS or HWSPH; subject to annual approval by the Faculty Council on recommendation of the Nominating Committee (Health Sciences bylaws, paragraph VI.A), in consultation with the SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH nominating committees, which shall solicit their nominations from their School Faculty. Am 4/13/21
4. The Health Sciences Faculty shall be invited to attend and participate in all meetings of the Health Sciences Faculty and serve as voting members of standing committees or subcommittees of the Health Sciences Faculty, except in such cases in which voting privileges are restricted only as indicated in Health Sciences bylaws, paragraph III, “Voting Membership,” immediately below. Am 5/25/10

III) VOTING MEMBERSHIP

The voting members of the Health Sciences Faculty shall consist of those who are members of the Health Sciences Compensation Plan (HSCP); salaried physicians, pharmacists or academic staff at one of the University’s major affiliates (e.g., Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare) who hold a faculty appointment in the SOM, SSPPS or HWSPH, subject to academic review; and SOM, SSPPS or HWSPH emeritus faculty with the provision that voting privileges shall be exercised in compliance with Legislative Ruling 12.75 of the Academic Senate of the University, which states that “Only members of the Academic Senate may vote in Senate Agencies when those agencies are taking final action on any matter for the Academic Senate, or giving advice to University Officers or other non-Senate agencies in the name of the Senate. Persons other than Senate members may be given the right to vote on other questions, such as those that involve only recommendations to other Senate agencies, but only by explicit bylaw provisions.” All members of the Faculty, as defined above, shall have the privilege of voting. To ensure compliance with any matter for the Academic Senate or advising in the name of the Senate, votes of Senate and non-Senate members shall be recorded separately and transmitted as separated tallies. Am 5/25/10, Am 4/13/21

IV) OFFICERS

The Officers of the Health Sciences Faculty shall consist of a Chair and a Vice-Chair, who are both members of the Academic Senate. The Chair and Vice-Chair shall serve as Chair and Vice-Chair of the Faculty Council, respectively. Department Chairs and Administrative Officers of the Schools or Health Sciences shall be ineligible for nomination as either Chair or Vice-Chair. Am 4/13/21

1. The Health Sciences Faculty shall elect a Vice-Chair of the Health Sciences Faculty each year. The Nominating Committee, in consultation with the SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH nominating committees, shall propose at least three nominees. Additional nominations may be made by petition of at least five members of the Health Sciences Faculty. Am 4/13/21
2. The Vice-Chair shall become Chair of the Health Sciences Faculty at the end of their first year in office, or at any earlier time that the Chair should be vacated. In cases where the Vice-Chair is not able to so serve, the Health Sciences Faculty shall elect a Chair from a slate of at least three nominees proposed by the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH nominating committees, which shall solicit their nominations from their individual School Faculty. Additional nominations may be made by petition of at least five members of the Health Sciences Faculty.
3. All Officers of the Health Sciences Faculty as well as Chairs and members of the Faculty Committees (except those serving ex officio) shall serve from September 1 of each year. Am 5/25/10, Am 4/13/21
4. The Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences is requested to designate an administrative staff member to provide support for the Faculty Council, including maintaining proper records, sending advance notice (call) for meetings and/or presentations to the Health Sciences Faculty with adequate information regarding matters to be considered, recording and distributing the minutes of each meeting, conducting all elections and keeping a valid roster of voting members of the Health Sciences Faculty. The administrative staff shall not have the privilege of vote.
5. Duties: The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Health Sciences Faculty and Faculty Council and shall serve as liaison officer of the Faculty to the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences. The Vice-Chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair at meetings of the Health Sciences Faculty and Faculty Council. The Chair shall also serve ex officio without vote on the UC San Diego Health Board of Governors.

V) MEETINGS
The Health Sciences Faculty shall meet at least once during the academic year and, in addition, on written request by twenty of its members. Notice of a Health Sciences Faculty meeting must be given at least five days in advance of each meeting. Twenty members of the Health Sciences Faculty constitute a quorum.

VI) COMMITTEES
For aspects of shared governance that are the responsibility of the Academic Senate as defined in Regents Standing Order 105, only voting members of the Academic Senate are eligible to vote. Non-senate faculty members may vote on matters put before the faculty but their votes will be recorded as “advisory,” and transmitted as a separate tally from the votes recorded from Academic Senate members. All members of Standing Committees (see below) and any ad hoc committees appointed by the Health Sciences Faculty Council, unless otherwise indicated by these bylaws, may vote on questions that will be referred to the Health Sciences Faculty Council for approval, and on questions that will be referred for final Academic Senate action to another Academic Senate agency. Voting rights are extended to Faculty who are non-members of the Academic Senate to the fullest degree permitted by legislative ruling 12.75.

Standing committees common to the Health Sciences include:

1. Health Sciences Faculty Council (hereinafter called the Faculty Council)
   
   1. Membership: The Faculty Council shall consist of the positions described herein below. Am 5/25/10
   2. Voting members of the Faculty Council include the Chair; Vice-Chair (Chair-Elect); at least one Senate and one non-Senate member from each of the Health Sciences Schools, in consultation with their individual nominating committees, and approved by the balance of the Council; and four other members of the Faculty elected by ballot of the Health Sciences Faculty; at least one of whom must be a senate member. No two of such four members should be from the same Department. The ballot shall consist of a slate of two candidates for each open position proposed by the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH nominating committees, plus any nominations made by petition of at least five members of the Faculty following circulation of the proposed slate. The election slate may be separated by School as needed. Directly elected members of the Faculty Council shall serve staggered three-year terms. Faculty Council members may not serve more than two consecutive terms with exception for those that serve as Vice Chair/Chair/Immediate past chair in consecutive years. Am 5/25/10, Am 4/13/21
      
      In addition, the Faculty Council shall include the immediate past Chair of the Faculty Council with privilege of vote. Am 5/25/10, Am 1/28/14, Am 4/13/21
      
      The Faculty Council shall also include the Chairs of the following Health Sciences standing committees as ex officio without privilege of vote:
      
      i. Health Sciences
      1. Nominating Committee
      2. Compensation Plan Advisory Committee
      3. Faculty Professionalism
      
      ii. SOM
      1. Committee on Academic Personnel
      2. Committee on Educational Policy
      
      iii. SSPPS
      1. Committee on Academic Personnel
      2. Committee on Educational Policy
      
      iv. HWSPH
      1. Committee on Academic Personnel
      2. Committee on Educational Policy
      
      Chair of the UC San Diego Health Board of Governors; Chief of Staff of the VA San Diego Healthcare System; Deans of SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH; an Assistant Vice Chancellor or Associate Vice Chancellor from each Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences office; Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and the San Diego Divisional Academic Senate Chair and the Vice Chair as ex officio without privilege of vote.
      
      The Faculty Council may approve more or different Committee Chairs as members of Faculty Council as individual Schools evolve and change their committee structure. The Faculty Council may also approve additional ex officio members without privilege of vote subject to annual renewal. Am 1/28/14, Am 4/12/16, Am 4/13/21
      
      A member of the Faculty Council who holds a position by virtue of being a Chair of one of the above standing committees may be replaced at a Faculty Council meeting by the Vice-Chair of that committee or another member designated by the committee. Elected members of the Faculty Council may not send substitutes to meetings. Am 5/25/10
      
      Five voting members, with the Chair or Vice-Chair present, shall constitute a quorum.
   3. Duties: The Faculty Council shall advise the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences and Deans and represent the Health Sciences Faculty on matters related to the education, research and service programs of the Schools. It shall also resolve all tie votes in connection with runoff elections specified by the bylaws.
      
      The Faculty Council shall approve matters that must by regulation receive final action by the Academic Senate, including proposals for the creation of endowed chairs in Health Sciences. Am 5/25/10, Am 1/28/14
      
      The Faculty Council shall meet at least once during each month of the regular academic year.
      
      The Faculty Council shall be responsible for coordinating and integrating the activities of the other Health Sciences standing committees (Health Sciences bylaws, paragraphs VI.B, VI.C, VI.D and VI.E). To facilitate this, the minutes of each of the other committees shall be distributed to the Faculty Council. The Faculty Council shall be the final decision-making body of the Health Sciences Faculty for all matters except for those requiring full Faculty vote. At any given time, no less than seven voting members of Faculty Council must be Senate faculty. Am 5/25/10
      
      
2.  Health Sciences Compensation Plan Advisory Committee
   1. Membership: The voting members of the Compensation Plan Advisory Committee shall consist of at least five full-time Health Sciences Faculty proposed by the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH nominating committees and confirmed by the Faculty Council. At least one member must have a Ph.D. with no clinical responsibilities. Each of the Health Sciences Schools should be represented by at least one member with a primary faculty appointment in their School. The election slate may be separated by School as needed.
      
      The Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences will nominate for approval by the Faculty Council at least one Assistant Vice Chancellor or Associate Vice Chancellor from the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences office and up to six members representing Department Chairs and School Administrators or Health Sciences Adminstrators for one year renewable terms as ex officio without privilege of vote. The Faculty Council may also approve additional ex officio members without privilege of vote subject to annual renewal.
      
      A Chair and Vice Chair will be nominated by the current committee members and confirmed by the Faculty Council annually. Committee members are limited to three consecutive, one-year terms, and initial terms will be staggered to ensure committee continuity. The Chair shall preside at all meetings and serve as a member of Faculty Council.
      
      Three voting members, with the Chair present, shall constitute a quorum.
   2. Duties: The Compensation Plan Advisory Committee shall assist the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences in periodically evaluating the Health Sciences Compensation Plan and plans from all Health Sciences academic units (i.e., Departments and Schools). It will also review and provide recommendations to the Vice Chancellor to assist in resolving issues regarding compensation or benefits of Health Sciences Faculty.
      
      The committee’s responsibilities also include:
      1. Advising the Vice Chancellor on the assessment and revisions of the Health Sciences Compensation Plan Implementation Procedures and Health Sciences Good Standing Criteria;
      2. Evaluating the processes for developing and approving Departmental Implementation Procedures and School Implementation Procedures, including methods for obtaining Health Sciences Faculty input and for determining consistency with Health Sciences Implementation Procedures;
      3. Developing mechanisms for hearing Health Sciences Faculty grievances with regard to the implementation or administration of these Departmental, School or Health Sciences implementation procedures; and
      4. Assisting in updating the Health Sciences Compensation Plan in response to new policies from the University of California or the California Legislature that require addenda to the approved Implementation Procedures for the Health Sciences Compensation Plan and/or Health Sciences Good Standing Criteria.
         
         Clinical compensation plans are excluded from the committee’s duties as these compensation plans are distinct from the policy-driven Health Sciences Compensation Plan.
         
         The committee shall meet at least four times per academic year. Typically, it will evaluate the compensation plans of at least five Health Sciences academic units to review their Departmental or School Implementation Procedures for compliance with the Health Sciences Compensation Plan, and every Health Sciences academic unit should be reviewed at least every five years.
         
         In addition, referrals to the committee can come from other standing or ad hoc committees in the Health Sciences, a Dean from one of the Health Sciences Schools or an Assistant Vice Chancellor or Associate Vice Chancellor in the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences office. Such referrals must be submitted to the Chair in writing. The Chair shall distribute the referral to committee members, and a majority voting members must agree to bring the referral forward to the full committee.
         
         
3. Health Sciences Faculty Professionalism Committee
   1. Membership: The voting members of the Faculty Professionalism Committee shall consist of at least eight full-time Health Sciences Faculty proposed by the Nominating Committee, in consultation with the SOM, SSPPS and HWSPH nominating committees and confirmed by the Faculty Council. To ensure broad participation, no more than six members from the same School, and no more than two members from the same Department may serve simultaneously. At least two members must have an M.D. or D.O. degree with clinical responsibilities. Each of the Health Sciences Schools should be represented by at least one member with a primary faculty appointment in their School. The election slate may be separated by School as needed.
      
      Membership shall also include at least one Assistant Vice Chancellor or Associate Vice Chancellor from the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences office and up to six members representing Department Chairs, School Administrators or Health Sciences Administrators as ex officio without privilege of vote.
      
      A Chair and Vice Chair will be nominated by the current committee members and confirmed by the Faculty Council annually. Committee members are limited to three consecutive, one-year terms, and initial terms will be staggered to ensure committee continuity. The Chair shall preside at all meetings and serve as a member of Faculty Council.
      
      Five voting members, with the Chair present, shall constitute a quorum.
      
      
   2. Duties: The Faculty Professionalism Committee shall assist the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences in periodically evaluating professionalism and wellbeing programs in Health Sciences academic units (i.e., Departments and Schools). It will also review and provide recommendations to the Vice Chancellor and the Faculty Council on matters related to the wellbeing of Health Sciences Faculty.
      
      The committee’s responsibilities also include:
      1. Advising the Vice Chancellor on the creation, implementation and assessment of wellbeing and professionalism programs for Health Sciences Faculty;
      2. Reviewing regular and ad hoc reports (i.e., results of faculty surveys) related to topics including Faculty morale; fairness and skill related opportunity; and professionalism in the academic environment;
      3. Developing recommendations on new initiatives to build a respectful academic environment in the Health Sciences; and
      4. Additional activities as requested by the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences.
         
         The committee shall meet at least four times per academic year.
         In addition, referrals to the committee can come from other standing or ad hoc committees in the Health Sciences, a Dean from one of the Health Sciences Schools, the Chief Executive Officer of UC San Diego Health or an Assistant Vice Chancellor or Associate Vice Chancellor in the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences office. Such referrals must be submitted to the Chair in writing. The Chair shall distribute the referral to committee members, and a majority voting members must agree to bring the referral forward to the full committee.
         
         Formal disciplinary actions, including individual grievances from Faculty, are excluded from the committee’s duties.
         
         
4. Nominating Committee
   1. Membership: The Nominating Committee shall consist of seven full-time Health Sciences Faculty (three of whom shall be non-Senate Faculty and not more than five of whom shall be from any one School) who shall be elected by the Health Sciences Faculty from among those nominated by the Faculty Council (two nominees for each open position).
      
      A Chair and a Vice Chair will be nominated by the current committee members and confirmed by the Faculty Council annually. This Committee shall submit a slate from which the Faculty Officers will be elected as indicated Health Sciences bylaws, paragraph IV, “Officers,” above.
      
      Committee members are limited to three consecutive, one-year terms, and initial terms will be staggered to ensure committee continuity. The Chair shall preside at all meetings and serve as a member of Faculty Council.
      
      Four voting members, with the Chair present, shall constitute a quorum.
      
      
   2. Duties: This Committee shall nominate all Chairs, Vice-Chairs and committee members for standing committees of the Health Sciences Faculty, in consultation with current standing committee Chairs (excluding ad hoc committees), Academic Deans and members of the Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences office, except those specified to be elected by the Faculty as a whole, or as otherwise specified in the Bylaws.
      
      The Faculty Council, on recommendation of the Nominating Committee, shall appoint all Chairs, Vice-Chairs and committee members prior to the September 1 start of their term of office. Appointment of Chairs, Vice-Chairs and members of these committees is subject to approval by a majority of the Faculty Council. Each Committee Chair appointed shall serve a one-year term, with the possibility of reappointment to one additional year.
      
      The Nominating Committee may remove any appointed member of a standing or special committee of Health Sciences for cause before the end of that member's appointment by a two-thirds (2/3) vote, provided that a statement of the reason or reasons is sent to the member proposed for removal at least fourteen (14) days before the vote is taken. The member proposed for removal shall be given an opportunity to be heard by the Nominating Committee before the vote is taken.
      
      
5. Special Committees, Commissions and Task Forces
   From time to time, the Faculty Council may create special committees, commissions, or task forces to address issues that either do not fall under the jurisdiction of standing committees, or which require effort, resources or expertise beyond the capabilities of standing committees. Such bodies shall be created by vote of the Faculty Council, and their terms shall normally not exceed three years without re-authorization by the Faculty Council. Depending on circumstances, the Faculty Council may appoint a Chair of such a body to serve on Faculty Council as either a voting or ex officio member.

VII) ELECTIONS
Except for special elections, election of Officers of the Faculty for any given academic year will be held no later than March 31 of the preceding academic year. Terms of office shall commence September 1 of each year. In the election of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Faculty, or membership on the Faculty Council, if no candidate obtains a majority of the votes cast, a runoff election shall be conducted between the two candidates with the greatest number of votes.

VIII) AMENDMENTS
Initiative for amendment of the bylaws may be taken either by the Faculty Council or by petition signed by thirty-five or more members of the Faculty. Such amendments are to be submitted to the Chair of the Faculty Council in writing at least five days prior to a Faculty Council meeting. Approval of a minor amendment (e.g. changing the number of committee members) may be by two thirds of the voting members of Faculty Council. Approval of a major amendment (e.g., adding a committee or a School) requires a two thirds vote of those faculty members responding to the ballot.

At the request of thirty-five members of the Faculty, submitted in writing to the Chair of the Faculty Council within ten calendar days after the posting of the minutes of a Faculty Council meeting to its website, any action of the Faculty Council shall be submitted to the vote of the full Faculty of the Health Sciences. The results of any such referendum are conclusive, and the matter may not be reconsidered for a period of fifty days.