School of Engineering Bylaws, Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Policy
Purpose:
To define the rules and regulate the affairs of the School of Engineering.
Applies to:
Faculty and students within the School of Engineering.
Campus:
Lawrence
Policy Statement:
The Department supports two educational programs, Chemical Engineering and Petroleum Engineering, granting B.S, M.S., and Ph.D. degrees and contributes to the granting of M.E. and D.E. degrees within the School of Engineering. The Department also supports and contributes to the granting of MS and PhD degrees in Bioengineering within the School of Engineering. In addition it supports the Petroleum Management M.S. degree program in cooperation with the School of Business.
The professional staff of the Department consists of:
a. Persons who hold regular appointments within the University at the rank of assistant professor or above-hereinafter called regular faculty.
b. Designated persons who hold Professional Research Associate appointments (Unclassified Academic Staff) in related organizations such as the Tertiary Oil Recovery Project or the Kansas Geological Survey- hereinafter called research faculty. See Item 5b.
c. Designated persons who hold courtesy faculty appointments-hereinafter called courtesy faculty.
d. Designated persons who hold adjunct faculty appointments-hereinafter called adjunct faculty.
e. Designated persons who hold ad-hoc faculty appointments-hereinafter called ad-hoc facultv.
In those cases where a person is to teach a formal course, that person must first be appointed to an equivalent courtesy faculty position (or as a lecturer) for the academic year of the teaching activity.
For research faculty, the academic equivalent of an Associate Research Engineer/Scientist is Assistant Professor, a Research Engineer/Scientist is Associate Professor, and a Senior Research Engineer /Scientist is Professor. See Item 5c.
Major policy decisions are made by the faculty plus two student representatives, one from the undergraduate program and one from the graduate program with certain restrictions as described below. Such decisions are made at faculty meetings, by consensus or by formal vote.
Decision-Making Areas:
Effective from August 2015 the Department Chair is supported by an administrative leadership group comprising Director of Undergraduate Studies in Chemical Engineering, Director of Studies in Petroleum Engineering, and Director of Graduate Studies. The appointments are made at the discretion of the C&PE Chair. The C&PE Office Manager and the C&PE Senior Advising Officer are also members of the group.
There are five main committees through which department business is transacted: Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for Chemical Engineering (Chair - Director of Undergraduate Studies in Chemical Engineering), Undergraduate Curriculum Committee for Petroleum Engineering (Chair - Director of Undergraduate Studies in Petroleum Engineering), Graduate Committee (Chair – Director of Graduate Studies), Undergraduate Support Committee (Chair – rotates through the two undergraduate program directors), Faculty Support Committee (Chair – C&PE Chair). Each committee brings items of business to the full faculty from time to time for discussion and vote.
Each of the five committees has terms of reference and in some cases sub- committees are convened which report to them. (e.g. ABET, Graduate Standards, P&T, Space Committee etc.)
1. Curricular Matters:
These matters include curriculum changes, course revisions, formulation of new courses, and academic standards. The policy is normally drafted by the respective departmental curriculum committee for each undergraduate degree program and by the graduate committee for MS and PhD degree programs. These may be revised by and must be approved by the regular faculty and student representatives. Courtesy and research faculty are encouraged to participate in the discussion but do not vote on the final decisions.
2. Use of Physical Resources:
All physical resources, including space, are available to professional staff members for university-related use so long as no conflicts arise. In the unusual situation where a conflict cannot be resolved between the parties concerned, the departmental chair has final authority.
Space Assignment and Utilization
The amount of space assigned to the CPE department is limited and subject to changing demands and expectations as programs evolve or contract, and new faculty replace faculty members who no longer require the research space. The following are the guidelines on allocation of department space. First, it is important to affirm that space is not assigned permanently to a faculty member. With the exception of one private office, the use of all research and instructional space is subject to periodic review.
The following criteria will be used to evaluate the use of research space:
1. Sustained record of thesis/dissertation production from the space allocated to research.
2. A quality research program as evidenced by a continuous record of publication in refereed journals.
3. Funding of the research program. In accordance with the School of Engineering space criteria, "funded projects will have prioritv over other projects".
4. Space for new faculty must be made available to enable them to develop a research program which will meet these criteria.
Under these criteria the following uses of space would be inappropriate:
Situations where faculty have two offices in Learned Hall-i.e. an academic office and a "research office".
Retention of space by storing equipment which is not associated with an active research program described by the above criteria.
Implementation of Space Policy
When concerns relative to space needs or utilization arise, the department chair will convene the C&PE Space Committee (a sub-committee of the Faculty Support Committee) to provide advice and then inform the faculty of these needs and outline potential solutions. Affected faculty members will be informed and will be asked to indicate the impact of the proposed space reallocation on their research program. If the affected faculty member(s) wishes to contest the proposed reallocation, the faculty member(s) will be asked to provide a written justification of needs for the space with specific reference to the criteria indicated above. The written justification must be submitted within three weeks from the initial introduction of the proposed reallocation. The written justification will be reviewed by the department space committee and a recommendation will be made to the department chair.
3. Budgetary Matters:
With the exception of certain grants or contracts, the departmental chair has final authority but may be aided in the decision by consultation with the professional staff and C&PE administrative leadership group. Individual professional staff with grants or contracts have the budgetary authority as specified by their particular grant or contract.
4. Merit Salary Evaluation
The department chair submits the evaluation procedure to the faculty for review, modification and approval in accordance with KU policy. Upon approval of the evaluation procedure the department chair is responsible for evaluation and assignment of merit salary increments.
5. Personnel Appointments:
a. Regular Faculty Appointments:
A search committee consisting of four regular faculty members and one or more students is appointed by the department chair to conduct the search in accordance with University guidelines. One of the faculty members will be from outside of the department. This committee screens all applicants and brings forward a slate of nominees for interviews with all regular C&PE faculty members and appropriate University administrators. The final recommendation is made by the regular faculty.
b. Research Faculty Appointments:
Research faculty appointments, usually associated with a research project, are initiated by the unit concerned in accordance with University policy. Approval by the regular faculty is not required for hiring as a Professional Research Associate within the unit, but is required for designation as a member of the research faculty. Hence at least one regular faculty representative not associated with the research project should be included on the selection committee for the position if it is anticipated that such designation might be appropriate. Under most circumstances research faculty will be expected to be involved with the graduate program. A courtesy appointment at the equivalent rank in the department is desirable to afford a meaningful link between graduate research and academics.
c. Courtesy / Adjunct/Ad-Hoc Faculty Appointments:
Persons to be considered for a courtesy, adjunct or ad-hoc appointments must be nominated by a faculty member in the department.
First-time appointment of a person to such a position must be approved by the regular faculty. Subsequent appointments (annual) of the person are made on a routine basis by the departmental chair preceded by an announcement to the staff of the proposed appointment. In a case where objections are raised, the regular faculty must reapprove the appointment.
The department will define the rights, responsibilities and privileges for those granted a courtesy, adjunct or ad-hoc appointment, taking into account proper University procedures and policies for such affiliations. It is expected that a person who receives a courtesy, adjunct or ad-hoc appointment would be nominated to the Graduate Faculty and would participate in advisory and dissertation committees as a member of the Graduate Faculty.
With approval from the Graduate School, a person holding a courtesy, adjunct or ad-hoc Appointment can chair a thesis / dissertation committee under the sponsorship of a regular faculty member.
d. Unclassified Student Appointments (Grant or Contract):
The principal investigator has the authority to hire staff subject to University policy.
e. Promotion and Tenure (Regular Faculty):
For each individual under consideration, a team from the regular faculty is appointed by the department chair to help prepare the supporting documentation in collaboration with the nominee and to act as an advocate(s) in presentation of the materials to the promotion committee. A departmental promotion and tenure committee consisting of all regular faculty with rank higher than the nominee reviews the case and forwards its recommendation through appropriate channels to the University Committee on Promotions and Tenure.
f. Promotion (Research Faculty):
Administration of the nomination is accomplished within the unit concerned according to University policy. The departmental staff may be supportive to the process but does not review the case.
g. Selection of Departmental Chair
Procedures outlined in the Faculty Handbook (Appendix, Section IV) are followed. Departmental members of the search committee are elected by the regular faculty. The committee has approximately 20% student representation. The Departmental Chair normally serves a five year term.
6. Faculty Responsibilities
Faculty responsibilities are identified in the Faculty Handbook of the University of Kansas, Article IV. Of the many responsibilities, Article IV. 3 is enumerated because of its importance in faculty-student relations:
3) A member of the faculty is expected to meet classes at the regularly scheduled hour and to carry out his or her other academic responsibilities. If a faculty member considers it necessary, for sound academic reason, to move a class to another time, advance notice must be given to the class and arrangements must be made to assure that the change does not work undue hardship on any member of the class.
If prevented from meeting classes or carrying out other academic responsibilities, a faculty member must, if physically able to do so, make satisfactory advance arrangements and communicated, preferably in writing, the nature of these arrangements to his or her chairperson (or dean if the school in question is not organized departmentally). Such arrangements are subject to the approval of the appropriate chairperson or dean.
Each school must define what arrangements are considered "satisfactory" in that unit and, appropriately publicize its definition.
In the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, the following procedure will be followed:
a) In the case of illness or family emergency, the faculty member/friend or spouse should contact the chair or department secretary. If possible the faculty member will provide recommendations as to who could meet the class and the material to be covered.
b) For absences of one class period, the faculty member will submit a memo to the department secretary before the class period stating how the class will be handled.
c) For absences of more than one consecutive class period, the faculty member will inform the chair of the proposed period of absence in writing at least two weeks in advance with a detailed description of how class responsibilities will be met during the period of absence. "Satisfactory arrangements" are subject to negotiation with the chair but in all cases must be approved by the chair in advance.
d) Approval of "satisfactory arrangements" will be presumed if the chair has not responded within one week from initial receipt of the proposal for extended absence.
Contact:
Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
1530 West 15th Street
4132 Learned Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045
785-864-6650
cpe@ku.edu
Approved by:
School of Engineering
Approved on:
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Effective on:
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Review Cycle:
Annual (As Needed)
Keywords:
Bylaws, Engineering, Chemical & Petroleum Engineering
Change History:
08/02/2024: Converted PDF Policy Statement to live text Policy Statement.
10/29/2021: Uploaded accessible document.
04/18/2016: Uploaded new PDF
05/05/2014: Approved by Engineering Faculty Senate.
