Effective Date Oct 30, 2015

FH 1.5.1 Library Committee

1. Faculty Library Committee Charter

   1.5 Standing Committees of the Academic Faculty – Revised October 2015

   1.5.1 Library Committee

   PURPOSE

   1. The Library Committee has advisory, consultative and interpretive roles with the Evans Library, the faculty and the university administration. Its value lies in communicating faculty opinions and needs to the Library administration and transmitting decisions regarding Library policies, services and resources to constituents.
   2. Committee members represent and report the interests of their colleges and the faculty-at-large. Members will suggest policy, review policy changes and advise the Dean of Libraries on matters essential for the Library to achieve its mission and to strengthen its role as a major player in the institution’s research and education.  
   3. The Committee consults with the Dean of Libraries and makes recommendations regarding issues identified by university leadership, the Faculty Senate or the campus community.
   4. Committee meetings are open to anyone who wishes to observe their proceedings.
   5. The committee reviews proposed degree programs for adequacy of library resources and services. The Library Committee members and the Library representative to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee are tasked with bringing forward these matters for discussion and communication of concerns and possibilities.

   STRUCTURE

   The Library Committee shall consist of 16–17 members approved by the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer. The size and composition of the committee may change in concert with development of the university’s academic and research programs. Generally the committee will meet once per month during the academic year. The composition of the committee will be as follow:

   1. One (1) faculty member, a Senator, nominated by the President of the Faculty Senate;
   2. Faculty representatives from the five colleges, accordingly;
      1. College of Aeronautics (1)
      2. College of Business (2) (1, Melbourne campus; 1, Extended Studies, who may be faculty or staff)
      3. College of Engineering (2)
      4. College of Psychology and Liberal Arts (2) (1, Psychology; 1, Arts and Communication)
      5. College of Science (2)
      6. One Online Learning representative, who may be faculty or staff;
      7. The Dean of Libraries or designee as an ex-officio member of the committee and;
      8. 3–4 members of the library’s leadership team, as ex-officio members.
      9. A student to be selected by recommendation of the Student Library Advisory Council.
      10. The committee will elect its chair from among its members.  

   TERM OF OFFICE

   The term of office follows the academic year. Terms are for three years. Members may be re-appointed to non-consecutive terms.

   RESPONSIBILITIES

   1. The Library Committee shall advise and make recommendations on matters pertinent to the research and general service functions of the library, including resources.
   2. The Library Committee shall serve as a conduit for suggestions from faculty for the improvement of the library.
   3. The Library Committee shall report to the Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer and the Faculty Senate annually to inform and advise on the adequacy and effectiveness of the resource and services, staffing and facility.
   4. The Library Committee communicates its findings and recommendations to the faculty; and fosters and participates actively in dialogs with the academic community concerning the future and progress of the Library.
   5. The Library Committee shall advocate for Library inclusion in grant proposals, college activities, alumni events and matters pertinent to the Library.
   6. The Library Committee shall meet no less than two times a semester excluding summer.

   OPERATING PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES ADOPTED BY COMMITTEE

   1. The committee members shall relay to the university’s leadership, the Faculty Senate and their college constituents Library progress, new services and issues related to resources or challenges, as well as any updated charter.  
   2. The committee chair will set meeting agendas and assign the task of keeping meeting minutes to any committee member.
   3. A change to the Charter requires a majority vote of a quorum, which is 75 percent of voting members.
   4. Rules of order shall follow the university’s tradition in carrying out its meeting. 

FH 1.5.2 Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UGCC)

The UGCC is responsible for recommending the addition or deletion of existing undergraduate curricula and specific changes within the curricula to the vice president for academic affairs. It shall have one voting member from each academic unit that offers undergraduate courses and one voting member from the library faculty. Voting members should have extensive university-level academic experience. The voting member will be elected by the academic unit's faculty and approved by the vice president for academic affairs. The university registrar and academic deans are ex officio, nonvoting members.

FH 1.5.3 Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

This committee consists of at least four members of the academic faculty appointed by the vice president for research in accordance with the requirements of the National Institutes of Health. The vice president for research appoints the chair from among the faculty and also appoints a fifth member, who has no affiliation with Florida Tech other than by membership on IACUC.

FH 1.5.4 Intellectual Property Committee

This is a university-wide committee having significant faculty representation. The usual membership includes the chief operating officer as chair, the vice president for financial affairs, vice president for research and three faculty.

FH 1.5.5 Graduate Council

See graduate policy "Graduate Council."

FH 1.5.6 Graduate Faculty

See graduate policy "Graduate Faculty."

FH 1.5.7 Ombudsman Committee

Three senior faculty members are appointed by the chief operating officer to serve as an ombudsman committee to hear grievances (other than those associated with termination) that a faculty member does not feel comfortable pursuing through the usual organizational structure, i.e., department head, dean, vice president for academic affairs, chief operating officer or the president. Usually, the faculty member approaches one member of the committee and describes the problem. They then decide whether other members of the committee should be involved and the best approach to resolving the problem.

If resolution of the problem requires disclosure of the member's identity, such disclosure is made only with the approval of the faculty member.

FH 1.5.8 

This section is blank.

FH 1.5.9 University Research Council

The University Research Council is responsible for representing the active research interests of the university, making recommendations to the chief operating officer and communicating to the faculty at large as needed. The council will consist of at least one representative from each college and from the Office of Research. Institutes and centers may send a representative if desired. The chair will be elected by the council and serve a one-year term.

FH 1.5.10 Institutional Review Board

http://www.fit.edu/research/committees/irb/index.php

Florida Institute of Technology is committed to full compliance with federal rules for the protection of human subjects in research. In accordance with federal regulations (45 CFR 46), all research involving human subjects must be reviewed, or determined exempt, by an institutional review board (IRB), to assure certain protections for human participants.

Any research involving human subjects should be reviewed if it is sponsored by the university, conducted by or under the direction of any university employee in connection with his or her university responsibilities, conducted on or with university property, or involves the use of the university's nonpublic information to identify or contact subjects or prospective subjects. Note that the IRB does not require review of student projects conducted in the context of course work.

The IRB must review and approve human subjects research before any work is started and must review ongoing nonexempt research at least annually.

The IRB must also review all changes to research protocols before implementation (except when necessary to eliminate any immediate hazards to subjects or others).

FH 1.5.11 University Committee on Faculty Promotion and Tenure

Purpose and Composition

The University Committee on Faculty Promotion and Tenure (UCFPT) shall be purposed with the task of providing oversight to ensure the uniform and objective application of procedures in college-level promotion and tenure committee reviews. The UCFPT shall have the following composition:

• College of Aeronautics: 2 members
• College of Engineering and Science: 4 members (2 from Engineering, 2 from Science)
• College of Psychology and Liberal Arts: 2 members
• Nathan Bisk College of Business: 2 members

At the university level, the members serve and represent Florida Institute of Technology, not their academic units, following a diverse committee composition model. Members are selected through a nomination and election process conducted by the Faculty Senate. Members shall be tenured full professors. If no eligible full professors are available, then a tenured associate professor may be selected. Members serve for three-year terms with no more than two terms in succession. The terms of approximately one-third of the members will expire each year. If a member of the committee is to be considered for promotion, that member must first resign and be replaced by another representative of the college. In the absence of committee members (examples include recusal and illness) the Provost and the Faculty Senate president will identify alternate members. The operating procedures of the committee are described in faculty policy “FH 2.8.1 Tenure Policies And Procedures.” Members of this committee may not serve on a college promotion and tenure committee or on the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee simultaneously.

FH 1.5.12 University Teaching-track Promotion Committee

Purpose and Composition

The University Teaching-track Promotion Committee (UTPC) shall be purposed with the task of providing oversight to ensure the uniform and objective application of procedures in college-level promotion committee reviews. The UTPC shall have the following composition:

• College of Aeronautics: 2 members
• College of Engineering and Science: 4 members (2 from Engineering, 2 from Science)
• College of Psychology and Liberal Arts: 2 members
• Evans Library: 2 members
• Nathan Bisk College of Business: 2 members

At the university level, the members serve and represent Florida Institute of Technology, not their academic units, following a diverse committee composition model. Members are selected through a nomination and election process conducted by the Faculty Senate. Members shall be teaching-track full professors or librarians. If no eligible full professors or librarians are available, then an associate professor or associate librarian may be chosen. Members serve for three-year terms with no more than two terms in succession. The terms of approximately one-third of the members will expire each year. If a member of the committee is to be considered for promotion, that member must first resign and be replaced by another representative of the library or college. In the absence of committee members (examples include recusal and illness) the Provost and the Faculty Senate president will identify alternate members. The operating procedures of the committee are described in faculty policy “FH 2.8.2 Teaching Track Promotion Policies And Procedures.” Members of this committee may not serve on a college promotion committee or on the Academic Freedom and Tenure Committee simultaneously.