Faculty Onboarding: Faculty governance

The faculty members of the University of Kansas School of Health Professions have certain responsibilities and privileges that operate through a collaborative system of faculty governance. This organizational framework manages the business of our faculty and enables faculty members to participate in developing and implementing the policies and procedures of the school.

The philosophy and regulations for our school’s faculty governance are described in the school's bylaws. The school has a collaborative governance structure, designed to promote partnership ("cooperative and interdependent activities") between the faculty and the administration in conducting the business of the school.

Faculty governance takes place through a system of committees that attempt to balance inclusiveness with the need to conduct business in a timely manner. All members of the faculty are encouraged to contribute to faculty governance and most meetings are open to all faculty members. The right to vote is generally restricted to faculty members with appointments of at least 50% time. Committee membership generally also is reserved for faculty members with at least 50% time appointments, while some committees have additional specific criteria for membership. Membership to most committees is gained by vote of the school’s faculty, with the term of service typically being for a three-year period beginning in July.

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Please see the faculty meetings and committees for detailed information about committee duties and membership, as well as faculty meetings, and other documents related to faculty governance. Membership on committees is determined by faculty ballot, except for the appointment, promotion, and tenure committee whose members are appointed by their departments.

Steering Committee: This committee’s membership includes elected faculty and the chairs of each of the other school committees. Duties include coordinating faculty governance within the school, calling and conducting faculty meetings for the entire school, supporting the onboarding process for new faculty, appoint ac hoc grievance committee for faculty at the dean’s request, and facilitate communication among committees and other governance groups on campus.

Academic Affairs Committee: This committee serves to monitor curricular development and strategic academic initiatives, to periodically review department policies on academic appeals by students, to participate in student grievance hearings, and to align the school’s bylaws, committee policies and procedures, and the school’s strategic plan.

Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure Committee: This committee’s members are appointed by each department of the school. The committee reviews applications from current faculty for promotion and/or tenure, makes recommendations to the dean. They also review new faculty joining KU at the levels of assistant, associate, or full professor, and appointments involving the tenure-track.

Diversity & Cultural Enrichment Committee: This committee’s responsibilities include enhancing appreciation of cultural practices throughout the school, promoting best practices and new knowledge as these relate to cultural and diversity issues, developing initiatives to encourage diversity and cultural appreciation within the school through programming, funding opportunities, and scholarships, and to advance interprofessional collaboration in cultural knowledge and appreciation with other KU divisions and stakeholders through education, service, and research.

Elections Committee: This committee conducts elections and other activities requiring voting by the school’s faculty.

Faculty Practice Committee: Membership of this committee includes faculty from the School of Health Professions and the School of Nursing. The function of this committee is to work in partnership with all schools on campus and with other entities and agencies to promote excellence in patient care delivery, to make recommendations pertaining to faculty practice issues when appropriate, review models for faculty practice implementation, and to suggest methods for marketing and increasing visibility and revenue for faculty practice.

Professional Development Committee: This committee helps to coordinate professional development activities for students and faculty in the School of Health Professions. 

Research Committee: This committee communicates research-related issues between faculty and administration, advises on research program policies, assists in planning/implementing new programs, and considers applications for research funding by school-related agencies

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Faculty Concerns Secure Communication form
The faculty concerns committee is a group of faculty members elected from among the KU Medical Center and the KU School of Medicine-Wichita Faculty Assembly. This committee's purpose is to consider requests for assistance relating to any faculty concern, except issues of promotion and tenure. To that end, we have created this secure communication mechanism for faculty to express any concerns which our committee may play a role in resolving. >> continue to form

Or use the new global concerns email account. All posts are submitted anonymously >> facultyassembyconcerns@kumc.edu

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For questions, concerns or comments please contact:

• Jeff Radel, Interim Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
  Office of the Dean, School of Health Professions
  Office: 913-945-7333  or  913-588-7165  |  jradel@kumc.edu

• Jenny Memmott, Executive Officer
  Academic Affairs & Graduate Studies and Administrative Support for Faculty Assembly
  Office: 913-588-1381, Mobile: 913-608-6718  |  jenmem@kumc.edu