Membership & Terms

Membership selection: Departmental representatives on college statutory and standing committees are elected by the faculty or appointed by the department head of the individual departments. The Dean may appoint a non-voting, ex-officio member, a staff member, and/or an undergraduate and graduate student representative participating in a COEHS program. 

Chair: Committee members will elect Chair or Co-Chairs of the committee. The chair(s) will call meetings, develop the agenda, and preside over meetings.

Tenure of membership: Members will be appointed to a two-year term and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. Members may be removed by two-thirds vote of the membership.

Operational Guidelines

Meetings: The committee will meet face-to-face (or virtually) at least twice per semester and other meetings will be scheduled as a function of the required business. Electronic meetings and votes are permitted as necessary.

Meeting Protocol: Use Robert’s Newly Revised Rules of Order 11Th Edition—see COEHS’s abbreviated rules.

Quorum: A quorum shall be a simple majority of the committee.

Voting: A plurality is sufficient to decide. A record of the vote is included in the Minutes. The chair will vote in cases of a tie. Proxies are permitted. Persons should abstain from voting and discussion on issues in which they have a direct personal interest “not common to other members” (see Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised 11th Edition, p. 407-408, for more detailed explanation). Electronic voting is permitted as long as the total number of ballots cast constitutes a “quorum."

Minutes: Committee discussions and actions should be recorded using “Dewar COEHS Meeting Documentation Form.” Copies of the Meeting Documentation Form, reports, proposals, recommendations, and all other documents are to be filed.