Bylaws

These are the bylaws governing Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences (DCNHS) at Binghamton University.

Approved at the Decker College Assembly 4/22/24

These bylaws are established by the faculty and administration of Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Binghamton University to define their responsibilities and functions for the college, its schools and its divisions.
The bylaws provide a system of governance for Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences consistent with the principle of shared responsibility and the laws of the state of New York, the policies of the board of trustees of the State University of New York, and the State University of New York at Binghamton Faculty Bylaws.
The bylaws for Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences provide the structure and operating procedures for advancing the mission of the college.

The Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences is composed of:

Decker School of Nursing
School of Applied Health Sciences
School of Rehabilitation Sciences

As each school and division must respond effectively and efficiently to programmatic needs and issues, the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences provides authority to individual schools and divisions for their respective curricular and administrative decisions.

Article I. Faculty of Decker College

Section 1. Decker College Faculty Members

Decker College faculty members are those persons in the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences with continuing, term or temporary academic appointments as defined by the policies of the board of trustees.

Section 2. Decker College Voting Faculty

The Decker College Voting Faculty is distinct from the voting faculty of Binghamton University and consists of all faculty members with continuing or term appointments at the rank of professor, associate professor and assistant professor; all clinical faculty members with a term or temporary appointment at the clinical assistant rank or higher; and faculty members at the rank of instructor or lecturer with a term or temporary appointment. These criteria serve to define the Decker College Voting Faculty. The schools and divisions within the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences define the voting rights and responsibilities of faculty within their respective schools and divisions.

Section 3. Non-voting Decker College Faculty

Decker College non-voting members of the faculty include any faculty with appointments who do not meet the criteria for Decker College Voting Faculty, including adjunct faculty, visiting professors, research associates, research assistants, post-doctorate fellows, teaching fellows and teaching assistants.

Article II. Administrative Officers

Section 1. Dean

The dean serves as the chief executive and administrative officer of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, with primary responsibility for implementing its mission. The dean must be a member of one of the professions and hold tenure within one of the divisions of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The dean shall delegate appropriate administrative authority and responsibility to the heads of academic units within the college to ensure the operations of its respective schools, divisions and programs. The dean delegates authority to an associate dean to assume responsibilities of the dean in the dean's absence.

The dean is responsible for delivering an annual report on the state of the Decker College to the Decker College assembly.

Section 2. Associate Dean(s)

An associate dean serves as the administrative officer for a school. Associate deans are appointed by the dean, contingent on approval by the president, and shall have such administrative authority and responsibilities as may be delegated by the dean.

Section 3. Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The associate dean of diversity, equity and inclusion advances diversity, equity and inclusion in the culture, environment, programs, policies and personnel within the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

In collaboration with multiple stakeholders, the associate dean will foster a supportive community that respects differences of all kinds (e.g., race, age, ethnicity, culture, [dis]ability, gender diversity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation and religious affiliation) among all its constituents and nurtures excellence in all endeavors.

Section 4. Assistant Dean(s)

An assistant dean supports the operational functioning of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences in such areas as:

administration and finance
enrollment and academic success
academic affairs

Assistant deans are appointed by the dean, contingent on approval by the president and shall have such administrative authority and responsibilities as may be delegated by the dean.

Section 5. Division/Program Directors

Division/program directors are faculty members of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences who are responsible for directing the various divisions/programs within each school.

Section 6. Assistant to the Dean

The assistant to the dean provides administrative support to the dean.

Section 7. Administrative Leadership Team

The Administrative Leadership Team is composed of the dean, associate dean(s) and assistant dean(s), as well as administrative directors and academic program directors.

The Administrative Leadership Team:

Reports to the dean on progress and concerns within the specified area of responsibility
Receives information from the dean regarding University policies and relevant matters for broader dissemination across schools and programs
Advises the dean regarding faculty, student and programmatic issues.

Article III. Schools and Divisions of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Section 1. Schools

Schools are academic units within the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences and include the:

Decker School of Nursing
School of Applied Health Sciences
School of Rehabilitation Sciences

Schools within the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences may establish bylaws that govern decision-making for their respective academic units. A faculty council within each school of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences functions as the deliberative and legislative body for the school and is governed under its respective bylaws. Faculty council voting privileges are determined by each school.

Section 2. Divisions and Programs

Academic divisions administer one or more academic programs of study within a school. Academic programs within each division offer courses leading to the conferral of academic degrees, minors or certificates. Academic divisions function under the bylaws of their respective schools.

Article IV. Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences Committees

Section 1. Decker College Assembly

The Decker College Assembly comprises all faculty and staff of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The Decker College Assembly promotes the mission, functions and interests of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences and provides a collegial forum for communication, collaboration and consultation between its schools, divisions and programs.

Meetings of the Decker College Assembly occur at least annually to:

Be informed about the state of the Decker College through the dean's annual report
Advise the dean and other senior administrative and leadership staff regarding issues significant to the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Participate in long-term and strategic planning for the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Communicate resource needs to administration that relate to the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences budget
Consider issues of interest to the faculty and staff of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Section 2. Decker College Voting Faculty

(a) Duties and Powers of the Decker College Voting Faculty

The Decker College Voting Faculty has primary responsibility for curricula as well as educational and administrative policies of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The Decker College Voting Faculty protect the quality of the programs within the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences and serve as an advocate for students, faculty and staff.

(b) Meetings of the Decker College Voting Faculty

Meetings of the Decker College Voting Faculty may be called by the dean, the chair of the Decker College Voting Faculty or by a tenured member of the Decker College Voting Faculty.

Notice of the meeting must be given to all Decker College Voting Faculty, stating the purpose for which the meeting is being called and the business to be transacted. The Decker College Voting Faculty meets at least once annually during the Decker Assembly. Other meetings require a notice of at least five business days. For emergency meetings, notice shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.

(c) Chair of the Decker College Voting Faculty

The chair of Decker College Voting Faculty is elected to the position by the Decker College Voting Faculty for a period of two years and may serve up to two terms.

The chair of the Decker College Voting Faculty shall, in collaboration with the Dean’s Office, be responsible for scheduling the joint Decker College Voting Faculty and Decker Assembly Annual Meeting. The chair of the Decker College Voting Faculty is responsible for disseminating agendas at least five business days prior to the meeting as well as ensuring that meeting minutes are recorded and disseminated within 30 days.

Section 3. Decker College Standing Committees: Appointment, Composition, Terms and Procedures

(a) Appointments to Decker College Standing Committees

Nominations to standing committees will be made by the Decker College Committee on Committees or by self-nomination and voted on by the Decker College Voting Faculty.
Appointments to standing committees will include one elected Decker College Voting Faculty member from each school and two Decker College Voting Faculty members from Decker College at large. Each committee will have one elected Decker College Voting Faculty member from the Decker College at large who serves as an alternate representative.
Student members of committees are nominated by the Decker College Committee on Committees or by the faculty. Students have a representative and an alternate representative on all committees with the exception of initiating personnel committees.

(b) Composition of Decker College Standing Committees

Standing committees are composed of five Decker College Voting Faculty members with representation from each school within the college, two of whom are from the Decker College at large as well as a student representative from within the Decker College.
A Decker College Voting Faculty member on the committee shall serve as chair. Chairs of the standing committees will be voted on by the members of the respective standing committees.
The Decker College Voting Faculty and student representative are considered the voting members of the committee. Alternate faculty or alternate student representatives vote only in the absence of the voting member.

(c) Terms of Decker College Standing Committees

Faculty members shall serve terms of three years and are eligible to serve consecutive terms.
Standing committee chairs shall serve for two years. Committee chairs are eligible to serve consecutive terms as chair.
The dean and associate dean of the college shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members on all standing committees.
Student members serve a term of one year. Student representation rotates among the schools within Decker College. The alternate student representative shall be from a different school and may assume the role of representative at the expiration of the representative’s term.
In order to avoid committee membership from turning over all at one time, the initial terms on standing committees will be staggered. Initial terms for members from the School of Rehabilitation Sciences shall be for one-year; for the School of Applied Health Sciences, two years; and for the Decker School of Nursing, three years. The initial term for the faculty alternate shall be one year; for one faculty at large, two years; and for the second faculty at large, three years. Thereafter, committee members shall serve three-year terms.

(d) Procedures of Decker College Standing Committees

Each committee shall meet as often as necessary to carry out the committee’s stated functions, in consideration of efficient use of faculty time.
A quorum is a simple majority of voting members. A majority vote shall be more than 50% of those voting.
Standing committees shall conduct their business according to “Robert’s Rules of Order.”
Resource persons may be asked to advise a committee.
Committee chairs will ensure that minutes are maintained and distributed to all members of the committee and provide a permanent copy to be retained in the files of the Office of the Dean.
Each committee is authorized to create subcommittees and/or task forces as appropriate.
When appropriate, standing committees may opt to take votes electronically.

(e) Standing Committees of the Decker College

Committee on Committees
Curriculum and Assessment
Governance and Policy
Culture of Belonging Committee

Section 2. Decker College Committee on Committees

(a) Purpose

The function of the Decker College Committee on Committees is to determine the annual membership of all of the standing committees of the college.

(b) Responsibilities

The Decker College Committee on Committees is responsible for soliciting nominations for the various committees and presenting the slate of candidates to the Decker College Voting Faculty for vote.
The Decker College Committee on Committees is also responsible for holding elections for committee membership and communicating the results of the election to the Decker Assembly.
The Decker College Committee on Committees shall identify an appropriate faculty to fill the vacancy if an elected member is unable to complete the entire term.
The Decker College Committee on Committees is responsible for notifying students and faculty within Decker College of student vacancies, receiving nominations and filling positions on each committee, ensuring fair representation from across the college.

Section 3. Decker College Curriculum and Assessment Committee

(a) Purpose

The function of the Decker College Curriculum and Assessment Committee shall be to make recommendations to the dean on matters related to undergraduate and graduate academic programs of the college as defined under its responsibilities.

(b) Responsibilities

The Decker College Curriculum and Assessment Committee is responsible for reviewing new curricular proposals and proposed changes in existing curricula that require University or SUNY approval, consulting with those relevant schools and divisions, making recommendations in matters related to conformity with University-wide and SUNY policies and procedures, and endorsing such proposals or proposed changes as appropriate.
The Decker College Curriculum and Assessment Committee is also responsible for assessment and evaluation in relation to the achievement of college-level goals and objectives.
The Decker Curriculum and Assessment Committee will provide feedback or make recommendations to the dean as appropriate.
The Decker College Curriculum and Assessment Committee will provide a written report or oral presentation of its work to the Decker College Assembly on a regular basis, but at a minimum at least once per year.

Section 4. Decker College Governance and Policy Committee

(a) Purpose

The function of the Decker College Governance and Policy Committee is to review college-level policies and procedures and submit recommendations for revision to the Decker Assembly.

(b) Responsibilities

The Decker College Governance and Policy Committee is responsible for college-level policies and procedures, including, but not limited to, academic honesty, grievance and professional standards.
The Decker College Governance and Policy Committee is also responsible for reviewing and revising the Decker College Bylaws as needed and submitting any revisions to the Decker College Assembly for vote. Bylaws changes require written notification to the Decker College Voting Faculty at least two weeks prior to the vote. In addition, bylaw changes require a two-thirds vote of the Decker College Voting Faculty.

Section 5. Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee

(a) Purpose

i. The function of the Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee is to support a community that respects, fosters and celebrates inclusion among individuals, groups and populations encompassing race, age, ethnicity, culture, [dis]ability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, religious affiliation and educational background.

(b) Responsibilities

The Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee is responsible for reviewing climate, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and any other college or university survey that assesses diversity, equity and inclusion. The committee will use these survey findings to suggest ideas and solutions to create and expand an equitable and inclusive community.
The Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee is responsible for providing engagement opportunities to foster a community that respects individuals' commonalities and differences.
The Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee will assist with the evaluation of policies and practices to ensure standards of equity and inclusion are met based on Binghamton University’s Road Map: Strategic Priority 3: Inclusive Campus: Unite to Foster a Diverse and Inclusive Campus Culture and SUNY’s Diversity Action Plan. The Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee is responsible for advocating to the administration on issues of equity, inclusion and belonging on behalf of students, faculty and staff.
The Decker College Culture of Belonging Committee will have a Decker College subcommittee to address ongoing belonging efforts as a campus.

Section 6. Decker College Ad hoc Committees

The dean or Decker College Voting Faculty may create ad hoc committees to serve the needs of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences. The membership and functions of these ad hoc committees shall be prescribed in the acts creating them and within the limitations of the policies of the Board of Trustees of the State University of New York, and the State University of New York at Binghamton Faculty Bylaws.