Penn Veterinary Medicine | University of Pennsylvania

School Operating Procedures and Policies

Section I - Organization 

1. The term "Standing Faculty" designates all fully affiliated personnel holding the rank of Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor.
2. The term "Academic Personnel" designates the members of the standing Faculty plus all Associates, Instructors, Residents, Interns, Post-Doctoral Fellows, and Graduate Students in residence.
   • The Academic Personnel of the School of Veterinary Medicine shall be organized into four departments: Animal Biology; Pathobiology; Clinical Studies-Philadelphia; and Clinical Studies-New Bolton Center. The number and definition of Departments shall be the province of the Standing Faculty.
   • The Departments of Animal Biology and Pathobiology shall be organized into disciplinary Laboratories while the Departments of Clinical Studies shall be organized into Clinical Sections. The specific Laboratory and Section composition of each Department shall be established by the Chairperson's Committee on the basis of recommendations from the respective Chairperson for implementation by the Dean.
3. The term "Student Body" designates all full time students pursuing an academic program leading to the degree Veterinariae Medicinae Doctoris (V.M.D.).
4. The Dean shall be an ex-officio member of all standing committees of the School of Veterinary Medicine except when specifically not eligible.
5. In all cases, except where specifically modified herein, a quorum shall consist of the following percentages of the respective memberships in residence: Academic Personnel - 25 percent; and Faculty - 40 percent.
6. The Secretary of the School of Veterinary Medicine shall be elected annually at the Spring meeting of the Academic Personnel to serve a one year term of office commencing on the first of July following election.

 

Section II - Academic Personnel Meeting 

1. The Academic Personnel shall meet on the first Monday of October and April each year at 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon to receive reports on the general affairs of the School and to have brought to its attention matters requiring consideration. The Faculty and the Academic Personnel shall elect members to the various Councils and Committees as required.
2. Special meetings may be called by the President, the Provost, the Dean or upon written request signed by ten members of the Faculty, or by twenty-five members of the Academic Personnel.
3. Academic Personnel not members of the Standing Faculty, though participating in the deliberations of the meetings, shall not have voting privileges except on motions to amend these Operating Procedures and Policies or on matters within the jurisdiction of the Academic Personnel as noted in these Operating Procedures and Policies.
4. Certain partially affiliated members of the academically qualified instructional staff, who play a major role in the teaching program of the School, may attend regular and special meetings upon the invitation of the Chairperson of the Department within which they teach. Such individuals shall receive notices of the meetings and may participate in the deliberations of the meetings but they shall not have voting privileges except on motions directly affecting their teaching responsibilities. Such individuals shall also not contribute to the fulfillment of quorum requirements.
5. Notification of all meetings shall be sent to the Academic Personnel not less than two weeks prior to the date of the meeting by the Secretary of the School of Veterinary Medicine. The agenda for the meetings shall be distributed to the Academic Personnel not less than one week before the meeting.
6. The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Academic Personnel in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the policies and procedures or special rules of order of this body. 

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Section III - Department Meetings

Department meetings shall be held regularly during the academic year to act upon matters of concern to the Departments and the School.

 

Section IV - Standing Committees

Standing committees of the School of Veterinary Medicine are listed below. Committee members will assume their committee duties on the first of July when elected or appointed at the time of the Spring faculty meeting. Members elected or appointed at other times of the year will assume their duties immediately upon attaining membership on the committees except in those cases in which it would be inconsistent with the specified policies and procedures of the committee in question.

The Associate Dean shall appoint an Acting Chairperson of each committee, as required, to convene the Committee for the purpose of selecting a permanent committee chairperson. At least 75% of the Academic Personnel on each Committee shall be members of the Standing Faculty. In all cases, except where specifically modified herein, the quorum for committee meetings shall consist of a simple majority of the committee's membership.

1. Chairperson's Committee
   The Chairperson's Committee shall consist of the Department Chairpersons. The Chair of this committee shall be selected from among the members by the members. The Committee shall meet regularly during the academic year.
   The Committee of Chairpersons shall act upon academic and related matters which affect the School. The Committee shall undertake such studies as it considers appropriate in addition to carrying out tasks assigned by the Dean. The Committee shall report regularly to the Academic Personnel on their deliberations.
2. The Committee on Appointments and Promotions
   The Committee on Appointments and Promotions shall be composed of 9 members, all full Professors. Eight shall be elected by the Faculty from a slate nominated by the Chairperson's Committee. The Chair shall be appointed directly by the Dean for a three-year term. The Deans and the Departmental Chairpersons shall not be eligible for membership. There shall be at least 2 members from each Department on the Committee at all times. The term of office shall be 3 years and shall commence July 1 following election or appointment. Elections shall occur via mail ballot of the Standing Faculty immediately following the Annual Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel. Appointments shall occur at the Spring Meeting. There shall be 2 nominees for each position to be filled by election each year. Members shall not be eligible to succeed themselves more than once.
   The Committee shall be responsible for (a) receiving nominations from the Departments concerning appointments and promotions and making recommendations to the Dean and (b) ensuring that appropriate uniform procedures and standards are applied in the various departments.
   All appointments and promotions shall be initiated by the Department. Department Chairpersons shall have the right to present their recommendations to the Committee in person. The Committee will base its decisions on the academic merits of each case, without regard to budgetary or other constraints.
3. The Committee on Committees
   The Committee on Committees shall be composed of eight members of the Academic Personnel elected by them, and four members of the Student Body, one from each class elected by the members of that class. The Chairperson of this Committee shall be a member of the Academic Personnel and shall be appointed by the Associate Dean. Elections shall be held during the Fall semester. Members of the Academic Personnel will serve a two year term of office. Members shall be ineligible to succeed themselves for a period of one term.
   It will be the responsibility of the Committee on Committees to nominate for election or appoint persons, as appropriate, to all standing committees and to the office of the Secretary of the School of Veterinary Medicine. When possible, the Committee should nominate not less than two candidates for each position.
4. The Education Committee
   The Education Committee shall be composed of a Chair appointed by the Dean, the Department Chairpersons, one member appointed from the Standing Faculty of each department by their Department Chairperson to three-year terms (ideally this member would also be the chair of that Department's education committee), one member elected from the Standing Faculty of each department to two-year terms in a staggered fashion, and four members of the Student Body, one from each class. Elected members may not succeed themselves more than twice. Election of Standing Faculty members shall take place at their Spring meeting. Student members shall be nominated and elected by their own classes. First, second and third year classes shall elect their representatives in the Spring of each year to serve during the following academic year. The representative from the first year class shall be elected during the first two weeks of October to serve during the current academic year.
   The Education Committee shall be responsible for the overall educational program of the School. It will initiate, receive and consider proposals and implement decisions concerning the curriculum and all related matters. Approval of the Faculty shall be required prior to the enactment of major curriculum revisions.
   A subcommittee of the Education Committee shall assess the need for, and methods to collect, appropriate outcomes for the Annual AVMA accreditation report, as well as maintaining records of outcomes for the 7-year accreditation visit by the Council of Education (COE) of the AVMA. All analysis of data, and storage of data will be facilitated by the Office of the Associate Dean.
   The Education Committee, after consultation with the Admissions Committee, shall be responsible for setting the minimal educational requirements for admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine and promptly communicating its decisions to the Faculty. Setting of all non-educational requirements shall be the responsibility of the Admissions Committee subject to Faculty approval as required by these Operating Procedures and Policies.
5. The Library Committee
   The Library Committee shall consist of the Librarians of the C. J. Marshall Memorial Library and the Jean Austin duPont Library at New Bolton Center; ten members of the Academic Personnel, of which at least three shall be from New Bolton Center; and four Students, one of which shall be a member of the fourth year class. The membership will broadly represent the various disciplines within the School. The Committee on Committees shall have the responsibility of appointing the Academic Personnel and student members to two year terms of office, staggered in such a way that approximately half of the membership is appointed anew each year.
   The Committee shall meet not less than twice during the academic year. A quorum shall consist of nine members of the Committee, providing that each of the above categories is represented by at least one individual.
   The Committee shall be responsible for the policies and activities of the two School libraries. It will advise the Librarians on subscriptions to periodicals, selection of reference titles, addition of new books, and withdrawals of old journals and books.
6. The Admissions Committee
   The Admissions Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson appointed by the Dean, eight members of the Academic Personnel and two members from among the Alumni of the School of Veterinary Medicine and four members of the Student Advisory Committee on Admissions (Appendix) elected annually from that Committee. Academic Personnel members shall be elected for a three year term of office at the Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel and may not succeed themselves more than once. Academic Personnel currently studying for the V.M.D. degree shall not be eligible for membership on the Admissions Committee. The Alumni Members shall be appointed by the Dean, from a list of 3 submitted to the Dean by the Veterinary Medical Society Alumni Executive Board, for a two year term of office at the time of the Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel and may not succeed himself/herself more than once. A quorum shall consist of six non-student members and one student member.
   The Admissions Committee shall judge all applicants and select the students to be admitted to the School in accordance with the "Principles Concerning Admissions" approved by the Faculty. The chairperson of the Admissions Committee shall have full voting rights on matters pertaining to the selection of individual applicants for admission to the School. In the event of a tie vote, the decision on admission shall be deferred and the application must be reconsidered at a subsequent time during that selection period.
   All members of the Committee shall have full voting rights on all matters of policy. Student members shall be invited to make recommendations regarding individual applicants, but they shall neither have access to the files of applicants nor hold voting rights on matters dealing with the acceptance or rejection of individual applicants.
7. The Committee on the Academic Status of Students
   The Committee on the Academic Status of Students shall be composed of the Department Chairpersons, sixteen members of the Standing Faculty, four from each Department appointed annually in July by their respective Chairpersons, the Associate Dean and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. Both the Associate Dean and the Assistant Dean for Student Affairs should be non-voting members of the Committee. The Chairperson shall be appointed annually by the Dean from amongst the members excluding the Associate/Assistant Deans and the Department Chairpersons.
   The Committee on the Academic Status of Students shall be responsible for: (a) developing guidelines for evaluating standards of academic performance; (b) determining the academic status of each student in accordance with the principles outlined in the Academic Procedures and Policies document approved by the Faculty; and (c) the recommendation of each student's promotion or dismissal. In the event of extenuating circumstances where new information might significantly alter a Committee decision, the student may petition the Chairperson for permission to present that information to the Committee.
8. The Long Range Planning Committee
   The Long Range Planning Committee shall be composed of eight members of the Academic Personnel, two from each Department, two members of the Student Body, one member of the Alumni Society and the Chairpersons of the Philadelphia and New Bolton Center Space Committees, ex-officio. The Academic Personnel and Student members shall be appointed by the Dean upon the recommendations of the Chairpersons and Student Government Officers respectively at the time of the Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel. The Alumni member shall be appointed by the President of the Alumni Society. The term of office shall be two years. The Chairperson shall be appointed by the Dean from amongst the members.
   The Committee shall be given special tasks relative to long range planning as necessary by the Dean and/or the Chairperson's Committee but may also undertake studies of the needs and programs of the School upon its own initiative. The Committee shall render reports and recommendations to the Dean and the Chairperson's Committee based upon its examination of these issues.
9. The Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibilities
   The Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibilities shall consist of eight members and one alternate member to serve in the event of resignation or disqualification of a member. The Committee shall be elected from the Standing Faculty for a one year term at the Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel. The Deans and the Departmental Chairpersons shall not be eligible for membership. A majority of the members shall hold tenure in the Standing Faculty. At least one-third of the members shall be ineligible to succeed themselves for a period of one year. The Committee shall elect its own Chairperson.
   The Committee shall protect the principles of academic freedom and responsibility endorsed by the University and shall be concerned with the proper operation within the School of the official "Procedures Relating to Academic Tenure". The Committee shall maintain a current file of documents relevant to these principals and procedures. Three members of the Committee shall be available to advise individual faculty members on these principles and procedures and to investigate situations where they may have been abridged. Should it become necessary to hold a hearing under the "Procedures Relating to Tenure", the remaining five members of the Committee shall serve as a Hearing Committee. The individuals on the Hearing Committee shall be truly disinterested parties capable of conducting an impartial hearing.
   If, at any time during the performance of their duties, legal advice is deemed necessary by the Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibilities or by a Hearing Committee, the Chairperson of the Committee involved shall obtain Counsel from the law firm retained by the University.
10. The Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities
    The Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities shall consist of ten members of the Academic Personnel and eight members of the student body. The membership representing the Academic Personnel shall always include a minimum of six Standing Faculty and the student membership shall be composed of two members from each class. The term of office for the Academic Personnel shall be two years and that for the student members, one year. No member may succeed themselves more than once. The Academic Personnel members shall be elected at the time of the Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel and the student members shall be elected by their classes at the same time. The Dean annually shall appoint one of the Standing Faculty members to serve jointly as Chairperson of the Committee and Judicial Administrator for the School's Code of Student Rights and Academic Integrity.
    The Committee shall be responsible for matters relating in general to student rights and responsibilities. It shall protect the rights and privileges of students, administer the Code of Student Rights and Academic Integrity of the School of Veterinary Medicine, and inquire into other possible breaches of good conduct. Any decisions or recommendations arising from the hearings shall be reported to the Dean.
    If, at any time during the performance of their duties, legal advice is deemed necessary by the Committee on Student Rights and Responsibilities, the Chairperson of the Committee involved shall obtain Counsel from the law firm retained by the University.
11. The Dean's Council
    The Dean's Council shall be composed of the Dean, the Associate Dean, the Vice Dean for Administration, the Associate/Assistant Dean for Development and Alumni Relations and the Department Chairmen. The Dean shall chair the Council.
    The Dean's Council shall advise the Dean on all matters pertaining to the operation of the school. It shall meet regularly throughout the year.
12. Lindback Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee
    The Lindback Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee shall be composed of a Chairperson appointed annually by the Dean, one member of the Academic Personnel from each of the School's Departments, and three members of the Student Body, one each from the Second, Third and Fourth Year Classes. Academic Personnel members shall serve three-year terms and may not succeed themselves more than once. Student members shall serve one-year terms. Election of the Academic Personnel members shall take place at the Spring Meeting of the Academic Personnel. Student members shall be nominated and elected by their own classes in the Spring of each year to serve during the following academic year.
    The Lindback Distinguished Teaching Awards Committee shall be responsible for distributing guidelines and soliciting nominations for the Award, collecting appropriate supporting documents for each nominee, maintaining a permanent file on all valid nominees, and presenting the Dean with a dossier for each nominee the Committee believes to be qualified for the Award.

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Section V - Administration and Academic Postions 

1. Chairperson or Director
   In the case of vacancies or newly-created departments or units functioning independently of department structure where a director functions as head, the consideration of available candidates and subsequent nominations shall be conducted in accordance with those regulations specified for these positions by the University Administration.
2. Head of Laboratory and/or Chief of Clinical Section
   Appointments to the positions of Heads of Laboratories and Chiefs of Clinical Sections shall be made annually by the Dean upon recommendations of the Department Chairpersons concerned.
3. Standing Faculty, Associate Faculty and Academic Support Staff
   Nominations for appointments and promotions to the Standing and Associated Faculty shall be submitted to the Committee on Appointments and Promotions by the Department Chairperson following review by all members of the Department of equal or senior rank to that under consideration. Nominations shall be acted upon as specified in Section IV, Paragraph 2 after which they will be transmitted by the Dean to the Provost's Staff Conference where a final decision will be made in accordance with the regulations of the university. Appointments to the Academic Support Staff shall be made directly by the Department Chairpersons.

 

Section VI - Amendments

These Operating Procedures and Policies may be amended during the regular academic year. Proposed amendments shall be distributed in writing by the Secretary of the School of Veterinary Medicine to all Academic Personnel and members of the Student Body not less than two weeks prior to the date of the meeting at which they are to be considered by the Academic Personnel. An amendment shall be adopted upon:

1. acceptance by a two-thirds vote of the Academic Personnel present at a regular or special meeting of the Academic Personnel, at which a quorum shall be 25 percent of the Academic Personnel in residence; and
2. the subsequent acceptance by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the Student Body in residence, providing that votes are cast by a majority of that body. Failure of the Student Body to cast a majority of votes within two weeks ofthe acceptance of an amendment by the Academic Personnel shall constitute acceptance of the amendment by the student body.

 Proposed amendments initially accepted by a majority vote of the student body in residence shall be submitted to the Dean for consideration by the Academic Personnel within thirty days of submission. The sponsors of the amendment shall be invited to speak on behalf of their proposal to the Academic Personnel.

Amendments shall be distributed to all Academic Personnel and students upon their adoption.

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Appendix

Student Advisory Committee on Admissions

The Student Advisory Committee on Admissions shall be composed of twelve members of the student body. Three members shall be elected annually from each of the first, second and third year classes during the Spring semester, and from the incoming first year class during the following Fall semester. Only students in good academic standing may serve. Four members of this Advisory Committee, one from each class, shall be elected by its members to serve on the Admissions Committee.

It will be the responsibility of the Advisory Committee to formulate recommendations concerning admissions policy and the evaluation of applicants for admission to the School. They will assist the applicants in obtaining information about the School. They may make recommendations regarding particular applicants through their members elected to the Admissions Committee.

Adopted February 1983; Amended 1985, 1987, 1988, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2007