Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida

Adopted April 23, 2025

Mission Statement of the Florida Museum of Natural History

The Florida Museum of Natural History – We investigate, document and interpret biological and cultural heritage, fostering deep connections between people and the natural world through inspirational education and outreach.

Legislative Mandate for the Florida Museum of Natural History, the State’s Official Museum of Natural History—See Appendix I

PREAMBLE TO THE BYLAWS

In the belief that shared governance is effective through working relationships among administrators, faculty and staff, a mutual respect for the participants’ differing roles and responsibilities, and mutual trust in the ability and willingness of the various parties to meet their commitments, we, the members of the Department of Natural History of the Florida Museum of Natural History, do establish and ratify these bylaws.

ARTICLE I: Governance of the Department of Natural History of the Florida Museum of Natural History

These bylaws are intended to establish the general principles in order to guide the governance of the Department of Natural History of the Florida Museum of Natural History (hereafter Department). These bylaws are governed by and subordinate to the University of Florida Constitution, the Florida Administrative Code, the University of Florida Board of Trustees (UF Board), and the UF Board-United Faculty of Florida Collective Bargaining Agreement. In matters of conflict, the University Constitution and the Florida Administrative Code, the University of Florida Board of Trustees, and the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement constitute the ruling documents. Operating within these contexts and within the provisions of these bylaws includes the faculty, collections managers/scientific staff (CMSS), and other departmental staff.

Any decisions made or actions taken regarding Department matters shall be made in compliance with the Florida Museum’s policies including, but not limited to, the Code of Ethics and the Collections Policy.

ARTICLE II: Name and Organization

Section 1: Name

The Department of Natural History is a unit within the Florida Museum of Natural History (hereafter Museum), the latter being a State-Funded Center administered similar to a college within the University of Florida (hereafter University).

Section 2: Organization

A. The branches of the Museum are:

1. Director’s Office
2. Department of Exhibits and Public Programs
3. Department of Natural History
   1. Other institutes, centers, and programs (see Appendix III)

B. The Department of Natural History interdigitates and collaborates with the other two branches of the Museum. Institutes, centers, and other special programs may fall under the governance of the Department as authorized by the Museum Director.

C. Organizational structure of the Department of Natural History

1. The Department consists of four divisions (Anthropology, Interdisciplinary, Neontology, and Paleontology). See Appendix IV for a detailed breakdown of these major divisions.
2. The Department also contains the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, the Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI), and the Randell Research Center (RRC).

Section 3: Institutes and Centers

Institutes and centers may be established and dissolved as necessary to assist the Department in its collections activities, research, teaching, and service within the guidelines of the Museum and the University. Establishing or dissolving a center or institute must be done using the official UF procedures (https://ir.aa.ufl.edu/academic-support/center-and-institute/starting-a-new-center/).

ARTICLE III: Department Membership

Members of the Department include faculty, postdoctoral associates, professional staff (TEAMS positions), and graduate students.

A. Department faculty include the ranks of tenured and tenure-track faculty (Assistant Curator, Associate Curator, Curator); Distinguished Research Curator/Professor and Eminent Scholar, as well as non-tenure accruing faculty (Lecturer, Assistant Scientist, Associate Scientist, and Scientist).

B. Tenured and tenure-track Department faculty are those who are salaried through the Department on permanent and tenure-accruing lines.

C. Non-tenure accruing Department faculty are those who are salaried through the Department but are on a line that is not tenure accruing (Lecturer, Assistant Scientist, Associate Scientist, and Scientist).

D. The Department enjoys a close and unique relationship with other University departments, colleges, and organizations. Department faculty and staff are granted Joint Affiliate or Adjunct faculty status in these departments, colleges and organizations, and regularly teach courses and/or have graduate faculty status. These other University departments, colleges, and organizations serve as the home department for Museum graduate students. Department faculty and selected professional staff regularly serve on graduate students’ committees. Teaching requirements and evaluation of teaching, if applicable, will be negotiated between the Department Chair and the Chair/Director of
the joint unit. Members of other University departments, colleges, and organizations frequently make use of Museum collections in their research and teaching.

E. Affiliate faculty are those who have been granted “affiliate” status by the Department faculty. Affiliate faculty are those from another University department or college who participate in departmental education, collections, and/or research activities on at least an occasional basis.

F. Most postdoctoral associates are salaried through the Department from grant or state funds, although some are supported directly on fellowships. They are sponsored by a member of the Department faculty. Postdoctoral associates are term-limited positions, limited to four (4) years.

G. Courtesy faculty are those who have been granted “courtesy” status by the Department faculty. Courtesy faculty are those not currently employed by the University, but who have educational, collections and/or research ties with one or more Department faculty.

H. Emeritus/a faculty are those who have been granted “emeritus/a” status by the Department faculty.

I. Professional staff (collectively referred to as “Collection Managers and Scientific or Support Staff” (CMSS) are those salaried in the Department under the TEAMS pay plan. This includes a variety of different job titles, including but not limited to Administrative Specialist (I–III), Administrative Assistant (I–III), FLMNH Collection Manager (I–III), FLMNH Museum Registrar, FLMNH Museum Preparator, Museum Operations Coordinator (I–III), Museum Operations Specialist, Project Manager (I–III), Scientific Laboratory Manager, Laboratory Technician (I–III), Biological Scientist (I–III), Communication Manager, and Education/Training Specialist (I–III).

J. Department graduate students are those who have matriculated at UF and are pursuing graduate degrees sponsored by related University departments, colleges or organizations, and whose graduate committee chair or co-chair is a Department faculty member or CMSS.

ARTICLE IV: Administrative Officers

Section 1: Department Chair

The Department Chair typically serves for a term of three years and may serve more than one term if re-appointed by the Museum Director, pending the incumbent’s acceptance and approval by the Department faculty and staff. The Department Chair may appoint another Department employee as their representative to serve in whatever capacity the Department Chair deems appropriate. The performance of the Department Chair is evaluated by the Director each year. Every third year, coincident with a potential renewal for a second term, the Director solicits input, no later than three months before the end of the second term, on the effectiveness and leadership of the Department Chair via a >50% majority vote from both the faculty and CMSS in favor of a second term.

Section 2: Duties of the Department Chair

The duties of the Department Chair include but are not limited to:

A. Set the annual departmental budget.

B. Approve travel and building access requests.

C. Convene, develop the agenda and preside over regular and special departmental faculty and staff meetings. Meetings shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order, revised.

D. Serve on other Museum committees at the discretion of the Director.

E. Serve on Museum and University committees as requested by the Museum Director (e.g., Council of Research Deans, In-Unit Faculty Deans).

F. Provide annual written evaluations of departmental faculty in consultation with the Department of Natural History Faculty Affairs Committee (hereafter Faculty Advisory Committee) according to University of Florida policies and procedures.

G. Oversee sustained performance evaluation (“post-tenure review”) once every five years of tenured faculty members following the award of tenure or their most recent promotion.

H. Oversee departmental faculty and staff salaries.

I. Assign merit raises for eligible faculty and staff based on stated assignments and, when needed, input from the Faculty Affairs Committee.

J. Oversee the hiring and firing process for departmental faculty and staff.

K. Oversee the tenure and promotion process.

L. Oversee the process for granting departmental faculty sabbaticals.

M. Approval of Conflict of Interest/Outside Activities through UFOLIO system.

N. Nominate faculty or staff for internal University Awards (e.g., UFRF Professor; International Educator of the Year).

O. Appoint chairs and oversee the population of departmental standing and ad hoc committees at the start of each fall academic term. Fill vacancies as needed.

P. Appoint departmental faculty and CMSS to serve on Museum committees as requested.

Q. Send written notice to appointments (titles include, but are not limited to, affiliate, courtesy, provisional, research, and emeritus/emerita) indicating acceptance, rejection, or renewal.

R. Coordinate the development and evaluation of the Department of Natural History’s strategic plan and annual calendar of events.

S. Coordinate and manage content for Museum’s annual report in collaboration with the other Museum leadership.

T. Coordinate with the Museum’s Department of Exhibits and Public Programs on joint ventures and programs.

U. Manage or assist with other special projects.

V. Supervise the Administrative Specialist, who acts as administrative assistant to the Chair for the Department of Natural History.

W. Supervise other TEAMS positions as needed.

X. Undertake faculty responsibilities as listed below (see Article V, Section 2)

Section 3: Associate Department Chair

If an Associate Department Chair is deemed necessary by the Museum Director, the Department Chair will nominate a candidate that must be approved by both the Museum Director and by a >50% affirmative vote by the faculty. The Associate Department Chair may be appointed for a term of one year and may serve more than one term if re-appointed by the Museum Director, pending the incumbent’s acceptance and approval by the faculty. The performance of the Associate Department Chair is evaluated by both the Director and the Chair each year.

Section 4: Duties of the Associate Department Chair

The duties of the Associate Department Chair include but are not limited to:

A. Oversee Affiliate and Courtesy appointments.

B. Assist the Chair in setting the annual departmental budget.

C. Assist the Chair with approval of travel requests and requests for building access.

D. Assist the Chair in compiling information for annual written evaluations of departmental faculty in consultation with the Faculty Affairs Committee according to University of Florida policies and procedures.

E. Assist the Chair with the tenure and promotion process, including requests for letters of recommendation for candidates.

F. Assist the Chair in duties related to Effort Reporting and Semester Activity Reports.

G. Assist the Chair with activities related to faculty searches in the Department.

H. Assist the Chair in liaising with other UF departments related to teaching, graduate committees, and student mentoring.

I. Assist with the development and evaluation of the Department of Natural History’s strategic plans.

J. Assist the Chair with coordinating and managing content for the Museum’s annual report.

K. Serve on the Faculty Affairs Committee.

L. Serve on Museum and University committees as requested by the Museum Director.

M. Serve as Coordinator for Graduate Affairs and oversee events and activities designed to support graduate student success and engagement; act as a primary point of contact for graduate students regarding Department policies and procedures.

N. Serve as Acting Chair, as necessary.

O. Manage or assist with other special projects.

P. Undertake faculty responsibilities as listed below (see Article V, Section 2).

Section 5: The Faculty Affairs Committee

A. Membership

1. Members of the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC) are appointed from among nominees selected by the faculty. Members must be appointed by a >50% affirmative vote of the eligible voting faculty.
2. The FAC shall include the Department Chair (ex officio), Associate Department Chair and four tenured faculty members that together should represent interests across the whole Department. This would include, to the extent possible, one faculty member from each of the four major divisions within the Department: Anthropology, Interdisciplinary, Neontology, and Paleontology.
3. Tenured faculty at the Associate level may be a member of the FAC. Because the committee can be asked to serve in evaluating faculty for promotion, including to Full, at any time the FAC will contain at most one Associate faculty member. The other FAC members will be tenured Full faculty.
4. Members of the FAC shall elect a chair of the committee.
5. A quorum is a three-quarters majority of the tenured members.
6. An additional member from the non-tenure accruing Associate Scientist or Scientist rank may be voted to represent the interests of the non-tenure accruing faculty. A >50% affirmative vote of the eligible voting faculty is required. This is a voting position, with one exception: this is an advisory, non-voting position with respect to faculty evaluations.
7. The Museum Director, the Museum Assistant/Associate Director, the Assistant/Associate Director of Research and Collections, the Department Chair, non-tenured institute and center directors, and CMSS are not eligible to be elected to the FAC.

B. Terms

1. The members of the FAC shall be appointed for three-year terms. Members may serve more than one term if re-appointed by the faculty, following the procedures in Section 1A above. The Associate Department Chair shall be appointed for a one-year term and may serve more than one term if re-appointed by the Museum Director, pending the incumbent’s acceptance and approval by the faculty.
2. Terms of individual members shall be staggered to the extent possible so that some seasoned members remain on the FAC as new members rotate onto the Committee, in the interest of preserving institutional memory.
3. When a vacancy opens, any eligible faculty member, with preference to the departing member’s division (Anthropology, Interdisciplinary, Neontology, Paleontology), may put their name on the ballot. Vacancies may occur when a current member takes a sabbatical or a leave of absence. A special election shall be held to fill the vacancy. Elections shall be conducted by faculty ballot. A >50% affirmative vote is required to appoint a new member. If there are more than two candidates and a majority is not achieved on the first vote, the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be removed from contention and subsequent rounds of voting shall take place. In the event of a tie, the Department Chair shall appoint a member from the remaining two candidates.

C. Duties

1. Advise the Chair on all matters pertaining to tenure and promotion of faculty.
2. Assist the Chair in preparing annual evaluations based on the annual reports provided by the faculty.
3. Assist Chair with Post Tenure Review (PTR) evaluation of tenured faculty members.
4. Advise the Chair on matters concerning merit raises and other salary-related issues.
5. Meet with the Chair as needed related to faculty affairs, including Tenure & Promotion, Post Tenure Review, Mid-tenure review, faculty mentoring, and annual evaluations.
6. Serve in any capacity that requires an appointed committee such as the evaluation of internally generated proposals from faculty.
7. Consult with the Department Chair on other matters as needed.
8. The elected chair of the FAC will provide updates, when needed, on the committee at Department faculty meetings.
9. Serve as the College Level Review Committee for Tenure & Promotion when asked by the Museum Director.

Section 6: The Departmental Advisory Committee

A. Membership

1. Members of the Departmental Advisory Committee (DAC; also referred to as the Natural History Advisory Committee, NHAC) are appointed from among nominees selected by faculty, CMSS, postdoctoral researchers, and departmental graduate students. Members must be appointed by a >50% affirmative vote from members of each group (i.e., CMSS vote for CMSS, graduate students vote for graduate students).
2. The DAC shall include two tenured faculty, two pre-tenure or non-tenure track faculty (if available in the department), two CMSS, one postdoctoral researcher (if available), and two departmental graduate students. The DAC may also include the directors of centers and institutes based in the museum.
3. The Associate Chair and department administrator will also serve on DAC, which is advisory to the Chair (an ex officio member of the DAC).
4. Members of the DAC shall elect a chair of the committee.

B. Terms

1. Faculty and CMSS members will serve two-years terms and may serve more than one term if re-appointed by the group that they represent, following the procedures in Section 1A above.
2. To the extent possible, the terms of faculty and CMSS will be staggered.
3. Graduate students and postdoctoral researchers will serve one-year terms and may serve more than one term if re-appointed by the group that they represent, following the procedures in Section 1A above.
4. When a vacancy opens, any member may put their name on the ballot. Vacancies may occur when a current member takes a sabbatical or a leave of absence. A special election shall be held to fill the vacancy. Elections shall be conducted by ballot. A >50% affirmative vote from the relevant group (e.g., faculty, CMSS, graduate students) is required to appoint a new member. If there are more than two candidates and a majority is not achieved on the first vote, the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be removed from contention and subsequent rounds of voting shall take place. In the event of a tie, the Department Chair shall appoint a member from the remaining two candidates.

C. Duties

1. Advise the Chair on department matters arising.
2. Bring new matters arising to the attention of the Chair for discussion by DAC.
3. Meet with the Chair monthly before faculty and CMSS meetings to provide input on the agenda.
4. Consult with the Department Chair on other matters as needed, including activities of departmental committees, department events, and departmental organization and operations.
5. When needed, elective representatives will work with the Chair to gather information from or communicate information to their respective groups.
6. The representatives (elected chair, CMSS, postdoc and grad student representative) will provide updates, when needed, on the committee at faculty and CMSS meetings or other meetings.

Section 7: Director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity

The Museum Director shall appoint the Director of the McGuire Center. In selecting the McGuire Center Director, the Museum Director may consult with the Department Chair, the McGuire Center faculty and staff, and with appropriate heads of other University and State departments, colleges, and agencies that contribute faculty, curators, staff, students and other resources to the McGuire Center. The Director of the McGuire Center shall report to the Department of Natural History Chair. The duties and responsibilities of the McGuire Center Director shall be determined by the Department Chair to provide for the execution of Museum and University policy and the interests of other cooperating departments, colleges, and agencies involved in the Center. The Director of the McGuire Center typically serves for a term of three years and may serve more than one term if reappointed by the Museum Director, pending the incumbent’s acceptance. The McGuire Center Director shall be evaluated by the Department Chair annually, with input from the McGuire Center faculty and staff, according to procedures established by the University Department of Human Resources.

Section 8: Duties of the Director of the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity

A. Administer the McGuire Center, prepare an annual budget, and supervise the overall operations and finances of the Center and activities and performances of those Museum and University employees assigned to the Center.

B. Establish working procedures and protocols for the McGuire Center, consistent with the established policies of the Museum and the University, seeking to integrate all operations with those in Exhibits and Public Programs and in the Department of Natural History.

C. Oversee the scientific collections, laboratory equipment, and general building and support facilities of the McGuire Center.

D. Work with Museum and McGuire Center faculty and staff to ensure the success of the Butterfly Rainforest and the other Museum exhibits, programs and events on Lepidoptera.

E. Pursue development opportunities to enhance the goals and mission of the McGuire Center and the Museum. Develop grant proposals to support research, public education, and facilities development.

F. Pursue the acquisition of appropriate collections and library resources to build the international scientific value and reputation of the McGuire Center and the Museum.

G. Carry out academic activities appropriate for a university faculty member, including directing graduate students, peer reviewed publications, and presentations at scientific meetings, as well as other academic and public instructional activities. Participate in and help initiate and organize scientific meetings and conferences related to the disciplines of the McGuire Center and the Museum.

H. Work with the Museum Director and Department of Natural History Chair to arrange for development and evaluation of the McGuire Center’s and the Museum’s strategic plans and appoint ad hoc committees to ensure input from the McGuire Center staff.

I. Serve on Museum and University committees as requested by the Department of Natural History Chair.

J. Perform other duties as required.

Section 9: Director of the Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI)

The Museum Director shall appoint the Director of the Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI). In selecting the TESI Director, the Museum Director may consult with the Department Chair, the department faculty and staff, and with appropriate heads of other University and State departments, colleges, and agencies that contribute faculty, curators, staff, students and other resources to TESI. The Director of TESI shall report to the Department of Natural History Chair. The duties and responsibilities of the TESI Director shall be determined by the Department Chair to provide for the execution of Museum and University policy and the interests of other cooperating departments, colleges, and agencies involved in the Institute. The Director of TESI typically serves for a term of three years and may serve more than one term if reappointed by the Museum Director, pending the incumbent’s acceptance. The TESI Director shall be evaluated by the Department Chair annually according to procedures established by the University Department of Human Resources.

Section 10: Duties of the Director of the Thompson Earth Systems Institute (TESI)

A. Administer TESI, prepare an annual budget, and supervise the overall operations and finances of the Institute and activities and performances of those Museum and University employees assigned to the Institute.

B. Establish working procedures and protocols for TESI, consistent with the established policies of the Museum and the University, seeking to integrate all operations with those in Exhibits and Public Programs and in the Department of Natural History.

C. Pursue development opportunities to enhance the goals and mission of the TESI and the Museum. Develop grant proposals to support K-12 education, public education, programs to support university students, and other programs associated with TESI.

D. Carry out academic activities appropriate for a university faculty member, including directing graduate students, peer reviewed publications, and presentations at scientific meetings, as well as other academic and public instructional activities. Participate in and help initiate and organize scientific meetings and conferences related to the disciplines of TESI and the Museum.

E. Work with the Museum Director, Department of Natural History Chair, and TESI staff to arrange for development and evaluation of TESI and the Museum’s strategic plans.

F. Serve on Museum and University committees as requested by the Department of Natural History Chair.

G. Perform other duties as required.

ARTICLE V: The Faculty

Section 1: Faculty Membership

A. The faculty of the Museum shall consist of assistant curators, associate curators, curators, distinguished curators, distinguished professors and eminent scholars in tenured and tenure-accruing ranks. Museum faculty may also include joint faculty, lecturers, assistant scientists, associate scientists, and scientists in non-tenure-accruing ranks, as well as other members of the faculty as defined in the University Constitution. For recommendations of promotion and tenure, voting faculty may only vote on those positions equal to or lesser than their ranking.

B. Voting and Non-Voting Faculty
Voting rights are established by the Department and in some cases (e.g., tenure and promotion) by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The table below shows, for different issues, who may vote and the type of votes to be taken. Affiliate, Courtesy, Emeriti, Joint and Provisional faculty, postdoctoral associates, and visiting faculty and scholars do not have voting rights. All votes are advisory to the Museum’s Director and/or Department’s upper administration. As such, they shall not vote in general meetings, in an effort to dissuade partiality to the voting faculty and staff. Voting faculty may only vote on those positions equal to or lesser than their ranking.

Footnotes:
1. Tenure-track Faculty = Assistant Curators, Associate Curators, Curators, Distinguished Research Curators/Professors, and Eminent Scholars.
2. Non-tenure accruing Faculty = Faculty salaried in the Department in non-tenure accruing positions; includes Assistant Scientists, Associate Scientists and Scientists; may also include Assistant Directors, Associate Directors, and Directors.
3. Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Representative (as described in Article III. I) are professional positions with UF TEAMS titles. Also, may include professional staff associated with other UF colleges and departments. They shall have one CMSS collective vote representing all CMSS.
4. Graduate Student Representative = They shall have one graduate student collective vote representing all graduate students whose primary advisor is in the Department of Natural History.
Voting “faculty” may only vote on those positions equal to or lesser than their ranking.

General Notes:
1. The advice of Affiliate, Courtesy, Emeriti, Joint, and Provisional faculty is welcome during discussions prior to a vote, but these individuals do not vote.
2. Personnel in the following positions do not vote on any matters— Postdoctoral Associates and visiting faculty or scholars.
3. The Department sets rules on participation in searches, however the final recommendation per the CBA is required to be based on the vote of the faculty.
4. All votes are advisory to the Museum’s Director and/or Department’s upper administration. As such, they shall not vote in general meetings in an effort to dissuade partiality to the voting faculty and staff.
5. Currently, the Florida Museum, which is not considered a teaching college within the University of Florida has no “Lecturer” positions at any level (i.e., Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Master Lecturer) in the Museum’s Department of Natural History.

C. Only faculty shall have the right to vote on issues specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement that pertain specifically to faculty policies. In such cases, CMSS and graduate students, who as a group, are eligible to vote on other matters, will not be allowed to vote on the faculty-only issues specified in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

D. Requests for courtesy or affiliate appointments must be made in writing either by the individual seeking the appointment or by the departmental nominating faculty. The request must describe why they are seeking an appointment, how it will benefit said individual and the University of Florida, the nature of the work intended, and the faculty, CMSS and collections and/or research area with which said individual will work at the Florida Museum of Natural History. The letter must also include the individual’s full name, title, date of birth (required for University appointment), affiliation, address, phone number, and email address. In addition, a current Curriculum Vitae must be provided. The request must be submitted to the Department’s Administrative Specialist. Faculty members may encourage individuals to apply for appointments. Appointment titles include, but are not limited to, affiliate, courtesy, provisional, research, and emeritus/emerita. The rights and privileges of the appointment shall be specified at the time of the appointment. Such appointments are limited to a three-year term, after which time they are subject to renewal at the discretion of the Department faculty. Individuals afforded such appointments may not vote on Department or Museum matters, including but not limited to, matters of policy, promotion and funding. They may not participate in Department or Museum governance. The rights and privileges of appointees must be made clear at the time of the appointment. Affiliate faculty members are normally reviewed by the Department annually and such appointments may be altered or terminated at any time. A two-thirds majority affirmative vote of the eligible voting faculty is required before an individual may be appointed to any of the aforementioned positions. Individuals will receive a written notice from the Department Chair stating acceptance, rejection, or renewal.

Section 2: Faculty Responsibilities

Responsibilities of the faculty shall include:

A. Curation and collections management (when relevant to that faculty’s assignment of duties).

B. Adhere to the best practices and standards of the American Alliance of Museums.

1. Participate in fundraising to support collections.
2. Supervise collections managers, scientific, and other support staff.

C. Conduct an active research program in the appropriate academic specialty and related fields.

1. Publish research results in national or international peer-reviewed journals, or as monographs or books.
2. Attend professional meetings to present research results.
3. Generate grant funds, especially extramural funds, to support research.

D. Educate University students (both undergraduate and graduate) and others through teaching in affiliated academic departments, supervising independent studies, and supervising thesis and dissertation research.

E. Assist in general Museum and departmental matters by attending faculty meetings, serving on committees, and voting on issues of concern to the Museum and the
appropriate department.

F. Participate in academic, research, teaching, curatorial, educational, and service programs and outreach as directed in each faculty member’s yearly assignment of duties given by the Department Chair in accordance with collective bargaining agreements, and as reflected in the Effort Certification report.

G. Comply with international, national, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to those of the United States government, State of Florida, and University.

H. A faculty member appointed by the Department Chair will serve as Coordinator for Undergraduate Affairs and oversee events and activities designed to support undergraduate student engagement.

I. Other duties and services as requested by the Museum Director, Assistant/Associate Director of Research and Collections, and/or Department Chair.

Section 3: Representative(s) to the University Faculty Senate

A. Election of Senator(s):
A slate of potential candidates for the University Faculty Senate shall be developed for the Faculty Affairs Committee by one of the Museum Senators by contacting prospective candidates in order to verify their willingness and availability to serve. The number and terms of Senators representing the Museum is prescribed by the Constitution of the University.

B. Responsibilities of Senator(s):

1. Represent the Museum in the Faculty Senate.
2. Provide faculty with an agenda and summary of minutes of University Faculty Senate meetings in a timely manner.

ARTICLE VI: Faculty and Special Departmental Meetings

Section 1: Faculty Meetings

A. At least four Department faculty meetings shall be scheduled during the regular academic year from August through May, or more often as needed.

B. At least one non-voting CMSS, but no more than two, representative(s) shall be appointed by CMSS consensus (>50% affirmative vote by the CMSS) to attend faculty meetings for a two-year term. This vote is advisory to the faculty and the Department Chair.

C. At least one non-voting Department graduate student representative, but no more than two, shall be appointed by the Museum’s graduate student body (>50% affirmative vote by the Department graduate students as defined in Article III, J) to attend faculty meetings. The graduate student representative(s) shall not serve more than 1 year. This vote is advisory to the faculty and the Department Chair.

D. Except in cases of emergency, faculty shall receive notice of meetings and agendas for meetings at least 48 hours in advance.

E. The agenda shall be set by the Department Chair, who may invite input from the Faculty Affairs Committee and the faculty.

F. The agenda shall include reports from all standing committees, from the Faculty Senate, and from any ad hoc committees.

G. The agenda shall include an opportunity for faculty input during the meeting. Comments by any one individual shall be limited to agenda items, and to the amount of time set by the Meeting Chair prior to the start of the discussion.

H. A quorum for meetings of the faculty shall be >50% of the voting faculty. Proxies shall be recognized.

I. Meetings shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order, revised.

J. Minutes of meetings shall be recorded and posted no later than 48 hours prior to the next faculty meeting.

K. There shall be an annual report to the faculty regarding the state of the Department including expenditures and budget.

L. Policy proposals may be generated by any faculty member, standing committee, subcommittee, or ad hoc committee. The Department Chair shall place the proposal on the agenda for a faculty meeting or route the proposal to the appropriate committee.

M. Any major departmental policy proposal including, but not limited to, the Collections Policy requires a two-thirds majority affirmative vote by the eligible voting faculty. CMSS input into development of any major departmental policies directly impacting CMSS responsibilities and duties or related to the curation and exhibition of collections shall be permitted. Requests for CMSS input and response shall be coordinated by and reported to the faculty by the Department Chair or by departmental committees.

Section 2: Special Meetings

A. Special meetings may be called by the Museum Director, Assistant/Associate Director of Research and Collections, Department Chair, or by petition by one or more of the eligible voting faculty.

B. General departmental CMSS meetings, including both faculty and CMSS, may be scheduled as needed.

C. Special meetings may be called by CMSS

ARTICLE VII: Department Committees

Section 1: Authority

The departmental committees shall carry out duties prescribed by the bylaws.

Section 2: General Rules

A. Committees shall meet as needed to carry out their duties.

B. Committees shall report on recent activities at each faculty and CMSS meeting.

C. Chairs of standing committees may establish ad hoc committees to accomplish specific tasks.

D. A quorum is a two-thirds majority of the committee members.

E. Committee decisions are advisory to the Department Chair.

Section 3: Standing Committees

A. Faculty Affairs Committee

B. Departmental Advisory Committee

C. Awards Committee

D. Department Bylaws Committee

E. Bulletin Committee

F. Collections and Space Committee

G. Digitization Committee

H. Seminar Committee

Section 4: Standing Committee Membership

A. If requested, each faculty member (both tenure track and non-tenure accruing) and CMSS shall provide a list to the Department Chair of committees on which they wish to serve.

B. Department graduate students, as defined in Article III, J, are eligible to serve on Department committees, except where such service would create a conflict of interest. They are not required to do so, however. When positions for Department graduate student representatives are available, the Department Chair, in consultation with the relevant committee chair and Department graduate students, may select a student representative. When considering membership of the committees listed below as a whole, special effort will be made to balance Department graduate student representatives from diverse backgrounds and from all of the subdisciplines in the Department (Interdisciplinary, Anthropology, Neontology, Paleontology). All Department graduate student committee service is advisory to the Committee Chair (see F below) and the Department Chair.

C. Department postdoctoral associates are eligible to serve on department committees, except where such service would create a conflict of interest. They are not required to do so, however. At their discretion, the Department Chair, in consultation with the relevant committee chair, will select a postdoctoral associate.

D. The Department Chair shall assign members to standing committees based on their preferences, on needs for particular expertise, and in the interest of assuring that each subdiscipline of the Department (Anthropology, Interdisciplinary, Neontology, Paleontology) is represented on each committee to the extent feasible. Representatives from the Department of Exhibits and Public Programs may be appointed to committees as appropriate. Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the Department Chair.

E. In identifying who might be selected for a committee, activities and people affected by its work should be considered. When possible, committees should contain persons representing multiple forms of diversity. Committees should strive for diverse representation of gender, indigeneity, ethnicity/“race”, age, power and position (social/administrative/economic/tenure), disability, and sexuality. When this is not possible, for critical issues identified by the committee, additional attention should be paid to soliciting and seriously considering and integrating marginalized views, including consulting resources and experts from outside the committee.

F. Once a standing committee has been appointed, the members shall appoint a committee chair, or the Department Chair may appoint a chair. Each Standing Committee Chair is responsible for calling meetings and reporting at monthly faculty meetings. One member
(not necessarily the Committee Chair) of each standing committee shall report at monthly CMSS meetings.

G. Committees may petition the Department Chair to add or remove members. Members may be removed for lack of attendance, conflict of interest issues, conflicts with other committee members, or other reasons deemed applicable by the Committee Chair, other committee members, and/or the Department Chair.

H. All committee members are voting members.

Section 5: Terms of Office for Standing Committees

A. Terms of service for chairpersons and committee members shall normally begin on September 1.

B. Committee members shall serve for three years from the time they were appointed (including those members chosen to fill vacated positions) and may be reappointed as often as needed.

C. Individuals chosen to serve on the committee may decline the request.

D. Members may resign from the committee by submitting their resignation in writing to the Committee Chair at any time. They also may decline reappointment to a new term, verbally or in writing, if so desired.

E. Terms of individual members shall be staggered to the extent possible so that some experienced members remain on the committee as new members rotate onto the committee.

F. When a vacancy opens any eligible member with preference to the former member’s division (Anthropology, Interdisciplinary, Neontology, Paleontology) may put their name on the ballot. Vacancies may occur when a current member takes a sabbatical or a leave of absence.

Section 6: Ad Hoc Committees

A. Ad hoc committees may be established by standing committees, by the Assistant/Associate Director of Research and Collections, the Department Chair, or by a two-thirds majority affirmative vote of the faculty present at a faculty meeting. The committee shall report to and be accountable to the appointing body’s chair.

B. The charge and date of completion of the task must be designated in writing by the appointing body’s chair when the committee is established.

C. Ad Hoc Committees:

1. Department Website Committee
2. Faculty Search Committee
3. CMSS Search Committee

Section 7: Ad Hoc Committee Membership

A. The manner in which members shall be selected and vacancies filled must be designated by the appointing body’s chair when the committee/task force is established.

B. In identifying who might be selected for a committee, activities and people affected by its work should be considered. When possible, committees should contain persons representing multiple forms of diversity. Committees should strive for diverse
representation of gender, indigeneity, ethnicity/ “race”, age, power and position (social/administrative/economic/tenure), disability, and sexuality. When this is not possible, for critical issues identified by the committee, additional attention should be paid to soliciting and seriously considering and integrating marginalized views, including consulting resources and experts from outside the committee.

C. Department graduate students, as defined in Article III, J, are eligible to serve on Department committees, except where such service would create a conflict of interest. They are not required to do so, however. Department graduate students are eligible to serve on Department committees. When positions for a Department graduate student representative are available, the Department Chair, in consultation with the relevant committee chair and Department graduate students, may select a student representative.

D. When considering membership of the committees listed below as a whole, special effort will be made to balance Department graduate student representatives from diverse backgrounds and from all of the subdisciplines in the Department (Interdisciplinary, Anthropology, Neontology, Paleontology). All Department graduate student committee service is advisory to the Committee Chair (see F below) and the Department Chair.

E. Once a committee has been appointed, the members shall appoint a committee chair or the appointing body’s chair may appoint a chair. The Ad Hoc Committee Chair is responsible for calling meetings and reporting to the appointing body’s chair.

F. Committees may petition the appointing body’s chair to add or remove members.

G. Members may be removed for lack of attendance, conflict of interest issues, conflicts with other committee members, or other reasons deemed applicable by the Committee Chair, other committee members, and/or the appointing body’s chair.

H. All committee members are voting members.

Section 8: Terms of Office for Ad Hoc Committees

A. Terms of service for chairpersons and committee members shall begin as soon as the ad hoc committee is appointed.

B. Terms of service cease when the assigned task is completed.

C. Individuals chosen to serve on the committee may decline the request.

D. Members may resign from the committee by submitting their resignation in writing to the Committee Chair at any time.

ARTICLE VIII: Standing Committee: Awards Committee

Section 1: Charge

The Awards Committee will be responsible for overseeing certain competitive awards for Department students, post-docs, and CMSS. The awards for which the Awards Committee will be responsible will be determined by the Museum Director and Department Chair. This includes, but is not restricted to, regular travel award competitions as budget allows to be determined by the Department Chair.

Section 2: Duties

A. Solicit, evaluate award applications and make recommendations to the Department Chair, who will make the final decision. The Awards Committee will give priority to proposals that are clearly related to Department research, collections, and science communication activities performed by students, post-docs, collection managers and other non-faculty professional staff.

B. The Committee should make every effort to advise all potential applicants on the rules of each competition.

C. The Committee should ensure that internal proposal competitions advance the overall goals of promoting collections-based research, disseminating research results, obtaining extramural funding, and broadening participation in science.

D. Solicit and evaluate proposals for the Austin, Bullen, and Biodiversity awards for graduate student excellence.

E. Where necessary, coordinate the nomination of Museum students or submission of applications from students associated with the Museum to University-wide awards and programs.

Section 3: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 4.

B. In addition to members specified in Article VII, Section 4, the Awards Committee shall consist of at least one CMSS. Graduate students will not be allowed to serve on this committee due to conflict of interest.

Section 4: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 5.

ARTICLE IX: Standing Committee: Departmental Bylaws Committee

Section 1: Charge

The Department Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for updating and revising the departmental bylaws and amendments. The Department Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for drafting any new articles, sections, or amendments when necessary.

Section 2: Duties

A. Review departmental bylaws as necessary, but at least once a year, for consistency, congruity, and conformity (the latter to ensure that the bylaws are being followed).

B. Receive and make recommendations for appropriate changes.

Section 3: Membership

See Article VII, Section 4.

Section 4: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 5.

ARTICLE X: Standing Committee: Bulletin Committee (BC)

Section 1: Charge

The Bulletin Committee (BC) shall be responsible for publishing the Bulletin of the Museum.

Section 2: Duties

A. Set policies for the content and style of the Bulletin.

B. Select editors as needed for each number and acknowledge the receipt of papers for publication.

C. The Secretary/Treasurer shall manage the finances of the Bulletin including the endowment and acknowledge the receipt of papers for possible review and publication.

D. Help find qualified reviewers and review manuscripts as needed.

E. Publish in a timely manner.

F. Fundraising as applicable.

Section 3: Duties of the Editor

A. Identify reviewers and send out manuscripts for review.

B. Evaluate reviews and make decisions about whether manuscripts should be accepted.

C. Correspond with the authors.

D. Review galley proofs in a timely manner.

Section 4: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 4.

B. The Committee Chair will work with the Editor, and is chosen as described in Article VII, Section 4F.

C. In addition to members specified in Article VII, Section 4, the BC shall consist of at least one CMSS. At least one graduate student may be appointed to the committee, subject to approval by the Committee Chair and the Department Chair. See also Article VII, Section 4C.

Section 5: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 5.

ARTICLE XI: Standing Committee: Collections and Space Committee (CSC)

Section 1: Charge

The Collections and Space Committee (CSC) shall review and make recommendations on all issues governed by collections and space policies.

Section 2: Procedures

Decisions regarding Department collections and space issues shall be made in compliance with the Museum Collections Policy as stated in Acquisitions, #7 Acceptance of Large Collections.

Section 3: Duties

A. Formulate, update, monitor, and implement the Museum’s collections policy.

B. Formulate, update, monitor, and implement the Department’s space policy.

C. Review arising issues and requests on collections and space (including acquisitions of large collections and requests for flex space) and make recommendations according to collections and space policies.

D. Gather and provide data about collections and space for planning.

E. Plan and facilitate efforts for collections and space improvement.

F. Identify new space (such as offsite storage).

Section 4: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 4.In addition to members specified in Article VII, Section 4, the CSC shall consist of at least one CMSS (preferably a Collection Manager), the facilities managers, and at least one member from each of the following groups: (1) McGuire Center; (2) Anthropology; (3) Paleontology; (4) Neontology; and (5) the fluid-preserved collections (Herpetology, Ichthyology, and Invertebrate Zoology). At least one graduate student may be appointed to the committee at the discretion of the other committee members, subject to approval by the Committee Chair and the Department Chair. See also Article VII, Section 4C.

Section 5: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 5.

ARTICLE XII: Standing Committee: Digitization Committee (DC)

Section 1: Charge

The Digitization Committee (DC) shall be responsible for obtaining information from faculty, and CMSS to aid in making recommendations on how to improve records management and image management digitization needs within the Department.

Section 2: Duties

A. Obtain information on current programs and software used by each collection.

B. Determine how much storage space is currently being used and needed, as well as projected long-term growth and needs for both records and imaging digitization needs.

C. Assist with plans for solving the long-term database needs of the Department.

D. Research mechanisms for obtaining funding for digitization efforts.

E. Act as a liaison with the Museum’s Office of Museum Technology to achieve these objectives.

Section 3: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 4.

B. In addition to members specified in Article VII, Section 4, the DC may also consist of one representative from the Office of Museum Technology, and anyone else deemed to have expertise useful to this committee by the other committee members.

Section 4: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 5.

ARTICLE XIII: Standing Committee: Seminar Committee (SC)

Section 1: Charge

The Seminar Committee (SC) shall be responsible for coordinating the Museum seminar series, including any special seminars.

Section 2: Procedures

A. The Department Seminars are scheduled once a week, during the fall and spring semesters.

B. The Department Seminars feature faculty, CMSS, and postdoctoral associates from the Museum, as well as other University faculty and invited scientists and faculty from other institutions.

C. A faculty member being considered for tenure and/or promotion shall present a Department Seminar before consideration for this advancement.

D. Student recipients of Museum awards (e.g., the Austin and Bullen awards) should be encouraged to present a seminar after they receive an award.

Section 3: Duties

A. Recommends a seminar budget and coordinates with the Department Chair and assistant to the Department Chair.

B. Recruit and coordinate speakers.

C. Facilitate speaker’s travel arrangements, if necessary.

D. Arrange for the seminar room and ensure that it is properly set up.

E. Introduce speaker or find host to introduce speaker.

F. Enlist the assistance of the Administrative Specialist to help with these duties.

Section 4: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 4.

B. In addition to members specified in Article VII, Section 4, the SC shall consist of at least one CMSS. At least one graduate student may be appointed to the committee at the discretion of the other committee members, subject to approval by the Committee Chair and the Department Chair. See also Article VII, Section 4C.

Section 5: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 5.

ARTICLE XIV: Ad Hoc Committee: Department Website Committee (WC)

Section 1: Charge

The Department Website Committee shall be responsible for overseeing the development, review, update, and revision of a Department of Natural History gateway website to exist within the framework of the Museum’s website.

Section 2: Duties

The duties include a wide range of website-related and content-related activities that may necessitate or even require active participation from other members or structures of the Department. It is the task of this committee to provide recommendations to the Department Chair regarding the most effective implementation of website-related duties. Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

A. Create, review, update, and revise as necessary the Department of Natural History website gateway.

B. Create and maintain the front page of the gateway, including development of a front-page statement aimed at academic peers, funding agencies, and prospective students.

C. Identify and update highlights to be posted on the front page.

D. Maintain links that will provide access to relevant content.

E. Maintain high visibility of the gateway on the Museum’s main website.

F. Develop a strategy for soliciting highlights from Department of Natural History faculty and CMSS on a regular basis to ensure currency of the website.

G. Work in cooperation with CMSS as well as staff from the Digital Engagement Department.

H. Help maintain student-focused webpages on the Museum’s website.

Section 3: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 7.

B. In addition to members specified in Article VII, Section 7, the WC shall consist of at least one CMSS and one representative from the Museum’s Digital Engagement Department. At least one graduate student may be appointed to the committee at the discretion of the other committee members, subject to approval by the Committee Chair and the Department Chair. See also Article VII, Section 7C.

Section 4: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 8.

ARTICLE XV: Ad Hoc Committee: Faculty Search Committee

Section 1: Charge

A Faculty Search Committee shall conduct searches for qualified faculty in accordance with current University rules. The Chair of the Search Committee shall be appointed by the Department Chair.

Section 2: Duties

A. Conduct searches for qualified faculty in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

B. With the assistance of the Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR), and with input from and approval by the Department Chair and Museum Director, write the advertisement for the position.

C. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, post the advertisement in appropriate publications and electronic media.

D. Screen applicants based on their qualifications.

G. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, notify the applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

H. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, make search packets available to faculty and CMSS for review.

I. Review candidate files and prepare the priority list.

J. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, carry out any necessary correspondence with candidates that are eliminated after preparation of the priority list.

K. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, carry out any necessary correspondence with candidates chosen for interviews.

L. Upon recommendation of the faculty, assist the Department Chair during the interview process.

M. Close the search. The Search Committee Chair informs the candidates in writing that the search is closed.

Section 3: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 7. In addition, according to 12.2(c) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, no less than 3/4ths of the committee’s members shall be Department faculty members. For searches involving more than one department (such as interdisciplinary
programs), no less than 3/4ths of the committee’s members shall be from the departments involved (as per 12.2(d) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement).

B. The Search Committee shall consist of at least three faculty members, one CMSS member, and one graduate student representative appointed by the Department Chair. The Search Committee Chair shall be appointed by the Department Chair. The Search Committee Chair has the responsibility of assembling the committee with the approval of the Department Chair and faculty (>50% affirmative majority faculty vote). The Department Chair will serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member.

C. External faculty members (faculty and/or staff from other departments of the Museum and/or appropriate University colleges or departments) may be appointed to the Committee, at the discretion of the Department Chair. External committee members have the same voting privileges as relevant departmental faculty for decisions regarding candidate interviews and recommended hires.

Section 4: Avoiding Conflicts of Interest in Job Searches

A. There are two types of conflict of interest that may affect our department’s procedures: personal and professional. Professional conflicts expire after five years with the exception of doctoral students, with whom conflicts are lifelong; personal conflicts are lifelong.

B. Personal conflicts of interest include close relatives such as a parent, spouse, domestic partner, ex-partners or ex-spouses, or children.

C. Professional conflicts of interest include graduate (masters and doctoral) and postdoctoral advisors and advisees.

D. Conflicts of interest also include persons with whom your professional conflicts of interest would have a personal conflict of interest, as well as vice versa.

E. Such individuals must recuse themselves from participating in any discussions, such as in faculty meetings, of the candidates with whom they are in conflict of interest. Recused individuals can participate in discussions of other candidates with whom they are not conflicted as well as participate in voting on all of the candidates.

F. Search committee members who realize that they have a conflict should immediately recuse themselves from the committee and notify the Chair. Search committee members in this position are requested to recommend a replacement from UF who has similar expertise.

G. Finally, any individuals who feel that they may have a conflict of interest not described above may recuse themselves at their discretion from evaluations of the person with whom they perceive they have a conflict of interest.

Section 5: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 8.

ARTICLE XVI: Ad Hoc Committee: Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Search Committee

Section 1: Charge

The Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Search Committee shall conduct searches for qualified CMSS in accordance with current University rules.

Section 2: Duties

A. Conduct searches for qualified CMSS.

B. With the assistance of the Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR), write the advertisement for the position.

C. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, post the advertisement in appropriate publications and electronic media.

D. Screen applicants based on their qualifications.

E. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, notify the applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

F. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, carry out any necessary correspondence with candidates chosen for interviews.

G. Assist the Department Chair during the interview process.

H. Close the search. The Search Committee Chair informs the candidates in writing that the search is closed.

Section 3: Membership

A. See Article VII, Section 7.

B. The Search Committee shall consist of the position supervisor, and at least one faculty member from within the relevant subdiscipline (if the position supervisor is not faculty). One graduate student and one CMSS member from within the relevant subdiscipline may serve on the committee if deemed appropriate by the Search Committee Chair in consultation with the Department Chair. The Search Committee Chair shall be the position supervisor. The Department Chair will serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member.

C. External members (either from other Museum departments, from within or from outside the University) may be appointed to the Committee, and, if so appointed, shall be eligible to vote.

Section 4: Avoiding Conflicts of Interest

A. Personal conflicts of interest include close relatives such as a parent, spouse, domestic partner, ex-partners or ex-spouses, or children.

B. To avoid potential or perceived conflict of interest, search committee members should follow UF Regulation 1.009, Employment of Relatives.

Section 5: Terms of Office

See Article VII, Section 8.

ARTICLE XVII: Department Clarifications of University Criteria

The University and United Faculty of Florida (UFF) have agreed to delegate to the faculty of appropriate units, in specific instances and within specified parameters, the development of discipline-specific clarifications of University criteria for tenure, promotion, merit salary increases, market equity salary increases, and performance evaluations. The following clarifications of University criteria apply only to faculty in the UFF bargaining unit as specified in Article 9 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and clarified in other relevant sections.

Section 1: State Mandate

The use of scientific collections in research, education, and outreach is at the core of the scholarly mission of the Department and the mandate of the Museum from the State of Florida.

Section 2: General Expectations

A. The Department is dedicated to creating a diverse community of faculty who are leaders in their respective areas of research. We expect our faculty to make research contributions that advance the fields of scholarship in which they work. This policy addresses the basis for evaluation, promotion, and tenure in the Department.

B. The responsibilities and expectations may differ between tenure-track and non-tenure accruing faculty and will relate to the annual assignment of duties for individual faculty, which may differ in the amount of effort dedicated to research, teaching, and service.

C. The Department is dedicated to excellence in teaching and training the next generation of scholars at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

D. The Department is dedicated to service in support of the mission of the Department, the Museum, the University, the State of Florida, and the broader scientific community. We expect our faculty to participate actively in service that enhances our departmental and institutional missions. For those faculty that serve as curators of Museum collections, service to the Department includes a dedication to the curation and use of scientific collections, and promotion of these resources in research, education and outreach to the general public. We expect our faculty to be leaders who oversee the growth and use of these collections for generations to come, including novel approaches and tools for research, teaching, and outreach.

E. Faculty shall be evaluated annually according to the University criteria outlined Article 18 of the CBA. Article 18.6 requires the Department to develop and maintain written clarifications of the University criteria for annual performance evaluations in terms tailored to the Department’s discipline(s), faculty positions and assigned duties.

Section 3: Peer Committee Evaluation

A. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall serve as a peer committee assisting the Chair in annual and sustained performance evaluations.

B. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall consider all matters relating to faculty tenure and promotion.

C. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall review all faculty candidates for appointment at ranks of assistant faculty or higher, or appointment with tenure. Upon a
>50% affirmative vote by tenured faculty, a candidate shall be moved forward for consideration. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall then meet with the Department Chair and Museum Director to provide their assessments.

D. Mandate and composition of the Faculty Affairs Committee are outlined in Article IV, Section 5.

Section 4: Tenure and Promotion for Tenure-Track Faculty

A. Tenure and promotion within the Museum are governed by Article III of the University Constitution, University of Florida rules found in the Florida Administrative Code, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

B. The granting of tenure and/or promotion in the Department is based upon the expectation and promise of continued excellence by the candidate for the remainder of their career. Tenure and promotion will be recommended by the Department if the candidate shows strong promise of a continuing record of scholarly excellence, strong teaching and mentoring performance, meaningful service contributions, and curatorial leadership. A favorable decision on tenure and promotion requires strong evidence of contributions, impact, and recognition in (1) research, (2) teaching and mentoring, and (3) service, the last of which includes contributions to the curation and promotion of physical and digital collections when relevant. Excellence in these domains must be demonstrated by a distinguished and high quality of their body of work in each domain.

C. University criteria recognize three broad categories of academic responsibilities. In most cases, tenure or promotion requires “distinction” in two of the three categories, one of which shall be designated as the faculty member’s primary responsibility.

D. Reviews of nominations for tenure and promotion must show that a comparison was made of the applicant’s performance with that of appropriate counterparts, nationally and internationally.

E. During the third year of the probationary period, tenure-accruing faculty will participate in a mid-tenure review. The purpose of this review is to assess the faculty member’s progress toward meeting the University criteria and Departmental clarifications for tenure and to provide constructive guidance to assist the faculty member in fulfilling the tenure criteria and clarifications. Faculty undergoing this review must prepare a packet using the current tenure template, but without the external letters of evaluation. The department chair shall provide the faculty member the following materials for inclusion in their mid-tenure review dossier: (1) Annual Assigned Activity; (2) Tenure Criteria for the University and department clarifications; (3) Peer evaluations; and (4) the faculty member’s Annual Evaluations. Members of the Faculty Affairs Committee and tenured faculty shall review the packet and meet with the Chair to assess whether the faculty member is making satisfactory progress toward tenure, according to the criteria and clarifications described in the previous sections, and at a rate appropriate for a faculty member in their third year. Results of the evaluation shall not be placed in the faculty member’s evaluation file, shall not be included in the subsequent tenure packet, and shall not be used in any way in any future evaluation of the faculty member for tenure.

F. Every 5 years, we will review full curators and professors as well according to the CBA.

G. Tenure is attained through distinction in research scholarship, teaching and mentoring, and/or service, including curatorial duties when relevant, to the University and the profession. The granting of tenure is a more critical action than promotion, for it represents a long-term commitment by the University to the individual. The decision to award tenure represents a positive evaluation of the faculty member’s total value to the University and potential for the future as evidenced by productivity in areas of distinction defined below.

H. A “tenure probationary period” defines the period of academic service in a tenure- accruing position by the end of which the faculty member must be recommended for tenure or given notice of non-renewal. The tenure probationary period for the Florida Museum of Natural History is six years, although faculty may apply for tenure prior to the end of this probationary period if they feel they are ready.

I. Distinction is defined as national and/or international recognition as reflected by: letters of support from scholarly peers solicited by the Department Chair; a body of scholarly work including peer-reviewed research publications in national or international outlets; a positive record of both teaching and mentoring; acquisition of extramural funding in support of research, education, outreach, or curation of scientific collections; awards and other forms of recognition by the Museum, University, and scholarly societies; and, when relevant, leadership of the curation of Museum collections under their care.

J. Department clarifications of the three categories are as follows:

a) Instruction, including regular classroom teaching, may include, but is not limited to:

• Served on graduate student committees, especially as chair of those committees.
• Supervised students in teaching or research courses.
• Mentored or advised undergraduate or graduate students and/or postdoctoral associates.
• Taught undergraduate courses with substantial enrollment.
• Taught formal graduate courses with reasonable enrollment.
• Received favorable student evaluations in undergraduate and graduate courses.
• Prepared or taught a formal new course.
• Wrote a textbook, manual, or handbook for teaching purposes.
• Incorporated new teaching methods, tools, or approaches.
• Developed new curricula that utilize physical or digital collections.
• Received an award or honor for teaching excellence.
• Taught courses with lab, field, and/or collections work.
• Utilized collections in teaching courses and mentoring students.

b) Research or other creative activities, may include, but are not limited to:

• Published, or had accepted for publication, papers or reviews in refereed journals.
• Published, or had accepted for publication, a book, textbook, or monograph.
• Published, or had accepted for publication, chapter(s) in an edited book.
• Created software for use in research.
• Obtained, held, and successfully administered competitive grants and/or contracts as a PI or co-PI.
• Certified effort on extramural activities.
• Maintained compliance on approved protocols (e.g., Institutional Review Board; Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee).
• Meeting benchmarks on extramurally funded projects.
• Obtained a patent.
• Edited a journal(s) and/or book(s).
• Conducted field research, including that which results in new accessions to collections.
• Conducted collections-based research based on material at the Museum and/or other institutions.
• Developed new approaches or tools that utilize physical or digital collections.
• Contributed new data to collections through digitization, teaching and mentoring, and/or efforts involving the public.
• Presented papers or invited symposia at scientific meetings.
• Presented invited seminars at peer institutions.
• Made major contributions to community-recognized web-resources, databases, and tools.
• Received an award or honor for research excellence.

c) Professional or public service, which may include a dedication to state-mandated curation of Museum collections, and may also include, but is not limited to:

• Served as chair of a department, college, or university committee.
• Served on a department, college, or university committee.
• Held a department, college, or university administrative appointment.
• Played a role in improving public school education.
• Undertook significant educational outreach.
• Organized or helped to organize a professional symposium or meeting.
• Acted as a reviewer for refereed journals or academic presses.
• Acted as a reviewer or panelist on proposals for extramural agencies.
• Held office in a scientific society.
• Served as an editor of an academic journal.
• Served on the editorial board of an academic journal.
• Chaired a program section at a professional meeting.
• Served scientific, governmental, industrial, or educational agencies.
• Received an award or honor for service excellence.

Section 5: Promotion of Non-Tenure Track Faculty

A. Promotion within the Museum is governed by Article III of the University Constitution, University of Florida rules found in the Florida Administrative Code, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

B. The granting of promotion in the Department is based upon the expectation of continued excellence by the candidate and follows the same process as defined for tenure-track faculty, including using the current template for promotion dossier provided by the University. Promotion will be recommended by the Department if the candidate shows strong evidence of a continuing record of excellence in their assigned duties. A favorable decision on promotion requires strong evidence of excellence in contributions, impact, and recognition in (1) research scholarship, (2) teaching and mentoring, and/or (3) service, the last of which includes contributions to the curation and promotion of physical and digital collections when relevant. In most cases, promotion requires “distinction” in one of these three categories that is designated as the faculty member’s primary responsibility.

C. Reviews of nominations for promotion must show that a comparison was made of the applicant’s performance with that of appropriate counterparts.

D. A progress-to-promotion review will be conducted for non-tenure track faculty no earlier than their third year of employment. The purpose of this appraisal shall be to assess the faculty member’s progress toward meeting the criteria for promotion and to provide assessments, suggestions, and guidance to assist the faculty member in fulfilling the University and department’s criteria. Faculty due for review shall submit an appraisal dossier to the department chair no later than September 1st of the year in which the review is to be conducted containing the same kind of material as would be included in the mid-tenure review of tenure-track faculty and also excluding letters of evaluation. The department chair shall provide the faculty member the following materials for inclusion in their progress-to-promotion dossier: (1) Annual Assigned Activity; (2) Tenure Criteria for the University and department clarifications; (3) Peer evaluations; and (4) the faculty member’s Annual Evaluations. Faculty members senior in rank (including both tenure-track and non-tenure track) and eligible to vote on promotion within the department will assess whether the faculty member is making satisfactory progress toward promotion, according to the criteria and clarifications described in the previous sections, and at a rate appropriate for that faculty member. The Chair and Director will provide an evaluation of the faculty member’s progress. Results will be shared with the faculty member no later than six months after the beginning of the process. This process is confidential and will not be included in the faculty member’s evaluation file. Upon request, the faculty member shall be provided the opportunity to meet with the Chair and/or Director to discuss the review.

F. A non-tenure track faculty member eligible for promotion must notify the Chair in writing by the end of the Spring semester if they wish to be considered for promotion in the following academic year.

G. The departmental review process for promotion is the same as that for tenure-track faculty (see Section 4). The Chair shall initiate the promotion nomination and share details of the process with the faculty member as outlined in the CBA. This will include details related to external letters of evaluation and the current template for the dossier provided by the University, as per the CBA.

H. Distinction is defined as recognition as reflected by: a body of scholarly work including peer-reviewed research publications in national or international outlets; a positive record of both teaching and mentoring; acquisition of extramural funding in support of research, education, outreach, or curation of scientific collections; awards and other forms of recognition by the Museum, University, and scholarly societies; and, when relevant, leadership of the curation of Museum collections under their care.

I. Department clarifications of the three categories (research, teaching and mentoring, and/or service) are outlined above in Section 4I.

J. If the progress-to-promotion process determines that the faculty member has not made sufficient progress, that faculty member may again apply for promotion as soon as the following year.

K. If the progress-to-promotion process is successful, a faculty member may apply for promotion no sooner than three years after their last promotion.

Section 6: Annual Evaluations

A. Annual evaluations are provided by the Department Chair with guidance from the Faculty Affairs Committee.

B. The Department rating categories for annual evaluation are Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory. Satisfactory performance rating is based on the fulfillment of annual assignment of duties in the categories of (1) research, (2) teaching and mentoring, and (3) service. Additional activities considered for satisfactory performance beyond the assignment of duties include activities in research, teaching, and service clarified in Article XVII, Section 4, J.

C. General expectations regarding percentage effort spent on (1) research, (2) teaching and mentoring, and (3) service are based on individual assignment of duties and, therefore, vary among faculty and may also explicitly include outreach, curation, and administrative activities.

D. No one will be evaluated by someone with a possible Conflict of Interest (see Article XVII, Section 4).

Section 7: Sustained Performance Evaluations

Tenured faculty members shall receive a sustained performance evaluation once every five years following the award of tenure or their most recent promotion. The purpose of this evaluation is to document sustained performance during the previous five years of assigned duties and to encourage continued professional growth. Faculty shall receive an overall rating of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory, which will be based upon consideration of their assignment and their rating in each of three primary categories: Teaching, Research, and Service. A faculty member who has received satisfactory annual evaluations during four or more of the previous five years, including one or more of the previous two years, shall be rated satisfactory in the sustained performance evaluation. A performance improvement plan shall be developed for those faculty whose performance is deemed unsatisfactory in one or more categories of assigned duties.

Section 8: Salary Increases

A. Merit increases are determined using criteria that have been established by the faculty, Department Chair, and Museum Director consistent with the terms and provisions of the
Collective Bargaining Agreement.

B. Market Equity is defined as salaries that reflect inversion (where professors are paid less than incoming professors of the same rank) or compression (where raises have not kept pace with rising starting salaries). Salaries below the average for lower ranks at the Museum and with equivalent 9-month positions at the University (e.g., colleagues in biology, anthropology, geology, among others) are evidence for potential inequities. Market Equity should also consider possible inequities associated with particular classes of individuals (e.g., gender, minority status). Long-term inequities in faculty salary will be addressed by the Department Chair in consultation with the Faculty Affairs Committee.

C. The Department Chair is responsible for assigning faculty merit rankings upon which faculty merit raises are determined. The ranking is based on performance of annual assignment of duties, additional information related to awards and other national or international recognition, and input from the Faculty Affairs Committee. (See Article VII, Section 5 and 7.) The process results in a numerical performance-based Merit Rank in one of five categories: 1–Excellent, performance far exceeds expectations; 2– Very Good, performance exceeds expectations; 3–Satisfactory, performance meets expectations; 4–Acceptable, performance can be improved in one or more categories; 5– Unsatisfactory, performance fails to meet expectations.

D. In order to ensure an equitable procedure, merit is based on an absolute amount of money and not on a percentage of an individual’s salary.

E. First, the FTE is considered for each faculty. For most faculty the FTE is 1.0, though there are exceptions.

F. Next, the relative “monetary units” are assigned to each of the faculty as (5 – Merit Rank)
*FTE. The first term flips the scale so that a faculty member with a “1” ranking (the highest) gets a “4” in monetary units. The second term is weighted by the FTE (i.e., a faculty member on 0.5 FTE gets half the total amount as a faculty member on 1.0 FTE [all else being equal]). In this way, merit is based on an absolute amount of money and not on a percentage of a faculty member’s salary.

G. Following the calculation of “monetary units,” a temporary allocation of the merit pool to faculty is assigned in proportion to their merit score.

H. Discretionary funds are provided by using 95% of the merit pool allocation for the base merit amount. This provides the Chair with approximately 5% of the merit pool to assign at their discretion.

ARTICLE XVIII: Adoption of the Bylaws

A. The Department Bylaws Committee in consultation with the Department Chair and the Museum Director shall call a special meeting of the Department faculty and CMSS to discuss the draft bylaws.

B. A final draft of the bylaws shall be prepared and provided to all members of the Department faculty and CMSS.

C. No earlier than two weeks and no later than four weeks after dissemination of the final draft, a vote by the eligible Department faculty and CMSS shall be taken to adopt or reject the bylaws. Separate ballots will be sent to the faculty and the CMSS. The ballots provided to the CMSS will list only those sections on which the CMSS are allowed to vote and thus ratify. The votes will be tallied separately for faculty and CMSS so that sections of the Bylaws that are restricted to faculty voting (see E below) are approved by only the faculty.

D. The voting shall take place in two separate publicly noticed meetings, one for faculty and one for CMSS, and shall be by “show of hands” via an in- person meeting or other form of electronic voting; the latter method will be used only if the eligible voting Department faculty and CMSS are satisfied that such means include functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. Adoption of these bylaws shall require the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of eligible voting Department faculty and a two-thirds majority of the CMSS as defined in these bylaws, as well as approval by the Department Chair and Museum Director.

E. If the bylaws are rejected by the eligible voting Department faculty and/or the CMSS, the document will be returned to the Department Bylaws Committee for revision, after which the procedure for adoption will be repeated until the required two-thirds vote is received from the eligible voting Department faculty and the CMSS.

F. If the Department Chair and eligible voting faculty and CMSS are unable to reach agreement on an issue, both the Chair’s proposal on that issue and the proposal approved by a >50% majority of eligible voting Department faculty and CMSS shall be submitted to the Museum Director for resolution.

G. As specified in the CBA, only affected in-unit Department faculty are eligible to vote on provisions relating to tenure, promotion, merit salary increases, market equity salary increases, and performance evaluations. These provisions shall be approved by a >50% majority vote of all in-unit eligible voting Department faculty. (See Policy 2 for voting and non-voting faculty). The vote shall take place in a publicly noticed meeting and shall be by “show of hands” via an in-person meeting or other form of electronic voting, only if the eligible voting Department faculty are satisfied that such means include functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. The totals of yes or no shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The vote can be combined with the faculty-wide Bylaws voting (see C and D above), but only a simple majority (>50%) is required to pass. The proposed bylaws shall be forwarded for approval to the Museum Director. Any disagreement between the Museum Director and Department faculty will be negotiated and decided in the manner and time frame specified in Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 9.2.

H. A copy of the bylaws shall be kept on file in the Department office, as well as posted on the Museum’s website. A copy of the bylaws shall also be provided to the United Faculty of Florida.

ARTICLE XIX: Effective Date

These bylaws shall become effective upon written notice from the Museum Director. Such notice must be given within two weeks after the date that the bylaws have been adopted. Changes in criteria for tenure and promotion shall not become effective until one year following adoption of the changes, as set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

ARTICLE XX: Amendments

Once adopted, no provision of the bylaws altering a term or condition of employment shall be unilaterally altered or suspended, except pursuant to Chapter 447, Part II, Florida Statutes. Amendments to the bylaws may be suggested by any member of the Department’s Bylaws Committee, Department Chair, Assistant/Associate Director for Research and Collections, Museum Director, or any Department faculty or CMSS member. Written notice and the text of the proposed amendments shall be sent to the faculty and CMSS at least one month prior to the meeting at which such action is to be taken. The bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds affirmative vote of the eligible voting Department faculty and CMSS. Amendments shall be effective when written notice of the adopted changes is sent from the Department Bylaws Committee to all Department faculty and CMSS. Such notice must be given within two weeks after the date the amendments have been adopted.

ARTICLE XXI: Grievances

Any faculty member or CMSS member governed by these bylaws shall have the right to file a grievance regarding the application or interpretation of provisions of the bylaws following the procedures laid out in the Collective

ADOPTION: Authorized Signatures and Dates

Adopted by the Museum Faculty and Collections Managers/Scientific Staff: September 1, 2020; Amended: March 3, 2021; Amended
August 22, 2023; Amended April 3, 2025
Date
Adopted by the Department Chair: ____________________________________________________
Signature
September 1, 2020; Amended: March 3, 2021; Amended August 22, 2023; Amended April 3, 2025
Date
Adopted by the Museum Director: ____________________________________________________
Signature
September 1, 2020; Amended: March 3, 2021; Amended August 22, 2023; Amended April 3, 2025
Date

APPENDIX I

Legislative Mandate for the Florida Museum of Natural History

State of Florida Statute §1004.56

The functions of the Florida Museum of Natural History, located at the University of Florida, are to make scientific investigations toward the sustained development of natural resources and a greater appreciation of human cultural heritage, including, but not limited to, biological surveys, ecological studies, environmental impact assessments, in-depth archaeological research, and ethnological analyses, and to collect and maintain a depository of biological, archaeological, and ethnographic specimens and materials in sufficient numbers and quantities to provide within the state and region a base for research on the variety, evolution, and conservation of wild species; the composition, distribution, importance, and functioning of natural ecosystems; and the distribution of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites and an understanding of the aboriginal and early European cultures that occupied them. State institutions, departments, and agencies may deposit type collections from archaeological sites in the Museum, and it shall be the duty of each state institution, department, and agency to cooperate by depositing in the Museum voucher and type biological specimens collected as part of the normal research and monitoring duties of its staff and to transfer to the Museum those biological specimens and collections in its possession but not actively being curated or used in the research or teaching of that institution, department, or agency. The Florida Museum of Natural History is empowered to accept, preserve, maintain, or dispose of these specimens and materials in a manner which makes each collection and its accompanying data available for research and use by the staff of the Museum and by cooperating institutions, departments, agencies, and qualified independent researchers. In addition, the Museum shall develop exhibitions and conduct programs which illustrate, interpret, and explain the natural history of the state and region and shall maintain a library of publications pertaining to the work as herein provided. The exhibitions, collections, and library of the Museum shall be open, free to the public, under suitable rules to be promulgated by the director of the Museum and approved by the University of Florida.

APPENDIX II

Legislative Mandate for the Florida Museum of Natural History

State of Florida Statute §1004.575

There is established within the Florida Museum of Natural History a program of vertebrate paleontology, which program has the following responsibilities:

1. Encouraging the study of the vertebrate fossils and vertebrate paleontological heritage of the state and providing exhibits and other educational materials on the vertebrate fauna to the universities and schools of the state.
2. Developing a statewide plan, to be submitted to the director of the Florida Museum of Natural History, for preserving the vertebrate paleontological resources of the state in a manner which is consistent with the state policies in s. 1004.57 and which will not unduly hamper development in this state, including mining and excavating operations.
3. Locating, surveying, acquiring, collecting, salvaging, conserving, and restoring vertebrate fossils; conducting research on the history and systematics of the fossil fauna of the state; and maintaining the official state depository of vertebrate fossils.
4. Locating, surveying, acquiring, excavating, and operating vertebrate paleontological sites and properties containing vertebrate fossils, which sites and properties have great significance to the scientific study of such vertebrate fossils or to public representation of the faunal heritage of the state.
5. Enlisting the aid of professional vertebrate paleontologists, mine and quarry operators, heavy digging equipment operators, and qualified amateurs in carrying out the provisions of subsections (1)-(4) and authorizing their active support and cooperation by issuing permits to them as provided in s. 1004.576.
6. Cooperating and coordinating activities with the Department of Environmental Protection under the provisions of ss. 375.021 and 375.031 and the Department of State under chapter 267 in the acquisition, preservation, and operation of significant vertebrate paleontological sites and properties of great and continuing scientific value, so that such sites and properties may be utilized to conserve the faunal heritage of this state and to promote an appreciation of that heritage.
7. Designating areas as “state vertebrate paleontological sites” pursuant to the provisions of this section, which areas are of great and continuing significance to the scientific study and public understanding of the faunal history of the state. However, no privately owned site or grouping of sites shall be so designated without the express written consent of the private owner of the site or group of sites. Upon designation of a state vertebrate paleontological site, the owners and occupants of such site shall be given written notification of such designation by the program. Once such a site has been so designated, no person may conduct paleontological field investigation activities on the site without first securing a permit for such activities as provided in s. 1004.576.
8. Arranging for the disposition of the vertebrate fossils by accredited institutions and for the temporary or permanent loan of such fossils for the purpose of further scientific study, interpretative display, and curatorial responsibilities by such institutions.

APPENDIX III

University-Recognized Centers and Institutes of the Department of Natural History

McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity
Thompson Earth Systems Institute

APPENDIX IV

FLORIDA MUSEUM DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL HISTORY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART SUBDISCIPLINES

APPENDIX V

FLORIDA MUSEUM DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL HISTORY CODE OF CONDUCT

Summary

Your commitment to ethical standards and research integrity is crucial to achieving the FLMNH’s mission and vision. By upholding our values and standards, you actively contribute to maintaining a positive work environment and safeguarding the FLMNH’s culture, reputation, and excellence. If you are uncertain about how to proceed or have other questions, please reach out to the people and resources available at both the FLMNH and UF. Your voice matters! If you believe something is amiss, please share your concerns knowing that the FLMNH welcomes your feedback and will not tolerate reprisal.

Our Ethics and Commitments

The Florida Museum of Natural History is dedicated to creating a safe environment that fosters professional growth, strength, autonomy, and collaborative work. We are strongly committed to treating everyone with equal respect. We aim to create a workplace free from harassment, intimidation, and discrimination, where everyone’s dignity is valued. We strive to work together to navigate the stresses of an R1 collegiate institution and research-focused museum through promoting a collaborative workplace grounded by honesty, integrity and a true appreciation for everyone’s perspective. We encourage respectful discussion using considerate language and tone, and that promotes civil feedback that contributes to growth and learning. We are committed to continually working to improve how we address and respond to violations of our code of conduct. Our code of conduct will continue to evolve as we recognize new challenges, and we welcome ongoing feedback to ensure that it reflects the needs and values of our community.

Our expectations for every member of the department working as part of the University of Florida

Respect and Inclusion:
We are committed to fostering an environment that is free from discrimination, harassment, and bias. We expect everyone to treat each other with respect and dignity, irrespective of job category, gender, age, race, sexual orientation, religion (or lack thereof), culture, political affiliations, (dis)ability, or other personal backgrounds. We encourage all members to engage in behaviors that promote inclusivity and mutual respect.

Professionalism and Communication:
We expect all members of our department to communicate openly, honestly, and respectfully. Everyone should treat colleagues with kindness, patience, and professionalism, maintaining a collaborative and positive work environment for everyone.

Commitment to Growth and Safety:
Supervisors and Principal Investigators are responsible for fostering the professional growth and success of themselves and individual team members. We expect anyone in charge of fieldwork activities to know and comply with required safety protocols and clearly communicate and enforce those protocols to all participants to create a safe and inclusive fieldwork environment. Details of safety protocols will depend on the nature of the fieldwork and should be developed with assistance of relevant UF offices.

Policy Adherence:
We expect all members of our department to abide by the University of Florida policies on discrimination, harassment and ethical conduct. working on campus or remotely, including travel for research, education, or professional development. These policies are available at https://policy.ufl.edu and we encourage all members to familiarize themselves with them.

Reporting Concerns:
We expect all members of our department who encounter or witness behavior that violates UF policies to report and/or seek advice as soon as possible. We are committed to addressing all concerns promptly and professionally. Our department strives to maintain an environment where everyone feels safe and heard.

Preventing Retaliation:
We are dedicated to ensuring that all members of the department are protected from retaliation for reporting concerns or engaging in investigations. Retaliation will not be tolerated, and any perceived retaliatory behavior will be addressed by the Chair and Director.

If you experience or observe discomfort of any kind and at any level, we encourage you to:

• Reach out to your immediate supervisor unless he/she/they are included in your grievance.
• Reach out to the Museum’s Head of Human Resources, or Chair or Associate Chair of the Natural History Department, or any faculty or staff with whom you feel comfortable. The first step is communicating the issues to someone you trust who can help you start the reporting process, if needed.
• FLMNH is part of the University of Florida, and you can reach out directly to the University of Florida Ombuds Office, Title IX office, Office of Research Integrity, Security, & Compliance, or any other pertinent resources. Our faculty and staff also have mandatory reporting roles to UF offices, including those related to Title IX and the Clery Act.
• Any report will always be taken seriously, addressed as quickly as possible, and handled confidentially. The department will work to ensure your work environment remains safe and welcoming.

A list of useful policies is listed below:

• Title IX Laws and Policy: https://titleix.ufl.edu/about/laws-policies/
• Disruptive behavior: https://policy.ufl.edu/regulation/1-008/
• Discrimination/Harassment/Invasion of Privacy: https://policy.ufl.edu/regulation/1-006/
• Sponsor-funded prohibited conduct: https://research.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/HarrassmentProtocol_20200722.pdf
• Conduct in research: https://policy.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/10101.pdf

A list of useful resources is listed below:

• Title IX reports: https://titleix.ufl.edu/report/
• Ombuds Office: https://www.ombuds.ufl.edu
• Compliance and Ethics: https://compliance.ufl.edu
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Office: https://ada.ufl.edu
• Counselling and Wellness Center: https://counseling.ufl.edu

POLICIES AND OPERATING PROCEDURES

The following policies and operating procedures supplement the bylaws of the Department of Natural History of the Florida Museum of Natural History.

POLICY 1: Procedure for Development or Consolidation of an Institute, Center, or Program

A. The establishment of a new institute, center or program within the Department shall be established by a two-thirds majority affirmative vote by the faculty and is subject to approval by the Department Chair and the Museum Director. Any faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair, Assistant/Associate Director of Research and Collections, and the Museum Director.

B. The abolition of an institute, center, or program within the Department shall be approved by a two-thirds majority affirmative vote of the faculty and is subject to approval by the Department Chair and the Museum Director. Any faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair and the Museum Director.

C. The Department Chair, Museum Director, or any group >50% or more of the faculty may petition for the establishment, merger, consolidation, or abolition of an institute, center, or program.

POLICY 2: Voting rights of Collections Managers/Scientific and Support Staff, Graduate Students, Postdoctoral Associates, Affiliates and Courtesy faculty, and other members

Voting rights are established by the Department and in some cases (e.g., tenure and promotion) by the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Voting faculty rights are given in Article V, Section 1. The table shows, for different issues, who may vote and the type of votes to be taken. All votes are advisory to the Museum’s Director and/or Department’s upper administration. As such, they shall not vote in general meetings, in an effort to dissuade partiality to the voting faculty and staff.

POLICY 3: Procedure for the Selection of a Department Chair

Only tenured faculty in the Department of Natural History are eligible to serve as Department Chair. The Department Chair is selected by a >50% affirmative vote of the eligible voting faculty (as defined in Article IV, Section 1 and Voting and Non-Voting Members table) and the eligible voting CMSS (as defined in Policy 2), and the eligible voting graduate students (as defined in Policy 2) from the Department of Natural History only. Any vote is advisory to the Museum Director and is subject to their approval.

Section 1: General Procedure

A. When nominations for a new Department Chair are called for, any eligible departmental faculty member may self-nominate for the position by sending a notice of intent to the Museum Director.

B. In the event that a search committee is deemed necessary by the Museum Director, the committee shall be formed from among the members of the Faculty Affairs Committee and shall consist of no fewer than three members. The Search Committee
shall appoint its own chair. If no consensus can be reached regarding the Search Committee chair, the Museum Director shall appoint the Search Committee chair.

C. The Search Committee shall solicit nominations for the Department Chair position from all departmental faculty and CMSS. Any eligible faculty may also put their name forward for consideration without a formal nomination by other faculty or CMSS. The Search Committee shall provide a summary of the current duties of the Chair, along with those duties currently assumed by the Administrative Specialist and the Associate Department Chair.

D. Following receipt of nominations, the Search Committee shall confirm the willingness of each nominee to stand for election. A slate of candidates consisting of willing nominees and volunteers shall be presented to the departmental faculty and CMSS. The Search Committee will request a brief written statement from each candidate outlining their vision and goals for the Department. These written statements shall be made available to departmental faculty and CMSS, as well as senior Director’s Office staff.

E. The candidates will meet with the departmental faculty and CMSS to present their statements and to answer questions.

F. The Search Committee shall convene three meetings (one faculty, CMSS, one graduate student) to identify the top choice for the new Department Chair. The CMSS meeting, and the graduate student meeting shall be held prior to the faculty meeting.

Section 2: Voting Procedure for Faculty

A. In consultation with the Department Chair, the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative will schedule the faculty meeting and manage the voting process during the meeting (e.g., distributing ballot slips, tallying the votes and reporting the results to the Department Chair). The Department Administrative Assistant may appoint an assistant to help manage the voting process pending approval of the Department Chair.

B. Those who are unable to attend the faculty meeting may cast absentee or remote ballots. Absentee ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, must be transmitted in writing to a member of the faculty prior to the time that the vote takes place. After informing the person who is tallying the votes about the absentee ballot, the faculty member with the absentee ballot will then vote on behalf of the absent faculty member. Remote ballots may be cast via any form of electronic voting with which the eligible faculty are satisfied that such means include functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. The chosen system for remote ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, will be organized and submitted by the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative.

C. Each eligible faculty member votes for their top candidate. The tally of these votes also includes the highest ranked candidate from each absentee and remote ballot.

D. If one candidate receives >50% of the vote, their name is moved to the short list.

E. If no candidate receives >50% of the vote, then the candidate(s) with the lowest number of votes is/are removed from the voting list and voting resumes at step 2.

F. Every time a candidate is added to the short list, a motion may be made to stop the voting process, so that no additional candidates are added to the short list. A >50% affirmative vote for this motion determines whether voting proceeds or not. All candidates in the original pool, who are not elevated to the short list, are retained in the original pool for
reconsideration each time that voting resumes at step 2.

G. Once the motion is passed to stop adding names to the short list (see E), a vote is taken. A candidate must garner >50% of the vote to be recommended as the faculty’s top choice for the new Department Chair.

H. Faculty may discuss and vote (>50% to pass) whether other candidates, who did not make the short list, should still be considered in the event that the chosen candidate declines.

I. A CMSS-appointed representative shall attend the faculty meeting to cast the CMSS vote during the first round of voting. Information from the CMSS meeting (e.g., the CMSS’s ranking of candidates) may be requested by faculty for consideration at any point during the faculty’s voting process.

J. A graduate student representative shall attend the faculty meeting to present the graduate students’ advisory vote during the first round of voting. Information from the graduate student meeting (e.g., their ranking of candidates) may be requested by faculty for consideration at any point during the faculty’s voting process.

K. The Search Committee presents the final decision to the Museum Director for consideration. Any vote is advisory to the Museum Director.

L. In the event that the candidate(s) is unacceptable to the Museum Direct, they shall request from the faculty and CMSS the name(s) of another acceptable candidate(s).

Section 3: Voting Procedure for Collections Managers/Scientific or Support Staff

A. In consultation with the Department Chair, the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative will schedule the CMSS meeting and manage the voting process during the meeting (e.g., distributing ballot slips, tallying the votes and reporting the results to the Department Chair). The Department Administrative Assistant may appoint an assistant to help manage the voting process pending approval of the Department Chair.

B. Those who are unable to attend the CMSS meeting may cast absentee or remote ballots. Absentee ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, must be transmitted in writing to a member of CMSS prior to the time that the vote takes place. After informing the person who is tallying the votes about the absentee ballot, the collections managers/scientific staff member with the absentee ballot will then vote on behalf of the absent collections managers/scientific staff member.

C. Remote ballots may be cast via any form of electronic voting that is sanctioned by the Department that includes functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. The chosen system for remote ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, will be organized and submitted by the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative.

D. Each eligible CMSS member votes for their top candidate. The tally of these votes also includes the highest ranked candidate from each absentee and remote ballot.

E. Collections managers/scientific staff (CMSS) voting procedures follow those presented in Section 2, B-E.

F. Once the motion is passed to stop adding names to the short list (see Section 2, E, above), a vote is taken. A candidate must garner >50% of the vote to be recommended as the CMSS’s top choice for the new Department Chair.

G. Collections managers/scientific staff (CMSS) may discuss and vote (>50% to pass) whether other candidates who did not make the short list should still be considered in the event that the chosen candidate declines.

H. At the close of the CMSS meeting, a CMSS representative is appointed by those present to attend the faculty meeting. The CMSS vote counts as one vote. The CMSS representative casts one vote for the CMSS’s chosen candidate during the first round of voting.

Section 4: Voting Procedure for Graduate Students

A. In consultation with the Department Chair, the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative will schedule the graduate student meeting and manage the voting process during the meeting (e.g., distributing ballot slips, tallying the votes and reporting the results to the Department Chair). The Department Administrative Assistant may appoint an assistant to help manage the voting process pending approval of the Department Chair.

B. Those who are unable to attend the graduate student meeting may cast absentee or remote ballots. Absentee ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, must be transmitted in writing to a member of the group representing the Department graduate students prior to the time that the vote takes place. After informing the person who is tallying the votes about the absentee ballot, the graduate student with the absentee ballot will then vote on behalf of the absent graduate student. Remote ballots may be cast via any form of electronic voting that is sanctioned by the Department that includes functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. The chosen system for remote ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, will be organized and submitted by the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative.

C. Each eligible graduate student votes for their top candidate. The tally of these votes also includes the highest ranked candidate from each absentee and remote ballot.

D. Graduate student voting procedures follow those presented in Section 2, B-E.

E. Once the motion is passed to stop adding names to the short list (see Section 2, E, above), a vote is taken. A candidate must garner >50% of the vote to be recommended as the graduate students’ top choice for the new Department Chair.

F. Graduate students may discuss and vote (>50% to pass) whether other candidates who did not make the short list should still be considered in the event that the chosen candidate declines.

G. At the close of the graduate student meeting, a graduate student representative is appointed by those present to attend the faculty meeting. The graduate student vote counts as one vote. The graduate student representative casts one vote for the graduate students’ chosen candidate during the first round of voting.

POLICY 4: Procedures for Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff (CMSS)

Section 1: The Department of Natural History Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff

A. The Collections Managers/Scientific or Support Staff (CMSS) staff of the Museum shall consist of all line positions. These employees are of the rank of Technical, Executive,
Administrative, and Managerial Support (TEAMS). CMSS may hold either a full-time or part-time line position in the Museum. CMSS shall have voting rights as defined in these bylaws. (See Policy 2).

B. Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff (CMSS) shall vote on the articles of the bylaws that pertain to their duties, but not on issues where the Collective Bargaining Agreement excludes their voting (see Articles V: The Faculty and XVII: Department Clarifications of University Policy and the Voting and Non-Voting Members table). Separate ballots will be sent to the faculty and the CMSS. The ballots provided to the CMSS will list only those sections on which the CMSS are allowed to vote and thus ratify.

Section 2: Department of Natural History Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Responsibilities

A. The responsibilities of the Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff shall include:

1. Responsibilities and duties as specified in individual job descriptions.
   1. General responsibilities related to being a University TEAMS employee regulated by the University Florida of Human Resources (UFHR.)
   2. Adherence to museum best practices and standards as promulgated by the American Alliance of Museums.

B. Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff shall also, if permitted under the terms of their hire and if approved by their immediate supervisor(s), Department Chair, and/or Museum Director, as appropriate:

1. Assist in general Museum and departmental matters (including governance) by attending meetings, serving on committees, and voting (when permitted by the bylaws) on issues of concern to the Museum and the Department.
2. Educate University students (both undergraduate and graduate) and others through teaching, supervising independent studies, and supervising thesis and dissertation research when appropriate.
3. Serve on Museum, University, and Community Partner committees.
4. Comply with international, national, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to those of the United States government, State of Florida, and University.
5. Other services as needed.

Section 3: Department of Natural History Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Rights

A. Collections Manager and Scientific or Support Staff (CMSS) have the right to participate in departmental and Museum staff meetings, and departmental and Museum meetings associated with their job responsibilities and duties.

B. CMSS have the right to serve on Department- or Museum-related committees if appointed by committee chairs, Department Chair, or the Museum Director, and approved by their immediate supervisor.

C. CMSS have the right to appoint one or two CMSS representative(s) to attend faculty meetings as a non-voting member (for two-year terms). Duties of these representatives include:

• i. Reporting on CMSS activities and concerns at faculty meetings.
• ii. Liaising with CMSS to gather and organize topics for discussion during CMSS meetings.
• iii. When requested by the Department Chair, leading and managing discussions during CMSS meetings.

D. CMSS have the right to appoint members to the Departmental Advisory Committee.

E. CMSS have the right to appoint representative(s) to attend other special departmental meetings as voting or non-voting members as defined in the bylaws.

F. CMSS have the right to participate in and vote for departmental head appointments where appropriate, following procedures defined in the bylaws.

G. CMSS have the right to participate in and vote for faculty and TEAMS staff hires where appropriate, following procedures defined in the bylaws.

H. CMSS input into the development of any major departmental or Museum policies directly impacting CMSS responsibilities and duties shall be encouraged. Requests for CMSS input, and response shall be coordinated by the Department Chair.

Section 4: Promotion and Raises

A. Promotion for all TEAMS CMSS is governed by the regulations and procedures established by the University of Florida Human Resources (UFHR). Promotions may occur when an employee moves to a position with a higher pay grade, or when an employee’s current position is reclassified by UFHR. Promotions do not ensure a raise in pay.

B. Available funds for TEAMS merit raises are distributed by the Department of Natural History Chair at their discretion.

Section 5: Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Meetings and Special Departmental Meetings

A. At least four Department non-faculty CMSS meetings shall be scheduled during the regular academic year from August through May, or more as needed.

B. CMSS meeting participants must include all TEAMS Staff classified as Administrative Specialist (I–III), Administrative Assistant (I–III), FLMNH Collection Manager (I–III), FLMNH Museum Registrar, FLMNH Museum Preparator, Museum Operations Coordinator (I–III), Project Manager (I–III), Scientific Laboratory Manager, Laboratory Technician (I–III), Biological Scientist (I–III), Communication Manager, and Education/Training Specialist (I–III). Other participants may be invited on an as-needed basis.

C. Except in cases of emergencies, CMSS shall receive notice of meetings at least 48 hours in advance.

D. The agenda shall be set by the Department Chair (or the Museum Director), who may invite input from the CMSS, including CMSS representatives, to faculty meetings.

E. The agenda shall include reports from institute and/or center heads and standing and ad hoc committees as needed.

F. The agenda may include content of interest to and requested by CMSS.

G. A quorum for meetings of the CMSS shall be >50% of the voting CMSS. Proxies shall be recognized.

H. Meetings shall follow Robert’s Rules of Order, revised.

I. Minutes of meetings shall be recorded and posted no later than 48 hours prior to the next CMSS meeting.

J. CMSS input into development of any major departmental policies directly impacting CMSS responsibilities and duties or related to the curation and exhibition of collections shall be permitted. Requests for CMSS input and response shall be coordinated by and reported to the faculty by the Department Chair, departmental committees or CMSS representatives.

Section 6: Special Meetings

A. Special meetings may be called by the Museum Director, Assistant/Associate Director of Research and Collections, Department Chair, or by petition by one or more of the eligible voting faculty.

B. General departmental meetings, including both faculty and CMSS, may be scheduled as needed.

C. Special meetings may be called by CMSS.

Section 7: Department Committees

CMSS serve on and may chair Department committees. They shall provide a list to the Department Chair of committees on which they wish to serve. Refer to Article VII: Department Committees.

Standing Committee Membership:

A. Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff can provide a list to the Department Chair of committees on which they wish to serve.

B. The Department Chair shall assign CMSS members to standing committees based on their preferences, on needs for particular expertise, and/or in the interest of assuring that each subdiscipline of the Department (Anthropology, Interdisciplinary, Neontology, Paleontology) is represented on each committee to the extent feasible. Any vacancy shall be filled by appointment of the Department Chair.

C. In identifying who might be selected for a committee, activities and people affected by its work should be considered.

D. Once a standing committee has been appointed, the members shall appoint a committee chair, or the Department Chair may appoint a chair. Each Standing Committee Chair is responsible for calling meetings and reporting at monthly faculty meetings. One member (not necessarily the Committee Chair) of each standing committee shall report at monthly CMSS meetings.

E. Committees may petition the Department Chair to add or remove members. Members may be removed for lack of attendance, conflict of interest issues, conflicts with other committee members, or other reasons deemed applicable by the Committee Chair, other committee members, and/or the Department Chair.

F. All committee members are voting members.

Ad Hoc Committee Membership:

A. The manner in which members shall be selected and vacancies filled must be designated by the appointing body’s chair when the committee/task force is established.

B. In identifying who might be selected for a committee, activities and people affected by its work should be considered. For critical issues identified by the committee, additional attention should be paid to soliciting and seriously considering and integrating marginalized views, including consulting resources and experts from outside the committee.

C. When considering membership of the committees listed below as a whole, special effort will be made to balance Department graduate student representatives from diverse backgrounds and from all of the subdisciplines in the Department (Interdisciplinary, Anthropology, Neontology, Paleontology). All Department graduate student committee service is advisory to the Committee Chair (see F below) and the Department Chair.

D. Once a committee has been appointed, the members shall appoint a committee chair or the appointing body’s chair may appoint a chair. The Ad Hoc Committee Chair is responsible for calling meetings and reporting to the appointing body’s chair.

E. Committees may petition the appointing body’s chair to add or remove members.

F. Members may be removed for lack of attendance, conflict of interest issues, conflicts with other committee members, or other reasons deemed applicable by the Committee Chair, other committee members, and/or the appointing body’s chair.

G. All committee members are voting members.

Section 8: Ad Hoc Committee: Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Search Committee

One CMSS member from within the relevant subdiscipline may serve on the Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Search committees. Refer to Article XVI: Ad Hoc Committee: Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Search Committee.

Charge:

The Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff Search Committee shall conduct searches for qualified CMSS in accordance with current University rules.

Duties:

A. Conduct searches for qualified CMSS.

B. With the assistance of the Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR), write the advertisement for the position.

C. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, post the advertisement in appropriate publications and electronic media.

D. Screen applicants based on their qualifications.

E. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, notify the applicants who do not meet the minimum qualifications for the position.

F. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, make search packets available to the CMSS and faculty for review.

G. With the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, carry out any necessary correspondence with candidates chosen for interviews.

H. Assist the Department Chair during the interview process.

I. Close the search. The Search Committee Chair informs the candidates in writing that the search is closed.

Membership:

A. See Article VII: Department Committees, Section 7: Ad Hoc Committee Membership.

B. The Search Committee shall consist of the position supervisor, at least one faculty member from within the relevant subdiscipline (if the position supervisor is not faculty), and one CMSS from within the relevant subdiscipline. One graduate student may serve on the committee if deemed appropriate by the Search Committee Chair in consultation with the Department Chair. The Search Committee Chair shall be the position supervisor. The Department Chair will serve as a non-voting, ex-officio member.

C. External members (either from other Museum departments, from within or from outside the University) may be appointed to the Committee, and, if so appointed, shall be eligible to vote.

Avoiding Conflicts of Interest:

A. Personal conflicts of interest include close relatives such as a parent, spouse, domestic partner, ex-partners or ex-spouses, or children.

B. To avoid potential or perceived conflict of interest, search committee members should follow UF Regulation 1.009, Employment of Relatives.

Terms of Office:

See Article VII, Section 8.

Section 9: Searches for TEAMS Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Staff

Collections Managers/Scientific Staff are involved in searches for TEAMS CMSS.

General Procedure:

The recruitment and hiring procedures for all TEAMS Department staff, including CMSS, are regulated by the University Department of Human Resources (UFHR).

A. Searches for TEAMS CMSS, including positions on grants, shall be conducted by the immediate supervisor, Department Chair, or Museum Director, in consultation with the Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR). The appointment of a search committee is governed by the rules set forth in Article VI: Ad Hoc Committee: Collections Managers and Scientific or Support Search Committee. For all departmental searches, members from other departments of the Museum and from appropriate University colleges or departments may serve on a search committee at the discretion of the hiring supervisor, the Search Committee chair, the Department Chair, or the Museum Director. External committee members shall have the same voting privileges as Museum committee members for decisions regarding candidate interviews and recommended hires.

B. For TEAMS positions, the Department Chair, in consultation with the Museum Director, shall decide how soon after a line is vacated that a search may begin, and when it is feasible and appropriate to initiate new lines.

C. References must be checked prior to extending a job offer. The hiring supervisor or search committee shall ensure that the final candidate at least meets the minimum criteria and experience required for the position vacancy.

D. The Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR) shall assist the hiring supervisor or search committee with the necessary tasks required by the UFHR.

E. The Search Committee Chair or their designated representative, with assistance from the Department’s Administrative Specialist if desired, will schedule all meetings related to the search for TEAMS CMSS.

Writing/Updating the Position Description and Advertising the Position:

A. If deemed necessary by the hiring supervisor, Department Chair, or Museum Director, a new or updated job description shall be written by the hiring supervisor or the Search Committee Chair, in consultation with BHR and the Department Chair.

B. If deemed necessary by the hiring supervisor, Department Chair, or Museum Director, a position advertisement shall be written by the hiring supervisor or Search Committee Chair. The position advertisement shall be placed in major publications (written or electronic) relevant to the discipline related to the position, as well as in forums likely to draw diverse applicants.

Procedures for Selecting Candidates to Interview:

Procedures for selecting candidates to interview shall be decided on by the hiring supervisor or the Search Committee if the latter is created.

Procedures for Determining the Top Candidate for Hire:

Procedures for determining the top candidate for hire shall be decided on by the hiring supervisor or the Search Committee if the latter is created.

Procedures for Making an Offer to Hire:

A. The hiring supervisor or the Search Committee Chair shall present the chosen candidate to the Department Chair.

B. Upon final approval by the Department Chair, the hiring supervisor makes an offer to the chosen candidate.

C. If the candidate(s) is unacceptable to the Department Chair, or declines the offer, the Department Chair shall request from the hiring supervisor or Search Committee the name(s) of another acceptable candidate(s), or the hiring supervisor’s or Search Committee’s decision to terminate and/or reopen the search.

Section 10: Adoption of the Bylaws

A. The Department Bylaws Committee in consultation with the Department Chair and the Museum Director shall call a special meeting of the Department faculty and CMSS to discuss the draft bylaws.

B. A final draft of the bylaws shall be prepared and provided to all members of the Department faculty and CMSS.

C. No earlier than two weeks and no later than four weeks after dissemination of the final draft, a vote by the eligible Department faculty and CMSS shall be taken to adopt or reject the bylaws. Separate ballots will be sent to the faculty and the CMSS. The ballots provided to the CMSS will list only those sections on which the CMSS are allowed to vote and thus ratify. The votes will be tallied separately for faculty and CMSS so that sections of the Bylaws that are restricted to faculty voting (see E below) are approved by only the faculty.

D. The voting shall take place in two separate publicly noticed meetings, one for faculty and one for CMSS, and shall be by “show of hands” via an in- person meeting or other form of electronic voting; the latter method will be used only if the eligible voting Department faculty and CMSS are satisfied that such means include functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. Adoption of these bylaws shall require the affirmative vote of a two-thirds majority of eligible voting Department faculty and a two-thirds majority of the CMSS as defined in these bylaws, as well as approval by the Department Chair and Museum Director.

E. If the bylaws are rejected by the eligible voting Department faculty and/or the CMSS, the document will be returned to the Department Bylaws Committee for revision, after which the procedure for adoption will be repeated until the required two-thirds vote is received from the eligible voting Department faculty and the CMSS.

F. If the Department Chair and eligible voting faculty and CMSS are unable to reach agreement on an issue, both the Chair’s proposal on that issue and the proposal approved by a >50% majority of eligible voting Department faculty and CMSS shall be submitted to the Museum Director for resolution.

POLICY 5: Searches for Tenure-Track or Tenured Faculty

Section 1: General Procedure

A. Searches for a tenure-track or tenured faculty shall be conducted by the Department, under the direction of a Faculty Search Committee.

B. Conflicts of interest will be avoided by following the policies outlined in Article XV, Section 4.

C. References must be checked prior to extending a job offer. The Search Committee shall ensure that the final candidate meets the minimum experience required for the position vacancy.

D. The Department Chair, in consultation with the Museum Director, shall decide how soon after a tenure-track or tenured line is vacated that a search can begin, and when it is feasible and appropriate to initiate new lines.

E. Vacant lines shall be returned to the Director’s office.

F. If reallocated to the Department and taking into consideration long- and short-term priorities as identified in the strategic plan, the line may be retained within the same or related discipline and departmental division or may be assigned to a new discipline or research specialty. The CMSS shall provide an affirming advisory vote to the faculty by a two-thirds majority. The faculty then decides by a vote of >50% on whether to start the search for that position. Any faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair and the Museum Director.

G. Taking into consideration long- and short-term priorities as identified in the strategic plan, the faculty shall vote affirmatively by >50% majority as to whether a new line shall be initiated. The CMSS shall provide an affirming advisory vote to the faculty by a two-thirds majority. The CMSS vote shall be advisory to the faculty. The faculty then votes by a vote of >50% on whether to start the search for that position. Any faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair and the Museum Director.

Section 2: Advertising the Position

A. The Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources shall assist the Search Committee with the necessary tasks required by the University’s Department of Human Resources, including approval of the advertisement and classification of the position.

B. The position shall be advertised in the major publications (written or electronic) relevant to the discipline related to the position, as well as in forums likely to draw diverse applicants.

Section 3: Initial Screening Process

A. The Search Committee shall review all applications and establish a recommended priority pool of best-qualified applicants. The list of priority pool candidates can be either ranked or unranked.

B. The priority list is circulated to faculty, CMSS, and graduate students at least one week prior to the faculty meeting, so that they may review all of the files with particular attention to the priority pool. It may be decided to include an applicant that is not part of the recommended priority pool.

C. The Search Committee, together with the Department Chair, shall convene a faculty meeting to identify the top candidates to be invited for interviews. It may be decided to interview one or more candidates who are not part of the recommended priority pool. The CMSS and graduate student meetings must be held prior to the faculty meeting.

D. Voting procedures by the faculty for the identification of top candidates are outlined below in Section 5. The final faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair, who approves the short list, subject to approval by the Museum Director.

Section 4: Procedure for Selecting Candidates to Interview

A recommended short-list of candidates is determined through a process of discussion and voting as outlined below:

A. The initial priority pool is presented for consideration at the start of the meeting.

B. Discussion first considers whether any other applicants should be moved to the priority pool. If additional candidates are proposed for inclusion, then a vote (passed by >50% affirmative vote) determines whether such candidates should be added to the priority pool.

C. Discussion ensues about each candidate in the priority pool, followed by voting.

Section 5: General Voting Procedure for Faculty

A. In consultation with the Department Chair, the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative will schedule the faculty meeting and manage the voting process during the meeting (e.g., distributing ballot slips, tallying the votes and reporting the results to the Department Chair). The Department Administrative Specialist may appoint an assistant to help manage the voting process pending approval of the Department Chair.

B. Those who are unable to attend the faculty meeting may cast absentee or remote ballots, when these are allowed. Absentee ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, must be transmitted in writing to a member of the faculty prior to the time that the vote takes place. After informing the person who is tallying the votes about the absentee ballot, the faculty member with the absentee ballot will then vote on behalf of the absent faculty member. Remote ballots may be cast via any form of electronic voting with which the eligible faculty are satisfied that such means include functionality designed to prevent duplicate and unauthorized submissions. The chosen system for remote ballots, ranking the candidates on the priority list, will be organized and submitted by the Department’s Administrative Specialist or their designated representative.

C. Each eligible faculty member and external Search Committee member votes for their top (one) candidate. The tally of these votes also includes the highest ranked candidate from each absentee and remote ballot.

D. If one candidate receives >50% of the vote, their name is moved to the interview (short) list.

E. If no candidate receives >50% of the vote, then the candidate(s) with the lowest number of votes is/are removed from the voting list, and voting resumes at step B.

F. Every time a candidate is added to the interview list, a motion may be made to stop the voting process, so that no additional candidates are added to the interview list. A >50% affirmative vote for this motion determines whether voting proceeds or not.

G. All candidates in the original priority pool, who are not elevated to the interview list, are retained in the priority pool for reconsideration each time that voting resumes at step B.

H. When the interview list is complete, faculty may discuss and vote (>50% to pass) whether other candidates who did not make the interview list should still be considered in the event that no suitable hire is identified from the interview list, or whether the search should then be terminated and reopened.

I. CMSS representatives (no more than three) shall attend the faculty meeting. Information from the CMSS meeting (e.g., the CMSS’s ranking of candidates) may be requested by faculty for consideration at any point during the faculty’s voting process.

J. Graduate student-appointed representatives (no more than three) shall attend the faculty meeting. Information from the graduate student meeting (e.g., their ranking of candidates) may be requested by faculty for consideration at any point during the faculty’s voting process.

K. Selected candidates are invited to come to the Museum for interviews and presentations. The Search Committee, with the assistance of the Administrative Specialist, is responsible for setting the agenda for the candidate’s visit, including any special meetings with faculty, CMSS, and graduate students, including external faculty and staff from other departments of the Museum and from appropriate University colleges or departments. At the conclusion of the interview process for the final invited candidate, a second meeting is held (following the procedures in Section 3C) to vote for the candidate to hire.

Section 6: Procedure for Determining the Top Candidate for Hire

A. A second meeting is held no later than three days after the last interview to vote for the candidate to hire.

B. Absentee and remote ballots are not permitted for votes related to the determination of top candidate hires. Faculty members are required to attend and cast in-person votes at meetings where candidate hires are discussed. Those who are unable to attend meetings are strongly encouraged to submit a statement transmitted in writing to a member of the faculty prior to the time that the vote takes place. This statement may include their preferred candidate rankings and rationale, which will be presented for faculty consideration and discussion during the scheduled meeting time.

C. The voting procedure follows that indicated in the cyclical process outlined in Section 5, steps A–G (except 5B on proxy votes), Section 6, step D, and Section 7, step C. The candidate to whom the faculty recommends the offer be made must garner >50% of the vote.

D. In the event that the candidate(s) is unacceptable to the Department Chair, the Chair shall request from the faculty the name(s) of another acceptable candidate(s), or the faculty’s decision to terminate and/or reopen the search. The faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair.

Section 7: Procedure for Making an Offer to Hire

A. The Department Chair shall present the results of the faculty discussion and vote to the Museum Director.

B. Upon final approval by the Museum Director and subject to the approval of the University Provost, the Department Chair makes an offer to the chosen candidate.

C. In the event that the candidate(s) is unacceptable to the Museum Director, or declines the offer, the Museum Director shall request from the faculty the name(s) of another acceptable candidate(s), or the faculty’s decision to terminate and/or reopen the search.

POLICY 6: Searches for Non-Tenure Accruing Faculty

Section 1: General Procedure

A. Searches for Assistant/Associate Research Scientists may be conducted by the immediate supervisor, Department Chair, or Museum Director, in consultation with the Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR). The appointment of a search committee
is under the discretion of the immediate supervisor and governed by the rules set forth in Article VII, Sections 6-8. For all departmental searches, members from other departments of the Museum and from appropriate University colleges or departments may serve on a search committee at the discretion of the hiring supervisor, the Search Committee Chair, the Department Chair, or the Museum Director. External committee members shall have the same voting privileges as Museum committee members for decisions regarding candidate interviews and recommended hires.

B. Taking into consideration long and short-term priorities, the Department Chair, when necessary, may decide when it is feasible and appropriate to initiate a new position.

C. Hiring of Assistant, Associate and Full Scientists as part of faculty retention counteroffers will follow the same procedure as all other faculty hires. The faculty member who is receiving the retention offer will chair the Search Committee.

D. Upon selection of the top candidate for hire, the faculty may then vote with a >50% affirmative vote to hire the top candidate. Voting can take place via an in-person meeting or remotely. If via an in-person meeting, absentee and remote ballots are allowed. The procedure for absentee and remote voting is spelled out in Policy 5, Section 5.

E. The timeline for casting/accepting votes on hiring is at the discretion of the faculty and the Department Chair.

F. Any faculty vote is advisory to the Department Chair.

G. References must be checked prior to extending a job offer. The Search Committee shall ensure that the final candidate at least meets the minimum criteria and experience required for the position vacancy.

H. The Museum’s Office of Budget and Human Resources (BHR) shall assist the immediate supervisor with the necessary tasks required by the University Department of Human Resources (UFHR).

I. In addition to the requirements specified by the UFHR, the Department shall follow the procedures set forth in Sections 2 through 7 below.

J. All faculty hires that require a waiver of the search process from UFHR are subject to an advisory vote of the faculty.

Section 2: Position Description and Advertising the Position

A. If deemed necessary by the hiring supervisor, Department Chair, or Museum Director, a new or updated job description shall be written by the hiring supervisor or the Search Committee Chair, in consultation with BHR and the Department Chair.

B. If deemed necessary by the hiring supervisor, Department Chair, or Museum Director, a position advertisement shall be written by the hiring supervisor or Search Committee Chair. The position shall be advertised in major publications (written or electronic) relevant to the discipline related to the position, as well as in forums likely to draw diverse applicants.

Section 3: Initial Screening Process

A. The hiring supervisor and Search Committee, if appointed, shall review all applications, and establish a recommended priority pool of best-qualified applicants. The list of priority pool candidates can be either ranked or unranked.

Section 4: Procedure for Determining the Top Candidate for Hire

A. The hiring supervisor or Search Committee, if appointed, shall solicit considered faculty, CMSS, and student feedback.

B. Interviews will be arranged for top candidates and can be electronic.

Section 5: Procedure for Evaluating the Top Candidate for Hire

A. The top candidate for hire, as determined by the hiring supervisor and Search Committee, if appointed, shall present a seminar for faculty, CMSS, and students.

B. Interviews with the top candidate can be arranged upon request.

C. At the conclusion of the seminar for the final candidate, a meeting (or set of meetings) is held to vote for the candidate to hire.

Section 6: Voting Procedure

A. If the top candidate for hire receives a greater than >50% affirmative vote from the faculty an offer to hire is recommended to the Department Chair.

B. Any vote is advisory to the hiring supervisor or Search Committee Chair, subject to approval by the Department Chair.

Section 7: Procedure for Making an Offer to Hire

A. The hiring supervisor or the Search Committee Chair shall present the chosen candidate to the Department Chair.

B. Upon final approval by the Department Chair, the hiring supervisor or Search Committee Chair makes an offer to the chosen candidate.

C. In the event that the candidate(s) is unacceptable to the Department Chair, or declines the offer, the Department Chair shall request from the Search Committee the name(s) of another acceptable candidate(s), or the Search Committee’s decision to terminate and/or reopen the search.

POLICY 7: Special Faculty Appointment Procedures

A. Joint or Adjunct Faculty. A request for joint or adjunct faculty status may be submitted by Department faculty to related University departments, colleges or organizations, or may be requested by faculty from related University departments, colleges, or organizations. The procedure for appointing joint or adjunct faculty is determined by each individual University department, college, or organization.

B. Affiliate or Courtesy Faculty. Faculty members may recommend individuals for affiliate (within the University) or courtesy (outside of the University) appointments. A two-thirds majority affirmative vote of the eligible, participating faculty is required before an individual can be appointed to these positions. Individuals with an affiliate or courtesy appointment may not vote on departmental matters. The continuing status of affiliate or courtesy appointments shall be reviewed every five years at the discretion of the faculty. C.
Emeritus/a Faculty. Emeritus/a status is conferred on retiring faculty members by a two- thirds majority affirmative vote of the eligible, participating faculty. The retiring faculty member must request emeritus/a status prior to retiring. Individuals with these appointments may not vote on departmental matters.

POLICY 8: Mentoring

It is the policy of the Department of Natural History that tenure-track faculty receive regular mentoring from tenured faculty.

A. The Department Chair, in consultation with the new faculty member, shall appoint a mentor to chair the Faculty Mentoring Committee (FMC) within one month of the faculty member’s arrival on campus, preferably before their start date.

B. The FMC will include a minimum of three faculty representatives from across the department (including the FMC chair). Composition of the FMC is determined by the Department Chair in consultation with the Faculty Affairs Committee and the new faculty member. The committee should be formed within one month of the faculty member’s arrival on campus. The committee composition can be modified at any time at the request of the faculty member in consultation with the Department Chair.

C. The Chair of the FMC will meet with the faculty member within a month of beginning their appointment to discuss topics including navigating applying for faculty status in affiliate departments and recruiting graduate students through those departments. The Chair is also responsible for making sure that the advisee is aware of Museum and University policies (e.g., Museum Code of Ethics, Museum Collections Policy, Museum Bylaws, Departmental Bylaws, UF Compliance, Conflict of Interest, and Outside Employment).

D. The Chair of the FMC will meet with new faculty hires within the first month of their start date to provide them with relevant University tenure and promotion guidelines, discuss the criteria for tenure and promotion, and begin the process of preparing the packet for the required third-year review.

E. The Chair of the FMC will meet with the junior faculty at least once each semester to discuss issues of professional development. This includes making sure that they are aware of all Museum and University policies and helping to identify problem areas and, in consultation with the Department Chair, recommending remedies. Ad hoc meetings can be scheduled at the new faculty member’s request or by the Chair of the FMC in special circumstances (e.g., the faculty member is assigned a change of duties by the Department Chair and needs guidance to navigate the changes).

F. After reviewing the guidelines, the faculty member and the mentoring committee shall meet to discuss the criteria for tenure and promotion. During this meeting, the mentor shall recommend that the new faculty member begin the process of preparing the packet for the required third-year review by accessing the University web site and using the appropriate guidelines and related “Tenure, Permanent Status and Promotion Process” template.

G. During the faculty member’s first year, the Chair of the FMC will coordinate an annual FMC full committee meeting with the new faculty member at least two months before the deadline for submission of annual reports to summarize the year and offer advice on annual reporting.

H. As needed, the FMC will provide advice on the assembly of the faculty member’s promotion packet and their annual reports.

I. The Chair of the FMC will be available for continued mentoring after the conclusion of the tenure evaluation as requested by the mentee or if suggested by the Department Chair.

POLICY 9: Department of Natural History Emeritus Faculty: Privileges and Limitations

This policy outlines the privileges and limitations pertaining to Faculty Emeritus status, which is an honorary, non-paid designation. Emeritus status is granted in recognition of distinguished service and contribution to the Department of Natural History and does not constitute an active appointment in HR or imply ongoing responsibilities unless otherwise approved through a separate courtesy, adjunct, or volunteer role. Upon obtaining Emeritus status (see Policy 7c), retired Faculty may retain certain privileges in addition to the benefits afforded by the University of Florida. Some privileges may be subject to requirements by the Department of Natural History and/or other units in campus:

• Student supervision (graduate and undergraduate), research, or access to Museum’s network and spaces must be explicitly approved in writing by the Department Chair
• Eligibility for office space is not guaranteed, but subject to availability and approval by the Department Chair
• Continued use of Florida Museum email address
• Use of the Emeritus title for professional purposes
• Chairing graduate committees requires:
  • A Courtesy Faculty appointment in the Department of Natural History
  • A Courtesy Faculty appointment in one or more relevant affiliated Colleges/Departments
  • Graduate Faculty status granted by the UF Graduate School

Upon receiving those approvals, graduate mentees will remain official students in the Department of Natural History with access to departmental resources including relevant collections, libraries, laboratories and assigned office space, departmental awards and administrative support, as applicable

• According to the UF Graduate School policies, participation on graduate committees is limited to existing commitments as Chairs or committee members prior to retirement, pending retention of Graduate Faculty status.
• Granting Co-PI eligibility to participate in new collaborative projects is subject to approval by the Department Chair and Museum Director.
• Ongoing sponsored research activities are permitted to meet the project’s goals and conclude the grant, pending approval by the Department Chair
• When related to ongoing sponsored research, use of the collections is permitted pending approval by the Department Chair and Curator-in-Charge. Regardless of the availability of funds, access is always subject to approval.
• Likewise, access to laboratories and/or other Museum facilities is subject to approval by the Department Chair, pending availability of funds, as applicable to the scope of the research

The emeritus title is an honorary designation and may be revoked if warranted, subject to review by the department and approval by the Provost and/or University President.