Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics

Rules of Governance

Introduction

The Department is administered according to policies contained in North Dakota University System and North Dakota State University policies.  The rules of governance detailed in this document pertain to departmental administrative structure, faculty and staff responsibilities, and decision-making procedures.

The rules of governance are subject to continuing revision.  The rules must be reviewed and either revised or reaffirmed upon appointment of a new Department Chair.  Revisions may be made at any time upon a majority approval of a quorum of voting faculty at a Department meeting.  Changes will be effective immediately upon approval and necessary modifications will be made as soon as practicable to the written document.

The Mission of the Department

The mission of this Department is to provide objective economic analysis to support informed decision making in areas of resource allocation, business management, and public policy for the people of North Dakota and beyond.  Faculty and staff shall provide high-quality education programs for undergraduate and graduate students and for audiences across the state reached through University outreach efforts.

Administrative Structure

Department Chair

1.      Definition

The Department Chair is the chief administrative officer of the Department.  The Chair serves as the primary conduit for relaying faculty concerns and desires to College and University administration. The Chair is also the primary contact for relaying College and University policies to the faculty and staff of the Department of Agribusiness and Applied Economics.

2.      Appointment/termination procedures

Selection of the permanent Department Chair shall result from either an internal or external search conducted by a committee formed and charged with the responsibility of searching, interviewing, and recommending to the College Administration one or more acceptable candidates for the position.

Final selection of a Chair shall rest with College and University Administration, with due consideration given to the recommendations of the Department faculty as relayed by the search committee.

The Chair shall be removed following a successful vote for dismissal by at least a two-thirds plurality of academic faculty holding tenured or probationary appointments in the Department.

3.      The duties of the Department Chair shall be:

a.      To provide overall leadership for the Department and its programs;

b.      To serve in an ex officio capacity on all Departmental standing committees;

c.      To have general administrative responsibility for departmental programs, subject to the approval of the Dean of the College of Agriculture;

d.      Nominate departmental faculty and To identify and staff for professional awards in teaching, research, and service and to coordinate the preparation of relevant application materials;

e.      Chair shall work closely with the PTE Committee for developing promotion and tenure materials for qualified faculty;

f.        Maintaining a collegial atmosphere in which each faculty and staff member’s contribution is appreciated;

g.      Identifying and promoting a shared vision of the Department’s mission among faculty and staff;

h.      Establishing a fair system of performance evaluation for faculty contributions in research, teaching, Extension, and outreach;

i.        Rewarding faculty and staff efforts in adopting cutting edge procedures in research and incorporating effective innovations in teaching and Extension;

j.        Maintaining and strengthening Department responsiveness to state, regional, and national needs consistent with the Department’s mission;

k.      Encouraging generation of extramural funding by establishing effective incentives for faculty;

l.        Maximizing faculty time available to perform the three functions of the Land Grant University: Teaching, Research, and Extension;

m.    Continuously evaluating the Department’s activities relative to changing internal and external environments;

n.      Leading efforts to encourage increased enrollments in the Department’s undergraduate and graduate programs;

o.      To approve course offering and teaching schedules in advance of each semester;

p.      Promoting the successes of the Department’s faculty, staff, and students to both disciplinary peers and lay clientele;

q.      Effectively promoting departmental interests within the College and the University; and

r.       Maintaining prudent management of the Department’s financial resources consistent with federal and state audit policies.

Executive Committee

1.      Definition

The executive committee shall be composed of the Department Chair and two tenured faculty members. 

2.      Appointment/termination procedures

Two tenured faculty members shall serve on the executive committee.  Members shall be selected by the voting faculty at the first Department meeting of each academic year.  Terms shall be for two years with the possibility of serving two consecutive terms.  Terms of the two regular faculty members shall be staggered.

3.   The duties of the executive committee shall be:

a.      To serve at the Chair’s discretion as an advisory panel for departmental decisions;

b.      To establish procedures for filling faculty vacancies as they arise;

c.      To nominate a slate of eligible candidates for vacancies on all departmental standing committees;

d.      To advise the Department Chair regarding faculty annual performance reports and plans of work;

e.      To relay faculty and staff grievances to the Department Chair or other appropriate individuals.


4.   Meetings – frequency/procedure for calling a meeting

The executive committee shall meet at the request of any member of the committee.  The executive committee shall meet at least one week prior to a regularly scheduled Department meeting to provide input to the Department Chair for agenda items or other concerns that should be raised at the Department meeting.

Standing Committees

There shall be four standing committees:

1.      The PTE Committee

2.      The Undergraduate Program Committee

3.      The Graduate Program Committee

4.      The Outreach Program Committee

1.      The PTE Committee

Composition and responsibilities of the PTE Committee are established by the departmental document: Criteria and Procedures for Recommending Promotion and Rank in Granting of Tenure. 

All tenured faculty shall serve on the PTE committee.  The committee chair will be a full professor elected by the committee members during the Fall Semester of the academic year and serve for two years.  The role of the committee chair is to convene and chair PTE committee meetings when necessary, to establish and distribute the agenda for said meetings, and to prepare and submit reports summarizing PTE committee decisions appropriate to items before the committee (Amended August 27, 2002).  Composition of the Committee for promotion decisions shall be formed by all tenured faculty of rank higher than the candidate being considered for promotion and/or tenure (i.e., promotion packets to Associate Professor shall be evaluated by tenured Associate and Full Professors, and promotion to Full shall be evaluated by all tenured Full Professors).  Evaluation of tenure applications with no associated promotion shall be conducted by all tenured faculty in the Department.

2.      Undergraduate program committee

a.  Definition

The undergraduate program committee shall be composed of four members of the teaching faculty.  The Department Chair shall serve as an ex officio member of the committee.  The committee shall be charged with matters pertaining to undergraduate education and programming.

b.  Appointment/termination procedures

The executive committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for the committee prior to the first Department meeting of each academic year.  The nominees receiving the most votes from voting faculty shall be added to the committee to replace committee members whose terms have expired.  The committee shall meet within one week of the election to select a committee Chair and the assessment coordinator for undergraduate instruction.  Terms shall be for two years with the possibility of serving two consecutive terms.  Terms of the committee members shall be staggered so two new members, or reelected member(s), are added each year.  Within-term vacancies shall be replaced by special faculty vote conducted within one month of the vacancy, with the elected member assuming the remainder of the departing member’s term.  Members added to fill vacant positions may be reelected to one subsequent term.

a.       The duties of the undergraduate program committee shall be:

                                             i.            To recommend approval or denial of proposals to add new courses to the Department’s curriculum.  Recommendations to approve new courses will be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of voting faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval of the course and the proposal will move forward to the College of Agriculture Curriculum Committee;

                                           ii.            To recommend approval or denial of proposals to make alterations in existing courses, including changes in course credits, catalogue descriptions, or removal of courses from the Department’s curriculum.  In the case of course removal, the committee decisions will be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of voting faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval to remove the course and the proposal will move forward to the College of Agriculture Curriculum Committee;

                                          iii.            To recommend approval or denial of proposed changes in programs of study for the two undergraduate majors offered in the Department (the B.S. degree with majors in either Agribusiness or in Agricultural Economics).  Recommendations to approve program of study changes will be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of voting faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval of the change;

                                         iv.            To report to departmental faculty on the activities of the undergraduate program committee and any issues pertaining to the undergraduate program at regularly scheduled Department meetings;

                                           v.            One member of the undergraduate program committee shall coordinate with one member of the Department’s graduate program committee to develop, implement, and evaluate the departmental program to assess student learning;

                                         vi.            A member of the undergraduate program committee selected by the committee shall serve as the departmental representative on the College of Agriculture Curriculum Committee;

                                        vii.            To recommend departmental standards in student grading and evaluation of student proficiency;

                                      viii.            To assist placement of students in careers or further educational endeavors following graduation;

                                         ix.            To oversee the departmental scholarship program;

                                           x.            To update faculty on curriculum and academic advising issues; and

                                         xi.            To oversee the departmental internship program.

d.   Meetings – frequency/procedure for calling a meeting

The undergraduate program committee shall meet at least one week prior to regularly scheduled College Academic Affairs committee meeting if undergraduate program issues are to be considered at the College meeting. The committee shall meet within one week following the first Department meeting of each academic year to select both the committee Chair and the undergraduate assessment coordinator.  Additional meetings may be scheduled when issues under the purview of the committee warrant.

3.      Graduate program committee

a.  Definition

The graduate program committee shall be composed of four members of the graduate faculty.  The Department Chair shall serve as an ex officio member of the committee.  The committee shall be charged with matters pertaining to graduate education, research, and programming.

b.  Appointment/termination procedures

The executive committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for the committee prior to the first Department meeting of each academic year.  The nominees receiving the most votes from voting faculty shall be added to the committee to replace committee members whose terms have expired.  The committee shall meet within one week of the election to select a committee Chair and the assessment coordinator for graduate instruction.  Terms shall be for two years with the possibility of serving two consecutive terms.  Terms of the committee members shall be staggered so two new members, or reelected member(s), are added each year.  Within-term vacancies shall be replaced by special faculty vote conducted within one month of the vacancy, with the elected member assuming the remainder of the departing member’s term.  Members added to fill vacant positions may be reelected to one subsequent term.

 c.  The duties of the graduate program committee shall be:

                                             i.            To recommend approval or denial of proposals to add new courses to the Department’s graduate curriculum (600 and 700 level courses) Recommendations to approve new courses will be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of graduate faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval of the course and the proposal will move forward to the College Academic Affairs committee;

                                           ii.            To recommend approval or denial of proposals to make alterations in existing courses, including changes in course credits, catalogue descriptions, or removal of courses from the Department’s curriculum.  In the case of course removal, the committee decisions will be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of graduate faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval to remove the course and the proposal will move forward to the College Academic Affairs committee;

                                          iii.            To recommend changes in programs of study for the M.S. degree in Agricultural Economics.  Recommendations to approve program of study changes will be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of graduate faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval of the change;

                                         iv.            To report to departmental faculty on the activities of the graduate program committee and any issues pertaining to the graduate program at regularly scheduled Department meetings;

                                           v.            One member of the graduate program committee shall coordinate with one member of the Department’s undergraduate program committee to develop, implement, and evaluate the departmental program to assess student learning;

                                         vi.            To coordinate an effective graduate student recruitment and retention program;

                                        vii.            To evaluate and make recommendations to the Department Chair regarding new admissions and granting of research assistantships to new and current students;

                                      viii.            To develop procedures and make recommendations to the Department Chair for allocating new graduate students to research projects and graduate faculty advisors.  The allocation procedures shall be presented to the faculty at the first Department meeting following committee approval.  Majority approval of a quorum of graduate faculty at the Department meeting will constitute departmental approval of the allocation procedures (added September 28, 2001).

                                         ix.            To assist the Department Chair in identifying and procuring funding for graduate research assistantships; and

                                           x.            To assist placement of students in careers or further educational endeavors following graduation.

d.   Meetings – frequency/procedure for calling a meeting

The graduate program committee shall meet at least one week prior to regularly scheduled College of Agriculture Curriculum Committee meeting if graduate program issues are to be considered at the College meeting.  The committee shall meet within one week following the first Department meeting of each academic year to select both the committee Chair and the undergraduate assessment coordinator.  Additional meetings will be scheduled when issues within the purview of the graduate program committee arise.

4.      Outreach program committee

a.  Definition

The outreach program committee shall be composed of four members of the Department faculty.  The Department Chair shall serve as an ex officio member of the committee.  The committee shall be charged with all matters pertaining to education efforts, except resident students and degree programs, and applied research supporting outreach efforts.

b.  Appointment/termination procedures

The executive committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for the committee prior to the first Department meeting of each academic year.  The nominees receiving the most votes from voting faculty shall be added to the committee to replace committee members whose terms have expired.  The committee shall meet within one week of the election to select a committee Chair and recorder.  Terms shall be for four years with the possibility of serving two consecutive terms.  Terms of the committee members shall be staggered so one new member, or one reelected member, is added each year.  Within-term vacancies shall be replaced by special faculty vote conducted within one month of the vacancy, with the elected member assuming the remainder of the departing member’s term.  Members added to fill vacant positions may be reelected to one subsequent term.

 c.  The duties of the outreach program committee shall be:

                                             i.            To facilitate Extension and outreach activities offered by the Department;

                                           ii.            To identify needs and facilitate coordination of Extension and outreach programs within the Department and among other disciplines at NDSU;

                                          iii.            To identify needs and facilitate coordination of executive education programs within the Department and among other disciplines at NDSU

                                         iv.            To familiarize faculty with planning and reporting impacts of individual or group outreach and Extension programs; and

                                           v.            To inform the Department Chair of opportunities, needs, and voids in faculty and other resources important to the Department’s Extension and outreach mission.

d.   Meetings – frequency/procedure for calling a meeting

The committee shall meet within one week following the first Department meeting of each academic year to select the committee Chair and recorder.  Additional meetings will be scheduled when issues within the purview of the outreach program committee arise.

Departmental Faculty

1.      Definition/categories

Academic staff shall include individuals appointed by the North Dakota State Board of Higher Education with probationary, tenured, or special appointments.

Academic staff appointments are defined in NDSU policy SECTION 350.1 (Board Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure; Academic Appointments):

a.      PROBATIONARY APPOINTMENTS are renewable annually and yield credit toward tenure. Initial probationary appointment must be entirely supported by state appropriated funds. The probationary term is limited to six years of continuous academic service, excluding Extensions to the term or exceptions to the continuous service requirement granted in exceptional circumstances.

b.      TENURED APPOINTMENTS recognize a right, subject to Board policy, to continuous academic year employment in an academic unit or program area as defined by an institution and stated on the contract.

c.      SPECIAL APPOINTMENTS of academic staff do not involve either tenure credit or status. Special appointments are all appointments except tenured or probationary appointments, including:

(1) Courtesy adjunct appointments; (2) Visiting appointments; (3) Appointments of retired faculty; (4) Initial appointments supported wholly or partially by other than state appropriated funds; (5) Appointments clearly limited to a brief association with the institution; (6) Terminal appointments given with notice of non-renewal to faculty members who were previously on probationary appointment; (7) Part-time faculty; (8) Lectureship appointments; (9) Graduate teaching assistant appointments; (10) Postdoctoral fellowships and clinical appointments; and (11) Other faculty appointments, not probationary or tenured.

2.      Duties and responsibilities

Basic faculty obligations are stated in NDSU policy 320 (Faculty obligations and time requirements):

Regular faculty appointments carry those responsibilities and privileges traditionally identified with academic positions. While a minimum of specific restrictions are imposed on the activities of a faculty member, they are under obligation to render to the University the most effective service of which they are capable.  Moreover, they are expected to increase their depth and range of competency with increased length of service. All members of the faculty have a responsibility to develop their professional proficiency.

Faculty duties and responsibilities with respect to teaching are outlined in NDSU policies 330-339, research policies are listed in sections 340-346, and University promotion and tenure policies are in sections 350-353.  Specific departmental promotion and tenure policies are listed in the Department policies approved by the Vice President for Academic Affairs on September 1, 1999.

3.   Voting faculty

The voting faculty of the Department includes all probationary and tenured faculty, lecturers, and Extension specialists who are engaged in teaching, research and outreach education with 50 percent or more of their salary administered through the Department.  Academic staff on official leaves of absence are not eligible for voting on departmental matters.

Department Meetings

1.      Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the official parliamentary procedures for Department faculty meetings.