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Revised and Approved July 2018

 

Article I - Key Constituents

  1. General Medical Faculty
    1. The General Medical Faculty comprises all persons holding appointments (includes full time, part time) in the School of Medicine as professor, associate professor, assistant professor or instructor, including all tracks.
       
    2. The members of the General Medical Faculty who shall have the right to vote will, henceforth, be referred to as the voting General Medical Faculty. The voting General Medical Faculty shall comprise the full-time professors, associate professors, and assistant professors in the School of Medicine, including all tracks.
  2. Executive Faculty
    1. The Executive Faculty shall consist of:
      1. President of the University (ex officio)
         
      2. Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences (ex officio)
         
      3. Dean (Chair, ex officio)
         
      4. Vice-Dean(s), Senior Associate, Associate, and/or Assistant Dean(s) (ex officio)
         
      5. Directors of Divisions, Centers, or Programs (ex officio)
         
      6. Chairs of all departments which are included under the administration of the Medical School
         
      7. Chair of the General Medical Faculty
         
      8. Immediate past Chair of the General Medical Faculty
  3. Dean
    1. The Dean shall be the chief administrative officer of the School of Medicine.
       
    2. The procedure for making his/her appointment as well as specifying his/her responsibilities and authority shall be consistent with the rules and regulations established by the University.
  4. Medical School Committees
    1. Committees shall be divided into standing and ad hoc committees.
       
    2. The standing and ad hoc committees will be specified in the Bylaws.

Article II Organization

  1. The School of Medicine is one of the professional schools of Tulane University.
     
  2. The faculty of the School of Medicine consists of the President of the University (ex officio), the Senior Vice President for the Health Sciences, the Dean, the Vice-Dean(s), the Senior Associate, Associate and Assistant Dean(s), the standing members of the Executive Faculty, and the General Medical Faculty..
     
  3. The major entities shall be Divisions, Centers, Programs, and Departments, each having representation on the Executive Faculty.
     
  4. Administrative heads of divisions, centers, clinics, laboratories, institutes, and programs shall be designated as Directors, those of Departments as Chairs, those of sections as Chiefs.
     
  5. Directors of centers, institutes, and programs involving more than one Department or discipline, report to the Senior Vice President and Dean.
     
  6. Departments represent the commonly recognized major disciplines included in conventional undergraduate medical curricula. A department may be organized into sub-units by the Chair of the Department with the consent of the Dean.
    1. Sections are sub-units within a Department or division which have a recognizable functioning program and may be established when warranted.
  7. Personnel comprising Divisions, Departments, or Sections include:
    1. Faculty members responsible for teaching, patient care, service and/or research.
       
    2. Staff members, serving in capacities such as administrative or research assistants, secretaries, clerks, technical specialists, and technicians.
  8. Regular Faculty Appointments
    1. There shall be the following regular faculty appointments:
      1. Professor
         
      2. Associate Professor
         
      3. Assistant Professor
         
      4. Instructor
         
    2. There shall be the following regular faculty tracks:
      1. Tenure track
         
      2. Clinical track
         
      3. Research track
         
      4. Education track
    3. Certain faculty appointments are denoted by the following prefixes:
      1. Clinical or Adjunct, as a prefix to the rank signifies regular part-time service on the Faculty
         
      2. Visiting, as a prefix to the faculty rank signifies the status of a faculty member from outside of Tulane University, when the appointment is either temporary or intermittent.
         
      3. Emeritus may be recommended, at the discretion of the Executive Faculty, as a mark of recognition of a faculty member retiring by reason of age or health. If the faculty does not meet the criteria to be designated as "Emeritus" upon retirement, the suffix "Retired" will be used when the Executive Faculty wishes to recognize past services.
         
    4. Special faculty appointment indicates an appointment which neither leads to tenure nor is to be regarded as a probationary appointment that may lead to tenure. The following are examples of special appointments:
      1. prearranged restricted term of service
         
      2. appointment as a visiting professor
         
      3. appointment for a summer session only
         
      4. appointment for a special project
         
      5. appointment for a definite time limit
         
      6. appointment concerned with a project for which continued financial salary support is not assured.
         
    5. Other designations on the instructional track are:
      1. Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Professor of the Practice, or Senior Professor of the Practice. See the faculty handbook for description.
         
    6. Ordinarily, a faculty member has a primary appointment in a single department, notwithstanding that he/she may participate in the program of other departments; such participation alone does not justify concurrent appointment in more than one department. (Examples: extra-departmental sharing of a research project, contributing occasional "service" to another department, either in the form of teaching or application of specialized knowledge and skill).
      1. Secondary appointments
        1. A full-time or part-time faculty member who contributes meaningfully to the mission of a department other than their primary appointment.
           
        2. Titles of faculty with secondary appointments will have a prefix of Adjunct.
           
        3. The professional qualifications and duties are appropriate, in the judgment of the secondary Department.
           
        4. The secondary appointment must be approved by both the primary department and secondary department and by the Dean.
      2. Dual appointment is justified when:
        1. A full-time faculty member has responsibilities which are clearly and substantially divided between two departments.
           
        2. The professional qualifications and duties actually suffice, in the judgment of the Committee on Personnel and Honors, and the Executive Faculty, for independent appointment in each of the departments concerned.

      Article III Responsibilities and Powers of the Principal Organs and Administrative Officers

      1. The General Medical Faculty
        1. Shall be apprised of all major decisions made by the Dean and by the Executive Faculty at regular quarterly meetings or at special meetings of the General Medical Faculty called for this purpose. At such meetings, all major actions made by the Dean and by the Executive Faculty shall be presented by the Dean for discussion. The Agenda for each meeting shall be circulated to each member of the General Medical Faculty at least one week prior to such meeting.
           
        2. May disapprove any of these decisions by a simple majority electronic vote of the voting members of the General Medical Faculty by electronic ballot. In the event of disapproval by a simple majority electronic vote of the General Medical Faculty of any major action made by the Dean and/or by the Executive Faculty these shall be referred back to the Dean and to the Executive Faculty for reconsideration.
           
        3. Shall consider and act upon, at the regularly scheduled or special meetings of the General Medical Faculty, those matters referred to it by the Dean and/or the Executive Faculty.
           
        4. May individually or as a group make recommendations to the Executive Faculty and the Dean.
           
      2. The Executive Faculty
        1. The Executive Faculty shall be the administrative committee of the Tulane School of Medicine. Ex officio members shall not have the voting privileges on the Executive Faculty except the Dean of the School of Medicine, who, in the case of a tie, may vote.
           
        2. The Executive Faculty shall:
          1. formulate and make decisions on School policy
             
          2. act upon and respond to recommendations submitted to it by the standing committees, ad hoc committees, the General Medical Faculty and the Dean within a reasonable time period, generally within 45 days of receipt.
      3. The Dean
        1. The Dean is the Executive Officer of the School of Medicine, and shall assume the responsibility for the continual review of the role and operation of the Medical School and for recommending measures appropriate to the changing needs of the School. The Dean shall:
          1. administer the affairs of the School with the assistance of Vice-Dean(s), Senior Associate, Associate and/or Assistant Deans, and the Department Chairs, and with the consent of the Executive Faculty and the General Medical Faculty;
             
          2. have the authority to appoint and remove Vice-Dean(s), Senior Associate, Associate, and/or Assistant Deans and other administrative personnel in accordance with established policies and practices of the University;
             
          3. select candidates for Department Chair on recommendation of the Search Committee for approval by the Personnel and Honors Committee, the Executive Faculty, and following consultation with the faculty of the relevant department.
             
          4. serve as the liaison between the General Medical Faculty and the Administration of the University;
             
          5. represent the School of Medicine as executive officer in all external matters including communications media and external agencies and individuals;
             
          6. (Dean or his/her designee) shall review all appointments and promotions recommended by the Department Chairs and refer these recommendations to the Personnel and Honors Committee, the Executive Faculty, and the University Provost (when indicated) for final action;
             
          7. (Dean or his/her designee) act on appointments and promotions recommended by Department Chairs, at the ranks of Lecturer, and Instructor, without referring to the Personnel and Honors Committee, the Executive Faculty, or the University Provost;
             
          8. appoint standing committees and ad hoc committees of the Executive Faculty;
             
          9. serve as an ex officio member of all committees appointed by the Dean.
             
      4. The Departmental Chairs
        1. They shall have the authority and responsibility for administering the affairs of their respective departments, in consultation with the departmental faculty and the Dean. This includes recommending appointments to the faculty, recommending changes in salary and rank, and assigning working space within the Department.
           

        Article IV Amendments to the Constitution

        1. Proposals to amend this Constitution may be originated by any voting member of the General Medical Faculty. The proposed amendment will be submitted electronically to the Chair of the General Medical Faculty with a copy to the Office of Faculty Affairs for presentation and review at regular or special meetings of the General Medical Faculty.
          1. Proposed amendments must be considered at a General Medical Faculty Meeting within three months of notifying the Chair of the General Medical Faculty.
             
          2. Proposed amendments will be reviewed during at least two meetings of the General Medical Faculty to include a first and second reading. Notice of the proposed amendment shall appear in the agenda of two meetings and shall be circulated electronically to all members of the voting General Medical Faculty at least one week in advance of the meetings.
             
          3. Changes in wording of the proposed amendment as previously circulated may be adopted provided such changes do not alter the original intent or sense of the amendments.
             
          4. A simple majority of the voting General Medical Faculty is required for approval. Voting will be done electronically.
             
          5. Proposed amendments approved by the General Medical Faculty will be forwarded to the Executive Faculty of the School of Medicine for review and approval.
        2. Proposed amendments of this Constitution may be presented in a regular or special meeting of the Executive Faculty.
          1. Changes in wording of the proposed amendment as previously approved may be adopted provided such changes do not alter the original intent or sense of the amendments.
             
          2. If substantially changed, the amendment shall be presented to the General Medical Faculty for action, as outlined in Article IV Part A.
             
          3. Amendments to this constitution after approval by the General Medical Faculty, and Executive Faculty will be forwarded to the Medical School Dean and the University Provost, and President. The Medical School Dean and the University Provost and President shall each have thirty days for review. If none of these reviewers rule to the contrary within their prescribed thirty days, then the amendment(s) shall be considered approved. The Board of Governors will be informed of the approved amendments.
        3. A copy of the current and any subsequently amended Constitution and By-Laws shall be maintained in the University Archives.

        Article V By-Laws

        1. Bylaws for the Constitution shall be established to outline in more detail the organization and management of the School of Medicine
           
        2. Proposed amendments to the Bylaws may be presented as follows:
          1. Amendments to the Bylaws may be originated and approved by the voting members of General Medical Faculty. Any proposed amendment may be submitted at a regular or special meeting of the General Medical Faculty and must be considered at a second meeting no less than one month and no more than three months later. Notice of the proposed action shall appear in the agenda of the first meeting at which the proposed amendment is considered and shall be circulated electronically to all members of the General Medical Faculty at least one week in advance of the second meeting. Any such amendments shall be adopted by a simple majority electronic vote, of all the voting members of the General Medical Faculty.
             
          2. Amendments or additions to the Bylaws may be proposed by action of the Executive Faculty. The amendment or addition shall then be presented to the General Medical Faculty for action as outlined in Part B, section 1 of this Article.
             
          3. Amendments to the Bylaws after approval by the General Medical Faculty in accordance with Article V; Part B, Section 2, must be approved by the Medical School Dean and the University Provost and President. The Dean, Provost, and the President shall each have ten days for review. If none of these reviewers rule to the contrary within their prescribed time limitation, then the amendment(s) shall be considered approved. The Board of Governors will be informed of the approved amendments.
             

Revised and Approved July 2018