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These Bylaws are authorized by Part 2, Chapter I, Section 5, of the University of Nevada, Reno(UNR), Bylaws.

Unit bylaws are subordinate to the bylaws and policies of the university and to the Code and policies of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). In the event of a conflict between the unit bylaws and the NSHE Code and policies or university bylaws and policies, the unit bylaws shall be superseded by the others and the policies of the university or the NSHE shall apply.

The Bylaws provide for (1) the organization and administrative structure and (2) the personnel policies and procedures for the Southern Area of the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) and are consistent with the UNCE Bylaws, the UNR Bylaws, the University of Nevada System Code and the laws of Southern Nevada Counties, Nevada and the United States.

The Bylaws shall be in effect upon approval by two-thirds of faculty, the Area Director, and the Dean and Director.

Any voting member of Southern Area may propose amendments to the Bylaws. To amend the Bylaws, the following procedure is required.

1. Submit proposed amendment to the Chair of the Policies and Bylaws Committee of the Southern Area. The Chair will be responsible for scheduling a meeting and placing the proposed amendment on the agenda.
2. Hold open discussions with faculty sponsored by Policies and Bylaws Committee members regarding the proposed amendment.
3. Forward the proposed amendment to all voting members of Southern Area for a vote by written secret ballot.

Amendments shall be adopted upon: (1) a two-thirds majority vote of the faculty casting votes,which shall be valid only if a majority of the eligible voting faculty cast votes; (2) approval of the Southern Area Director; and(3) approval of the Dean and Director of UNCE.Most recently approved Area Bylaws shall be made available by being placed on file in the Department and College administrative offices.

Questions of interpretation of the Bylaws shall be directed first to the Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee, which shall review the question and within twenty working days forward its recommendation to the Area Director. The Area Director shall review the question and within twenty working days report his/her interpretation to the Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee and to the originator of the question. If the interpretation fails to satisfy the question, the Area Director shall promptly forward his or her recommendation and that of the Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee to the Dean, whose ruling shall be final.

The functions of UNCE are to identify community issues, interpret and encourage the application of basic and applied research; and develop, implement, and evaluate community-based educational programs using a variety of methods to enhance people’s knowledge and skills.

The Southern Area is comprised of several county UNCE offices which serve Clark, Southern Nye, and Lincoln Counties and consists of an administrative group and programmatic teams.

The Southern Area is composed of:

1. Area Director

   The Area Director is the appointed administrator who functions as a department chair similar to other departments in the NSHE.

2. Faculty

   Faculty shall consist of all persons holding authorized professional positions and assigned to the Southern Area. Faculty will be classified as academic, administrative, or unranked.

   1. Academic faculty

      Tenure track faculty who participate on programmatic teams with a focus on program development and research.Tenured and tenure-track academic faculty may be employed at a rank IV, III, or II. As defined in Code 3.2.1, Rank 0 or Rank I positions are not eligible for appointment with, nor shall have, tenure under any circumstances. Faculty in Rank 0 may be employed at rank 0 (IV), 0 (III), 0 (II), or 0 (I).

   2. Administrative faculty

      Faculty in personnel, finance, marketing and public relations, and other related roles who serve in the administrative group.

   3. Unranked faculty

      There shall be Rank Zero (0) positions for lecturers, or positions with appropriate titles, reserved for persons with special qualifications that do not fit criteria for the four ranks (B/R 1/99)

3. Support personnel

   Support personnel include, but are not limited to, state classified and county staff.

4. Volunteers

   This group shall consist of all persons who are officially recognized as volunteers in specific Southern Area programs.

5. Participants

   This group is composed of persons participating in any program offered in the Southern Area.

6. Graduate and undergraduate students

   Graduate and undergraduate students are enrolled university/college students completing student internships, rotations, or scholarly work toward a degree.

Organizational changes shall be made in accordance with Part 2, Chapter I, section 7 of the UNR Bylaws. The creation, abolition, transfer or any substantial alteration in the mission, function, structure, or location of the Southern Area shall require prior consultation with faculty and support personnel of Southern Area and others that may be directly affected, the Dean and Director or designated administrator concerned, and the faculty senate, as well as the UNR president. Review by the Faculty Senate will be conducted in accordance with Faculty Senate Guidelines and Procedures for the Review of Changes in Organization.

The Area Director shall be chief administrative and executive officer of the Southern Area, serving as chair at all open faculty meetings and as member ex officio of all Southern Area committees. The Area Director shall exercise voting rights only in order to break tie votes.

The Area Director reports to the Dean and Director of UNCE and is the principal administrator responsible for Extension programming and faculty/staff development. The Area Director functions as an integral member of UNCE’s administrative team to help develop and implement federal, state, county and university policies.

The Area Director has responsibility for administering the Southern Area according to Southern Area UNCE Bylaws, the University of Nevada, Reno Bylaws, the University of Nevada System Code, county and federal directives, applicable laws as described in the University Administrative Manual, and as specified by the University President.

The primary responsibility of the Area Director of the Southern Area shall be to administer the Southern Area of UNCE, provide leadership to Southern Area, and carryout responsibilities that include, but are not limited to: work with the administrative group to ensure appropriate personnel, finance, and community relations functions are consistently implemented; work with faculty to define program and budget goals; convene Southern Area faculty meetings; participate in and forward faculty evaluations and promotion and tenure recommendations consistent with UNR Bylaws,Part 3, Chapter III, section 38;represent Southern Area to other academic constituents; and communicate with UNCE faculty, support personnel, volunteers and local, county and state decision makers.

The Area Director may have a representative(s) act on his or her behalf as deemed appropriate.

The area director is the sole administrator of the Southern Area. The addition of any other administrators (i.e. associate or assistant area directors) must be authorized by the Dean and Director and the President of UNR. The creation of and duties and responsibilities of additional administrator positions shall be determined in consultation with Southern Area faculty prior to approval of the position.

Standing committees of Southern Area shall include: (a) Personnel Committee, and (b) Policies and Bylaws Committee. Each will be composed of representative voting faculty and will conduct business as outlined in the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Southern Area. Other ad hoc committees may be established as needs arise.

The faculty shall govern themselves in accordance with these Bylaws, the Policies and Procedures of the Southern Area, UNCE Bylaws and Policies and Procedures, University of Nevada Bylaws, the NSHE Code, and the laws of the counties, state of Nevada and the United States.

The faculty of UNCE is defined as per Part 2, Chapter III, sections 13-20 of the UNR Bylaws. Faculty shall therefore include all continuing full-time and part-time faculty with a at least a 0.5 FTE assigned to the Southern Area.

Voting faculty shall consist of those faculty with professional FTEs allocated to UNCE and assigned in the Southern Area. These professional FTEs shall be academic, administrative, and unranked faculty as defined per Part 2, Chapter III, sections 15 and 16 of the UNR Bylaws but can also include faculty in authorized continuing part-time positions with at least a 0.5 FTE of their FTE in UNCE.

Voting rights of Southern Area UNCE faculty shall be consistent with those defined by Part 2, Chapter III, sections 19 of the UNR Bylaws. Those faculty with joint appointments with other units and that have more than 0.50 FTE of their appointment in Southern Area shall be considered voting faculty.

Administrative faculty cannot vote on issues that pertain only to academic or unranked faculty. Academic faculty cannot vote on issues that pertain only to administrative or unranked faculty. Unranked faculty cannot vote on issues that pertain only to administrative or academic faculty.

Proxy voting is recognized with the written authorization of the person designating the proxy and notification of such designation to the presiding officer prior to the vote.

The faculty may hold meetings for discussion of or action on any matter concerning programs, policies, functions or faculty welfare in the Southern Area. Meetings may be called: by the Area Director; or by a petition signed by thirty percent of the faculty which has been submitted to the Area Director. Meetings called by petition shall be convened by the Area Director within ten working days of receipt of the petition. Notification of Southern Area faculty meetings shall be provided to faculty at least five working days prior to the meeting, unless there is an emergency. The Area Director or a designee shall serve as presiding officer at the faculty meetings. The presiding officer shall determine the order of business and shall provide opportunity for introduction of new business from the floor.Upon request of any member of the faculty, faculty meeting will be conducted according to the latest edition of Sturgis’ Rules of Order.

Southern Area faculty shall have all the rights and privileges of the University of Nevada, Reno faculty as provided in Part 3, Chapter I, Sections 24, 25, and 26 of the UNR Bylaws.

All personnel files maintained for UNCE shall be considered part of the official personnel file for each member of the faculty and shall be maintained in accordance with UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter I, Sections 27, 28, and 29.

Grievance policies and procedures are established in Part 3, Chapter II of the UNR Bylaws.

All faculty except the faculty in the administrative group will be assigned to a programmatic team for the purposes of program planning, role statements, budget and evaluation processes. Professional responsibilities for each faculty member will be defined in an annual role statement document. The approval process will be completed by administration within 45 days of the original due date. The role statement will be mutually agreed upon by the individual faculty and the Area Director. The Area Director will return the role statement within 15 days to the faculty member with comments if refinement is needed. When Area Director approves final copy, he/she will sign and forward to the Dean and Director for signature. Role statement revisions may be initiated by the faculty member anytime during the year with the approval of the Area Director and the Dean and Director. Responsibilities of UNCE faculty shall be consistent with UNR Bylaws,Part 3, Chapter III, section 35.

If the faculty member and the supervisor cannot agree about specified responsibilities, the matter shall be presented to the Dean who shall consult with the involved parties and make a written recommendation. If the Dean's recommendation fails to satisfy the faculty member, the Dean shall set the specified responsibilities and expectations for the faculty member. If the faculty member objects to the specified professional responsibilities and performance expectations set for the faculty member by the Dean, the faculty member, in accordance with the Professional Responsibilities Section of the UNR Bylaws, may file a grievance under the grievance procedures established in the UNR Bylaws.

1. Annual evaluations

   The Faculty as a whole contributes to the educational, research, and public service missions of the University in categories of responsibility stated in the Professional Responsibilities Section of the UNR Bylaws.In general, Faculty are evaluated in three areas of responsibility: 1) teaching, 2) research, scholarly, and creative work, and 3) public and university service. The relative weights assigned may vary according to the Faculty member's assigned responsibilities.

   Each faculty member whose FTE is assigned to Southern Area or holds a joint assignment with the largest proportion of the FTE (51% or more) assigned to Southern Area shall be evaluated annually according to specified professional responsibilities in order to assess the quality of professional performance as excellent, commendable, satisfactory or unsatisfactory. In those cases where a faculty member has a minor appointment in Southern Area and where appropriate and agreed upon, Southern Area faculty will provide input into the evaluation process.

   Both academic and administrative faculty shall be evaluated by the accepted criteria for that rank or range and according to professional responsibilities and performance expectations as specified in the individual annual role statement and in conformance with the UNR Bylaws, Sections on Evaluation and Personnel Recommendations. Evaluation ratings shall be unsatisfactory, satisfactory, commendable or excellent as specified in the NSHE Code.

   Expectations for faculty evaluations will be consistent with UNR Bylaws, Chapter III, sections 36 –40 and 47; legal requirements of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914, as amended every five years; and Nevada Revised Statute No. 396.600, as well as the Policy and Procedures Manual for the Southern Area.

   Evaluations shall follow criteria and process as outlined in the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Southern Area.

2. Tenure evaluations

   Except for exemptions designated in the NSHE Code, all academic faculty will serve a probationary period as defined in the Code and the UNR Bylaws.

   A three year review is mandated by the NSHE Code and UNR Bylaws, procedures for which are described in the UNCE Policies and Procedures.

   Academic faculty usually have a majority of their assignment in teaching. Evidence of excellent performance in Extension teaching with a minimum of satisfactory in research—scholarly and creative work or excellent in research—scholarly and creative work with a minimum of commendable in teaching shall be a requirement for tenure or promotion (UNR Bylaws, Section on Standards for Recommending Appointment with Tenure). In addition, a faculty member shall also demonstrate satisfactory performance in service.

   In accordance with UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter III, sections 37 –40 and Chapter IV, sections 41-43, a probationary member of the faculty may be recommended for tenure by his/her peers in any year during the probationary period. The probationary faculty members also must be evaluated and advised regarding prospects for a tenure recommendation no later than during the third probationary year and, if not granted tenure, annually thereafter. The probationary faculty member shall be informed of this evaluation in writing, including the program of improvement, if needed, that must be undertaken to be considered for tenure at a later date. See section 3.3 of the NSHE Code. Criteria used will be defined in the standards of Criteria for Promotion and Tenure as established in Part 3, Chapter III, section 20.B of UNCE Bylaws as well as the Southern Area standards and criteria for promotion and tenure.

   1. Tenure Evaluation Procedures -Faculty applying for tenure will complete the required University application paperwork and submit to the Area Director who must solicit a minimum of three outside reviews of the tenure application package. Outside reviewers solicited by the Area Director should include persons in similar positions at comparable universities in other states. The faculty member’s role statement and Southern Area UNCE standards and criteria for tenure must be sent along with the tenure package to outside reviewers.

      In the event that a faculty member is applying for tenure, all tenured faculty members in the Southern Area will review credentials and meet to discuss the application. Following university guidelines, the application packet will include at least three letters from reviewers outside NSHE in similar positions at comparable universities who could judge the accomplishments of the faculty members. A chair will be appointed by the Area Director to develop a written summary and include the vote of the tenured faculty members. After discussing the credentials, faculty will vote on tenure through a secret written ballot. The chair of the committee will collect and announce the vote. The vote and written summary will be forwarded to the Area Director as a peer recommendation. Following the peer review, the Area Director also will write a recommendation, and if there is at least one positive recommendation, both recommendations will be forwarded to the Dean and Director of UNCE.If there are no positive recommendations, no recommendation will go forward. The Area Director must respond to the faculty member as to why their application did not go forward. Reconsideration can be sought by the faculty member in accordance to UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter II, 33.b.

3. Promotion evaluation
   1. Academic faculty

      In accordance with UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter III, section 38and the Bylaws of UNCE, Part 3, Chapter III, section 21.C, a member of the Southern Area faculty may be considered for promotion in any year. A Rank 0 (I), Rank 0 (II) or Rank II faculty member shall be evaluated in writing by the department and/or Dean/Director regarding progress toward promotion no later than the end of the third full academic year in rank, and annually thereafter. A Rank 0 (III) or a Rank III faculty member shall be evaluated in writing by the department and/or Dean/Director regarding progress toward promotion no later than the end of the sixth full academic year in rank. The above specified times shall not be construed as a minimum time in rank before promotion. Any rank may be a terminal rank.

      • Promotion to Rank II or Rank 0(II). Promotion to Rank II shall be based on quality of performance, usually in the primary area of responsibility, appropriate professional activity, and promise of continuing professional development. It requires at least a commendable rating on the most recent annual evaluation in the area of primary assignment.

      • Promotion to Rank III or Rank 0(III). Besides a generally consistent overall evaluation of excellent or commendable, candidates for Rank III shall have shown excellent performance in the primary area of responsibility, appropriate research, professional activities, service to the University, and evidence of continuing professional development. Regional/multi-state recognition is usually expected to be promoted to this level.

      • Promotion to Rank IV or Rank 0(IV). Besides a generally consistent overall evaluation of excellent or commendable, candidates for Rank IV shall have shown excellent performance in the primary area of responsibility, appropriate research, professional activities, service to the University and continuing professional development. National recognition is usually expected to be promoted to this level.

      • Promotion Evaluation Procedures - Procedures are outlined in Policies and Procedures Manual for Southern Area UNCE. Faculty formally applying for promotion will complete the required University application paperwork and submit to the Area Director who will forward it to a promotion committee for review. Outside reviewers solicited by the Area Director should include persons in a similar position at comparable universities in other states. When outside peer review is solicited, the faculty member’s role statement and Southern Area UNCE standards and criteria for promotion must be sent along with the promotion package.

        In the case of promotion applications, faculty at or above the rank to which the faculty member is applying will serve as the promotion committee. For those applying for associate professor, all associate professors and professors will review the application materials, including at least three outside reviews, and meet to discuss the application. For those applying for professor, all those at the professor rank will serve as the promotion committee. When there are fewer than three faculty on any promotion committee, the Area Director, in consultation with the Dean and Director, will appoint one or more faculty members from a university within NSHE, and at the appropriate rank, to serve on the promotion committee. The Area Director will appoint a chair of the committee to provide a written summary of key comments and the final vote. As with the tenure committee, committee members will meet and discuss the materials and then take a secret written ballot to support or not support the application. A summary then will be written, including the final vote, and forwarded to the Area Director. The Area Director will write an additional recommendation and forward both recommendations to the Dean and Director of UNCE.

        If the faculty member disagrees with the recommendation, he/she may ask for reconsideration through regular administrative channels as specified in the NSHE Code, Subsection 5.2.4. Further recourse is defined in Part 3, Chapter II of the UNR Bylaws.

   2. Administrative faculty

      A reclassification of an administrative faculty member is in recognition of the level of work and responsibilities of that position. A member of the administrative faculty may request reclassification of the administrative range of his/her current position at any time.

4. Merit evaluations

   In accordance with Part 3, Chapter III, section 36 of the UNR Bylaws, all members of the faculty who receive an overall evaluation of “excellent” or “commendable” on their annual evaluations shall be considered meritorious.

5. Grievance

   General guidelines regarding grievances including a description of circumstances under which grievances may be filed are provided in the UNR Bylaws, Sections 33a and b.

6. Reappointment

   A probationary member of the faculty shall be evaluated and formally considered annually for reappointment by the tenured Area faculty and the Area Director.

7. Evaluation of the area director

   The Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee will conduct an annual Evaluation of the Area Director soliciting input from all Southern Area faculty and staff. Results of the annual evaluation will be forwarded to the Dean and Director for use in his/her evaluation of the Area Director.

All personnel evaluations involving tenure, promotion, annual evaluations and merit evaluations which may result in salary increases shall be made on the basis of the person’s professional performance in meeting specified professional responsibilities.

All personnel recommendations involving tenure, promotion, and annual review shall follow the procedures and schedule specified by the UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter III, Sections 37 -39 and the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Southern Area.

1. Evaluation

   The Dean and Director shall inform each faculty member of final annual evaluation rating and/or merit award within 15 calendar days from the date of making the recommendation. If the faculty member disagrees with the recommendation regarding tenure, a salary increase, promotion or reappointment to employment, he or she may ask for reconsideration through regular administrative channels as specified in the NSHE Code, Subsection 5.2.4 and the UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter III, Section 37 within15 calendar days of the receipt of the written reasons. Further recourse is defined in Part 3, Chapter II of the UNR Bylaws. A faculty member shall receive written notice from the appropriate administrator of reasons for the evaluation, including the recommendations of any peer review involved.

   All annual evaluations shall be made on the basis of the person’s professional performance in meeting the responsibilities specified in Section 20 of the Southern Area Bylaws. All such evaluations shall be initiated at the department/area level and forwarded to the Dean and Director. In the event that the evaluation is negative at the department/area level, the faculty can follow the recourse outlined in the grievance procedures as established in Part 3, Chapter II of the UNR Bylaws.

   All evaluations shall be in writing, with copies provided for the faculty member’s personal and personnel files. The purpose of all evaluation processes shall be to inform the faculty member of his or her observed strengths, to initiate correction of any observed weaknesses, and to provide an opportunity for a mutual discussion of the evaluation.

2. Promotion and tenure

   The Dean and Director shall inform each faculty member of final promotion and/or tenure recommendation rating and/or merit award within 15 calendar days from the date of making the recommendation. If the faculty member disagrees with the recommendation regarding tenure, a salary increase, promotion or reappointment to employment, he or she may ask for reconsideration through regular administrative channels as specified in the NSHE Code, Subsection 5.2.4 and the UNR Bylaws, Part 3, Chapter III, Section 37 within 15 calendar days of the receipt of the written reasons. Further recourse is defined in Part 3, Chapter II of the UNR Bylaws. A faculty member shall receive written notice from the appropriate administrator of reasons for the evaluation, including the recommendations of any peer review involved.

   n cases of at least one positive recommendation for promotion and/or tenure, the Area Director shall forward the application to the UNCE Dean and Director who will seek a recommendation from the UNCE Personnel Committee. With a positive recommendation from the UNCE Personnel Committee, the Dean and Director shall append his or her recommendation, if positive, and forward the entire packet to the UNR Academic Vice President. In the event that the recommendation is negative at either the area or college level, the faculty can follow the recourse outlined in the grievance procedures as established in Part 3, Chapter II of the UNR Bylaws.

All evaluations and personnel recommendations shall be made consistent with Part 3, Chapter III, sections 37 -42of UNR Bylaws, with the Mission of UNCE, and the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Southern Area UNCE.

Faculty evaluations for promotion and tenure shall be conducted with respect to the criteria as set forth in Standards of Criteria for Promotion and Tenure for UNCE as well as the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Southern Area.

The Southern Area Director shall be evaluated annually with respect to the criteria specified but not limited to that in Part 3, Chapter III, section 20.F. of the UNCE Bylaws

1. Reappointment criteria

   The probationary faculty must achieve a minimum overall rating of satisfactory on the annual evaluation to qualify for reappointment. In addition, the faculty member must be making sufficient progress toward tenure in order to maintain reappointment over the probationary period.

The justification, eligibility, probationary period, granting of tenure, notice of tenure, termination of tenure, financial or curricular reasons for termination, expiration of tenure, tenured faculty in administrative positions, relinquishment of tenure on transfer and annual performance evaluation of tenured faculty shall be addressed as per Part 3, Chapter IV, Sections 41-52 of the UNR Bylaws.

Recommendations to initiate a search for the appointment of new Southern Area faculty shall originate in the Southern Area by the Area Director in consultation with the faculty. No new faculty appointments will be made without a search.

The Southern Area Director shall appoint a search committee chair who must be a faculty member of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Search committees shall have a minimum of five members. The Southern Area Director shall appoint at least two members of the Southern Area faculty to search committees, one of which must be a member of the programmatic/administrative team in which the vacancy occurs. Other members can be added from faculty in other units, Extension staff, and/or community members by the Southern Area Director.

The terms and conditions of employment shall be specified in the contract in accordance with the NSHE Code, Subsections 5.4.1 through 5.4.4.

The Dean and Director shall consider recommendations of the search committee and the Southern Area Director prior to forwarding a final recommendation for the President’s approval.

The Dean and Director, in making a nomination for Southern Area Director to the President, shall consult with Southern Area faculty. Consultation shall involve a faculty search committee selected as outlined.

1. Search procedure for the Southern Area Director

   In the case of a vacancy and availability of an open FTE, Southern Area faculty will recommend to the Dean and Director an Acting Area Director by written secret ballot conducted by the Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee.Said Acting Area Director shall serve until a national search is conducted. A national search must be initiated within four months of vacancy. Southern Area faculty that serves on the Southern Area Director’s Search Committee, including the chairperson, will be elected by Southern Area faculty in a vote process conducted by the Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee. The search committee shall have a minimum of six members, including the chair who will be a faculty member. The majority of the committee will be composed of Southern Area faculty and staff, with a minimum of three academic faculty (one from each of the programmatic teams), one administrative faculty,one staff from the Southern Area and one member from the community. Other members may be added from faculty in other units, Extension staff, and/or community members by the Dean and Director.

   In the case of a vacancy and no open FTE, the chair of the Southern Area Policies and Bylaws Committee will convene a meeting of the Southern Area faculty and staff to recommend to the Dean and Director an existing faculty member to serve as the Area Director. All Southern Area faculty and staff have the opportunity to participate in the discussion and vote on a nominee. A quorum of the Southern Area faculty and staff is necessary for a recommendation to be made, and a person will be recommended based on a simple majority of those voting, including absentee ballots.

2. Removal of the Southern Area Director

   The faculty reserves the right to request removal of the Area Director at any time. Any Faculty member may request a meeting of the Southern Area Personnel Committee to discuss removal of the Area Director. A recommendation of removal must be made by secret ballot of the faculty. A two-thirds majority vote is required for submission of the department request to the Dean and Director.