School of Human Ecology
Governance Document
[Adopted by vote of the Budget Council: May 13, 2020]
Purpose
This document details the organization, operating procedures, and policies of the School of Human Ecology. All details below are intended to be consistent with University and College of Natural Sciences policies and procedures which take precedence. Additional relevant information can be found at the College of Natural Sciences Faculty Affairs website and in the Faculty Handbook and Chairs Handbooks, available online.
Overview
The School of Human Ecology (SoHE) is situated within the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. It includes two departments and two academic programs:
Department of Human Development and Family Sciences
Department of Nutritional Sciences
Public Health Program
Textiles and Apparel Program
The School also includes several specialized laboratories, institutes, projects, and programs.
The organization, operating procedures, and policies of the two departments are governed within those departments, as outlined in their respective governance documents. Governance of the School as explicated here is intended as supplemental to, rather than superseding, departmental governance, which have independent governance with respect to departmental internal leadership; committees; space; faculty recruitment, retention, and annual, mid-probationary, and promotion reviews; faculty merit reviews; and graduate programs and Graduate Studies Committees.
School leadership consists of:
School Director
Budget Council (all tenured Full Professors appointed in departments or programs in the school)
Extended Budget Council (membership defined below)
School Leadership Team, which includes:
• School Director
• Chairs of Departments
• Directors of Academic Programs
• Chair, SoHE Committee on Undergraduate Education • Chair, SoHE Committee on Graduate Education
• Academic Coordinator, Advising
• Assistant Director, Business Affairs
• Executive Assistant to the School Director
Ad hoc Committees (appointed by Director as needed)
School Director Responsibilities
Develops and implements a strategic plan in consultation with the School Leadership Team and faculty. The plan articulates the mission, goals, and strategies of the school, as well as measures of progress and success.
Prepares and administers the School’s annual budget in alignment with School, College and University goals, and ensuring effective management of School resources.
Allocates School resources, including space and budget.
Calls regular School faculty meetings and attends College and University committee meetings as needed.
Responsibilities pertaining to Public Health and Textiles and Apparel Programs:
Coordinates faculty hiring with the Dean on behalf of the School and academic programs; Ensures the quality and diversity of School faculty, staff and students through the process of recruiting, selecting, evaluating and retaining faculty members and staff.
Provides faculty salary and faculty teaching workload recommendations to the Dean with input from faculty.
Approves teaching assignments based on recommendations by the academic program directors.
Conducts faculty annual review, and provides guidance and structure for faculty and staff career progression.
Chair, Committee on Undergraduate Education
Serves as primary liaison for the School with College committees that oversee undergraduate education, including representing the School in College Course & Curriculum Committees.
Coordinates School-wide undergraduate teaching priorities.
Convenes & chairs the Committee on Undergraduate Education and subcommittees.
Chair, Committee on Graduate Education
Serves as primary liaison for the School of Human Ecology, College, and Graduate School committees.
Facilitates communication and potential coordination across graduate programs, and plans School-wide graduate activities.
Identifies possibilities for school-wide graduate teaching synergy, cooperation, or joint listing of courses.
Extended Budget Council
Includes all tenure-track faculty, and eligible faculty in clinical-, instruction-, and practice- track appointments (those with appointments ≥50%, and with two or more academic years of service; see UT Handbook of Operating Procedures, 2-1010, Sec. 6.B.1.b). Voting procedures will be consistent with university guidelines (i.e. for promotion and tenure, voting eligibility is based on rank). Affiliated faculty who have 0% appointments will not have voting privileges
Merit Review Committee (Elected) [Adopted by vote of the Extended Budget Council: September 8, 2020]
This policy applies to annual reviews for faculty appointed in the Academic Programs of the School (Textiles & Apparel and Public Health); Department-based faculty reviews will be conducted within Departments, led by the Department Chairs.
The SoHE Merit Review Committee is responsible for the annual review of all clinical-, instruction-, and practice-track faculty. Extended Budget Council faculty members from the programs of Public Health and Textiles & Apparel will vote on Merit Review Committee membership. The committee will be made up of 4 members, 2 from each Academic Program, with 3-year terms; only tenured faculty and faculty with ranks at or above associate level are eligible.
For the evaluation of tenured faculty and faculty with ranks at or above associate level in both academic programs, the School Director will appoint a merit review committee of tenured faculty from the School at ranks same or as higher than the faculty being reviewed, including the departments of Human Development & Family Sciences and Nutritional Sciences.
Committee on Undergraduate Education [Adopted by vote of the Budget Council: November 2, 2022]
This policy applies to the Academic Programs of the School (Textiles & Apparel, and Public Health) and curriculum (HE); Department-based undergraduate education is led within Departments. The SoHE Committee on Undergraduate Education receives, reviews, and routes Curriculum Change Proposals from the Academic Programs of the School to the College, Faculty Council and other University-level and external approvers. The committee is made up of a representative from each Department and Academic Program, typically the departmental associate chairs for undergraduate education and Academic Program directors. The committee is convened by the Chair of Undergraduate Education.
School Procedures and Policies
Faculty Reviews
This policy applies to faculty mid-probationary reviews (formerly 3rd year reviews), promotions, and comprehensive periodic reviews (CPR). The policy applies to all faculty appointed in the Academic Programs of the School (Textiles & Apparel, and Public Health); Department-based faculty reviews will be conducted within Departments, led by the Department Chairs.
The School Director will designate an ad-hoc committee for each faculty to be reviewed, made up of Extended Budget Council members at ranks above the candidate being reviewed. The composition of ad-hoc committees will be determined based on university guidelines (UT Handbook of Operating Procedures, 2-2150), and reviews will be conducted consistent with CNS guidelines (see CNS Faculty Affairs; Faculty Handbook; Faculty Evaluation).
For the purpose of voting on promotion reviews, a School Budget Council will consist of all SoHE tenured full professors plus all faculty of higher rank within a promotion candidate’s program.
Space Allocation and Assignment
For non-departmental space that is allocated by the Dean to the School, the Director will review space assignments and requests annually, and will make space allocation and assignment decisions in consultation with School leadership.
Diversity and Inclusion
The School of Human Ecology values and prioritizes diversity and inclusion with regard to every aspect of university life: instruction, research, and service to the broader community. We place this emphasis on inclusion with regard to actual or perceived race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, citizenship, veteran status, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability, age, marital, parenting, and family status, socioeconomic position, or citizenship status.
All aspects of School governance will place an emphasis on diversity and inclusion regarding: salary, budgetary and strategic priorities; leadership and committee appointments; student engagement and support; and faculty recruitment, evaluation, and retention.
School of Human Ecology
Governance Document Supplement
Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee
One or more faculty members will be appointed to the following responsibilities:
- Support communication and dissemination to encourage scholarship applications
- Liaison with the College of Natural Sciences Scholarship committees
- Confer with School faculty about nominations for student awards (e.g., the CNS Book Award, CNS Dean’s Scholars, Unrestricted Endowment Presidential Scholarship) • Work with identified award candidates to prepare relevant application materials
Faculty Meetings
Faculty meetings will be called by the School Director, with at least one faculty meeting per semester. Faculty meetings will include all members of the Extended Budget Council; additional School personnel (lecturers, staff, graduate or undergraduate student representatives) may be invited as well.
