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By‐Laws of the Advisory Council

INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE
THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE

Section 1. The Advisory Council in consultation with faculty, staff, students, and others may consider, advise, and recommend policies and procedures which concern the missions and programs of the Institute of Agriculture and the general welfare of its faculty, staff, students, and others that it serves. The objectives of the Advisory Council shall include, but are not limited to:

  1. Recommending improvements in policies, programs, and facilities
  2. Responding to matters referred to the Advisory Council by the Administrative Council, the Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture, the faculty, the staff, and other individuals
  3. Appointing members to and directing the activities of the Advisory Council committees
  4. Promoting communication among all units of the Institute of Agriculture
  5. Encouraging excellence in scholarship, teaching, research, and public service
  6. Recognizing distinguished service
  7. Promoting development of Council constituents
  8. Promoting communication between the UTIA Advisory Council and other organizations involved in faculty governance, such as Faculty Senate, on issues of mutual interest, such as the UT Faculty Handbook.

Section 2. The Council has no management or administrative functions either in itself or through its committees, administrative matters being expressly reserved to the President of The University, as delegated by the Board of Trustees through the President to the Chancellor for the Institute of Agriculture.

Section 1. The Council membership shall consist of the following:

  1. Three faculty members from the Herbert College of Agriculture (elected to a three‐year term)
  2. Three faculty members from the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) (elected to a three‐year term)
  3. Three faculty members from AgResearch (elected to a three‐yearterm)
  4. One Research and Education Center Director (elected to a three‐yearterm)
  5. One representative from County/Area Extension Agents or Specialists, Associate or Assistant (elected to a three‐year term)
  6. One Extension State Specialist (elected to a three‐year term)
  7. One Extension Regional Director or Regional Program Leader (elected to a three‐yearterm)
  8. Executive Board Representative, Tennessee Association of Extension 4‐H Workers (elected to a three‐year term)
  9. Executive Board Representative, Tennessee Association of Extension Family and Consumer Science (elected to a three‐year term)
  10. Executive Board Representative, Tennessee Association of Agricultural Agents and Specialists (elected to a three‐year term)
  11. Immediate past Chair of Council (if not included in above position)
  12. Chair of Council (if not included in above position)
  13. Chair of the Teaching/Extension/Research Caucus of Faculty Senate (ex‐officio member)
  14. Chair of the CVM Caucus of Faculty Senate (ex‐officio member)

Section 2. The deans of each unit shall conduct the election of Council members by June 1 of each year. To the greatest extent possible, all academic departments within the Institute of Agriculture should be represented on the Advisory Council. The new representative for a unit must not be chosen from the same academic department as the retiring representative for that unit. A member may serve only one full three‐year term after which a member shall be ineligible for re‐election for one year. In the event that a member of the Advisory Council is unable to complete their term, then the Institute of Agriculture unit which the Council member represented shall elect another person to complete the remaining period of the 3‐year term.

Section 3. The terms of office of Council members shall begin immediately at the conclusion of the regular summer Council meeting. The past Chair‐Elect will assume the duties of the new Council Chair. The new Council shall hold an organizational meeting for the election of officers and members of the Executive Committee and establish the next Council meeting date(s). The Secretary prior to the organizational meeting shall send all new and continuing Council Members a notice of the organizational meeting and a list of Council members. The Chair shall conduct office elections to fill the positions of Chair‐Elect, Secretary, and Member‐at‐Large for the new Council. Nominations for the Chair‐Elect position shall be selected from members serving their first or second year of the three‐year term. All members of the new Council shall be eligible for other offices. Nominations will be accepted from the floor and balloted by a method designated by the Chair. In the event that no member receives a majority vote, of persons voting, on the first ballot the two persons (more if the second highest number of votes was a tie) with the highest number of votes shall be the nominees for a second ballot. Balloting will continue until a person receives a majority vote. Following the above procedures, the Chair‐Elect, Secretary and Member‐at‐Large shall be elected in this order. In the event that the Council Chair shall not be able to complete a term, then the Chair‐Elect shall become the Chair and the Council shall by election fill any other office vacancy.

Section 4. The Executive Committee of the Advisory Council shall consist of the Chair, the Chair‐Elect, the Secretary, the immediate past Chair and other Member(s)‐at‐large designated by the Council so that each of the four units of the Institute of Agriculture (the Herbert College of Agriculture, AgResearch, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and The University of Tennessee Extension) are represented. Council members in each unit not represented by an officer or immediate past Chair shall designate member(s) to the Executive Committee.

Section 5. The Advisory Council shall usually meet three times annually on a date specified by the Advisory Council and may have additional meetings as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee.

Section 6. A quorum shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the Council.

Section 7. Proposed agenda items shall be received by the Chair of the Executive Committee at least 20 calendar days prior to the Advisory Council meetings. The agenda items shall be distributed to the Advisory Council membership at least 10 days prior to their meeting. No item shall be further added to the agenda of an Advisory Council meeting except by consent of two‐thirds of the membership present at the meeting.

Section 8. In order to promote communication between the Institute of Agriculture Advisory Council and The University of Tennessee Faculty Senate, the Chair of the Extension/Teaching/Research Caucus and the Chair of the College of Veterinary Medicine Caucus, or their designees, shall serve as ex officio members and attend Advisory Council meetings. The Caucus Chairs shall have full voting privileges at
meetings of the Advisory Council, but shall not be eligible for election to the Executive Committee of the Advisory Council.

Section 9. Members of the Advisory Council are strongly encouraged to attend all meetings, but in the event that a member is unable to attend, the member shall contact the Chair prior to the meeting and indicate which Council member shall serve as a proxy for them, or they may designate a non‐member to represent them at the meeting.

Section 10. The Council member(s) in the third year of their 3‐year term representing each of the four units of the Institute of Agriculture (the Herbert College of Agriculture, AgResearch, the College of Veterinary Medicine, and The University of Tennessee Extension) will have the opportunity to provide a written report on unit activities for each Council meeting. The Secretary shall remind the members responsible for reports at least 20 days prior to a Council meeting.

Section 1. Committees may be appointed each year as deemed necessary by the Advisory Council, either within or from outside the Council membership, and will report to the Advisory Council unless otherwise directed. The size of each committee will be determined by the Council. Each committee may have an ex officio member (resource person) from the Administration. Where appropriate, other faculty, staff and student representation may be included. The committee chair will usually be a present or past member of the Advisory Council.

Section 1. Rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern this organization in all cases where they are applicable and are not inconsistent with the By‐Laws of this Advisory Council.

Section 1. Any proposed amendment to the By‐Laws must be submitted in writing, or via email, to the Advisory Council members at least 15 days prior to the meeting at which the amendment will be considered.

Section 2. These By‐Laws may be amended by the approval of three‐fourths of the Advisory Council membership.

  • By‐Laws Revised February 17, 1995 By‐Laws Revised July 7, 2000 By‐Laws Revised April 21, 2004
  • By‐Laws Revised June 10, 2011.