Graduate Group in Social and Cognitive Sciences
BYLAWS
Administrative Home: Graduate Division
The graduate
emphasis in Social and Cognitive Sciences is organized to establish and
administer a program of instruction and research leading to the M.S. and Ph.D.
in conformance with the regulations of the Graduate Council and the Division of
Graduate Studies at the
The Group function is to provide a focus for graduate training in Social and Cognitive Sciences by facilitating the research interactions among and between graduate students and faculty. By its very nature, graduate training in this area is multifaceted and draws on the expertise of Social and Cognitive Sciences, as well as on the Natural Sciences. The principal focal areas of the Group include, but are not limited to Economics, Psychology, and Cognitive Science, though this is not intended to preclude the growth into other areas. As the breadth of faculty expertise grows in the coming years there is expected to be broad faculty representation in this group from across the University.
Membership shall be opened to faculty who are actively involved in scientific inquiry and scholarship in the broad realms of Social and Cognitive Sciences. Membership is not limited to UC Merced faculty and may include faculty members from other UC campuses.
Members of the University faculty wishing to be appointed to the graduate faculty in the Group must submit a written request to the Chair of the Group indicating their interest in participating in the group. This should be accompanied by a current curriculum vitae. Materials will be evaluated by the Executive Committee of the Group for the appropriateness of the appointment to the Graduate Group faculty. At the Executive Committee’s discretion an ad hoc committee may be appointed to solicit input from the graduate group and provide a recommendation. Applicants will be admitted to the group if their application receives a majority vote of the Executive Committee.
Faculty will be expected to participate actively in the program. The faculty member is responsible for providing the Executive Committee with appropriate documentation of performance. The Committee will conduct a review of the membership on a periodic basis of four years using the following metrics:
1) An active research program indicated by significant publication in the principal peer-reviewed journals of the field during the past three years.
2) A significant contribution to graduate mentorship and training by either advising a student in their laboratory or by formal graduate teaching through research seminars and courses.
3)
General contribution to graduate research training through participation in the
management of the graduate program through service on the Graduate Council or
one of the standing committees of the group.
The Executive Committee of will consist of five members who will serve rotating terms of five years, with one member being elected each year. The Group chair will serve as an ex officio member of the Committee. It will be the responsibility of the Executive Committee to prepare an annual slate of nominees that will be put before the membership for election to serve on the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will make appointments to the standing committees.
The Executive Committee will name
a nominating committee of three members who will solicit the names of nominees
for the group chair. After consultation with the appropriate Academic Deans,
the Nominating Committee shall present to the group’s faculty for vote a list
of nominees willing to serve. All votes will remain confidential. In the event
that no candidate obtains a simple majority of votes, a run-off vote will be
conducted between the top two candidates from the initial vote. Once a majority
candidate has been identified, the Nominating Committee will forward the name
to the Dean of Graduate Studies. After a favorable interview of the majority
candidate, the Dean of Graduate Studies, will submit the recommendation to the
Chancellor for appointment. The normal term of appointment will be three years.
The Chair’s responsibilities are:
1) Call and preside at meetings of the Executive Committee,
2) Preside over the Group meetings in the Fall and Spring semesters,
3) Appoint standing committees and their chairs in consultation with the Executive Committee,
4) Act as the administrative liaison between the group and the Division of Graduate Studies.
The Executive committee and Graduate Group chair will appoint members to the following standing committees at the beginning of Fall term. The Executive committee and chair may choose to not constitute a particular committee as a separate body, in which case the Executive committee and chair will assume the responsibilities of that committee. Committee formation and appointments will be reviewed on an annual basis.
1)
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall, in consultation with the faculty, determine and implement policy for the good of the Group, establish and guide the educational requirements of the Group, and represent the interests of the Group to University and other agencies. To ensure broad participation and input the EC shall have membership from at least two Schools. The EC will make appointments to the other committees and approve membership in the ES graduate group.
2)
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee will be responsible for reviewing applications from faculty who wish to be part of the Group. In addition, the Committee will review the membership of the Group every four years. The Membership committee will recommend to the EC approval or denials for membership, and termination of membership in the Group for existing members who no longer qualify.
3) Educational Policy Committee
The Educational Policy Committee is responsible for establishing and guiding the educational programs of the Group. The EPC will be formed by the Executive committee as needed and will periodically conduct reviews of the programs, including the five-year review. The EPC in consultation with the group faculty will determine changes in programmatic requirements of the ES graduate group.
4) Graduate Advising Committee
Members of the Advising committee will be responsible for advising students on initial enrollment, serving as interim major professors as needed, assisting students in identifying their major professor(s), approving programs of study, and monitoring the progress toward degree. The advising committee is charged with reviewing previous coursework of incoming students and recommending a program of study, together with the major professor, that considers both the policies of ES and the student’s goals. The Advising committee will review the results of oral and final examinations, and make recommendations to the Dean of Graduate Studies in cases requiring adjudication.
5) Admissions Committee
The Admissions Committee is charged with the development of recruiting materials for the Group, reviewing applications for admissions, making recommendations for admissions to the Dean of Graduate Studies, exploring graduate student support mechanisms, and allocating intramural financial assistance.
A graduate student representative will be included in all deliberations that revolve around issues having to do with educational policy and curriculum. The student representative will be elected from current graduate students within the Social and Cognitive Sciences Graduate Group. Students will serve a one-year term and can be re-elected for a single second term.
Issues that require a vote of the membership need to have a quorum of at least 50% of the total voting membership present. Group decisions will be determined by simple majority of those voting. Voting may take place by email, but only with unanimous agreement from the Group members that the issue may be handled by email.