1.2 As stated in the Bylaws of Cornell University, it is the duty of the Medical College faculty to determine the entrance requirements for its students; to prescribe and define courses of study for them; to determine the requirements for such degrees as are offered to students under its jurisdiction; to recommend to the President such candidates for degrees as may have fulfilled the requirements therefor; to enact and enforce rules for the guidance and supervision of its students in their academic work; and, in general, to exercise jurisdiction over the academic interests of students and all other educational matters in the Medical College. 

1.3 In addition, General Faculty Council members are responsible for investigating matters of interest and concern to the faculty and presenting these issues to the Administration; requesting and accepting from their constituencies suggestions for matters to be considered by the Council and opinions regarding matters of concern to the Faculty; maintaining effective faculty participation at the Medical College; reporting the activities of the Council to their constituencies, particularly those that will have a significant impact on the institution; receiving regular reports from the Dean of the Medical College and other members of the Administration on matters of relevance to the faculty; serving as a consultant to the Dean of the Medical College and ascertaining faculty opinion on matters that the Dean chooses to bring before it.  These duties are facilitated by regular attendance at Council meetings and through regular consultation with constituencies.

Anesthesiology

Neurology and Neuroscience

Obstetrics and Gynecology

Ophthalmology

Pediatrics

Radiology

One Member elected from each of the following Basic Science Departments, as well as four Members-at-large elected jointly by these departments: (10)

Biochemistry

Cell Biology and Anatomy

Microbiology and Immunology

Pathology

Pharmacology

Physiology and Biophysics

One Member elected from the full-time faculty and one Member from the voluntary faculty from each of the following departments:  (6)

Medicine

Psychiatry

Surgery

One Member elected from each group of the following Departments (the representation to be rotated among these departments in successive terms): (2)

A. Cardiothoracic Surgery B. Urology

Orthopaedic Surgery Dermatology

Otorhinolaryngology Public Health

One Member elected from the teaching faculty at each of the following affiliated hospitals:  (2)

Memorial Hospital

Hospital for Special Surgery

Two Members elected from the teaching faculties of Network affiliated hospitals. (2)

Two Members elected by the Post-Doctoral Fellows: (2)

One from the Basic Science Department

One from the clinical Fellow population.

2.2 Non-voting members shall include two representatives from the Executive Faculty Council, two representatives from the Medical Student Executive Council, and one student representative from the Graduate School of Medical Sciences.  Additional non-voting members from affiliated institutions may be elected to the Council as determined by the GFC from time to time.  

2.3 Non-voting ex officio members shall include the President, the Provost for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Medical College, the Dean of the Graduate School of Medical Sciences, the Associate Deans, the Full-Time Faculty Representative on the Medical College Board of Overseers and such other administrative officers as the Council may invite as non-voting ex officio members.  

3.2 Fellows are eligible to vote for or serve as the Representative of the Fellows.  Individuals holding faculty appointment as Instructor, but enrolled in graduate training programs, will be considered Fellows for purposes of voting.  

3.3 The Council is the sole judge of qualifications and eligibility of its members.

4.2 No Member shall serve more than three years without an intervening period of at least one year, except that a Member may serve a full three-year term after filling an unexpired term or a term of less than three years.  If a Member is elected an Officer of the Council, membership on the Council may be extended for enough years to allow fulfillment of the term as an Officer.

4.3 When Members are selected separately from the full-time and the voluntary faculty of a single department, the full-time faculty of that department shall elect the full-time representative Member, and the voluntary faculty of that department shall elect the voluntary representative Member.

4.4 Regular election of Members shall be conducted under supervision of the retiring Member in each constituency no later than the third week of May prior to the end of the term of the Member.  The retiring Member shall give notice of the election to, and request suggested nominations from, all voting members of that constituency by the first of April prior to the election.

4.5 Valid election requires participation of a majority of the eligible constituency in a written ballot or at an election meeting in which votes are tabulated.

4.6 If a Member is unable to attend to the duties of office, including regular attendance at meetings, the Council may determine that a vacancy exists.  Absence from three consecutive meetings within an academic year and without explanation or substitution will be sufficient reason for terminating a Member’s tenure on the Council to establish a vacancy.  

4.7 The Steering Committee of the Council shall conduct an election in any constituency in event of a vacancy or in the event of a failure of the retiring Member to conduct the election before the end of the term.

4.8 The Council shall resolve and decide any issues that arise regarding the conduct of elections.

5.2 Officers shall be elected at the first meeting of the Council in the academic year.  Election shall be by a majority of voting members present.  The Council may make regulations concerning nominations of Officers.

5.3 At the end of his or her term, the Chair will remain as a non-voting Member of the Council for a period of six years.  He or she will be designated as a Senior Councilor.

5.4 A Steering Committee shall consist of the Officers and the three past Chairs of the General Faculty Council.

5.5 The Council shall fill any vacancy among the Officers or Steering Committee at the next Regular Session.  

B. The Chair presides at meetings; may call special meetings of the Council; may, after consultation with Council and Faculty Members, appoint and charge committees; may serve as an ex officio member of the committees of the Council, and shall perform other appropriate duties as determined by the Council.

C. The Vice-Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair in the Chair’s absence, may serve as an ex officio member of Committees of the Council and such other appropriate duties determined by the Council.

D. The Secretary shall arrange for the minutes of the Council to be recorded, for notices of meetings to be issued, and an agenda to be issued a week prior to Regular Sessions of the Council and perform other appropriate duties as determined by the Council.

E. The Steering Committee shall prepare an agenda for each Session of the Council.  

6.2 The standing committees of the General Faculty Council shall be the Basic Sciences Committee, the Benefits Committee and the Clinical Committee.   

A. The Basic Sciences Committee shall be responsible for investigation of issues directly affecting the basic science faculty.

B. The Benefits Committee shall e responsible for investigation of issues affecting benefits of the GFC constituents.

C. The Clinical Committee shall be responsible for investigation of issues directly affecting the clinical faculty.

The Council may establish and constitute special committees as it deems necessary and appropriate from time to time and shall specify their duties.  The committees shall meet on an ad hoc basis to deliberate on issues that require greater consideration and review than might be permitted during the course of general meetings.  

6.3 The Chair may appoint members to the committees of the Council (5.6B), which may include Faculty or Students who are not Members of the Council.  Council Members who have not been appointed to a committee, but are interested in the issue that is being examined by that committee will not be excluded from the committee’s review process.

7.2 Special Sessions of the Council may be called by the Chair or the Steering Committee or by request of five Members or by request of the President or the Dean.

7.3 A Quorum shall be half of the elected voting faculty Members.

7.4 Each elected Voting Member present shall have one vote.

7.5 The Council shall make provisions for the widest possible publicity of its proceedings to the Faculty.  

8. AMENDMENTS

Amendments to these Bylaws shall be by affirmative vote of two-thirds of the total voting Membership at a Regular Session following the Session at which the proposed Amendment is presented and debated.