Academic Affairs
University of Nebraska Medical Center
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Education Council Bylaws

The Education Council is a committee consisting of senior education leaders from UNMC, Nebraska Medicine and the Student Senate. The group meets monthly to discuss academic-related curricular and other matters and serves in an advisory role to the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs.

UNMC Education Council Bylaws 

Article I - Name

The name of this group shall be the University of Nebraska Medical Center Education Council, hereinafter referred to as the Education Council.

Article II - Purpose           

The Education Council guides and promotes premier educational programs, supporting the mission of UNMC and Nebraska Medicine to lead the world in transforming lives to create a healthy future for all individuals and communities. To accomplish this, the Education Council provides the UNMC Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs with proposed goals for inclusion in the UNMC strategic plan and is the primary driver in the development of educational strategy, operations, and coordination within all UNMC units.  The Education Council will also provide recommendations and position statements to the Chancellor and the Chancellor’s Council of Deans and Directors, as appropriate and is the primary vehicle for the development, review, approval, and monitoring of UNMC policies that directly impact individuals seeking admission to or matriculating at UNMC.

Article III – Objectives

The primary objective of the Education Council is to support the educational mission of the University of Nebraska Medical Center through the following actions:

  1. Participate in UNMC strategic planning by proposing goals that foster outstanding educational programs offered in a learner-centered environment;
  2. Advocate for the resources needed to successfully accomplish those strategic goals;
  3. Partner with the UNMC Office of Accreditation and Assessment to develop appropriate metrics for determining success in achieving strategic goals;
  4. Oversee the development, review, approval and monitoring of all UNMC student policies, in order to facilitate each student’s development of appropriate professional competencies;
  5. Promote interprofessional education and collaboration among students, faculty and staff of UNMC and Nebraska Medicine;
  6. Advocate for a safe and supportive learning environment for students, faculty and staff of UNMC and Nebraska Medicine;
  7. Promote best practices for enhancing the learning experience in terms of pedagogy, educational technology, and learning spaces, to best meet needs of all UNMC students, whenever and wherever they engage in the learning process; and 
  8. Share recommendations and outcomes with the UNMC Deans and Directors’ group as facilitated by the UNMC Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.

Article IV – Membership & Voting

  1. The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs is a non-voting member to whom the Education Council serves in an advisory role, and who serves as the liaison between the Education Council and the UNMC Chancellor and Deans and Directors.
  2. Regular Members: The UNMC Education Council shall be comprised of the following Regular Members:
    1. UNMC Office of Academic Affairs
    2. Senior educational leadership from each of the UNMC colleges, the Munroe Meyer Institute, Leon S. McGoogan Health Sciences Library, and UNMC Graduate Studies
    3. UNMC Division of Student Success
    4. UNMC Student Senate
    5. Office of Health Professions Education, Nebraska Medicine
    6. iEXCEL
    7. Interprofessional Education
    8. Faculty Development
    9. Interprofessional Academy of Educators
    10. Facilities and Clinical Special Planning
    11. Academic Technologies
  3. Each Regular Member of the Education Council shall designate an alternate member who may attend Education Council meetings or other related activities.  The Alternate Members can vote in place of the Regular Members.  In cases where an Alternate Member will be attending or voting in place of a Regular Member, the Regular Member shall notify the Education Council Co-Chairs in advance of the meeting or vote.
  4. Voting Procedure
    1. Votes may be cast in person or by electronic means.
    2. A secret ballot may be required at the request of any voting member (or alternate).
    3. For eligible members participating from off-site, a vote on a secret ballot may be cast by calling, texting or e-mailing the person designated to count the votes.
    4. The person designated to count the votes to include any secret ballots must not be a member of the Council who is eligible to vote on the matter in question.
  5. Voting Function
    1. When voting on UNMC student policies - Only members of the Executive Committee specified in Article VI.1 (with the exception of Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, who is a non-voting member) are eligible to vote.  A quorum shall consist of seven (7) members of the Executive Committee and all actions require at least seven (7) of the same votes to be official.
    2. For all other votes - All Regular Members (or their designated alternates) are eligible to vote.  A simple majority of the Regular Members is required for determining the outcome of such a vote.
  6.  Leadership
    1. The elected presiding officials of the Education Council will be two Co-Chairs who have equal oversight and responsibility for the Council.
      1. Alternate members are not eligible to serve as a Co-Chair.
      2. The student representative is not eligible to serve as Co-Chair.
      3. Should a presiding Co-Chair be unable to complete their designated term of office, a special election will be held to replace that person for the remainder of the elected term.
    2. Co-Chair shall be elected from among the members of the Executive Committee, excluding the student representative and the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. That Co-Chair shall also serve as the Chair of the Executive Committee.
    3. One Co-Chair shall be elected from among the remaining Regular Members of the Education Council.
    4. Co-Chairs will serve staggered, three-year terms.
      1. Regular election of the Co-Chair specified in Article IV.6.b will take place in 2023 and each third year thereafter.
      2. Elections of the Co-Chair specified in Article IV.6.c will take place in 2022 and each third year thereafter.
      3. Each election will be overseen by the Co-Chair whose term extends beyond the current election cycle.
        1. The Co-Chair presiding over such an election shall solicit nominees for the other Co-Chair position beginning in March of the election year for that position. Solicitation of nominations will be done by written notice to all Regular Members of the Education Council as well as by inclusion as an agenda item for the March and April meetings of an election year. Nominations may be made up until one week prior to the scheduled date of the May meeting of the Education Council at which elections are to be held.
        2. Nominations, including self-nominations, may be made by any Regular Member of the Education Council.
      4. Regular election of a Co-Chair shall take place at the May meeting of the Education Council in the years specified under Article IV.6.d. The newly elected Co-Chair will assume the duties of the office at the June meeting of the Education Council. 
      5. Should a special election be required to fill a vacated Co-Chair’s post, it shall be scheduled at the discretion of the remaining Co-Chair, but with the intent of filling that position as soon as feasible while still allowing a reasonable length of time for the nomination process.

Article V – Meetings

  1. Regular meetings shall be scheduled at least monthly, with the day, time and duration agreed upon by a majority of the Regular Members. Co-Chairs with notification to all members may cancel scheduled meetings when no agenda items have been identified.
  2. Special meetings and retreats may be scheduled, with the consent of the majority of Regular Members, in lieu of, or in addition to, regular monthly meetings.
  3. Meetings may be held in person, electronically, virtually, or any combination thereof provided there is adequate notice to members.
  4. Agendas, minutes and supporting documents related to all regular and special meetings shall be provided in a timely fashion to all Regular Members of the Education Council.  Co-Chairs may communicate Council actions to communities of interest as deemed necessary to advance the charge of the Council.

Article VI – Committees

  1. Executive Committee: The Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and the members specified in Article IV.2.a-d (or their designated alternates in the absence of those members), along with the other co-chair who shall serve in an ex-officio role, will constitute the Executive Committee of the Education Council.
  2. Special Committees may be created and disbanded with the approval of the Executive Committee.

Article VII – Amendments

These Bylaws may be amended or repealed, or new Bylaws adopted at any meeting of the Education Council, or via electronic voting, by the affirmative vote of at least six (6) members of the Executive Committee, provided notice of the proposed change is distributed to all Regular Members and alternates no less than three (3) business days prior to such vote.

 

Adopted Jan. 19, 2017
Amended March 15, 2018
Amended May 1, 2020
Amended Nov. 16, 2023