H UNIVERSITY PANELS AND POLICIES
H.1 PANEL ON RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY GUIDELINES AND OPERATING PROCEDURES
H.1.1 THE PANEL ON RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
The Panel on Research and Scholarly Activity, hereinafter called the panel, shall serve as charged in Article VIIIG, Section 8.3 and Article IXG, Section 9.1 of the School of Graduate Studies Senate Bylaws. It shall function as an extra-Senatorial determinative body and shall strive to develop and administer programs that will foster a climate conducive to research and scholarly activity. The panel shall liaise with the Director of Research, Institute of the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation on matters related to research policies and on the establishment, modification or termination of organized research and scholarly activity. It shall amend these procedural guidelines, when necessary, according to the method herein prescribed in Article V, Section 5.1. Minutes and reports shall be filed with the Senate (as required and specified in the panel's guidelines).
The panel shall develop a set of operational procedures and guidelines to fulfill its charge as described in the School of Graduate Studies Senate Bylaws, Article VIIIG, Section 8.3 and Article IXG, Section 9.1 (e), "Other Determinative Bodies."
The panel may appoint such committees as it deems necessary to carry out its charge. It must notify the Executive Committee of the Senate of such actions in writing, keep and maintain a record of the membership and activities of such committees, and include this information in the panel’s report to the University Senate and the Chairman of the University Council of Deans.
H.1.1.1 Functions of the Panel on Research and Scholarly Activity
The panel shall have the following functions:
a) The panel shall serve as an extra-Senatorial body to provide for the determination of policy and the expeditious resolution of issues in order to aid in the research and scholarly activity program in the University.
b) The panel shall liaise with the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation and other Research Institutes or bodies on:
- matters regarding the acquisition of funding from sources both inside and outside of the University.
- the establishment of University interest groups and programs concerned with research and scholarly activity and to make recommendations with respect to student research programs.
- the development of programs within the University that will contribute to the support of both faculty and student research.
- to seek to establish and encourage development of research projects and programs with other Universities and Institutions. It will seek to establish links that will be beneficial to the University program.
- the development of a process in collaboration with existing structures including IRB’s to ensure that the highest ethical standards are applied to research proposed by faculty and students in the University.
H.1.2 STRUCTURE
H.1.2.1 Membership
The membership of the panel shall be made up of members of the Senate and the administration. The membership is as follows:
Chairman of the University Council of Deans*
Dean of the Graduate School*
Dean, School of Veterinary Medicine*
Dean of Basic Sciences*
Dean, Arts and Sciences*
Chair of University Senate*
Director of the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation*
Director of Research*
Member of the University Academic Board*
Faculty member from School of the Graduate Studies (SGS) — elected
Student member from the SGS — elected from and by the graduate students
*or designate
H.1.2.2 Officers
The officers shall consist of a chairman, deputy chairman, and secretary, who are to be elected every two years.
H.1.2.3 Voting
All members are voting members except Ex Officio members.
H.1.2.4 Quorum
The quorum requirements are five (5) voting members.
H.1.2.5 Meetings
The panel shall meet at least once each semester. Meetings may be called by the Chairman, or by any two members upon written notice to the Chairman of the panel, the Chairman of the Senate and the Chairman of the Executive Committee, or upon the direction of the Executive Committee of the Senate. Meeting announcements shall be as prescribed in the standing rules of the Senate.
H.1.2.6 Agenda
The agenda shall be set by the Chairman of the Panel on Research and Scholarly Activity in conjunction with the secretary. The manner in which the agenda is set shall conform to the Bylaws and/or Standing Rules of the Senate.
H.1.2.7 Elections
The election of officers shall be held at the first regularly scheduled meeting following the annual Senate elections. Newly elected officers shall take office immediately upon adjournment of the panel meeting during which elections are held. If for any reason a designated Senate representative is not provided by the election deadline, the Executive Committee of the University Senate is empowered to appoint an acting member from the Senate committee lacking such a representative. This acting member shall serve until such time as a member can be selected as prescribed in the Senate guidelines.
H.1.3 OFFICE OF RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
H.1.3.1 Function
The Office of Research and Scholarly Activity shall serve to perform executive functions for the panel. It shall conduct business as directed by the panel and report to the panel on all matters concerning research and scholarly activity.
The area of responsibility for this office includes, but is not restricted to the following:
- Initiation of proposals and the proper routing of proposals.
- Ensuring that all proposals are properly processed and evaluated by the university’s ethics review committee (Institutional Review Board or IRB) in the case of projects in the Schools of Medicine and Arts and Sciences, or through the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, in the case of projects emanating from the School of Veterinary Medicine or any research to be carried out on animals.
- Evaluation of project applications with referral to the panel, with or without recommendations for the projects, oversight of research and scholarly activity, management of designated research areas, collaboration with student research programs, and promotion of program development and funding.
- The office takes action on any other matters under consideration for activity by the panel. It shall report to the panel on all matters brought before it.
H.1.3.2 Membership
The Office of Research and Scholarly Activity shall consist of a Director, an Associate Director and Executive Secretary. The director will be appointed by the panel, subject to approval by the Chairman of the University Council of Deans. The director will be responsible for the appointment of the other officers.
a) Duties of the Director: The Director shall preside over and be responsible for the orderly conduct of business, according to the rules and guidelines adopted by the panel and Senate. It is the director’s responsibility to see that directives, reports and correspondence are kept and properly filed.
b) Duties of the Associate Director: The Associate Director shall preside in the absence of the Director or at his direction.
c) Duties of the Executive Secretary: The Executive Secretary shall keep, record and conduct correspondence at the direction of the Director and/or Associate Director.
H.1.3.3 Records
Records of all written correspondence, grant and/or project applications, testimony regarding applications, and comments from external evaluators are to be kept and maintained by the Executive Secretary. These records will be made available to the panel upon written request.
H.1.3.4 Fiscal Responsibility
The Director of the Office of Research and Scholarly Activity shall assume fiscal responsibility for that office and shall operate under rules and guidelines as approved by the panel according to budgetary policy and authority, as established by the administration of the University.