Bylaws: Stated Rules of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

Mission

The mission of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is: “to advance the health and well-being of populations around the world."

Vision

The Columbia Mailman School of Public Health seeks to advance, transmit, and apply knowledge in the field of public health. To this end, the following activities are to be fostered:

• Education

• Research

• Community service and outreach

• Diversity and inclusion

To that end, these four complementary goals are to be achieved by:

• providing educational programs that prepare a diverse group of leaders with the knowledge and skills to promote health and well-being across all populations, strengthen health systems and implement sustainable and effective solutions for local and global public health challenges and health promotion;
• conducting research that creates, advances and translates knowledge to influence practice, policy and action regarding critical population health challenges and solutions worldwide;
• establishing and maintaining partnerships with communities, organizations and leaders to address their priority health issues, challenges and strengths through evidence-based practice;
• building a diverse, inclusive and equitable community of faculty, students and staff dedicated to the development of public health scholarship and practice that advances health equity.

Statement of Values

The Columbia Mailman Mailman School is a community dedicated to improving the public’s health and achieving health equity through the advancement of knowledge, teaching, and service. As scholars, staff, students, and alumni, we are committed to principles of social justice and to the promotion of health as a fundamental right of every human being. We aspire to alleviate human suffering and improve the health of all populations, especially the most vulnerable, through research and translation of evidence into solutions, education, service, communication, and action. We are committed to promoting interdisciplinary approaches to solving public health problems, collaborating across disciplines in the Mailman School and with schools across Columbia University, as well as domestic and global partners. The following values guide the Mailman School:

• • We value academic excellence, innovation, and practical training in our educational programs for public health professionals. We respect divergent views, open inquiry, and professional integrity.

• • We aim to train, support, and inspire our students, so that they become agents of positive, evidence-based change upon graduation from the Mailman School and throughout their long careers.

• • We value scientifically rigorous, innovative, and ethical research that addresses core and emerging public health challenges. Central to our research agenda are the broader social, political, cultural, economic, and environmental determinants of health, both locally and globally, especially those that affect vulnerable populations, as well as the biological basis of health and disease prevention.

• • We value thoughtful, evidenced-based programs in collaboration with our School’s neighborhood and in our local, national, and global communities. We actively seek to improve public health through the formation of creative and equal partnerships with community-based organizations and health care, public health, and service providers.

• • We recognize, value, respect, and celebrate diversity in our faculty, staff, students, and surrounding community. We actively seek to create an inclusive environment that is respectful of all members of our community. We prioritize research, teaching, and service that reflect our commitment to social justice, inclusion, and health equity, both locally and globally.

SECTION I

Faculty

A. Membership of the Faculty

The Faculty of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health shall consist of the President, the Provost or Provosts, the Executive Vice President for Health and Biomedical Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Dean of the Faculty of Public Health, and such officers of instruction and of administration as may be assigned thereto by the Trustees.

All full time professors, associate professors and assistant professors, without regard to qualifying adjectives in titles, shall be members of the Faculty of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Faculty who are partially retired retain their faculty membership.

B. Rights of Membership

Members of the Faculty of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health shall have the right to:

• • • • Attend meetings of the School Assembly of the School of Public Health and vote;
      • Serve on the Standing Committees of the School;
      • Serve on the Steering Committee of the School Assembly (otherwise known as the Faculty Steering Committee) if duly elected or appointed;
      • Serve as members of ad hoc committees as requested by the dean or a departmental chair.
      • Receive mentorship, evaluation and guidance from the School’s leadership as they progress through their academic careers;
      • Be given a clear understanding of the requirements they must meet in order to maintain their position within the School;
      • Be afforded a clear understanding of the school and departmental commitments to that member, including financial commitments, commitments of space and commitments of other support (e.g. administrative support);
      • Be compensated for teaching of required courses central to the mission of the school.

C. Meetings of the Faculty

The School Assembly consists of the members of the Faculty of the School (as defined above). In addition, Officers of Administration, adjunct faculty, representatives of affiliated Centers and representatives of student government may be invited to take part in its deliberations, but only members of the Faculty shall have the right to vote. There shall be monthly meetings of the School Assembly during the academic year to discuss issues of major importance to the School, to receive reports from standing and ad hoc committees of the School, and to conduct the business of the Faculty of the School. At least two School Assemblies shall be led by the Steering Committee yearly. Additional meetings may be held on the call of the Dean of the School of Public Health, the Faculty Steering Committee, or upon petition of five members of the Faculty to consider specific questions. The Dean of the School of Public Health or an appointed replacement shall preside. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be observed.

The agenda for the School Assembly meeting shall be set by the Dean of the School in consultation with the Steering Committee and shall be circulated to all members, ideally, one week in advance.  Any votes taken during the School Assembly shall be appropriately recorded. A majority of the voting members present at the School Assembly shall constitute a quorum but in no case shall a quorum consist of less than 5% of the total voting membership. A tie vote shall result in a non-decision with reconsideration at a later date by the School Assembly. In rare circumstances on issues of special importance, a mail or electronic ballot may be prepared for distribution to the entire Faculty. The agenda for a Special School Assembly (not the regularly scheduled School Assembly) meeting shall be stated at the time the meeting is called, and a vote may only be taken on items stated in the agenda.

D. Powers (University Statutes, Article 35)

The Faculty, subject to the reserved power of the Trustees and the provisions of the Statutes, shall have the power and it shall be their duty:

1. 1. 1. 1. To fix the requirements for admissions, the program of studies, the conditions of graduation, and to recommend for degrees students who have fulfilled these conditions. (University Statutes, Articles 131, 132);
         2. To establish the rules ascertaining the proficiency of students and for the assignment of honors;
         3. To schedule the time of examinations;
         4. To prepare and publish bi-annually a statement of the program of studies in each of the departments of instruction;
         5. To make all regulations for their proceedings and for better governance of the School as shall not contravene the Charter of the Corporation, the Statutes or any resolution of the Trustees or University Senate;
         6. To vote on faculty promotions;
         7. To elect members of the Steering Committee.

The Faculty shall act on all such matters as may be referred to it by the Dean of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, or the Steering Committee.

E. Limitations of Powers (University Statutes, Article 36)

Every proposed exercise of powers conferred on the School of Public Health which involves a change in the educational policy of the University in respect to the program of studies shall be submitted to the University Senate before being recommended to the Trustees, and such recommendation shall not be laid before the Trustees until the University Senate has acted thereon or until another meeting of the University Senate has been held. No exercise of such powers by any Faculty or Administrative Board shall take effect until the same shall have been submitted to the Trustees at one meeting and another meeting shall have been held.

F. University Senate (University Statutes 20, 21)

The School of Public Health shall be represented in the University Senate by exact numbers in each category to be determined by the rules of the University Senate:

1. 1. 1. Officers of instruction having an appointment without stated term as professors or associate professors (University Statutes, Article 60 & 61)
      2. ) to be elected from and by such officers of instruction;
      3. Officers of instruction having an appointment for a stated term (University Statutes, Article 60 & 61) to be elected from and by such officers of instruction;
      4. Student(s) to be elected from and by such students as provided in University Statutes Article 21.

All shall serve for a period of two years.

An Electoral Commission shall be appointed by the Steering Committee of each year. The Electoral Commission shall contain at least one representative from each of the three constituencies listed above.

This commission shall receive nominations and conduct elections in accord with the Elections Code of the University Senate and must abide by the regulations laid down by the Senate Electoral Commission.

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SECTION II

Faculty Steering Committee of the Faculty Assembly

A. Composition and Method of Election

The Steering Committee shall be composed of twelve members, six departmental representatives and six faculty at large. Steering Committee members serve for three years. To preserve continuity, terms are staggered such that normally four Steering Committee members rotate off each year while eight remain. Steering committee members cannot serve consecutive three-year terms.  Elections (or appointments) for Steering Committee are held in April of each year.

To maintain staggered terms, each year two of the six departments shall elect - or in some departments the chair shall appoint - a departmental representative to serve on Steering Committee for a three-year term. If a departmental representative leaves before the expiration of his or her term, their department shall select a replacement to complete the term. For the purpose of determining representation in the Steering Committee, a member holding appointments in two departments or appointed in one department and assigned to another shall be considered to be a member of the department specified in the interdepartmental agreement as the primary department.

In addition to the aforementioned six departmental representatives, each year the faculty shall elect two candidates from a school-wide pool of candidates.  the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health (MSPH) vice dean for education shall solicit nominations for these at large positions. Individuals can nominate themselves or be nominated by another faculty member. At the close of the nominating process, ballots shall be prepared and sent to the faculty by email. Should two or more candidates tie for second place, there shall be a run-off between the tied candidates. If an at large member leaves before the end of his or her term, a new election shall be held for the residual amount of the term.

The Steering committee shall also include two student members, preferably one doctoral and one master’s degree candidate, to be appointed by the Student Government Association.  Two ex officio members from the Dean’s office shall also be part of the Steering Committee as well as one administrator.  Students and ex officio members are non-voting members of the Committee.

The elected chair (or co-chairs) of the Steering Committee shall preside at each meeting. At its first meeting of the academic year, the chair (or co-chairs) shall be elected by the current members by secret ballot.  The chair (or co-chairs) shall represent the Steering Committee at meetings of the School Assembly and on the Policy Advisory Committee (PAC). The Steering Committee shall meet once a month except in July and August and may be convened with due notice at any time at the request of three members, the committee chair(s), or the dean.

The Steering Committee shall maintain and make available for review by members of the School Assembly minutes of each Committee meeting.

B. Right to Vote

The Steering Committee may invite officers of instruction, research or administration in the University to take part in its deliberations, but only Steering Committee members shall have the right to vote. In the case of a tie vote which cannot be resolved by further deliberation, the matter may be brought to the entire faculty for consideration.

B. Powers

The Steering Committee shall act on behalf of the Faculty and shall exercise all powers accorded the Faculty under University Statutes, Article 35.

The Steering Committee shall also have the power to:

1. 1. 1. Establish committees as deemed necessary for the performance of the functions of the Faculty.
      2. Act on all such matters as may be referred to it by the dean of the School;
      3. Identify issues of major importance to the School, distribute the pertinent information to enable wide discussion of these issues, appoint subcommittees to consider issues of importance, and make policy recommendations to the School Assembly;
      4. Act on behalf of the School Assembly in matters that require action between regular meetings of the Assembly and in business that in its judgment need not await the next meeting of the Assembly. Such actions shall be reported to the School Assembly at its next meeting. It shall also have the power to call the Assembly into special session. The School Assembly reserves the right to reserve or overrule decisions or actions taken by the Steering Committee;
      5. Suggest agenda items for all meetings of the School Assembly to the dean.

All standing committees of the School shall include a member of the Steering Committee either as a regular or ex officio member, if there is interest on the part of Steering Committee members.  Likewise, ad hoc committees considering issues that have a school-wide impact on faculty will involve the Faculty Steering Committee in the formulation stage, and have a Steering Committee member as a regular or ex officio member. Significant interim reports and all final reports, or appropriate summaries of School-wide Committees shall be transmitted to the School Assembly through the Steering Committee.

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SECTION III

Committee of Columbia Mailman School of Public Health

Committees

A. Policy Advisory Committee (PAC)

The Policy Advisory Committee shall consist of the dean of the School, vice deans, chairs (or acting chairs) of departments, directors of school-wide Centers, chair(s) of the Steering Committee, chief of staff, senior director of communications, and associate dean for development and alumni relations. Substitutes shall not be permitted. The dean of the School shall be the committee chair. The Policy Advisory Committee shall hold one meeting each month during the academic year. The Policy Advisory Committee is advisory to the Dean. It shall review and comment on matters of policy and regulations governing the administration of the School in accordance with the provisions of these stated rules. Any PAC member can suggest agenda items for the committee meeting. A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum.  Action items from each meeting of the Policy Advisory Committee shall be circulated to its members at least one week prior to the following meeting.

B. Other Standing Committees

1. The standing committees shall include a) Curriculum, b) Appointments and Promotions, c) Admissions, d) the Doctoral Committee, and e) Academic Standards.
2. Faculty members of standing committees shall serve for three years and may serve consecutive terms. To ensure continuity faculty terms shall be staggered.
3. Student members, selected or appointed as the Student Government Association decides, shall be recommended to the dean for one-year renewable terms.
4. At the end of each academic year standing committees on a) Curriculum, b) Appointments and Promotions, c) Admissions, and e) the Doctoral Committee shall each submit to the Steering Committee an annual report describing and summarizing their committee's activities for the year. These annual documents shall be reviewed by the Steering Committee at its September meeting and reported to the School Assembly.
5. Committee chairs shall be elected by committee members with exception of the Committee on Appointments and Promotions and Admissions (Masters).
6. Committees shall formulate their own internal policies for voting and governance.

C. Composition and Functions of Other Standing Committees:

1.  Curriculum Committee

Composition

The Committee shall be comprised of the dean of the School or his or her representatives including representatives from the Office of Education and Office of Student Affairs, faculty representatives from each department, and one representative from the student body.  A Committee member may represent more than one constituency.  The Committee shall select the chairman of the Committee.  All members shall have one vote. If there is a tie vote, the decision shall be passed to the school’s Steering Committee.  At the discretion of the dean of the School, and on advice of the Committee, alumni and others may be called on to serve in an advisory capacity.

Functions of the Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee is charged with the task of ensuring and maintaining the quality, coherence and  effectiveness  of  the  public  health  curriculum  at  the  School,  including  dual master's degree programs and the public health components of the PhD programs.  All matters concerning curricular affairs shall come within the purview of this committee.  The Curriculum Committee shall develop policy guidelines related to new course and certificate development, syllabus design, course duplication and interdepartmental courses.  In addition, the committee shall review and evaluate programs and educational experiences for which credit is given, through activities including but not limited to the following: ongoing review of new course syllabi, evaluation of requests for credit change, assessment of requested course title changes, review of new proposed degree programs, and evaluation of proposed online or distance-based courses. Additional activities shall include: the review and discussion of annual departmental summaries describing departmental-level processes for course development and evaluation; promotion of closer inter-departmental coordination of teaching activities; promotion and implementation of inter-departmental courses; and formulation of proposals for curricular changes.  The Committee shall invite representatives of the relevant Departments and schools, as well as alumni and others serving in an advisory capacity, to join with them in their deliberations.  The Committee shall confer with the Doctoral Committee in all curricular matters related to that program.  The Committee shall report to the Dean all recommendations on curricular matters.  If the Committee's proposals involve significant changes in the curriculum, the Dean shall submit them to the Steering Committee.

2.  Committee on Appointments and Promotions (Columbia Mailman School of Public Health)

Composition:

1. 1. 1. The MSPH Committee on Appointments and Promotions (COAP) shall be comprised of seven members, with a representative balance of tenured and non-tenured faculty, and one ex officio member representing the Dean.  Candidates are nominated and invited to serve on COAP by the Dean.  The ex officio member does not vote on cases, except where outlined below in number six (6). A quorum consists of 4 members.
      2. Each academic year, there shall be one chair, appointed by the Dean, from among the tenured faculty members currently serving on COAP.
      3. All COAP members shall have the rank of full professor of either modified or unmodified title.
      4. COAP members shall receive a copy of the Proposed Regulations for the Committee on Appointments and Promotions at the beginning of each COAP academic year, or when they agree to serve on COAP. 

Case Review Protocol:

1. 1. 1. COAP members shall be instructed to keep COAP meeting proceedings and discussions confidential.
      2. COAP shall vote on all appointments above the level of assistant professor. The addition of an interdisciplinary appointment above assistant professor with no change in professorial rank does not require COAP review.
      3. Candidates for appointments and promotions shall be presented to COAP by the nominating department chair (or, in unusual cases, a delegate of the department chair). COAP members from the nominating department(s) may not vote on such a candidate and would leave the room during the discussion of the candidate.
      4. Candidates for appointments and promotions must receive a majority of positive votes to gain an appointment or promotion.
      5. COAP may make recommendations as to the appropriate rank of a candidate. For example, COAP may recommend a candidate for an “At CUIMC” title. Where the recommendation does not involve tenure, the department chair nominating the candidate may choose whether to accept COAP's recommendation at or subsequent to the hearing.  Where the recommendation does involve tenure, the case must first be brought to the dean before returning to COAP.
      6. For initial tenure review, in order to vote, a member must be present at the COAP meeting. For modified titles and unmodified titles already with tenure, COAP members who cannot attend a meeting may prepare a written statement indicating their assessment and vote on the candidate in absentia.  Those members present must judge this statement to be acceptable, and, if judged inadequate, the ex officio member may vote instead.
      7. Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) COAP review is required for all tenure decisions prior to review by the Tenure Review Advisory Committee (TRAC). Promotions for tenured faculty also require review by the CUIMC COAP but not TRAC. When review by CUIMC COAP is required, the ex officio MSPH COAP member shall select one member of MSPH COAP to serve and vote on the CUIMC COAP. This is in addition to the MSPH standing member that serves on the CUIMC COAP.
      8. The presenting chair and dean shall be informed of the results of each COAP review by the MSPH Director of Human Resources (Faculty Affairs). 

Additional Tenure Case Review Procedures:

1. 1. 1. Only MSPH COAP members with tenure shall vote on those cases involving nomination to tenure or on cases reviewing the promotion of tenured faculty.
      2. All nominations to tenure shall follow the regulations set out by the Columbia University Tenure Review Advisory Committee (TRAC).  In general, all nominations to tenure must be approved by the dean prior to solicitation of letters concerning the candidate. The Dean shall assess whether the proposed tenure position meets the needs of the School. After solicitation of letters and a positive vote by the MSPH COAP, the proposal shall be referred to the CUIMC COAP for review and, if approved, then it sent to the Provost for TRAC review.
      3. TRAC requires further documentation for tenure cases.  This documentation includes a table of both the departmental COAP vote and the MSPH COAP vote.  The Director of Human Resources (Faculty Affairs) shall ensure that departments include the department vote table. S/he will also include a current MSPH COAP vote table.  Additionally, the MSPH COAP Chair shall include a brief statement outlining the reasoning for the MSPH COAP vote for each tenure case, which will then travel with the dossier for review. If the MSPH COAP Chair is from the same department as the tenure candidate, the ex officio shall assign another MSPH COAP member to write the statement.
      4. In tenure cases where a dissenting/abstaining vote exists, dissenting/abstaining voters shall write a statement expressing their views.  At the discretion of the individual, this statement shall either be added to the tenure review dossier sent to the CUIMC COAP or sent to the Provost directly.  In either case, the MSPH COAP ex officio shall inform the presenting Department Chair(s) of the outcome of the vote.  Additionally, with the permission of the dissenting voter, the ex officio will share the written statement with the Department Chair(s) who presented the tenure case.
      5. Upon receipt of the results from TRAC, the MSPH Director of Human Resources (Faculty Affairs) will inform the department chair(s) of the results before proceeding with a vote of the Faculty Assembly.

Faculty Assembly Review:

Cases that COAP approves for appointment or promotion are then voted on by the Faculty via electronic ballot.  Faculty members are invited to vote on either the entire slate of candidates or on individual candidates, and each case will pass if the majority of votes are positive.  For cases subject to TRAC review, only tenured MSPH faculty shall be invited to vote.  For all other promotions, the entire faculty shall be invited to participate.  

3.  Admissions Committee (Masters)

Composition:

The committee shall consist of the Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, The Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Faculty of the School representing each Department, one student representative (for policy discussions, not admissions review) and if the Dean chooses, an additional member in an ex officio capacity. The Committee shall be chaired by the faculty member selected by the dean (based on the nomination of the Vice Dean of Education).

Functions of the Admissions Committee:

It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to:

1. 1. 1. 1. Evaluate admissions policies and requirements and submit recommendations for approval to the Faculty Assembly;
         2. Implement the admissions policies approved by the Faculty of the School;
         3. Act on all MPH, MHA, MS and non-degree student applications for admission to the School;
         4. Classify and reclassify students in accordance with approved policy of the School.

4.  Doctoral Committee

Composition:

This committee shall consist of the doctoral program director(s) from each department that offers a DrPH or PhD degree.  Should the program director(s) not be a faculty member, then a departmental faculty representative should also be appointed to represent that department’s faculty interests.  The committee shall also include the dean of the School or a member of the administration appointed by the dean, ex officio; the director of financial aid and admissions, ex officio; one PhD degree candidate and one DrPH candidate, each appointed by the Office of Student Affairs and each of whom has completed at least one term of his/her doctoral program. Students are non-voting members of the Committee.

Functions of the Doctoral Committee:

The committee shall set school-wide policies and guidelines for both PhD and DrPH doctoral student education.  The committee shall serve as a forum to share and discuss issues affecting departmental doctoral programs. The committee shall oversee the admissions process and approve admission decisions for applicants to the School's DrPH programs.  Student members of the committee shall not attend portions of committee meetings during which individual applications are discussed.

5.  Academic Standards Committee

Composition:

The committee shall be composed of the Director of Student Affairs, Director of Educational programs, two to three faculty members, one student and the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, ex officio.

Functions of the Academic Standards Committee:

The committee shall be charged with the responsibility for determining whether the individuals deemed to be in academic difficulty and who are enrolled in the PhD, DrPH, MPH, MHA and MS programs shall be allowed to continue as students in the School. Academic difficulty is generally indicated by grades below a B- grade point average or one or more grades of "F", or "UW" (unofficial withdrawal), on a student's record. The committee shall have the options of the following:  issue warnings, impose specific requirements on students in consultation with their Department as conditions for continued enrollment, and recommend to the Vice Dean of Education dismissal of students. A student under review shall be notified in writing of all actions taken by the committee that affects his or her status.

A student or an academic department wishing to appeal actions of the committee may request a hearing before the committee, and may have access to all documents pertinent to the Committee's action. If the student or academic department is dissatisfied with the outcome of this appeal, he or she may appeal the action directly to the vice dean of education at the School.

6. Other Committees:

Other ad hoc committees may be formed by the dean, chairs, or faculty. Committees that have a school-wide impact on faculty lives should have representation from the Steering Committee. The purpose and composition of proposed new standing committees must be discussed by Steering at the time of their creation.

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Section IV

Amendments

Amendments to these stated rules may be proposed by any member of the School Assembly, but may not be voted upon before the next following regular meeting. Faculty may propose amendments to the School Assembly by petition of four members to the dean.  Alternatively, the Steering Committee may propose amendments by notice to the Dean. At least two weeks prior to this meeting, notice of the proposed amendment shall be sent to all voting members of the School Assembly. Voting shall be by written ballot and shall require the approval of two-thirds of the ballots returned for adoption.

APPENDICES

Appendix A – Authorship of Scholarly Publications.

Scholarly works are an essential element of the academic enterprise. Peer-reviewed works contribute to the intellectual richness of the academic environment. Scholarly publications are also used as measures of professional achievement. Career advancement within the University is, in general, highly dependent upon being the first or senior author on a number of scholarly publications. Complicating matters, there are often collaborative research efforts involving multiple investigators and technical assistance from non-faculty research staff.  Publications also often include acknowledgements for important contributions which yet do not rise to the level of co-authorship. Nevertheless, inclusion as an author and the order in which the names appear on published works has both practical and ethical aspects.  For these reasons, the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health has developed a policy statement in consideration of authorship of scholarly publications. It is the intent of these policies to be in conformity with principles and journal-specific guidelines already established by various journals and professional societies and to adhere to the highest ethical standards governing authorship practices.

This policy statement is intended to apply to all faculty, students and staff of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health who are engaged in scholarly endeavors at the School.  An important objective for publishing these guidelines is to safeguard the rights of students and junior faculty, while, at the same time, ensuring that senior faculty are fully recognized for their intellectual contributions. This policy statement is intended to serve as a guide to faculty, staff and students and, in the event of disagreements about authorship, to assist in dispute resolution. As with all policies that govern complex issues, it is recognized that issues may arise that are not explicitly covered in the policy and that there must be room for individual judgments.

Authorship - A person claiming authorship of a scholarly publication must have met either or both of the following criteria:

• • Substantial contribution to the writing of the manuscript.
  • Substantial participation in conception and design of the research being reported or the large study from which it derives, and/or substantial participation in the analysis and interpretation of the findings.

The term “substantial” is subjective.  The following questions can be useful in determining whether a research participant has made a “substantial” original contribution, worthy of co-authorship. An author should be able to answer “yes” to at least one of these questions.

Has this individual:

• • Provided input into study conceptualization or design?
  • Contributed to the study methodology in a critical and unique manner?
  • Carried out work which meaningfully contributed to key analyses, findings or interpretations?

It is critical that those with substantial contribution to a study/project be acknowledged as authors. Conversely, individuals who make lesser contributions should not automatically be given authorship.

Order of Authorship – The importance of the position of an author’s name in the list of contributing authors varies by scholarly discipline. Usually the first author is the individual who is primarily responsible for writing the manuscript. In general, the first author will have played a leading role in the conception, analyses and conclusions being reported. First authorship does not implicitly derive from academic rank. First authors can be graduate students, postdoctoral fellows,  junior faculty or officers of  research. On occasion, two or more people may have made substantial contributions to the research and merit recognition as first authors. In most journals, such collaboration is recognized in an asterisked footnote stating ‘the following authors contributed equally to this work’.

In many instances the last author is the principal or senior investigator of the project. He/she may be the laboratory/program head who is recognized as the leader of the overall project and may have developed some or all of the conceptual framework of the study. The last author may also be the investigator responsible for obtaining and managing the funds that supported the research.

For manuscripts that result from collaborative efforts between laboratories or groups based at different institutions, issues of first authorships can become even more complex. Often the individuals responsible for the work are listed before the principal investigators who are responsible for the overall collaboration.  For example, if the collaboration is between two laboratories/groups with one graduate student conducting the work in each laboratory/group, then the two graduate students should be listed first, before laboratory/project heads. In such complex situations, clear and open discussion at the commencement of the collaboration is strongly encouraged.

The order of all listed authors often follows the order of contribution from greatest to least but there is great variation from journal to journal.

Accountability - Every author listed on a publication must approve the final version of the manuscript.  Each author is responsible for the integrity of the research and findings reported.

Acknowledgement – The production of scholarly works often requires highly skilled work by technical support staff, such as interviewers, coders, laboratory technicians and data entry personnel. While such support staff make important contributions, their work, in and of itself, often does not fulfill the criteria for authorship discussed above.  In many cases, their contribution does, however, merit acknowledgement and authors should make every effort to fully acknowledge essential contributions made by others.

Proper acknowledgement of contributions in the media – Many scholarly works produced by Mailman School of Public Health researchers are of substantial interest to the public and professional media. It is often senior investigators, and not the first authors, who discuss the results of the particular publication with the media and usually place research findings in the context of the larger work. Senior investigators should acknowledge all those who provided major contributions to the work and press releases, wherever possible, should include full authorship information.

Disputes Over Authorship – The best way to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts about authorship and acknowledgement is for senior investigators to discuss authorship issues early in the process of planning or implementation of a study/project. It is, of course, recognized that it is often impractical to commit to authorship order before the work is completed. Individual contributions can change significantly during the course of the study, and, indeed, new or unexpected findings often emerge.  In these instances, authorship should be guided by the principles outlined here and by adherence to high ethical standards.

Efforts should be made to resolve disagreements about omission from the author list or disagreement about the order of authorship through discussions between the principal investigator and the individuals involved.  Should that fail, faculty and students may seek informal assistance from department chairs, center directors and/or the dean of students. If informal resolution fails to resolve the dispute, individuals can request the vice dean for research institute a formal grievance proceeding. Annually, the vice dean of research shall provide the Faculty Steering Committee a summary of any authorship disputes that have come to his/her attention.

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Appendix B – Faculty Rights & Responsibilities

Holding a faculty position at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, confers rights and responsibilities on both the School and faculty member consistent with the School’s mission and faculty members’ own professional goals and expectations.  The purpose of this document is to clarify these rights and responsibilities.

The Columbia Mailman School of Public Health is, at heart and by mission, a school within a great university with a strong research, service and educational mission.  Our core research, service and teaching commitments are joined by our responsibility to translate new knowledge into innovative policy and practice solutions, with the goal of having a significant impact in improving the public’s health.  Our faculty expect to contribute with outstanding and transformative accomplishments in these areas.

Per the MSPH By-Laws, MSPH faculty are defined as: “All full time Professors, Associate Professors and Assistant Professors, without regard to qualifying adjectives in titles, shall be members of the Faculty of Columbia Mailman of Public Health. Faculty who are partially retired retain their faculty membership."

Faculty Rights and Mailman School and Department Responsibilities:

1. A fundamental right of faculty is academic freedom.  The free exchange of ideas without fear of reprisal is critical to research and to promote teaching and learning for each individual faculty member, for faculty as a group, for staff and for students.  It is Columbia Mailman’s responsibility to ensure a culture which celebrates exchange internally and which supports faculty in the face of pressure from inside and outside the School.
2. Junior faculty have the right to be supported in their pursuit of academic advancement through high quality mentorship from more senior colleagues knowledgeable in their area of practice.  Junior faculty, both tenure track and non-tenure track (defined as assistant professors, research scholars and scientists; associate research scholars and scientists; and lecturers) shall be assigned a mentor to regularly consult with them on career development and to provide feedback and guidance on their faculty development.  It is the responsibility of the Departments and school-wide Centers to provide mentors to junior faculty. 
3. Faculty have the right to participate in a stimulating intellectual community and to pursue opportunities for professional development.  This includes, but is not limited to, a stimulating intellectual environment and support for access to specific resources such as targeted grants, awards, conference attendance and training.  It is the responsibility of the School and the faculty to maintain a thriving intellectual environment and provide opportunities for faculty to fully exploit them.
4. It is the responsibility of the Departments, school-wide Centers and School to provide guidance and develop and share information on professional development opportunities and, to the degree possible and in good faith, to provide the organizational, financial and administrative support needed to make it possible for faculty to take advantage of such opportunities.
5. All faculty have the right to annual reviews conducted by the Chair of their Department or school-wide Center; they will also have a formal fourth year review in which a committee of senior faculty members, convened by the Chair, shall conduct a comprehensive and thoughtful evaluation of their scholarly development and provide specific and pragmatic advice to optimize their potential for promotion, tenure or shift to non-tenure status.  It is the Department and Center Chairs’ responsibility to provide these constructive annual reviews to all junior faculty and to provide them with realistic assessments of future prospects of employment at the Mailman School.
6. Consistent with the right of all faculty to receive realistic assessments of future prospects to prevent termination of employment, faculty have the right to early, transparent and ongoing inclusion in their Department’s, Center’s and School’s planning for their long-term job security.  Good faith efforts shall be made by MSPH to ensure that non-tenured and tenure track faculty receive non-renewal periods that reflect their years of employment and that these periods be consistent with the policy approved by the Columbia University Faculty Senate.
7. Faculty have the right to have their work recognized through authorship appropriate to their roles in the collaboration.  Mentors, program leaders, Departments and school-wide Centers are responsible for ensuring fairness, as described in the MSPH By-Laws, Appendix A.
8. All rights discussed here and others as described in the Columbia University Faculty Handbook and MSPH By-Laws pertain to all faculty throughout their employment.  Moreover, as members of the Columbia University academic community, all faculty in MSPH enjoy all the rights and responsibilities pertaining to faculty in other schools, including those that apply during retirement.
9. Please refer to a separate document, Faculty Compensation, for school-wide guidelines regarding teaching compensation for faculty in required departmental and/or certificate courses.

Columbia Mailman School and Department Expectations and Faculty Responsibilities:

It is the Mailman School’s expectation that every faculty member shall strive for the highest quality in their professional endeavors, thereby contributing to Columbia Mailman's teaching, research and/or service mission.

10. The Mailman School and Departments expect faculty to teach in their areas of expertise.  Each faculty member is expected to teach or co-teach and be fairly compensated for at least one course per academic year, with variations based on class size, newness of the course and other variations in teaching load; specific expectations for teaching are clearly set within the appointing Department and may vary among Departments.  In some cases faculty may assume administrative roles in the department in lieu of teaching.

Please see the relevant Departments’ documents outlining the teaching expectations.   Faculty are responsible for striving for excellence in teaching, including using state-of-the-art materials and methods to enhance students’ learning experiences.

11. The Department shall assign a reasonable number of advisees and allocate appropriate compensation for advising.  It is the responsibility of faculty to provide regular guidance for academic and future professional achievement to each advisee.

12. Senior faculty are expected to mentor junior faculty with high quality mentoring, as agreed upon with their Departments and school-wide Centers, to facilitate their career success.  Mentors are responsible for generosity and good-faith efforts to promote the career advancement, consistent with agreed-upon goals and tenure potential when relevant, of their mentees.

13. Faculty are expected to participate in active research or service programs and education of excellence and import for the public’s health, and to conduct this work consistent with the highest professional standards of ethics, accountability and scientific rigor.  Senior faculty are expected to lead this work and to support success of junior faculty, while junior faculty are expected to consistently progress toward future leadership.  Faculty are responsible for striving for important contributions and innovation that will advance their fields with distinction.

14. Service on Departmental, School or University committees is expected of faculty.  Faculty are responsible for agreeing to serve as appropriate on committees, standing or ad hoc, and participate in other departmental and school-wide activities, such as reviewing MPH and doctoral applications, recruitment efforts and other appropriate activities.

15. Faculty must adhere to University and Mailman School policies relating to the University’s and Mailman School’s name and insignias in any print or electronic media.  Neither faculty nor their staff should use the official title of the University, or any of its parts, except in connection with legitimate University purposes.  Faculty may use their Columbia title for identification purposes in accordance with the Faculty Handbook and are expected to maintain standards of professionalism and accuracy.

16. Columbia Mailman builds brand equity through consistent execution of a visual and editorial style in all print, digital, promotional, and educational materials.  Faculty are expected to use MSPH Office of Strategic Communications guidelines in design and production of any communications and marketing materials, including external presentations.

17. Faculty are expected to be in compliance with all the University’s and Mailman School’s required training and certifications related to teaching, the conduct of research, data security, effort reporting, conflict of interest and any other applicable policies as adopted by the School.

18. Columbia University expects faculty to function at the highest level of ethical behavior and personal accountability in teaching, conducting research, engaging in programs and teaching and assuring integrity in business operations, reporting, regulatory compliance and confidentiality.  In carrying out their commitments, faculty are required to meet the obligations and responsibilities as described in the Columbia University Faculty Handbook.

Financial Obligations of Columbia Mailman School, Departments and Faculty

19. Faculty have the right to compensation that is fair and equitable regardless of gender, race, national origin and other protected categories and with peers across Departments, school-wide Centers and School.  The Departments, school-wide Centers and School are responsible for ensuring that compensation is fair and equitable for teaching, mentoring, advising, committee service and other services provided to the University, School and Department communities.

20. A reality of being a faculty member at MSPH is that all faculty have a responsibility to contribute to the financial health of the School.  The operation of Columbia Mailman depends on tuition, indirect costs from grants and endowment income.  At a minimum, all faculty, both tenured, tenure track and non-tenured, must support their salaries through grants or administration and teaching.  However, it must be recognized that Columbia Mailman depends on faculty doing more than just covering their salaries.  Faculty, including non-tenured, tenure track and tenured, are expected to generate revenue to cover their research and service work, appropriate portions of their salaries, other relevant staff salaries, fringe benefits, allocated departmental and/or center expenses, indirect costs and other School and Department expenses, as appropriate.  Good-faith, ambitious efforts to generate revenue from sources that cover all of these items, including indirect costs, at appropriate levels is expected.

21. Departments are obligated to maintain a financial plan that includes realistic projections for supporting the number of tenure track and tenured faculty in the Department.  Only the number of faculty that can realistically be supported in the prevailing and projected funding environment should be offered such positions.

22. Existing and prospective faculty have the right to know the current and projected financial status of Departments and the criteria for the use of Department and School resources to support non-tenured, tenure track and tenured faculty who have inadequate financial coverage from other sources.

23. Administrative support for grant submission and management must be provided to faculty who submit grants through Department or school-wide centers.

Faculty members are responsible for the financial management of their grants, contracts and other academic accounts in accordance with all university and funders’ regulations and requirements.  For further information, please see the Columbia University on-line sponsored research handbook. 

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