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Bylaws of the Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate Group

Objective

The central objective of the Genomics and Computational Biology Graduate Group is to recruit and train outstanding Ph.D. students to become quantitative, interdisciplinary computational scientists with a sophisticated understanding of the biological basis of health and disease.

The Graduate Group is overseen by the Chair and the Executive Committee with additional Admissions, Advising, Curriculum and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committees. Faculty participation is key to the success of our students and program. More information on program membership and faculty participation can be found here. 

The Chairperson

The Chairperson is the individual responsible for governance of GCB. The GCB Chair oversees all committees of the GCB and selects Course Directors for all courses. The Chair is responsible for convening meetings of the Executive Committee and sets the agenda. The Chair also sets the agenda and presides over annual Faculty Meetings. Beyond these, the Chair is also charged with:

  • Supervising day-to-day operations of GCB

  • Setting Graduate Group policy, in consultation with the Executive Committee

  • Serving on all GCB Committees

  • Ensuring that all GCB students are financially supported throughout their dissertation

  • Helping training grant principal investigators identify students appropriate for their training programs

  • Serving on the Biomedical Graduate Studies Advisory Committee

  • Meeting with students on a regular basis, and as needed

  • Overseeing the Graduate Group Coordinator

  • Overseeing the faculty composition of the program (i.e., committees)

  • Approving thesis laboratories and committees, ensuring regular thesis committee meetings

  • Giving final approval of the dissertation of each student

  • Preparing the resource document for Graduate Group Reviews

 The Chair serves a three-year renewable term. In the spring semester of the third year of a term, the Executive Committee requests nominations for the Chair and then contacts the nominees to determine if they would agree to serve. After the first three-year term, the Executive Committee may reappoint the chair through a committee vote, and a member of the committee should inform the faculty and students. Nominations must be senior level (Associate or Full Professor) individuals from the Standing Faculty of the University. The Chair must also have significant experience in training Ph.D. level students.

The Executive Committee 

The Executive Committee is responsible for:

  • Managing the election of the GCB chair every 3 years

  • Reappointment of the GCB Chair

  • Nomination of new candidate(s) for the GCB Chair

  • Approval of the Vice Chair if applicable 

  • Admission of new faculty to the program

  • Removal of non-contributing faculty from the program

The Executive Committee is also responsible for maintaining integration of the various Graduate Group programs and to review significant changes in policy, direction, or intent as recommended by GCB Committees or members, prior to final presentation to the membership at large. The committee functions as an advisory committee to the Chair on the following issues:

  • Changes and exceptions to GCB policy

  • Overall administration of the GCB program

 The Executive Committee is composed of the GCB Chair and other faculty selected from senior membership of the GCB, including members representing the concerns of the Advising, Curriculum, and Admissions Committees and other institutions that are traditionally heavily involved in GCB daily operations, as well as additional members appointed by the Chair to represent important aspects of student training. The Chair of the Executive Committee is the GCB Chair, who is responsible for leading meetings and setting the agenda.

The Curriculum Committee

The Curriculum Committee Chair shall be chosen by the Graduate Group Chair and approved by the Executive Committee. The Chair serves a three-year renewable term. The Curriculum Committee is primarily composed of course co-directors for GCB courses. Modifications to the existing curriculum are initiated by this committee and approved by the Executive Committee.

Two to three GCB students also serve on this committee. The students are invited to join the committee by the Chair and Coordinator.

The Curriculum Committee is responsible for:

  • Reviewing the GCB curriculum to ensure students’ needs are met
  • Reviewing the course evaluations for GCB courses
  • Maintaining the list of Core Knowledge topics
  • Developing proposals for new courses
The Admissions Committee

The Admissions Committee Chair shall be chosen by the Graduate Group Chair and approved by the Executive Committee. The Chair serves a three-year renewable term.

In addition to the Admissions Chair, the committee consists of the GCB Chair, GCB Vice Chair, and at least four additional faculty members.

The Admissions Committee is responsible for:

  • Reviewing all applications
  • Selecting faculty interviewers for the candidates
  • Participating in student interviews
  • Reviewing interview evaluations and recommending acceptance
The Advising Committee

The Advising Committee Chair shall be chosen by the Graduate Group Chair and approved by the Executive Committee. The Chair serves a three-year renewable term.

Two GCB students also serve on this committee. The students are invited to join the committee by the Chair and Coordinator.

The Advising Committee is responsible for:

  • Meeting with first and second year students to select courses and rotations
  • Reviewing annual Individual Development Plans with first and second year students
  • Reviewing thesis reports for dissertation students
  • Maintaining the list of Qualifying electives for GCB students
The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

The EDI Committee Chair shall be chosen by the Graduate Group Chair and approved by the Executive Committee. The Chair serves a three-year renewable term.

The EDI Committee is composed of faculty and students within the GCB program. The Chair of this committee prepares the agenda, runs the committee meeting, and is responsible for delivering recommendations to other GCB committees or entities on campus. The committee is roughly half faculty, half students, and a faculty chair.

The EDI Committee is responsible for:

  • Reviewing the GCB procedures and processes to ensure that the program provides an inclusive, equitable environment.
  • Developing proposals for new initiatives to enhance the equity, diversity, and inclusiveness of GCB.
  • Interacting with other committees and organizational structures across the university to enhance the equity, diversity, and inclusiveness of GCB.
Membership in the Graduate Group

Faculty membership in GCB needs to be approved by the Executive Committee based on (i) the applicant’s current curriculum vitae (CV), (ii) and letter of request from the candidate, or a nomination letter from a current GCB faculty member. 

GCB faculty participation is tracked by the GCB Chair and coordinator. After a three-year initial membership and every three years thereafter, faculty that are not deemed to be contributing will be invited to contribute (in some cases, to a specific activity) in order to retain their good standing. If they prefer not to contribute, they will be removed from the list of active GCB faculty, but are welcome to rejoin the program at a later date.