About
Bylaws

Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Article 1. Authority

These Bylaws derive their authority from the Statutes of the University of Illinois, which state that the governance of each academic unit shall be based on Bylaws established and amended by the faculty of that unit. The Bylaws of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering are an extension of the University Statutes. As such, they must be in accordance with these Statutes, as well as the Bylaws of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and the Grainger College of Engineering. In cases of any perceived conflict, the Statutes and college Bylaws must prevail.

Article 2. Vision and Mission

Section 1. Vision

We will be a preeminent agricultural and biological engineering department addressing grand challenges related to food, agriculture, and the environment. 

Section 2. Mission

To ensure abundant food supply, sustainable and innovative agriculture, and environmentally sustainable use of natural resources by advancing and integrating engineering, technology, and life sciences, and developing human capacity. We are committed to creating a respectful and rewarding atmosphere for work and learning. 

Article 3. Faculty Role in Governance

Section 1. Faculty Role in Governance

"As the responsible body in the teaching, research and scholarly activities of the University of Illinois System, the faculty has inherent interests and rights in academic policy and governance. As such, faculty members are encouraged to consider, review, analyze, critique, discuss, address, and debate academic policy and governance.

Each college or other academic unit shall be governed in its internal administration by its faculty, as defined in Section 3a(1) above [in the University of Illinois Statutes]. Governance of each academic unit shall be based on unit bylaws established and amended by the faculty of that unit. The bylaws shall provide for the administrative organization and procedure of the unit, including the composition and tenure of executive or advisory committees. Except that they may not conflict with these Statutes, or other specific actions of the Board of Trustees, or with the bylaws of a unit which encompasses it, the details of the bylaws are left to the faculty of the unit."

(University of Illinois Statutes, Article II, Sections 3b and 3c. As Amended: July 20, 2023).

Section 2. Faculty Rights and Responsibilities

All members of the faculty share the responsibility of maintaining high professional standards that foster academic integrity. The faculty shall:

  • have all powers not given by the University Statutes exclusively to the head nor given by the faculty to the head, 
  • have all powers delegated to it by the head,
  • elect the Department Faculty Advisory Committee and the Grievance Committee,
  • evaluate departmental policies and procedures and provide advice to the head, and 
  • review the vision, mission, goals, and programs of the department at least once in each five-year period.

Article 4. Membership

Section 1. Faculty

The voting faculty shall consist of tenure-system faculty with a rank of professor, associate professor, or assistant professor who are tenured or are receiving probationary credit towards tenure and hold at least a 25 percent salaried appointment within the department.

Specialized faculty (other than those who are visiting or adjunct) are members of the department and are granted voting privileges only if they hold at least a 25 percent appointment within the department.

Specialized adjunct, visiting, emeritus, and other appointees of all faculty ranks not meeting the conditions stated above shall be non-voting members of the faculty in the department.

Article 5. General Organization

Section 1. Executive Officer

The department shall be organized with the head as executive officer. The head shall have those powers and duties given by the University Statutes and such other powers and duties as granted by these Bylaws.

The head shall be responsive to the collective judgment of the faculty, obtained through meetings of the faculty and the Department Faculty Advisory Committee.

The head may name associate heads, assistant heads, and/or directors as appropriate with the advice of the Department Faculty Advisory Committee.

The head shall undergo a formal review, by a committee appointed by the Dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.

Section 2. Faculty Meetings

The department faculty shall meet at least once during each semester of the academic year. The head shall call meetings. The faculty may also call meetings upon submitting a written request signed by at least five voting faculty members. These meetings shall be held within two weeks of receiving the request. The head or the head’s designee shall preside over meetings. 

The head shall distribute faculty meeting agendas to all members of the department at least five days before each meeting. At least 50 percent of the voting faculty members in the department must be present at any properly called meeting to constitute a quorum. Approval of motions shall require a simple majority of the eligible voters present at the meeting that meets the quorum requirement. Voting by absentee ballot is allowed. Voting shall be by secret ballot when requested by one faculty member. The head shall distribute abbreviated minutes to the faculty after each meeting.

Section 3. Department Faculty Advisory Committee

The Department Faculty Advisory Committee shall consist of four tenured members of the faculty elected at-large by the voting members of the faculty. Members serve a two-year term with two new members elected each year. The Department Faculty Advisory Committee shall act to advise the head on matters pertaining to the department. Their duties shall include:

  • providing for the orderly voicing of suggestions for the good of the department; 
  • recommending procedures and committees that will encourage faculty participation in formulating policy; 
  • consulting on budgetary matters; 
  • advising on teaching assignments, hiring and promotion matters; 
  • serving on the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee and Grievance Committee as specified in Sections 4 and 5; and
  • addressing matters requested by the head. 

Section 4. Promotion and Tenure Committee

The Promotion and Tenure Committee shall consist of the Department Faculty Advisory Committee plus all full professors.

When considering promotion cases for specialized faculty, up to two specialized faculty who are voting members within the department or from other departments within the college may be appointed by the head to join the Promotion and Tenure Committee. The specialized faculty serving on the Promotion and Tenure Committee must be of the same track (Research/Clinical/Teaching) as the candidate. 

At least 50 percent of the members must be present at any properly called meeting to constitute a quorum. The head shall chair the committee but shall not vote on promotion and tenure cases. 

The Promotion and Tenure committee shall review the faculty performance and make recommendations to the head regarding promotion and/or tenure of faculty. All votes on promotion and tenure documents shall be by secret ballot. Members of the Promotion and Tenure Committee shall vote only on cases for promotion to their rank or below. 

Section 5. Grievance Committee

The Department Grievance Committee shall consist of the four faculty members who are elected to the Department Faculty Advisory Committee.

The committee shall consider any formal grievance submitted in writing to the head by any faculty member, academic professional, staff, graduate student, or undergraduate student.

The Department Grievance Committee shall not consider cases involving academic misconduct or sexual harassment or discrimination which are handled under defined campus policies. 

The committee shall select a chair from among its faculty members. The chair shall ensure that a record of the committee’s investigations, deliberations, and recommendations is forwarded to the head.

When Grievance Committee members cannot serve or have a conflict of interest,* the head shall appoint replacement faculty members.

For specialized faculty grievances, the head may appoint one specialized faculty within the department (or college) to serve on the committee. For graduate student grievances, two graduate students will be selected by the graduate students shall also serve on the committee. A graduate student grievant may request no graduate students on their grievance committee.

All members must be present at any properly called meeting. Committee procedures shall be approved by the faculty and shall comply with relevant University policies including the Academic Staff Handbook, Graduate college grievance procedures, and the Student Code. 

*Conflict of Interest Definition: A conflict of interest is a significant professional or personal involvement with the facts or the parties to a dispute. Any participant who has a conflict of interest in a dispute under this procedure, or a concern about a conflict on the part of another, shall report it to the head who shall take appropriate action. If the head has such a conflict, the head shall inform the dean of the college (or the dean of the Graduate College for graduate student grievant) who shall decide how to address the situation.

Section 6. Department Standing Committees

The head, in consultation with the Department Faculty Advisory Committee, shall annually appoint standing committees and/or committee chairs as appropriate from members within the department. 

In making committee assignments, the head shall consider how the committee composition reflects the range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives within the unit. If committee membership cannot reflect this range without placing an undue burden on specific groups, for example, then the head should encourage discussions about equitable representation or appoint a diversity advocate on the committee. All members will have full participation in the committees they are appointed to serve. 

Standing committees include Courses and Curricula, Graduate, Awards, Safety and Health, and Community, Opportunity, and Engagement.¹ All committees shall operate under a written charge formulated by the head with the advice of the Department Faculty Advisory Committee. At least 50 percent of the members must be present at any properly called meeting to constitute a quorum. Committees shall report to the head unless directed otherwise. The head may appoint additional committees on an ad hoc basis.

Article 6. Elections

Elections for department and college committees requiring elections will be by secret ballot. Faculty are encouraged to consider a broad range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives in their voting. Elections shall occur during the spring semester with the term of the newly elected members beginning at the start of the academic year (August 16). Special elections to fill unexpired terms can be held at any time. Terms for specially elected individuals shall begin immediately. In case of a tie, a run-off election shall be held for those tied. 

Individuals may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms on department and college committees requiring elections. This provision ensures regular turnover and fresh perspectives on these committees, promoting diversity of thought and fostering new leadership opportunities. After sitting out at least one year, individuals shall become eligible again, contributing to ongoing faculty engagement and participation in departmental and college governance.

Article 7. External Advisory Committee

The head shall appoint members each year to this committee for a term of three years to fill the vacant seats. The head shall seek suggestions for nominations from the faculty. The head shall also consider the diversity, geographical, and professional balance of the External Advisory Committee in making new appointments to the committee.

Article 8. Amendments

The following may initiate changes to these bylaws: the head, the Department Faculty Advisory Committee, or through petition by at least five members of the faculty.

The faculty shall receive at least a two-week notice of any meeting to consider any proposed amendments. The proposed amendments may be amended from the floor provided such amendments are clarifying in nature or scope of the original proposal. 

Proposed amendments shall be distributed to the faculty and discussed at a faculty meeting. Following the meeting, voting shall occur by online secure ballot open to all voting faculty for seven days. Approval requires at 60 percent majority of ballots returned, with a minimum of 50 percent of the voting faculty.

Ratified by Faculty:       December 6, 2005
Amended by Faculty:    June 27, 2014; April 24, 2016; February 21, 2020; July 10, 2020; March 21, 2022; February 26, 2024; September 29, 2025

¹ The committee of Community, Opportunity, and Engagement (CCOE) shall be co-chaired by the department representatives to the CCOE of the Grainger College of Engineering and the diversity committee of College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. To ensure adequate representation of stakeholders, the committee of Community, Opportunity, and Engagement (CCOE) shall include representatives from several standing committees, including the Department Faculty Advisory, Courses and Curricula, Graduate, and Awards Committees, and representatives from staff, undergraduate, and graduate students. 

Community, Opportunity, & Engagement (COE)

Community, Opportunity, & Engagement

The Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering is dedicated to creating a climate that amplifies and nurtures practices of community, opportunity, and engagement (COE), not just through words but through actions.

To conduct this work, we have established a COE Committee and set the following three goals for this committee:

  1. To understand and address ongoing climate issues that emerge in our community.
  2. To enrich our intellectual engagement by supporting department members pursuing work and holding events related to COE.
  3. To build a long term accountability plan that gives the department multiple opportunities to sustain, reflect on, and continually revise our practices in order to achieve such an environment.

 

Co-Chairs

Maria L. Chu

Maria L. Chu

 

Mei Tessum

Mei Tessum

 
Committee Members

Richard Cooke

Richard Cooke

Laurie Leonelli

Laurie Leonelli

Gopu Nair

Gopu Nair

 

Anne Marie

Anne Marie Boone

 

Kelsie Woodward

Kelsie Woodward

 

 

 

  

 

Programming & Events

Throughout the year, the ABE COE Committee offers programming and events to promote education, discussion, and implementation COE subject matter. Please check the ABE newsletter, department social media, and your email for upcoming events.

To receive ABE Advising eNews, please contact abe@illinois.edu.

Communications

All public communications related to the ABE’s COE work have been reported through ABE newsletters.

Resources

Cultural & Resource Centers

Our campus has cultural and resource centers to serve our diverse community and foster a climate of respect, tolerance, and the free exchange of ideas.

Campus Offices & Resources

Title IX

The Title IX Office at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is primarily responsible for coordinating the university’s compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and related federal and state laws and regulations, in addition to university policies and procedures.

This includes providing leadership, oversight, consultation, education, and training to the university community around the topic of Title IX. It also includes helping to ensure that the university responds appropriately and effectively to issues and grievances related to Title IX and related state and federal laws.

The Title IX Office is responsible for issues pertaining to: Sexual Misconduct, Athletics, and Pregnant & Parenting.

Title IX Office
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
614 E. Daniel Street, Suite 303
Champaign, IL 61820
Email: titleixcoordinator@illinois.edu
Phone: (844) 616-7978

Confidential Resources

Non-Confidential Resources