By-laws and Guidelines (ended effective 2/26/09):
This graduate academic cluster shall be known as the "Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster" (HSAC).
The academic cluster for graduate studies in Hydrologic Sciences is a unique interdisciplinary program designed to broaden the skills of science and engineering students who are interested in all aspects of water; i.e., occurrence, distribution, circulation, and use on and in earth. Hydrologic Sciences deal with all issues pertinent to both quantity and quality of water.
Section 1 Initial Faculty Membership
The faculty in the Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster shall be initially comprised of the University of Florida faculty who were actively involved in the development of the HSAC (Appendix 1). These faculty are members of at least one of the following: the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Engineering. These faculty are members of at least one of the following discipline departments: Agricultural Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering Sciences, Food and Resource Economics, Forestry, Geography, Geology, and Soil & Water Science. Back to Top
Section 2 Procedures for Admission of Faculty
All interested graduate faculty are invited to participate in the HSAC. All members shall be accorded full voting privileges and should be available for service upon HSAC committees. Applicants will be required to submit both a letter of petition and a condensed curriculum vitae for inclusion in the collective curricula vitae for the HSAC. The letter must be co-signed by the applicant's discipline department chair. The Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee (HSFC) will review all applications and approve admission by a simple majority vote. Admission will be based solely upon the demonstrated research and teaching interests of the applicant. Once approved by the HSFC subsequent approval must be made by the appropriate College deans, and finally by the Dean of the Graduate School. Back to Top
Section 1 Selection and Role of Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee
The HSFC shall be comprised of seven members. Each member shall represent one of the six separate hydrologic sub-areas: Subsurface Hydrologic Systems, Surface Hydrologic Systems, Hydrologic Chemistry, Hydrologic Biology, Hydrologic Analysis and Techniques, and Hydrologic Policy and Management. The additional committee member shall be a student candidate for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy within the cluster. University of Florida Faculty Committee members shall be elected to three-year terms by a simple majority vote of the entire HSAC Faculty membership. The student member shall be elected to a one-year term by a simple majority vote of students participating in the HSAC.
The HSFC shall meet at least once each semester, and issue an annual report to the participating faculty and appropriate administrators.
Elections will be held on a rotation schedule. Two positions reserved for sub-area representatives and the student position shall be elected each year. The positions reserved for the representatives for Subsurface Hydrologic Systems and Hydrologic Analysis and Techniques shall be elected in the A rotation. The positions reserved for the representatives for Hydrologic Biology and Hydrologic Policy and Management shall be elected in the B rotation. The positions reserved for the representatives for Surface Hydrologic Systems and Hydrologic Chemistry shall be elected in the C rotation. The rotation schedule shall begin with rotation A starting in the year 1993. Rotation B shall follow in the year 1994. Rotation C shall follow in the year 1995, and so on.
The Chairship of the HSAC shall be rotated every two years among the different Hydrologic sub-areas to insure that all of the sub-areas are represented. The order of rotation shall be as follows: Hydrologic Chemistry, Hydrologic Policy and Management, Hydrologic Analysis and Techniques, Subsurface Hydrologic Systems, Hydrologic Biology, and Surface Hydrologic Systems. The duties of the Chair shall include, but not be limited to: (1) providing leadership and direction for the HSAC; (2) appointing committees to oversee selection and recruitment of faculty and students to join the HSAC; and (3) the maintaining and improving the curriculum and cluster program. Back to Top
Section 2 Initial Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee
The initial membership on the Hydrologic Sciences Faculty Committee shall be as follows: P. S. C. Rao, Hydrologic Chemistry, K. Ewel, Hydrologic Biology, K. Hatfield, Hydrologic Analysis and Techniques, K. Campbell, Surface Hydrologic Systems, G. Lynne, Hydrologic Policy and Management, D. Spangler, Subsurface Hydrologic Systems, and J. Stuck, Student Representative. Elections will be held in 1994 coinciding with the B rotation and in 1995 coinciding with the C rotation. Committee members initially representing these sub-areas may be re-elected to the position for a full, three-year term. Back to Top
Section 1 Faculty
The HSAC faculty shall participate in both the activities of the HSAC and their respective discipline department(s). Effort expended by the faculty member on the HSAC shall be considered to be contributing to the overall program of the respective discipline department(s) in terms of faculty advancement, tenure, and promotion.
The Chair of the respective discipline department may choose to limit the numbers of faculty participating in the HSAC at any level deemed appropriate. Back to Top
Section 2 Graduate Students
HSAC graduate students are considered to be members of the departments and colleges of their respective Supervisory Committee Chairs. The student will receive the appropriate graduate degree in their department and college. The curriculum requirements for graduate students in the HSAC shall be determined and administered by the membership of the HSAC faculty in concert with existing departmental graduate programs. The respective departments shall be responsible for providing normal fiscal, personnel, clerical and administrative services for HSAC graduate students except for strictly HSAC matters. Departmental and college responsibilities of the student regarding research facilities and office space will be the same for all students within a given department regardless of graduate program affiliation.
The Chair of the respective department may choose to limit the numbers of students participating in the HSAC at any level deemed appropriate.
The Supervisory Committee for a candidate for the M.S. degree within the HSAC shall be comprised of no fewer than two HSAC faculty. The Supervisory Committee for a candidate for the Ph.D. degree within the HSAC shall be comprised of no fewer than two HSAC faculty. Back to Top
Section 1 Admission of Students into the HSAC
Graduate students seeking admission into the Hydrologic Sciences Academic Cluster must meet the minimum requirements established by the UF Office of the Registrar, the UF Graduate School, and the department in which the student will receive the graduate degree. Students will not be admitted to degree program unless one of the Hydrologic Sciences faculty member agrees to be the student's advisor.
The HSFC will establish additional qualifications for admission into the HSAC degree program (e.g., adequacy of undergraduate training; GRE scores; GPA, etc.). Students not meeting these requirements may be admitted on a conditional basis, and they will be allowed to make up the identified deficiencies.
Graduate students will be admitted into the department in which the student's major professor holds an appointment. Host departments are encouraged to exempt HSAC students from departmental requirements for a given graduate degree(s). The requirements for the HSAC degree in many instances may be flexible enough to allow a student to meet most of the degree requirements of both the host department and the HSAC.
The chair of the participating department may choose to limit the numbers of students participating in the HSAC. Back to Top
Section 2 Plan of Study
The HSAC students shall be required to complete a core course requirement. These requirements are outlined in Appendix 11. The student shall be required to complete a plan of study within one year after admittance into the HSAC. This plan is to be submitted to the HSFC for approval by a simple majority vote. Back to Top
Graduate students and their faculty advisor(s) shall be responsible for finding funding in a participating department or by other means. Back to Top
In addition to UF Graduate School policies and participating department policies, the HSAC shall maintain policies relating to admission requirements, curriculum requirements, and other matters relating to students and faculty in the HSAC. Back to Top
Section 1 Bylaws Adoption
These Bylaws and Guidelines shall be adopted by a simple majority vote of the entire faculty membership. Back to Top
Section 2 Amendment Adoption
Amendments to the bylaws and guidelines must be approved by a simple majority vote of the entire faculty membership. Proposed amendments shall be circulated to all faculty members at least two weeks prior to the proposed meeting date. Back to Top
Section 3 Quorum
Two thirds of the total faculty membership shall constitute a quorum at faculty meetings. Binding votes at faculty meetings shall require a simple majority of a quorum. Back to Top
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