Rules of Governance

TITLE 1 - Center Organization

Section 1 - The Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies

1. The Science and Technology Studies Center consists of the Director, Steering Committee, and Staff.

Section 2 - The Center Director

1. The Center Director must have tenure in a department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Director serves for a term of one year from July 1-June 30, with the expectation that s/he will serve for three consecutive one-year terms. The Director is appointed annually by the Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences, upon a recommendation furnished to the Dean by a vote of the Center’s Steering Committee. The Director is the highest ranking representative of the Center, and exercises all powers traditionally vested in such positions by the College and the Campus.

2. The Director shall handle all routine administrative tasks. The Director may not act on any matter that would ordinarily require the consent of the Steering Committee without attempting to contact all sitting members, and without receiving the support of a majority of at least 51% of the members.

3. At least once every year, before the election for the next year’s Director, the incumbent Director shall report to the Steering Committee about the Center’s finances. This report shall include information about every Center account, including those controlled by the College (e.g., 101 funds) or by University Trust Funds (161/2 accounts), and those that generate and/or disburse funds from the University of Wisconsin Foundation (e.g., restricted and capital accounts at the Foundation, 133 accounts in Research Administration), but no accounts held by individuals (e.g., 135 accounts through the Graduate School).

4. In the event that the Director becomes incapacitated or is for any reason unable to exercise his/her administrative responsibilities, the Steering Committee shall choose one of its members to act as Interim Director for the remainder of the current academic year.

5. As necessary, the Director may create both ad hoc and standing committees, drawn from either the Steering Committee or the general Center membership, to carry out Center business.

Section 3 - The Steering Committee

1. Term Length of Steering Committee Membership. For those whose University appointment does not carry primary teaching responsibilities in the STS Program, membership on the Steering Committee will be for a four-year term. At the conclusion of the four-year term, the retiring member may not return to the Steering Committee for a period of at least three years.

2. Staggered Rotation. Collectively, members of the Steering Committee should seek to maintain an arrangement under which approximately one-fourth of the rotating committee members, having concluded their four-year terms, rotate off the Committee on the last day of each fiscal year (June 30) and an equal number of newly-elected members rotate onto the Committee at the start of fiscal year immediately following (July 1), to begin their four-year terms.

3. Leaves of Absence. A Steering Committee member whose University appointment does not carry primary teaching responsibilities in the STS Program may request that the Steering Committee grant him or her a one-year leave of absence. During this one-year period, his or her seat on the Steering Committee shall remain vacant. Following the one-year leave, the member will serve the years remaining in his or her four-year term. The leave of absence will not be subtracted from this term.

Should a Steering Committee member whose University appointment does not carry primary teaching responsibilities in the STS Program seek to extend his or her one-year of leave for a second year, he or she may request that the Steering Committee grant a second one-year leave. This request must be made and approved in advance of the Spring ballot to constitute the Steering Committee for the following fiscal year. Under this circumstance, the Spring ballot will elect, for a four-year term, one “additional member” beyond the number that would otherwise be elected. At the conclusion of his or her two-year leave, the faculty member who has gone on approved leave will return to the Steering Committee for no more than two years (insofar as this faculty member had, in advance of his or her leave, already served three years of a four-year term, he or she will serve out his or her remaining one year).

When a Steering Committee member whose University appointment carries a primary teaching responsibility in the STS Program goes on leave from the University his or her seat on the Committee will remain vacant. He or she will not be replaced unless a return to the Steering Committee is not envisaged.

There shall be one exception to these provisions about holding Steering Committee positions vacant when Committee members go on leave, either for one year in the case of members with University appointments not carrying primary teaching responsibilities in the STS Program, or for one or more years in the case of members whose University appointments carry a primary teaching responsibility in the STS Program. Under the condition that a multiplicity of leaves of absence in the same year reduces the Steering Committee to fewer than the minimum required 7 members, the Steering Committee shall bring the number of members back up to 7 by selecting other members of the program to serve one-year replacement terms. Recognizing the obstacles to effective Committee membership presented by one-year terms, the Steering Committee, in selecting program members to serve such replacement terms, may chose these members from among retired Steering Committee members who have not yet been absent from the Committee for three years. In this case, replacement members would then be ineligible to serve new four-year terms until three years following the year of replacement service.

4. Nominations Committee. Title 2, Section 2, Paragraph 2 of these Rules for Governance states: “Ballots [for Steering Committee membership] will contain the name of eligible members who have been nominated by members of the Center, the current Director, and or the Steering Committee.” In years where the number of nominated persons exceeds the number of Steering Committee positions, a subcommittee of the Steering Committee will constitute a Nominations Committee. This Nominations Committee will consist of the Director and two members of the Steering Committee, elected to the Nominations Committee by a majority vote of the Steering Committee members. The task of the Nominations Committee shall be to winnow the list of eligible members who have been nominated into a balanced multi-disciplinary ballot.

Section 4 - Center Membership

1. All individuals appointed during academic year 2000-2001 to the Organizing Committee by the Dean of Letters and Sciences, as well as faculty hired to the Science Studies cluster, shall constitute the original membership of the Center.

2. Center membership is open to all faculty and academic staff who either teach a course at least 50% of whose content involves science studies, conduct research in the STS field, provide significant academic services within the STS field, or can otherwise demonstrate an intellectual/pedagogical commitment to STS. Applicants for membership shall be self-nominated or nominated by someone to the Steering Committee. Member applications must include a curriculum vitae. Membership in the program is granted by majority vote of the members present at a meeting of the Steering Committee.

TITLE 2 - Voting and Elections

Section 1 - Voting Rights of Members

1. All duly affiliated members of the Center have voting rights in the Center Meeting.

Section 2 - Election Procedures

1. For Director - Every year, no later than April 20, the Steering Committee, or someone chosen by the Steering Committee, shall conduct the advisory balloting for the Center Director, the results of which will be communicated to the Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences. The voting shall be by secret ballot. Members of the Steering Committee will be notified of the election and ballots distributed to all Steering Committee members at least two weeks before the deadline for voting. Ballots will contain the names of eligible members who have been nominated by members of the Center, the current Director, or the Steering Committee.

2. The Steering Committee - In the spring of each year, the Director shall conduct the advisory balloting for membership on the Steering Committee, to fill vacancies created by the normal expiration of members’ terms, vacancies created by leaves of absence, etc. Results of the election shall be communicated to the Dean of the College of Letters and Sciences, who will then appoint the full membership of the Steering Committee. The voting shall be by secret ballot. Members will be notified of the election and ballots distributed to all Center members at least two weeks before the deadline for voting. Ballots will contain the names of eligible members who have been nominated by members of the Center, the current Director, or the Steering Committee.

TITLE 3 - Meetings and Communication

SECTION 1 - Center Meetings

1. The Director shall convene a meeting of the members of the Science and Technology Studies Center at least once each academic year. The meeting time and location shall be announced at least two weeks in advance, and the agenda one week in advance. Any Center member may place an item on the agenda. A quorum of ten members is necessary for the meeting to take any action.

2. Meetings of the Center shall be conducted under the rules set forth in Robert's Rules of Order.

SECTION 2 - Steering Committee

1. The time and location of Steering Committee meetings shall be announced at least two weeks in advance, and the agenda one working day in advance. A quorum of 51% of the members is necessary for the Committee to take any action. Any member of the Center who so wishes may attend and participate on a non-voting basis, except in the case of a meeting that is closed under the relevant statutes of the State of Wisconsin.

2. Any member of the Center may propose an agenda item to a steering committee member.

Amended 5/14/04