By-Laws

Download a copy of EECB program By-Laws here.
(Acrobat reader required)

 

ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION AND CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

GRADUATE PROGRAM

UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, RENO

Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB) is a graduate program in the biological sciences at the University of Nevada, Reno, that promotes Ph.D. education in theoretical, experimental, and applied aspects of ecology, evolution and conservation biology.  EECB is composed of a Graduate Faculty, a Program Director and one or more Assistant/Associate Program Directors, and an Advisory Board.

GRADUATE FACULTY

EECB Graduate Faculty members direct doctoral students, teach graduate courses, and conduct scholarly research in the areas of ecology, evolution and conservation biology.

Any UNR graduate faculty member conducting research in ecology, evolution, or conservation biology, as evidenced by recent publication in major journals, (e.g. Ecology, Evolution, Conservation Biology), or teaching graduate level courses in ecology, evolution, or conservation biology may apply for graduate faculty status in EECB.

Applications are evaluated and membership determined by the EECB Program Director and Admissions Committee.

EECB Graduate Faculty members are admitted for five-year terms, based upon research productivity and teaching/advising effectiveness.  The EECB Program Director and Admission Committee reviews and determines continued membership.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

The EECB Program Director oversees the operations of EECB including the following:

the selection and admission of EECB Graduate Faculty members,
curriculum development and implementation,
admissions and recruiting of students,
budget and funding development,
committee membership,
and any other administrative activities, including the minimization of conflicts of interest in the decision-making process. 

The Program Director may recommend one or more Assistant/Associate Program Directors to the EECB faculty.  Election of an Assistant/Associate Program Director requires a majority vote at an EECB faculty meeting.

The EECB Program Director is elected from the EECB Graduate Faculty with the approval of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Dean.  The Program Director serves a three-year term, renewable, upon election, for a second or third term upon successful evaluation by the EECB Graduate Faculty.  Acceptable and unacceptable evaluations are submitted to the Vice President for Research and Graduate Dean through the EECB Advisory Board (minus the Program Director).

ASSISTANT/ASSOCIATE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

The EECB faculty upon recommendation of the Program Director may elect one or more Assistant/Associate Program Directors.  Assistant/Associate Program Directors shall represent the Program Director and the EECB Program as agreed upon by the Program Director and the Assistant/Associate Program Director.

PROGRAM ADVISORY BOARD

The EECB Program Advisory Board (PAB) consists of the following voting members: EECB Program Director and chairs of departments with two or more active EECB Graduate Faculty.  Also sitting on the Program Advisory Board, in a nonvoting capacity are the Assistant/Associate Program Directors.  The EECB Program Advisory Board shall consider financial matters of EECB and proposed by-law changes.  In addition, the Advisory Board shall provide the Program Director with advice regarding program planning, and decisions involving dismissal of students, and shall act as the appeals board for any decisions made by the director or any EECB standing committee.  Any appeal from a student must be accompanied by a written evaluation of the appeal from the student’s advisory committee.

EECB STANDING COMMITTEES

The Admissions Committee and Curriculum Committee will each consist of three faculty members, two elected by the faculty and one appointed by the Program Director.  The Examination Committee will consist of one faculty member for each of the EECB topic areas, to be appointed by the EECB Program Director.  Service on these three committees is for a term of three years.  One graduate student, who has previously passed the Comprehensive Examinations, will also be elected by the EECB graduate students to participate in policy discussions held by the Examination Committee.  The EECB program director serves ex-officio on all committees.  The program director may appoint ad-hoc committees as needed.

ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE

The EECB Admissions Committee evaluates all student applications to the EECB Program and recommends to the EECB Faculty those students found acceptable and sources of financial support they should receive from the EECB Graduate Program.  The EECB Admissions Committee evaluates and advises the Program Director on all Graduate Faculty applications.  When considering general admission policies, this committee shall consult with representatives of the EECB student association.

CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

The EECB Curriculum Committee evaluates and approves the graduate courses that are included in the EECB course listing and recommends to the faculty the structure of the EECB core curriculum.  The EECB Curriculum Committee assists with the development and hosting of the EECB Colloquium series (EECB 794).

EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

The EECB Examination Committee is responsible for developing policy relating to the EECB comprehensive examinations. The Examination Committee will review examinations given the previous year and interview select students and faculty who have been involved in the examination process.  The Examination Committee will report to the Director and the faculty on examination procedures and proffer recommendations for adjustments to procedures as necessary.

ADMISSIONS STANDARDS

In addition to meeting University application requirements, applicants should submit an application form, complete transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work, and GRE scores (general and advanced biology, plus TOEFL scores for international students) to the Director of Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557.  Applicants should also arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent to this address by individuals able to evaluate the applicant’s academic record and research potential.

We anticipate that in order to compete successfully for admission, an applicant should meet the following requirements:

a cumulative grade point average of 3.00,

a combined verbal plus quantitative GRE score of 1200,

a TOEFL score of 600 for international students,

course work in physical sciences (6 credits),

university mathematics including calculus (6 credits),

organic chemistry or biochemistry (6 credits),

and biology (24 credits, including genetics, evolution, and ecology), or equivalent evidence of ability to succeed in a Ph.D. program in ecology, evolution and conservation biology.

Each student must have a temporary advisor among the EECB faculty before they are accepted into the EECB Program.  Within the first academic year, an advisory committee and major professor must be chosen, and the first committee meeting held.

Students admitted to the EECB Program may be offered financial support from one of the following sources: scholarships, teaching fellowships, and research assistantships.  If a student’s job performance (i.e., as a teaching or research fellow) and progress towards the degree is satisfactory, support from one or more of these sources ordinarily may be provided for up to five years total (four years if a student is admitted with a Master’s Degree).

QUALIFYING EXAMINATION

Completion of the Graduate Record Examination advanced test in Biology will constitute the Qualifying Examination for EECB.  An overall score of 680 or subscores of 70 in Population Biology, 70 in Organismal Biology, and 62 in Cellular and Subcellular Biology is used as evidence of readiness to begin graduate work in the EECB Program.  Students with lower scores in any of the three areas must complete an undergraduate Biology course with a grade of B or better in areas in which a low score was received.

PROGRAM OF STUDY AND COURSE WORK

A student will select an Advisory Committee no later than the end of his or her second semester. This committee will consist of the major professor; at least two members of the EECB Graduate Faculty, selected by the student and major professor; one additional faculty member, selected by the student and major professor in consultation with the program director (to bring programmatic breadth to the committee); and one member having UNR Graduate Faculty status from outside of the EECB Faculty and major advisor’s home department. One or more additional qualified members (from on or off campus) also may be appointed. No committee shall have fewer than five members.

Each student, with the advice of his or her Advisory/Examining Committee, will take specialized courses that are appropriate for the student’s area of research emphasis.  In addition, the EECB Program has a set of core requirements that are intended to ensure that all students enrolled in the program receive a broad education in ecology, evolution, and conservation biology, and a solid foundation in research methods and experimental design.
These core requirements are:

EECB 701 and 702, Research Rotation I and II (3 credits each, or equivalent content).  Rotations are intended to provide students with extensive graduate-level experiences in laboratory, field, or classroom settings, and in areas other than the students’ field of specialization.  One rotation may be waved for students entering with a master’s degree.  Equivalency will be determined by the student’s advisory committee.

6 credits in statistics, three of which may be undergraduate credits. Courses that satisfy this requirement are determined by the student’s advisory committee.

3 credits from:

EECB 750  Research Design (3 credits), or

ERS 715  Presentation of Scientific Data (3 credits)

4 credits from:

794  Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology Colloquium
(must be taken four times for one (1) credit each time)

2 credits from:

EECB 707  Issues in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology
(may be taken twice for credit toward the degree)

Language Requirement: There will be no foreign or computer language requirement in EECB.  However, a student’s Advisory/Examining Committee may require language study.

Teaching Requirement: All EECB graduate students are expected to participate for two (2) semesters in the teaching of undergraduate laboratories or courses.

Teaching experience gained prior to admission to EECB may be used to meet this requirement.

Each student must complete at least 72 graduate credits, including the EECB core curriculum, of which at least 30 credits must be in course work.  A minimum of 30 credits of 700-level courses beyond the baccalaureate, exclusive of dissertation credits, is required for the doctoral degree.  A maximum of 24 credits in course work with grades of B or better from a master’s degree program or previous post-baccalaureate graduate studies program may be allowed toward the Ph.D. degree, with the approval of the EECB Director, the Graduate Dean, and the Office of Admissions and Records.  A maximum of 18 of these credits may be used from a master’s degree towards the 30 credits of 700-level courses.

Enrollment requirement is a minimum of six semesters of graduate study beyond the bachelor’s degree.  At least two successive semesters, excluding summer sessions, must be spent in full-time residence on campus at the University of Nevada, Reno.

DISSERTATION PROPOSAL

Each EECB Ph.D. student must submit a formal dissertation proposal to his/her Advisory Committee.  The proposal may be modified and resubmitted, with the guidance of the Advisory Committee, until this committee finds the proposal acceptable.  Acceptability is based, in part, on the Advisory Committee’s judgment that the proposal reflects a sufficient knowledge and understanding of relevant biology on the part of the student.  The committee may require any features of the dissertation proposal as it sees fit.  A copy of the final version of the dissertation proposal must be sent by the student to the EECB Program Director, along with a signature sheet including the signatures of all members of the Advisory Committee indicating their acceptance of the proposal, to be included in the student’s file.  The dissertation proposal must be accepted prior to scheduling the Oral Comprehensive Examination, which must be taken within six months of successful completion (passing) of the Written Comprehensive Examination.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION

EECB students are required to take a written and oral comprehensive examination.  Policies governing when the exam is to be taken, how the exam is constructed, and what constitutes passing is delineated elsewhere in this handbook.

CANDIDACY

Application for admission to candidacy must be filed not later than eight calendar months before awarding of the degree, and not before completion of residence requirements, the comprehensive examination, and any remaining GRE requirements.

DISSERTATION

Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must register for at least 24 credits of dissertation research and must submit a dissertation satisfactory to the Advisory/Examining Committee.  An exception to the minimum 24 dissertation credits requires the advance written approval of the EECB Curriculum Committee.  The dissertation must represent an original and independent investigation.  It should reflect a mastery of research techniques, as well as the student’s ability to select an important problem for the investigation, study it competently, and express findings in an acceptable manner.  Final approval of the dissertation is by the graduate dean.

The student is required to present a formal seminar to members of the EECB program.  Normally, the seminar will precede the final oral exam.  The Advisory/Examining Committee will conduct the final oral examination of the student’s dissertation and general knowledge of ecology, evolution, and conservation biology.  If more than one negative committee vote is cast, the examination is failed.  In case of failure, the Advisory/Examining Committee, with approval of the Program Director, may permit the examination to be retaken once following additional work by the student.

If a student has first-author publication(s) approved by the Advisory/Examining Committee submitted to or accepted in refereed journals by the time he or she has completed the dissertation work, he or she may submit the publication(s) to his or her dissertation committee.   The student may then petition to write a “General Discussion” at the end as well as an “Introduction” to the work and have the dissertation consist of this introduction and discussion, plus the paper(s).

DISMISSAL FROM PROGRAM

Students in the program with one or more years, who have a UNR graduate grade point average below 3.0, and students failing to adhere to the by-laws with regard to program of study, course work, comprehensive examination, candidacy, and dissertation may be dismissed from the program.  Students under consideration for dismissal will receive written notice that they are under consideration for dismissal.  This notice shall be sent by the EECB Program Director to the student and/or his/her advisor 30 days prior to the issue’s being discussed by the Program Advisory Board.  The student and/or advisor can, during this 30-day period, provide additional information for the consideration of the Program Advisory Board.  Upon receiving the recommendation of the Program Advisory Board, the Program Director is authorized to act on behalf of the program.

MEETINGS

The EECB Faculty shall meet a minimum of once per semester.  Additional meetings may be called by the Program Director.  Meeting notices will be mailed at least one week prior to the meeting date.  All EECB Graduate Faculty and two representatives of the EECB student association may vote at the meetings.  A quorum shall be six voting members.

BY–LAW CHANGES

Proposed changes to the by-laws should be submitted to the Program Advisory Board for its advice.  All proposed changes, together with PAB advice should be distributed one week prior to the faculty meeting at which they will be considered.  By-laws may be changed by a 2/3 vote of the EECB Faculty.

INITIAL FACULTY

Members of the UNR Graduate Faculty desiring to join the EECB graduate program are qualified to be faculty.  Prior to the selection of an admissions committee, faculty may affiliate with EECB either by attending one of the two September, 1991 meetings, or by sending a brief statement of interest to the PAB prior to 10 October 1991.  After 10 October, faculty will be added upon recommendation of the Admissions Committee and Program Director.