Basic Sciences Curriculum Subcommittee (BSCSC)

1: General

The following Bylaws govern the organization and procedures of the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee (BSCSC) for St. George’s University School of Medicine at all sites where the basic sciences courses of the MD program are offered. The BSCSC is a faculty committee responsible for overseeing and ensuring a coherent and coordinated medical curriculum during the first two years (basic sciences) of the MD Program at St. George’s University.

2: Authority

 The BSCSC is a standing subcommittee of the Curriculum Committee, a delegated committee reporting to the dean of the SGU SOM and has accountability for oversight of a list of activities as outlined in the Charges section.  Special committees may be formed to address specific aspects of the curriculum and will report to the BSCSC.

3: Reporting 

The basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee reports to and provides recommendations to the Curriculum Committee of the SOM.

4: Charge

The basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee is charged with the following responsibilities:

1. Oversee the design, delivery, integration, management, development, evaluation, and overall quality of the basic sciences Medical Curriculum.
2. To assess curricular concerns of students, faculty, administrators, and external review bodies.
3. Approve and recommend to the Curriculum Committee new courses and course change proposals.
4. To continuously review and evaluate the basic sciences curriculum of the SOM against internally developed and external standards and measurable curricular outcomes.
5. Ensure the components of the basic sciences curriculum include appropriate learning objectives and required self-directed learning experiences for students to gain the medical knowledge, clinical skills, and professional behavior necessary to successfully fulfill the objectives of the MD program.
6. Review and monitor course and student performance outcomes during the basic sciences.
7. Plan and perform regular course reviews and recommend curricular action plans to the Curriculum Committee.
8. Using a variety of outcome data, determine the extent to which students are achieving MD program objectives during the basic sciences and use this information to enhance the quality of the medical education program as a whole.
9. Monitor the learning environment to ensure learning occurs in a respectful environment that enables students to achieve learning objectives associated with the behaviors expected of medical professionals.
10. Determine the minimum level of achievement/competency students are expected to demonstrate upon the completion of individual courses and at the time of graduation.
11. Promote innovations and oversee curricular revisions/reform.
12. Follow the overall academic calendar defined by the Curriculum Committee.
13. Charge special committees as needed.

5: Guiding Principles

1. Governance procedures are consistent with the mission of SGU SOM.
2. The governance process encourages continuous improvement of the curriculum.
3. All SOM students have access to an equivalent curriculum designed to align with the MD program objectives, and the learning objectives defined for each course and clerkship.
4. Processes leading to decision-making are based on open discussion, transparency, shared governance, and iterative consensus-building.

6: Membership

1. Expectation of members:  Although members are elected to ensure broad representation of the SOM, members have the responsibility to function as “members of the whole,” working to optimize the curriculum, rather than to represent the interests of a particular constituency.
2. Faculty:  The basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee consists of thirteen elected faculty members.
3. Students:  The basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee includes four student representatives who are in good academic standing and represent each term of the basic sciences. They will serve 1-year terms and be appointed by the SGA.
4. An additional position on the committee is an ex-officio non-voting position for a Northumbria University faculty member.
5. Terms:  Faculty committee members will serve three-year terms.  Members may serve two consecutive terms.  No person will serve more than two terms.  Student members will serve for a one-year term and will be renewed at the discretion of the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee chair.
6. Election of faculty members: A call for faculty candidates for open positions on the BSCSC will be issued by the senior associate dean of basic sciences. This call for candidates will be sent to all faculty throughout the basic sciences.  Faculty interested in serving on the BSCSC will be asked to submit a statement of interest and their CV.  The senior associate dean of basic sciences will submit the names of all elected faculty who they deem as appropriate candidates for the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee to the Chair of the BSCSC for final approval.
7. The Chair of the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee is appointed by the senior associate dean of basic sciences.
8. Election of student members: The SGA will nominate students for the 4 students’ positions, 2 from each year of the basic sciences.
9. Resignation: In the event that an elected committee member chooses to step down from the Curriculum Committee prior to the completion of his/her term, his/her replacement will be nominated by the Chair of the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee.
10. Possible replacement for absenteeism: Members who miss at least three of the committee meetings in a six-month period (or more than 50% of the meetings held in that time period) may be dismissed from the BSCSC. Their replacement will be nominated by the Chair of the BSCSC.

7: Procedures

1. Meetings:
   1. Meetings of the BSCSC will be called once a month by the chair.
   2. Each committee meeting will be chaired by the Chair.
   3. The BSCSC will meet at least once a month for a minimum of ten months a year.
   4. The Chair of the committee may petition the Curriculum Committee to invite other members of the SGU faculty, support services, staff and students to serve as ex-officio non-voting members or as guests. 
2. Parliamentary authority: The conduct of meetings will be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
   1. Recommendations will be passed by 2/3 majority.
3. Voting 
   1. Voting members are the appointed faculty members designated to vote.
   2. Student membership has 1 collective vote.
   3. Quorum: A quorum will be considered to be half + one or greater of the voting members.

8: Communications, records and approval

1. The chairs of the BSCSC will be responsible for ensuring that administrative staff keep accurate records of all meetings. Minutes of the meetings will be posted on the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee Sakai site within two weeks of the meeting.
2. The Chair of the BSCSC will send the minutes of the BSCSC to the Chair of the Curriculum Committee within two weeks of the last BSCSC meeting and summarize any proposals that need Curriculum Committee ratification.
3. All decisions and recommendations made by the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee will be kept in the basic sciences Curriculum Subcommittee Sakai site, and access to all members will be provided.