Department of
History and Philosophy
Bylaws
of the Department
Last Revised
These bylaws took effect on July 1, 2007.
For all department business,
Robert’s Rules of Order applies.
1. Chair
1.1. Executive authority in
the Department rests with the Chair, with the Executive Committee (EC) acting
in an oversight role representing the interests of the faculty.
1.2. For reasons of brevity,
the detailed roles and functions of the Chair are not specified in this document.
The Chair, however, is broadly responsible for the following:
·
coordination of vision and
strategic planning for the Department (in conjunction with the EC)
·
evaluating faculty annually (in
conjunction with the EC)
·
budgeting
and fiscal management of Department resources (in conjunction with the EC)
· managing day-to-day administrative responsibilities
· providing for scheduling and student advisement
· providing for mentorship of new faculty
· supervising staff assigned to the Department
· assigning faculty and staff work loads, including service and teaching responsibilities of lecturers and instructors
· providing service and support to varied constituencies (college, university, and community)
· keeping a record of all committee assignments in the Department and at the college/university level involving History and Philosophy faculty
· serving as advocate for and representative of the Department
1.3. The Chair holds a
twelve-month administrative appointment and negotiates his/her teaching load
with the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. Normally this load will be one
course per semester.
1.4. .After serving, the
Chair becomes a faculty member with a nine-month contract, unless offered a
different administrative post.
1.5. The current Chair
will remain in the position for five years (beginning
1.6. Tenure of the Chair
1.6.1 Candidates for Chair must be tenured professors or tenured associate professors.
1.6.2 The term of office of a Chair is 5 years, effective July 1.
1.6.3 The tenure of the Chair will be limited to one 5-year non-consecutive term. After a 5-year hiatus a faculty member could serve as Chair again. This does not apply to the sitting Chair (see above, item I.D).
1.6.4. In the spring of the fourth year of a Chair’s term, the Department will convene to nominate candidates. The ballot submitted to the Voting Members by the Elections Committee will include “Outside Search” as one nominee. The faculty will then vote on the slate of candidates, and a simple majority will prevail.
1.6.5. At the end of a Chair’s second year, the EC will conduct a Department-wide review of the Chair’s performance and consider the Department’s assessment with the Chair.
1.6.6. The option of “Outside Search” is wholly dependent upon agreement by the Dean and the VPAA’s office.
1.6.7. If the “Outside Search” option is selected but funding is not available or the search is unsuccessful, the Department will vote to allow the current Chair to remain in the position for one year or select an interim Chair.
1.6.8. A Chair has the option to step down before the 5-year term is over. The Department would convene and function as they would in option (4) above.
1.7. Voting Members
For purposes of department
governance, and for the remainder of this document, Voting
Members shall consist of tenured and tenure-track faculty and Instructors and
Lecturers.
1.8. Voting for
Chair
1.8.1. A simple majority vote of Voting Members will be required to recommend a Chair. In the event that there is no simple majority, the top two candidates who received the most votes would be placed on a second ballot.
1.8.2. Voting will be by secret
ballot.
1.8.3. There will be no
voting by proxy.
1.8.4. Mail and e-mail
ballots will be accepted.
1.8.5. The Elections Committee will count the ballots and forward the results to the Department and Dean of HSS.
1.8.6. After considering the ballot preference and following needed consultation, the Dean will appoint a Chair.
1.9. Removal of Chair
Faculty may register their dissatisfaction on leadership issues as follows:
1.9.1. First, address the issues involved directly with the Chair.
1.9.2. Second, address the issues with the EC.
1.9.3. Third, if issues remain unresolved, the faculty involved may seek the intervention of the Dean.
1.9.4. If the issues still remain unresolved, a vote of no-confidence in the Chair may be passed by the Voting Members.
1.9.5. A vote of no-confidence will require a two-thirds majority of the Voting Members.
2. Interim
Chair
If a Chair’s position unexpectedly becomes vacant, an Interim Chair shall be nominated by the EC from its membership and submitted to the Department for confirmation by a simple majority vote. The term would end as soon as the position could be filled under the above provisions.
3.
Executive Committee
3.1. Executive authority in
the department rests with the Chair, with the EC acting in an oversight role
representing the interests of the faculty.
3.2. The EC represents the
interests of the faculty in the administration of the Department. The
Department expects the EC to represent the interests of all academic programs,
faculty ranks, and service/scholarship tracks; to insure fair democratic
procedures; and to protect minority programs, ranks, and tracks.
3.2.1
Once the Department has agreed to a strategic plan, the EC will provide
oversight to assure the plan is implemented by the Chair, as far as possible,
in keeping with the Department’s intentions. To assure appropriate feedback to the
Department it serves, the
EC will annually provide a brief written assessment of the Chair’s and the
faculty’s efforts to meet the Department’s strategic goals.
3.2.2
Once the Department has agreed to clear, written standards for annual
evaluations and merit pay recommendations, the EC will provide arm’s-length
oversight of their implementation. Specifically, upon the completion of the
annual review process each year, the EC will review the Chair’s implementation
of those standards. The details are subject to change, but the EC could review
a spreadsheet of ratings and merit awards with an eye to equity and uniformity
of application. It would have access to annual review documents and Chair’s
letters when necessary to provide meaningful oversight. To assure appropriate
feedback to the Department it serves, the EC will annually share a version of such an
oversight spreadsheet without names with the Voting Members of the
Department to serve as the basis for more informed discussion of annual review
and merit increase policies and their implementation. Faculty reluctant to
share concerns about annual review policies or their implementation with the
Chair individually, or with the Department as a whole, may be more comfortable
speaking to colleagues on the EC. By virtue of their position, EC members will
keep any such conversations in confidence as a matter of professional
responsibility.
3.2.3.
Once the Department has agreed to clear, written course-release and travel
policies, the EC will
review a spreadsheet of course-reassignment awards and travel reimbursements
with an eye to equity and uniformity of application. The EC will also
collaborate with the Chair to address exceptions to the written policies that
may arise. To assure appropriate feedback to the Department it serves, the EC will share, at least
once a semester, a version of such oversight spreadsheet without names
with the Voting Members of the Department to serve as the basis for more
informed discussion of course reassign-time and travel reimbursement policies
and their implementation. Faculty member who are reluctant to share concerns about these issues with
the Chair individually, or with the Department as a whole, may be more
comfortable speaking to members of the EC. By virtue of their position, EC
members will keep any such conversations in confidence as a matter of
professional responsibility.
3.3. The EC shall serve as
the Department Awards Committee.
3.4. Tenure and
Voting for Executive Committee
3.4.1. The tenure of members
of the EC is limited to three years. In the first year, the terms will be
staggered (one, two, and three years). The Elections Committee will take
nominations for the three positions, designated as one, two and three years,
and a ballot will be drawn up including the names of the candidates. A
plurality of Voting Members will elect each member.
3.4.2. After the first year,
faculty elected to the EC will serve three-year terms. Faculty may serve more
than one term, provided there is a hiatus of at least one year between terms.
3.5. Eligibility
3.5.1. Candidates
for the EC must be tenured members of the
Department.
3.5.2. The following faculty, even if tenured, may not sit on the EC: Chair, Assistant to the Chair, and administrative faculty.
4. Assistant to the Chair
4.1. The
Assistant to the Chair shall be nominated by the Chair from among Voting
Members of the Department. The nominee must be confirmed by a two-thirds
majority vote of the Voting Members of the department.
4.2. The Assistant to the
Chair shall have designated roles assigned by the Chair in consultation with
the EC, it being borne in mind that “Executive authority in the department
rests with the Chair, with the Executive Committee acting in an oversight role
representing the interests of the faculty.”
5. Department
Meetings
5.1. The Department shall
schedule one formal departmental meeting each full month of the academic year.
Voting Members are expected to attend these meetings unless they receive an
excused absence from the Chair.
5.2. Other meetings may be called under special
circumstances. Such meetings may be called by the Chair or ten or more Voting
Members.
6. Approval
and amendment of the By-Laws
6.1 By-laws must
be approved or amended by a two-thirds majority of the Voting Members at a
Department meeting announced at least one week in advance. Voting will be by secret
ballot.
6.2 There will be no voting
by proxy. Mail and e-mail ballots will be accepted, provided they have been
received by the Chair of the Elections Committee at least half an hour before
the beginning of the meeting.
7.
. Committees
7.1. Standing
Committees
7.1.1. Elections
Committee
7.1.1.1. Consists of three elected Voting Members
7.1.1.2. Solicits nominations for committee assignments at all levels and conducts elections by secret ballot using official ballots distributed to departmental mailboxes
7.1.1.3. Excepting the Tenure and Promotion Committee, all committees will be elected using the following procedures:
7.1.1.3.1. Solicitation of nominations (including self-nominations) from and of the Voting Members; all nominations must have approval of the nominated
7.1.1.3.2. Distribution and collection of ballots; counting of ballots at the end of the specified time for the election
7.1.1.3.3. Announcement of top vote-getters (number dependent on committee)
7.1.2. Tenure and
Promotion Committee
7.1.2.1. Consists of seven tenured faculty. Faculty under review for tenure and/or promotion and those serving at higher levels of review are ineligible, as is the Department Chair. Committee shall be elected by secret ballot of Voting Members. All eligible faculty shall be listed on a ballot; the seven who receive the highest number of votes will constitute the committee.
7.1.2.2. Elects a chair in the spring semester. The chair schedules an initial organizational meeting early in the fall semester. The chair should also briefly outline the basics of Roberts’s Rules of Order for Committee members.
7.1.2.3. Keeps a written record of attendance, votes taken, and agenda of its meetings.
7.1.2.4. Maintains confidentiality in its deliberations.
7.1.2.5. Given the significance of the decisions rendered by this Committee and the relatively short duration of its service, all members assign top priority to Tenure and Promotion Committee meetings. Attendance and attention to the portfolios are crucial.
7.1.3. Curriculum
Committee
7.1.3.1. Consists of five elected Voting Members. Members serve two-year terms.
7.1.3.2. Distributes an agenda at least one week in advance (when possible). All interested faculty members are invited to attend Curriculum Committee meetings. Authors of proposals are required to attend.
7.1.3.3. Keeps a written record of attendance, votes taken, and minutes of its meetings.
7.1.3.4. The Chair of the Committee becomes the Department’s representative to the HSS Curriculum Committee.
7.2. Ad Hoc
Committees:
7.4.1. Ad Hoc committees will be formed by the Chair in consultation with the EC as needed.