Handbook

OPERATIONAL CODE OF THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

1. The mission of the English Department shall be:
   1. To help all students develop language skills and know literature as an art form and as a cultural heritage;
   2. To develop and strengthen undergraduate and graduate curricula and other academic programs;
   3. To secure highly qualified faculty members;
   4. To encourage faculty excellence in teaching, scholarly and creative activity, and service;
   5. To promote faculty morale;
   6. To cooperate with other departments in meeting University and College objectives.
2. Chair of the Department
   1. The Department of English shall be administered by a Chair whose duties shall include those specified by the University Staff Manual and this Code, in addition to other duties delegated by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts.
   2. The Chair shall be chair of the Executive Committee, shall appoint special committees to meet problems as they arise, and shall be an ex officio member of all Departmental committees.
   3. Although ultimately responsible for the administration of the Department, the Chair may delegate administrative duties to various members of the Department.
   4. On matters of changes in courses, programs, policies, and objectives, the Chair shall consult with and seek the approval of the Executive Committee.
   5. The Chair shall evaluate the professional work of the members of the Department (regular and special faculty, staff, and GTAs). He/she shall be responsible for merit evaluations; appointment, reappointment, and promotion recommendations; and terminations (after having been advised by committees designated in this code). For all evaluations, he/she shall proceed according to the "Department of English Guidelines for Evaluations." All peer review committees will be constituted within the framework of University Code specifications.
   6. The Chair shall direct the search for and hiring of new faculty members in accordance with procedures for "Selecting Candidates for Positions."
   7. The Chair shall direct the search for and hiring of GTAs and shall organize the Graduate Committee and other appropriate Department committees to assist in the search.
   8. The Chair shall call a general Department meeting at least once each semester of the academic year for the purpose of discussing objectives and problems pertaining to the work of the Department and the welfare of its members. Meetings typically shall be informal. Formal busi- ness, as necessary, shall be conducted according to Roberts Rules of Order Revised, with all regular faculty members eligible to vote. Only issues which have been announced in advance may be voted on. Summaries shall be distributed in the next newsletter.
3. Administrative Assistants to the Chair
   1. The Chair shall appoint four administrative assistants from among tenured members of the Department: 1) The Assistant Chair; 2) the Director of Composition; 3) the Coordinator of Graduate Programs; and 4) the Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs.
   2. The Assistant Chair shall perform duties delegated by the Chair.
   3. The Director of Composition shall be responsible for administering the Department's work in composition, and for calling meetings of the faculty as necessary to conduct business related to the Department's composition program.
   4. The Coordinator of Graduate Programs shall be responsible for administering the Department's graduate programs, for chairing the Graduate Committee, and for calling meetings of the faculty as necessary to conduct business related to the Department's graduate programs.
   5. The Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs shall be responsible for administering the Department's undergraduate programs, for chairing the Undergraduate Committee, and for calling meetings of the faculty as necessary to conduct business related to the Department's undergraduate programs.
4. Standing Committees of the Department
   1. The Executive Committee
      1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair of the Department, the Assistant Chair, the Graduate and Undergraduate Coordinators, five members of the tenure line faculty elected by the tenure line faculty at large, and one adjunct faculty member elected by the adjunct faculty at large, which is comprised of all non-tenure line faculty hoding Temporary or Special appointments. Four of the five tenure line faculty will represent Department programs, one each from compostion, creative writing, English education and literature. At the time the elected members take office, at least three members of the committee besides the Chair must have senior rank (associate or full professor), and at least one tenure line member of the Executive Committee other than the Chair must be untenured. All tenure line and adjunct members of the Department who have completed two years of continuous, half-time or more, service are eligible for election. If there are no untenured tenure line faculty or adjunct faculty, or if such individuals are unwilling to serve, their seats will not be filled.
      2. The term of office for appointed members of the Executive Committee shall be at the pleasure of the chair. The terms of the elected members shall be two years, and staggered.
      3. The election to the Executive Committee shall be conducted by the Chair no later than the second week of the fall semester, following the Chair's announcement of the administrative appointments. All regular members of the Department who have completed one semester of service at the time of election shall be eligible to vote. The election shall be by Hare ballot.
      4. Minutes shall be kept of all meetings of the Executive Committee and shall include voting records.
      5. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to advise and to deliberate with the Chair on planning and executing the curriculum; on making appointments and reappointments, evaluating tenured faculty for merit and terminating contracts; on maintaining standards of instruction; and on interpreting, enforcing, and reviewing this code, and correlating it with the University Staff Manual. In cases involving the promotion or tenure of the Chair, the Committee shall assume the duties of the Chair. On all matters that it initiates, the Executive Committee shall consult with the relevant Department committees.
      6. Any member of the Executive Committee, upon receiving written suggestions from a member of the Department concerning any aspect of the Department's work, shall submit these suggestions to the Chair for possible inclusion on the agenda of the Executive Committee. A written request from five regular faculty members shall require the Chair to call a Department meeting.
   2. The Graduate Committee
      1. The Graduate Committee shall consist of the Coordinator, six members appointed on a staggered basis by the Chair for three-year terms, and a full-time graduate student chosen for a one-year term. Appointments by the Department Chair shall be made only after consultation with the Coordinator of Graduate Programs.
      2. The Graduate Committee shall, with the approval of the Executive Committee, establish policies for the graduate program and provide for their implementation.
   3. The Undergraduate Committee
      1. The Undergraduate Committee shall consist of the Coordinator, six members appointed on a staggered basis by the Chair for three-year terms, and a full-time undergraduate student chosen for a one-year term. Appointments by the Department Chair shall be made only after consultation with the Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs.
      2. The Undergraduate Committee, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall establish policies for the Undergraduate program and provide for their implementation.
   4. The Scheduling Committee
      1. The Scheduling Committee shall consist of the Chair and the administrative assistants.
      2. The Scheduling Committee shall schedule courses and class assignments.
   5. Tenure and Promotion Committee
      1. The tenured faculty of the English Department shall elect from within its senior faculty a committee of five, at least three of whom must be full professors. Election shall be by a Hare ballot. Terms of office shall be two years and staggered. The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall choose a chair from among its members.
      2. The Tenure and Promotion Committee's duties shall be to 1) advise the Chair about promotions by assessing the teaching, research, and service of faculty members; 2) prescribe a method for gathering evidence concerning the professional performance of all untenured faculty; 3) annually advise the Chair on evaluation and progress toward tenure of untenured faculty and 4) make tenure recommendations based on the evidence so gathered. The Committee's recommendations for tenure shall be presented to the Department Chair, who shall approve or disapprove before transmitting these recommendations to the Dean of the College. In cases involving the Chair, the Executive Committee shall assume the duties of the Chair.
      3. Criteria for promotion and tenure are explained in the latest revisions of the "Department Guidelines for Promotion," the "Department of English Guidelines for Evaluation," and "A Guide for Untenured Faculty."
5. Miscellaneous Procedures
   1. Procedures for selecting candidates for positions:
      The Chair's hiring policy is described in "Selecting Candidates for Positions."
   2. Procedures for resolving grievances between the department Chair and individual faculty members:
      Grievance procedures are described in the Academic Faculty and Administrative Professional Staff Manual, Section K.
   3. Procedures for regular code review:
      The Code will be reviewed regularly, at least once every five years, ordinarily in the fourth year of the Chair's term of office.
   4. Procedures for appointing faculty members to graduate student advisory committees:
      Faculty members will be appointed to graduate student advisory committees in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Graduate School’s guidelines for graduate advising and committee service.
   5. Procedure by which students may appeal academic decisions of their instructors:
      The procedure is described in the Faculty/Staff Manual, I.7, and in "Grade Appeals: Department of English."
   6. Procedures for Department Self Review:
      Department review will be initiated and coordinated by the Chair according to the schedule and procedures set by the University. She/he will be assisted by the Executive Committee and by other standing committees and individuals as appropriate. Reviews must include a survey of all faculty members.
   7. Procedures for Comprehensive Performance Review of Faculty, (Reference Faculty/Staff Manual, E.11.2):
      1. All comprehensive reviews will be conducted according to the "Department of English Guidelines for Evaluation."
      2. The Promotion and Tenure Committee’s annual review of tenure track faculty will include the comprehensive review mandated at their probationary midpoint.
      3. Promotion Program Reviews will be conducted by a subcommittee of the Promotion and Tenure Committee chosen according to E11.2.1.
      4. Phase I Comprehensive Performance Reviews of tenured faculty will be conducted by the Chair on the recommendation of the 5-year review committee.
      5. Phase II Comprehensive Performance Reviews of tenured faculty will be coordinated by a subcommittee of the Promotion and Tenure Committee chosen according to E11.2.1.
6. Amendments to the Code:
   Any regular member of the department with at least one year of service with the University may offer an amendment to this code at one of the general meetings of the Department (see II.H., above). The proposed amendment shall be presented to the Chair in writing at least two weeks before the departmental meeting at which its adoption is to be moved. The Chair shall then cause the amendment to be reproduced, along with the text of the portion of the code to be amended, and these shall be distributed to all Department members eligible to vote on the amendment at least one week prior to the meeting. Voting shall be by means of written ballots, and a two-thirds majority of those voting, a quorum being present, shall be required to carry the motion. All regular members with at least one year of service with the University are eligible to vote. When an amendment to the code is thus passed by the department, it shall then be referred by the Chair to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and the Provost for administrative approval before becoming an operative part of this code.