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SOUTHERN By-Laws and Policies of the Department of English I. Membership A. To participate as voter or candidate in elections conducted by the Department, a faculty member shall be a full-time appointee of the University who normally teaches at least six hours in the Department or who has at least six hours of Departmental administrative duty per semester. If a person also has six hours in another department, that person's choice of one departmental affiliation must be recorded in writing, and it shall be subject to the approval of the chairperson and the dean. No member of the English Department shall have fewer than six hours of duty in the English Department per semester without permission of the Chairperson of the Department.
B. Teachers
of English courses who are not full-time appointees of the University, or who
are not pro-rata adjunct representatives, are ineligible to vote but may
attend Department meetings and be recognized to speak. They may be voting
members of the Composition Committee and any non-elected committees. II. Adjunct Faculty Representation A. There is pro-rata voting representation of the adjunct faculty. This pro-rata representation will be no greater than the 23% contractual ratio of part-time to full-time faculty.
B. These pro-rata representatives are elected by secret ballot and only adjuncts are permitted to vote in this election. The balloting will be conducted as follows: (a) First, an election committee of three adjunct faculty will be selected by the adjunct members of the department; (b) the election committee will compile a preferential ballot including the names of all eligible adjunct faculty (adjuncts who have taught 9 credits or have been at Southern for one full academic year); (c) eligible adjuncts who wish to self-nominate may do so by distributing a statement of their intention to seek election; (d) the ballot will permit voters to select in the preferential poll only that number of candidates constituting the pro-rata ratio of 23% of the full-time faculty; (e) if the results of the preferential poll do not indicate a clear majority for the representatives, the election committee will conduct a second, weighted vote; (f) the second ballot will consist of those candidates with the highest number of votes. These elections will normally be conducted in April for the following academic year. If a representative must resign, a special election will be conducted according to the balloting procedures outlined above.
C. Pro-rata adjunct representatives will have voting rights with regard to all general departmental issues but will be excluded from voting on personnel policies affecting only full-time faculty members or on graduate level curriculum.
III.
Adjunct Supervision A. The credentials, experience and teaching merit of adjunct faculty determine the scheduling of adjuncts and the assignment of courses. When the chair determines that part-time members have similar credentials, experience and teaching merit, assignment shall be based on length of service to the department.
B. The recommendation to the department chair of the hiring, the evaluating, and the scheduling of part-time faculty is the responsibility of the Composition Coordinator(s) in consultation with members of the Peer Evaluation Committee. This committee will consist of six elected members, evenly divided among the following groups: (1) two full-time faculty whose primary duty is to teach composition; (2) two full-time faculty members whose primary responsibilities are outside the composition program; (3) two adjuncts. The adjunct representatives will be selected by the adjunct staff in an election facilitated by a Composition Coordinator. A chairperson shall be elected by the committee. PEC Elections are held in the spring semester for the following academic year. Members serve a one-year term.
C. The department as a whole (both full-time and part-time faculty) reviews the composition policies, requirements, and standards on a regular basis (e.g., once every two years). IV. Recognition of Degrees In all official departmental business the English
Department recognizes the validity of degrees from accredited institutions
only. In establishing this policy, the department is consistent with the
letter and the spirit of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. V. Seniority for Assigning of Summer Teaching A. Seniority shall be based on years of service in the Department as a tenured member of the faculty or as a member on pre-tenure, probationary appointment. Temporary teaching service shall not be counted.
B. Permanent part-time teaching service in the Department (by a faculty member who is 'not a full-time appointee of the University) shall be pro-rated for seniority as a fractional part of the standard teaching assignment.
C. A member of the English Department shall continue to accrue seniority while on sabbatical leave. A leave without pay shall be classed either as an educational leave, which is officially granted by the Board of Trustees for educational purposes, or as a personal leave, which is granted for non-educational purposes. Time spent on educational leave shall be counted toward seniority; time spent on personal leave shall not be counted.
D. A
member of another department who teaches English courses shall not accrue
seniority in the English Department through this teaching. VI. Committees A. The following are elected standing committees of the department:
The Department Evaluation Committee (By-Laws of the DEC are attached hereto as Appendix I.)
The Department Personnel Committee (By-Laws of the DPC are attached hereto as Appendix II.)
The Department Research Committee (By-Laws of the Research Committee are attached hereto as Appendix VII.)
The Peer Evaluation Committee (See Section III, B) The Graduate Admissions Committee
Along with the Graduate Coordinator, this Committee reviews the applications of potential graduate students for admission to the program.
The Sabbatical Leave Committee (By-Laws of the Sabbatical Leave Committee are attached hereto as Appendix VIII)
B. The following standing committees are appointed by the Chairperson of the Department:
Curriculum Committee. Recommends to the Department undergraduate courses and seminar proposals, which it receives from members of the Department.
Committee on English Majors.
Compiles a list of suggested readings for English majors. Prepares publicity for the Department. Coordinates social gatherings at which the faculty can talk informally with English majors and prospective English majors. Reviews applications to the Department from prospective English majors. Members are appointed by the Department Chairperson.
Graduate Committee.
Proposes to the Department policies related to graduate studies. Recommends to the Graduate Council graduate course and seminar proposals which have been approved by the Committee. Proposes changes in graduate programs. Supervises comprehensive examinations for graduate degrees. Membership includes the graduate coordinator and Department members appointed by the Department Chairperson from among those who are members of the graduate faculty.
Composition Committee.
Meets regularly to exchange information related to the composition program and to propose relevant policies. The Composition Committee shall consist of (1) all full-time faculty whose primary duty is to teach composition who wish to be appointed; (2) a minimum of two full-time faculty members appointed by the chair whose primary duties are outside the composition program; (3) two part-time faculty to be selected by their peers in an election facilitated by a composition coordinator. The Composition Committee will elect its chair annually from among committee members.
Technology Committee. Meets as needed to propose policies to the
department concerning our use of technology. The committee will also
serve in an advisory capacity for the English Department Web Site. VII. Meetings
D. Faculty members who are on a semester leave or longer (i.e., sabbatical or personal) shall not be included in the determination of a quorum, although they shall have full voting rights should they attend a meeting while on leave. Pro-rata adjunct representatives who have voting rights at department meetings (see Article II) shall likewise not be included in the determination of a quorum.
E. Minutes
shall be kept of each meeting of the Department. At each meeting the minutes
of the previous meeting shall be reviewed for correction and approval. A
permanent file of updated minutes shall be kept in the English Office. VIII Rules of Order Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, shall govern proceedings of the Department in all cases in which Robert's Rules is not inconsistent with the By-Laws of the Department. Where the By-Laws deviate from Robert's Rules, the By-Laws shall govern.
IX. Committee Reports Reports of committees to the Department shall be in two
parts. Part I shall mention items discussed by the committee and supply any
useful information concerning issues. Part II shall consist of
recommendations (if any) that have been approved by the committee and are
presented to the Department in the form of motions. X. Programs and Reassigned Time
XI. Coordinators and Other Personnel Any appointments of coordinators or other such personnel
shall be made by the Department Chairperson after announcing in sufficient
time for members to apply. XII. Amending the By-Laws
By-Laws of the Department Evaluation Committee (Appendix I) By-Laws of the Personnel Committee (Appendix II) By-Laws of the Sabbatical Leave Committee (Appendix VIII) Procedures for Assigning Summer Teaching (Appendix III) Policy on Substitute Teachers (Appendix IV) Criteria For Assigning Graduate Teaching (Appendix V) Duties and Responsibilities for the Coordinators of Composition, Creative Writing, the Graduate Program and Secondary Education (Appendix VI)
The attached Attendance Policy for English 98, English 100, English 101, and all Sophomore Literature Options are policies, not a part of the By-Laws. Likewise, the statement about academic honesty is a departmental policy, which is adapted from the statement on academic honesty in the Student Handbook.
C. The chair shall ensure that the By-Laws be published in their entirety on the Department web site. The chair shall also ensure that any corrections, revisions, or amendments to the By-Laws be posted on the web site within two weeks of their passage by the Department.
Revised, October 30, 2003 APPENDIX I
By-Laws of the Department Evaluation Committee
The Departmental Evaluation Committee of the English Department shall be governed by the letter and spirit of the regulations set forth in the current Collective Bargaining Agreement and the Senate Document "Promotion, Tenure, Renewal, and Professional Assessment Procedures for Faculty." Where details of procedures have not been determined by the two documents, the English Department Evaluation Committee shall follow procedures approved by the Department.
I. Membership of the DEC
C. Selection Process
II. Procedures for Evaluation of Teaching Members for Renewal.
Promotion, Tenure and Professional Assessment Since the DEC is enjoined by the Collective Bargaining Agreement (hereafter called the Contract) to seek and use Student and Peer Evaluations, the English Department Evaluation Committee shall seek these materials by requiring that each candidate for renewal, promotion, tenure, and professional assessment supply Student and Peer Evaluations for committee review. The following kinds of materials may appear in the candidate's file along with other materials of the candidate's choice: Student Evaluations: (a) letters from students; (b) class evaluations and surveys.
Peer Evaluations: (a) letters from colleagues both within the university or outside the university; (b) classroom visitation reports by any peer.
Members of the Department applying for tenure or members of the Department under review for professional assessment may request that a specific member or members of the DEC visit their classes, or applicants may allow the DEC to assign the reviewer(s) for that appraisal.
Applicants for renewal in their first year of teaching must be visited by at least three members of the DEC. These class visits shall take place according to the applicant's choice either in the first or second semester of service, prior to the deadline for submission of files to the DEC. Thereafter, there shall be an annual written evaluation. Any evaluation resulting from such a class visitation
shall be in writing and shall be read and signed by the applicant. It must remain
part of his/her file . (See Senate Document.) The
applicant may respond in his file to any classroom evaluation report by a DEC
member. The DEC., at its discretion, may develop a form for classroom
evaluation which must be shown to any applicant before he is visited.
The procedures for renewal for
non-tenured faculty members (except for those in their first year) shall be
the same as those for professional assessment except that the DEC shall
recommend or not recommend the candidate for renewal by November 15. Those in
their first year shall be evaluated by classroom visitation conducted by DEC
members and the English Department Chairperson. III. Procedures and Criteria for Determination of Eligibility (for Candidates Who Do Not Have the Earned Doctorate) (See Contract for Standards for the Respective
Instructional Ranks.)
Faculty members applying for eligibility under contract provisions of appropriate equivalency shall present to the DEC a personal statement in support of their special cases and copies of publications or other documents in support of their special cases and shall have a personal interview with the committee.
Evidence for the three chief
categories of specialization in the English Department: for teachers of
creative writing--publication of a substantial body of creative work by
professionally recognized publisher(s); for teachers of literature and
writing--publication of a major book or major articles in fields related to
the teaching of English. April 11, 1978 Revised October 11, 1978 Revised September, 1983 Revised September, 1986 Revised January, 1996
By-Laws of the Personnel Committee
I. Composition
A. The Personnel Committee shall consist of five full-time members of the Department plus two alternates.
B. Committee members and alternates shall have a minimum rank of instructor and shall have had a minimum of two consecutive semesters of full-time service in the Department.
C. Personnel Committee members and alternates shall be elected by secret written ballot in the spring of each year.
D. Each full-time committee member shall serve a three-year term of office, starting on September 1 and ending on August 31. Upon adoption of these by-laws, the initial terms of office shall be staggered, with approximately one-third of the members selected for three years, one-third for two years, and one-third for one year.
E. Alternates shall serve for one year.
F. Any members of the Personnel Committee applying for retraining, or any members being considered by the Department as a candidate for the Chairpersonship shall absent themselves from all deliberations during the time the Committee is concerned with these particular matters.
G. If, for reasons stated in F, a member shall have absented himself or herself from Committee deliberations, the first alternate shall serve in that member’s stead. If both alternates are serving and the Committee still has fewer than three members, a special election shall be held.
II. Responsibilities
A. Additional Staff Needs The Committee assists the Chairperson in determining full-time staff needs in the Department and assists the Chair, after consultation with other members of the Department1 in screening and interviewing and recommending applicants for teaching positions in the Department. The Personnel Committee recognizes the fact that Southern Connecticut State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and shall abide in its recommendations by the procedures established by the University's Office of Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action.
B. Retraining The Committee reviews applications of Department members requesting retraining and forwards its recommendations to the Dean. The Committee shall follow regulations and procedures set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and in the Senate document. C. Selection of Department Chairperson
A preferential ballot is distributed, listing all members of the Department and including the statement "Search outside the Department."
Members of the Department mark up to three choices on the ballot, in order of choice. The Personnel Committee determines the choices most preferred by members of the Department.
No run-off ballots are permitted, although "a department may hold more than one preferential poll or use other procedures deemed appropriate by the Personnel Committee provided that these polls or procedures be used only to clarify the preferences of the department." [Senate Document: "The Department Chairpersonship"]
The individual(s) chosen as a result of the preferential poll indicate, in writing, to the Personnel Committee acceptance of candidacy for the Chairpersonship. The Personnel Committee selects 1 to 3 names and recommends these persons to the Dean of Arts and Sciences; if the Personnel Committee "recommends only one person for chairperson, it must submit a statement, in writing, indicating why it provided only one choice."
Weighting of ballots shall be as follows: 3 points for first choice; 2 points for second choice; 1 point for third choice.
The Personnel Committee informs members of the Department about the progress of the selection process.
D. Grade Changes Pursuant to the rules set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement the University Senate document "Procedures for Grade Change," and the Student Handbook, the Personnel Committee shall be the authorized committee to hear and decide appeals for changes of course grades which are referred to the Committee by the Chairperson of the Department or by the academic Dean.
E. Questions of
Interpretation The Committee resolves, by a majority vote of the Committee, questions of interpretation of section X. A. of the By-Laws which are referred to the Committee by the English Department.
April 11,1978 Revised October 11, 1978 Revised September 6, 1983 Revised April 11, 1986 Revised January, 1996 Revised December, 2002 APPENDIX III Procedures for Assigning Summer Teaching
I. Before course options are chosen, Department faculty wishing to teach during Session A or B and Session C shall determine the scope of the Department's course offerings: i.e., the number of sections of composition and sophomore literature, the number of upper-level electives in American, British, and/or Comparative Literature, writing, grammar, methodology, etc., the number of graduate courses in the various literatures. Once the scope of the course offerings has been established, faculty members in order of seniority and/or qualifications, shall choose the course they wish to teach.
II.
In order of seniority, faculty
members choose to offer whatever course they are qualified to teach in a
particular session (A, B, or C); if the course does not materialize, faculty
members takes their chances in teaching any other course uncovered in the
same session--any course which they are qualified to teach. If no course is
available in the same session, they are given priority, over seniority, in
choosing a course in one of the following year's Summer Sessions. III. Courses in Session A or B and Session C should be staffed independently; seniority and/or qualifications to teach shall be established by faculty members who have chosen to offer a course in whichever session.
IV. In the event a decision has to be made, a contingency that is not covered in the "Procedures for Assigning Summer Teaching and the amendments, the Chairperson is empowered to make that decision unilaterally, using his or her own best judgment.
V.
The Chairperson shall select the courses to be offered in the Summer
Sessions and shall publish a list of said courses two weeks prior to the
meeting in which courses are assigned. October 9, 1975 Revised September, 1986 Revised January, 1996 APPENDIX IV
Policy on Substitute Teachers
I. Substitute teachers shall consult with the regularly assigned faculty member to determine how to continue policies and practices already established for the class. In the event the regular faculty member is unavailable, a member of the Personnel Committee or the Department Chairperson shall serve as adviser for the substitute(s).
II. Substitute teachers hired for part of a semester and not responsible for awarding final grades shall write a summary of the progress of each class they have taught and give it to the regular faculty member. This summary shall include grades awarded and material covered during the faculty member's absence.
III. Substitute teachers hired for part of a semester and responsible for awarding final grades shall consult with the regular faculty member to be sure that such grades are fairly accorded. A member of the Personnel Committee or the Department Chairperson shall serve in lieu of the regular faculty member should that member be unavailable.
IV. It is the responsibility of the Chairperson of the Department to inform the substitute teacher of this policy statement.
December, 1978 Revised September, 1986
APPENDIX V
Criteria for Assigning Graduate Teaching
I. The instructor should have completed advanced course work beyond the Master's degree, preferable 30 hours and it should be in the area of the particular graduate course to be taught. For example, an advanced course in Journalism is not suitable preparation for an advanced course in Literature. Hence, mere possession of an advanced degree or advanced course work is insufficient in and of itself.
II. The instructor should have experience at the undergraduate level in advanced courses directly related to the area specified at the graduate level.
III. The instructor should be able to show development of curricula in the area of interest.
IV. The non-possessor of the Ph.D. should present objective evidence of scholarship and judgment by peers, such as publication in recognized and reputable journals, the reading of scholarly papers at conferences, or the like. These criteria are to be judged by the Chairperson.
March 13, 1979 Revised September, 1986 APPENDIX VI
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COORDINATORS OF COMPOSITION, CREATIVE WRITING, GRADUATE PROGRAM AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
Duties and Responsibilities: The overall responsibility of all coordinator positions is to assist the chair in implementing the program of the English Department.
While the roles of departmental coordinators differ from each other to some degree, the duties and responsibilities extend beyond that of a chair of a departmental committee and are based on the coordinators' professional expertise, competence, and experience in the field. Prominent among the coordinators' duties is service to students. coordinators make themselves available to students at convenient times and for a reasonable number of hours each week.
Coordinators have professional authority within their field and program to develop and maintain excellence at the university for the benefit of our students.
The coordinators meet periodically with the chair of the department to discuss issues involved in their programs, and report to the whole department once a year. Any annual written report crafted by a coordinator must be made available to the department for review.
Qualifications: Appropriate terminal degree or comparable professional credentials; tenure-track, full time position; demonstrated administrative abilities. Special qualifications as applicable.
Duration of Appointment: Appointments are for three years, coterminous with the appointment of the chairperson. If a chairpersonship is vacated in less than three years, a new chair may appoint new coordinators. If a coordinator fails to carry out his/her duties to the satisfaction of the Chair, the Chair may select a new coordinator for the duration of that term.
Committees: Each coordinator has the responsibility for chairing a committee appropriate to the specific coordinator's responsibilities. Selection of committee members is a joint venture of coordinators and Department Chair, except for the Composition Evaluation Committee, which is elected. Both full-time and adjunct faculty are eligible to serve on these committees.
Committees are of reasonable size. Committee appointments
are annual and renewable. APPENDIX VII
Department Guidelines for Reassigned Time to be Awarded to Members of the English Department for Scholarly or Artistic Production.
Any member of the English Department may earn three hours of reassigned time (one course) for one academic year under the following conditions:
(1) The faculty member must have demonstrated work in the field that he or she would pursue through the reassigned time; this work can include publication or the reading of work or chairing of presentations at conferences (A completed dissertation will be considered as fulfilling the above criterion.). A department member must have served one full semester before he or she can apply for reassigned time.
(2) The applicant must present for review a brief description of the work proposed and a brief resume of past work (a 1-2 page description of the project, plus a current c.v.).
(3) The proposal and resume will be reviewed by an elected departmental committee of 5 members (2 alternates); if committee members apply, alternates will automatically be asked to serve, to keep the committee at 5 members (If this is not possible, a quorum will suffice).
(4) An individual who has received departmental reassigned time for two consecutive years would be ineligible for consideration for one year from the date of the last award.
(5) If approved by this committee, the committee's decision will be forwarded by the departmental chairperson to the appropriate administrator(s).
(6) The Chairperson of the English Department must notify an applicant of his or her approval or disapproval by the May 1 before the academic year of the reassigned time.
(7) Members of the department receiving reassigned time shall: (a) make a presentation to the department in the semester following the released time (e.g. Friday Forum); (b) submit a 1-page report to the committee on activity during reassigned time (not necessarily completed research).
APPENDIX VIII By-Laws of the Sabbatical Leave Committee
Purpose: The Sabbatical Leave Committee of the Department of English has one specific function: to review applications of candidates for positions in the Department and to make recommendations to the Chairperson and to the Department in favor of specific candidates.
The Committee reviews applications of members of the Department seeking sabbatical leave, meeting with them, making suggestions to them for ways in which they may strengthen their applications, and recommending them for sabbatical leave to the University Sabbatical Leave Committee.
The Committee shall follow regulations and procedures set forth in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and in the Senate document, "Sabbatical Leave Procedures for Faculty" throughout its deliberations. (Both documents above shall be the current ones.)
Composition
December 2002
APPENDIX IX By-laws of the Peer Evaluation Committee I.
RATIONALE
II.
PROCEDURES
According to the English Department by-laws, “This committee will consist of six elected members, evenly divided among the following groups: (1) two full-time faculty whose primary duty is to teach composition; (2) two full-time faculty members whose primary responsibilities are outside the composition program; (3) two adjuncts. The adjunct representatives will be selected by the adjunct staff in an election facilitated by a Composition Coordinator. A chairperson shall be elected by the committee. All full-time members are eligible to serve. All part-time members who have accumulated at least 9 credit-hours at SCSU are eligible to serve. PEC Elections are held in the spring semester for the following academic year. Members serve a one-year term.
It is important that the PEC meet as early as possible (within the first few weeks) of the fall semester in order to elect a chair and begin the process outlined below. Meetings will also be held for scheduling observations and reviewing recommendations. Additional meetings may be called to discuss related issues.
Part-time members are evaluated on a rotating basis. The rotation is based on the number of credit hours the faculty member has accumulated, as follows: 0-60 credit hours Every two years 61-120 credit hours Every three years 121+ credit hours Every five years Please note that the schedule for future evaluations will be based on hours accumulated at the time of the present evaluation. For example, a faculty member who is evaluated in the fall of 2006 after accumulating 50 credit hours will be scheduled for another evaluation in the fall of 2008, two years later, despite having passed 60 hours in the intervening period. Any faculty whose teaching at Southern is interrupted for more than four semesters will be evaluated within the first two years of their return, at which point the rotation will again be based on total credits accumulated. ` Part-time faculty members scheduled for evaluation will receive a letter within the first five (5) weeks of the semester in which they will be evaluated from the PEC chair requesting scheduling preferences and additional materials, as outlined below.
A part-time faculty member being evaluated will be asked to provide the PEC with the following information prior to the observation. 1. Preferences for course visitation dates and times 2. A course syllabus 3. A brief agenda—with accompanying texts, if applicable—for the class session to be observed 4. Any additional materials the member being evaluated believes are relevant
Two (2) PEC members will conduct each classroom observation. A 30-45 minutes follow-up conversation will take place between these PEC members and the faculty member being observed. These PEC members will compose an observation letter based primarily on the classroom visitation; they may also consider insight provided by the faculty member during the follow-up conversation. In this letter, the observers will also make a recommendation to the chair for reappointment using categories consistent with the DEC’s: very strongly recommend, strongly recommend, recommend, recommend with reservation, and do not recommend. This letter will be distributed to the faculty member for his or her review and signature. After the faculty members provides a signature, the letter will be forwarded to the department chairperson. If the faculty member has concerns about the letter, he or she may attach a letter outlining his or her concerns.
The PEC will forward recommendation letters to the department chairperson. The department chair will use the PEC’s letters to make decisions about reappointment and the number of sections assigned to a part-time faculty member. The chair may do so in consultation with the Composition coordinator(s) if he or she wishes. Members should understand that recommendations do not necessarily ensure reappointments. Matters of budgetary concerns, scheduling conflicts, p/t-to-f/t ratios, and other university and departmental matters will unfortunately sometimes take precedent over meritorious recommendations. The PEC recommendations will not be used to make decisions about when a part-time faculty member is scheduled to teach or when they are scheduled for office hours; scheduling preferences and office hour preferences will be accommodated in order of seniority.
The PEC feels strongly that one of its primary responsibilities, in addition to making recommendations for reappointment, is to offer part-time members the opportunity to build collegial relationships with colleagues, as well as offer the resources and support necessary to reflect upon and discuss their teaching. Therefore, faculty should feel free to encourage continued dialogue about teaching with PEC members. They should also feel free to request letters of recommendations from these members for other employment or educational opportunities.
Part-time faculty members being evaluated have access to all documents related to their evaluations at any time. These documents remain in the possession of the PEC until forwarded to the chair, at which time they become records kept by the chairperson. Part-time faculty members may be assured that all discussions and documents involving PEC matters related to their evaluations are confidential and will be discussed only among the PEC, the chairperson of the English department, and, if determined by the chairperson to be appropriate or necessary, the Composition coordinator(s).
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