East Carolina University Faculty Manual

Part II.
UNIVERSITY ORGANIZATION

VI.           Guidelines for Organizing into Code Units

These guidelines are being provided to assist faculty who democratically decide to organize into self-governing autonomous units at the department, school or college level. 

General Instructions

Submit via the Faculty Senate office to the Faculty Governance Committee a proposal cover page and letter with the complete document on numbered lines as described in this process.  In the evolution from department/s, and/or school/s, and/or college/s to self-governing autonomous unit or units, the following sources should be consulted/are recommended:

·          ECU Faculty Manual, Part II., Section VI. Guidelines for Organizing into Code Units
·          ECU Faculty Manual, Appendix L., Section C. Development, Screening and Implementation of Unit Codes
·          Unit Code Screening Committee’s General Guidelines for Writing and Revising a Unit Code of Operation

Process to Organize

Consistent with the amendment procedures of the Unit Code of the department/school, the faculty of a school/college may democratically decide to organize into self-governing autonomous units and to develop rules for the internal organization and operation of their departments.  A cover page and letter should be submitted to the Faculty Governance Committee requesting approval to draft a code of unit operations.   This proposal to organize should include:

·          Cover page:  include name of school/college, name of proposed unit, East Carolina University, and a flow chart for each stage of development with signatures and dates of approval, i.e., 

·          Cover letter:         

1.    A statement requesting approval to organize for the purpose of drafting a code of operation to
become a self-governing autonomous unit.

2.     A rationale/s for requested reorganization

3.     A description of the democratic process used to decide to organize into self-governing autonomous units (who voted, when, and by what percentage).

4.     A school/college chart of organization clearly indicating:

a) The proposed autonomous departments by name and relationship/responsibility to other units and the School/College

b) The total number of permanently tenured and tenure-track faculty in the unit

Criteria for Establishment of a Self-Governing Autonomous Unit at the Department Level

The driving force for forming self-governing departments within a school or college should be the degree programs and the curricula.  Self-governing departments may be formed when they want the authority for the curriculum to reside at the department level rather than the school or college level.  A self-governing unit must have a code of operation with rules for the internal organization and operation of the unit.  The code will become operational when approved by the tenured faculty of the unit, submitted to the appropriate dean for advice, and approved by the Unit Code Screening Committee, the Faculty Senate and the Chancellor.

The self-governing autonomous unit will:

1.       Have at least 7 full-time tenure-track or permanently tenured faculty members,

2.       Be self governing in regard to all internal matters, including the authority and responsibility for at least one degree program,

3.       Autonomously administer a financial budget, subject to the usual legal requirements,

4.       Conduct the quadrennial evaluation of the chair/director.

The unit chair/director will be responsible for:

1.       Faculty assignments, personnel and student files, and preparations of the annual report,

2.       The annual evaluation of faculty members.

The following diagram illustrates acceptable models for the formation of self-governing units within colleges and schools.

Acceptable Models for Code Units in Reorganization Plan

1.             College Level (one code for all schools and departments within College).

2.             Separate Codes for all schools in a college.

 3.            Separate Codes for schools and departments within a college (Mixed Model).

4.             All Departments in a College:  Separate Codes.

5.                   Code Units not in Colleges.

Approved
Faculty Senate Resolution #03-31, April 2003 

Amendment
Faculty Senate Resolution #03-50, November 2003