UNIT CODE OF OPERATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Code Approval
1. Approved
by the tenured faculty of the Unit
Chair,
Unit Code Committee: Jason E. Bond Date:
9-22-2009
2. Submitted
to Dean: Allen R. White Date:
9-23-2009
3. If
changed, reapproved by tenured faculty:
Chair,
Unit Code Committee n/a
4. Reviewed/recommended
by
Chair: Timm Hackett Date: 10-21-09
5. Approved
by the
Chair
of the Faculty: Marianna Walker
6. Approved by
Chancellor:
Steve Ballard Date:
12-3-09
Revision of Code: X Complete; or ______ Part(s) Effective:
UNIT CODE OF OPERATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF
BIOLOGY
COLLEGE OF ARTS
AND SCIENCES
PREAMBLE
THIS
CODE ALLOWS FOR FACULTY PARTICIPATION IN AND ESTABLISHES
PROCEDURES FOR THE UNIT’S
INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND IS CONSISTENT WITH ALL
APPLICABLE APPENDICES OF THE
Our
mission is to achieve and sustain high quality, up-to-date instructional
programs in our general education course offerings and in our professional
undergraduate and master’s degree programs and appropriate doctoral programs,
to provide opportunities for and to encourage faculty and students in research
and creative activities so that their achievements can advance knowledge and
result in professional recognition for them and for their department and the
University, to lend our professional expertise in appropriate service to the
University, to schools, to other departments, to private and public groups, and
to organizations on the local, state, national and international levels, and to
integrate these areas of endeavor (teaching, research and service) into the
larger, synergistic enterprise of scholarship.
A. Definitions of Voting Faculty Members
1. As pertains to making recommendations for
appointments, reappointments, promotion, and the conferral of permanent tenure
to faculty, voting faculty will be defined in accordance with the ECU Faculty Manual.
2. As pertains to all matters not covered by
section A.1. above, voting faculty will be defined as someone who holds a
full-time faculty position with East Carolina University and a greater than
one-half time position in the unit, holds regular academic rank or title, has
at least one-half of the teaching/research duties normally assigned in the
unit, and is in at least the twelfth consecutive calendar month of appointment
to the faculty.
B. Administrative Organization
The administration of the Department shall consist of the Chair of the Department and two assistants to the Chair: the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Studies.
The
Chair of the Department is the chief administrative officer of the
Department. The Chair’s performance will
be evaluated in accordance with established University policies.
The
Chair shall:
1. guide the Department toward accomplishment of
its objectives;
2. administer the affairs of the Department, giving due consideration to policies recommended by the Department, and making sure that no departmental policy shall conflict with any policy determined by the University;
3. represent the Department and serve as its advocate in relations with other units of the University;
4. make evaluations and recommendations
concerning personnel matters and salary increments and forward them to the
appropriate higher administrative official in accordance with the ECU Faculty Manual;
5. in consultation with the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Studies, supervise: a) scheduling of classes, b) recruitment and counseling, and registration of qualified students, and c) assignment of graduate assistants to their duties;
6. work with appropriate departmental administrators, committees, and other agencies to ensure a departmental curriculum and program of research and related activities that are of high quality and consistent with societal needs, student demand, and departmental and University goals. In matters of curriculum, all changes must be approved by the Executive Committee and by a majority vote of the unit faculty at a regularly scheduled meeting;
7. encourage all faculty to pursue both
intramural and extramural funds and other items supportive of departmental
teaching and research;
8. encourage and facilitate efforts by faculty
toward accomplishments in teaching, research, and/or other service to the
Department, the University, professional societies and society at large;
9. supervise and coordinate activities of departmental support personnel in a manner consistent with the departmental goals and objectives;
10. in consultation with other members of the Executive Committee, have general responsibility for care and proper utilization of departmental space, equipment, and supplies;
11. in consultation with other members of the
Executive Committee, prepare
the departmental budget, manage and be responsible for the budget and all other
funds assigned to and/or belonging to the Department, and present an Annual
Report and Annual Budget for discussion at the first regularly scheduled
faculty meeting of the fall semester;
12. conduct negotiations for the hiring of new
faculty and staff;
13. preside over departmental meetings and
supervise the writing and distribution of departmental minutes;
14. serve as Chair of the Executive Committee;
and,
15. ensure that unit code procedures are
followed.
The Assistant to the Chair and
Director of Undergraduate Studies shall be appointed by the Chair and shall
serve at the discretion of the Chair. In
consultation with the Chair, the Director of Undergraduate Studies shall:
1. serve as counsel to the Chair and assist in
matters relating to departmental operation and the undergraduate program;
2. when requested by the Chair, represent the
Chair in an official capacity;
3. coordinate, supervise, and monitor a strong
academic program of undergraduate education that is responsive to societal
needs and student demand, and supportive of the goals of the Department and the
University;
4. conduct a program of recruitment to enroll
qualified students in the undergraduate program;
5. coordinate consultation and advisement
procedures for undergraduate students, prepare and distribute information
describing requirements of the undergraduate programs, fellowship grants,
awards and opportunities available to undergraduate students in the Department;
serve as the departmental contact with the East Carolina University Career
Center to assist in the development and advertisement of career opportunities
for Biology undergraduates and to recruit applications from Biology students
for the positions available;
6. supervise maintenance of records,
transcripts, letters of recommendation, grade reports, and other data of
undergraduate students enrolled in the Department, and handle inquiries and
requests for assistance that pertain to undergraduate work in the Department;
7. serve as Chair of the Undergraduate Committee
and represent this committee in recommendations of policy or curriculum change
to the Chair, to the Executive Committee, to the faculty, and to appropriate
university committees;
8. collect and maintain information relating to
pre- and post-graduation professional activities of undergraduates in Biology;
9. serve
as liaison between the Harriot College of Arts and
Sciences Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and the Department;
10. serve as liaison between undergraduate students and the Department, and provide a means whereby student opinion is made known in matters relating to the undergraduate program; and,
11. serve as an ex officio member of the Graduate, Executive, and Personnel
Committees.
The Assistant to the Chair and Director of Graduate Studies shall be appointed by the Chair and shall serve at the discretion of the Chair. In consultation with the Chair, the Director of Graduate Studies shall:
1. serve as counsel to the Chair in matters
relating to the graduate program;
2. when requested by the Chair, represent the
Chair in an official capacity;
3. coordinate, supervise, and monitor a strong academic graduate program that is responsive to societal needs and student demand, and supportive of the goals of the Department and the University;
4. conduct a program of recruitment to enroll
qualified students in the graduate program;
5. consult with and advise prospective and
current graduate students in Biology, and prepare and distribute information
describing requirements of the program, fellowship grants, teaching and
research assistantships and other available awards and opportunities; develop
cooperative educational opportunities for Biology graduate students with
governmental and private agencies and serve as the person responsible for
advertising cooperative educational opportunities available for our graduate
students and recruit applications from Biology graduate students for the
positions;
6. supervise maintenance of records,
transcripts, letters of recommendation, grade reports, and other data of
graduate students enrolled in the Department, and handle inquiries and requests
for assistance pertaining to graduate work in the Department;
7. serve as Chair of the Graduate Committee and
represent this committee to the Chair, the Executive Committee, the faculty,
and appropriate university committees in recommendations of policy or
curriculum change or selection of graduate assistants;
8. collect and maintain information relating to
pre- and post-graduation professional activities of graduate students in
Biology;
9. serve
as liaison between the Harriot College of Arts and
Sciences Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and the Department;
10. serve as liaison between graduate students
and the Department, and provide a means whereby student opinion is made known
in matters relating to the graduate program;
11. serve as ex
officio member of the Undergraduate, Executive, and Personnel Committees;
12. approve, in cooperation with the Dean of the
13. advise students in the selection of thesis
directors and thesis committee members, and schedule final thesis examinations
of candidates for graduate degrees in Biology;
14. schedule Departmental seminars by graduate
students; and,
15. work with thesis directors and thesis
committees in assuring satisfactory progress of students in the graduate
program.
A. Personnel, Tenure and Promotion Committees
1. The
Personnel Committee shall comprise six elected members, all to be drawn
from the permanently tenured voting faculty of the Department and elected by
the permanently tenured and probationary-term voting faculty of the unit in accordance
with Appendix D of the ECU Faculty Manual.
The Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Director of Graduate Studies will
also serve as ex officio non-voting
members. The term of office for elected
members will be for a period of two years, with election of three members,
being held annually at the first regularly scheduled faculty meeting of the
academic year. The Chair of the
Personnel Committee will be elected annually, from the membership of the Personnel
Committee, by the Personnel Committee membership and will serve as Chair of the
Promotion Committee, and Tenure Committee.
The committee may elect a co-Chair as necessary. For instances in which the Chair of the
Personnel Committee does not hold a rank equal to that the candidate under consideration
desires, the Chair will convene a meeting of the Promotion Committee to elect a
Chair from its membership. The Personnel
Committee will function as follows:
a.
As outlined in the ECU Faculty Manual.
1. Makes recommendations to the
Chair of the Department on initial and any fixed term appointments at the
expiration of the current term and initial probationary term appointments
2. Makes recommendations and
notifications regarding initial fixed term appointments and any subsequent
appointments.
3. Reviews requests for reduction
of probationary terms at the time of initial appointment.
4.
Reviews requests for extension of normal probationary terms.
5. Consults with faculty members
requesting conferral of tenure prior to the end of the probationary term.
6.
Consults with faculty members requesting promotion.
7. Reviews additional materials
submitted by faculty for inclusion in the personnel action dossier.
8. Selects members of the faculty
to search committees, the majority of which must be voting members.
9.
Recommends advancement of title for fixed term faculty.
b. Oversees and manages mentoring
of probationary term faculty, to include assigning tenured faculty mentors.
c. Serves as the subcommittee of the Tenure
Committee (as outlined in Appendix D of the ECU
Faculty Manual).
2. The Tenure Committee will be composed and
function as outlined in Appendix D of the
ECU Faculty Manual.
3. The Promotion Committee will be composed and
function as outlined in Appendix D the ECU
Faculty Manual.
B. The Executive Committee shall
comprise the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Director of Graduate
Studies, Chair of the Personnel Committee, and four elected members to be drawn
from and elected by all voting members of the faculty – in addition to the
Chair of the Department, who shall serve as its Chair. All members of the Executive Committee have
voting privileges. The term of office
for elected members will be for a period of two years, with election of two
members being held annually (usually at the first regularly scheduled faculty
meeting of the academic year).
Quorum: Chair of the Department
and five members, three of which must be elected faculty members.
It
shall recommend to the faculty on matters relating to the following:
1. consideration and forwarding to the faculty
of curriculum recommendations from the appropriate committees.
2. the budgeting of funds allocated to the
Department, teaching load assignments, course offerings, faculty research
space, office space and facilities.
3.
strategic planning and future directions in hiring of faculty and staff.
C. Standing Committees
The
standing committees of the Department shall include: the Graduate Committee and
the Undergraduate Committee.
Standing
Committees are advisory to the Chair, who is also an ex officio member without voting privileges on all such committees.
All
meetings of standing committees shall be open to members of the Department
eligible for membership on the committee.
The terms of office of elected members of standing committees shall be two years with election of two members annually. Elections will be held at the beginning of each academic year. Members of standing committees may be re-elected.
1. The Graduate Committee shall consist of the
Director of Graduate Studies, who will serve as Chair of the Committee; and,
four elected members of the graduate faculty, and, ex officio with voting privileges, the Director of Undergraduate
Studies.
Elected
members of the Graduate Committee shall be nominated by the graduate faculty
and elected by a majority of the graduate faculty present and voting.
It
shall recommend to the Director of Graduate Studies, the Executive Committee,
and to the graduate faculty:
a. graduate degree program requirements and
policies;
b. changes in the graduate curriculum;
c. new graduate programs and course proposals
(5000 level and above);
d. the appointment of teaching assistants.
e. review and acceptance of applications to the
graduate program.
2. The Undergraduate Committee shall consist of
the Director of Undergraduate Studies, who will serve as Chair to the
Committee, four elected members, and, ex
officio with voting privileges, the Director of Graduate Studies.
It
shall recommend to the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Executive
Committee, and to the Department:
a. program requirements for undergraduate
Biology majors and minors;
b. changes in the undergraduate curriculum;
c. new undergraduate course proposals (1000
through 5000 level).
A. Selection and Appointment of New Faculty
Selection
and appointment of new faculty members shall be in accordance with the ECU Faculty Manual.
B. Teaching Assignments and Reassigned Time
Assignment
of teaching duties and granting of reassigned time will be in accordance with
the ECU Faculty Manual and UNC
policy.
C. Faculty Evaluation
Permanently tenured
and probationary-term faculty are expected to contribute in the areas of
teaching, research and service and they will be evaluated on their performance
in those three areas. Specific weighting
in the area of service shall not be less than 10%. Remaining allocation of
effort in the three areas for each individual will be determined annually by
the Chair, in consultation with the faculty member. Allocations shall adhere to the prescription
of the ECU Faculty Manual. The weight assigned to service shall not be
greater than that assigned to either teaching effectiveness or research
productivity. Fixed-term faculty shall
be evaluated annually based on the terms of their contracts. The implementation of the faculty evaluation
will be in accordance with the procedures approved by a majority of the voting
faculty members of the Department of Biology.
The Departmental Chair will distribute the quantitative instrument used
in annual faculty evaluation during the Spring Semester of each academic year.
D. Reappointment and Professional Advancement
1. The procedures for reappointment of
probationary-term and subsequent appointment of faculty are as follows, which
are in addition to those prescribed in the ECU
Faculty Manual in accordance with Appendix D and Part XIII.
a. The Tenure Committee shall review the
Personnel Action Dossier (PAD) of each probationary-term faculty member. The committee shall consider whether the
dossier indicates the faculty member is making satisfactory progress towards
securing tenure and promotion using the criteria described in Section F, below.
b. Fixed-term faculty members considered for
subsequent appointment shall prepare a dossier that comprises documents that
are relevant to their appointment, as determined by the Department Chair and
the Personnel Committee. The Personnel
Committee shall review this document prior to the contract expiration. The committee shall recommend subsequent
appointment only if the document demonstrates performance consistent with the
expectations of the initial contract letter, and if these expectations continue
to reflect the needs of the Department.
2. The procedures for promotion of faculty are
as follows, which are in addition to those prescribed in the ECU Faculty Manual. The Promotion Committees shall review the PAD
of each faculty member being considered for promotion. The committees shall use the promotion
criteria described in Section F, below.
3. The procedures for appointment to the
graduate faculty are specified in the ECU
Faculty Manual and in accordance with Departmental criteria if applicable
faculty members must demonstrate productivity within the last five years in
some combination of the following activities.
An individual need not have contributed to every activity, and it shall
be the responsibility of the graduate and associate graduate faculty of the
Department to determine the merit of applications submitted for consideration.
Activities
include, but are not limited to, the following items:
a. publish scholarly research in refereed
venues;
b. actively seek grants/contracts to fund
research activities;
c. serve as/on advisor/committee member for
completed thesis;
d. serve in editorial roles of journals or
monographs;
e. present research at professional meetings
(with published abstract);
f. serve as a member on review panels and
editorial boards;
g. serve as an officer/member on Executive
Committee of a professional organization; and/or,
h. take an active role in the Departmental
graduate curriculum (teach a graduate level course; advise graduate students).
E. Personnel/Evaluation Files
A
single departmental Personnel/Evaluation file shall be maintained by the Chair
for each faculty member in the Department.
The file will be located in the departmental office. Content of files and access to files shall be
in accordance with the ECU Faculty Manual.
F. Tenure and
Promotion
Candidates
for permanent tenure and promotion shall be evaluated by the following
criteria, which are in addition to those prescribed in the ECU Faculty Manual.
1. Teaching/Advising – (1) the articulation of
the salient aspects of a discipline in a rigorous but accessible manner,
whether in or out of the traditional classroom setting; (2) academic advising
within the discipline and the general education curriculum, where Department
operating procedures provide such an opportunity; and, (3) other contributions
towards the University’s fundamental mission of transmitting knowledge,
including participation in curriculum development.
a. For Permanent Tenure, activities may include,
but are not limited to:
1. Satisfactory overall results from student and
peer evaluations consistent with University and departmental means.
2. Other documentation of teaching effectiveness
using instruments and procedures approved by the unit.
3. Written course objectives, requirements,
formats, procedures, instructional materials, grading policies, and evaluation
materials for students.
4. Active role in the development of the curriculum
and programs of the Department.
5. Active role in advising students regarding
courses, research, program choices, and career planning.
6. Maintenance of a level of student performance
consistent with unit standards.
7. Achievement and maintenance of a level of
teaching and advising effectiveness specified by the unit.
b. For Promotion to Associate Professor
The
teaching and advising criteria for promotion to Associate Professor are the
same as those for permanent tenure: See
Section F.1.a. above. Although
recommendations regarding tenure and promotion are separate, the Promotion
Committee(s) should follow the proviso outlined in the ECU Faculty Manual that “sound academic practice supports the
concept that an assistant professor eligible for tenure should qualify for
promotion to associate professor.”
c. For Promotion to Professor
The
teaching and advising criteria for promotion to Professor include those for
promotion to Associate Professor: See
Section F.1.b. above. Additional criteria
may include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Leadership achievements in curriculum and
program development.
2. Leadership achievements in the enhancement of
teaching effectiveness.
3. Leadership achievements in the enhancement of
advising effectiveness.
4. Leadership and advisory role with
probationary-term faculty regarding advancement of teaching and advising
effectiveness consistent with departmental standards.
2. Research – (1) serious inquiry leading to the
discovery and interpretation of knowledge, revision of accepted hypotheses in
light of new knowledge, and practical application of such new hypotheses and
(2) the dissemination of such discovery, interpretation or revision through
refereed scholarly publications or the combination of refereed scholarly
publications and publication of monographs by reputable scholarly presses.
The
candidate must have consistent achievements of high quality in research
productivity.
a. For Permanent Tenure
The
candidate’s publications must reflect a significant and developing research
agenda in the areas of specialization.
They must indicate that the candidate has the potential for eventual
national recognition as an important scholar.
The publications must be of promise, high quality in content, and reveal
consistent research efforts. They should
take the form of articles published in the discipline’s refereed journals; or
the combination of refereed scholarly publications and publication of monographs
by reputable scholarly presses, university presses, scholarly societies, or
other presses held in high regard by the scholarly community. Textbooks and grant reports shall count as
research only if they have a significant impact on one’s peers within the
discipline. Additional considerations
shall include, where appropriate, such activities as securing grants from
agencies in support of the candidate’s research program and publishing papers
in conference proceedings. Papers read
at professional meetings and their associated published abstracts shall warrant
less consideration. Evaluation of the
quality and quantity of the candidate’s corpus by specialists at other
institutions shall be used in the evaluation.
b. For Promotion to Associate Professor
The
research productivity criteria for promotion to Associate Professor are the
same as those for permanent tenure: See
Section F.2.a. above. Although
recommendations regarding tenure and promotion are separate, the Promotion
Committee should follow the provision of Appendix, D, Section I.B.2. that
“sound academic practice supports the concept that an assistant professor
eligible for tenure should qualify for promotion to associate professor.”
c. For Promotion to Professor
The
research productivity criteria for promotion to Professor include those for
permanent tenure: See Section F.2.a.
above. In addition: The candidate must have earned national
recognition in the discipline or specialization, principally through a number
of articles published in the discipline’s refereed journals; or the combination
of refereed scholarly publications and publication of monographs by reputable
scholarly presses, university presses, scholarly societies, or other presses
held in high regard by the scholarly community.
In addition to the prima facie
evidence of the publications themselves, evidence of such recognition includes
references to the candidate’s work in the research publications of peers,
favorable reviews published in learned periodicals, or prestigious awards
bestowed in honor of the candidate’s work.
Evaluation of the quality and quantity of the candidate’s corpus by
specialists at other institutions shall be used in the evaluation.
3. Service – formal and informal assignments or
activities on behalf of the Department, College, University, the community at
large, and the profession. Expectations
regarding service contributions increase as a faculty member’s career
progresses. The minimum required for
permanent tenure and promotion therefore depends upon rank.
a. For Permanent Tenure
Although
service is accorded the least weight in the tenure evaluation, it is
nevertheless an essential component of the candidate’s professional
commitment. A reasonable record of
departmental and University service is expected of any faculty member under
consideration for tenure. The quality
rather than the quantity of service is of primary importance. The faculty member should strive to make
service contributions to the College and University as a whole and eventually
to the community at large and to the profession. Examples of such contributions may include,
but would not be limited to, the following:
1. Unit – Department committee participation as
specified by this Code and other department activities such as administrative
duties, special assignments from the Chair, and participation in faculty
meetings and seminars;
2. College – Participation in college-level
committees and assignments;
3. University – Participation in
University-level committees and assignments;
4. Community – Participation in regional,
national, or international community activities directly related to the faculty
member’s profession, such as lectures and presentations, news media interviews,
and professional advice to nonprofit agencies;
5. Discipline – Participation in service
functions of the profession such as journal referee or editor, officer of
professional organizations, and session organizer or Chair at professional
meetings.
b. For Promotion of Associate Professor
The
criteria for promotion to Associate Professor include those for permanent
tenure: See Section F.3.a. above.
c. For Promotion to Professor
The
criteria for promotion to Professor are the same as those for permanent
tenure: See Section F.3.a. above. In addition, the candidate must show
leadership in the various service areas described in Section F.3.a., items 1
through 5 above.
G. Criteria for advancement in
title of fixed-term faculty in accordance with Appendix C of the ECU Faculty Manual.
1. For advancement in title to
Teaching Assistant Professor
a.
Must hold a PhD
b. Demonstrate teaching effectiveness by
means of the three methods below (whenever possible):
1. Seminar (research or teaching)
attended by tenured and probationary term faculty
2.
Demonstrate teaching experience at the college level
3.
Peer evaluation in a Biology class
c. A file containing
documentation of the above will be reviewed by the Biology Personnel Committee.
Recommendations of the Personnel Committee will be provided to the Chair of
Biology, who will decide on the change in title.
2. For
advancement in title to Teaching Associate Professor
a. Must hold a PhD and have 5-6
years commensurate experience at the title of assistant
b. Demonstrate exemplary teaching
effectiveness by means of the three methods below (whenever possible):
1. Provide evidence of student
evaluation scores (Student Opinion of Instruction Survey (SOIS) or equivalent,
whenever possible).
2. Provide a teaching portfolio
(format and design to be determined by agreement between the candidate and the
Personnel Committee) that includes a summary of annual evaluations by the Chair
of Biology.
3. Peer evaluation of
teaching (2/year).
c. Provide evidence of leadership
or innovation, such as the following examples:
1.
Leading teaching effectiveness workshops
2.
Publications in professional journals
3. Grants or grant proposal
submissions accompanied if possible by reviews.
d. Provide service to the
Department, University, and profession, such as any of the following examples:
1.
Departmental committees
2. University
committees
3. Science Fair Judge
4. Public outreach
5. Professional
service, reviewing papers or grants
e. A file containing documentation
of b-d above will be reviewed by the Biology Personnel Committee.
Recommendations of the Personnel Committee will be provided to the Chair of
Biology, who will decide on the change in title.
3. For advancement in title to
Teaching Professor
a. All of criteria for
advancement in title to Teaching Associate Professor (listed in 2a-d above)
b. Sustained leadership efforts
in teaching, professional development, and service
c.
Excellent reputation in teaching at the university level as indicated by:
1.
External (outside of ECU) review of teaching portfolio
2. Letters in support of the
advancement in title based on teaching and/or research
d.
A file containing documentation of a-c above will be reviewed by the Biology
Personnel Committee prior to change in title. Recommendations of the Personnel
Committee will be provided to the Chair of Biology, who will decide on the
change in title.
The Executive and Personnel Committees shall
meet at least once per semester to review Departmental activities apart from
personnel actions. The agenda shall be
posted at least one day prior to the meeting.
Any faculty member, staff, or student representative may have an item
considered by these committees by presenting the item to any member; agenda
items related to personnel actions must be submitted five days in advance. Only these actions of the Executive and
Personnel Committees affecting the Department shall be a matter of open record
and presented to the faculty in the form of summary or minutes 24 hours prior
to the next meeting.
Meetings of the
Department shall be monthly in conformity with University policy. An
announcement of the meeting, containing the agenda, shall be posted in the
departmental office at least one day prior to the day of the meeting.
The Chair (or
his/her designated representative) shall preside over meetings of the
Department. At meetings at which
departmental business is transacted, a quorum shall be present. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the
voting departmental members. In the
absence of specific rules adopted by the Department, the proceedings shall be
conducted according to the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly
Revised. Minutes of departmental meetings shall be kept by the secretary
and distributed to all members of the Department, Dean of The Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, Provost and Senior
Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs, and Dean of the Graduate
School.
The quorum for
standing committees, exclusive of the Personnel and Executive Committees, shall
be a majority of elected members. In the
absence of the Chair of a standing committee, an elected member shall be elected
to preside. Minutes of standing
committees shall be kept by a person designated by the committee Chair and
shall be available to members of the Department.
Section VI.
Evaluation of Unit, Unit
Administrator(s) and University Administrators
A. The voting faculty members of the Department will indicate by secret ballot their approval or disapproval of the unit’s major accreditation planning documents and other assessments of unit operations.
B. A seven-year unit academic program review will be conducted in
accord with established University policies and procedures.
C. Administrators will be evaluated in accordance
with established University policies and procedures.
Section VII.
Other Policies and Documents
A. Summer School Teaching
The Chair will consider all departmental
faculty members in assigning available positions for summer school
teaching. These positions will be
handled on a rotational basis contingent upon the demand for courses, with
first choice going to the faculty member who has not taught summer sessions for
the longest period of time and has the expertise to teach the specific
course. As an example, if faculty member
A declines to teach during a given summer, the person immediately below him/her
in terms of elapsed time since his/her previous summer teaching (faculty member
B), will be offered the position. In
this event, faculty member A and faculty member B have simply exchanged
places. Once a faculty member teaches
summer school, he/she will then occupy a position at the bottom of the list and
will not be eligible to teach again until all other faculty members of the
department have been offered the opportunity to teach.
B. Academic freedom is important to the
Department. The Department fully accepts
and endorses a broad interpretation of the Part III of the Faculty Manual on
Academic Freedom.
Section VIII. Criteria and Procedures Associated with
Salary Increases
All full-time continuing faculty
members shall annually document their accomplishments in teaching effectiveness,
research, and service for the academic year via an annual evaluation per
established Departmental review procedures.
These documents will be employed by the Department Chair in making
recommendations for merit salary allocation. Evaluation and determination of
annual salary increments will be in accord with UNC Board of Governors
policies, established University policies and procedures, and agreed upon
Departmental guidelines.
Prior
to the final faculty meeting of the Spring semester, the Executive Committee
will meet to discuss Departmental priorities (e.g., merit, salary compression,
promotion, etc.), for salary increases. The Chair will report the
recommendations of the Executive Committee to the Faculty at the final meeting
of the academic year and will at that time solicit additional input from the
Faculty. The Chair will follow University policies and procedures and
established Departmental procedures in conjunction with input from the
Executive committee and Faculty when making salary increase recommendations to
the Dean of the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and
Sciences.
Section IX. Amendment of Code
The Code of Operation can be amended at
any scheduled departmental meeting by a majority vote of the
permanently-tenured faculty. Any faculty
member of the Department can propose an amendment. All amendments must be approved by the
Section X. Enabling
This Code shall go into effect when approved
by a three-fifths majority of the permanently tenured faculty members of the
Department by secret ballot and after approval by the