Bylaws for the Department of English

University of Missouri
Columbia, Missouri

Revised: October 26, 1976 | May 1987 | April 25, 1991 | February 2, 2006 | December 4, 2007
Amended: May 5, 1992 | April 20, 1993 | December 14, 1993 | October 30, 2001

Article I -- MEMBERSHIP

The voting membership of the department shall consist of all persons on regular appointment holding the rank of Instructor, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Professor, and of others elected by this group.

Article II -- POWERS

The voting membership of the department shall have the power to determine all matters affecting requirements, academic standards, curriculum, and personnel of the Department of English. This power may be delegated to and administered by such officers and committees as specified in articles V and VI of these bylaws.

Article III -- MEETINGS

The faculty of the Department of English shall meet together at least once each fall semester and at least once each winter semester. The agenda for each of these meetings shall be announced in advance and shall include reports of the Standing Committees, herein detailed below, and any other such items as the Chair or other members of the faculty care to introduce. No vote may be taken on items not on the agenda. Additional meetings may be called upon written request of at least four members of the faculty. Such requests shall be made to the Chair, who will then convene the meeting within a week of the date that the request is received when classes are in session, and within a month of the date of the request when classes are not in session. Attendance at department meetings is a normal and expected duty of all members. The minutes of meetings will record members present, members absent, and members excused.

Article IV -- PROCEDURES

Department meetings shall proceed as determined by the Chair. Voting procedures shall be bound by Robert's Rules of Order except for decisions on promotion, tenure, and hiring, which shall require a yes vote of two-thirds or more of those voting in order to pass. Action may be taken at meetings only with the presence of a quorum, which shall consist of more than one-half of the members not on leave. Members on leave may attend and vote or may vote in season by phone, mail, or electronic mail in matters of promotion, tenure, or election of the chair.

Article V -- OFFICERS

1. The administrative officers of the Department of English shall be as follows: Chair of the Department, Associate Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director of Composition, and Director of Creative Writing.
2. The Chair shall be chosen through an election conducted by an election committee of three members, one from each professorial rank. The committee shall be appointed in January of the last year of the incumbent Chair's term and the election shall be completed in March. Each member of the department shall have one vote. Members of the department on leave shall be sent ballots, and reasonable time allowed for the exercise of their vote. For procedures, see Appendix A.
3. The Associate Chair and the Directors of Graduate Studies, Undergraduate Studies, Composition, and Creative Writing shall be appointed by the Chair of the Department with the consent of the Personnel Committee.

Article VI -- STANDING COMMITTEES

1. The principal legislative and review functions of the faculty shall be executed through the system of Standing Committees. There shall be seven standing committees of the department: Graduate Studies Committee, Undergraduate Studies Committee, Composition Committee, Creative Writing Committee, Curriculum Committee, Salary Advisory Committee, and Personnel Committee.
   1. The Graduate Studies Committee shall be chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies and appointed by the Chair of the Department. The membership shall be large enough to represent the diversity of the department and to carry out the duties of the committee. Voting members shall include two graduate students selected by the English Graduate Students Association. Student members of the Committee may attend all meetings of the Committee except those concerned with personnel matters. This committee shall be responsible for admissions to the graduate program, the awarding of fellowships for graduate study, review of the graduate curriculum, and the conduct of such examinations as it deems necessary for graduate students of the department. It shall coordinate the graduate curriculum with the Undergraduate Studies Committee and Composition Committee and submit changes to the graduate curriculum to the Graduate School.
   2. The Undergraduate Studies Committee shall be chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and shall be appointed by the Chair of the Department. The membership shall be large enough to represent the diversity of the department and to carry out the duties of the committee. Voting members shall include representatives of the various groups on the teaching staff (e.g., regular and non-regular faculty and graduate students) and at least one undergraduate student. The Undergraduate Studies Committee shall be responsible for the review of undergraduate curriculum, the advising of undergraduate students, and the supervision of the department's Honors Program. It shall coordinate the undergraduate curriculum with the Graduate Studies Committee and Composition Committee and submit changes in the undergraduate curriculum to the College of Arts and Sciences. It shall also review and print the degree requirements of the department.
   3. The Composition Committee shall be chaired by the Director of Composition and shall be appointed by the Chair of the Department. It shall include representatives of all groups who teach undergraduate composition courses: regular faculty, teaching assistants, and non-regular faculty. It shall also include one or more undergraduate representatives. The Composition Committee shall be responsible for the undergraduate composition curriculum at both the upper- and lower-division levels, the training and evaluation of teaching assistants and non-regular faculty in composition, the judging of contests in composition, and the administration of awards for excellence in the teaching of composition. It shall submit changes in the undergraduate composition curriculum to the College of Arts and Sciences via the Undergraduate Studies Committee.
   4. The Creative Writing Committee shall be chaired by the Director of Creative Writing and appointed by the Chair of the Department. Voting members shall include faculty members in creative writing and at least one graduate student, who will be selected from among Creative Writing doctoral students by the English Graduate Students Association. The Creative Writing Committee shall be responsible for the supervision of the Creative Writing Program.
   5. The Curriculum Committee shall be appointed and chaired by the Chair of the Department and include the Associate Chair, Director of Creative Writing, Director of Composition, and Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies. It shall approve the schedule of classes and the appointment of Graduate Teaching Assistants and non-regular faculty.
   6. The Personnel Committee shall consist of all tenured Associate Professors and Professors. It shall make recommendations on all matters related to promotion and tenure. It shall be chaired by the Chair of the Department. The committee will function in two groups:
   1. The Committee as a whole shall review the teaching, research, and service of those holding the rank of assistant professor and make recommendations concerning promotion and tenure.
   2. The Chair and those members of the Committee holding the rank of professor shall review the teaching, research, and service of those holding the ranks of professor or of associate professor and make recommendations concerning promotion and tenure. When considering and making these recommendations, this group shall meet separately.
   7. The Salary Advisory Committee shall consist of four faculty members appointed on a rotational basis from the tenured faculty; the chair of this committee will be chosen by lot (see Appendix B). The Chair of the Department will attend all meetings of the Salary Advisory Committee.
2. A quorum is not required for action by a standing committee, but any four members of the department may call for a review of a committee action by the department, except for actions of the Personnel Committee.
3. Except for the Personnel Committee and the Salary Advisory Committee, standing committees shall publish minutes of their meetings and distribute them to the department in a timely fashion. The Personnel Committee and the Salary Advisory Committee shall record minutes kept by the Chair.

Article VII -- AD HOC COMMITTEES

Ad hoc committees may be established by the Chair or by a vote of the department for a term of one year.

Article VIII -- DEPARTMENTAL REPRESENTATIVES

The Chair will appoint members of the department to serve as representatives for those functions or relations of the department for which standing or ad hoc committees are unnecessary, such as library liaison, computer concerns, awards, lectures, etc. Representatives will serve at the Chair's discretion and will report to the Chair.

Article IX -- EMERGENCY POWERS

In an emergency the Chair may act without the advice and consent of the department. The Chair is obliged to confer as widely as possible with department members in such an emergency.

Article X -- AMENDMENTS

These bylaws may be amended by two-thirds vote of department members.

APPENDIX A
Amended 12/14/93

1. The election committee shall be named by the Chair to conduct the nomination and the election, to determine the outcome of the voting, and to report the results in writing to the Dean of the College of Arts and Science. The committee shall conduct the voting on both the nominating and the election ballots in such a way as to insure secrecy of individual votes and to guarantee one vote per voting member. The committee shall not discuss the voting with members of the department or with others, either during the election or afterward.
2. The nominating ballot shall consist of the names of all Professors and Associate Professors. From the names listed, each voting member shall nominate not more than three. The committee shall give written notice of nomination with indication of the number of nominating votes received to all members who receive votes and shall allow a reasonable time for an affirmative response from those who wish to remain candidates.
3. Willingness to remain a candidate shall be signified by submitting to the election committee a statement of objectives and priorities as Chair. The election committee shall establish reasonable deadlines for the submission of such statements, which are not to exceed 500 words each, and shall arrange for their prompt distribution to all voting members of the faculty, to representatives of the graduate students and the staff, and to the Dean.
4. One week after all the statements have been distributed, the committee shall present to the department an election ballot containing the names of all candidates. Each voting member shall select one name. The committee shall communicate to the department the total votes received by each candidate. If no candidate receives a majority, the committee shall present another election ballot, deleting the name of the candidate with the fewest votes of those who receive fewer than four votes. In the case that tie votes do not permit reduction of the ballot in the manner, the committee shall conduct a supplementary run-off election to reduce the ballot. The committee shall repeat this voting procedure until one candidate receives a majority.
5. In the event that the first ballot contains only one name, the ballot shall call for a yes/no vote. The single candidate must receive a majority of yes votes for a valid election. If the candidate does not receive a majority, a new election shall be called.
6. The committee shall communicate the election results to the Dean and nominate the majority candidate for appointment as Chair.
7. Members of the faculty and staff and representatives of the graduate school shall be offered the opportunity to discuss the election with the Dean, who shall allow at least two weeks for such individual conferences before recommending the new Chair for appointment by the Chancellor. The Chair so appointed shall serve a term of 3 years. After a performance review by the department, the term may be renewed for up to an additional three years.

APPENDIX B

1. Each fall the department Chair shall choose four tenured faculty members to serve on the Salary Advisory Committee. The committee shall be selected by lot from a list of the tenured faculty who have not served on the committee during the previous four years, who are not on leave the spring semester, and whose salaries are determined within the department, with this proviso: the committee shall include at least one representative from each tenured rank, associate professor and professor.
2. The four members of the committee each year shall draw straws to determine who shall chair the committee.
3. Under exceptional circumstances, faculty members may petition to the department Chair for a one-year deferral of service on the committee.
4. Guidelines and general policies of the department in evaluating teaching, research, and service shall be determined by the department. For these guidelines and policies, see Appendix C (Departmental Annual Review Policy and Procedure).
5. Following the completion of its duties in the winter semester, the Salary Advisory Committee will report on its deliberations to the department.
6. In the case of faculty whose appointments specify a balance of responsibilities different from the standard 40-40-20 (teaching, research, and service), the Chair has the discretion to adjust expectations for salary rankings to a degree consistent with the terms of the individual appointment, if the individual faculty member requests such an adjustment.

APPENDIX C