0 - Sample Bylaws

Department of XXX

Duke University

Bylaws

I. Faculty: The Department comprises regular rank faculty (both tenure track and non-tenure track) and non-regular rank faculty.
A. Regular rank, tenure track faculty.
1. Criteria: These faculty normally hold the Ph.D. degree. They should demonstrate continued development of their teaching skills, striving toward excellence. Additional criteria are cited in the Faculty Handbook and in the following paragraphs:

Assistant Professor: Assistant Professors demonstrate evidence of professional development and activity such as significant articles and books published, paper presented before learned societies, and research in progress; they continue to engage in significant professional activity in the field beyond teaching duties; they serve on departmental committees and advise both graduate and undergraduate students. For reappointment, Assistant Professors must demonstrate that they are establishing a record that will give them a good chance to earn tenure.

Associate Professor: Associate Professors demonstrate that their work has been widely perceived among peers as outstanding. Their intellectual leadership, as demonstrated by published scholarship (typically a book-length project), is shown to be recognized by leading scholars in the field. The work should include clear evidence of intellectual development beyond the doctoral dissertation.


Professor: Professors clearly meet the criteria for tenure and demonstrate a continued intellectual development and leadership widely recognized in the field. Length of service alone does not produce an expectation for promotion to the rank of professor.


Procedures: The appointment, reappointment, promotion, and tenure of tenure track faculty are governed by university policies and procedures as defined in the University Bylaws and amplified and illustrated on the homepage of the Provost’s Office of Faculty Affairs website. In all departmental votes the Chair does not vote except in the case of a tie. Roberts' Rules of Order will govern parliamentary procedure, except where countermanded by these bylaws.


Exhibits of accomplishment: Regular rank, tenure track faculty members may demonstrate significant professional activity and accomplishment through scholarly publications (including books and editions), consulting and lecturing, prizes, awards, and grants, and offices and activities in professional organizations.

B. Regular rank, non-tenure track faculty: These faculty's levels of achievement parallel those for the tenured ranks but are recognized by a variety of methods. These faculty teach two or three courses per semester (at least 4 or 5 per year) as assigned by the Department Chair. The normal length of appointment for Assistant Professors of the Practice is four years; with the Provost’s approval, terms can be made progressively longer at each higher rank.

1. Assistant Professor of the Practice of XXX

   Criteria: Assistant Professors of the Practice demonstrate the academic preparation, professional development, and activity necessary for their instructional duties in the Department. They demonstrate the likelihood that they will continue to engage in significant professional activity in the field.

   Reappointment: The Department may review these faculty for renewal in their penultimate year of appointment. The review is to determine the fulfillment of the duties outlined above, service to the department, and continued professional activities and development. Publications and research can be taken into consideration for the review.

   Eligibility for promotion: Faculty are eligible to apply for promotion after having served two terms at the Assistant Professor level; however, regular rank faculty may nominate a candidate for promotion at any time.

   Procedures: Procedures are governed by university policies and procedures as defined in the University Bylaws and amplified and illustrated in the website of the Provost’s Office of Faculty Affairs: http://www.facultyaffairs.provost.duke.edu . Review committees (appointed by the Chair after consultation with the Dean) will comprise regular rank faculty of rank higher than the candidate for reappointment and promotion. The Chair does not vote except in the case of a tie.

2. Associate Professor of the Practice of XXX

   Criteria: Basic criteria for this rank are the same as for the Assistant Professor level. In addition, candidates will have demonstrated excellence in teaching, they will have shown visible and durable initiatives in improving their teaching skills, teaching materials, and curriculum development, and they will have demonstrated continued professional development and leadership (in matters of curriculum development, methodological innovation, or scholarly contributions) beyond that expected of Assistant Professors of the Practice.

   Procedures: Procedures are the same as for the Assistant Professor level except that, in addition, candidates have the right to request the review committee solicit external evaluations.

   Eligibility for promotion: Faculty are eligible to apply for promotion after having served two terms at the Associate Professor level; however, regular rank faculty may nominate a candidate for promotion at any time.

3. Professor of the Practice of XXX

   Criteria: The basic criteria are the same as for an appointment at the Associate Professor level; in addition, candidates are required to have significant published contributions (in matters of curriculum development, methodological innovation, or scholarly contributions) which will have earned them wide-spread recognition in their field.

   Procedures: Procedures are the same as for the Associate Professor level appointments and reappointments except that, in addition, the Department must solicit at least three external evaluations from experts in the field.

C. Non-regular rank faculty

1. Criteria: These faculty, whether paid or unpaid, are appointed by the Department Chair in consultation with the regular rank faculty. Criteria for rank parallel those for regular rank faculty. The Chair uses the following guidelines to assign the appropriate titles to non-regular rank faculty:

   Adjunct Assistant/Associate/Professor: This title designates those who hold a primary administrative appointment at Duke, who hold a primary academic appointment at another university, or other individuals, such as independent scholars or writers, who contribute intermittently to the instructional program of the department.

   Visiting Assistant/Associate/Professor or Instructor: This title designates individuals on leave from another institution or who teach in the Department on a short-term basis.

   Scholar in Residence/Artist in Residence: This title designates non-Duke artists or writers who are affiliated with the Department on a short-term basis; the latter group may teach at the request of the Chair.

2. Privileges and restrictions: Non-regular rank faculty may attend faculty meetings dealing with programmatic issues at the invitation of the Chair, they enjoy no departmental voting privileges, they may serve in an advisory capacity on departmental committees, and they may advise undergraduate majors.

D. Joint and Secondary Appointments

Departmental Faculty: Faculty who are qualified in an additional field may hold such appointments in other departments or programs. The Dean, the Chair of this department, the voting faculty of the secondary department, and the Provost must concur on the terms of the appointment.


Non-departmental Faculty: Faculty from other university departments or programs may hold a secondary appointment in the Department of XXX. This appointment cannot be at a rank higher than such individuals' primary appointment. The Dean, the Chair of this department, the voting faculty of this department, and the Provost must concur on the terms of the appointment.


Privileges: Faculty holding joint/secondary appointments in this Department enjoy the privileges of faculty with primary appointments, commensurate with their rank as described below.


Voting privileges: Regular rank faculty and secondary/joint faculty may serve on all departmental committees and, except where excluded by University policy, have full voting privileges, except in the personnel decisions of this department, where faculty not holding primary appointments in the department do not vote. The Chair does not vote except in the case of a tie. For voting on reappointment, promotion and tenure, faculty eligibility is defined by University policy (see University Bylaws and the Provost’s Faculty Procedures Manual, Section 6) f)).


Departmental Organization

A. Officers

1. Department Chair

   Function: The Chair 1) serves as the principal contact between the Department and the university administration, 2) in consultation with the Department leads departmental planning and assures an up-to-date development plan, 3) oversees faculty recruitment, 4) manages faculty personnel reviews, 5) formulates and manages departmental budgets, 6) evaluates annually all Department faculty, and shares with interested persons those elements which may enhance their research and teaching missions, 7) oversees departmental committees, 8) nominates departmental officers, 9) presides at Department meetings, and 10) supervises teaching assignments and scheduling in consultation with the DUS and DGS.

   Term: Chairs generally serve for three years (or five years, if an external appointment); after consultation with the department faculty, the Dean of the Faculty may offer reappointment.

   Recruitment: The Dean of the Faculty solicits the confidential opinion of all regular rank departmental faculty and the Provost’s approval before appointing a Chair. The Dean appoints a search committee if it is necessary to make an external appointment as Chair.

2. Director of Graduate Studies

   Function: The DGS 1) serves as the primary link between the Department and graduate students and between the Department and the Graduate School, 2) publicizes the graduate program and coordinates graduate recruitment and admissions, 3) manages the graduate studies budget, 4) chairs the DGS Advisory Committee, 5) coordinates graduate course offerings, 6) oversees the administration of graduate examinations, and 7) monitors students' compliance with university requirements.

   Term: The DGS typically serves a one-year term subject to reappointment.

   Appointment: The DGS is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the Department Chair.

3. Director of Undergraduate Studies

   Function: The DUS 1) is the primary link between the Department and undergraduate students, 2) supervises teaching assignments and scheduling in consultation with the Department Chair, 3) coordinates undergraduate course offerings, 4) supervises the approval of new and cross-listed courses and the deletion of superannuated courses, 5) approves courses to be taken abroad or in non-Duke summer school, 6) supervises the major advising system, and 7) monitors undergraduate majors to assure compliance with university requirements.

   Term: The DUS typically serves a one-year term subject to reappointment.

   Appointment: The DUS is appointed by the Dean of Undergraduate Affairs upon the recommendation of the Department Chair.

4. Other regular departmental officers

   Function:

   Term:

   Appointment: This officer is appointed by an ad hoc departmental committee, presided over by the Chair. All regular-rank faculty are eligible to serve on the committee and as Director.

B. Committees

1. Advisory Committee to the Director of Graduate Studies

   Function: This committee 1) advances the preparation of graduate course offerings and 2) advises the DGS on matters important to the graduate program, including funding, admissions standards, graduate student teaching, and the advising of graduate students.

   Membership: This committee will comprise two faculty, in addition to the DGS. The Chair will nominate individuals for this committee, who will be elected by voting faculty. All regular rank faculty are eligible to serve on this committee.

2. Ad hoc Committees are formed in response to particular situations. Members are nominated by the Chair and elected by the voting faculty.

C. Faculty Meetings

Regular meetings: The department's semiannual meetings take place during the first month of classes each semester; subsequent regular meetings are scheduled by the Chair, who will distribute each semester's schedule during the first three weeks of class.


Quorum: A majority of regular rank departmental faculty in residence at Duke constitutes a quorum.


Called meetings: Any regular rank faculty member, including the Chair, may petition the Chair to call a full Department meeting to be held within two weeks of the request. In cases of the greatest urgency, a meeting may be called following a written petition to all regular rank faculty in residence, a majority of whom may sanction such an emergency meeting by indicating their written consent to the Chair within three days of the written petition.


Agenda: The Chair will set the agenda for regular and called meetings. Any regular rank faculty member may request that an item be added to the agenda.

IV. Ratification and Amendments

These bylaws will be ratified by a (two-thirds) majority vote of the regular rank voting faculty in residence during the academic year. They will become effective immediately upon ratification.


Bylaws may be amended by a (two-thirds) majority vote of the regular rank voting faculty in residence. The amendment must be presented in writing at a first faculty meeting and adopted at a second meeting to occur no earlier than one week after the first. Any regular rank faculty member may propose an amendment to these bylaws.