By-laws of Faculty Association

Article I – Membership, Responsibilities and Procedures

Membership in the Faculty Association shall consist of the following:
1. All full-time faculty.
2. All part-time faculty who have taught at the College at least four semesters.
3. Full-time professional librarians who hold academic rank. The Director of the Library, if not holding academic rank, shall serve ex-officio as non-voting member.
4. The Vice President of Academic Affairs (VPAA), Academic Deans, and other administrative officers who hold academic rank.
5. The Registrar and Vice President for Enrollment Management shall serve ex-officio as non-voting members.
6. Emeriti professors attending the meetings.
Responsibilities
1. To enact regulations governing the conduct and responsibilities of academic programs, instructional units, schools and departments.
2. To receive and act on recommendations forwarded to it from the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Completion Council and the Graduate Curriculum Committee adding, deleting or temporarily suspending majors, minors, departments, or other academic programs, in light of overall academic and instructional planning.
3. To set requirements for admission to the College, for academic status, for degrees, and for honors at graduation.
4. To establish criteria for academic probation and dismissal. To approve appeal procedures for academic dismissal.
5. To approve eligibility requirements in academic affairs for student athletes.
6. To act upon recommendations forwarded to it by committees of the Faculty Association and Deans’ Council regarding academic and faculty affairs.
7. To exercise veto power over curricular matters in accordance with Article III, B.1.
8. To make recommendations to the President and the Board of Trustees on the awarding of honorary degrees.
9. To elect members to serve on the committees of the Faculty Association.
Procedures
1. Meetings
  1. Regular meeting shall be held at least twice a semester.
  2. Special meetings may be called as the need arises by one or more of the following, who will give prior notice of at least three teaching days (excluding weekends):
    1. Faculty Association Convener
    2. The President
    3. The VPAA
    4. Any five members of the Faculty Association through petition to the Faculty Convener, the President, or the VPAA .
  3. Meetings of the Faculty Association shall be open to observers. However, the Association may vote by simple majority to move into executive session. A motion to go into executive session may be made either before or during a meeting. Voting on such a motion shall be by secret ballot.
  4. The meetings shall be conducted according to parliamentary procedure as defined in ROBERT’S RULE OF ORDER (Newly Revised Edition).
  5. Since the Faculty Association is a deliberative body, its members enjoy the right to full and free debate on the merits of the issues brought to it, either by committee or by individuals.
2. Presiding Officer. The Nominations and Governance Committee shall place a slate of nominees from among the faculty before the Faculty Association in the spring of each year. From these a Convener will be elected for a one-year term, with a maximum of two successive terms. The Convener may designate a substitute in his/her absence. Each new term will begin July 1.
3. Secretary. The Nominations and Governance Committee shall nominate two member of the Association for the position of secretary, one of whom shall be elected by the Faculty Association.
4. Quorum. Constituted by a majority of tenured and tenure track faculty.
5. Agenda. The Convener shall be responsible for the preparation of the agenda. Items may be added or deleted by majority vote. Subcommittees and members may submit agenda items. The agenda shall be distributed to the members of the Association at least two teaching days (excluding weekend) prior to a meeting. Substantive motions related to matters not on the agenda may be offered from the floor only if two-thirds of the voting member’s present vote to permit the action.
6. The student government and any committee or member of the College Assembly may submit a proposal for consideration by the Faculty Association. Such proposals shall be submitted to the Convener in the manner detailed in C.5.
7. Any material submitted to the Faculty Association for its action shall include the following:
  1. Rationale for proposed action
  2. Motion for the Association’s consideration
8. Voting provisions. Votes on motions related to items under Article I B,2 and 3 may not be taken on the same day that such motions are proposed and require a three-fifths vote of the voting members present.
9. Veto.
  1. Decisions of the Faculty Association are binding unless vetoed by the VPAA, the President of the College or the Board of Trustees.
  2. The VPAA may veto actions within one week after such actions are taken. The President may veto actions by Faculty Association within two weeks after such actions are taken. If the VPAA or President is off campus, she/he may exercise veto when they return.
  3. A two-thirds majority of the voting members present may request the President to override a veto by the VPAA, and a two-thirds majority of the voting members present may request the Board of Trustees to override a veto by the President.

Article II – Relationship with the Deans’ Council

Responsibility of the Deans’ Council
1. Assist and guide the implementation of academic programs, procedures, and policies generated and approved by the Faculty Association.
2. Provide leadership, coordination and recommendations to the Faculty Association and its committees regarding short-term and long-term academic planning.
3. Review and make recommendations on proposals received from the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Completion Council and Graduate Curriculum Committee prior to action by the Faculty Association.
4. Initiate and/or authorize new certificate programs in accordance with guidelines approved by the Faculty Association. Proposed certificate programs deemed to impact a school’s or department’s accreditation, resources, space needs, or in another substantive manner, should be submitted to the Faculty Association for review and approval.
5. Provide guidance and continuity for the governance functions of the Faculty Association and its associated committees. The VPAA, or a Dean appointed by the VPAA, will serve ex officio as a voting member on the Academic Rank Committee, Faculty Development Committee, Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Completion Council and Graduate Curriculum Committee. The VPAA, or a Dean appointed by the VPAA, will serve ex officio as a non-voting member on the Faculty Affairs Committee and the Nominations and Governance Committee.
6. Act as an advisory body to the VPAA on behalf of the Faculty Association and their respective schools on matters affecting the welfare of schools, departments and academic programs.
7. Promote cooperation among schools, departments, and academic programs.
8. Report annually to the Faculty Association.
Additional administration duties and responsibilities of the Deans’ Council and individual Deans of schools are location in section 3.6 of the Faculty Handbook.

Article III – Faculty Association Committees

Preface: It is recognized that Edgewood College faculty serve on a variety of committees; following are the committees that have been established pursuant to responsibilities of Faculty Association Committees. The committees specifically named in this Article III (Faculty Affairs, Academic Rank, Faculty Development, Nominations and Governance, Assessment and Program Evaluation, Undergraduate Curriculum, Graduate Council, College Completion Council and Admissions) shall hereinafter be referred to as “Named Committees” of the Faculty Association. In addition there are two types of Special Committees: Ad Hoc and Standing which are defined later in this Article III. In all cases, at least some members of these committees are elected by the membership of the Faculty Association. Tenured and tenure track faculty are expected to serve when elected or appointed to Named Committees of Faculty Association or to College Assembly committees requiring elected faculty representation. Serving as an elected member includes being elected by Faculty Association or being appointed (either during election season or by filling a vacancy) by the Nominations and Governance Committee. Whenever possible Nominations and Governance will give preference in nominations and appointments to tenured and tenure-track faculty. Service on an Ad Hoc or Standing Committee of Faculty Association will not exempt a tenured or tenure-track faculty member from this service requirement. Exceptions will require a written waiver from the VPAA after consultation with the School Dean. Full-time non-tenure track faculty will be eligible (but are not required) to serve on Faculty Association Committees or as members of College Assembly committees requiring elected faculty representation.

Faculty Association Committees: Faculty Welfare

Faculty Affairs
1. Membership. Six faculty members. Five full-time tenured and tenure track faculty members elected by the members of the Faculty Association, at least two of whom must be tenured at the time of their election. Not more than one tenured or tenure track faculty member shall be elected from any one department, and at least two schools must be represented on the committee. One full-time or part-time non tenure track faculty member elected by the non tenure track faculty. The VPAA, or a Dean appointment by the VPAA, shall serve ex officio as a non-voting member.
2. Terms. All faculty members shall serve three year terms on a rotating basis with no consecutive terms.
3. Chairperson. The Committee shall elect annually a chairperson from among the tenured faculty who have served at least one year.
4. Duties.
  1. Review, modify and recommend to Faculty Association (as necessary) criteria for promotion, tenure, academic ranks and honorary degrees.
  2. Develop and review grievance policies, procedures and regulations on Academic Freedom and recommend these to Faculty Association.
  3. Review, develop, modify and recommend policies on faculty welfare to the Faculty Association and/or appropriate administrative officers.
  4. Review, develop, modify and recommend policies on faculty evaluation guidelines for full and part-time faculty.
  5. To act as the committee on Academic Freedom and Tenure and as the grievance committee in the manner outlined in the regulation on Academic Freedom and Tenure.
  6. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit minutes of meetings as generated to the VPAA, and submit reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.
Academic Rank Committee
1. Membership. Six full-time tenured faculty members, elected by members of the Faculty Association, with not more than one faculty member selected from any one department and at least two schools represented on the committee. In addition, the VPAA, or a Dean appointed by the VPAA, shall serve as an ex officio voting member.
2. Terms. Faculty shall serve three-year terms on a rotating basis with no consecutive terms.
3. Chairperson. VPAA, or a Dean appointed by the VPAA shall preside over the Committee.
4. Duties.
  1. Recommend candidates for promotion, tenure and emeritus status to the President.
  2. Review sabbatical requests and recommend requests for approval.
  3. Recommend candidates to Faculty Association for the honorary degree.
  4. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit minutes of meetings as generated to the VPAA, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.
Faculty Development
1. Membership. Six full-time faculty members elected by the members of the Faculty Association, at least two of whom must be tenured at the time of their election. Not more than one faculty member shall be elected from any one department and at least two schools must be represented on the committee. The VPAA or a Dean appointed by the VPAA, shall serve ex officio as a voting member.
2. Terms. Faculty shall serve three year terms on a rotating basis with no consecutive terms.
3. Chairperson. The Committee shall elect annually a chairperson from among the tenured faculty who have served at least one year.
4. Duties.
  1. Develop and implement faculty development policies.
  2. Develop and implement policies for faculty mentoring program in collaboration with the Faculty Development Coordinator.
  3. Promote faculty development programs.
  4. Promote faculty scholarship and grant-writing.
  5. Develop policy and review applications for mini-grants, Teaching Improvement Grants, and Educational Programming Grants.
  6. Oversee the distribution of funds for mini-grants, Teaching Improvement Grants, and Educational Programming Grants.
  7. Advise Deans’ Council/VPAA on issues related to supporting faculty research.
  8. Report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit minutes of meetings as generated to the VPAA, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.
Nominations and Governance
1. Membership. Five full-time faculty members elected by the members of the Faculty Association, at least two of whom must be tenured at the time of their election. Not more than one faculty member shall be elected from any one department and at least two schools must be represented on the committee. The VPAA, or a Dean appointed by the VPAA, shall serve ex officio as a non-voting member.
2. Terms. Faculty shall serve three year terms on a rotating basis with no consecutive terms.
3. Chairperson. The Committee shall elect annually a chairperson from among the tenured faculty who have served at least one year.
4. Duties.
  1. Serve as the Nominating Committee for the elected committees of the Faculty Association and, when designated, of the College Assembly.
  2. Develop and implement appropriate procedures for nominations and elections.
  3. To appoint a replacement member to a committee when a vacancy arises before the end of an elected term.
  4. Review and recommend to Faculty Association changes to committee workload.
  5. Review the Faculty Handbook at least every three years, identify possible areas for revision, and inform appropriate bodies.
  6. To conduct the Nomination of Faculty to Board of Trustees as specified in Article III, Section 3.3.
  7. To maintain membership lists of Named Committees, Special Committees (Ad Hoc and Standing) and College Assembly Committees requiring elected faculty representation.
  8. Develop and implement policies and procedures regarding the structure and membership of special committees (Ad Hoc and Standing).
  9. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit minutes of meetings as generated to the VPAA, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.

Faculty Association Committees: Curriculum and Instruction

Assessment and Program Evaluation Committee
1. Membership. Membership shall consist of a chairperson appointed by the VPAA and six members chosen using the Faculty Association’s normal election procedures. Not more than one faculty member shall be elected from any one department and at least two schools must be represented on the committee.
2. Terms. Members shall be elected for three year terms on a rotating basis.
3. Chairperson. The VPAA, in consultation with the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, the Graduate Council, the College Completion Council and the Committee, shall appoint a chair.
4. Duties.
  1. To act as a resource to schools, departments, faculty, programs, and committees in regard to assessment and program evaluation.
  2. Review and evaluate assessment processes and policies and make recommendations to Faculty Association.
  3. Receive, review, and verify major/minor and program evaluations, assessment plans and reports.
  4. Compile and report on the General Education and graduate interdisciplinary course assessment date to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Completion Council, and Graduate Curriculum Committee.
  5. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit minutes of meetings as generated to the VPAA, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee
1. Membership. Six full-time faculty members elected by the members of the Faculty Association, at least three of whom must be tenured at the time of their election. Not more than one faculty member shall be elected from any one department and at least two schools must be represented on the committee. The VPAA, or a Dean appointed by the VPAA, shall serve ex officio as a voting member, and the Registrar shall serve ex officio as a non-voting member. A designated current member of the College Completion Council shall represent that committee as a voting member of UCC. The Student Senate shall each year elect two students from their membership to serve on this committee, who are non-voting members.
2. Terms. Faculty shall serve three-year terms on a rotating basis with no consecutive terms. Students shall serve one-year terms. The terms of College Completion Council representative’s appointment shall be one year.
3. Chairperson. The committee shall annually elect a chairperson from among the tenured members who have served at least one year of their current term.
4. Duties.
  1. Supervise the undergraduate curriculum in light of the mission, vision and identity of the College.
  2. Review, evaluate and recommend to Faculty Association changes to the General Education curriculum.
  3. Review and evaluate proposals for adding, deleting or suspending majors, minors, and those concentrations which the VPAA expects to have serious budgetary implication, affects curricular offerings of other departments, and/or establish new programs.
  4. Review and evaluate criteria for academic honors and the honors program, and their respective graduation requirements.
  5. Review and approve individualized majors and minors.
  6. Act in an advisory capacity to the Deans’ Council, with regard to academic planning.
  7. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit to the VPAA minutes of meetings as generated, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.
Graduate Curriculum Committee
1. Membership. Faculty members shall be elected as follows: one from each school offering a graduate degree program, elected for a three-year term by the schools they shall be representing, and two at-large members from schools or departments other than those offering graduate programs. Of the faculty at large, not more than one faculty member shall be elected from any one department. Names of faculty for at-large election shall be placed in nomination by the Nominations and Governance Committee of the College. The VPAA or his/her designee will serve ex officio as a voting member. One representative from the Registrar’s Office and one representative from Admissions to serve a non-voting members.
2. Terms: Three-year terms elected on a rotating basis, with no more than two consecutive terms.
3. Chairperson. The Committee shall elect annually a chairperson from among the members who have served at least one year of their current terms.
4. Duties.
  1. Curriculum
    1. Supervise the graduate programs’ curriculum in light of the mission, vision and identity of the College.
    2. Review and evaluate proposals for adding, deleting, or suspending degrees, programs, certificates, and those concentrations which the VPAA expects to have serious budgetary implications or to affect curricular offerings of other departments, or Schools.
  2. Assessment
    1. Review and evaluate assessment reports from Assessment and Program Evaluation Committee (APEC). One member of Graduate Curriculum Committee will serve as a designated liaison to APEC.
  3. Admissions and Progression
    1. Serve in an advisory capacity, or make recommendations, to Admissions Committee, VPAA, or appropriate school as related to: criteria for admissions, progression, academic probation and dismissal, and honors for graduate programs, with one member of Graduate Curriculum Committee serving on any ad-hoc appeals committees/hearings at the graduate level.
    2. Determine appropriate criteria for degree requirements, transfer of credit, currency of coursework, and graduation requirements for graduate programs.
    3. Determine review process and actions to be taken for waivers and appeals associated with degree requirements, transfer of credit, currency of coursework, and graduation requirements for graduate programs after the appropriate appeal procedures at the faculty and department/school levels has been exhausted.
  4. College-wide
    1. Act in an advisory capacity to Deans’ Council, with regard to academic planning.
    2. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit to the VPAA minutes of meetings as generated, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.
    3. Review, evaluate, and recommend to Faculty Association changes to graduate programs.
College Completion Council
1. Membership. Membership shall consist of the lead faculty from each department offering a College Completion degree program and two faculty members elected by the members of the Faculty Association, of which at least one must have experience teaching in the College Completion program. No more than one faculty member shall be elected from any department and at least three schools must be represented on the Council. The Associate Academic Dean for Online and Adult Learning (or designee) shall serve as an ex-officio voting member. The Registrar (or designee), the Library Director (or designee), the Academic Counselor for College Completion, and the Assistant Dean for Academic Operations (or designee) shall serve as ex-officio nonvoting members.
2. Terms. Elected faculty shall serve three-year terms on a rotating basis, with no more than two consecutive terms. The term of UCC representative’s appointment shall be one year.
3. Chairperson. The chairperson of College Completion Council shall be one of the faculty program representatives (lead faculty) in coordination with an administrator designee from the Academic Dean’s Office. The chair will provide leadership for a term of two years and will rotate amongst the three program lead faculty. The Academic Dean’s designee will assist in setting meeting agendas, lend academic policy and procedure expertise, as well as lend a consistent historical context.
4. Duties.
  1. Supervise the College Completion undergraduate curriculum in light of the mission, vision and identity of the College.
  2. Review, evaluate and recommend to Faculty Association changes to College Completion programs and curriculum, including general education requirements.
  3. Review College Completion programs’ assessment plans and reports, including program evaluations, on a regular basis and report to the Assessment and Program Evaluation Committee.
  4. Review and evaluate proposals for adding, deleting, or suspending majors, minors, certificates, and those concentrations which the VPAA expects to have serious budgetary implications or affect curricular offerings of other departments/schools.
  5. Review and approve individualized majors, minors, and/or concentrations.
  6. Serve in an advisory capacity, or make recommendations, to Admissions Committee, VPAA, or appropriate School as related to: criteria for admissions, progression, academic probation and dismissal, and honors for College Completion program, with one member of College Completion council serving on any ad-hoc appeals committees/hearings concerning College Completion students.
  7. Provide for a Board of Appeals in admission and academic matters related to the College Completion programs after the appropriate appeal procedures at the faculty and departmental/school levels have been exhausted.
  8. Act in an advisory capacity to the Deans’ Council, especially in its academic planning roles.
  9. Report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit to the VPAA minutes of meetings as generated, and submit annual reports to by July 1 of each year.
  10. A designated current member of College Completion Council shall represent that committee as a voting member of the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (UCC). The term of this appointment shall be one year.
Admissions
1. Membership. Vice President of Enrollment Management, the Vice President of Student Development, Associate Academic Dean for Teaching and Learning, Registrar, and three faculty members elected by the Faculty Association. Not more than one faculty member shall be elected from any one department and at least two schools must be represented on the committee.
2. Terms. Faculty members shall serve a three-year term on a rotating basis.
3. Chairperson. The Vice President of Enrollment Management shall serve as chairperson.
4. Duties.
  1. Advise the Admissions Office on policies and procedures relating to recruitment, in light of the mission, vision and identity of the College.
  2. Develop and recommend to Faculty Association policies and procedures for admission requirements as well as criteria for academic standing and dismissal.
  3. Determine review process and actions to be taken for undergraduates who do not meet requirements for admission.
  4. Serve as a board of appeals for all undergraduate admissions and dismissal decisions.
  5. To report regularly to the Faculty Association, submit to the VPAA minutes of meetings as generated, and submit annual reports to the VPAA by July 1 of each year.

Faculty Association Committees: Special Committees

Special Committees are committees formed for a particular purpose. These Committees are of two types:

Ad Hoc. These are committees formed for a particular event or purpose whose existence is assumed to be for one year or less.
Standing Committees. These are committees whose task is understood as ongoing, but whose responsibilities relate to matters not covered by the above named committees.
The policies regarding committee membership of Ad Hoc and Standing committees shall be determined in consultation with the Nominations and Governance Committee. However, no elected membership will be required for these committees.
Faculty Service on an Ad Hoc or Standing Committee of Faculty Association will not exempt a tenured or tenure track faculty member from service on a Named Committee or a College Assembly Committee requiring elected faculty representation. Exceptions will require a written waiver from the VPAA after consultation with the School Dean.

The following articles have been renumbered to accommodate By-law changes approved on October 27th, 2008.

Article IV- Instructional Units

Preamble. Edgewood College academic programs are organized into interdependent schools and constituent units. The organizational framework delineated in Article IV is designed to:
1. Assure transparency, equity, and cooperation in instructional planning and resource allocation.
2. Promote flexible and productive interaction within and between instructional units.
3. Emphasize interdisciplinary cooperation and creativity in designing, implementing, and evaluating educational offerings.
Schools
1. Governance Framework. Each school has an internal governance framework designed to meet the unique instructional needs of its students, faculty and staff, which is compatible with overarching College and Faculty Association by-laws. The governance framework and the rights and responsibilities of Schools, constituent units and the members of each, are subject to the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
2. Constituent Units. The governance framework of each school may include any of the following constituent units, with membership as described in Article IV.C.1.
  1. Departments are discipline-specific academic units whose faculty members have been appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The primary responsibility of a department is the development, delivery, and assessment of their curriculum.
  2. Programs represent a coordinated set of courses within or across disciplines that encompass a particular field of study and/or lead to an academic qualification. The faculty members of a program are drawn from the school(s) that participate in the program.
  3. Centers are single or multi-disciplinary units organized to conduct education, research, and/or outreach. Centers bring together individuals from different areas of the College to investigate a specific theme or issue that often spans a number of academic fields.
  4. Institutes are single or multi-disciplinary units organized to conduct education, research, and/or outreach. Institutes are characterized by organizational permanency, programmatic autonomy, a broad program of study, and an annual operating budget that is fiscally independent of other academic units.
3. Responsibilities of School
  1. Articulates a mission and vision that complements and reinforces the mission and vision of the College.
  2. Creates a governance framework appropriate to its instructional responsibilities, subject to the approval of a majority of the voting membership of the school’s constituent units.
  3. Develops and implements policies and procedures that promote its effective operation and ensure a mechanism by which the school’s constituent units advise the Dean.
  4. Represents the mission and instructional objectives of the School to the College as whole and to the community at large.
  5. Prepares the school’s academic plan and its budgets for proposal to the Cabinet.
  6. Coordinates instructional activities within the School, and with other related schools/constituent units in the College.
  7. Is responsible for other duties assigned to the School by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in light of the mission of the College.
4. The Dean of the School
  1. The Dean of the School is appointed by the Vice President for Academic Affairs with the advice of faculty at large and the faculty of the school to which the Dean is appointed.
  2. Responsibilities of the Dean Relevant to Instructional Units. Within the parameters of academic collegiality, the Dean facilitates the operation of the School.
    1. Ensures that the duties of the unit as detailed in IV.B.3 above are implemented.
    2. Provides administrative oversight of:
      1. The hiring process of faculty and staff within constituent units.
      2. Supervision of faculty and staff assigned to the School.
      3. Budget preparation and allocation of resources within the School.
      4. Evaluation of faculty according to the Faculty Evaluation Guidelines included in the Faculty Handbook.
    3. Advocates for the School and facilitates collaborative relationships between the school and:
      1. Other Schools
      2. Administrative units of the College
      3. The officers of the College
      4. The community at large.
    4. Promotes scholarship by faculty and by students.
    5. Calls and presides at regular meetings of the Chairs/Directors/Faculty of constituent units and ensures that minutes are filed with the School, Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the Office of the President.
    6. Stewards program evaluation of constituent units.
    7. Leads academic planning by:
      1. Recommending for approval programs of study within the School in collaboration with Chairs/Directors of constituent units, other Deans, and curricular committees as appropriate.
      2. Facilitating the development, implementation, and review of curricula relevant to the School.
    8. Represents the School:
      1. On appropriate committees including the Deans’ Council
      2. To external accrediting or review bodies.
    9. Facilitates conflict resolution within the School and, where necessary, within constituent governing units. In the case of the Dean being part of the conflict or unable to maintain an impartial or neutral position, the Vice President for Academic Affairs or an outside consultant designated by the Vice President for Academic Affairs will serve as a mediator.
Constituent Units (Departments, Programs, Centers, Institutes)
1. Membership in and Affiliations with Constituent Units. Each constituent unit consists of a voting membership and non-voting affiliates, including:
  1. Full-time faculty of the College who have been appointed to the constituent unit as voting members by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in consultation with the Dean of the School.
  2. Other faculty or staff recommended for voting membership by a majority of the voting members of the constituent unit with the consent of the relevant Dean(s) and Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  3. Additional faculty, staff, and other interested parties who are invited by a majority of the voting members of the constituent unit to affiliate with the constituent unit but who do not have voting rights.
2. Membership Rights and Responsibilities. Each voting member of a constituent unit who attends a constituent unit meeting has a vote at the meeting, except in matters of promotion/tenure where only full-time tenure-track and tenured faculty may vote. Except in matters of promotion and tenure, the voting members of the constituent unit may decide at their discretion to extend voting rights to non-voting members. Meetings not dealing with matters of personnel or student records are open to all interested stakeholders, including students.
3. Responsibilities of the Constituent Unit.
  1. Articulate written policies regarding the administration and governance of the Unit.
  2. Develops and implements policies and procedures that promote its effective operation.
  3. Develops an academic program plan.
  4. Determines its curriculum, curricular policy, and the requirements for its major(s), minor(s), concentrations, and certificates. Curricular changes must be approved by the Dean of the School and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. The addition, deletion, or suspension of majors, minors, and concentrations must be approved by the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Completion Council or Graduate Curriculum Committee in accordance with Faculty Association Bylaws Section III, Curriculum and Instruction B and C.
  5. Supports academic advising and student academic life.
  6. Prepares a list of instructional offerings and distributes the teaching load among members of the constituent unit in accordance with the policies of the unit and the College, subject to the approval of the Chair/Director of the unit and Dean of the School(s) in which the unit resides.
  7. Coordinates the unit’s assessment reports and program evaluation.
  8. Supports the operations of the constituent unit, the School, and the College by:
    1. Preparing catalogs, websites and brochures as needed.
    2. Reviewing, editing, and approving the unit budget for submission to the Dean of the School.
    3. Submitting recommendations to the library for the purchase of materials for the collection.
    4. Cooperating with external accrediting or review bodies as appropriate.
    5. Contributing to the recruitment efforts of the Admissions Office.
  9. Cooperates with other constituent units in the planning and administration of interdisciplinary offerings and in the advising of students who have elected such offerings.
  10. Responds to decisions binding on constituent units made by the Board of Trustees, the Vice President for Academic Affairs or the Faculty Association.
  11. Is responsible for other duties assigned to the constituent unit by the Vice President for Academic Affairs in light of the mission of the College.
4. The Chair of the Constituent Unit.
  1. The chair is selected in a collegial fashion according to the written policy of the unit, subject to the approval of the Dean of the School and the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Chairs should be from the tenured faculty and serve for three years. To serve successive terms, a Chair must be re-elected by the voting members of the Unit for each term.
  2. Responsibilities (in the absence of a Chair, these duties default to the Dean of the School):
    1. Ensures that the duties of the unit as detailed in IV.C.3 above are implemented in a collegial manner.
    2. Within the parameters of academic collegiality, supervises the faculty of the unit and any staff assigned to the unit.
    3. Calls and presides at unit meetings at least four times each semester and ensures that minutes are filed with the unit, the Dean of the School, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
    4. Administers policies and procedures as established by the unit, School, and College.
    5. Initiates and coordinates the hiring process for the unit.
    6. Supports and guides development of unit faculty, including adjuncts.
    7. Administers the unit budget and authorizes expenditures. Is responsible for adhering to the annual unit budget and for conferring with the unit and Dean of the School / Vice President for Academic Affairs regarding any significant deviations from it.
    8. Approves deviations in the case of individual students from unit requirements and guidelines.
    9. Evaluates non-tenured and adjunct faculty annually, following The Guidelines for the Evaluation of Faculty.
    10. Meets with other College Chairs as a body, as least once a semester, to serve in an advisory capacity to the Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Academic Rank Committee. Meetings will be called by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
    11. Facilitates conflict resolution within the unit. In the case of the Chair being a part of the conflict or unable to maintain an impartial or neutral position, the Dean of the School, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, or an outside consultant designated by the VPAA will serve as the mediator.
    12. Is responsible for other duties as assigned to the Chair by the Dean of the School or Vice President for Academic Affairs in light of the mission of the College.
5. The Director of the Constituent Unit.
  1. The Director is selected in a collegial fashion according to the policy of the unit, subject to the approval of the Dean of the School and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
  2. Responsibilities (in the absence of a Director, these duties default to the Dean of the School):
    [Since the structures and demands of programs, centers and institutes vary widely, additional duties of Directors, beyond those listed below, will be determined by the Dean(s) with input from the membership of the constituent unit.]
    1. Ensures that the duties of the unit as detailed in IV.C.3 above are implemented in a collegial manner.
    2. Calls and presides at unit meetings regularly each semester and ensures that minutes are filed with the unit, the Dean of the School, and the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
    3. Administers policies and procedures as established by the unit, School, and College.
    4. Supports and guides development of unit faculty, including adjuncts.
    5. Administers the unit budget and authorizes expenditures. Is responsible for adhering to the annual unit budget and for conferring with the unit and Dean of the School/Vice President for Academic Affairs regarding any significant deviations from it.
    6. In accordance with the constituent unit policies, approves deviations in the case of individual students from unit requirements and guidelines.
    7. Facilitates conflict resolution within the unit. In the case of the Director being a part of the conflict or unable to maintain an impartial or neutral position, the Dean of the School, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, or an outside consultant designated by the VPAA will serve as the mediator.
    8. Is responsible for other duties as assigned to the by the Dean of the School or Vice President for Academic Affairs in light of the mission of the College.
The Individual Faculty Member. The individual faculty member fulfills his/her responsibilities in accordance with the Guidelines for Faculty Evaluation, including the following:
1. Teaching responsibilities
  1. Assumes responsibility for instruction in his/her courses.
  2. Plans his/her course offerings in accordance with the catalog descriptions.
  3. Prepares a syllabus for each course following the approved syllabus format, and submits each course syllabus to the appropriate offices.
  4. Provides students with timely feedback, evaluations and grades.
  5. Posts and maintains regularly scheduled campus office hours each semester.
2. Scholarship. Develops and pursues scholarship as outlined in the Faculty Scholarship Document.
3. Service commitments:
  1. Assumes appropriate share of the responsibilities of the College (Article I.B), as well as the School and constituent unit(s) of which he/she is a member (Articles IV.B.3 and IV.C.3 above).
  2. Attends constituent unit, School, and College functions including unit meetings, Faculty Association and College Assembly meetings, and Commencement ceremonies.
  3. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are expected to serve when elected or appointed to Named Committees of Faculty Association or to College Assembly committees requiring elected faculty representation. Serving as an elected member includes being elected by Faculty Association or being appointed (either during election season or by filling a vacancy) by the Nominations and Governance Committee. Service on an Ad Hoc or Standing Committee of Faculty Association will not exempt a tenured or tenure-track faculty member from this service requirement. Exceptions will require a written waiver from the VPAA after consultation with the School Dean. Full time non-tenure track faculty will be eligible (but are not required) to serve on Faculty Association Committees or as members of College Assembly committees requiring elected faculty representation.

Article V- Other Instructional Units

Nothing in these documents shall be construed as prohibiting faculty members or the administration from recommending the development of inter – or intra-departmental forms of organization in support of the academic programs of the College.
Upon the request of two or more faculty members, and subsequent to demonstration of need, the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Competion Council, or Graduate Curriculum Committee of the Faculty Association, in consultation with the constituent unit(s) chair(s) and Dean(s) in which the faculty members have membership, may recommend to the Faculty Association the creation of a constituent unit composed of those faculty members for the purposes listed above. Approval would come from the Faculty Association for a specific term, after which a review of the collaboration would take place and recommendation from the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, College Completion Council, or Graduate Curriculum Committee made to the Faculty Association for continuation or termination.
In accord with the procedures outlined in the Edgewood College Statement on Tenure and the Edgewood College Regulations on Academic Freedom and Tenure, and subject to the restriction contained therein, nothing contained in these by-laws shall be construed as prohibiting the President or other appropriate person from seeking material in support of the granting or denial of either promotion or tenure from sources other than the departments of instruction.

Article VI- Faculty Membership in Schools and Departments

Faculty Association grants authority to the Nominations and Governance Committee, in consultation with the VPAA and consistent with the faculty appointment policies stated in section 3.91 of the Faculty Handbook, to define faculty membership in Schools and Departments for the purpose of committee membership eligibility.

Article VII- Amendments

These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds of the votes cast by qualified members of the Faculty Association, excluding blanks or abstentions, at a regular or properly called meeting at which a quorum is present. A vote on an amendment to the by-laws may not be taken on the same day such amendment is proposed. Veto provisions described in Article I.C.9 apply to amendments, as well as to other actions of the Faculty Association.