Social Sciences Department By-Laws
I. Department Membership and Discipline Groups
II. Governance Functions
A. Academic Functions
B. Personnel Needs
C. SSPC
D. Recruitment and Hiring
E. Retention/Nonretention Decisions
F. Promotion Recommendations
G. Tenure Recommendations
H. Summer Employment Policy
III. Procedures for Department Meetings
IV. Procedures for Discipline Group Meetings
V. Selection of Department Chair
VI. Voting Procedures for Department, Committee, and Discipline Meetings
VII. Amendments to the By-Laws and Appendices
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Position Description for Faculty and Instructional
Academic Staff
Appendix 2: Criteria and Procedures for Faculty/Instructional
Academic Staff Performance Evaluation
Appendix 3: Procedures for Recruitment and Hiring
Appendix 4: Promotion Procedures
Appendix 5: Procedures for Tenure Decisions
Appendix 6: Summer Session Employment Policy
Appendix 7: Student Evaluation Questionnaire
BY-LAWS
I. Department Membership and Discipline Groups
A. The department members shall include all tenured and probationary assistant professors, associate professors, professors, and all instructional academic staff. All members holding half-time or more assignments in the department shall be designated voting members and shall be eligible to participate in department governance unless otherwise indicated in these By-Laws.
B. The Social Science Department includes the disciplines of anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology/social work. However, for governance purposes, the department arranges these disciplines into three discipline groups --anthropology and sociology/social work; economics; geography, history, and political science. The word "discipline group" shall henceforth refer to these three governance units.
II. Governance Functions
A. Academic Functions
1. The duties and responsibilities of department members are summarized in the Department Position Description and the University Contractual Obligations Policy.
2. Primary responsibilities for curriculum development, course content, instructional methodology, selection of instructional resources and grading policy rest with individual department members as specified in the Department Position Description. The exercise of these responsibilities must be consistent with department, college and university policies governing these areas.
3. The exercise of these individual responsibilities shall be subject to review, first by members of the discipline, and, if necessary, by the members of the department, following procedures for discipline meetings and department meetings respectively.
4. Any policies and procedures adopted by the disciplines or department shall be attached to these By-Laws as a part of the Appendix.
B. Personnel Needs
1. The faculty of each discipline group, following the procedures for discipline meetings, shall assess the personnel needs of the discipline and make their recommendations through the department chair to the department faculty.
2 The faculty of the department, following procedures for department meetings, shall review the needs of each discipline and prepare a profile of the personnel needs of the department as a whole and present its recommendations to the department chair.
C. SSPC
1. The Social Science Department Personnel Committee (SSPC) shall assist the department chair who conducts performance evaluations of all department members, as required by the Wisconsin Administrative Code, Chapter UWS 3.05, following the criteria and procedures outlined in Appendix 2 of these By-Laws. In addition, the SSPC shall organize search committees for hiring, in compliance with the university's affirmative action policies, and evaluation committees for retention decisions.
2. Composition and Election of the SSPC
a. The SSPC will be composed of six members -- two members from each of the three discipline groups; at least one of the two members shall be faculty.
b. The SSPC will be elected in September collectively by the members of the department and will serve for one year.
c. All voting members of the department are eligible to serve on the committee.
d. Nominations will be opened the second Monday in September and will be accepted by the department chair for five working days thereafter. Nominations will be accepted from the floor during the election meeting only if there are insufficient nominees to fill the committee's membership.
e. One week prior to the election, the department chair will send a list of the nominees and their respective disciplines to each voting member of the department. At a department meeting prior to October 1 the voting members will elect the committee.
f. The SSPC will be elected by a majority of those voting.
g. Absentee votes will be counted on the first ballot.
3. Structural Procedures of the SSPC
a. The department chair will call an organizational meeting of the SSPC within two weeks of its election. At this meeting, the SSPC will select a chair from its membership.
b. Responsibilities of the SSPC Chair
1) The chair of the SSPC will maintain a record of all decisions made by the committee.
2) The chair of the SSPC will transmit all appropriate information (as specified in Appendix 2 of these By-Laws) in writing to the department chair.
D. Recruitment and Hiring
1. When a position becomes open, the SSPC will establish a hiring committee that will consist of the faculty members of the SSPC, the faculty of the appropriate discipline group, and, if necessary, an additional member(s) to comply with affirmative action guidelines.
2. The recruitment and hiring policies and procedures to be followed by the hiring committee are attached to these By-Laws as Appendix 3.
E. Retention/Nonretention Decisions
1. Recommendations for the retention or nonretention of nontenured members of any discipline shall be made by a committee consisting of (1) the tenured faculty of that discipline group; (2) a tenured member of the SSPC not of the discipline group, appointed by the SSPC; and (3) if necessary, additional member(s) for meeting affirmative action guidelines. The procedures for discipline meetings shall apply and deliberations should be conducted in consultation with the department chair.
2. The criteria for reaching retention/nonretention decisions shall be based on the department's Position Description and the needs of the department and shall include information from the performance evaluation conducted by the Personnel Committee, the department chair, and additional information provided by the members of the discipline group.
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The department member shall be informed of the recommendation made by the committee and the department chair. If the recommendation is for nonretention, the chair shall document the factor or factors that produced that recommendation.
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The department member may request a meeting with the department chair at which point he/she may state anything he/she feels is relevant concerning this recommendation.
F. Promotion Recommendations
1. The Social Science Department Promotion Committee shall consist of all faculty members in the department except those excluded by university policy.
2. The criteria for promotion and procedures shall be those outlined in the University Promotion Policies and Procedures found in the Faculty/ Academic Staff/Limited Appointees Handbook.
3. The department's procedures for making promotion recommendations are attached to these By-Laws as Appendix 4.
G. Tenure Recommendations
1. Recommendations on tenure shall be made by a majority of the tenured faculty members of the department acting as the Tenure Committee.
2. Criteria for decisions on tenure shall include excellence in instruction, research, professional and public service, contributions to the university, and the programmatic needs of the department.
3. The procedures for making tenure recommendations are attached to these By-Laws as Appendix 5.
H. Summer Employment Policy
The criteria and procedures for allocating summer session assignments shall be determined by a majority of the members of the department and shall be attached to these By-Laws as Appendix 6.
III. Procedures for Department Meetings
A. The chair will call a department meeting at least twice each semester with a one week prior notification of the meeting unless unusual circumstances require a briefer notification. The chair will call additional meetings as necessary or upon written request of one-fourth of the department members.
B. The chair shall determine the agenda, but additions may be made by written request of any department member submitted at least three days prior to the meeting. New business can also be brought up at the time of the meeting.
C. A majority of the voting department members shall constitute a quorum.
D. In the absence of the department chair, an acting chair may be appointed by the department chair or elected by the members present to conduct the meeting.
E. At any department meeting any member of the department may, by request, invoke Roberts Rules.
IV. Procedures for Discipline Group Meetings
A. The department chair shall convene discipline meetings as needed or on request of two or more members of any discipline.
B. The department chair shall determine the agenda for discipline meetings and preside over such meetings but any member of the discipline may submit additional agenda items either before or during the meeting.
C. One-half of the voting members of a discipline shall constitute a quorum for discipline meetings. If emergency business arises during the summer break, those voting members present at a discipline meeting shall constitute a quorum. The department chair shall make a reasonable effort to contact all members in such an emergency.
D. Minutes of decisions made at discipline meetings shall be recorded and kept on file by the department chair.
V. Selection of Department Chair
A. The chair of the Social Science Department serves for a three year term. A new term begins with the fall semester after the spring semester chair election every three years.
B. The Social Science Department shall recommend to the administration, by majority vote, its choice for department chair whenever a vacancy is about to occur.
C. The department shall use the following procedures in making its recommendation:
1. An election committee shall be organized by December 1 of the year preceding the new three year term. The Chair of the SSPC shall be the chair of the election committee and will select one other member of the SSPC to serve as secretary. In the event that the Chair of the SSPC is running for the chair of the department, the SSPC will vote to select another chair of the election committee. This committee shall administer the election and communicate with the university administration regarding this matter.
2. This election shall take place by the February 15 preceding the beginning of a three year term.
3. A one week nomination period shall precede the election and be completed by at least two weeks prior to the election
4. A candidate forum will be held after nominations are closed if requested by any department member. Such a request must be accompanied by at least one question to which all candidates may respond.
5. Paper ballots shall be used and absentee ballots accepted and counted.
D. Should the chair become vacant at any time other than the end of a three year term, this same election procedure shall be adapted to such special circumstances as the department chooses with the newly elected chair continuing in office for the remainder of the three-year term.
VI. Voting Procedures for Department, Committee, and Discipline Meetings
A. Voting on all governance matters shall be in compliance with the Wisconsin Open Meeting Law and shall follow the guidelines below.
B. Decisions on all matters brought before the department, discipline, or committee, except for specific votes elsewhere described in these By-Laws or Appendices, shall be made by majority vote of those members present and voting, with the chair or acting chair breaking any tie vote.
C. Conduct of Voting
1. The chair of any governance meetings may call for a vote by any of the following methods: ayes and nays, show of hands, or paper ballots.
2. Any member may request a paper ballot and such request must be honored.
VII. Amendments to the By-Laws and Appendices
A. These By-Laws will be amendable whenever a two-thirds majority of the members of the department so vote.
B. The Appendices to these By-Laws may be amended by a majority vote of the members of the department.
Approved and revised by department, 5/18/00
APPENDIX 1
INTRODUCTION
As befits an academic department in an institution with university status, with a primary focus on teaching excellence, the Social Science Department membership is collectively responsible for professional contributions to the areas of teaching, scholarly activities, and service. The basic instructional load in the Social Science Department is twelve semester credit hours. It should be noted that a primary function of the Social Science Department is to provide introductory courses for the general education components of the professional programs at Stout. Therefore, the following professional expectations have been developed in that context, as well as with reference to Wisconsin Statute 36, the Wisconsin Administrative Code, UW-Stout 3.06, the documents on governance in the UW-Stout Faculty and Academic Staff Handbook, UW-Stout's Policy on Contractual Obligations of Unclassified Personnel (incorporated into the Social Science Department By-Laws as Appendix 2), and the Senate-approved report of the Special Task Force on Faculty Rights and Responsibilities.
TEACHING
Department membership participates in the teaching-learning process involving some or all of the following components: instruction, evaluation, student-academic advisement, academic program planning, and curriculum development. Instruction is the imparting of knowledge, developing of skills and attitudes, and meeting of special needs in various ways ranging from structured to individualized activities. Evaluation is vital to the instructional process and is a basis for academic program planning and student advising. Academic advising is the sharing of information between department member and student regarding the student's academic progress or professional goals, and assists the student in maximizing the benefits from the educational experience. Academic program planning identifies educational goals and contributes to their implementation. Curriculum development may be directed towards either course or program development and may involve credit or non-credit activities. This is facilitated by individual involvement and collaboration with colleagues, and recommendations to the appropriate committees where necessary.
SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES
The department membership participates in applied and theoretical research and scholarship through activities which lead to the application or utilization of knowledge. The scholarly activities may include: continuing education and professional development in one's field; attendance, participation and presentations at professional meetings, conferences, workshops and in-service sessions; and/or publications.
Research is a responsibility of the department membership as a whole, but not necessarily of every member.
PROFESSIONAL AND PUBLIC SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INSTITUTION
The department membership participates in professional and public service and makes contributions to the institution through utilization of special skills or expertise in the resolution of problems or in application to specific needs. Professional service may include memberships and leadership in professional organizations. Public service is the application of professional expertise by active involvement as an advisor, speaker, or consultant to business, government, and non-campus groups. Consulting may be contractual or non-contractual, paid or unpaid. Contribution to the institution includes governance activities as a member or resource to appointive/elective groups or committees at the System, University, college/division, department or discipline levels. It also includes serving as an advisor to on-campus groups or individuals. All department members are required to attend department and discipline meetings, and to participate in promotion, retention and tenure decisions when appropriate.
POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR FACULTY AND INSTRUCTIONAL ACADEMIC STAFF
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00
Revised and approved by department, 4/4/85
APPENDIX 2
I. Criteria for Performance Evaluation
A. The performance rating of department members will be based on the position description as outlined in Appendix 1 and will include evaluation of the following:
1. Teaching performance observed in the classroom
2. Self-reported activities in the areas of teaching, research/scholarly activities, and service
3. Student observations of instruction
4. Other information deemed appropriate by the department chair
B. The procedures for implementing these criteria are specified in Sections II, III, IV, V, and VI of these Criteria and Procedures.
II. Responsibilities of the Social Science Personnel Committee (SSPC)
A. The performance evaluation and post tenure review of faculty and instructional academic staff of the Social Science Department will be conducted by the department chair with input from the SSPC and will occur as frequently as required by University policy.
B. The SSPC will submit its input to the department chair during Semester I for those faculty and staff being evaluated and/or renewed, and will meet for appropriate consultation with the department chair during Semester II.
C. The SSPC's input will be based on performance during the evaluation period. All relevant information must be received by the SSPC no later than November 30.
III. Procedures for the SSPC Evaluation of Teaching Performance Observed in the Classroom
A. SSPC members will conduct classroom visitations for all department members at least once every five years, according to the criteria defined below.
1. Department members will be subject to visitation during each of their first three years and in their sixth year of employment in the Social Science Department; thereafter, each member will be subject to visitation once every five years.
2. Department members may be visited more frequently by SSPC members if required by UW System, university, or college policies, or if requested by the member's discipline or department chair.
3. Department members may request more frequent visitation; the evaluation of such visitation(s) would be considered supplemental input.
B. The SSPC will conduct visitations using the following procedures.
1. Each classroom visitation will be conducted by two members of the SSPC. One of the evaluators must be from the discipline of the individual being evaluated. When this is not possible, the department chair will request the appropriate discipline to select an evaluator. The two visiting SSPC members must visit different classes.
2. The evaluation must include visitations of at least two different presentations. The department member may request one or both evaluators make an additional visitation.
3. Evaluators and the department member will arrange a mutually acceptable time for classroom visitation. Prior to the visitation, a course syllabus, an examination copy, and other supporting materials must be provided to the evaluators.
4. Each visitation should be for the length of the class period and must be on a day when substantive subject material is being presented by the department member. This precludes visits during quizzes, review sessions, videotapes, films, guest speakers, student presentations, etc., when such activities are a major part of the session.
C. The SSPC will utilize the following assessment process.
1. The classroom evaluation will assess the relationship of the lecture/discussion to the course content; the organization, clarity, and length of the presentation; and the ability to hold students' attention, stimulate interest in the subject matter, and demonstrate openness to the expression of student views when appropriate.
2. Each evaluator must prepare a written statement explaining the substance of the evaluation. Copies of the evaluation statement must be distributed to the person being evaluated, the department chair, and the SSPC chair within five working days of the visitation.
3. The SSPC will examine the evaluation statements and assign 15, 17.5, 20, 22.5, or 25 points as appropriate.
4. Those department members not requiring visitation in a given year will receive the points assigned to them in their last evaluation.
IV. Procedures for the Evaluation of Self-reported Activities.
A. The SSPC will provide a format for assessing performance. For academic staff, the format will assess activities defined by the staff member's contractual obligations. For faculty, the format will assess activities in the areas of teaching, research/scholarly activities, advisement and service based upon criteria outlined in the Department Position Description (Appendix 1) and defined by individual performance objectives for the post tenure review.
B. Department members must submit to the SSPC a written, documented statement outlining those activities. Department members may include any other information they believe pertinent to the evaluation of their performance.
V. Procedures for the evaluation of Student Observation of Instruction
A. The evaluation of student observation of instruction is based on the departmental questionnaire which is attached to these By-Laws as Appendix 7.
B. All department members who have been assigned to the department for three years or more shall have student questionnaires administered at least once every three years unless the members of the discipline, the department chair, or the SSPC decide that more frequent student observations are needed for individual members. Department members in their first three years shall submit annual student observations to the SSPC. The attached questionnaire is to be given to all of each department member's classes sometime after the end of the first six weeks, and the department member has the right to choose in which semester they will be given. An exception will be made in the case of newly appointed members.
C. The questionnaire must be distributed, collected, and returned to the department office in a sealed envelope by the department chair's designee. The department member must not be in the classroom during any phase of the administration of the questionnaire, and must not handle the unscored answer sheets at any time. Any deviation from this procedure will result in re-administering the questionnaire.
D. Questionnaire answer sheets and written comments will be kept by the department secretary until that semester's grades have been delivered to the Registrar. After processing, the sheets will be returned to the department secretary and the SSPC will receive the computer tabulations. Department members will have access to the student observation material after the SSPC has calculated the department members' numerical scores.
E. Each department member's score will be determined by the following procedure:
1. Correction for omitted responses -
number of students - number of omitted responses = adjusted number
responding number of questions students
2. Determination of point total -
number of "A" responses (most positive ) X 5
+ number of "B" responses X 4
+ number of "C" responses X 3
+ number of "D" responses X 2
+ number of "E" responses X 1
= point total
3. A score will be assigned to each department member based on the following formula:
(point total - 60) X .75 = score
adjusted no.
for a maximum of 25 points.
4. Those department members not required to and not submitting student observations in a given year will receive the score assigned to them in their last performance evaluation.
VI. Procedures for the Assignment of Performance Ratings
A. The SSPC will record the number of points received by department members in Sections III and V, and will send individual summaries along with supporting materials, including submissions under Section IV, to the department chair.
B. The department chair, as immediate supervisor, is responsible for assigning the performance ratings. The ratings, although subjective, should reflect the findings of the SSPC as well as the department chair's own supervisory relationships. They should also be consistent with the ratings assigned in the other academic departments of the university.
C. When the department chair has arrived at tentative ratings, they will be communicated to the SSPC for review. Reconsideration of any rating is mandatory when the SSPC dissents, and if the disagreement persists, the SSPC's objections will be placed in the department member's file.
D. The department chair will personally advise department members of the determination of their ratings, and will provide them with an opportunity to review all SSPC input.
E. In the event of an objection to the SSPC input, the department member will have five working days in which to appeal to the SSPC, and must indicate in writing the basis of the objection. The department member will be invited to appear before the SSPC which will consider the objection raised, prepare a written response, and forward it to the department chair.
F. Nothing in these procedures is intended to preclude a department member from pursuing a grievance through other established channels.
CRITERIA AND PROCEDURES FOR FACULTY/INSTRUCTIONAL
ACADEMIC STAFF PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00
Revised and approved by department, 10/16/86
Revised and approved by department, 12/18/84
APPENDIX 3
I. Recruitment Procedures
A. At the beginning of the recruitment process, the department chair shall review the following university policies with the hiring committee:
1. UW-Stout Personnel Rules for Faculty
a. Chapter UWS/UW-Stout 3.01 - 3.06
2. UW-Stout Policy on Equal Opportunity Recruitment and Hiring Procedures
B. The committee shall follow current university hiring procedures.
PROCEDURES FOR RECRUITMENT AND HIRING
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00
Revised and approved by department, 11/29/84
APPENDIX 4
1. The department chair shall distribute copies of the complete applications of all applicants to all committee members in advance of the Promotion Committee meeting and shall specify the time and place for the meeting.
2. The department chair shall supervise the committee's organization and serve as a resource person, but shall not be a member of the committee.
3. Applicants must be advised of the time/place of the committee's meeting(s), and may appear before it if the applicant so desires. Applicants may also be present (but may not participate) unless the committee votes to go into executive session.
4. The committee shall elect its chair and secretary.
5. The committee will determine at each meeting whether it will use paper ballots. Absentee ballots will not be accepted.
6. The committee will first vote to approve/disapprove each application with a majority of votes cast sufficient for approval.
7. All approved applications must be ranked in order of priority within rank applied for.
8. Reporting procedures shall conform to the time frames established by the university.
PROMOTION PROCEDURES
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00
Revised and approved by department, 11/29/84
APPENDIX 5
1. The department chair shall set the date for Tenure Committee meetings and recommendations.
2. At least 30 days prior to the date for a tenure recommendation, the department chair shall solicit information on the performance of the person being considered for tenure from the person under consideration, the Personnel Committee, and other members of the department. The chair shall make this information, and any other relevant information, available to the members of the Tenure Committee at least one week prior to the date for a recommendation.
3. The department chair shall convene the first meeting of the Tenure Committee. A two-thirds majority of the tenured faculty members must be present for a quorum.
4. The first order of business at the Tenure Committee meeting shall be to elect a chair and secretary for the committee.
5. The committee may decide to conduct its deliberations in executive (closed) session.
6. The committee chair shall solicit from each committee member an evaluation of the tenure candidate with evaluations reflecting on the candidate's excellence in teaching. scholarship, and professional service. Members who are not present may submit written statements to be read by the chair.
7. The evaluations, pro or con, and supporting evidence shall be carefully documented in the minutes by the secretary (though without necessarily identifying any member of the committee by name).
8. Voting shall be by roll call unless a member requests a written ballot.
9. All decisions and recommendations shall be made by majority vote of all the tenured faculty members of the department.
10. The chair of the Tenure Committee shall report the recommendation of the committee to the department chair along with the minutes containing the documentation to support the recommendation.
PROCEDURES FOR TENURE DECISIONS
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00
Revised and approved by department, 11/29/84
APPENDIX 6
1. Teaching opportunities rotate within each disciplinary group but without prejudice to the principle that summer teaching assignments are allocated to meet university and student needs.
2. Each disciplinary group monitors its own summer schedule and resolves questions concerning what courses should be taught and who should teach them.
3. Department members with the expectation of a half-time or greater department assignment the following year are eligible to teach, the final arbitrator of eligibility being the disciplinary group.
4. Department members, including those who are replacements for people on leave, are added to the rotation list when they begin a half-time or greater department assignment; if they begin in the fall, they are behind those who taught the previous summer.
5. The normal teaching assignment is a 3 credit course. A 2 credit course likewise constitutes a turn, but the person who taught it remains ahead of those who taught 3 credit courses that same summer.
6. If a department member declines to teach, that person remains at the top of the rotation list; however, one does not accumulate turns.
SUMMER SESSION EMPLOYMENT POLICY
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00
APPENDIX 7
Instructions:
DO NOT FILL IN ANY INFORMATION ON THE COMPUTER ANSWER SHEET OTHER THAN THE RESPONSES TO THE QUESTIONS. Do not fill in either your name or I.D. number or the name of the instructor or the course number. If you wish to write additional comments, use a separate sheet of paper; do not write comments on either side of the computer answer sheet. Using a black pencil, fill in your answers to the questions on the basis of the following scale:
Almost Always Neutral Almost Never
A B C D E
________________________________________________________________________________
1. The instructor structured the course to distribute work loads fairly over the entire semester.
2. Class meets nearly always and is usually for the full class period.
3. Personal help from the instructor is readily available and encouraged.
4. Class attendance is valuable in understanding course materials.
5. The instructor's presentations of class material indicate he/she is well prepared.
6. The instructor's attitude toward questions and comments in class is open and receptive.
7. The instructor's explanations of points or concepts are clear and understandable.
8. The course as a whole is well planned and well organized.
9. The instructor uses examples and illustrations well.
10. The instructor's objectives are clearly explained throughout the course.
11. She/he is an interesting and stimulating instructor.
12. As a result of this course I feel that I am more competent in the subject area.
13. The instructor relates the material of this course to other areas of knowledge when it is appropriate.
14. The instructor's knowledge of course content seems broad and accurate.
15. The instructor raises challenging questions or problems for student discussion.
16. The instructor has increased my skills, knowledge, and ability to think and question.
17. The level of difficulty of this course was challenging.
18. The instructor explains the method of grading near the beginning of the course and provides fair evaluation of the student's progress during the course.
19. I feel that the examinations, quizzes and/or tests are fair.
20. The instructor provides opportunities to go over exams inside or outside of class so that students may learn from their experiences.
STUDENT EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE
Revised and approved by department, 5/18/00