History Department - Northern Michigan University

The Department of History Bylaws - Northern Michigan University

1.0        MEMBERSHIP

1.1        The membership of the Department of History shall consist of the Department Head, who may be a member of the Department of History or of the Department of Philosophy, and faculty. A member of the Department on leave retains all membership rights during their leave, consistent with the Master Agreement.  A tenured person on limited or reduced appointment retains all membership rights.

1.2        Members of the Department serving in contingent and term appointments shall have all the rights and privileges of tenured or tenure-earning members with the exception of serving on the Executive and Policy Committee and casting votes related to position requests, faculty hiring, tenure and promotion.

2.0        OFFICERS

2.1        DEPARTMENT HEAD

2.1.1     The Head shall serve as the chief administrative officer of the Department and shall officially represent its faculty in its relationships with others.  The Head is responsible for representing the interests of the Department and its faculty to the Dean and other administrators, and for informing the Department and its faculty of the concerns and decisions of the administration.

2.1.2     In the event that the Head of the History Department is a member of the Philosophy Department, the Chair of the Committee of the Whole, as defined in Section 3.2 of these Bylaws, shall act as the History Coordinator and shall be responsible for making recommendations to the Head on matters such as scheduling of classes, faculty assignments, curriculum proposals approved by the faculty, recommendations approved by the faculty for new positions, or hiring recommendations approved by the faculty.

2.1.3     The Department’s recommendation for Head shall be arrived at by the following procedure:

2.1.3.1  The Department shall follow procedures outlined in the Master Agreement.

2.1.3.2  Relative to the process of the Department formulating its recommendations, as articulated in the Master Agreement:  When a search for a new Department Head has been approved, an ad hoc committee of two members of the History Department and two members of the Philosophy Department shall be convened to serve as a Search Committee.  After the Search Committee reports to the departments, a majority vote by each department shall select one or more candidates as the nominee(s) for Department Head and the name(s) shall be forwarded to the Dean.

2.1.3.2.1     If no candidate obtains a majority of each department’s vote, the Search Committee shall reconvene and the process shall repeat.

2.1.3.3     The name(s) of the person(s) recommended by the Departments of History and Philosophy shall be communicated to the Dean by the History Department Faculty Secretary.

 2.2       FACULTY SECRETARY

2.2.1     There shall be a Faculty Secretary elected by the Department, whose functions shall include the recording of the minutes of departmental meetings as well as other duties specified in these Bylaws.

2.3        ACADEMIC SENATE REPRESENTATIVE

2.3.1     The Department shall elect its Academic Senate representative during the ninth or tenth week of the second semester.    

2.3.1.1     Nominees shall indicate their willingness to serve.  A vote shall take place.  The person receiving a simple majority shall be declared elected.  The Head may not vote.  The Faculty Secretary shall communicate the name of the representative to the Secretary of the Academic Senate.

 2.4       FACULTY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE

2.4.1     The procedure indicated for the election of Academic Senator shall apply for the election of a representative to the A.A.U.P. Faculty Council.

2.4.2     The faculty representative on the Faculty Council shall be elected for the duration of the contract negotiation or for a term fixed by the Department.

2.4.3     A Department member may be Academic Senator and representative on the Faculty Council at the same time.

2.4.4     The Faculty Secretary shall communicate the name of the representative to the Secretary of the A.A.U.P. Faculty Council.

 3.         STANDING COMMITTEES

3.1        Pursuant to the Master Agreement Article I the Department Head shall be a non-voting ex officio member of all department committees, including the Committee of the Whole. 

3.2        COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

3.2.1      The Committee of the Whole shall consist of all members of the History Department. 

3.2.1.1     The Committee of the Whole is entitled to deliberate and advise on all faculty matters of the Department.

3.2.2     The Chair of the Committee of the Whole shall be elected by the Committee of the Whole at the first meeting of the academic year and serve for one academic year.

3.2.2.1    The Chair of the Committee of the Whole shall lead meetings of the Committee of the Whole and serve as liaison to the Department Head.

3.2.3  All other committees in Section 3 of these Bylaws shall function in an advisory capacity, carrying out those functions assigned or delegated to them and making recommendations to the Department.

3.3        EXECUTIVE AND POLICY COMMITTEE

3.3.1     The committee shall consist of the Department Head, who shall have voice but not vote, and three tenured, continuing contract, or tenure-earning members of the Department, elected annually.  At the first Department meeting of the academic year, the members shall be elected by the Department, excluding the Department Head. 

3.3.2     The functions of the committee shall be to deliberate such matters as may be referred to it by the Head and the Department, including personnel evaluations and applications for tenure and promotion and sabbatical, and to make recommendations in such matters to the Department.

3.3.3      The committee will meet as often as necessary to fulfill its functions.

3.3.4      In the absence of the Head, the ranking member of the Committee shall serve as the presiding officer of the committee.

3.3.5     All recommendations of the committee are subject to departmental approval.

3.4        CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

3.4.1     The Curriculum Committee shall be composed of three members elected annually by the Department at the first meeting of the academic year.  They will take office upon election.

3.4.2     The committee is responsible for electing its own presiding officers, one of whom shall facilitate the recommendation of course schedules to the Department Head.

3.4.3     The functions of the Curriculum Committee are as follows.

3.4.3.1     To review the departmental curricula periodically and to assist departmental members making course proposals.

3.4.3.2     To make recommendations regarding curricula for the Department’s consideration.

3.4.3.3     To recommend requirements and academic standards regarding the undergraduate program.

3.4.3.4     To monitor departmental course schedules and forward recommendations to the Department Head.  Recommendations shall consider that all members of the Department are expected to teach methods courses appropriate to their training and expertise (for example, HS 350, HS 390, or HS 490) in accordance with departmental needs.

3.4.3.5     To evaluate and make recommendations based on current written departmental policy regarding enrollment maximums.

3.4.3.6     To make recommendations on program priorities to the Department.

3.4.4     All recommendations of the committee are subject to departmental approval.

3.5        COMMITTEE ON MAJORS

3.5.1     The committee shall be composed of up to three members elected annually by the Department at the first Department meeting of the academic year.  They shall take office upon election.  One member shall be the advisor to Phi Alpha Theta.

3.5.2     The functions of the Committee on Majors are as follows:

3.5.2.1     To identify and assist outstanding undergraduate majors of high academic achievement.

3.5.2.2     To make recommendations regarding departmental scholarships and awards.

3.5.3     All recommendations of the committee are subject to departmental approval.

 3.6       DEPARTMENT HEAD EVALUATION COMMITTEE

3.6.1     Pursuant to the Master Agreement, the Department shall form a Department Head Evaluation Committee, which will follow the procedures in the Master Agreement for the evaluation of the Department Head.  The committee shall submit a draft of its report for departmental emendation, or approval by a simple majority.

3.7        FACULTY SEARCH COMMITTEE

3.7.1     A Faculty Search Committee shall be constituted when a search has been authorized according to procedures in the Master Agreement.

3.7.2     The Committee shall have three members, at least two of which must be from the History Department.  The Chair of the committee shall be selected by the committee membership and must be a member of the History Department.

3.7.3     The Search Committee shall be responsible for evaluating applicants for faculty positions and recommending finalists for campus interviews to the Department, in accordance with university guidelines.

3.8        OTHER COMMITTEES

3.8.1     The Department may establish other committees as needed.

4.0        MEETINGS

4.1        History Department faculty members shall meet at least once a month during the academic year either as a Department or as a Committee of the Whole.

4.2        The Head may call additional meetings.

4.3        Upon request of three members of the Department, the Head shall convene a meeting of the Department within five days.

4.4        A quorum consisting of at least two-thirds of the faculty members of the Department shall be required for the transaction of business.

5.0        FACULTY PERSONNEL POLICIES

5.1        Faculty Appointment Process

5.1.1     Upon completion of the search process for new faculty, the Department shall select, by a simple majority, from among finalists the candidate for appointment.

5.1.2     Non-tenure-earning faculty must have a Master’s Degree in History or a related field.  Exceptions to the Master’s Degree in History require the concurrence of a simple majority of the Department.  In this process the department also must identify specific courses that the candidate may teach based on that degree.

5.2        Recommendations to the Department for tenure, continuing contract status, promotion, non-reappointment, and termination shall be by the Executive and Policy Committee, which includes the Department Head.

5.2.1.     For non-tenure-earning and non-continuing contract status history faculty, each semester a tenured, continuing contract, or tenure-earning History faculty member will write a report that assesses effectiveness.  Each report will be considered by the Executive and Policy Committee, which will forward a recommendation to the Department Head about continuance or discontinuance of employment.

5.3        All recommendations for new appointments, promotions, tenure, continuing contract status, non-reappointment, and termination must be approved by the Department in regular or special sessions.  Departmental recommendations for new appointments, promotions, continuing contract status, and tenure require a simple majority vote.  Departmental recommendations for non-reappointment and termination require a two-thirds majority vote.

5.4       Departmental Timetable for Tenure, Promotion, and Continuing Contract Review Process

5.4.1.    All relevant materials for application for tenure, promotion, and continuing contract status shall be delivered by the applicant to the Department in compliance with the timetable included in the Master Agreement.

5.4.2     The Department Head shall notify the members of the Department in writing that application materials have been filed by an applicant with the Department and that those materials are available for review in the Department office.

5.4.3     The Executive and Policy Committee and the Department Head shall make their preliminary recommendations regarding the applications for tenure, promotion, and continuing contract status, and provide these preliminary recommendations in writing to the applicant, not later than Oct. 15 of the year of application.

5.4.4     A special session of the Department may be called to consider the recommendations of the Executive and Policy Committee regarding tenure, promotion, and continuing contract status not later than Nov. 1 of the year of application.

5.5        For tenure or promotion, or continuing contract status, it is not expected that all examples given below for the three judgmental areas need be demonstrated.  These Bylaws indicate types of activities that can be cited as evidence for continuing contract status, tenure, promotion to the various ranks; the faculty member is encouraged to cite others.  The demonstration of effectiveness and/or significant activities is understood to be cumulative since appointment or date of successful application for promotion to the current rank.

5.6        ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

5.6.1     For Tenure

5.6.1.1    An earned doctorate from an accredited institution appropriate to the position.   

5.6.1.2     Fulfill a satisfactory probationary period of service at NMU as specified in the NMU Master Agreement and the faculty member’s Letter of Appointment.

5.6.2     For Continuing Contract Status

5.6.2.1     Candidates eligible for continuing contract status will follow procedures outlined in the Master Agreement and will be assessed on the basis of their teaching, assigned responsibilities, and Departmental service.  The focus on teaching and service will not preclude a candidate from including scholarship and/or professional development activities for consideration in the review for continuing contract status.  Criteria for teaching/assigned responsibilities and service shall be the same as those listed for Assistant Professor.

5.6.2.2     If the candidate for continuing contract status wishes to apply for promotion, an area of emphasis (scholarship and/or professional development or service) must be identified with the mutual agreement of the evaluation committee and Department Head.  The criteria for teaching/assigned responsibilities, scholarship and/or professional development, and service must be met for the rank to which the candidate is applying.

5.6.3.    For Promotion to Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and Professor

5.6.3.1 An earned doctorate from an accredited institution appropriate to the position.

5.7        JUDGMENTAL CRITERIA

5.7.1     The judgmental criteria for the granting of tenure are the same as those for promotion to the rank of Associate Professor.

5.7.2      Assigned Responsibilities

5.7.2.1     For Promotion to Assistant Professor. This must include all items ‘a’ through ‘c’ and must include from the remaining categories at least 1 item.

5.7.2.2     For Promotion to Associate Professor and Professor. This must include all items ‘a’ through ‘e’ and must include from the remaining categories:

             To Associate Professor: at least 1 item.
             To Professor: at least 2 items.

a.               Creates a positive learning environment through student engagement in the learning process and effective use of technology in the classroom.

b.              Receives student ratings/comments and evaluations by peers in classroom visits which evidence teaching effectiveness.

c.               Works toward improvement of existing courses or field experiences by modifying course content, enhancing pedagogy, or expanding/improving opportunities for field experiences.  Additional dimensions of improvement may be included if evidenced. 

d.              Substantially revises content and/or pedagogy of one or more courses already taught by applicant.

e.               Effectively advises students, who may include alumni, about academic programs, career choices, or other advising issues, which may include writing letters of recommendation.

f.               Develops one or more new course offerings.  Included in this category are newly developed bulletin courses, special topics courses, and new versions of pre-existing bulletin courses not previously taught by applicant.  New course offerings may carry a prefix other than HS. 

g.              Incorporates new ideas/materials/methods into course offerings after attending a non-pedagogical conference session, attending a workshop/session about pedagogy, or researching a new pedagogy.

h.              Involvement in curriculum development projects at the department, university, regional or national level.

i.               Supervises or enhances the professional preparation of students through activities such as classroom observations of student teachers, teaching assistants, internships, or other field experiences. 

j.               Provides educational opportunities, not defined in other criteria in this area, such as student involvement in substantial research activity, which may be offered through a directed study.

k.              Guides students through the creation of research projects that result in public physical or digital exhibits or open educational resources.

5.7.3     Professional Development/Scholarship

5.7.3.1     This must include an item from both ‘a’ and ‘b.’ The additional required item(s) may come from any of the remaining categories; multiple items in the same category may be counted as separate items.

     If this is an area of emphasis:

             To Assistant Professor: at least 2 items.

             To Associate Professor: at least 4 items, one of which must be from ‘k’ - ‘n’.

             To Professor: at least 6 items, two of which must be from ‘k’ - ‘n’.

     If this is not an area of emphasis:

             To Assistant Professor: at least 1 item.

             To Associate Professor: at least 2 items.

             To Professor: at least 3 items, one of which must be from ‘k’ - ‘n’.

a.               Adopts an annual professional development agenda, including a yearly formal statement of plans for the evaluation period, as outlined in the Master Agreement.

b.              Attends conferences, seminars, professional meetings, or other documented knowledge-acquisition activities, including virtually, designed to maintain currency in one’s field.

c.               Gives presentations at conferences, seminars, professional meetings, or other documented knowledge-acquisition activities.

d.              Publishes book reviews in scholarly journals.

e.               Presents scholarship through seminars or other activities to students, or to groups outside the university community. 

f.               Submits an application for a grant, fellowship, or other award in support of scholarly work.

g.              Is awarded a grant, fellowship, sabbatical, or other award in support of scholarly work.  Fulfillment of obligations under such an award adds to its merit.

h.              Receives a book contract from a scholarly press for a book-length monograph, book-length historically edited volume, or book-length scholarly anthology, in which the applicant is an editor and which includes their scholarship in the volume.

i.               Produces scholarship not defined in other criteria in this area, the outcome of which may be a manual, monograph, case study, Reacting to the Past materials, report, white paper, or other formal written work.

j.               Writes or publishes non-peer reviewed scholarship in paper or digital form, such as an encyclopedia entry, a liner review, instructional aid, bibliography, and historical editing. The merit of such publications will be weighted based on length, scholarly effort to produce it, scholarly contribution, accessibility to the scholarship (based on its intended audience), and/or other appropriate qualifier(s).

k.              Publishes scholarly work as a chapter of an edited volume.

l.               Publishes peer-reviewed scholarship in a scholarly journal.

m.            Publishes an historically edited work in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal or with a scholarly press.

n.              Publishes with a scholarly press a peer-reviewed book-length monograph, book-length historically edited volume, or book-length scholarly anthology, in which the applicant is an editor and which includes their scholarship in the volume.  This quality achievement counts as three items.

 5.7.4    Professional Service

5.7.4.1     This must include an item from both ‘a’ and ‘b.’  The additional required item(s) may come from any of the categories.

     If this is an area of emphasis:

             To Assistant Professor: at least 2 items.

             To Associate Professor: at least 4 items.

             To Professor: at least 6 items.

     If this is not an area of emphasis:

             To Assistant Professor: at least 1 item.

             To Associate Professor: at least 2 items.

             To Professor: at least 3 items.

 

a.               Serves on departmental committees as well as regular service on one non-departmental standing committee of the college or university, or in the academic governance structure.

b.              Contributes to the vitality of at least one standing committee or ad hoc committee, of which the applicant is a member. Such contributions may include serving as an officer or staff person or writing significant reports and proposals for those committees. If this is the area of emphasis, such contributions must be made to either a single committee for a sustained period of time or to multiple committees.

c.               Serves in a mentor capacity with new faculty.

d.               Performs classroom observations and writes formal teaching observation letters for academic peers.

e.               Coordinates teaching assistantships, internships, study abroad programs, teacher preparation field experiences, or other variety of student placement experience, which may include fielding job reference calls via telephone or videoconferencing.

f.               Guides current students and alumni through the process of applying for graduate and professional schools, career placement, language training abroad, fellowships, scholarships, and other grants, which may include editing and commenting on drafts. 

g.              Serves as an advisor of a student organization, student activity project and/or other service to the student body. 

h.              Meets with prospective students or engages in another student recruitment or orientation event for the department or university.

i.               Directs or organizes a workshop, symposium, or seminar related to one’s professional interests.

j.               Participates in a program with elementary or secondary schools or teachers.

k.              Engages in professionally-related service to the community, including consulting in an area of one’s scholarly expertise.

l.               Provides active service to a local, regional, national, or international history or educational association.

m.             Serves as an editor or reviewer for a professional organization publication, peer-reviewed open educational resource, grant application, or university press.

n.              Creates or maintains professional social media presence directly related to the department, university, discipline, or professional organization.

o.              Serves as an officer of a local, regional or national professional organization, or performs other noteworthy service for such an organization.

5.8        UNUSUAL SCHOLARLY AND/OR PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENT

5.8.1     Applicants may qualify for exceptions to the normal timetable for tenure and/or promotion via unusual scholarly and/or professional achievement.  The onus will be on the applicant to provide reasonable justification and clear documentation of unusual achievement.

6.0        MISCELLANEOUS

6.1        Department Professional Development Account:  Faculty members may apply for monies from the Department’s professional development account, in accordance with the following procedures.

6.1.1     A faculty member must submit to the Executive and Policy Committee a one-page application that includes a precis of the project, how the money will be used, and a budget.

6.1.2     Faculty applications shall be reviewed by the Executive and Policy Committee and the Department Head.  The review must include establishing the demonstrable availability of the common departmental professional development funds; the Department Head shall be obliged to provide an accounting of available monies to the Executive and Policy Committee.

6.1.3     The Executive and Policy Committee shall make a recommendation to the Department about the distribution of these funds.

6.1.4     The Department then shall make its recommendation to the Department Head about the distribution of these funds.

6.2.       Summer Session, overload, and off-campus courses shall be allocated among term, continuing contract, and tenure earning Department members according to programmatic needs as determined in accordance with Master Agreement procedures.

6.2.1     When Summer Session courses become available to tenured or tenure earning faculty, the Department Head shall provide the Department with a chronological list of dates each member of the Department last taught in Spring or Summer, with the most recent Session first; priority shall be assigned in reverse order of this list.  This rotation does not affect the rotation under 6.2.2.

6.2.2     When overload and off-campus courses become available to tenured or tenure-earning faculty, they will be offered to faculty in reverse order of rank and service in the Department.  This rotation does not affect the rotation under 6.2.1.

6.2.3     It is understood that programmatic needs take precedence over strict adherence to position in the departmental rotation.  Faculty members who do not ordinarily teach certain courses in regular semester offerings on campus may not necessarily take precedence over those who do in teaching summer, online, overload, or off-campus courses.

6.2.4     Directed studies are not a matter of assignment but shall be guided by the Master Agreement.  They adhere to program and person and are voluntary.  No rotation list shall apply.

6.3        SABBATICAL LEAVE

6.3.1     Recognizing the necessity for every professor in the course of their professional career to have an extended period of time away from the classroom on a regular basis, the Department of History encourages faculty to apply for sabbatical conforming to the current sabbatical leave policy of the University.

6.3.2     In general the Department of History recognizes as meritorious applications for sabbatical leave that fulfill the general requirements in the Master Agreement, which have as their primary purpose the pursuit of scholarly activities, outlined in the judgmental criteria for promotion, of such a substantial nature as to require the full-time attention of the faculty member.

6.3.3     The Department primarily bases its judgment on the recommendation of the Executive and Policy Committee, including the Department Head, by the extent to which the proposal meets the requirements of the Sabbatical Leave Policy contained within the Master Agreement.

 6.3.4    The Department of History believes that, in the final analysis, the quality of the Department’s curriculum and its value for the students depends upon the excellence of its teaching faculty.  The Department enthusiastically supports sabbatical leaves on a regular basis for maintaining a high level of professional competence and enthusiasm among the faculty.

7.0       AMENDMENTS

7.1       Proposed amendments to these bylaws shall be circulated to all members of the Department before the meeting at which they are to be discussed.

7.2       A two-thirds majority vote of the Department shall be required for adoption of amendments, which will become effective after approval by the Vice President for Academic Affairs.

8.0       APPEALS

8.1       Before proceeding to a formal grievance, and in accord with the Master Agreement, any Department member may appeal any decision of the Department, departmental committees, or the Head.  Procedures for such an appeal are as follows:

8.1.1     The Department member making the appeal should first file their appeal with the Executive and Policy Committee, including the Department Head.  Should this appeal be against a decision of this committee, the appeal will immediately be referred to the Department as a whole.  In the event of an appeal against a decision of the Head, the appeal will immediately be referred to the Committee of the Whole.  The Executive and Policy Committee will report its findings to the Department and appellant in writing.

8.1.2     Departmental resolution of all appeals shall be made by the Department as a whole.  In the event that the appellant does not receive satisfaction from the Department, they may follow the appropriate appellant machinery specified in the Master Agreement.  The Department shall deliver a written statement of its position to the appellant.