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The Department Chairperson (hereinafter “Chair”) is the chief administrative officer of the Department (see Department Operational Manual) and reports directly to and is accountable to the Dean of the College (hereinafter “Dean”). The Chair is responsible for recording, maintaining, and implementing the policies and procedures stated in this Handbook through regular and thorough consultation with the Department faculty and the Department’s various committees as provided for in the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Chair is an ex officio, non-voting member of all Department committees, and may make appointments as necessary and permitted to Department committees and to the various administrative and service positions in the Department.

The selection, review, and reappointment of the Chair is the responsibility of the Dean, who consults with the Department faculty on such matters. Procedures for the selection, review and reappointment of the Chair are included in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The Graduate Coordinator is appointed from among the full members of the Graduate Faculty by the Chair in consultation with FAC. The Graduate Coordinator must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty holding the rank of Associate Professor or Professor. The term of service is established by the Chair in consultation with the FAC, but may be terminated by the Chair, at his/her sole discretion. The Graduate Coordinator chairs the Graduate Studies Committee and oversees the operation and development of the Department's graduate programs. The specific duties and responsibilities of the Graduate Coordinator are determined by the Chairperson in consultation with the Graduate Faculty and FAC and are included in the departmental operating procedures document and referenced in the description of workload equivalents in this handbook (see Faculty Workload and Workload Equivalents in Section III, below).  Though the primary responsibility for the proper functioning of the graduate program rests with the Department Chairperson, the Graduate Coordinator is charged with the day-to-day administration of the graduate program. The Graduate Coordinator administers the graduate program in consultation with the Department Chairperson.

The Undergraduate Coordinator is appointed from the tenured members of FAC by the Chair in consultation with FAC. The term of service is established by the Chair in consultation with the FAC, but may be terminated by the Chair, in his/her sole discretion.  Though the primary responsibility for the proper functioning of the undergraduate program rests with the Department Chairperson, the Undergraduate Coordinator is charged with the day-to-day administration of the undergraduate program. The Undergraduate Coordinator administers the undergraduate program in consultation with the Department Chairperson.

The duties and responsibilities of the Undergraduate Coordinator are determined by the Chair in consultation with the FAC. The duties shall be specified in the departmental operating procedures document and referenced in the description of workload equivalents contained in this handbook (see Faculty Workload and Workload Equivalents in Section III, below).

A tenured member of departmental FAC will be elected no later than the first new Academic Year FAC Meeting by the members of departmental FAC to serve as the Department of Philosophy representative on the College Advisory Committee for the coming academic year.

Appointments to other departmental administrative positions are made by the Chair after consultation with the FAC. Appointments will be dependent upon the specific requirements of the position and an individual’s qualifications for the position. Duties and terms of office shall be specified by the Chair and FAC in a departmental operating procedures document. If a workload equivalent is to be associated with the appointment, the position must also be referenced in the description of workload equivalents contained in this handbook (see Faculty Workload and Workload Equivalents in Section III, below).

The Department's non-academic staff includes all classified and unclassified staff positions within the Department including but not limited to the Administrative Assistant and secretarial staff. Each position has specific duties as defined in the applicable position description.

a.  Membership

All Departmental Faculty members, including Regional Campus Faculty members who hold a tenure-track appointment.

The FAC is structured and operates as described in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article VI, Section 3.B. The Department of Philosophy FAC is a Committee of the whole full-time Faculty of the Department as defined above in Section A, Definition of the Faculty

b.  Purpose

The FAC is convened and chaired by the Department Chairperson to provide recommendations and advise on all academic matters central to the mission of the Department at least once per term or as needed. The Chair, in consultation with the FAC, sets the agenda for the meetings. FAC members may request that items be added to the agenda. Additional meetings of the FAC may be called by the Chair, or upon a request by at least one-half of the members of the FAC. The elected Department Representative to the CAC may also call, set agendas and Chair FAC meetings with the understanding that no Department business may be transacted or represented as having been transacted at such meetings. Matters of concern to the Faculty may be discussed at such meetings and added to the agenda of the next regular meeting of FAC.

a.  Membership

The FAC supplemented by two student members – a second year graduate student and an undergraduate philosophy major (a junior or a senior) – serves as the Curriculum Committee.

b.  Election of Student Members

I. The graduate student member will be elected by the graduate students in a meeting held by the Graduate Coordinator in the week prior to the beginning of Fall classes.

II. The undergraduate student member will be appointed by the FAC. At the first FAC meeting of the Fall semester, the Chair will circulate a list of junior and senior students who have properly declared their major in philosophy. The FAC will nominate a short list of undergraduate students, and then vote on the undergraduate students. On the basis of the FAC’s rank ordering of the students, the Chair will proceed down the list contacting students by email and/or phone till the Undergraduate student member of the CC is filled.

The Undergraduate Coordinator, who serves as departmental representative to the Arts & Sciences Curriculum Committee, chairs the departmental curriculum committee. The chair shall identify those meetings, or parts thereof, for which attendance by student members is not expected.

The policies and procedures of the Department Student Academic Complaint Committee (SACC) are governed by University Policy 3342-4-02.3.

a.  Membership

Four faculty members plus one student member – a graduate student member if the student lodging a complaint is a graduate student, an under-graduate student member if the student lodging the complaint is an undergraduate.

b.  Election of Members

I.   The faculty members shall be elected by FAC from among its members at the first FAC meeting of each Fall semester.

II.   The graduate student member will be elected from among the second year graduate students by the graduate students in a meeting held by the Graduate Coordinator in the week prior to the beginning of Fall classes.

III.  The undergraduate student member will be appointed by the FAC. At the first FAC meeting of the Fall semester, the Chair will circulate a list of junior and senior students who have properly declared their major in philosophy. The FAC will nominate a short list of undergraduate students, and then vote on the undergraduate students. On the basis of the FAC’s rank ordering of the students, the Department Chair will proceed down the list contacting students by email and/or phone till the Undergraduate student member of the CC is filled.

Once the membership of the committee is constituted, the committee shall meet to elect a chair from among its members to chair the meetings of the committee.

In the event that a member of the Student Academic Complaint Committee is the subject of or may otherwise be involved with a student complaint, the FAC will select a replacement from the full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty. If the Chair of the SACC is the subject of or may otherwise be involved with a student complaint, the Chair will appoint a member of the Student Academic Complaint Committee to chair the committee and the FAC will appoint an additional member to the committee from the full-time tenured and tenure-track faculty.

c.  Purpose

The purpose of the committee is to hear any academic complaints lodged by students and to make recommendations to the Department Chair concerning the resolution of those complaints.

a. Membership

The full and associate members of the Graduate Faculty plus one second year graduate student member. The graduate student member will be elected from among the second year graduate students by the graduate students in a meeting held by the Graduate Coordinator in the week prior to the beginning of Fall classes.

The Graduate Coordinator is the chairperson of the committee, and will communicate with the graduate student member regarding the GSC meetings or parts thereof for which the attendance of the graduate student member is expected.  

Every member of the committee, including the graduate student member, is a voting member of the committee.

b.  Purpose      

The GSC assists the Graduate Coordinator with the oversight and development of the Department’s graduate program, and to be a consulting body to the Department Chair on matters pertaining to the graduate program. The GSC reviews proposals for new graduate courses, changes in course content and related curricular matters, and conducts periodic reviews of the Department’s graduate program as a whole. The GSC may also assume the role of Curriculum Committee for graduate curriculum. The GSC is responsible for evaluating applications for admission, evaluating and recommending candidates for graduate appointments to the Chairperson, and monitoring the progress and academic performance of graduate students in the Department.

The policies and procedures which govern the Department’s Ad Hoc Reappointment, Tenure and Promotion (RTP) Committees are included in University Policy. Procedural and operational guidelines for the committees are provided annually by the Office of the Provost. The committees review materials relevant to the professional performance of faculty who are candidates for reappointment, tenure, or promotion in rank, and to make recommendations to the Chair on each of these personnel decisions. The recommendations of the committees and the Chair, together with the materials assembled for the committees, are forwarded to the Dean of the College.

a.  Membership

As stipulated in the relevant University Policy.

b.  Purpose       

To make recommendations to the Chairperson for reappointment, tenure, and promotion of Department faculty. The committee is chaired by the Department Chairperson.

The Chair may establish, charge, and appoint the membership of additional departmental standing or ad hoc committees as required by the Department. In establishing departmental committees, naming members and designating a committee chair, the Chair shall consult with the FAC. The Chair will welcome requests and preferences from the faculty before establishing and making appointments to departmental committees.