Bylaws, Committees, and Policies

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College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Bylaws

Ratified on February 1, 2019
Last Amended February 26, 2020

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ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION OF THE COLLEGE

ARTICLE II. THE UNIT WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY

ARTICLE III. COMMITTEES

ARTICLE IV. FACULTY MAJOR REVIEWS

ARTICLE V. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

ARTICLE VI. RATIFICATION PROCESS AND DATES

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

ARTICLE VIII. DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

ARTICLE IX. POLICY AND PROCEDURES

ARTICLE I. ORGANIZATION OF THE COLLEGE

SECTION 1. University Administration. The President of Georgia Southern University (hereafter referred to as “President” and “University,” respectively) is the executive head of the institution and of all its departments and schools. The duties and responsibilities of the President shall be as prescribed in Statutes of the University (hereafter referred to as “Statutes”).

The Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (hereafter referred to as “Provost”) has administrative jurisdiction over academic matters, academic personnel, and such other duties as are prescribed in the Statutes.

SECTION 2. College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (hereafter referred to as “College” or “CBSS”) is organized with a Dean and other administrative officers and a faculty (Statutes).

1. The Dean. The Dean of the College is the chief executive officer of the College and reports to the Provost. The responsibilities of the Dean shall be as prescribed in University Statutes.

2. Associate Deans. The Associate Deans assist the Dean and serve as the Dean’s representative as ex officio members on standing College committees (except for the Faculty Executive Committee) and other committees on an as-needed basis. The Associate Deans report directly to the Dean. The list of responsibilities of each of the Associate Deans shall be kept current and made available to the faculty of the College.

3. The Departments and Schools. The organization of the College is by departments and schools (Statutes). Departments and schools are administrative units of the College, consisting of at least four full-time faculty members, which exist for the purpose of providing instruction, conducting research in their respective fields of teaching and investigation (Statutes), and service. The College consists of the departments and schools recommended by the faculty of the College through the Dean to the Provost and to the President and the Board of Regents for approval (Statutes).
   1. Departments and schools are responsible for establishing and communicating departmental or school criteria for merit, tenure and promotion, and curricular and programmatic concerns consistent with those of the Board.

3. Departments and schools are responsible for establishing departmental or school Bylaws available to all faculty members. For the initial development of Bylaws, departments and schools will elect representation from the regular full-time faculty in the department or school to a departmental or school Bylaws committee of at least three members that will be responsible for writing the Bylaws. These Bylaws must then be ratified by the faculty of the department or school (approval by a two-thirds majority of regular full-time faculty members using an appropriate manner ensuring equal access for all eligible faculty, provided a majority of the regular full-time faculty casts a ballot), the department or school Chair, and the Dean. The faculty in each department or school shall specify in these Bylaws how to choose members of departmental or school and college level committees unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or the Faculty Handbook.  Each department or school shall have a specified written policy that includes membership, recall criteria, and a process for filling vacancies. The College values diversity and equity in committee membership across ranks, campuses, disciplines, and other relevant criteria.

3. The department or school is the fundamental unit of academic as well as administrative organization within the College. In carrying out the duties established by these Bylaws, the Chair of the department or school is to consult with and seek the guidance of the department or school faculty, and is to call such meetings as are necessary for the department or school faculty to exercise its general responsibility for the academic programs of the department or school.

4. Chairs of Departments and Schools. The Chairs of the departments and schools shall be appointed with the approval of the Board and shall hold office at the pleasure of the President.  Appointments shall be made after consultation with the faculty of the particular department or school, the Dean, and the Provost. The Chair must hold the rank of associate professor or professor and an earned terminal degree in one of the teaching fields of the department or school.  The responsibilities of a Chair shall be as prescribed in University Statutes, and any additional responsibilities assigned by the Dean, as appropriate.

5. Associate Chairs, Assistant Chairs, and Program Area Coordinators. The department or school Chair may recommend that the Dean appoint individuals to assist the Chair with administrative concerns as they relate to their departmental or school programs. Duties and responsibilities for these positions shall be as determined by the Chair in consultation with the Dean.

6. Other College Administrators. The Dean may recommend to the Provost the appointment of such additional administrative personnel as may be necessary to discharge efficiently the responsibilities of student work coordination, placement, advising, and such other tasks as may arise. Such assistants shall serve the entire College in a staff capacity and shall have no line of authority over the work of faculty.

7. Faculty. The faculty of the College shall consist of the professors, associate professors, assistant professors, principal lecturers, senior lecturers, lecturers, instructors, senior academic professionals, academic professionals, and academic professional associates, in departments or schools of the College as designated by the President. The faculty are responsible for policies and procedures affecting academic activities of the College, the general educational policy of the College, the welfare of the College faculty, and related matters that maintain and promote the best interest of the faculty and of the College. The faculty shall have the opportunity to provide anonymous written feedback with regards to performance to the supervisors of department or school Chairs, Associate Chairs, Assistant Chairs, and Program Area Coordinators, or equivalent, for their consideration. Additional faculty responsibilities are as defined in University Statutes.

ARTICLE II. THE UNIT WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY

SECTION 1. Faculty Senate Representation. The Faculty Senate shall be constituted as specified in University Statutes. The Dean or Dean’s designee shall annually announce the number of senators that has been apportioned to the College (including alternates) and shall call for an election pursuant to University Statutes.

SECTION 2. Graduate Faculty. Members of the graduate faculty shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies.
Recommendations for graduate faculty membership will be sent from the department or school Chairs through the Dean to the Provost and to the Dean of Graduate Studies who will consult with members of the University Graduate Committee and transmit recommendations to the President (Statutes).

SECTION 3. Appointment of Faculty Members. Members of the College faculty are appointed by the President, with the approval of the Board, upon the recommendation of the Chair of the department or school and his/her administrative superiors (Statutes, Article VI, Section 1 (B) (1)).

SECTION 4. Promotion of Faculty Members. Recommendations for promotion are made through the following committees and administrators: departmental or school faculty evaluation committees, Chairs of departments or schools, College Major Review Committee, the Dean, and the Provost.  The Provost will forward his/her recommendation to the President (Statutes).

SECTION 5. Tenure. Recommendations for tenure are made through the following committees and administrators:  departmental or school faculty evaluation committees, Chairs of departments or schools, College Major Review Committee, the Dean, and the Provost. The Provost will forward his/her recommendation to the President (Statutes). Tenure is awarded by the Board on recommendation of the President only to assistant professors, associate professors, and professors who are employed full-time in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the Statutes. The meaning and effect of tenure are set forth in the Board of Regents Policy Manual.

SECTION 6. Membership on University Committees. College representatives serving on University-level committees (including the Faculty Senate) are responsible for reporting pertinent information from meetings of those committees to the faculty, administrators, and staff of the College in a timely manner.

SECTION 7. College Faculty Meetings. The College faculty (meeting as a Committee of the Whole) and the standing committees established by these Bylaws shall meet in separate sessions to execute their business in a timely manner. The Dean or the Dean’s designee is to preside, ex officio, at all general meetings of the College faculty. Meetings shall follow the requirements set forth below:

1. The College faculty shall meet at least once each fall and spring semester at a time and a place to be determined by the Dean in consultation with the Faculty Executive Committee. Each standing College committee shall report on their work at these regular meetings.  Meetings shall be open to all College staff as non-voting attendees;

2. Special meetings of the College faculty may be called in three ways:
   1. The Dean may call a special meeting.

2. The Faculty Executive Committee may call a special meeting, for which it will set the agenda.

2. The Dean shall convene a special meeting within twenty-one days (exclusive of university recesses) of receiving a petition signed by at least ten percent of the voting faculty members as defined herein and delivered to the Dean or the chair of the Faculty Executive Committee. The call or petition for the meeting shall specify the agenda; no other business shall be considered.
   
   The Faculty Executive Committee in conjunction with the Dean’s Office will notify faculty and administrative staff of special meetings and their agendas;

3. Meetings shall be called with at least five working days’ notice. However, no such notice is required if the purpose of such meeting is to give or receive information and no other action is required or taken. Faculty members may submit agenda items to the Dean. The final agenda shall be set by the Dean, except in cases of special meetings called by the Faculty Executive Committee. The agenda for such a regular meeting shall be provided to members of the faculty at least five working days before the meeting. The agenda shall constitute the total business of the meeting except that a majority of the voting faculty present may vote to permit discussion and action on non-agenda items. Notices of such regular meetings shall be sent to each member of the faculty and administrative staff by the Dean as far in advance as reasonably possible but with a minimum of five working days;

4. The College shall keep a permanent record of proceedings (minutes). The minutes are to be distributed to the members of the College at least three days in advance of the next scheduled meeting;

5. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be observed in the conduct of meetings, and the faculty may elect a parliamentarian to preserve the integrity of these rules;

6. A quorum shall consist of 50% plus one of regular full-time faculty members within the College;

7. Voting is to be limited to regular full-time faculty.

ARTICLE III. COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. The standing committees established by these Bylaws shall meet in separate sessions to execute their business in a timely manner.

1. Meetings shall be called with at least five working days’ notice. However, no such notice is required if the purpose of such meeting is to give or receive information and no other action is required or taken. Faculty members may submit agenda items to the committee chair; the final agenda shall be set by the committee chair. The agenda shall be provided to members of the committee at least five working days before the meeting. The agenda shall constitute the total business of the meeting except that when a quorum is present, a majority of the voting faculty present may vote to permit discussion and action on non-agenda items;

2. With the exception of the College Major Review Committee, every committee shall keep a permanent record of proceedings (minutes). The minutes are to be distributed to the members of the committee at least three days in advance of the next scheduled meeting, and shall become accessible, when appropriate, to the faculty upon approval;

3. Robert’s Rules of Order shall be observed in the conduct of meetings;

4. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the voting members of the committee;

5. When possible, full consideration should be given to rotating service of individuals.

SECTION 2. Requirements for Standing Committees. There are five standing committees and three advisory councils in the College. Except as noted in the requirements for individual committees:

1. All departments and schools must have equal representation on each standing committee, to be selected by April 1 of the preceding academic year;

2. Faculty representation on standing committees is limited to regular full-time faculty who do not hold administrative appointments (e.g., Deans, Assistant or Associate Deans, and department or school Chairs or Assistant and Associate Chairs). With the exception of the Faculty Executive Committee, all standing committees shall have an Associate Dean as an ex officio member. All ex officio committee members shall serve without voting privileges and are ineligible to serve as committee chair.

3. Each year, as early in the Academic Year as practical, each committee shall elect a chair from among its membership of voting faculty members in the final year of their terms;

4. Terms of office shall be two years and shall be staggered with one-half of the members selected each year, except ad hoc committees, as explained in Article III, Section 3 (I), or in the cases of replacements to fill vacancies. In the initial selection for each committee, half of the members selected shall serve a one-year term and half shall serve a two-year term, as determined by the Dean. At the expiration of their respective terms, all subsequent regular selections shall be for two-year terms;

5. Terms of office shall begin and end in accordance with the academic year contract, except in cases of special selections to fill vacancies, which shall begin upon selection;

6. Departments and schools shall select both members and alternates to committees, with alternates serving in those cases where vacancies, recusals, or absences occur;

7. By the end of each Academic Year, each committee shall submit to the College Faculty Executive Committee an annual summary of their work for the year.

SECTION 3.  Standing Committees and Advisory Councils.

1. Faculty Executive Committee.
   
   Purpose: Faculty governance is a significant element in any viable academic institution and should assist in promoting a shared College-wide vision. It is the purpose of the Faculty Executive Committee to search for consistency, justice, efficiency, and fair representation concerning the faculty in all appropriate matters of the College and to promote the welfare of the faculty in the College. The Faculty Executive Committee will work in the spirit of consultation and cooperation with the Dean.
   
   Membership: Each department or school shall have one faculty representative and one alternate on the committee elected by the faculty of that department or school.
   
   Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the committee to:

1. Communicate, collaborate, and consult with the Dean of the College on matters related to the College or concerning the College within the University;

1. Represent faculty on issues concerning governance in the College and the revision of the College Bylaws and other related documents ensuring agreement between these Bylaws and all related documents guiding the development and implementation of policies and procedures in the College;

1. Serve as an additional conduit for representatives on committees outside the College to provide pertinent information to the faculty;

1. Meet at least once during the fall and spring semesters to examine any matters related to faculty governance in the College and compliance with College and departmental or school Bylaws within the College and each of its departments or schools;

1. Provide input on faculty representation from the Faculty Executive Committee on any College Dean search;

1. Facilitate the retention, control, and accessibility of key governance documents by the office of the Dean. Files shall be maintained in a manner that facilitates ease of access and historical review of decisions and changes made to the faculty at large.  Specifically, files shall be organized and/or named in a way that reflects the nature of the document and the last date of revision. Minutes, agendas, and reports shall be retained permanently; all other records shall be retained for five years.  At a minimum, this function applies to the following documents:
   1. CBSS Bylaws;

1. Minutes, agendas, and reports including annual summaries, of each standing College committee; and

1. Assignments to University and College committees (to include terms of office).

1. Review the University Statutes, the Bylaws of the Board of Regents, the Board of Regents Policy Manual, the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook, the Georgia Southern University Faculty Handbook , and the College Policy Manual, to update the College Bylaws as specified in Article VIII, Sections 1-6 of these Bylaws and inform the faculty of the College of those changes. This shall occur annually, as early in the Academic Year as possible.

2. Major Review Committee.

Purpose: The purpose of the committee shall be to make recommendations to the Dean on promotion, tenure, pre-tenure, post-tenure, third-year lecturer review, sixth-year lecturer review, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer review decisions for faculty in the College. The Dean is responsible for making the ultimate recommendation forwarded to the Provost. The committee shall forward a copy of its recommendations to the Dean, department or school Chair, and candidate. The committee’s deliberations and all the documents it reviews are strictly confidential to the extent allowed by applicable law.

Membership: The committee shall be composed of four tenured faculty members, two of whom are alternates, from each department or school in the College, selected in the method prescribed by the Bylaws of that department or school. Membership shall be restricted to full and associate professors. The College encourages the departments and schools to consider diversity of representation in the selection of their representatives. For units that have tenured or tenure-track faculty housed on a single campus, all representatives shall be selected from the eligible faculty on that campus. For units that have tenured or tenure-track faculty housed on both the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses, priority shall be given to assuring that one representative and one alternate shall be selected from the eligible faculty on each campus in the method prescribed by the Bylaws of that department or school. If a department or school does not have enough eligible tenured faculty on a campus who are willing and able to serve, the department’s/school’s tenured faculty shall work with the department or school chair to identify an appropriate representative to recommend to the Dean. First priority shall be given to eligible department or school faculty on a different campus. In the event that it is necessary to select a representative from outside the department or school, special care shall be taken to ensure that such representatives have sufficient expertise to appropriately evaluate candidates’ materials. Units may opt, if no more than one eligible, qualified departmental faculty are in the unit, to provide only one representative to the committee.  Units may also opt not to fill alternate seats to this committee.

Faculty members on the committee who are undergoing review that same semester shall recuse themselves from evaluating files of faculty undergoing the same level of review, but may participate in other levels of review during that same semester (e.g., if going through post-tenure review, a faculty member shall not review their own or other post-tenure review files but are eligible to review pre-tenure and mid-term lecturer review files; likewise, a faculty member applying for promotion to full professor would be able to review tenure and promotion to associate professor files, as well as applications for promotion to senior lecturer).

In any year lecturers are considered for promotion to the rank of senior lecturer/principal lecturer, the College Major Review Committee shall appoint a senior lecturer/principal lecturer from the College—if one is available—to this committee, for the purpose of deliberating and voting with the committee on those promotions. The appointed senior lecturer/principal lecturer shall not be present for any deliberations or votes concerning any other faculty under review. Similarly, in any year academic professional associates or academic professionals are considered for promotion, the College Major Review Committee shall appoint an academic professional or senior academic professional, as appropriate, from the College—if one is available—to the College Major Review Committee, for the purpose of voting with the committee on those promotions. The appointed academic professional or senior academic professional shall not be present for any deliberations or votes concerning any other faculty under review.

Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the committee to:

2. Each year, as early in the Academic Year as practical, and in consultation with the Dean, recommend the timeline for the evaluation process for candidates undergoing evaluation in the next Academic Year, consistent with the guidelines in the College Policy Manual;

2. Review the records of those being considered for pre-tenure review, tenure, promotion, post-tenure review, third-year lecturer review, sixth-year lecturer review, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer review, in accordance with respective university, College, and departmental or school guidelines, and make recommendations to the Dean;

2. Provide a written evaluation of each faculty member under review which shall be inserted in his/her permanent file;

2. Disseminate the evaluation to the faculty member under review, the Chair of the department or school, and the Dean of the College; and

2. At the end of each Academic Year’s review process, meet with the Dean to discuss the faculty evaluation process and offer suggestions for improvement, as appropriate.

3. Curriculum Committee.
   
   Purpose: The purpose of the committee shall be to review and approve or deny proposed curricular revisions, program revisions/program policy changes, and new program proposals for all College programs to ensure that the degree programs are of high quality and requirements are consistent with the University’s mission and accreditation standards.
   
   Membership: Each department or school shall have one faculty representative and one alternate on the committee selected in the method prescribed by the Bylaws of that department or school.  The College’s elected representatives to the Faculty Senate Undergraduate Committee and Faculty Senate Graduate Committee, as well as the College Advisement Center’s Coordinator or designee, shall serve as ex officio members. These members will be ineligible to serve as committee chair, unless already serving as a selected representative to the College Curriculum Committee as a voting member.
   
   Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the committee to:
   1. Make decisions and recommendations related to curricular issues within the College’s mission, including changes to the curricula (e.g., courses, programs, emphases, concentrations, and degrees) that have been approved at the departmental or school level;
      1. The relevant Associate Dean will inform program directors of due dates for agenda items for the committee;

3. The committee will assure curriculum reporting and requests for changes are submitted to the appropriate governing bodies in the College and University;

3. Review and monitor the College’s annual program reports:
   1. The committee reviews all Continuous Program Review materials on an annual basis. All programs under annual review submit reports to the committee for review and recommendation prior to submission to respective university committees;

3. Programs undergoing review will be identified at the beginning of each academic year. The relevant Associate Dean will inform Chairs and program directors of deadlines for submitting program reviews to the committee.

3. Forward relevant information and/or proposals to:
   1. the Faculty Senate Undergraduate Committee;

3. the Faculty Senate Graduate Committee;

3. the College Leadership Advisory Council; and

3. the Dean.

4. College Awards Committee.
   
   Purpose: The purpose of the committee shall be to determine the criteria for College awards, solicit nominations for those awards, evaluate submitted materials from awards’ candidates, and recognize excellence through the selection of College award winners.
   
   Membership: Each department or school shall have one faculty representative and one alternate on the committee selected in the method prescribed by the Bylaws of that department or school. Faculty members may not serve on this committee if they are under review for a College award in that semester. In the event that a committee member is under review for a College award in that semester, that committee member shall recuse themselves for that semester. The College Staff Advisory Council shall designate a representative to serve as a voting member of this committee.
   
   Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the committee to:
   1. Determine the criteria for College awards and disseminate them to the College;

4. Solicit nominations for College awards;

4. Verify the eligibility of nominees for College awards and collect application packets from all candidates who accept nomination;

4. Select award winners and announce the selection to the College.

5. Technology Committee.
   
   Purpose: The purpose of the committee shall be to research technology-related needs in the College and its departments and schools and provide recommendations to the Dean for the allocation of student technology fees in the College as part of the university process for student technology fee allocation.
   
   Membership: Each department or school shall have one faculty representative and one alternate on the committee selected in the method prescribed by the Bylaws of that department or school.
   
   Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the committee to:
   1. Coordinate proposals to the university Student Technology Fee Committee. This involves, but is not limited to, regularly soliciting from the departments and schools information identifying their instructional technology needs;

5. Prepare and provide to the Dean a priority list of projects in the College that can be used in those usual and unusual times when extra funds become available;

5. Regularly communicate with the faculty the technical innovations being supported inside the College.

6. Scholarship and Creative Activity Committee.

Purpose:  The purpose of the committee shall be to consider the scholarship and creative activity needs of the College and its departments and schools, to make recommendations to the Dean for the allocation of College resources to enable progress in scholarship and creative activity, and to facilitate collaborations amongst members of the College.

Membership: Each department or school shall have one faculty representative and one alternate on the committee selected in the method prescribed by the Bylaws of that department or school.

Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the committee to:

1. Maintain records of ongoing scholarship and creative activity and areas of expertise of members of the College;

• Advertise, solicit, and evaluate proposals for the allocation of College funds and resources intended to facilitate scholarship and creative activity;

• Coordinate efforts to engage members of the College in the exchange of scholarship and creative activity ideas (e.g., by arranging scholarship and creative activity presentations by internal and/or external speakers and organizing scholarship and creative activity themed meetings).

7. College Leadership Advisory Council.
   
   

Membership: The council shall be composed of all Chairs and Associate Deans in the College.

Terms of Membership: Terms of membership shall be for the duration of administrative office.

Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the council to:

7. Meet with the Dean on a regular basis to discuss with and advise the Dean on matters of relevance to the College including:
   1. Strategic planning;

7. Budgetary matters;

7. Policy revisions or development;

7. Personnel issues; and

7. Other matters as needed.

8. College Student Advisory Council
   
   Purpose: The purpose of this Council shall be to advise the Dean on all matters concerning students’ experiences, perceptions, ideas, and viewpoints regarding their experience in the College’s programs.
   
   Membership: Two students shall be selected as members representing each department or school, ensuring multiple campus representation of programs as appropriate.
   
   An Associate Dean shall serve as Chair of this Council.
   
   Terms of Membership:  Terms of membership shall be for one year.
   
   Functions: It shall be the responsibility of the council to meet with the Dean periodically throughout the year to exchange information and ideas related to the ongoing workings and evaluation of the College and its departments and schools.

9. College Staff Advisory Council
   
   Purpose: The purpose of this council shall be to advise the Dean on all matters concerning staff experiences, perceptions, ideas, and viewpoints regarding their experiences in the College’s departments and schools.
   
   Membership: The Council shall be comprised of permanent administrative and professional staff in the College, and academic advisors who advise for the College. The Executive Assistant to the Dean will serve as a non-voting ex officio member of the Council and will be responsible for calling meetings requested by the Dean.
   
   The Council shall develop policies identifying processes for selection of leadership and other Council membership, to be approved by the Dean. Upon approval, these policies shall guide the functioning of the Council.
   
   Functions: It shall be the responsibility of the council to meet with the Dean periodically throughout the year to exchange information, ideas, concerns, and experiences related to institutional, College, and departmental or school processes and procedures with the goal of improving efficiencies and experiences of staff, students, and faculty.

10. Ad hoc Committees.
    
    Any member of the faculty in the College may request that the Dean establish an ad hoc committee by submitting a request in writing to the Dean, specifically stating the problem, issue, and/or area of concern.
    
    The Dean shall decide whether to establish an ad hoc committee. All requests to establish such a committee shall be answered in writing and shall be provided to the requestor and Faculty Executive Committee within 10 working days by a statement from the Dean indicating approval or disapproval and the rationale for the decision.
    
    If the request to establish an ad hoc committee is approved, the Dean and the Faculty Executive Committee shall collaborate to appoint members to the committee, identify the specific charge, and specify a requested due date. Such ad hoc committees shall elect their own chair from among their faculty members.
    
    Moreover, the Dean may identify the need to establish an ad hoc committee. The Dean may ask the Faculty Executive Committee to collaborate in appointing committee members. Such ad hoc committees shall be chaired by the Dean’s designee.

ARTICLE IV. FACULTY MAJOR REVIEWS

SECTION 1. Overview. Criteria for promotion, tenure, pre-tenure, post-tenure, third-year lecturer review, sixth-year lecturer review, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer review/principal lecturer, shall be set by each department or school following the procedures outlined below. At each of the following levels of review, candidates’ applications shall be evaluated in accordance with university, College, and departmental or school criteria and recommendations shall be forwarded to the next level of review:

1. The department or school committee charged with conducting major reviews;

2. The department or school Chair;

3. The College Major Review Committee; and

4. The Dean.

For pre-tenure, post-tenure, third-year lecturer reviews, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer reviews, the Dean shall forward the relevant materials to the Provost. For tenure, promotion, and sixth-year lecturer reviews, the Dean shall forward the relevant materials to the Provost who will forward the relevant materials, along with his/her recommendation, to the President.

SECTION 2. General Process. The timetable for the major reviews shall be set each year for the next Academic Year by the College Major Review Committee in consultation with the Dean, consistent with the guidelines in the College Policy Manual.  Reasonable accommodation will be made for faculty observing religious holidays during the review process.

It is the responsibility of the faculty member undergoing review to submit a portfolio providing evidence required to demonstrate accomplishments as required in the College Policy Manual.

At each level of review, committee members shall be instructed that both its deliberations and all documents reviewed are confidential to the extent allowed by applicable law. Review stages shall occur as follows:

1. Each departmental or school committee shall review the candidates’ dossiers and make recommendations for each applicant undergoing major review. This committee shall deliver its written report to the department or school Chair, providing a copy of to the candidate.

• Department and school Chairs shall evaluate the faculty member’s submitted materials, the departmental or school committee report, and any written response from the faculty member. Chairs shall then deliver their written report to the College Major Review Committee and the Dean, providing a copy of the report to the faculty member and the departmental or school committee.

• The College Major Review Committee shall evaluate the faculty member’s submitted materials, the departmental or school committee report, the Chair’s report, and any written responses at either level from the faculty member. The College Committee shall then deliver their written report to the Dean, providing copies of their report to the faculty member, and the department or school Chair.

• The Dean shall evaluate the faculty member’s submitted materials, the departmental or school committee report, the Chair’s report, the College Major Review Committee’s report, and any written responses at any of the levels from the faculty member. The Dean shall then deliver his/her written report to the Provost, as specified in the Faculty Handbook, providing copies to the faculty member, the department or school Chair, and the College Committee.

Upon receipt of reports from each evaluative level, the candidate shall have no less than five working days to submit a written response to the committee/administrator in receipt of the report at the next level up. Deadlines for each level of review shall be set far enough apart to allow sufficient time for these response periods.

At the end of the major review process, the faculty member shall receive the final written report of the review. The faculty member shall sign the report to indicate receipt. A copy shall be placed in the faculty member’s file at the department or school level, along with a copy of all materials submitted for the review and any response letters written by the faculty member. Chairs shall be responsible for assisting faculty with implementing plans for continued progress.

The faculty member has the right to face-to-face meetings with the Dean and the department or school Chair, separately, to discuss the results of the process and request suggestions for continued progress.

SECTION 3. Pre-Tenure Review. The College procedure and requirements for pre-tenure review shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Faculty Handbook. Pre-tenure review assists faculty members in determining whether they are making appropriate progress toward promotion and/or tenure requirements. This review occurs in the third year of the probationary period (or the midpoint of the probationary period if faculty member has prior years of service towards tenure). A favorable pre-tenure review at all levels of the review process implies that a faculty member is making satisfactory progress toward promotion and/or tenure, but it does not guarantee a positive tenure or promotion decision. Rather, the review provides feedback to the faculty member about performance strengths and weaknesses. This review provides additional information to the department or school Chair for making decisions regarding the performance of the faculty member.

In cases where tenure is not possible, the Chair will deliver a letter of nonrenewal consistent with timetables in Regents and university policies.

SECTION 4. Tenure Review. The College procedure and requirements for tenure review shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Board of Regents Policy Manual, the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook, and the Faculty Handbook Academic tenure is an arrangement under which tenure-track faculty appointments, after successful completion of a probationary period, are continued until resignation or retirement. The probationary period is that period of professional service during which a faculty member does not hold tenure and is carefully and systematically observed by colleagues for the purpose of evaluation of professional qualifications and performance. At the end of this period, the faculty member is reviewed and a tenure decision is made pursuant to the relevant Board of Regents, University, College, and departmental or school policies.

In cases where tenure is not earned, the Chair will deliver a letter of nonrenewal consistent with timetables in Regents and university policies.

SECTION 5. Promotion Review for Tenure-Track and Tenured Faculty. The College procedure and requirements for promotion review shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Board of Regents Policy Manual, the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook, and the Faculty Handbook. A promotion review is conducted to assist in making a decision about the promotion of faculty within the College.

An elective promotion review is conducted to make a decision about the promotion of a faculty member who has become eligible for such a decision. Eligibility for promotion, relative to rank and years in service, does not imply readiness for promotion. An eligible faculty member should consult the requirements in the Faculty Handbook and the departmental or school promotion guidelines, and confer with the department or school Chair to determine readiness and the appropriateness of initiating an elective promotion review.

SECTION 6.  Post-Tenure Review.   The College procedure and requirements for post-tenure review shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook, and the Faculty Handbook.

As indicated in the Faculty Handbook, Section 312, “Post-tenure review, the systematic, periodic, cumulative review of all tenured faculty, is an extension of the evaluation system currently in place. Coupled with any evaluation process is the obligation to provide faculty development opportunities that allow all faculty to realize their full potential. Post-tenure review focuses on identifying faculty development opportunities for tenured faculty that mutually benefit the individual and the institution. The ultimate purpose of post-tenure review is to recognize, reward, and enhance the performance of tenured faculty.”

Post-tenure review not only concentrates on the period under review, but also considers the cumulative contributions of faculty. For this reason, and because it focuses on continuing a mutually beneficial relationship between the institution and the individual, judgments regarding post-tenure review should be based on contributions over one’s career as well as those since the last review. A satisfactory post-tenure review indicates that the individual continues to make contributions that benefit the University, students, and other constituents. A development plan shall be established by the unit Chair and faculty member when deficiencies are identified.

SECTION 7. Third-Year Lecturer Review. The College procedure and requirements for third-year lecturer review shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Board of Regents Policy Manual, and the Faculty Handbook. In addition to the annual review of lecturers, the University conducts a comprehensive review of achievements and performance in the third year as a basis for recommending renewal or nonrenewal of the contract beyond the following year.

In cases where retention is not possible, the Chair will deliver a letter of nonrenewal consistent with timetables in Regents and university policies.

SECTION 8. Sixth-Year Lecturer Review and Promotion to Senior Lecturer. The College procedure and requirements for sixth-year lecturer review and consideration of promotion to senior lecturer shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Board of Regents Policy Manual, the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook, and the Faculty Handbook. This comprehensive review of achievements and performance in the fifth or sixth year of service at the institution serves as a basis for consideration of continuing appointment and/or promotion to senior lecturer.

In cases where retention is not possible, the Chair will deliver a letter of nonrenewal consistent with timetables in Regents and university policies.

SECTION 9. Follow-up Fifth-Year Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Principal Lecturer Review. The College procedure and requirements for follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer review and consideration of promotion to senior lecturer/principal lecturer shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Faculty Handbook. The University conducts a comprehensive review of achievements and performance on a five-year schedule as a basis for consideration of continuing appointment.

In cases where retention is not possible, the Chair will deliver a letter of nonrenewal consistent with timetables in Regents and university policies.

SECTION 10. Elective Promotion Review for Academic Professional Associates and Academic Professionals. The College procedure and requirements for elective promotion to Academic Professional and Senior Academic Professional shall be consistent with the guidelines found in the Board of Regents Policy Manual and the Faculty Handbook. A promotion review is conducted to assist in making a decision about the promotion of faculty within the College.

An elective promotion review is conducted to make a decision about the promotion of a faculty member who has become eligible for such a decision. Eligibility for promotion, relative to rank and years in service, does not imply readiness for promotion. An eligible faculty member should consult the requirements in the Faculty Handbook and the departmental or school promotion guidelines, and confer with the department or school Chair to determine readiness and the appropriateness of initiating an elective promotion review.

SECTION 11. Right of Response and Appeal Procedures. Candidates for promotion, tenure, pre-tenure, post-tenure, third-year lecturer review, sixth-year lecturer review, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer review shall have the right to provide a written response to the written report at any level of review up to and including the Dean’s level. This response is a mechanism by which candidates may clarify misunderstanding in the written report, to include correcting inaccuracies in the report. The process and timeline for response letters shall be identical to that for formal appeals (except that responses to the Dean’s report shall be sent directly to the Dean), and response letters shall be appended to the candidate’s packet and considered by all subsequent level(s) of review up to the Dean’s level.

Candidates for promotion, tenure, pre-tenure, post-tenure, third-year lecturer review, sixth-year lecturer review, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer review who receive a negative recommendation at any level may formally appeal that recommendation.

SECTION 12.  Departmental and School Evaluation Committees.

Purpose: The departmental or school evaluation committee functions in the same capacity at the departmental or school level as the College Major Review committee functions at the College level. The purpose of the committee shall be to make recommendations to the Chair on promotion, tenure, pre-tenure, post-tenure, third-year lecturer review, sixth-year lecturer review, and follow-up fifth-year lecturer/senior lecturer/principal lecturer review decisions for faculty in the department or school.

Membership: Departments and schools shall establish guidelines for membership of this committee, meeting the following minimum requirements:

1. The committee must be no smaller than three tenured full or associate professors;

2. Only tenured full or associate professors may serve on the committee, except:
   1. In cases when lecturers, senior lecturers, or principal lecturers are under review, at least one senior lecturer/principal lecturer–if available in the unit–shall serve on the committee for only those reviews;

2. In cases when academic professional associates or academic professionals are under review, at least one academic professional or senior academic professional, as appropriate–if available in the unit–shall serve on the committee for only those reviews;

3. Only full professors may evaluate candidates seeking promotion to full professor;

4. In instances where departments or schools do not have enough eligible faculty who are willing and able to serve, the department’s or school’s tenured professors shall work with the Chair who (in consultation with the Dean) will constitute an appropriate committee, consistent with College Bylaws and taking special care to ensure that members from outside the department or school have sufficient expertise to appropriately evaluate candidates’ materials; and

5. Faculty members on the committee who are undergoing review that same semester shall recuse themselves from evaluating files of faculty undergoing the same level of review, but may participate in other levels of review that same semester;

6. Individuals with 12-month administrative contracts shall be ineligible to serve on Departmental/School Evaluation Committees.

Term of Membership: Terms of membership shall be set by the department or school.

Functions:  It shall be the responsibility of the departmental or school committee to:

1. Evaluate the applications of candidates in accordance with university, College, and  departmental/school criteria;

2. Solicit, evaluate, and summarize input from other department or school faculty members who have achieved rank equal to or above that for which the candidate is applying;

3. Assess progress toward tenure and promotion and provide feedback and suggestions for continued progress; and

4. Make recommendations to the Chair of the department or school.

SECTION 13. Timetable Requirements for Revisions to Tenure and Promotion Criteria. Faculty members hired into the tenure track shall be responsible within their probationary period for meeting the College and departmental/school promotion and tenure criteria in effect at the time their employment begins. For elective promotion, the guidelines will be as specified in the College Policy Manual.

ARTICLE V. STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS

SECTION 1. Faculty members will recognize any university recognized student organizations that have as their purpose the facilitation of formal, regularized communication channels for the interaction of the student body, faculty, and administration.

ARTICLE VI. RATIFICATION PROCESS AND DATES

SECTION 1. After approval by the Dean, Provost, and President, a vote to ratify these Bylaws shall be conducted by anonymous electronic ballot. Voting shall continue for a minimum of one week or until the majority of regular, full-time faculty in the College casts a ballot, whichever comes last. Bylaws shall be in full force when approved by a two-thirds majority vote.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

SECTION 1. The College faculty shall have the power to amend the Bylaws, subject to the approval of the Dean. Appendices to the Bylaws are part of the Bylaws and must be amended following the same procedure. The amendment procedure is as follows:

1. Any faculty member or group within the faculty may submit a memo to the Faculty Executive Committee regarding suggested revisions to the Bylaws. The Dean may also submit a memo to the Faculty Executive Committee regarding suggested revisions to the Bylaws. The Faculty Executive Committee shall decide when the Bylaws need to be revisited:
   1. In the event the Faculty Executive Committee declines to put forward a proposed amendment from the Dean:
      1. The Faculty Executive Committee shall announce their decision at the next College faculty meeting and provide their rationale for declining to recommend it;

1. The Dean shall have the opportunity to speak in favor of the amendment and to call for a vote of the faculty in attendance to advance the amendment to the College faculty for consideration. If, by majority vote, the faculty in attendance agree to advance the amendment, the procedure shall continue as specified in Article VII, Section 1 (B) of these Bylaws. Otherwise, the amendment shall not be forwarded for consideration by the College faculty.

2. Proposals to amend the Bylaws shall be submitted by the Faculty Executive Committee to the College faculty not later than 10 days prior to any regularly scheduled faculty meeting or any special meeting called for the purpose of amending. In the event that the next regular faculty meeting is scheduled for more than 30 days after the date of distribution of proposed amendments to the faculty, it shall be the responsibility of the Dean to schedule a special weekday meeting of the College called for the purpose of discussing the amendments no less than 10 days and no more than 30 days from the date of distribution;

3. Voting shall be conducted by anonymous electronic ballot. Proposed amendments must be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote, provided a majority of the regular full-time faculty casts a ballot. Voting shall continue for a minimum of one week or until the majority of eligible faculty casts a ballot, whichever comes last;

4. Amendments that are approved by at least a two-thirds majority vote will be sent to the Dean for approval.  The Dean shall, within 10 days, either approve or veto proposed amendments and communicate that decision in writing to the faculty. Amendments approved by the Dean become part of the Bylaws immediately, unless a later effective date is specified in the amendment. In the event the Dean vetoes an amendment approved by the faculty of the College, the Dean shall, within 10 days, provide the faculty of the College a written justification for the veto.

ARTICLE VIII. DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS

SECTION 1. Statutes: The statutes referred to in this document are the statutes of the University as they may, from time to time, be amended. Any amendment of these statutes shall become part of these Bylaws as if they were originally part of such Bylaws.

SECTION 2. Bylaws of the Board of Regents: The Bylaws of the Board of Regents referred to in the statutes of the University are the Bylaws of the Board of Regents as they may, from time to time, be amended. Any amendment of the Bylaws of the Board of Regents shall become part of the Bylaws of the College as if they were originally part of such Bylaws.

SECTION 3. Board of Regents Policy Manual: The Policy Manual of the Board of Regents referred to in the statutes of the University is the Policy Manual of the Board of Regents as it may, from time to time, be amended. Any amendment of the Policy Manual of the Board of Regents shall become part of the Bylaws of the College as if it were originally part of such Policy Manual.

SECTION 4. University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook: The University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook referred to in this document is the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook as it may, from time to time, be amended. Any amendment to the University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook shall become part of the Bylaws of the College as if it were originally part of such University System of Georgia Academic and Student Affairs Handbook.

SECTION 5. Faculty Handbook: The Georgia Southern University Faculty Handbook referred to in this document is the Georgia Southern University Faculty Handbook as it may, from time to time, be amended. Any amendment to the Georgia Southern University Faculty Handbook shall become part of the Bylaws of the College as if it were originally part of such Georgia Southern University Faculty Handbook.

SECTION 6.  College Policy Manual:  The College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Policy Manual referred to in this document is the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Policy Manual as it may, from time to time, be amended. Any amendment to the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Policy Manual shall become part of the Bylaws of the College as if it were originally part of such College of Behavioral and Social Sciences Policy Manual.

SECTION 7. Corps of Instruction: The corps of instruction of the University will consist of those faculty so defined in the Board of Regents Policy Manual and appointed by the president of the University (Statutes).

SECTION 8. Earned Doctorate: An earned doctorate shall be any earned, terminal degree accepted for accreditation purposes to the extent such interpretation is consistent with the Statutes of the University and the Bylaws of the Board of Regents.

SECTION 9. Regular Full-Time Faculty: A regular full-time faculty member is an individual employed in a tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure track position, on a non-temporary basis who does not hold an administrative appointment.

SECTION 10. Staff: Those employees who hold a regular classified position and those employees who hold a twelve-month professional/administrative appointment without faculty rank.

SECTION 11.  Quorum:  A quorum shall consist of 50% plus one of regular full-time faculty members within the College present, including video or teleconference participation, unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws. Unanimous consent cannot be given in the absence of a quorum. In the event of an absence of a quorum when an agenda item requires a vote, the presiding officer of the meeting shall fix a time for an online vote to occur within a designated period.  However, a quorum is not necessary when the purpose of the meeting is to give or receive information.

ARTICLE IX. POLICY AND PROCEDURES

SECTION 1. All College policies and procedures must be consistent with these Bylaws, the Bylaws of the Board of Regents, the Board of Regents Policy Manual, the University System of Georgia Academic & Student Affairs Handbook, the Statutes of the University, and the University Faculty Handbook.

SECTION 2. The College faculty, including members of the College Leadership Advisory Council or the Dean, through a majority vote of the Major Review Committee shall have the power to suggest amendments, revisions, or new policies and procedures related to faculty evaluation. The rationale for the committee vote shall be provided to the Faculty Executive Committee and the Dean. All changes are subject to approval by the Dean.

The Dean, after consultation with the appropriate and relevant College committee, shall have the power to amend or revise policies and procedures or propose new policies and/or procedures not related to faculty evaluation.

All changes in policies and procedures must be in alignment with these Bylaws.

SECTION 3. The Dean shall inform the College of all new policies, deleted policies, and policy changes within five working days of approval of the new policy.

Last updated: 4/21/2020