Department
Chairperson
The
department chairperson serves a three-year term (which may be renewed twice).
According to the IFO Master Contract, the chairperson is to provide
academic and administrative coordination and foster an environment which
enhances individual and departmental growth and development. Additionally, the
chairperson coordinates the activities of the department, develops and
administers the department budget, directs student advising program, coordinates
department student recruitment activities, addresses student concerns, develops
class schedules and coordinates new program planning. The chairperson also
chairs department meetings and coordinates department committee activity,
prepares reports and department correspondence, coordinates department hiring
activities, orients new faculty to department and assists faculty with
professional development planning.
Department
Committees
The English
Department has a longstanding structure of democratic governance, with six
standing committees in place to conduct department business and recommend
policies and proposals.
Standing
committee meetings are typically held during the meeting hour (11:00 Tuesdays or
Thursdays). Each committee must
elect a chair and a secretary. Meeting
places and times must be posted in the vitreen one week beforehand; minutes
should be distributed within one week of the meeting.
The
Assessment Committee (five members) oversees departmental assessment
initiatives, guides the evaluation of senior portfolios, and reports the results
of assessment to the department. The Composition Committee (five members, three elected in spring; ex
officio: Writing Center Director) conducts observations of graduate teaching
assistants, oversees the English 099 exit exam, evaluates CLEP tests, and makes
policy and curricular recommendations on matters of basic skills and other
writing courses. The Executive Committee (five members; ex officio: Department Chair)
makes recommendations on scheduling and other general departmental policy
matters and observes the teaching of new faculty.
The Curriculum Committee (five
members, including A2C2 representative and alternate and University Studies
representative) reports on department and university curricular issues and makes
course and program recommendations. The
Graduate Studies Committee (five members, including the Graduate Studies
Director; ex officio: Department Chair) oversees the department’s graduate
programs and assistants, evaluating comprehensive exams and course proposals.
The Teacher Education Committee (five members) conducts group
advising sessions of teaching majors, serves as the departmental liaison with
partners in secondary education programs, and makes recommendations on matters
pertaining to teacher training.
Directors
and Committee Representatives
The
Writing Center Director (ex offico, Composition Committee) manages the Writing
Center, supervises the staff, and works as a liaison between the Writing Center,
the department, and the university. The
ESL (English as a Second Language) Director oversees the placement of non-native
speakers in ESL courses as well as the instruction of those courses.
The Graduate Studies Director oversees the recruitment, advising, and
supervision of graduate students in English.
Additionally, the department has continuing representation on two
university committees: the Academic Affairs and Curriculum Committee (A2C2) and
the University Studies Subcommittee (USS) of A2C2.
Department
Meetings
Meetings
are generally scheduled once a month on Tuesday or Thursday at 11:00 a.m.
Classes have been scheduled so that all full‑time persons may attend. All
full-time members of the department have voting rights on departmental matters;
graduate faculty vote on issues pertaining exclusively to graduate studies.
Matters of sensitivity may be referred to a mailbox ballot.
The agenda
is typically distributed on email in advance of the meeting. The department
secretary records the minutes and distributes them in mailboxes in Minné 302.
New Faculty Guide: