Department Administration

Internal Procedures

Policies and Procedures

Pattern of Administration

September 2007

Table of Contents
Download the Pattern of Administration [PDF]

• Introduction
• Mission Statement
• Department Administration
• The Department Faculty
• The Chair
• Vice-Chairs
• Administrative Associate
• Organization: Committee Structure
• Faculty Meetings
• Faculty Teaching Workload
• Faculty Responsibilities
• Course Scheduling
• Allocation of Department Resources
• Supplemental Compensation and Paid External Consulting
• Grievance Procedures

Introduction

Top of Page

This Departmental Pattern of Administration is a manual on the administrative organization of the Department of English. It supplements the Rules of the University Faculty and other policies and procedures of the University to which the Department and its faculty are subject. University rules, policies, and procedures, and changes in them take precedence over statements in this document. This Pattern of Administration is subject to continuing revision. It must be reviewed and either revised or reaffirmed on appointment or reappointment of the Department Chair. However, revisions may be made at any time. Changes, which will be made in consultation with the Department faculty and which are subject to approval of the College and the Office of Academic Affairs, will be disseminated to Department faculty in memos until sufficient changes have accumulated to warrant printing and distributing a complete new document. Although this document is a valuable resource, readers should bear in mind that rules and procedures do not themselves constitute a Department. In the words of Professor James Fullington in the foreword to the 1952 Pattern: "A Department is neither a machine nor an organism; it is a community of teachers and scholars who should be trying to effect a common purpose. Rigid adherence to rules should never be allowed to interfere with achieving what is best for our students, our Department, our university and our profession. In the last analysis, our ends will be most readily gained not by a constitution and by-laws, but by the harmonious and cooperative endeavor of every member of our community."

Mission Statement

Top of Page

The Department of English is dedicated to the development and teaching of knowledge about the study of language, literature, media, and culture in the English speaking world. In addition, the Department is dedicated to serving audiences both inside and outside the University, through participation in activities ranging from supporting faculty governance to participating in community-based Humanities programs. We believe that the analytical study of literature, folklore, language, and writing helps develop a capacity for logical thought, a greater awareness of the complexity of value judgments, and the imaginative possibilities of the mind itself. English studies can expand our emotional, creative, and cognitive capacities, can sharpen our ability to make difficult judgments, and can help us understand societies, times, and subcultures different from our own. The audiences for our teaching include the large number of undergraduates who take our courses to satisfy General Education requirements; our own English majors; and graduate students in our three different degree programs, the M.A., the M.F.A., and the Ph.D. The audiences for our research include other scholars and writers, who participate in our critical conversations; teachers who are looking for ways to apply research findings in their classrooms; graduate students who are beginning their professional training; segments of the larger public interested in literature, language, and the humanities. The audiences for our service are also diverse; they include our colleagues at OSU and a broad spectrum of the public: high school teachers, people in various occupations who want to work on special skills, and citizens interested in the Humanities. The Department is dedicated to improving continuously the quality of its contributions to these multiple audiences. We believe all faculty should make significant contributions in each of the three areas of teaching, research and service. For promotion and tenure, we require evidence of effective teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels as measured by student evaluations and reports of peer visitors, who will also evaluate course materials such as syllabi and assignments. Effectiveness on the graduate level is also measured by the quality of one's work as an advisor on student committees. In research, we require evidence of a faculty member's ability to make significant, high-quality contributions to important conversations in his or her field; this evidence typically takes the form of a published book or a sustained, original scholarly project in another form appropriate to the field, as well as essays in major refereed journals or edited volumes, conference papers at national meetings of scholarly organizations, and book reviews and review essays. For promotion to full professor, we require a second body of published scholarship, typically a published book or a sustained, original scholarly project in another form appropriate to the field and additional articles, reviews, presentations, and edited work beyond that required for tenure. In service, we recognize a variety of valuable contributions: service within the Department, within the College, within the University, within the larger profession of English Studies, and within the community--local, state, or national.




Material in this section is abstracted from the basic legal code of the University as approved by the Board of Trustees and set forth in the Rules for the University Faculty, which cover such matters as academic freedom and responsibility, tenure, college faculties, and various faculty councils. The rules abstracted and sometimes paraphrased here are only those relevant to the Department of English and the rights and responsibilities of its members. (Figures in parentheses refer to relevant rule numbers.)

The Department Faculty
The Department of English faculty shall comprise all members of the Department who are members of the regular faculty of the College and such other members of the Department as the Chair may from time to time designate. ("Regular faculty" include tenured or tenure-track Assistant Professors, Associate Professors, and full Professors.) (3335-5-19) Senior lecturers and auxiliary faculty are members of the English Department Council. The President of the University is a member of the faculty of each College (3335-3-03), and the Dean of the College is a member of the faculty of each Department in the College (3335-3-29) Each member of the Department shall have the right to transmit to the Dean of the College, through the Chair, any communications bearing upon the work in which he or she is personally engaged, and the Chair shall promptly transmit to the Dean any communication so received. For faculty with the rank of Professor, this usual method of communication may be altered in an individual case. This rule shall in no way limit the Dean in communicating with members of the faculty. (3335-5-09) The usual method of communication between a member of the faculty and the President shall be through the Chair, the Dean of the College, the appropriate member or members of the President's staff, and then to the President. For faculty with the rank of Professor, this usual method of communication may be altered in an individual case. This rule shall in no way limit the President in communicating with members of the faculty. (3335-5-10) All members of the teaching staff on duty during a given quarter are expected to report for duty and to be available for consultation and organization at least one working day preceding the day designated in the calendar as the day for classes to begin. They are expected to remain on duty throughout the convocation and examinations, which conclude the work of the quarter. (3335-5-07) The official examination schedules must be strictly adhered to by all instructors. (3335-7-20) Absence of any member of the teaching staff from ordinary service in the University, for any cause other than sickness, must be with the knowledge and approval of the Chair and of the Dean of the College, and if for longer than ten days with the approval of the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. (3335-5-08)

General Principles:
The Department reaches decisions about policies and programs in a number of ways: by vote of the English Department Council, by vote of standing or ad hoc committees, by the actions of Departmental administrators, including the Chair. The Department follows the general principle that the more important the matter to be decided, the more widespread the discussion about it needs to be. The Department values open discussion as a means by which to reach decisions on matters of importance. Meetings of the English Department Council and senior faculty are conducted in accord with Robert's Rules of Order.

The Chair: Definition, Term, and Selection. Top of Page

The Chair serves as the administrative head of the Department. According to University rule (3335-3-5), each Chair shall be appointed for a term of four years by the Board of Trustees upon the nomination of the President and the recommendation of the Dean; the Chair shall be eligible for re-appointment. Since the President follows the recommendation of the Dean, the rule, in effect, means that the Dean has the authority to select the Chair after consultation with the faculty of the Department as well as other appropriate University officials. Since the Chair is such an important office, the Department has developed a formal mechanism for providing advice to the Dean. In the fourth year of each chair's term, the Executive Committee shall constitute the Department's chair search committee, with the two full professors on the Executive Committee serving as co-chairs, and the sitting chair not serving as a member of the search committee. This search committee will also include a representative from another unit in the College appointed by the Dean (3335-3-35). This committee then oversees the following process for selecting the candidates that the Department will recommend to the Dean.

A. The Committee shall solicit written nominations, including self-nominations, of candidates for the next four-year term as chair. Typically the pool of candidates are those who are or will be full professors at the beginning of the next term. The names of all nominees will be announced to the Department, and candidates will accept their nominations by writing a position paper before a deadline set by the committee.

B. When there are multiple nominees who seek the office, the committee shall circulate their position papers and CVs to all members of the Department and then sponsor an open forum with the candidates. Shortly after the forum, the committee will do a formal canvassing of the Department's members. Department members in Columbus will cast secret ballots that will be collected by a member of the Department office staff selected by the Executive Committee. That staff member will check off the name of each person who submits a ballot from a roster of Department members. Regional campuses will establish their own procedures to ensure anonymity of balloting. Since the College requests that responses be categorized by rank, the Department will be divided into the following groups: full professors, associate professors, assistant professors, senior lecturers and auxiliary faculty, lecturers, graduate students, and staff. Each Department member will receive a ballot that is marked to indicate his or her group membership. The ballot will contain two prompts. The first prompt will ask Department members to indicate their first choice among the candidates and to comment on the strength and weaknesses of all candidates. The second prompt will ask Department members to identify, from the perspective of their group affiliation, the important issues the next chair will need to address. The Executive Committee will read the ballots and prepare a report for the Department that includes the results of the canvassing broken down by constituency and its recommendations to the Dean. The committee will set a deadline for comments on the report, make any necessary revisions, and then present it to the voting body before sending the final version to both the Department and the Dean. The Executive Committee also will send the Dean an unranked list of candidates deemed acceptable to the Department.

C. When a sitting chair accepts a nomination for another term and no other candidates seek the office, the Executive Committee and the Dean's representative will focus on reviewing the chair's performance to date and on identifying for the Chair, the Department, and the Dean, concerns and issues for the next term. The review will include an open forum with the chair and a canvassing of Department members about the Chair's continuing in office according to the procedures described in B above. At the conclusion of the canvassing, the Executive Committee will prepare a report, including its recommendation about the renewal of the Chair's appointment, according to the procedures described in B above.

D. When the current Chair does not seek another term and only one candidate accepts a nomination to serve, then the process will proceed much as it does in C. That is, the Executive Committee and the Dean's representative will focus on the candidate's fitness for the job, including reviewing any relevant past performance, especially in an administrative capacity, and on identifying for the candidate, the Department, and the Dean, concerns and issues for the next four years. The process will include an open forum with the candidate and a canvassing of Department members according to the procedures described above. At the conclusion of the canvassing, the Executive Committee will prepare a report, including its recommendation about whether the candidate should serve as chair, according to the procedures described in B above.

Duties of the Chair according to University Rule 3335-3-35:

1. To have general administrative responsibility for the Department, subject to the approval of the Dean of the College of Humanities.
2. To develop in consultation with the faculty this Pattern of Administration. This Pattern of Administration shall be made available to all present and prospective members of the faculty of the Department, and a copy shall be deposited in the office of the Dean of the College and in the office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
3. To prepare, after consultation with the faculty and in accordance with the Pattern of Departmental Administration, a statement setting forth the criteria and procedures according to which recommendations are made concerning appointments and/or dismissals, salary adjustments, promotions in rank, and matters affecting the tenure of the faculty. This statement shall be made available to all present and prospective members of the Department, and a copy shall be deposited in the office of the Dean of the College and in the office of the Executive Vice President and Provost.
4. To provide a schedule of all regular faculty meetings before the start of each quarter, to maintain minutes of all faculty meetings, and to maintain records of all other actions covered by this Pattern of Administration.
5. To conduct Departmental governance in an appropriately consultative manner. The Chair and the Department must recognize that policy and program decisions are made in a number of ways: by the Department faculty as a whole, by standing or special committees of the Department, or by the Chair. Open discussions, both formal and informal, constitute the primary means of reaching consensus on decisions of central importance. In principle, major policy matters will be decided by majority rule, though the Chair has final authority for Department policy. Thus, whenever the Chair does not follow the will of the majority, he or she must explain, in writing or at a faculty meeting, the reasons for the departure from the principle, and the Chair must also allow the faculty to comment on the case.
6. To operate the business of the Department with efficiency and dispatch.
7. To plan with the members of the faculty and the Dean of the College a progressive program.
8. To evaluate continuously the instructional and administrative processes and lead in the study of methods of improving them.
9. To evaluate faculty members periodically in accordance with criteria approved by the Board of Trustees and subject to instructions from the Dean of the College and the Executive Vice President and Provost.
10. To inform faculty members when they receive their annual review of their right place in that file a response to any evaluation, comment or other material contained in the file.
11. To recommend to the Dean of the College, after consultation with the faculty, appointments, promotions, dismissals, and matters affecting the tenure of members of the Department faculty.
12. To encourage research and educational investigations.
13. To see that all faculty, regardless of their assigned location, are offered the Departmental privileges and responsibilities appropriate to their rank, and in general to lead in maintaining a high level of morale.
14. To see that adequate supervision and training are given to those members of the faculty and staff who may profit by such assistance.
15. To prepare (after consultation with the professors, associate professors, and assistant professors with tenure) annual budget recommendations for the consideration of the Dean of the College.
16. To promote improvement of instruction by providing for the evaluation of each course when offered, including written evaluation by students of the course and instructors, and periodic course review by the faculty.

Additional Duties of the Chair:
To appoint the directors of various programs and of multi-section courses and to assign members of the faculty to specific courses.

1. Certain programs within the Department, such as Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Creative Writing, Digital Media Studies, First-Year Writing, Second-Level Writing, and the Writing Workshop, are sufficiently complex for there to be a need for Directors and, perhaps, Assistant or Associate Directors. They shall perform such administrative duties as are assigned to them by the Chair.
2. Course Directorships: Large, multi-section courses have directors, appointed by the Chair in consultation with the Executive Committee. Each director consults with those teaching the course on its aims, procedures, structures, and texts. Directors should consult with the Chair on staffing the course and to assist in bringing the course to the attention of students and counselors. Either the director or another member of the course staff should visit the class of each new non-tenure track instructor (GTA or lecturer) teaching the course for the first time, in order to help the instructor and to prevent the development of serious discrepancies in the conduct of course sections. Also toward these ends, all instructors should provide syllabi, tests, reading lists, and other course materials to the course director. New instructors are encouraged to visit the classes of experienced teachers, and new tenure track faculty are encouraged to consult with the course directors. All teachers with the title of Lecturer will submit to the appropriate course director, by the end of the second week of each quarter, a detailed syllabus for each course they teach. Lecturers will select one course from among those they are teaching and arrange with the appropriate course director for a classroom visit and a written evaluation of their performance. If the Lecturer is teaching more than one quarter during an academic year, visitation may be limited to one quarter--preferably the first. Course directors will forward a copy of a written evaluation to the individual Lecturer and to either the Director of Undergraduate Studies (for non-composition courses) or the Vice-Chair for Rhetoric and Composition. Lecturers should also submit to the course director one set of student evaluations with a cover sheet summarizing the evaluations. Lecturers may add to this summary comments, qualifications, or other relevant information. No more than one set per year need be submitted.
3. It is the responsibility of the Chair (or the Chair's designee) to assign members of the regular faculty to courses, teaching hours, and quarters of service after consulting with the instructor concerned and taking into account the instructional obligations of the Department. Since, however, the hours set for classes must always be adjusted to the classroom situation and to the whole teaching schedule of the Department, it is not always possible to satisfy everyone. Because of scheduling problems, faculty members planning to apply for a fellowship, scholarship, faculty professional leave, or special research assignment are urged to consult with the Chair before applying.

Chair's Relation to the Faculty and Vice-Versa.
It is important for the Chair to recognize that his or her function is not to rule but to lead, not to dominate but to interpret and administer the will of the community of which he or she is not only the head but also a working member. Similarly, it is important for a faculty to recognize that the Chair must have considerable discretionary powers and is held responsible by the University administration for all Departmental activities.

Vice-Chairs: Duties Top of Page
Two Vice-Chairs are appointed by the Chair. The Vice-Chair for Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy has the responsibility to oversee the operations of the Department's writing programs and to perform other duties as assigned by the Chair. The second Vice-Chair has the responsibility to assist the Chair in carrying out the duties of the Chair's office. Individual chairs will determine the specific duties of their Vice-Chairs, but typical duties include working as a liaison with the regional campuses and overseeing the hiring process. During the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair (or the Vice-Chair for Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy) becomes Acting Chair.

Acting Chairs
If a Chair resigns or otherwise leaves the position before the end of a term, the Dean of the College will appoint an Interim Chair after consultation with the Department. If a sitting chair does not remain on-duty in Summer Quarter, the Dean will appoint an Acting Chair for that quarter.

Selection of Vice-Chairs and of Director of Graduate Studies and of Undergraduate Studies
Any tenured member of the faculty with graduate faculty status "P"; is eligible for the positions of Vice-Chair, Vice-Chair for Rhetoric and Composition and Literacy, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Director of Graduate Studies, Director of Digital Media Studies, and Director of Graduate Admissions. The Chair has the authority to make these appointments, though the Chair must consult with the faculty in the following manner. The Chair calls for nominations, including self-nominations, and consults with a range of colleagues and, where appropriate, students. Furthermore, the Chair seeks approval by consensus of the Executive Committee for any of these appointments. If the Chair and the Executive Committee cannot reach consensus, the Chair will move that the Committee vote on a formal recommendation for or against the appointment. A simple majority of positive votes will constitute a formal recommendation and a simple majority of negative votes a negative recommendation. The Executive Committee's recommendation will be advisory.

The Administrative Associative to the Chair Top of Page
The Administrative Associative to the Chair is appointed by the Chair in consultation with other faculty and staff. Although the duties and responsibilities, which are assigned by the Chair, vary with circumstances, the Administrative Associate is regularly entrusted with such duties as the management of the Department offices and clerical staff, bookkeeping details relating to budget, class scheduling, Departmental requisitions for supplies and equipment, Departmental records, and the like.

Other Support Staff
In addition to the Administrative Associate to the Chair, the Department staff includes other Administrative and Professional employees hired to assist the faculty directors of the writing programs, the Digital Media project, Undergraduate Studies, and Literacy Studies. The Department also is served by classified civil service staff who assist the following people or programs and share other duties as assigned by the Chair: the Chair and Vice-Chair; the Vice-Chair for Rhetoric, Composition and Literacy; Creative Writing; Undergraduate Studies; Graduate Studies; First-Year Writing; the Writing Workshop. In addition, the Department employs a receptionist, one staff member who provides general clerical support, and another staff member who assists with business operations.


The makeup and functions of the formally organized bodies and standing committees within the Department of English are as follows:

The English Department Council (EDC) collaborates with the Chair to frame all Department policies. It comprises all members of the Department holding Professorial, Senior Lecturer, and Instructor rank, four lecturers (the representatives from the Executive Committee and the Undergraduate Studies Committee and two lecturers at large), and twenty-three students (twelve graduate students and eleven undergraduates). The functions of the Council are

1. to discuss and decide all questions of Department policy and administration which the Chair may present to the EDC, in consultation with the Executive Committee;
2. to bring up new business.

The Chair will announce the schedule of EDC meetings at the beginning of each academic year and update the schedule at the beginning of each quarter. The Chair will send an electronic agenda a week prior to the meeting. A quorum of 50% of the regular on-duty faculty is necessary for all decisions, which are made by a majority vote.

The Senior Professoriate (the full Professors and tenured Associate Professors) are responsible for questions of promotion and tenure for members of the ranks below theirs (i.e., full Professors and Associate Professors decide on Assistant Professors; Full Professors decide on Associate Professors; and Full Professors decide on full Professors). All promotion and tenure decisions take the form of recommendations to the Chair, who in turn recommends to the Dean of the College. For details on decisions in regard to promotion and tenure, see the Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure document. The senior professoriate also makes recommendations to the Chair for merit salary increases. The Department's document, "Faculty Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure: Criteria and Procedures,"; outlines these procedures.

The Executive Committee comprises the Chair and ten elected members from the Columbus campus, two from each of the three professional ranks, one from the rank of Instructor/Senior Lecturer/Auxiliary Faculty member, one from the rank of Lecturer, a graduate student, and an undergraduate. The professorial members are elected to two-year terms, three members each year, by vote of the entire professoriate, from a slate of candidates consisting of those members of the faculty who will be available for service during the period involved. To be available for service a faculty member must be on duty at least two out of the three quarters in which the committee regularly meets and must not already be serving as Vice-Chair or Vice-Chair for Rhetoric, Composition, and Literacy. A nominating ballot precedes each election, and the two persons in each rank with the most nominating votes then stand for election. The person with the most votes in each rank is elected to a two-year term on the committee: the runner-up serves a one-year term as the alternate for the two members in his or her rank. The alternate will serve in the place of the member, if the member is either incapacitated or temporarily relieved from service commitments--as, for example, during an off-duty quarter. The remaining members are elected to one-year terms: the representative from the Instructor rank by vote of the members of that rank; the representative from the Lecturer rank by election by the Executive Committee early in the Autumn quarter from a list of volunteers; the graduate and undergraduate members by machinery devised by their formal governing bodies, the English Graduate Organization and the English Undergraduate Organization. Members of the Executive Committee may not be elected to another term until two years have passed. If a vacancy occurs that for some reason cannot be filled by the alternate, the Chair appoints a replacement from the appropriate rank to serve until the next regular election, with the exception that the two student members are again elected by their peers. The Department Chair is Chair of the Executive Committee, which meets at stated intervals during the regular academic year and also when summoned by the Chair for special sessions. In the Chair's absence, the Vice-Chair or a member chosen by the Chair presides. The primary function of this committee is to advise and aid the Chair in conducting the business of the Department. Its activities include: helping to prepare the agenda for meetings of the English Department Council; coordinating the work of Departmental committees and serving each year as a committee on committees; advising the Chair upon the need for new personnel in the various Department areas and upon appointments to non-tenured positions in those areas; hearing grievances; approving and evaluating yearly workload agreements; and consulting with the Chair on all questions of Department policy and administration on which the Chair or the English Department Council requests advice or decision.

The Undergraduate Studies Committee is chaired by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and typically consists of seven or more faculty members (including the coordinators of undergraduate advising, the Department's honors advisers, and the Study Abroad Coordinator), one Lecturer (selected by the Executive Committee early in Autumn quarter from a list of volunteers), a graduate student, and seven students selected by the English Undergraduate Organization. Its functions are to initiate, receive, and review curriculum and advising proposals which affect all undergraduate programs except those related to freshman English; to make recommendations to the English Department Council on such matters; to implement approved policies; and to select the outstanding English major for the annual Joseph V. Denney Award, and the recipients of such awards as the Rosemarie Sena Scholarship and the Friends of the English Department Scholarship. The committee meets as often as necessary.

The Graduate Studies Program and Policies Committee typically consists of the Director of Graduate Studies, 11 other faculty, and 3 graduate students. This committee is charged with developing and administering the programs and policies affecting graduate students from the time of recruitment until graduation; it would, for example, propose any curricular changes or changes in requirements to the Graduate Faculty. It would also review programs of study and proposals for new courses and initiatives, make decisions about internal fellowships and awards, oversee the administration of the MA comprehensive exam and the Graduate Workshops, and assist with graduate placement. In years when a member of the creative faculty is not assigned to this committee, the Director of Creative Writing will appoint a liaison to it, who will participate in the activities of the committee related to the MFA program.

The Graduate Admissions and Recruitment Committee typically consists of the Director of Graduate Studies and 9 other faculty. The group reads all the MA and PhD applications, admits new students to the program, nominates candidates for teaching assistantships and Graduate School Fellowships, and helps with recruitment of new students. For PhD applications, this committee invites commentary from faculty in the field of each applicant; after the committee's review, the application and the cover sheet with the reviewers' comments are placed in a designated area in the Grad Studies office and are available for comment by members of the applicant's field. For candidates whose specialties are undecided or do not match well with our field structure, the DGS will invite one or more members of the faculty to participate in the review process, but since the Admissions and Recruitment Committee will be the only group having the whole picture of the class, this Committee will have the final say about who gets admitted and who does not. In the event of split decisions, the Chair, in consultation with the DGS, has the deciding vote. Note: The MFA Committee does its own admissions to the MFA program and sends its fellowship nominations to the DGS, who has final say over which nominations from the Department to send on to the Graduate School.

The MFA Committee is charged with the responsibility of carrying out the duties associated with the MFA program, including admissions, arranging for Visiting Writers, conducting the annual prize competitions, nominating students for national grants and awards. The Committee consists of all MFA faculty and two graduate students, to be selected by the English Graduate Organization.

The Committee on Promotion and Tenure consists of faculty chosen from the ranks of Full Professor and Associate Professor. Its duty is to gather relevant information on Associate Professors being considered for promotion and on untenured Assistant Professors and Instructors in order to aid the senior faculty in making decisions concerning tenure and promotion. One or two members of the Committee are designated the Procedures Oversight Designee(s), a position dedicated to seeing that the Department carries out its own procedures and those of the College and OAA fairly and appropriately. The Chair of the committee participates with the Department Chair in conducting and coordinating annual reviews of untenured regular faculty and senior faculty. All senior faculty serve on a rotational basis as scribes for the appropriate promotion meeting and serve on a rotational basis as summarizers of discursive evaluations. Each year the Chair, in consultation with the Executive Committee, assigns at least three members from the professoriate to be a New Personnel Committee for each faculty search.

The Awards and Nominations Committee consists of the full professor of the Executive Committee in his/her second year and one or senior faculty at large who help the Chair in generating names and writing statements of nomination for awards at the national, University, and College levels.

The Communications, Outreach, and Development Committee is responsible for the Departmental newsletter, events such as the Emeriti Lecture Series and the Alumni Lecture Series, and activities that nurture overall relationships with alumni, including activities related to the Alumni Advisory Board.

The Diversity and Affirmative Action Committee is charged with promoting the values of diversity in the Department, and especially with ensuring that the Department maintains a climate in which diversity is valued. The Committee typically consists of five faculty members and one graduate student. The Chair of the Diversity Committee also functions as the Department's Affirmative Action Officer, a resource person for those with concerns or complaints about discrimination or harassment based on race, gender, ability status, or sexual orientation.

The Technology Committee typically consists of 6 faculty members, 1 senior and/or quarterly lecturer, 1 graduate student, and 1 undergraduate student. The Committee works in cooperation with Humanities Information Systems (HIS) and the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to address various concerns related to issues of technology in the Department. The Committee advocates for and oversees implementation of technology resources throughout the Department, including co-management of the Departmental Web site with Humanities Information Systems. The Committee also selects the winner of the Eric Walborn Teaching Award. The functions of the Library Liaison are to consult with the librarian in the English, Theater and Communication Library about the expenditure of all funds available for library purchases relevant to the collections in English, and, more generally, to consult and negotiate with the officials of the University Libraries and other administrative officers with respect to the interests and needs of the Department.

The Regional Campus Issues Committee attends to issues of special concern to regional faculty. The chair of the Committee will be the Vice-Chair of the Department, and its membership will include one faculty member from each of the regional campuses (selected according to a mechanism agreed upon by the faculty at that campus). Typically, the Committee will meet at least once a quarter (excluding summer). The Vice-Chair reports regularly to the Chair about the committee's work. Like other committees, the RCIC may bring items to the Executive Committee or to the English Department Council.

The English Undergraduate Organization (EUGO) is open to all undergraduates who have declared a major or minor in English. Its primary purposes are to promote unity among the students themselves and between the students and the faculty, to provide a framework for intellectual interchange through sponsoring lectures and seminars, and to elect some of its members to represent undergraduate English students on Departmental committees. Its officers are elected every spring. The Director of Undergraduate Studies serves as faculty advisor to the Organization.

The English Graduate Organization (EGO) is an association open to anyone pursuing a graduate degree in English. It provides the mechanism whereby graduate student needs and opinions can be expressed. It has a 4 person Steering Committee with one designated representative serving concurrently on the Executive Committee. It arranges for the selection of the following graduate student representatives: representatives to the Council of Graduate Students, 3 to the Departmental Graduate Studies Program and Policies Committee, 2 representatives to the Departmental MFA Committee, and 1 to the Departmental Diversity, Technology, and Undergraduate Studies Committees.


Most Departmental meetings, excluding promotion and tenure meetings and the hiring meetings of regular faculty, are open. Therefore, faculty meetings are more appropriately called English Department Council meetings. See "English Department Council"; in this document for the following information: how meetings are scheduled; how members are informed of meetings; how agendas are established; and what constitutes a quorum.

General Considerations

In accord with University guidelines for Departments with active baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral programs, the English Department devotes at least 50% of its total workload to teaching. The standard teaching load for full-time regular faculty is 5 courses over 3 quarters, though teaching also includes working with students outside the setting of formal courses. In consultation with the Dean, the Chair can make reductions of the standard five-course load for faculty serving as Vice Chair or Directors of programs. The remaining workload time should be devoted to research/creative activity, service, and other professional responsibilities that further the goals of the Department and the University. Currently, English faculty have the option to teach a four-course load, with "major service"; expected of each faculty member as the "fifth course."; If a faculty member chooses not to participate in major service in a given year, his/her course load will be the default five-course Humanities faculty load for that year. As the body that distributes service assignments, the Executive Committee determines the precise definition of "major service"; for the purposes of this workload option. Dividing service assignments into four categories—programmatic, heavy, average, and minor—the committee assigns "points"; to each regular service assignment and determines which faculty qualify for the fifth course exemption. Each year the Executive Committee, in consultation with the committee chairs and program directors, evaluates the quality of service. Faculty who do not meet the quantity and quality service requirement will be informed that they must teach the fifth course during the upcoming academic year. It remains the responsibility of the Chair and the Executive Committee to ensure that teaching and service loads are balanced equitably among the members of the Department.


Teaching
As the Departmental Mission Statement notes, we expect evidence of effective teaching at both the graduate and undergraduate levels as measured by student SEI and discursive evaluations and reports of peer visitors, who will also evaluate course materials such as syllabi and assignments. Effectiveness on the graduate level is also measured by the quality of one's work as an advisor on student committees.

Scholarship
In research, we require evidence of a faculty member's ability to make significant, high-quality contributions to important conversations in his or her field; this evidence typically takes the form of a published book or a sustained, original scholarly project in another form appropriate to the field, as well as essays in major refereed journals or edited volumes, conference papers at national meetings of scholarly organizations, and book reviews, and review essays. Many factors are taken into consideration to assure that faculty meet their obligations in the area of scholarship. This determination is made according to the criteria of quality and consistency through the process of Annual Review. (See the Department of English AP&T document.)

Service
In service, we recognize a variety of valuable contributions: service within the Department, within the College, within the University, within the larger profession of English Studies, and within the community--local, state, or national. All faculty officially are "on-duty"; for three out of four quarters a year. Within the three quarters we contract for every year, the Department operates with the following understandings of "on-duty," "off-duty" and "on duty but not teaching": On-Duty: Responsible for teaching and service and expected to maintain their research programs. Off-Duty: Release from both teaching and service. Faculty who will be off-duty for an extended period may decide not to take on any new students immediately before that time; however, they should continue to read and comment on the work of the students whose committees they have already joined. On-Duty Not Teaching: Release from teaching only; responsible for service and holding office hours. The third quarter of a 2-2 workload under the Department's workload plan is an on-duty not teaching quarter. This service policy does not constitute a contractual obligation. Fluctuations in demands and resources in the Department and the individual circumstances of faculty members may warrant temporary deviations from it.

Paid Leaves
For a Summary of COH Research Opportunities see: https://humanities.osu.edu/cohi/InterAdmin/ResHndBk/default.cfm

1. Probationary Faculty: Assistant Professors receive a one course reduction in the teaching load annually for the first four years. National fellowship competitions also provide off-duty leaves.
2. Senior Faculty: Off-duty leaves are provided by the FPL and by winning national fellowship competitions. SRAs for senior faculty fall into the category of On Duty but Not Teaching (ODNT). Most reductions in teaching result in ODNT quarters.

For more information governing FPLs and SRAs, see the College of Humanities Faculty Documents https://humanities.osu.edu/cohi/facultydocuments/supportforresearch. As noted above, in an ODNT quarter, faculty are expected to be available for service, for office hours, and for the other responsibilities of being on-duty, except teaching regular courses. Faculty Rule 3335-5-08 requires that absence from campus for more than ten days (not necessarily ten contiguous days) during a quarter be approved by Chair, Dean, and Provost. Any faculty member with an On-Duty Not Teaching quarter who needs to be absent from campus or unavailable for service for more than 10 days during that assignment should write a letter to the Chair explaining the circumstances and the steps the faculty member will take to meet his or her responsibilities. The Chair will review the request and decide whether to support it and forward it to the Dean and the Provost. If the leave is approved at all levels, the Chair will write a letter to the faculty member stipulating the agreement reached for that quarter.

Unpaid Leaves of Absence
An unpaid leave of absence (LOA) may be requested by faculty for personal or professional reasons. Personal reasons may include family difficulties or other matters that prevent a faculty member from carrying out duties for a relatively short period of time or illness that continues after a faculty member has used up paid sick leave. Paid sick leave should always be used before a leave of absence is granted for illness. In the event that the illness turns out to be long-term and disability retirement becomes necessary, STRS will not consider disability retirement until paid sick leave has been exhausted. Professional reasons include the opportunity to take a temporary paid position outside the University that will enhance professional development and increase the faculty member's value to the academic unit on his or her return. (See also Entrepreneurial Leave of Absence.) A copy of the letter of offer to the faculty member setting forth the terms and goals of the temporary appointment must be attached to the faculty member's request for approval. Leaves of absence are not granted to untenured faculty in their terminal year of employment or to faculty who have accepted new permanent employment. In rare circumstances, the Provost will approve a one-year LOA for a truly exceptional faculty member (such as a member of the National Academy of Science or the equivalent) if there is a reasonable chance that providing the LOA will facilitate the faculty member's return to Ohio State at the conclusion of the leave. Following tentative approval by the Provost and before the leave is submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval, the Department/College must obtain written approval from the faculty member's prospective new employer to place the individual on LOA status at Ohio State. A leave of absence is granted for no more than one year at a time and may not exceed two consecutive years. An unpaid leave of absence does not automatically stop the tenure clock for a junior faculty member. For Columbus campus faculty, the leave must be requested in writing and it must be approved in writing by the Chair, the Dean, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Board of Trustees. For regional campus faculty, the leave must be requested in writing and approved by the regional campus Dean, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Board of Trustees. For additional information about unpaid leaves of absence see http://oaa.ohio-state.edu/handbook/ix_loa.html.


The Course Scheduler oversees the scheduling of courses. The final authority for establishing the teaching schedule rests with the Chair, and the main criteria for setting the schedule are the needs of our undergraduate and graduate programs and of our students, including students from other Departments who want to take our courses. Every fall faculty convene by area and recommend a schedule to the Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies. Each faculty member responds to a questionnaire about teaching preferences at different levels of the curriculum. On the basis of this information, the Graduate Director develops a schedule of graduate offerings and the Undergraduate Director a schedule of undergraduate offerings. This schedule is subject to the Course Scheduler's and Chair's reviews. Once the general schedule is set, the Course Scheduler will monitor any adjustments that need to be made, and in consultation with the Chair, make decisions about whether a course needs to be cancelled for lack of enrollment.


With respect to resources that can be equitably distributed such as copying privileges, support for travel to conferences, and the like, the Department operates by the equal opportunity principle. That is, every member of the tenure track faculty has the same opportunity to use these resources as every other. With respect to resources where equitable distribution is not possible—space, Special Research Assignments, and the like—other criteria become more relevant. With respect to space, seniority is an important but not the sole criterion. As space becomes more limited, the Chair, in consultation with the Executive Committee, will make whatever decisions are necessary. Faculty and staff do not own their offices and any one of a number of circumstances may be cause for relocation. With respect to Special Research Assignments, the quality of the proposal and the faculty member's past record are important but not the only criteria. In deciding such allocations, the Chair (or the Chair's designee) needs to be able to have the flexibility to deal with special cases while also keeping the dominant principle of fairness in mind. The Chair will allocate resources to non-tenure track faculty and to graduate students as part of the management of the Department budget within any given year. Within those groups, the dominant criterion for most decisions—copying privileges, travel support, and the like—should be equal opportunity.


The salary of regular, full-time faculty and staff is intended as full compensation for job activities performed for the University. However, faculty and staff may be requested to render service for other units of the University and/or to perform duties that are substantially outside the scope or reasonable potential scope of the individual's position. In such instances, the individual may be eligible to receive supplemental compensation if release time is not a feasible option. Performance of work outside the individual's home unit is subject to the approval of the home unit.

Guidelines for Supplemental Compensation for Internal Work
Before any services begin, all supplemental compensation arrangements must have prior approval. The University has no obligation to pay supplemental compensation for services that are not preapproved. Supplemental compensation is generally not provided for services within the individual's home Department(s). Supplemental compensation should not conflict with or reduce effectiveness of the individual's performance of primary job responsibilities. Supplemental compensation is intended for short-term arrangements, not as an ongoing compensation strategy. For ongoing situations, the Department will consider longer-term options, such as release time, using staff within the unit who may have the requisite skills, training available staff members to gain the requisite skills, or incorporating the work in the individual's position description. If ongoing, supplemental compensation arrangements should be reviewed at least annually. Supplemental compensation payments should not exceed 20 percent of regular salary over a fiscal year. Approvals

A. All supplemental compensation arrangements and exceptions to policy guidelines must be approved by the Dean or Vice President's office of the home employing unit.

B. Home employing units should consult with the Office of Human Resources (but no formal approval is required) when exceeding 20 percent payment over a fiscal year and/or when providing supplemental compensation within a home Department(s).

C. The Research Foundation must approve all supplemental compensation to be paid from OSURF projects.

Guidelines for Compensation for Work outside the University
Full-time University faculty and staff members are expected to devote their professional activities primarily to functions of the University. They may, however, engage in professional extramural activities outside their regular working hours provided that such activities do not detract from the performance of their duties and responsibilities to the University and/or create conflict of interest with their assigned University responsibilities. Extramural activities mean work for any non-University entity, whether or not performed on the University campus. Authorization also may be granted to staff members to perform work outside the University during regular working hours (e.g., consulting or other outside employment). Any such time will be charged to accrued but unused vacation and/or leave without pay.

Conflict of Interest (see also Policy 1.30, Conflict of Interest)
Staff engaging in outside professional employment must avoid the use of information or procedures that may involve a conflict of interest with assigned University responsibilities, particularly as related to an area of ongoing research, including sponsored programs with specific contractual restrictions. The staff member's signing of a patent or copyright from work conducted in University facilities with the outside company or agency may result in a conflict of interest. Please refer to the University patent policy for specific standards and requirements. Policy Restrictions

A. Use of University name Staff members engaging in outside professional activities for compensation will not use the name of The Ohio State University in such a manner as to suggest institutional endorsement or support of a non-University enterprise product or service. Neither business cards bearing the University name, address, and campus telephone numbers nor University stationery is to be used in connection with such outside professional activities.

B. Use of University staff Staff members who have authorization to perform outside professional activities will not utilize other University employees outside the scope of their assigned duties during regular working hours.

C. Use of facilities If University space, supplies, and equipment are required to perform the outside professional service for compensation, permission must be obtained and fees paid to the University for the use of such facilities.

D. Activities requiring prior approval Examples of externally compensated activities occurring during the regular working hours for which staff members should use accrued vacation and/or leave without pay are compensated services:

1. To a corporation, business, or industry as an individual officer, director, owner, agent, consultant, or staff member;
2. To a school system, educational institution, or governmental agency as a scheduled lecturer, consultant, or part-time staff member;
3. To a private foundation or professional or trade association as a consultant, officer, director, or part-time staff member;
4. As an expert witness in any civil or criminal case;
5. For private lessons in art or music;
6. As an editor or reviewer for professional journals;
7. For symphonies, choruses, and theatrical activities.

E. Policy exclusion Serving on accreditation teams, volunteer work, and/or activities that serve to enhance the University, and for which no compensation (excluding travel and meal allowances) is involved, are not be subject to the above restrictions.

F. Reporting procedures Request to engage in outside professional activities for compensation during regular working hours must have the prior approval of the appropriate college/Departmental official. Such absences will be accounted for as vacation and/or leave without pay.


Faculty salary appeals
The Department follows the University rule 3335-5-04 regarding procedures for complaints against regular and auxiliary faculty members. For procedures regarding appeals of promotion and tenure cases see the Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure document. Faculty may appeal their salaries to the College's Appeals and Complaints Committee. Appendix Two of the College of Humanities Pattern of Administration (http://www.cohums.ohio-state.edu/coh/COHintranet/InterAdmin/ QuickRef/poapg06.cfm) describes the procedures for such appeals.

Sexual Harassment
The University's policy and procedures related to sexual harassment are set forth in OHR Policy 1.15 http://hr.osu.edu/policy/policy115.pdf . Student complaints Normally student complaints about courses, grades, and related matters are brought to the attention of individual faculty members. In receiving such complaints, faculty should treat students with respect regardless of the apparent merit of the complaint and provide a considered response. When students bring complaints about courses and instructors to the department chair, the chair will first ascertain whether the students require confidentiality or not. If confidentiality is not required, the chair will investigate the matter as fully and fairly as possible and provide a response to both the students and any affected faculty. If confidentiality is required, the chair will explain that it is not possible to fully investigate a complaint in such circumstances and will advise the student(s) on options to pursue without prejudice as to whether the complaint is valid or not. Faculty complaints regarding students must always be handled strictly in accordance with University rules and policies. Faculty should seek the advice and assistance of the chair and others with appropriate knowledge of policies and procedures when problematic situations arise.

The Code of Student Conduct is Faculty Rule 3335-23

Faculty Misconduct Faculty misconduct/incompetence: Complaints alleging faculty misconduct or incompetence should follow the procedures set forth in Faculty Rule 3335-5-04 Revised 9/12/2007

The Department of English, 421 Denney Hall, 164 W 17th Ave., Columbus, OH 43210-1340 Phone: (614) 292-6065 Fax: (614) 292-7816

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