Bylaws

Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Amended on November 17, 2008, Approved on December 5, 2008

Article I

Relationship to the College and the University

Section I

These bylaws exist under the authority of the bylaws of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Statutes of the Board of Governors and Wayne State University (WSU), and the American Association of University Professors American Federation of Teachers (AAUP/AFT)-WSU Agreement. Nothing in these bylaws is intended to be inconsistent with present or future Board of Governors' Statutes, Executive Orders, or other University policies or regulations that have been duly issued, or any applicable collective bargaining agreement. In case of inconsistency between these bylaws and the Constitution of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Statutes of the Board of Governors and Wayne State University, and the AAUP/AFT-WSU Agreement, the latter documents supersede these bylaws.

Article II

The Faculty of the Department of Criminal Justice

Section 1: Departmental Faculty Membership

Faculty members holding the rank of lecturer, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and full professor and having at least a half-time appointment in the Department of Criminal Justice during the academic year (fall and winter semesters) shall be considered members of the Department with voting privileges. Part-time faculty and staff may attend meetings (except for personnel issues) but cannot vote. All those who meet the above qualifications to be voting faculty members of the Department will comprise the departmental faculty.

Section 2: Departmental Faculty and Committees

The departmental faculty, or committees of the faculty when such authority has been delegated, shall be responsible for departmental policies and procedures, except as provided by the statutes, policies, and regulations of the Board of Governors and Wayne State University and/or the AAUP/AFT-WSU Agreement.

Section 3: Meeting of the Departmental Faculty

The departmental faculty shall meet at least once during the fall semester and at least once during the winter semester during the academic year at the call of the Chair. The departmental faculty may meet more frequently. A meeting can be called upon petition with reasons in writing of two or more departmental faculty members.

At least one week written notice must be given for a meeting, except in case of emergency.

The Chair or his/her designee will preside over the meeting of the departmental faculty. In the absence of the Chair and the Chair's delegated substitute, the departmental faculty shall, by a majority vote, select a substitute to preside over the meeting.

Meetings shall be governed by the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

Issues submitted to or raised by the departmental faculty shall be decided by a majority vote of a quorum of the departmental faculty members. A quorum is defined as a simple majority of the departmental faculty members. There can be a vote by proxy. A departmental faculty member may leave his or her written vote with another departmental faculty member who attends the meeting. The departmental faculty member who is acting as a proxy must indicate at the time of the ballot the vote of the absent faculty member. Additionally, departmental faculty members who attend the discussion and leave before the vote is taken may leave their written vote on the motion with the Chair. Unless otherwise noted or requested, a verbal vote will be held. A departmental faculty member can request a vote by secret ballot. Votes on personnel matters will be by secret ballot.

Minutes of the meeting shall be recorded by the Secretary, who may be any member of the Department, including the Chair, and is elected at the first meeting of the academic year by a simple majority of those in attendance holding voting privileges.

Minutes of a meeting will be approved at the next meeting. Minutes are to be distributed no less than four days before the next scheduled departmental faculty meeting.

Article III

Department Positions/Offices

Section 1: Department Chair

The Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice is appointed by the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences for a term determined by the Dean.

The duties of the Chair shall include but shall not be limited to the following:

Supervises the administration of Department activities, including performance reviews of all staff members.
Schedules and staffs courses offered by the Department.
Recommends new faculty appointments to the Dean, upon receiving recommendations from the Personnel and Policy Committee (or the Search Committee if approved by the majority of departmental faculty members at a meeting) and submits an independent recommendation.
After review from the Personnel and Policy Committee, submits sabbatical requests with a recommendation to the Dean.
Recommends to the Dean appointments of graduate faculty.
Recommends to the Dean appointments of Graduate teaching Assistants (GTA's) after receiving recommendations from the Graduate Committee.
Recommends to the Dean appointments of part-time faculty, academic, administrative, clerical and secretarial staff.
Appoints members of non-elected committees, including ad hoc committees.
Transmits to the Dean the promotion and tenure recommendations for faculty seeking promotion and/or tenure in the Department in accordance with the WSU AAUP-AFT agreement.
Transmits to the Dean the salary increase recommendations of the Salary Committee.
Approves applications by departmental faculty members for grants and fellowships and transmits them to the Dean.
Administers the general Department budget and special Department accounts.
Serves as ex officio member of all Department committees with the exception of the Salary Committee, which he or she chairs with vote.
Calls department meetings, with at least one week's notice, except in cases of emergency) and presides at these meetings or appoints a designee to preside over the meeting.
Calls the initial meeting of a newly elected Personnel and Policy Committee and presides at that meeting until a Chair of the Committee is selected.
Selects someone to fill in for him/her when the Chair is out of the office for an extended period of time and notifies the members of the Department and the Dean's office.

Section 2: The Graduate Coordinator

The Graduate Coordinator is appointed by the Department Chair for a term determined by the Chair.

The duties of the Graduate Coordinator shall include but not be limited to the following:

Supervises the administration of all graduate degree programs in the Department in consultation with the Chair.
Authorizes admissions to all graduate programs in consultation with the Chair and the Graduate Committee.
Calls and chairs meetings of the Graduate Committee and reports its recommendations at a departmental faculty meeting.
Supervises Department graduate teaching assistants, including making assignments in consultation with the Chair and the Graduate Committee.
Acts upon requests for waiver of regulations and other petitions from graduate students, presenting recommendations the Department Chair.
Supervises the general operations of the departmental graduate office in terms of files, records, correspondence, and reports.

Section 3: The Undergraduate Coordinator

The Undergraduate Coordinator is appointed by the Chair for a term determined by the Chair.

The duties of the Undergraduate Coordinator include but are not limited to the following:

Supervises the administration of undergraduate degree programs in the Department.
Calls and chairs meetings of the Undergraduate Committee and reports its recommendations at a departmental faculty meeting.
Makes recommendations to the Chair about the general operations of the Department undergraduate programs in terms of files, records, correspondence, and reports.

Article IV

Departmental Committees

Section 1: Personnel and Policy Committee

The Personnel and Policy Committee shall consist of at least three departmental faculty members elected in the fall semester at a departmental faculty meeting. Those elected serve on the committee until the next election of the following fall semester.

The Chair of this committee is selected at the first meeting in the fall semester by the members of the Personnel and Policy Committee.

Either the Department Chair or the Committee Chair, in consultation with the Department Chair, may call a meeting of the Personnel and Policy Committee.

The Department Chair can attend meetings of the Personnel and Policy Committee with voice but not vote.

The duties of the Personnel and Policy Committee shall include but are not limited to:

Receives and reviews applications for sabbaticals and makes recommendations to the Department Chair.
Supervises recruitment of new faculty members and makes recommendations to the Department Chair who forwards them to the Dean. By a vote of the majority present at a departmental faculty meeting, this duty can be given to an ad hoc Search Committee.
Advises the Department Chair and faculty on matters relating to general departmental practices and procedures and submits general policy recommendations to the Department Chair and the faculty at meetings.
Serves as the budget committee for the Department.

Section 2: Promotion and Tenure Committee

A minimum of three tenured departmental faculty members must serve on the department's Promotion and Tenure Committee. If there are not, the procedures in the AAUP/AFT-WSU Agreement will be followed. All tenured departmental faculty members are allowed to serve on the committee when considering applications for tenure. All tenured departmental faculty members who are not seeking promotion that academic year can serve on this committee for applications for promotion. As indicated in the AAUP/AFT-WSU Agreement, no member of this committee shall participate in or vote on a promotion recommendation to a rank higher than his/her current rank. The Department Chair will serve as an ex officio member and chairs the committee. The committee shall elect a spokesperson from among its members, excluding the Department Chair. The spokesperson is to file a written report of the committee's decisions and the reasons for these decisions. When the elected spokesperson does not agree with the recommendation of the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee with respect to a specific candidate, the voting members of the committee may elect an alternative spokesperson to serve as the spokesperson for the committee with respect to that candidate.

The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall be charged with the following responsibilities in accordance with the University, College, and departmental criteria for excellence in scholarship, teaching, and service:

Receive applications, evaluate, and recommend persons for promotion and/or tenure. A two-thirds or higher affirmative vote is required for promotion and/or tenure. The recommendation of this committee is sent to the Chair.
Make recommendations to the Chair regarding contract renewal or nonrenewal for non-tenured departmental faculty members.

Section 3: Salary Committee

The Department Chair will chair this committee with voice and vote. This committee will consist of at least three tenured departmental faculty members who are also members of the Tenure and Promotion Committee. Other departmental faculty members can serve on this committee as long as the majority of the committee membership consists of tenured members. The salary committee members are elected at a faculty meeting during the fall semester. The committee shall:

Review applications for salary increases.
Make recommendations for faculty salary increases as outlined in the WSU AAUP-AFT Agreement.
Consult with the Department Chair, in so far as practicable, regarding initial salaries of prospective members of the Department.

Section 4: Graduate Committee

The Graduate Committee is composed of at least three departmental faculty members who teach graduate criminal justice courses. The members of this committee are appointed by the Department Chair. The meetings of the Graduate Committee are called and chaired by the Graduate Coordinator. The Graduate Committee shall meet at least once a semester during the academic year and must meet upon the request of the Department Chair, Graduate Coordinator, or any two members of the committee. The Graduate Committee:

Oversees the operations of the Department's graduate program.
Promotes the recruitment of graduate students.
Processes graduate admission applications, makes admission decisions, and forwards recommendations to the Graduate School.
Selects departmental graduate student assistants in consultation with the Department Chair.
Assists the Graduate Coordinator when necessary.
Recommends graduate students for appropriate Department, College, or University scholarships, awards, and related matters.
Reviews proposed changes in graduate course offerings and submits recommendations for changes to the Chair.
Reviews proposals for changes in the Department's graduate programs, policies and regulations and submits recommendations to the Department Chair and at departmental faculty meetings.
Ensures the Graduate Coordinator informs graduate students of changes to the graduate program.
Submits a report on graduate matters at a departmental faculty meeting at least once in the fall semester and once in the winter semester.

Section 5: Undergraduate Committee

The Undergraduate Committee is composed of at least three departmental faculty members appointed by the Department Chair. The Undergraduate Committee shall meet at least once in the fall semester, once in the winter semester, and must meet upon the request of the Department Chair or any two members of the Committee. The Undergraduate Committee:

Oversees the operations of the Department's undergraduate programs.
Assists with departmental recruiting efforts of undergraduate students.
Examines and suggests ways to increase course enrollments.
Reviews proposed changes in undergraduate course offerings and submits recommendations to the Chair.
Reviews proposals for changes in the Department's undergraduate programs, policies and regulations and submits recommendations at a departmental faculty meeting.
Considers petitions from undergraduate students regarding the requirements for the major or minor and makes recommendations to the Chair.
Recommends undergraduate criminal justice student majors for appropriate Department, College, and University scholarships, awards, and related matters.
Oversees the Department's honors program.
Works with the Department Chair to develop and update a handbook for the undergraduate criminal justice program.
Submits a report on undergraduate matters at a departmental faculty meeting at least once in the fall semester and once in the winter semester.

Section 6: Budget Committee

The Departmental Personnel and Policy Committee members also serve as the Department Budget Committee (see Section 1).

Section 7: Ad Hoc Committees

Ad hoc committee members and chairs of these committees shall be appointed by the Department Chair.

Article V

Student Participation

Student participation in the Department is governed by Article IV, Section 5 of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Bylaws which reads:

"Tenured members of a department may extend to full-time undergraduate and graduate student departmental majors, subject to annual review, the privilege of committee membership with vote, except in matters dealing with promotion, tenure, and recommendations for compensation. Normally no committee composed of four or more members should have student representation in excess of 25%. Should any department wish to adopt a higher percentage of student-to-faculty representation, it must secure approval from the Liberal Arts and Sciences Faculty Council."

By vote of the majority of the departmental faculty members, student membership may be extended for any committee except the Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Salary Committee. Students also shall be excluded from participation in matters pertaining to personnel matters. Student participation shall be restricted to matters of policy, programs, procedures and regulations. In order to be a student representative, the person must be a full-time student majoring in criminal justice, currently enrolled in the semester of service and in good standing with the University. No election will be held. Rather, selected students will be asked to serve on a particular committee.

Article VI

Amendments or Changes to Bylaws

These bylaws can be amended or changed. Copies of any proposed amendment(s) or changes shall be distributed to all members of the departmental faculty for consideration at least one week in advance of a scheduled departmental faculty meeting. A vote on the proposed changes must be held within 30 days after copies of the proposed amendment(s) or changes are distributed to the departmental faculty members. Approved amendments or changes require a two-thirds majority vote by a quorum of the departmental faculty at a departmental meeting.

These bylaws were approved by the faculty of the Department of Criminal Justice on December 5, 2008

Eric Lambert, Professor and Chair, Department of Criminal Justice

Stephen Calkins, Associate Vice President for Academic Personnel