Bylaws

Department of English, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Adopted 03/27/91 Revised 04/10/15

Bylaws finalized 10/12/2018 after Associate Provost Review, Policy Committee Review, and CLAS Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs Review.

Part 1: Rules

I. Rules, Policies and Procedures

1. Rules describe the structure and main features of English Department organization and governance; where inconsistencies arise between the Department By-Laws and the College, University or applicable collective bargaining agreement, the latter shall prevail.

Policies and Procedures records decisions the Department has made about the conduct of its business in the areas of administration, academic programs, and personnel. Operating policy normally evolves from several sources: (1) College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and University policy statements; (2) current bargaining unit agreements; and (3) departmental decisions approved by the Department Assembly. In some instances, long-standing practices or precedents shall be understood to constitute policy and changes shall be addressed as policy decisions by the Chair and the appropriate Standing Committee. The Policy Committee shall advise the Chair on questions of general policy. The Policy Committee may be addressed by any faculty member.

2. Amendments.

A motion to amend the By-Laws must be made by written notice submitted to the Department by a voting member of the Department Assembly at least two weeks before the assembly meeting at which it is to be considered. For adoption, a motion requires an affirmative vote of the majority of voting members present at the Department Assembly.

II. The Department Assembly

Membership and voting privileges.

Membership in the Department Assembly shall be extended to full-time faculty and academic staff members, fractional time faculty on half-time assignment or more, part-time faculty, graduate students, and visiting faculty.

Voting privileges in the Assembly shall be extended to full-time faculty and academic staff members, and fractional-time faculty on half-time assignment or more.
Meetings.

Department Assembly meetings may be convened by the Department Chair or the Chair's designee, the Policy Committee, or seven voting members of the Assembly.

The Assembly shall meet at least once each semester during the regular academic year.

Meetings should be announced at least two weeks in advance.

The Chair of the Department or her/his designee shall conduct the meetings of the Assembly according to Roberts Rules of Order.
Quorum.

One third of the voting membership of the Department Assembly shall constitute a quorum. A quorum is required for a vote. The minutes shall document the presence of a quorum at each Assembly.
Records.

The Department Chair shall appoint a Recording Secretary who will see that minutes of the Assembly meetings are posted to the membership within two weeks following each Assembly meeting. These minutes shall be retained in the Office of the Department Chair.

III. Department Officers

1. Chair

Eligibility and Selection. The selection and appointment of the Chair will follow the procedures specified by the AAUP-WSU contract.
Term of Office. The term of office will be determined by the Dean of the College. The Chair may succeed himself or herself.
Vacancy. If the Chair is permanently vacated, an Acting Chair will be selected and appointed following the procedures specified by the AAUP-WSU contract.
Recall. The Chair may be asked to resign, and that recommendation forwarded to the Dean, for neglect of duties, failure to abide by the Department By-Laws, or frequent absences. Such an action will be initiated by a petition signed by one third of the voting members of the Department Assembly, in which case an Assembly meeting will be called by the Policy Committee, with the Chair of the Policy Committee presiding. Following the meeting, the Policy Committee will poll the voting members of the Assembly via secure balloting. A majority of the voting members of the Assembly is necessary to recommend recall.
Responsibilities.
1. as Chief Executive Officer of the Department, is responsible for the orderly, equitable, and efficient functioning of the Department as a whole.
2. serves, ex officio, as non-voting chair of the Tenure and Promotion and Appointments Committees and as voting chair of Salary Committee. Serves as ex-officio member of the Policy Committee, the Graduate Committee, the Undergraduate Committee, the Composition Committee, the Special Events Committee, the Library Committee, and the Awards Committee. Chairs the Course Scheduling Committee (the Course Scheduling Committee consists of the Chair, Associate Chair, Director of Composition, and Director of Graduate Studies).
3. in consultation with the Policy Committee, recommends to the Dean, departmental officers and the Editor of Criticism.
4. supervises the Department budget.
5. coordinates the activities of the Standing Committees.
6. conducts, or appoints a representative to conduct, the meetings of the Department Assembly.
7. appoints faculty to departmental ad hoc committees as needed.
8. plans and supervises the functioning of the central office and office staff.
9. supervises the orientation of new faculty.
10. represents the Department to College, University, and extramural agencies.
11. undertakes or delegates departmental tasks not specifically assigned in the By-Laws.

2. Associate Chair

Eligibility. Any tenured Associate Professor or Professor in the Department shall be eligible for the office of Associate Chair.
Selection. The Chair, in consultation with the Policy Committee, will normally recommend an Associate Chair to the Dean of the College. The selection and appointment of the Associate Chair will take place in consultation with the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and follow the procedures currently practiced in the College.
Term of Office. The term of office will be two years. The Associate Chair may succeed her/himself.
Responsibilities.
1. supervises the day-to-day administration of the Undergraduate Program.
2. supervises undergraduate advising.
3. receives undergraduate student complaints.
4. serves on the Course Scheduling Committee, which consists of the Chair, the Associate Chair, the Graduate Director, the Director of Composition, and the Department Academic Services Officer.
5. administers faculty teaching observations and evaluations.
6. serves on the Awards Committee and manages the Department's writing and academic awards in conjunction with the Awards Committee.
7. chairs, ex officio, the Undergraduate Studies Committee, and serves as an ex-officio member of the Policy Committee.
8. keeps all records relating to the undergraduate program.
9. takes general responsibility for the undergraduate program and curriculum and initiates changes to improve their quality and efficiency.

3. Director of Composition

Eligibility. Any tenured or tenure-track member of the Department with appropriate credentials shall be eligible.
Selection. In all cases, the selection and appointment of the Director of Composition will take place in consultation with the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and follow the procedures currently practiced in the College. The Chair, in consultation with the Policy Committee, will normally recommend the Director of Composition to the Dean of the College.
Term of Office. The term of office will be two years. The Director of Composition may succeed her/himself.
Responsibilities.
1. supervises the day-to-day administration of the undergraduate Composition Program.
2. consults with the Director of Graduate Studies about the graduate program in composition.
3. consults with the Associate Chair and the departmental Administrative Assistant or Academic Services Officer about composition course offerings.
4. serves on the Course Scheduling Committee, which consists of the Chair, the Associate Chair, the Graduate Director, the Director of Composition, and the Department Academic Services Officer.
5. keeps all records relating to the composition program.
6. serves ex officio as a voting member of the Undergraduate Studies Committee and as a non-voting member of the Policy Committee.
7. with the Appointments Committee, assesses applications of part-time instructors in composition.
8. appoints the Composition Committee, convenes it at her/his discretion, and reports its actions and recommendations to the Undergraduate Studies Committee.
9. consults with the Associate Chair on faculty evaluations of part-time instructors and teaching assistants as needed.
10. takes general responsibility for the composition program and curriculum and initiates changes to improve their quality and efficiency.

4. Director of Graduate Studies

Eligibility. Any tenured member of the Department shall be eligible.
Selection. In all cases, the selection and appointment of the Director of Graduate Studies will take place in consultation with the Deans of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and of the Graduate School and will follow the procedures currently practiced in the College and Graduate School. The Chair, in consultation with the Policy Committee, will normally recommend the Director of Graduate Studies to the Deans of the College and the Graduate School.
Term of Office. The term of office will be two years. The Director of Graduate Studies may succeed her/himself.
Responsibilities.
1. supervises the day-to-day administration of the Graduate Program.
2. consults with Directors of graduate-level programs about those programs and, as indicated, with members of the graduate faculty for their expert advice.
3. receives student complaints that pertain to graduate courses.
4. keeps all records relating to the graduate program.
5. rules on applications for admission to the graduate program and recommends to the Department Chair recipients of Teaching Assistantships and other forms of financial assistance.
6. serves as principal advisor for English graduate students.
7. appoints the Graduate Committee and reports its actions to the graduate faculty.
8. chairs, ex officio, the Graduate Committee and serves on the Course Scheduling Committee, which consists of the Chair, the Associate Chair, the Graduate Director, the Director of Composition, and the Department Academic Services Officer.
9. takes responsibility for the recruitment of graduate students.
10. takes general responsibility for the graduate program and curriculum and initiates changes to improve their quality and efficiency.

IV. Standing Committees

1. General Procedures

The Standing Committees. The Standing Committees are an important part of the shared governance of the Department and full-time faculty are therefore expected to serve on at least one Standing Committee each year. There are ten Standing Committees among

which the regularly recurring work of the Department is distributed. The Department Chair in consultation with the Policy Committee shall assign new obligations which are expected to be ongoing to one of the Standing Committees. The ten committees, described in detail below, are as follows: Policy, Tenure and Promotion, Appointments, Salary, Awards, Special Events, Library, Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, and Composition.
The Standing Committees of the Department are expected to function with considerable autonomy, consulting with each other on matters of mutual interest and with the Department Assembly on matters of general policy.
The committees will keep the Department informed of their activities by publishing minutes for all meetings. The chair of each committee will ensure that minutes are distributed.
All committee meetings will be open to any full-time faculty members of the Department, except when the meetings concern personnel matters.
Term of Office, Staffing, Chairs
1. The term of office for all Standing Committees is two years. Insofar as possible, no more than half the committee will be replaced each year.
2. Committee service will be distributed as widely and equitably as possible.
3. If a committee member cannot serve, the Policy Committee will appoint a replacement.
4. Any full-time member of the faculty is eligible to serve on any Standing Committee, except for the Promotion and Tenure Committee which must be made up of tenured faculty, and the Appointments Committee, which must be made up of tenured or tenure-track faculty or Senior Lecturers. Fractional-time teaching faculty on one-half time assignment or more may also serve on Standing Committees, but may opt not to do so without penalty. The Chair of the Department will be a voting member of all Standing Committees unless otherwise specified. With the exception of the Tenure and Promotion Committee and the Salary Committee, every Standing Committee will have one graduate student member. The graduate student member of the Appointments Committee will be appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Graduate Committee. The graduate student member of the Undergraduate Committee will be appointed by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in consultation with the Undergraduate Committee, and the graduate student members of the Composition Committee will be appointed by the Director of Composition. The graduate student members of Policy, Special Events, Library, and Awards will be elected by the graduate students.
5. Election/Appointment of Committee Members. The Policy Committee will ask all faculty who are not continuing on a standing committee and who will not be on leave the following year to indicate three standing committees, in order of preference, on which they would be willing to serve. Guided by these preferences, the Policy Committee will produce a slate of candidates and conduct a mail ballot election for the Policy, the Appointments, and the Tenure and Promotion Committees. The vacancies on elective standing committees will be filled by the corresponding number of faculty members who receive the most votes (a plurality). Run-off elections will decide ties, again by a plurality. This election will occur soon after Spring Break. After the election of the Policy, the Tenure and Promotion, and the Appointments Committees, an election for the Salary Committee will be held.
  
  The following September, the Policy Committee, again guided by faculty preferences, will appoint members to the remaining Standing Committees. The Policy Committee will attempt to achieve as far as possible a balance of groups (ranks, specialties, etc.) in the Department on each committee. The term of the new committees will begin in the following fall semester.
6. The Policy, Appointments, Awards and Special Events Committees elect a chair at its first meeting. The Tenure and Promotion and the Salary Committees must, by the terms of the AAUP Contract, be chaired by the Chair of the Department (who is non-voting in the case of the Tenure and Promotion Committee but who has a vote in the case of the Salary Committee). The Undergraduate Studies Committee is chaired by the Associate Chair of the Department.

2. The Policy Committee

Membership. The Policy Committee is composed of six full-time faculty members elected in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Chair and the Policy Committee, appoints a non- voting graduate student member of the Committee. The Chair, the Associate Chair/DUS, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Director of Composition serve ex-officio as members of the Policy Committee.
Responsibilities. Matters arising not within the domain of other Standing Committees shall generally be assigned to the Policy Committee. Among its specifically assigned duties are the following.
1. conducts elections and appointments to Standing Committees as specified in IV.1.E.5 above.
2. consults with the Chair regarding nominations for ad hoc committees and for appointment of administrative assistants, editors, the associate chair, program directors, and so on.
3. consults with the Chair on academic and office staff.
4. regularly reviews Departmental By-Laws.
5. formulates the Department Travel Policy on a yearly basis.
6. serves as the Budget Advisory Committee, consulting with the Chair on budget priorities.

3. The Tenure and Promotion Committee

Membership. The Tenure and Promotion Committee is composed of six tenured faculty members, including three full professors and three associate professors, elected in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The non-voting chair of the Tenure and Promotion Committee, in accordance with the AAUP-WSU contract, is the Chair of the Department.
Responsibilities.
1. regularly reviews and, if necessary, revises for Departmental approval the Department's statement of factors for promotion and tenure.
2. conducts a yearly review of faculty's progress toward promotion and/or tenure.
3. makes recommendations to the Dean for the granting of promotion and tenure.
  1. The entire committee shall make recommendations for the granting of tenure. A two-thirds vote shall be required for an affirmative tenure recommendation.
  2. The entire committee shall make recommendations for promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor. A two-thirds vote shall be required for an affirmative recommendation.
  3. Only the Full Professors of the Committee shall make recommendations for promotion from Associate to Full Professor. A two-thirds vote shall be required for an affirmative recommendation.
4. makes recommendations concerning the renewal of probationary or terminal contracts for tenure-track faculty in accordance with Departmental, College, and University policies governing the length of such contracts.
5. conducts the yearly review of lecturers for reappointment and reposting.
6. reviews and ranks applications for sabbatical leave.
7. consults with the Chair on requests for unpaid leaves of absence.
8. selects Tenure and Promotion Committee representative(s) to present the Committee's recommendations to the College Promotion and Tenure Committee.
9. recommends nominees for the Career Development Chair, Distinguished Faculty Fellow, Distinguished Graduate Faculty and Board of Governors Faculty Recognition Award.
10. supervises the Keal Fellowship competition.
Confidentiality. All proceedings of the Tenure and Promotion Committee shall be confidential and only the Chair (accompanied by the committee's official representative) shall speak for it.

4. Appointments Committee

Membership. The Appointments Committee is composed of six full-time faculty members, from the ranks of the tenured, tenure-track, or Senior Lecturer faculty, elected in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Chair and the Policy Committee, appoints a non-voting graduate student member of the Committee. The Department Chair serves ex- officio as the non-voting chair of the Appointments Committee. Additional voting members may be appointed to serve on the Committee by agreement of the Chair and the Committee.
Responsibilities.
1. surveys Departmental personnel needs and makes recommendations to the Department Chair.
2. initiates advertisements for faculty positions, supervises the subsequent review of applications and dossiers, selects and interviews final candidates, and advises the Department Chair about all hiring decisions.
3. by agreement between the Chair and the Committee, appoints faculty members to screening committees when necessary.
4. receives the list of part-time faculty appointments at the beginning of each year.

5. Awards Committee

Membership. The Awards Committee is composed of four to six full-time faculty members of the Department appointed by the Policy Committee in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Chair and the Policy Committee, appoints a non-voting graduate student member of the Awards Committee. The Chair and Associate Chair/DUS serve as ex-officio members of the Committee.
Responsibilities. The Awards Committee adjudicates the departmental writing awards.

6. Special Events Committee

Membership. The Special Events Committee is composed of six faculty members of the Department appointed by the Policy Committee in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above, a graduate student member, and the Department Chair.
Responsibilities. This Committee's main responsibility is to make arrangements for departmental social events such as the holiday party. It also attends to other special events as they arise.

7. Undergraduate Studies Committee

Membership. The Undergraduate Studies Committee is composed of six full-time faculty members of the Department appointed by the Associate Chair/DUS in consultation with the Chair and the Policy Committee in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Associate Chair/DUS and the Policy Committee will attempt to achieve as far as possible a balance of groups (ranks, specialties, etc.) in making appointments to the Undergraduate Studies Committee. The Associate Chair/DUS, in consultation with the Chair, the Policy Committee, and the Director of Graduate Studies, appoints a non-voting graduate student to the Committee, and the Associate Chair/DUS also appoints one non-voting undergraduate English major to the Committee in consultation with the Chair and the Policy Committee. The academic staff Undergraduate Advisor serves ex-officio as a member of the Undergraduate Studies Committee. The Associate Chair/DUS serves ex-officio as chair of the Committee. The Chair and the coordinator of English Honors serve ex- officio as members of the Committee.
Responsibilities. The Undergraduate Studies Committee is responsible for all academic matters pertaining to undergraduate English courses and students outside of the General Education Composition Program. Among its duties are the following.
1. establishes and keeps current the undergraduate curriculum of the Department.
2. advises the Department Chair on the approval of proposals for new undergraduate courses.
3. administers "Assessment of Student Knowledge in the Major" by reviewing Writing Intensive submissions on a tri-annual basis.
4. considers undergraduate petitions or appeals for exemption.
5. adjudicates undergraduate scholarship awards and the Academic Achievement Awards.

8. The Salary Committee

Membership. The Salary Committee is composed of six full-time faculty and the Department Chair. The majority of the committee membership shall consist of tenured members: the Chairperson of the Department, three members selected by the Tenure & Promotion Committee from its members, and three other faculty elected by the Department in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The voting chair of the Salary Committee, in accordance with the AAUP-WSU contract, is the Chair of the Department.
Responsibilities. The Salary Committee shall carry out the annual reviews of full- time faculty following the procedures specified in the AAUP-WSU contract.

9. The Library Committee

Membership. The Library Committee is composed of four to six full-time faculty members of the Department appointed by the Policy Committee in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the Policy Committee, appoints a non-voting graduate student member of the Library Committee. The Chair serves ex-officio as a member of the Committee.
Responsibilities. The Library Committee serves as liaison between the Department and the University libraries. It advises the libraries on holdings important to the teaching and research activities of the Department and its members, and provides the Department with information about library facilities and resources.

10. Graduate Studies Committee

Membership. The Graduate Studies Committee is composed of six faculty members of the Department who hold graduate faculty status, appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies in consultation with the Chair and the Policy Committee in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Director of Graduate Studies and the Policy Committee will attempt to achieve as far as possible a balance of groups (ranks, specialties, etc.) in making appointments to the Graduate Studies Committee. The Director of Graduate Studies serves ex-officio as chair of the Committee. The Department Chair serves ex-officio as a member of the Committee.
Responsibilities. The Graduate Studies Committee is responsible for all academic matters pertaining to graduate English courses and students. Among its duties are the following.
1. establishes and keeps current the graduate curriculum of the Department.
2. advises the Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair on the approval of proposals for new graduate courses and changes in existing courses.
3. conducts formal assessment of graduate student learning on an annual basis.
4. advises the Director of Graduate Studies on admissions to the program.
5. advises the Director of Graduate Studies on membership of Qualifying Examination committees.
6. advises the Director of Graduate Studies and the Chair on funding for graduate students
7. adjudicates graduate scholarships and awards.

11. Composition Committee

Membership. The Composition Committee is composed of a variable number of full-time faculty members of the Department appointed by the Director of Composition in consultation with the Policy Committee in accordance with IV.1.E.5 above. The Director of Composition serves ex-officio as chair of the committee and appoints additional non-voting part-time faculty and graduate student members. The Department Chair serves ex-officio as a member of the Committee.
Responsibilities. The Composition Committee is responsible for all academic matters pertaining to the General Education Composition Program. Among its duties are the following.
1. establishes and keeps current the curriculum of the General Education Composition Program.
2. advises the Director of Composition and Department Chair on the approval of proposals for new composition courses and changes to existing composition courses.
3. oversees mentoring initiatives for instructors in composition courses.
4. conducts assessment of student learning in composition courses on an annual basis.
5. adjudicates departmental teaching awards in the General Education Composition Program.

Part 2: Policies and Procedures

1. English Department Tenure and Promotion Factors

Preamble

The English Department serves many publics. It embraces a wide range of scholarly and creative activities. The Department is committed to supporting scholarship and creative work, effective teaching, and significant service.

Tenure candidates will be evaluated on each of the three categories specified in the WSU-AAUP Agreement: scholarship, teaching, and non-instructional service. Creative work such as poetry, drama, and fiction is considered the equivalent of scholarship. Judgments of professional achievement are based on the quality and quantity of the candidate's work.

Tenure decisions play a vital role in the long-term shaping of the Department; they are therefore concerned with probable future performance and potential for growth as well as with past performance. Tenure deliberations take a candidate's entire record into account, though emphasis may be placed on more recent performance. Promotion deliberations, while weighing the entire record, are concerned chiefly with performance since the candidate's last promotion.

Tenure and Promotion Process

The decision to recommend a candidate for promotion or tenure is made by the Department's elected Tenure and Promotion Committee and separately by the Department Chair. As part of its assembling of relevant materials, the Tenure and Promotion Committee solicits letters from evaluators outside the University. Departmental recommendations are forwarded to the College Tenure and Promotion Committee. (Candidates should read "Factors for Promotion and Tenure, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.")

Scholarship

The English Department considers the continuing intellectual development of its faculty to be of paramount importance. It requires all candidates for tenure and promotion to engage in scholarly research and/or creative writing and to publish their work.

The Department expects candidates to have records of substantial scholarship that has appeared in or been accepted by refereed journals or presses as articles, chapters, monographs, books, creative works, etc., whether print or electronic. Translations, textbooks, and edited anthologies will be evaluated in terms of their contributions to scholarship. Other forms of scholarly or pedagogical publication, including electronic publication, may be considered as well. Papers read at conferences, funding for support of research from internal and external sources (especially national agencies), awards and prizes from national organizations, invitations to speak at or participate in professional meetings, memberships on editorial boards of scholarly journals, and invitations to referee manuscripts for presses or journals will also be considered, as will contributions to the scholarly/creative life of the Department.

Primary factors in evaluating scholarship or creative works, whether print or electronic, are the quality of the publications and their significance as contributions to scholarship or literature. In establishing the quality of written work, the Department will consider its nature and scope, the selectivity and reputation of the journals and presses in which it appears, and evaluations from recognized authorities.

Teaching

The Department expects its members to be effective, conscientious teachers.

Departmental assessment of teaching involves review of course design and observation of classroom teaching as well as student course evaluations. Advising or mentoring graduate students, including serving on Qualifying Examination committees, master's project committees, and dissertation committees, is also an important part of departmental teaching. Teaching awards and contributions to the curriculum, such as the development of new courses, teaching materials, or programs, also provide evidence of accomplishment in teaching, as does willingness to teach in areas of special Department need.

Service

All faculty members should join in the work necessary to the functioning of the Department, the College, and the University. Participation appropriate to rank in departmental, College, and University committees as well as workshops, training, and mentoring programs is taken into consideration of service. Service to interdisciplinary programs is taken into account as well. Community service in a professional capacity and work done in national professional organizations is also be evaluated as part of a faculty member's non-instructional service. The opportunity and responsibility to serve, especially at the College and University levels, increase with seniority and are expected for promotion from associate to full professor.

Weighing of Factors

The English Department expects, and is committed to supporting, excellent performance in all areas of its faculty's work. Substantial scholarly and/or creative achievement is the single most important consideration in tenure and promotion deliberations, but for positive recommendations, the Department also requires solid evidence of excellent teaching and professional service.

2. Faculty Absences

If a faculty member must be absent for illness or some professional reason, s/he must notify the Department and attempt to insure that provision has been made for covering the missed class or classes. If s/he anticipates the possibility of prolonged absence of a week or more from classes, the Associate Chair or the Chair should be informed promptly.

3. Teaching Evaluation Policy

All new faculty, full or part-time, will be evaluated once during their first year.

Tenure-track faculty will be evaluated the semester of, or the year prior to, departmental consideration of their tenure case.

Senior Lecturers and Lecturers will be evaluated their second and third years and every third year thereafter.

Part-time faculty at the rank of PTF 1 or 2 will be evaluated for advancement following the procedures specified by the UPTF-WSU contract.

Part-time faculty at the rank of PTF 3 will be evaluated every third year. All Graduate Teaching Assistants will be evaluated yearly.

Teaching evaluations will follow the Procedures for Instructor Observation and the Teaching Observation Form currently in use in the Department. Copies of the evaluation materials will be provided to reviewers and are available to all instructors from the Associate Chair/DUS or the Director of Composition.

Any instructor may request additional classroom visitation on an ad hoc basis. Graduate Teaching Assistants or part-time faculty about to enter the job market, for example, might want to invite the Graduate Director, the Director of Composition, the Associate Chair/DUS, or a faculty mentor to visit a current class.

Additional evaluations of any instructor may also be requested or required by the Chair, Associate Chair/DUS, or Director of Composition when the situation seems to warrant such visitation: for example, if an instructor is being considered for a teaching award, when she or he may be experiencing difficulties in the classroom, or when other legitimate reasons for such visits arise.

3. English Department Faculty Mentoring Policy

We recognize that mentoring tenure-track faculty is an essential and multi-faceted endeavor, and that tenure-track faculty are best served when they engage in formal and informal mentoring activities with multiple mentors who have complementary and clearly-defined levels of responsibility. We also recognize that mentoring can take the form of support and advice in teaching, research, and service and also in acclimation to the institution. In the Department of English, formal mentoring is carried out primarily by the Chairperson, particularly in disseminating specific information about Department expectations for promotion and tenure and

annual reviews. The Chairperson is assisted by both assigned senior faculty mentors and by informal mentoring activities in the goals of institutional and research mentoring.

1. Informal Mentoring

The department Policy Committee develops new tenure-track faculty orientations and maintains a resource site for mentors and mentees that includes internal grant information, departmental bylaws, committee assignments, contract information, and other relevant information.
Tenure-track faculty meet as a cohort at least once per semester to attend Department workshops that engage subjects specific to their needs, collaboratively defined.
The Chairperson stands ready to mentor all tenure-track faculty informally on an individual basis.

2. Formal Mentoring

Per the AAUP-AFT Contract, all tenure-track faculty are reviewed annually by the Department Promotion and Tenure Committee and the Chair and provided with detailed reviews.
If interested, all tenure-track faculty within their first two years of employment may be enrolled in the Research Mentors Program for New Faculty, which is sponsored by the Division of Research. In this program, tenure-track faculty members are paired with senior faculty in the Department to focus on submitting a grant proposal for external funding.
Shortly after the hiring process, the Appointments Committee, in consultation with the Chairperson and the newly-hired tenure-track faculty member, recommends a senior faculty member as a mentor for the first year of employment as part of a complete mentoring plan.

After the first year, the Promotion and Tenure Committee will assign senior faculty mentors for all tenure-track faculty members, ensuring that each tenure-track faculty member has a mentor throughout his/her period on the tenure-track. Tenure-track faculty members will be asked to nominate 2-3 faculty members as possible mentors.

5. ENGLISH DEPARTMENT GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT MENTORING POLICY

Because many of our new graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) come to our department with varied teaching experience, pedagogical approaches, and areas of expertise, our mentoring program supports new GTAs' transition into teaching composition courses at WSU as well as general pedagogical training throughout a GTA's teaching career. In the Department of English, formal mentoring of GTAs is carried out by the Director of Composition and full-time faculty in Composition, particularly in providing instruction and support for teaching composition courses. The Director and full-time faculty are assisted by assigned senior GTAs. This mentoring takes place in practica, required teaching workshops, teaching circles, and a series of informal and formal teaching observations. Both the informal and formal mentoring activities described below are required for new GTAs. Several activities are required for all GTAs (as noted).

First year GTAs are assigned a GTA mentor.
Senior GTA mentors are asked to invite mentees to visit their classrooms and to arrange a pre- or post-class discussion about teaching. Other informal mentoring interactions may take place during the Composition Orientation or at the discretion of the mentor/mentee.
First year GTAs are required to participate in teaching circle meetings as designated by the Director of Composition. All GTAs are required to participate in teaching circles when teaching a new course and may also participate in teaching circles at any time if desired.
All GTAs are required to participate in a mandatory number of teaching workshops per year to support their teaching of composition courses.
The Composition Program provides a resource site that includes teaching materials such as course learning outcomes, common syllabi, workshop materials, and sample teaching portfolios.
After the first year, new GTAs and senior GTA mentors may choose to continue mentoring relationships.
First year GTAs are also assigned a full-time faculty mentor.
Full-time faculty mentors arrange one informal observation of the GTA's teaching in the Fall semester.
After the first year, GTAs and full-time faculty may choose to continue mentoring relationships.
The Director of Composition and the Associate Chair/DUS may require continued mentoring for GTAs who need additional support.

Wayne State University

CLAS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences