DEPARTMENTOFPHYSICSDEPARTMENTALBYLAWS
APPROVEDBYCOREFACULTY04/06/2016
DepartmentFaculty
Forpurposesofgovernance,departmentfacultymembersfallintosixcategories:
 GroupA:Tenuredandtenure‐linefaculty(includingfacultyonleaveand
facultywithappointmentssplitbetweenmultipledepartments).
 GroupB:Full‐timetermfacultywhohavebeeninthedepartmentthreeor
moreyears.
 GroupC:Full‐timetermfacultywhohavebeeninthedepartmentlessthan
threeyears.
 GroupD:Part‐timeteachingfaculty,includingadjunctswithcurrentteaching
assignmentsandfacultyfromotherdepartmentsteachinginphysics.
 GroupE:Full‐timeresearchfaculty,i.e.facultysupportedbyresearchgrants
andtypicallysubjecttoannualrenewalcontingentonavailabilityoffunding.
 GroupF:Part‐timenon‐teachingfaculty,includingpart‐timeorno‐time
researchfaculty(e.g.Physicists‐in‐Residence;typicallysubjecttoannual
renewal),non‐teachingadjuncts,emeritifaculty,affiliatefaculty,andvisiting
faculty.
Allgroupsofthefacultyareinvitedtoparticipateindepartmenteventsand
colloquium.Allfacultymembersmayberequestedtoprovideannualreportstothe
departmentontheirAU‐relatedactivitiesinordertosupportreviewor
reappointmentprocesses.
CoreFaculty
Thefirstthreecategories(AB&C)arethecorefaculty.Thecorefacultyis
responsibleforalldepartmentaldecisionsandpolicies.Thecorefacultyformulates
educationalandcourse‐assignmentpolicies,pursuanttotheFacultyManual,
DepartmentalBylawsandguidelinesfromtheDeanofCASandProvost.Thecore
facultymakesrecommendationstotheChairconcerninghiringpriorities,the
selectionofjobcandidates,andthehiringofnewfaculty.OnlyGroupAmayvote
duringthetenure‐linehiringprocess.
ThecorefacultywillmeetatthecalloftheChair,oruponthewrittenrequest
(submittedtotheChair)ofatleastonehalfthecorefacultymembers.Allmembers
ofthedepartmentfacultyareinvitedtoattendregularfacultymeetings.Faculty
membersmaybeinvitedatthediscretionofthechairand/orthefaculty.Allcore
membersofthedepartmentfacultyhaveanequalvoteatdepartmentmeetings,
exceptwhendisallowedbytheFacultyManual,suchasintenure‐linehiring
decisions.Novotesmaybetakenunlessaquorumofatleastonehalfofthecore
facultymembersispresent.Thecorefacultymayalsoallocateavoteonrelevant
issuestofull‐timedepartmentstaffmembers.
AttheChair’sdiscretion,facultymeetingsmayhaveanexecutivesessionwhere
attendanceandvotingislimited.Notenure‐linefacultymembermaybeexcluded
fromanexecutivesession.
FacultyReview
FacultygroupsA,B,C,andEwillbereviewedannuallyinthespringsemester
pursuanttothe“MeritEvaluationGuidelines”ofthedepartment(seeattached)and
theCollege.Thecorefacultyisempoweredtocreate,modifyandproposethis(and
other)departmentdocuments.FacultygroupAperformsthereviewforgroupAand
E.GroupsAandBperformthereviewsforgroupsBandC.
Chair
TheChairisresponsibleforconceiving,shaping,advocating,andimplementing
existingandnewacademicprogramsinordertopromotetheimprovementofthe
departmentandthedepartmentfaculty.TheChairisalsoresponsibleforenabling
theprofessionaldevelopmentofthedepartmentfaculty.TheChairwillrunthe
department’sfacultymeetings.
TheChaircoordinatesallfacetsofdepartmentaloperationandoverseesthe
administrativefunctioningofthedepartment,includingthebudget,course
schedulingandthehiringoftermoradjunctfaculty.TheChairwillmake
departmentalappointments,suchasfacultyadvisor(s),honorscoordinator(s),or
chair(s)oftenure‐linesearchcommittee(s)(withtheapprovaloftheCASdean).
TheChairreportstotheDeanofCAS.Thoughresponsibilitiesmaybedelegated,the
Chairremainsresponsibleforensuringthatallmajordepartmentalfunctionsare
carriedoutinsuchfashionthatallinterestedpartiesareinformed,thatthe
obligationssetbytheofficeoftheDeanofCASaremetpunctually,andthat
University‐stipulatedproceduresarefollowed.
TheChairmakesrecommendationsforfacultyhiringandreappointment,forfaculty
promotionandtenure,andforfacultymerit.TheChairalsoforwardsthe
recommendationsoftheSearchCommittee(orFaculty)concerningthehiringof
tenure‐track,term,andadjunctfacultytotheDeanofCAS.
ExceptwhereprohibitedbyAUregulations(aswiththeRankandTenure
Committeewhenitconsidersindividualfacultyactions),theChairmaychoosetosit
onotherdepartmentalcommittees,whetheradhocorstanding.
SubjecttoapprovalandappointmentbytheDeanofCAS,theChairofthe
departmentisselectedbythecorefacultyinthedepartment.TheChair'stermof
officeisordinarilythreeyears.SubjecttoapprovalandappointmentbytheDeanof
CAS,thecorefacultymayrecommendthattheChair'stermofofficeberenewedfor
anadditionalthreeyears.Underextraordinarycircumstances,theDeanofCASmay
bepetitionedbyatwo‐thirdsvoteofthecorefacultytoterminatetheChair’stermof
office.
TheChairhasresponsibilityfortheDepartment’saccounts,includingtheoperating
account,developmentaccount,studentfeeaccountsandscholarshipaccounts.The
Chairwillreportonthestatusoftheseaccountsateachfacultymeeting.Department
tenure‐linefacultymemberswillbegiveninformationofhowtheDepartment’s
accountsarebeingusedifrequested.
Committees
SearchCommittee
Foreveryfull‐timefacultysearch,theChair(inconsultationwiththecorefaculty)
makesarecommendationtotheDeanofCASforapprovaloftheSearchCommittee
andSearchCommitteeChair.TheSearchCommitteeChairrunsthesearchin
collaborationwiththeChairandisresponsibleforsolicitingthevoteofthecore
facultyandmakingarecommendationtotheChair.
Foradjunctfacultyappointments,theChairisauthorizedtoserveasthesearch
committeechairandneednotseekapprovalofthecorefaculty.
RankandTenureCommittee
TheRankandTenureCommitteeservestwodifferentfunctions:
 TheScienceR&TPhysicsSubcommitteeisresponsibleformaking
recommendationstotheScienceR&TCommitteeconcerningreappointments,
promotionsinrank,tenuredecisions,andleavesofabsencefortenure‐line
facultyandfull‐timeresearchfaculty.Thesedecisionsaremadebasedonthe
“PhysicsRankandTenureGuidelines”(seeattached),andwellasguidance
fromtheFacultyManualandfromCASandCFAGuidelines.
 TheDepartmentR&Tcommitteeisresponsibleformakingrecommendations
totheDepartmentChairconcerningreappointmentandpromotionsinrank
fortermfacultyandteachingadjunctfaculty.Dependingonthenatureofthe
promotion,thesedecisionsaremadebasedonthe“CASCriteriaforthe
EvaluationofTermFacultyontheProfessorialLecturerTrack”orthe
“PhysicsRankandTenureGuidelines”(forprofessor‐trackappointments),as
wellastheFacultyManual.
ScienceR&TPhysicsSubcommitteecomprisesalltenuredmembersofthe
departmentfaculty,unlessexcludedbyAUregulations.Toavoidaperceivedconflict
ofinterest,facultywhohaveaseparatevoteorvoiceinfacultyactions,suchasthe
Chair,areexcludedfromallRankandTenuremeetingsthatconsiderindividual
facultyactions.TheScienceR&TPhysicsSubcommitteemusthaveatleastthree
members.Iffewerdepartmentalmembersareabletoserve,thenqualifiedmembers
fromotherdepartmentswillbeinvitedontotheCommittee.Inconsultationwith
thetenure‐linefaculty,theChairwillselectexternalcommitteemembersandmake
arecommendationtotheDeanofCASforapproval.Votingonrecommendationsfor
promotiontoassociateprofessorortofullprofessorisrestrictedtocommittee
memberswhosecurrentrankexceedsthatofthecandidateforpromotion.
TheDepartmentR&TCommitteecomprisesthreemembersfromfacultygroupsA
andB.Iffewerdepartmentalmembersareabletoserve,thenqualifiedmembers
fromotherdepartmentswillbeinvitedontotheCommittee.TheChair(in
consultationwiththetenure‐linefaculty)willsubmitarecommendationforthe
externalcommitteetotheDeanofCASforapproval.Votingonrecommendationsfor
promotiontotermfacultyranksisrestrictedtocommitteememberswhosecurrent
rankexceedsthatofthecandidateforpromotion.
ResearchadjunctfacultycanbeappointedandreappointedbytheChairwithout
consultingtheDepartmentR&T,butthecorefacultyshouldbeapprisedofallnew
appointments.
GrievanceCommittee
Facultygrievances,studentacademicgrievancesandstudentgrievanceson
discriminationandsexualharassmentaredealtwithbyaGrievanceCommitteein
accordancewiththerelevantsectionsoftheFacultyManual,theUniversity’s
AcademicRegulations,andUniversityPoliciesonDiscriminationandDiscriminatory
Harassment.ThreemembersfromthecorefacultywillbechosenbytheChairfor
thiscommittee,andtheywillselectachair.
ResearchCommittee
TheResearchCommitteeischargedwithfacilitatingtheimpactofresearch,
scholarshipandcreativeworkbythefacultyandstudents.Theyalsoareinchargeof
thePhysicsDevelopmentaccount.Theycansetproceduresforthefacultytoaccess
thismoney(pursuanttoUniversityandCollegerules).Eachfiscalyeartheyshould
announcetothefacultywhatisthegeneralplanfortheaccountforthatyear.Three
membersfromthecorefacultywillbechosenbytheDepartmentChairforthis
committee,andtheywillselectachair.
Othercommittees
Historicallyotherstandingcommitteeshaveincluded:Curriculum,Assessment,
Research,andAdvisingandRecruitment.Inconsultationwiththecorefaculty,the
Chaircanappointcommitteechairsandassigncommitteemembers.