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DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
I)
Principles
The History Department is a community of teacher-scholars. Within the larger necessities of
the College of Arts and Sciences and University regulations, it governs itself. All members
possess rights and privileges as well as duties and obligations as both individuals and
members of the collective body. As a collective body, we define our Department's work as
encompassing the following:
A) Teaching
1) To teach the assigned course load, which may include lower- and upper-division
undergraduate courses, seminars, and graduate courses.
2) To teach courses and direct student scholarship on subjects of their own devising
and/or in their fields of expertise.
3) To balance the courses they teach with the needs of the Department, with particular
attention to departmental degree requirements.
4) To establish and maintain in interactions with students both within and outside of the
classroom a respectful atmosphere conducive to learning.
5) To assign class work and grades in order to promote intellectual rigor.
6) To prepare courses with scholarly effort.
7) To participate in teaching responsibilities beyond the classroom, among these: to
advise students, to direct independent studies for both graduate and undergraduate
students when appropriate, to serve on MA and PhD committees, and to chair MA
and PhD committees, consistent with accreditation requirements.
B) Scholarship
1) To maintain their intellectual creativity and vigor.
2) As appropriate to assignment, to establish research agendas and to commit themselves
continuously to scholarship, and to make public those findings in journals,
monographs, and other venues for written work.
3) To share that knowledge with their colleagues and the general public within and
beyond the department through conferences, seminars, exhibits, and other venues.
4) To perform this scholarly activity freely without prejudice from the Department,
School, College, or University administration.
C) Service and Governance
1) To participate in the governance and oversight of the Departmental polity.
2) To further the Department's mission by recruiting outstanding undergraduate majors
and graduate students.
3) To engage in College and University governance and to extend Departmental ideals
of excellence in research, teaching, and governance.
4) To extend these values to the community at large.
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D) Evaluation and Compensation
1) To be evaluated by the appropriate Departmental committee and the Chair in light of
fulfilling their assignment and contributing to Departmental principles.
2) To receive compensation, monetary and otherwise, consonant with merit based on
fulfilling these duties and obligations.
II)
Governance
Governance is conducted by the Governing Body, which in turn is composed of different
voting bodies and positions: the Chair; Directors of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies; and
various Committees.
A) Voting Body
1) The Governing Body: The governing body shall consist of members of the
Department who are tenured, tenure-earning, and full-time instructors with a terminal
degree. It excludes emeritus faculty, visiting faculty of any rank, retired faculty, and
adjuncts.
2) The Voting Body: The voting body shall consist of all members of the governing
body who are in residence. For exceptions, see II.A.3 and II.A.4 below.
3) Promotion and Tenure Voting: In promotion and tenure balloting for tenure track
members, all tenured and tenure-earning faculty may attend. Only tenured members
attending the meeting may participate and vote. In addition, in promotion balloting
for instructors, Senior and University Instructors are eligible to participate and vote.
Members may only vote on promotion for faculty at or below their rank. Members
with Departmental spouses and partners may not participate in the meeting in which
their partners are under consideration.
4) Chair and DGS Voting: In elections for Chair and Director of Graduate Studies,
eligible members on leave are included in the voting body. They may vote in
absentia. For procedures regarding these elections and absentee voting, see III.E.2
and III.E.3.
5) Consensus: The goal of the Voting Body is to achieve consensus through discussion
and debate at scheduled Departmental meetings. It is expected that deliberations will
take place in a Departmental meeting before a vote is called. Consensus is taken to
have been achieved when a majority of the Voting Body has reached a general
agreement on an issue, as expressed through a majority vote. The Department is
committed to remaining hospitable to ongoing internal discussions.
B) Department Chair:
The Department Chair is elected by the Governing Body, and is responsible to that
Body in those matters of governance that depend on departmental consensus, such as
hiring, promotion, and long-range planning.
1) Eligibility
(a) Any tenured member may serve as Chair except one with a partner or spouse in
the voting body of the Department;
(b) The Chair is elected by the Department and appointed by the Dean of the
College of Arts and Sciences.
2) Term: The normal term of office is four years to begin in the fall of the academic
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year. The term may be repeated once consecutively. A two-term former chair will be
eligible to serve again only in the circumstance of an intervening chair.
3) Duties:
(a) To faithfully represent the Department, decisions made by the voting body, and
its general interests before the School, the College, the University, and the
community at large on those matters. In these matters, the Chair answers to the
Department.
(b) To ensure the implementation of matters decided by the voting body.
(c) To represent the School and College in the administration of the Department. In
these matters, the Chair answers to the School and College.
(d) To encourage and extend the principles of the Department.
(e) To schedule and chair Department meetings consistent with departmental
needs.
(f) To supervise the Departmental staff and oversee the daily operation of
Departmental affairs.
(g) To oversee course assignments in such a way as to secure equity for faculty
members and safeguard student needs.
(h) To conduct annual evaluations of faculty consistent with college and university
requirements, Departmental Principles (Article I), and the nature of the
individual faculty members’ appointments.
(i) To meet with the Personnel Committee and consider its recommendations on
evaluation of faculty performance and merit
(j) To recommend salary increases consistent with evaluations.
(k) To review and make recommendations on applications for Dissertation Advisor
Status and forward in accordance with University policies
(l) To consult with standing committees on a regular basis.
(m) To call Department retreats.
(n) To guide the Department in long-range planning.
(o) To promote the periodic revision and update of the curriculum.
(p) To coordinate the disbursement of on-line budget funds and those accruing from
special student fees.
4) Evaluation: Using a Departmental questionnaire, the Personnel Committee will
evaluate the Chair annually. At the conclusion of the four-year term, the Committee
will also offer a general evaluation of the Chair's term of office. These evaluations
will be available in the Department's archival record.
C) Associate Chair
The Associate Chair is generally responsible to the Governing Body and to the Chair
on matters especially entrusted or delegated by the Chair.
1) Eligibility
(a) Any member of the Department may serve as Associate Chair.
(b) The Associate Chair is nominated by the Advisory Committee and the Chair.
(c) Once nominated, the Associate Chair is elected by the Department and
appointed by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
2) Term
(a) The normal term of office is two years to begin in the fall of the academic year.
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The term may be repeated consecutively without limit.
3) Duties
(a) To assist the Chair in the governance and daily administration of the
Department.
(b) To coordinate the Department retreats.
(c) To participate in the Department’s Advisory Committee
(d) To coordinate and monitor effective record keeping at the departmental level,
especially as it concerns minutes of faculty meetings and retreats.
(e) To assist the Chair on undergraduate and graduate course scheduling, and to
develop, where feasible, a two- or three-year rotation of courses in concert with
the appropriate standing committees.
(f) To collect and distribute enrollment and grade distribution data.
(g) In the absence of an Associate Chair, the Chair will allocate those duties as
appropriate among members and staff of the Department.
4) Evaluation : Using a Departmental questionnaire, the Personnel Committee will
evaluate the Associate Chair annually. At the conclusion of the two-year term, the
Committee will also offer a general evaluation of the Associate Chair's term of office.
These evaluations will be available in the Department's archival record.
D) Graduate Program Director
1) Eligibility:
(a) Any tenured member of the Graduate Faculty may serve as Director of Graduate
Studies.
(b) The Graduate Program Director is elected by the Department.
2) Term: The normal term of office for the Graduate Director is four years. The term
may be repeated once consecutively. A two-term prior Director may be eligible to
serve again only in the circumstance of an intervening Director.
3) Duties:
(a) To chair the Graduate Committee.
(b) To represent the Graduate Dean in the administration of the Department’s
graduate programs.
(c) To coordinate advising and evaluation of graduate students in concert with
students’ major adviser where applicable.
(d) To schedule graduate courses, in consultation with the Chair.
(e) To publicize the graduate program and supervise recruitment.
(f) To assign teaching assistants to faculty and oversee their relationship; to
coordinate evaluation of teaching assistants.
(g) To strengthen students’ professionalism, completion of degrees, and placement.
(h) To participate in the Department’s Advisory Committee.
(i) To coordinate assessment of the Graduate Program in compliance with
University requirements.
(j) To oversee certification of graduate students for graduation.
(k) To supervise the graduate secretary.
E) Public History Coordinator
1) Eligibility: Any member of the Department may serve as the Public History
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Coordinator.
2) Term: The Public History Coordinator is elected by the Department to serve a twoyear term. The term may be repeated consecutively without limit.
3) Purpose and Duties:
(a) In consultation with the Graduate Program Director, advise M.A. students
pursuing the Public History Option
(b) Coordinate the Public History Portfolio Defense for M.A. students pursuing the
Public History Option and to chair the resulting defense.
(c) Supervise undergraduate and graduate students completing public history
internships
(d) To attend meetings of the Undergraduate and Graduate committees as necessary
to discuss curricular, recruitment, and other matters
(e) To promote the Department's public history efforts
(f) To assist the Graduate Program Director and Chair in scheduling public history
courses
F) Advisory Committee
1) Membership and Eligibility: The Committee will consist of the Graduate Program
Director, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, the Chair of the Personnel
Committee, one assistant professor or one instructor to be elected by the Voting
Body. The assistant professor or instructor will each serve a two-year term, which
can be repeated once consecutively.
2) Purpose and Duties
(a) To advise the Chair on those matters of governance that depend on departmental
consensus, such as hiring, promotion, and long-range planning. To deliberate on
concerns relating to the general welfare of the Department, to include the
following:
(b) Hiring issues, among them long-range appointments, adjuncts, lecturers, visiting
instructors, and endowed appointments. In cases of hires involving spouses,
partners on the committee shall recuse themselves from the deliberations.
(c) Administrative issues, among them, budget and general distribution of
resources, space and office allocations, and time off/leave inducements for all
faculty.
(d) Consult as needed on course scheduling and faculty work assignments.
(e) To nominate the Associate Chair in consultation with the Chair. To meet with
the Chair on a regular basis during the academic year.
(f) To designate an Acting Chair in case of long term absence of the elected Chair.
(g) Any member of the Department may convey concerns to a member of the
Advisory Committee, who will report those concerns at an Advisory Committee
meeting with the Chair
3) Meetings
(a) The Committee will meet upon the request of the Chair or any two of its
members.
(b) Meetings will take place at least once in the Spring and the Fall semesters.
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G) Personnel Committee
1) Membership and Eligibility: The Committee will consist of three tenured members
of the Department chosen at-large to serve three-year staggered terms. The
Committee selects its own Chair. Partners/Spouses may not serve together.
2) Purpose and Duties
(a) To oversee files of candidates for promotion and tenure;
(b) To consult with faculty concerning appropriate timetables for the submission of
materials, consistent with College and University procedures and timetables.
(c) To conduct evaluation, promotion, and advancement reviews for instructors
consistent with College and University procedures and timetables.
(d) To conduct Sustained Performance Evaluations for tenured faculty consistent
with College and University procedures and timetables.
(e) To evaluate the Chair annually consistent with applicable College and
University procedures and timetables.
(f) To conduct the third-year review for assistant professors consistent with College
and University procedures and timetables; to conduct internal third year review
for instructors
(g) To meet with and advise the Chair in the annual faculty evaluations and
recommendations for salary increments and raises.
(h) To encourage, in cooperation with the Chair, faculty members to apply for
special awards, including the annual convocation commendations and other
university honors.
(i) To review applications for Dissertation Advisor Status and forward
recommendations to the Chair for independent evaluation.
(j) To periodically review the merit criteria.
(k) To collect, circulate, and maintain in a departmental space faculty members’
scholarship, including book reviews, articles, and monographs, as well as
reviews and notices of the same.
(l) To assist untenured faculty with identifying appropriate mentoring programs
outside the department as well as informal mentors within the department.
(m) To report as necessary or at least once a year to the Department.
H) Graduate Committee
1) Membership: The Committee will consist of the Director of Graduate Studies and
three additional members of the Graduate Faculty, elected with attention to
maintaining a diversity of faculty specialization in terms of region and period. The
three elected members of the Committee will serve staggered three-year terms.
2) Purpose and Duties
(a) To coordinate graduate admissions and make admission decisions in
consultation with the graduate faculty as appropriate.
(b) To advise assigned students, in consultation with director and student
committees, on course selections and other matters, in order to encourage
graduate students to complete degrees in due order.
(c) To select graduate students for teaching assistantships, departmental awards,
and scholarships.
(d) To advise the Graduate Director.
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(e) To coordinate required and elective graduate courses, and to recommend
balance in offerings and instruction.
(f) To evaluate new graduate course proposals and program changes in advance of
submitting them to the CAS Curriculum Committee.
(g) To facilitate job placement, including advising students on jobs, application
letters, dossiers, and interviews.
(h) To report as necessary or at least once annually to the Department.
(i) To assess the Graduate program and students in accordance with Departmental
and University requirements.
I) Undergraduate Committee
1) Membership: The Committee will consist of a minimum of four members, at least
one tenured and one tenure-earning, to be elected from the governing body. The
Committee will elect its own Director; this person must be tenured or be a Senior or
University Instructor. The elected members of the Committee will serve staggered
three-year terms, which are renewable. The Associate Chair will be ex-officio.
2) Purpose and Duties
(a) To oversee the undergraduate curriculum
(i) To review the range of content offerings, range of class formats, and
overall coherence of lower- and upper-division courses relative to
departmental and student needs
(ii) To consult with the Department's representative to the Curriculum
Committee about new undergraduate course proposals.
(iii)To conduct studies and formulate policies on undergraduate education as
needed.
(iv) To bring to the department pedagogical innovations in undergraduate
history education.
(v) To consult with undergraduate advisers and be a liaison between them and
the department.
(vi) To work with the School of Education in guiding Social Studies Education
students.
(vii)
To report as necessary or at least once annually to the Department.
(b) To promote the history major
(i)
To promote engagement among history majors by sponsoring
social events (including but not limited to Phi Alpha Theta events) both in
person and in other formats.
(ii) To nominate undergraduate students for college awards and participate in
awards ceremonies.
(iii)To recruit outstanding history majors.
(c) To coordinate assessment of core and capstone courses
(i)
To conduct assessments in consultation with undergraduate course
instructors. The expectation is that lower division course instructors will
serve as one of the assessors.
(ii) To coordinate and report as appropriate the results of assessments to
accreditation bodies. This may be tasked to a member of the committee or
to the Associate Chair.
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(iii)To make recommendations to the department at large based on
assessment.
(iv)
To periodically evaluate and revise departmental assessment
instruments
(v) To assure compliance with requirements and accreditation.
(d) To promote best practices in online education
(i)
To serve as a liaison with FIU Online.
(e) To coordinate and oversee FIU’s Dual Enrollment offerings in History
J) Search Committees
1) Definition of Positions: The Voting Body of the Department will define all tenured,
tenure-track, and instructor searches relative to a job opening's chronological,
geographic, or other parameters. It will approve the wording and placement of all job
notices. The Department charges committees to carry out these searches.
2) Composition: Search committees will consist of three to five members. These
committees shall be elected in Department meetings following nominations and
discussion. At least one member must come from outside the search's geographic
field. Only one member of a spousal unit may serve per committee. Each committee
will chose its chair, who must be a tenured member of the Department; the
Departmental Chair will not be eligible for this position.
3) Duration: The Search Committee will remain in place until the search is completed
or deferred.
4) Duties:
(a) The committee will be responsible for publicizing the job opening, organizing
the applicants' files, making the files available to departmental members, and
conducting all relevant correspondence during and after the search.
(b) The committee will evaluate the candidates' files and report its
recommendations to the Department in good time, forwarding a short list of 5-7
candidates.
(c) At the hiring meeting, the committee will make a non-binding report to the
department assessing candidate credentials, indicating which candidates are
acceptable.
(d) The Search Committee will take primary responsibility for coordinating campus
visits, with the expectation that all faculty will participate in events.
(e) After campus visits by candidates the committee shall seek feedback in the form
of a written report from the Graduate Student Body.
(f) The search committee chair will be responsible for dispatching letters to
candidates and for reporting to the Department.
K) Other Committees and Roles
1) When the Department identifies crucial programmatic work which it deems worth
allocating faculty service time to carry out, it will elect members to carry out such
functions.
(a) When the work is not already defined within the duties of an existing committee
or officer, it will be voted on by the Voting Body.
(i) At the time of election, the length of term and expectations of the work will be
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described.
(ii) Faculty will receive recognition for such assignments in merit pay and annual
evaluations.
(b) When the work falls under the scope of an existing constitutionally recognized
committee or officer, that committee or officer is responsible for defining the
length of term and expectations of work. They must inform the Chair.
(i) Any permanent change in the duties assigned to existing committees or
officers must be approved as part of a constitutional revision.
(ii) Faculty will receive recognition for such assignments in merit pay and annual
evaluations.
III) Procedures
A) Meetings
Department meetings will be governed in accordance with Roberts Rule’s of Order. In
exceptional circumstances, the Chair can call a virtual meeting of the Voting Body,
using appropriate technology.
B) Teaching Assignments
1) After considering the wishes of individual faculty members, the Chair makes annual
course assignments in consultation with relevant standing committees.
C) Evaluation
1) Annual: As required by university regulations and the UFF FIU Collective
Bargaining Agreement and in cooperation with the Personnel Committee, the Chair
will evaluate every member of the Department annually. The evaluation will be
based on each faculty member's Annual Assignment and will assess their strengths
and weaknesses as teachers, scholars, and colleagues, with the end of improving both
individual and collective achievement.
2) Triennial: The Personnel Committee, with the Chair participating, will evaluate all
assistant professors in their third year towards tenure and all instructors in their third
year towards promotion. The Committee will notify these professors in writing
relative to their progress towards tenure or promotion. The Committee will also
advise these professors about any necessary improvements in their scholarship,
teaching, and collegiality.
3) Sustained Performance Evaluation: The Personnel Committee, with the Chair's
participation, will evaluate all tenured faculty members once every seven years
following the award of tenure or their most recent promotion according to college and
university requirements. The Committee will notify these professors in writing relative
to their performance, advising them on continued professional growth and
development.
D) Promotion And Tenure
1) Principles: The Department makes tenure and promotion decisions in compliance
with the College and University rules and regulations.
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2) Process:
(a) The Personnel Committee oversees the process of promotion and tenure at the
Departmental level in a manner consistent with University and College
procedure.
(b) The Personnel Committee will inform the Department of active candidacies in
due time, will guide candidates in compiling materials in the most efficient
manner, and make all relevant materials available to the Department at least two
weeks prior to the meeting.
(c) Voting will be by secret ballot and as stipulated in II.A.3
E) Elections for Governance
1) The Voting Body: For composition, see II.A. For Procedures on voting for
departmental officers, see below. All elections will be held after full consultation in
Departmental meetings and with due notice of balloting. Votes will be recorded and
tallies preserved in the departmental archives.
2) Elections for Chair: The Department will hold the election no later than the first
week of April. When possible, the election should occur early in the semester so that
the incoming Chair has the opportunity to shadow the outgoing Chair during the
Spring and Summer terms. Voting will be by secret ballot, mail, or electronic mail
after full discussion. Candidates for the office will submit supporting statements for
their candidacy. In the absence of a majority, the Department will hold a run-off
between the two top contenders. The new Chair will take office the Fall semester
following the election.
3) Elections for Graduate Program Director: The Department will hold the election
no later than the first week of April. Candidates for the office will submit supporting
statements for their candidacy. Voting will be by secret ballot, mail, or electronic
mail after full discussion. In the absence of a majority, the Department will hold a
run-off between the two top contenders. The new GPD will take office the Fall
following the election.
4) Elections for Standing Committees:
(a) The Department will devote one meeting of the year to selecting members for
all departmental standing committees. This meeting will take place in the
Spring.
(b) Openings on standing committees will be announced by the Chair one week in
advance of the meeting.
(c) Voting will be by secret ballot.
(d) Elections will also take place as vacancies occur.
(e) Candidates for committees should be elected in consideration to achieving
balance in regional and chronological expertise, where appropriate.
(f) The Chair may make interim appointments to standing committees provided
that an election will be held at the next faculty meeting.
5) Elections for College Committees: In accordance with the Principles stated in I C 3,
faculty are encouraged to represent the Department by serving on College and
University committees where personnel and departmental resources permit.
6) Elections for Search Committees: Members of search committees will be elected at
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Department meetings in accordance with Section II L 2.
7) Resignation: In the event of a committee member’s resignation, the Chair will call
an election to fill the remainder of the resigning member’s term. Normal voting
procedures will apply.
8) Staggered Terms: When terms have not been staggered, staggering will be
determined by lottery.
F) Searches and Hires
1) Selection of Candidates:
(a) The initial charge for a search is given to the Committee elected by the
Department. After conducting preliminary review, the committee will forward
the files of five to seven candidates to the Department.
(b) The Department will vote on which candidates to bring to campus. The
balloting procedures will be established on a search-by-search basis.
(c) Spousal and Domestic Partner Hires: The Department is receptive to spousal
and domestic partner hires. It considers these on a case-by-case basis and
within specific limits and concerns, among these, the high standards of the
Department, commitment to national searches, consideration of the well-being
of the program, and the merit of both of the spouses.
2) Voting:
(a) In hiring voting, all tenured and tenure-earning faculty may vote. In addition,
instructors may vote on instructor searches.
(b) Following on-campus interviews, the Department will vote on the candidates.
(c) The voting procedures will be established on a search-by-search basis by the
Department before discussion of the candidates.
(d) The Department will vote on an initial slate of candidates to whom the job may
be offered. Should none of the initial candidates accept, another meeting must
be called before any further job offers may be extended. In consultation with the
Search Committee, the Department will decide which additional candidates to
consider.
(e) In the circumstance that none of subsequent candidates meet the Department's
standards, the Department reserves the prerogative of closing the search.
G) Salaries: Salaries and salary increments are determined on the recommendation of the
Chair after consultation with the Personnel Committee. As salary increments reflect on
the whole Department, the history faculty acknowledges its responsibility of
maintaining and advancing issues of merit and equity in this matter.
H) Quorum: Voting shall be deemed legitimate when one more than one half of the
voting body is present.
I) Amending The Constitution: Amendments must be presented in writing,
discussed at a meeting, and approved by 2/3 of the full voting body. Electronic votes
will be allowed.
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