Making Department Decisions

Excerpt from English Department Minutes from 12/2/11 meeting:

After discussing several possible models, those present developed the following set of procedures:

  • An agenda will be distributed before the meeting (ex. Monday before a Friday meeting)
  • The agenda will include time limits for each topic to ensure that all topics can be addressed within the meeting time.
  • There will be a time keeper and a minute taker at each meeting.
  • During discussion, any department member can call to “take the temperature of the room.” This would mean going around the table and giving each person one minute to state their stance. Anyone may pass if he or she wishes.
  • Voting would happen within the meeting either by show of hands or by secret ballot (to be tallied during the meeting).
  • Faculty would be allowed one written proxy vote per academic year to accommodate for emergencies that prevent attendance at a meeting.
  • Quorum would be a simple majority of full time faculty. Currently there are 14 full time faculty, so 8 members would need to be present at a meeting.

This set of procedures was unanimously approved.

Decision reached by vote at English Department meeting on 2/22/13:

  • Hybrid of consensus and voting models: With items that are not time sensitive, we will hold two face-to-face discussions aimed at reaching consensus before a vote is called.
  • Adjunct faculty have voting privileges.